"That was only the beginning." Aizen rose, walked to the window, and looked out at the floating palaces and sea of clouds. "The Ōtsutsuki Clan spans the stars.
They travel from planet to planet, planting God Trees and harvesting each world's energy and life before moving on to the next. Kaguya was merely one of them-and a deserter at that."
Minato's pupils contracted sharply.
"A deserter?"
"Yes. When Kaguya came to this planet, she was supposed to follow her clan's rules: plant the God Tree, wait for it to bear fruit, then return to the clan with that fruit.
But she ate it, betrayed her clan, and stayed here." Aizen turned to look at Minato. "And the Ōtsutsuki Clan has only ever dealt with traitors in one way-"
"Hunting them down," Minato finished.
"Yes, hunting them down." Aizen nodded. "But Kaguya was clever. Eating the fruit greatly increased her power, and she used her own methods to conceal this planet's coordinates.
A thousand years passed without the Ōtsutsuki Clan finding this place. Until-"
He paused, his voice dropping slightly.
"Until the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage sixteen years ago. The tailed beast's chakra ran wild, the seal on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path loosened, and for one brief instant, Kaguya's presence leaked out into the universe.
Faint as it was, brief as it was, that was enough for the Ōtsutsuki Clan, who had been searching for her all this time."
Minato felt a chill climb his spine.
"You're saying... the Ōtsutsuki Clan has already discovered this place?"
"Not discovered, exactly, but they have certainly noticed something unusual," Aizen said. "At their speed of travel, someone will arrive here within ten years at most.
When that happens, they will reclaim the God Tree, reclaim Kaguya, reclaim all chakra, then