"So… this is the God Tree…"
Hagoromo stood silently before the towering tree, his eyes slowly tracing its immense height. Even though he had seen it before, the sight still left him speechless.
"It's… unbelievably tall…"
Years had passed since the God Tree first took root, and now it had grown into something far beyond imagination. What once seemed like a powerful plant had now become something closer to a living god.
Across the empty wasteland, nothing else existed. No mountains. No forests. No villages.
Only the God Tree.
And yet, that single presence was enough to dominate the entire land.
It didn't feel like a tree anymore.
It felt like something sacred… something ancient… something that didn't belong to this world.
A heavy pressure filled the air.
A terrifying amount of Chakra flowed within the tree's body, constantly circulating alongside vast amounts of natural energy. It was so dense that even standing near it made breathing feel slightly heavier.
As Hagoromo stepped closer, he felt something strange happen.
The Chakra inside his own body began to react.
It resonated.
For a brief moment, something awakened deep within him.
A faint ripple appeared in his eyes… and the shadow of a Rinnegan briefly formed.
A soft purple glow flickered in the depths of his pupils.
But just as quickly as it appeared… it vanished.
Hagoromo blinked.
Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
He turned away, unaware of the change.
"I wonder… how much more it will grow."
Beside him, his younger brother Hamura spoke quietly, his tone thoughtful.
Unlike ordinary people, the two brothers knew many secrets about this world—things hidden from everyone else.
They knew how the God Tree was being fed.
Every year, countless chakra crystals were gathered from across the land and offered to the tree to accelerate its growth.
And even with that…
It still wasn't slowing down.
The God Tree stretched endlessly into the sky, its peak nearly impossible to see.
It was as if it would never stop growing.
Hamura narrowed his eyes.
"Maybe… it doesn't have a limit at all."
In truth, they both understood something.
The only thing that could stop the tree… was the world itself running out of energy.
Because no matter how powerful something was—
Even a god needed fuel.
"Look… up there."
Hagoromo suddenly pointed toward the sky.
High above them, hidden among the massive branches, something was slowly taking shape.
A fruit.
It wasn't fully formed yet, but it was already glowing faintly with powerful Chakra.
The energy surrounding it was overwhelming.
Even from this distance, they could feel it.
"That's… the fruit of the God Tree…"
Hamura whispered.
The two brothers stood there in silence for a long time.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them moved.
They simply stared… as if trying to understand something they couldn't yet grasp.
Eventually, without saying a word, they turned and left.
But that day…
Something had already changed.
---
That night, something strange happened.
Both brothers had the same dream.
They found themselves standing in a strange space, surrounded by darkness.
And in front of them…
Was a toad.
But this was no ordinary toad.
Its body was enormous.
Its presence felt ancient.
And most importantly…
It was filled with natural energy.
"Who are you?"
Hagoromo's voice became sharp instantly.
Hamura also stepped forward, his guard raised.
"Is this… a Genjutsu?"
They quickly realized something was wrong.
This wasn't reality.
They had been pulled into a Genjutsu space.
"My name is Gamamaru."
The giant toad spoke slowly, its voice calm but heavy.
"You may call me… the Toad Sage."
The two brothers exchanged a glance.
"Toad Sage?"
Hagoromo frowned.
"Why bring us here?"
"What do you want from us?"
Gamamaru stared at them for a long moment before answering.
"I have been waiting… for both of you."
"Waiting?" Hamura's expression hardened.
"For what?"
Gamamaru's eyes grew serious.
"For the moment… when the world begins to fall."
Silence.
Then—
"A crisis is coming."
His voice echoed across the empty space.
"A disaster… that will destroy everything."
"And you two…"
He paused.
"…are the ones chosen to stop it."
Hamura's face immediately darkened.
"That's nonsense."
His voice was cold.
"The world is peaceful right now. There are no wars. No chaos."
"Everything is stable."
"Where is this so-called crisis?"
He didn't believe a single word.
And honestly—
Why would he?
This was the most peaceful era the world had ever seen.
Even ordinary people lived safe and comfortable lives.
There was no reason to fear anything.
Even Hagoromo shook his head slightly.
"Even if something happens…"
"Our father can handle it."
"And our mother…"
He paused.
"…is stronger than anyone."
Their confidence wasn't blind.
It was based on everything they had seen.
Their father had reshaped the world.
Their mother possessed overwhelming power.
There was no threat that could stand against them.
Gamamaru listened quietly.
Then…
He sighed.
"The Son of Heaven…"
His eyes showed deep respect.
"He is indeed extraordinary."
"In all of history… no one has reached his level."
"He ended war."
"He wiped out demons."
"He brought peace to the world."
"And your mother…"
"…is powerful enough to suppress anything."
For a moment, it seemed like he agreed with them.
But then—
His expression changed.
"…however…"
His voice dropped.
"The one who will destroy the world…"
"…is your mother herself."
The moment those words were spoken, everything froze.
Hagoromo's eyes sharpened instantly.
Hamura stepped forward, his aura rising.
"What did you just say?"
Hagoromo's voice became cold.
His gaze locked onto Gamamaru.
"What is your purpose?"
Pulling them into a Genjutsu…
Spreading lies about their mother…
Anyone would be angry.
And they were no exception.
At that moment—
They were ready to attack.
Gamamaru didn't react.
He simply looked at them… with a hint of sadness.
"I am not lying."
"What I saw… is real."
"There is light in this world."
"But beneath that light…"
"…there is also darkness."
"You simply haven't seen it yet."
He paused, then spoke slowly.
"But you will."
"Fate will guide you."
"And when that time comes…"
"…you will understand everything."
The space around them began to shake.
Ripples spread across the void.
Then—
CRACK.
The entire Genjutsu shattered.
---
The brothers woke up.
They were back in reality.
Both of them were silent.
"That… Toad Sage…"
Hamura muttered.
"…who was he?"
Hagoromo didn't answer.
His expression was serious.
That dream…
Didn't feel like a dream.
But after that night—
Nothing happened.
Gamamaru never appeared again.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Gradually…
The memory faded.
It became nothing more than a strange experience.
Almost forgotten.
---
Until one day—
Everything changed again.
The two brothers were patrolling near the God Tree.
The air was quiet.
Everything seemed normal.
Then—
The sound of wheels echoed in the distance.
They turned.
A long line of carts was approaching.
Each one was covered with iron bars.
Inside…
Were people.
Prisoners.
Hagoromo's eyes widened slightly.
"Those are… prisoner transports?"
His voice carried confusion.
"Why are they coming here?"
The carts didn't stop.
They moved steadily forward…
Heading straight toward—
The forbidden area of the God Tree.
---
End of Chapter 16
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