Ch. 561Secrets of the progenitor, the birth of a god!
Chapter Summary: “Secrets of the Progenitor, the Birth of a God!”
Plot Points and Major Events
- The White Snake Sage reveals that the Ten-Tails was artificially created by the Root King, King Chuigen Ōtsutsuki, through Yin-Yang Release.
- The Ten-Tails embodied the Root King’s desire to end Takamagahara’s endless wars and compensate for powers he himself lacked. It possessed the Rinne Sharingan, or Samsara Heavenly Eye, surpassing the Tenseigan’s abilities.
- As a seedling of the Divine Tree, the Ten-Tails was planted in Takamagahara and gradually absorbed chakra from the land and its people. Over centuries, it grew into a massive Divine Tree, weakening humanity and curbing warfare.
- The Root King founded a village around the tree and guarded it with surviving Ōtsutsuki clansmen for a thousand years. The Three Sage Houses tolerated the tree because it did not initially affect their territories and seemed to accomplish their goal of reducing war.
- Near the end of his life, the Root King consumed the Chakra Fruit produced by the Divine Tree. The fruit restored his youth, granted him an immortal-like life force, caused horns to grow from his head, and opened a Samsara Heavenly Eye on his forehead.
- The fruit altered his genetic lineage, introducing the Sharingan and Rinnegan into the bloodline of his descendants. It also linked the consumer’s will to the Divine Tree and its Ten-Tails seedling.
- Empowered by the fruit, the Root King ended the wars but soon became obsessed with spreading his power throughout the Ōtsutsuki Clan. He created additional Ten-Tails and planted eleven more Divine Trees across Takamagahara.
- These trees drained the entire land, eventually affecting even the Three Sage Houses. By the time the sages realized the danger, the Root King had consumed multiple Chakra Fruits.
- He evolved his Samsara Heavenly Eye into the Rinne Reincarnation Eye and developed the Infinite Sage Art, surpassing the other major sage techniques.
- The Three Immortal Ancestors united against him but were defeated and killed one by one. The Three Sage Houses were destroyed, and only a few survivors escaped to Reed Plain Country. These survivors eventually became Medusa, Gamamaru, and Katsuyu Myōmyō.
Character Developments
- The Root King/King Chuigen Ōtsutsuki begins as a visionary seeking to end war and protect future generations. His solution initially appears benevolent, but his later desire to distribute Divine Tree power transforms him into an ambitious and destructive figure.
- His consumption of the Chakra Fruit marks his evolution from powerful ruler into a near-godlike being. Continued consumption drives him beyond the strength of the Three Immortal Ancestors and ultimately leads to his corruption and tyranny.
- The White Snake Sage shifts from calmly recounting history to expressing deep regret over the sages’ failure to recognize the Divine Tree’s danger. She also reveals the immense power of the Three Immortal Ancestors by comparing them with Yu.
- Yu gains a deeper understanding of the origins of the Ten-Tails, the Divine Tree, the Rinne Sharingan, and the relationship between Kaguya and Earth’s Ten-Tails. He is also shocked to learn that the ancient sages were vastly stronger than he had assumed.
Significant Themes
- Good intentions becoming destructive: The Root King’s original goal of ending war produces temporary peace but ultimately causes ecological and civilizational devastation.
- The danger of unchecked power and temptation: The Chakra Fruit offers miraculous strength, but its benefits encourage the Root King to seek more fruits and expand his control.
- Evolution through power: The fruit changes not only the consumer but also the genetic future of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, creating new ocular powers and reshaping the species.
- Regret and responsibility: The Three Sage Houses’ decision to tolerate the first Divine Tree becomes a catastrophic mistake, emphasizing the consequences of ignoring a growing threat.
- The cyclical nature of conflict: Even attempts to eliminate war through force and control eventually create new forms of domination and destruction.
- The connection between gods and living weapons: The chapter explains how Divine Trees and Ten-Tails can become extensions of the will of those who consume their fruits, clarifying the relationship between Kaguya and Earth’s Ten-Tails.
Important Character Interactions
- The White Snake Sage acts as Yu’s historian and explains the hidden origins of the Ten-Tails and the Root King’s rise.
- Yu repeatedly questions her, challenging the logic behind the sages’ decisions and reacting with surprise to the Root King’s escalating power.
- The White Snake Sage compares Yu’s current strength to that of the Three Immortal Ancestors, provoking Yu’s astonishment and revealing that even the Root King initially could not surpass them.
- Yu connects the ancient history to known events involving Kaguya, the Divine Tree, and the Sage of Six Paths, reasoning that Kaguya’s will controlled the Ten-Tails after she consumed Earth’s Chakra Fruit.
- The chapter ends with Yu comparing the sages’ failure to restrain the Root King to “the farmer and the snake,” emphasizing the irony that those who tolerated and nurtured the threat were eventually destroyed by it.