Kaguya wiped the tears from her face and said softly, "Xiao Akira, I accept your gift… but I've decided not to absorb the Divine Tree for now."
"I have another use for it."
"Another use…" Obito looked toward the budding flower atop the Divine Tree.
With the natural energy of this second layer of the Peach Paradise, it would bloom within five minutes. Even though this place was isolated, the moon above should still be the same one, right?
Scratching his head, he blurted out, "Don't tell me… you're planning to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
Kaguya glanced at him coldly. "Nameless one, do you think I need to foolishly wait for the tree to bloom like you did?"
Obito blinked. "Huh? What did you just call me?"
Ignoring him, Kaguya turned back to Akira. "Do you still have White Zetsu?"
"I do. Most were deployed as spies in the Hidden Shadow, but I still have a few frozen in my time domain."
"I need ten."
"No problem."
Akira immediately released ten White Zetsu from storage.
These hadn't been altered by Kotoamatsukami or Twin Bloom—they were pure, original specimens, their consciousness still stuck at the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
The moment they synced with reality—
Chaos erupted.
"Holy—! Kid, how did you turn into a Six Paths being!?"
"You still recognize me?"
"How could I not!? That face—I'd recognize it even if I turned to ash! You look like Madara and Hashirama's love child!"
Madara: "..."
Obito: "..."
"Wait—Madara-sama!? Didn't you explode into a ball!?"
"And Obito too!? Are we dead!? Is this hell!?"
Too noisy.
Even Madara chose not to bother responding, folding his arms as he asked Kaguya, "What are you planning to do with them?"
Kaguya nodded. "I will refine them into something new."
Madara and Obito's expressions shifted.
"…Divine Tree Humans?"
They had seen them before—in Akira's future visions.
Like Jura.
But what they didn't know—
Divine Tree Humans were essentially evolved White Zetsu.
Kaguya possessed the original method.
Code had only stumbled upon a crude imitation.
Kaguya continued, "Akira, I also need some Edo Tensei bodies. Aside from Madara and the nameless one… eight more."
Obito: "?"
Madara: "..."
"Got it."
Akira clasped his hands.
—Summoning: Edo Tensei!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Eight coffins rose from the ground.
They opened one by one.
Kakuzu stepped out first, grumbling, "Boss, what happened to you!? I was counting money, and you just dragged me here!?"
Others followed: Deidara, Neji, Rock Lee, Shino, Shizune, Choji, Sakura.
Sakura's gaze locked onto Kaguya.
"…Kaguya."
Kaguya tilted her head. "You're the girl who punched me back then… Sakura, wasn't it? You died as well?"
Sakura nodded calmly. "It's an honor to meet you again."
Kaguya turned away. "Everything is ready."
"Swish—!"
Her hair split into ten strands—
Binding all ten Edo Tensei bodies, including Madara and Obito.
"Gurgle…"
Their chakra flowed into her.
Obito glanced at his cracking body. "Hey… you trying to drain us dry?"
"Not entirely," Kaguya replied. "I only need enough chakra to serve as a catalyst. Your Edo bodies can recover. Living humans… might not survive."
Once the threshold was reached, she withdrew.
Ten spheres of chakra fused with Truth-Seeking Orbs—
Transforming into thorn-like constructs.
Akira's eyes sharpened.
These are… the cores of Divine Tree Humans.
Kaguya raised her hand.
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
The ten thorn cores pierced into the White Zetsu.
"…What is this feeling…"
"…Something's growing inside…"
"So in the end… we're still tools…"
"Swish—!"
White vines descended from the Divine Tree—
Wrapping them—
Suspending them in the air.
The flower bloomed fully.
Yet no Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast.
The tree had reached saturation.
Kaguya lowered her hand. "Now… we wait a few days."
"The Divine Tree Humans will be complete."
Akira raised his hand.
—Release!
The Edo Tensei coffins reabsorbed the summoned bodies and sank underground.
Madara and Obito's cracks healed—their chakra restored.
Madara looked up at the first suspended Zetsu.
"My Divine Tree Human…"
"I wonder what it will become."
At that moment—
Akira lowered his staff—
And sat cross-legged in midair.
Madara raised a brow. "What now?"
Akira replied calmly, "Madara… I once learned Six Paths techniques through meditative visualization of you."
"…That's right."
"That method requires two conditions."
"First—the location must be somewhere the subject has stayed for a long time."
"Second—our power levels must be close."
Madara's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me…"
Akira smiled faintly.
"This place—was once Hagoromo's training ground."
"And now—"
"Our power… is perfectly aligned."
He closed his eyes.
"Now… I will enter Samadhi—"
"And learn the true techniques of the Six Paths."
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