Uchiha Hiko's faint interest in exploring vanished, and he instantly accelerated.
When he reached the true core, he saw a towering tree that seemed almost dreamlike. Before it, Uchiha Hiko was as tiny as an ant!
Looking closely, the great tree was practically a living planet, bearing traces of a complete ecosystem upon it.
The only awkward part was that countless fallen leaves and fragments were floating around the tree.
Several thick branches had even snapped off completely.
From the looks of their sides, they had not rotted away naturally. They seemed to have been forcibly broken off, and blue, blood-like fluid continued to flow from the breaks.
"Wuwuwu..." Uchiha Hiko seemed to hear a sound like a human crying.
It seemed that the great tree was in tremendous pain from having been so badly damaged.
After all, those cries might very well have come from the depths of its soul.
Even Uchiha Hiko, as he was now, could not possibly torment such a powerful being into this state in such a short time.
A trace of wariness arose in his heart.
Closing his eyes, Uchiha Hiko extended his senses, attempting to inspect everything happening on the great tree and locate the battlefield.
Yet he could sense nothing at all!
That could only mean one thing: either his opponent could counter reconnaissance, or they were beyond the range of his senses.
In either case, they were fucking powerful!
With no other choice, Uchiha Hiko followed the direction in which the branches had broken, searching one by one.
It was not easy to find. The traces of battle vanished midway, but Uchiha Hiko found an entrance leading into the great tree.
Staring at the enormous hole before him, as though a skylight had been opened, Uchiha Hiko froze for a moment.