"So, what's different about that tree compared to an ordinary one?"
Standing before a village, Namikawa Yū gazed at the towering God Tree ahead and asked.
It had been seven years since he came to this world, and Namikawa Yū had changed considerably since then.
Now seventeen, he stood tall and straight. A robe draped over him, lending him an air of nobility.
He was handsome, and though his manner was languid, there was something about him that no one could ignore. Even standing still, he drew the gazes of countless people.
He had changed a great deal over the past few years.
The changes had affected not only the Land of Ancestors, but also himself.
After putting it to the test, Namikawa Yū had discovered that his original body seemed to influence the body he inhabited after reincarnation.
This was clear from how much his current appearance had come to resemble his original one.
The chakra that had gradually begun to appear within him was further proof.
Yes, after several years, Namikawa Yū had finally become capable of refining chakra.
It was far more difficult than refining it in his original body, but it was possible all the same.
This also led Namikawa Yū to discover a new rule of reincarnation: the body he reincarnated into and his original body influenced each other.
As time passed, the reincarnated body gradually drew closer to his original one, undergoing new changes.
That was why Namikawa Yū dared to take people out of the Daimyo's Palace at will.
After all, now that he had mastered chakra, ordinary people posed little threat to him.
The so-called demons of this world were much the same.
As long as he was careful, in a world without ninjas, he could always run away even if he couldn't win.
"Daimyo, the God Tree is just ahead..."
The local village chief stood before him, respectfully inviting Namikawa Yū inside.
That day, he came before the God Tree.
The tree was enormous, more magnificent than any of the ancient trees Namikawa Yū had seen in his previous life.
"What an abundance of life force..."
Namikawa Yū carefully sensed the God Tree before him, marveling inwardly.
He could feel the immense life force coursing through it.
It was so vast that even the slightest sensation filled him with awe and dread.
How could a mere tree possess such an immense life force?
He couldn't understand it.
Looking down at the surrounding area, he easily noticed something.
With the God Tree at its center, all the plants around it had vanished. Even ordinary wild animals were nowhere to be seen.
It was as if some mysterious presence was secretly devouring all life and draining away every last bit of life force.
There was no doubt about what was stealing that life force. It was the God Tree before him.
"Interesting..."
Standing there, Namikawa Yū pondered. A God Tree that can steal the life force of other living things to strengthen itself?
No, it probably wasn't just drawing life force from the surrounding creatures.
There were only so many plants nearby. Even if it drained them all, that wouldn't be enough to grow the tree to such an enormous size.
For the God Tree to have grown this much in such a short time, it must have absorbed life force and energy from elsewhere as well.
"A God Tree that can absorb life force and Natural Energy?"
Standing still, Namikawa Yū frowned as he looked at the tree. A strange sense of déjà vu suddenly surfaced in his mind.
For some reason, this scene seemed familiar to him.
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't remember why.
After a moment, he shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, then turned to the village chief beside him. "How many people live in your village?"
"About five hundred."
The village chief seemed a little confused. "Around three hundred of them are young."
"Good."
Namikawa Yū nodded. "From now on, send out twenty people to take turns guarding this God Tree. I want to know about every change it undergoes."
"As compensation, those twenty people will be exempt from their agricultural taxes."
Though he didn't know where the God Tree had come from, Namikawa Yū instinctively felt it must be important.
He couldn't keep an eye on it at all times, so having the locals watch over it seemed like a good option.
There was no need to protect it, though.
The God Tree was so tall and thick that even Namikawa Yū would probably have trouble cutting it down. If someone managed to steal it or fell it, then so be it.
They'd have earned it.
After leaving the village, Namikawa Yū didn't head back.
His time was precious, and he had few chances to go out.
Since he had finally managed to get away this time, he couldn't waste the opportunity.
It seemed like a good chance to survey the situation in the various regions.
So he decided to investigate the surrounding areas thoroughly before returning to the Daimyo's Residence.
But after he had spent only a few days surveying the area, the unexpected happened.
One night, the sky suddenly changed.
At that moment, a strange feeling stirred within Namikawa Yū.
He stepped out of the house and into the open.
He looked up at the sky and saw brilliant sparks of light shining above. A streak of light appeared, illuminating the night.
"A star..."
A nearby attendant spoke respectfully. "From its direction, it seems to be right around the God Tree."
"The God Tree..."
Namikawa Yū's heart stirred. He suddenly realized something.
"Take my orders."
Without hesitation, he rose and gave the command. "Everyone, move out. We're going to investigate."
As soon as he finished speaking, he mounted his horse and rode off with the attendants around him.
Since they weren't far from the God Tree, they reached their destination in no time.
But when they arrived, they couldn't find any sign of a meteor having fallen.
"How can there be nothing?"
The attendants looked around in confusion.
Once they learned what Namikawa Yū was looking for, the attendants and guards had all been eager to find the fallen Meteor.
As Namikawa Yū's attendants, they knew their Daimyo was always generous. If they found what he wanted, they would surely receive a handsome reward. So they searched with all their might.
But no matter how thoroughly they searched, they found no trace of it.
The ground was bare, with no sign of a meteor having fallen.
But how could that be?
"It was definitely in this direction..."
After searching for a long time and still coming up empty-handed, one guard was completely baffled.
But then his expression suddenly changed, and he stared in a certain direction ahead. "Who's there!"
"Who is it!"
"Protect the Daimyo!"
At his words, everyone gathered around Namikawa Yū, staring tensely ahead.
The next moment, under their watchful eyes, a woman slowly emerged from the distance.