"Is this the space where the God Tree was kept?"
"But there's nothing here. Did the God Tree just vanish into thin air?"
"Since it's the God Tree, it must be connected to the gods. It probably knew we were coming and left in advance."
Though the crowd's discussion was hushed, it echoed through the vast cavern, becoming unusually clear and loud.
Black Zetsu, hidden in the darkness beyond the bonfires along the stone wall, surveyed the entire scene. The panic in his heart gradually settled as the discussion grew increasingly absurd.
His gaze shifted as he examined everyone's expressions, muttering to himself.
It had to be Madara's doing. Without a word, that bastard had summoned the Ten-Tails' husk into the Shinobi World, nearly making his steadfast heart leap out of his chest.
The Ten-Tails' husk, the nine Tailed Beasts, the Rinnegan.
The plan.
The grand performance he had plotted for a thousand years had officially begun.
Facing the crowd discussing beneath the firelight, he silently bared his teeth in an unrestrained sneer.
"Does the God Tree have a consciousness of its own?"
Tobirama's question made cold sweat pour down Cang Lu's back. He pursed his slightly bitter lips and forced out an explanation. "It usually remains dormant. In theory, it does possess its own consciousness."
"So that's how it is?"
Many in the crowd looked down at the pitch-black depths below, like an abyss, and sighed.
Feeling regretful, Hashirama examined the cavern. As his gaze traveled deeper, his confusion grew. He tentatively said, "The God Tree... isn't actually a tree like we imagined, is it?"
Hashirama's reminder made everyone understand.
A cavern of this scale was not suitable for a towering God Tree to grow in. Instead, this space looked more like it had been sealing some enormous creature.