In the barren wasteland that was once Konohagakure, a towering Divine Tree now filled the previously bottomless chasm.
At the very top of the Divine Tree sat a white-haired youth in meditation, his eyes closed as he formed hand seals. Suspended behind him were nine perfectly round, black Truth-Seeking Orbs.
This colossal tree was formed by several massive trunks coiling and twisting together, creating a hollow structure. One might wonder if this unique design had some connection to the Ōtsutsuki clan.
The branches of the Divine Tree extended outward, adorned with thick, green leaves.
Visually, this Divine Tree was entirely different from the one created by Obito and Madara in the original timeline. Their tree consisted of a single, barren trunk devoid of leaves or vitality.
In contrast, the Divine Tree cultivated by Sōmi resembled a proper plant. However, its inner bark was disturbingly strange—bulging with countless pulsating "veins" that resembled a network of tubes or writhing parasitic worms. The sight was grotesque and unsettling.
These vein-like conduits transported Chakra and life force extracted from living beings across the planet, channeling the immense energy toward the top of the Divine Tree.
At the apex of the coiled trunks bloomed a magnificent, eerie pink flower, resembling a lotus in shape.
Yet, as the energy continued to gather, the petals of the pink flower began to change.
Their color darkened from pink to crimson, and the once-vibrant petals shriveled and withered, taking on the appearance of dried blood.
After a long while.
When all the petals had completely withered and fallen, they revealed a fruit about the size of a fist. Its color was a mix of dark red and deep purple, exuding a sinister aura, as though it harbored a malevolent presence within.
However, the fruit appeared imperfect, its surface shriveled and lacking the fullness of a complete Chakra Fruit.
At this moment, Sōmi, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, finally opened them.
Under his control, the beings ensnared by the vines of the Divine Tree had no chance of being transformed into White Zetsu.
Every living creature caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi's light would have their nutrients and life force completely drained by the Divine Tree. Once the vines released them, all that remained were desiccated corpses, as brittle as mummies weathered by a thousand years. A mere gust of wind would reduce them to dust.
Sōmi couldn't fathom why Kaguya had ever thought relying on White Zetsu to defend against "aliens" was a feasible plan.
Given the combat capabilities of White Zetsu, no matter how many of them there were, even a Nine-Tails Mode Naruto could annihilate them with ease using his shadow clones.
To Sōmi, the proper use of the Divine Tree was to cultivate a Chakra Fruit and consume it to enhance one's power.
Judging by Kaguya's combat performance, however, she didn't seem particularly intelligent.
Suddenly.
A deep, ominous voice echoed from the ground.
"Sōmi-sama!"
"So, this thing finally decided to show itself..."
A faint smile appeared on Sōmi's lips as he swiftly descended, landing on the ground in an instant.
Standing before him was a peculiar, humanoid black entity with eerie yellow eyes and teeth as sharp as a shark's—clearly not a friendly figure.
"You're that Zetsu from Akatsuki, aren't you? What do you want?"
Sōmi's face bore a mysterious smile as he gazed at the strange being.
"Sōmi-sama!"
"I was created by Madara Uchiha, but now that Madara has failed, I wish to pledge my allegiance to you..."
"I imagine you're curious as to why the Chakra Fruit remains incomplete, as well as the true origin of the shinobi world..."
The moment Black Zetsu saw Sōmi's smile, it felt a surge of fear. This man was a terrifying figure it could not comprehend or manipulate.
Unaware that the souls of Asura, Indra, and even the Sage of Six Paths had already been sealed away, Black Zetsu had originally planned to wait for Sōmi's death.
Then, it would deceive the next generation into executing its "Rescue Mother" plan.
However, upon witnessing the blood moon and the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Black Zetsu had rushed here in desperation.
After all, with the activation of the Rinne Sharingan, the cultivation of the Divine Tree, and the casting of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, all that remained was for Black Zetsu to inject Kaguya's will into the process—and it could finally resurrect the mother it had yearned for over a millennium.
"Oh?"
"Go on, then..."
Sōmi scrutinized Black Zetsu with a faint, mocking smile.
"Actually, the Sage of Six Paths is not the true source of Chakra. The real progenitor of the shinobi world is—"
Just as Black Zetsu began its tale, it suddenly realized the surrounding space had been sealed.
"Sōmi-sama!"
"What are you doing?!"
Black Zetsu's expression changed dramatically, losing its usual sinister composure.
The purple glow in Sōmi's Rinne Sharingan intensified, and Black Zetsu's body froze in place, unable to move or even speak.
"I'm guessing you were about to tell me something 'heartfelt,' right?"
"Unfortunately..."
"Your little tricks are completely useless against me!"
The derision in Sōmi's tone was unmistakable.
He was fully aware of the risks associated with activating the Rinne Sharingan and gathering scattered Chakra.
The past six months of silence had been spent addressing these very vulnerabilities.
In the original timeline, Black Zetsu had relied on its foresight and manipulation to outwit Madara Uchiha, ultimately turning him into a sacrificial pawn for Kaguya's revival.
But against Sōmi, Black Zetsu's informational advantage was meaningless.
Sōmi drew a drop of blood and pressed his hand to the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof! White smoke billowed forth.
When the smoke cleared, another "Sōmi" appeared before Black Zetsu. This version had black hair and black eyes, and its aura was weak.
Under Black Zetsu's astonished gaze, Sōmi approached the clone and placed a hand on its shoulder.
A miraculous transformation occurred. The clone's Chakra levels soared, its black hair turning white in an instant. A white cloak draped itself over its shoulders, and even Truth-Seeking Orbs began to float behind it.
In mere moments, this "Sōmi" had entered Six Paths Sage Mode. Astonishingly, a Rinne Sharingan opened on its forehead as well!
However, the clone's aura was unstable, exuding a sense of superficial strength.
Suddenly.
The clone approached Black Zetsu and the Divine Tree, extending its hand to touch both simultaneously.
"Yin-Yang Release: Spirit Possession - Assimilation!"
Shhh!
The Chakra energy within Black Zetsu and the Divine Tree began to spiral toward the clone.
The clone's body swelled rapidly, its form expanding as if stuffed with countless cotton and flesh. Long, waterfall-like hair cascaded down its back.
"What is he trying to do?!"
"But..."
"If this is the case, then Mother..."
"The true progenitor of the shinobi world is finally about to return!"
Black Zetsu was overcome with exhilaration. It no longer cared about Sōmi's potential schemes; all it could think about was reuniting with the mother it had longed for over a thousand years.
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