Amid the ice and snow, traces of that battle from years ago still remained.
Isshiki Otsutsuki stood in midair, gazing at the Divine Tree that remained firm and unfallen amid the merciless blizzard.
"When the Divine Tree underwent Stem Separation, a massive amount of Chakra was injected into it... the Yang Dragon Vein? Uchiha Riu truly was meticulous to go out of his way for this."
"After obtaining the Ten-Tails, he did not absorb the readily available Divine Tree to gain immortality. He must have known the risks of doing so."
"And rather than keep the Yang Dragon Vein, he chose to preserve the tree itself. He must have been planning something else."
"Patience, ambition, and... methods. In a sense, he and I are the same kind of person."
"People like that are the most terrifying."
"Kaguya, be grateful. This time, I am covering for you. Otherwise, even if you revived, he would surely play you to death!"
Isshiki extended his palm.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The glacier split apart, and the Divine Tree rooted deep within the ice rose with a rumble.
"Roar...!!" The Ten-Tails roared amid the snowstorm, its eyeballs shifting along with the rising tree, filled with a chaotic longing!
Though faint... the Ten-Tails under Isshiki's control also contained Kaguya's will!
A thousand years ago, it and the Ten-Tails currently inside Yu had been a rare mother-and-daughter pair, joined together as one. Only in that way could Stem Grafting be performed!
Whoosh!
Roots extended from beneath the Divine Tree's stem and pierced the seed-like protrusion on the Ten-Tails' back!
"ROOOAR!!!!!!!!" The Ten-Tails' roar abruptly turned shrill. It twisted its body, wildly slamming its claws and tail against the glacier... The sky darkened, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and some kind of transformation was underway!
"..." The Ten-Tails gradually calmed.