268 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

"Boom!"

With a thunderous roar, two massive Divine Trees appeared in the vast underground chamber.

One belonged to Uchiha Akira, the other to Uchiha Hikari.

Among them, the tree created by Uchiha Hikari was the largest, followed by the one from Uchiha Akira.

Having merged with the Ten-Tails, Akira naturally had the ability to manifest a Divine Tree and release it at will.

Towering and immense, the trees nearly reached the chamber's ceiling.

Senju Tobirama observed the three massive trees and spoke,

"We need to increase the height of this chamber."

Akira nodded. "That won't be difficult. The village is well-organized now, with specialized ninja handling such tasks."

Tobirama's expression carried a trace of approval. "It seems the village has developed well over the years."

When he entered Konoha earlier, he had already spread his sensory perception and conducted a brief scan of the village.

"The initial development was bound to be rapid," Akira replied without arrogance.

From his perspective, given Konoha's immense military strength, its current progress was only natural.

"Still, we must be cautious with these Divine Trees. We cannot allow Ōtsutsuki Kaguya to take advantage of them," Tobirama warned.

"Don't worry." Akira nodded. "From now on, I'll be stationed here personally. The village's leadership can handle administrative matters, and if necessary, I'll use a shadow clone to assist."

Tobirama nodded. "At this moment, strengthening our power is most crucial. My instincts tell me that the Ōtsutsuki from beyond the stars will return sooner or later."

"We must indeed elevate the power of the ninja world!" Akira agreed.

...

Time passed swiftly, and half a month went by in an instant.

During this period, Konoha remained on high alert, preparing for the possible arrival of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

However, she never appeared. It was as if she had vanished from the ninja world entirely, leaving no trace.

In a secluded dimension, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya emerged from a temporal rift, her face dark with frustration.

For days, she had been moving between different dimensions, yet she had found no sign of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's vessel.

Her pale white eyes flared, veins bulging as she unleashed her dōjutsu, scanning the vast dimension before her.

Below lay a massive platform, and before her stood a towering rock wall engraved with ancient carvings—each depicting a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

"Momoshiki… Kinshiki…" Kaguya murmured, her gaze fixed on the engravings. "If my calculations are correct, they should be arriving soon... Perhaps in a few decades..."

The Ōtsutsuki Clan, once they consumed a Chakra Fruit or a pill refined from it, could attain extraordinarily long lifespans.

After all, under normal circumstances, a Divine Tree required a thousand years to bear fruit.

Without sufficient lifespan, one would never live to see it ripen.

For the Ōtsutsuki, time was measured differently than for ordinary beings.

A few decades? That was nothing.

"If I can't find Isshiki, Momoshiki and Kinshiki should suffice. Feeding them to the Divine Tree should yield a high-quality fruit..." Kaguya's lips curled into a sinister smile.

She did not fear Momoshiki or Isshiki themselves—only the greater Ōtsutsuki Clan behind them.

As for Isshiki, she wasn't overly concerned. Without a perfect vessel, he could never return in his true form.

A proper vessel was not so easy to come by.

Isshiki had searched for years without success. Kaguya didn't believe his luck would suddenly change.

The advantage was hers. Hiding wouldn't save him—sooner or later, she would find him.

She also wasn't too worried about Konoha. The Ōtsutsuki had the ability to mask their chakra. If she wanted to hide, no one would be able to track her down.

"The Divine Tree..." As she thought, a dark spatial vortex appeared.

When she reemerged, she was back in the ninja world.

"The aura of a Divine Tree? Not just one?" Her expression darkened as she turned her gaze toward Konoha.

In an instant, she opened a dimensional rift and arrived ten kilometers outside the village.

"Even fragments of a Divine Tree are still Divine Trees..." With her dōjutsu, she easily spotted the three massive trees within Konoha.

"So these mortals are attempting to cultivate Chakra Fruits? How laughable..." Kaguya sneered, unimpressed.

The creation of a Chakra Fruit was not so simple.

It required a thousand years of nourishment—far beyond the lifespan of these short-lived creatures.

Moreover, merely planting a Divine Tree was not enough. To make it bear fruit, an Ōtsutsuki sacrifice was required.

"Those two… They stole my and the Ten-Tails' power, significantly increasing their strength and lifespan. I should keep a closer watch on them…" Kaguya's mind conjured images of Uchiha Akira and Uchiha Hikari.

"First, I need to deal with my revival's offering. That body possesses some rather unique abilities..." Kaguya's thoughts shifted, she vanished.

...

In a heavily guarded, secret laboratory within a bustling Fire Country city, Jigen swirled a glass of red wine, his expression unreadable.

A cunning rabbit always has multiple burrows. Having survived in the ninja world for so long, he understood this principle well.

After his crushing defeat at Akira's hands, he had evacuated everything from his extra-dimensional base, relocating his assets back to the ninja world.

"Kaguya..." he muttered, staring into his glass.

News of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's resurrection had spread from Konoha, reaching every corner of the ninja world.

"Damn that woman!" Jigen clenched his remaining fist, his mind burning with rage.

It had been Kaguya's betrayal that had left him in this miserable state.

But despite his fury, there was little he could do.

After consuming the high-quality Chakra Fruit that had originally existed in this world, Kaguya's power had become terrifyingly immense.

For now, he had no choice but to avoid her.

"I must expand the search... I must find a suitable vessel..." Jigen resolved.

Over the years, he had not been idle.

In secret, he had already gained control over numerous powerful corporations and organizations.

Originally, he had planned to establish a covert network before making his move.

But given the current crisis, he could no longer afford to wait.

He needed to find a vessel at all costs—and revive as soon as possible.

...

In the Land of Rain,

Konan stood in the downpour, cradling a bouquet of white paper flowers.

Before her lay two graves—the resting places of her closest friends, Nagato and Yahiko.

"In the end, we still failed, Nagato..." Konan whispered, grief etched across her face, tears mingling with the rain.

Not far away, Jiraiya watched her, guilt written all over his face.

"Konan... I failed to keep an eye on you all back then. As your teacher... this was my failure..."

He had personally brought Nagato's body back to Amegakure.