Flying Thunder God flashed.
Xuandou vanished from the Imperial Palace with Itachi.
The next instant, the two stood in the sky above Hozuki Island.
His pupils contracted slightly.
The sight before him bore no resemblance to the lush island in his memory.
The God Tree he had planted with his own hands had now grown into a truly towering tree.
Its trunk was as massive as a small mountain, requiring hundreds of people to encircle it with their arms.
Ancient patterns covered its bark.
Its crown blotted out the sky and sun, shrouding the entire island in a dark green shadow like a great umbrella.
His constant feeding all this time had not been in vain.
Already astonishing in size, the God Tree had soared even higher after absorbing a vast amount of energy.
Its crown now nearly touched the clouds. From a distance, it looked like a colossal pillar connecting heaven and earth.
Yet Xuandou's brows furrowed slightly.
He lowered his gaze to the waters surrounding the island.
The once azure seawater had turned a deathly gray-black.
There were no schools of fish, no seabirds, and even the sound of the waves carried an eerie dullness.
No marine life remained in the waters as far as the eye could see.
"You're here."
The God Tree's voice rang out in his mind, full of excitement and affection.
After years of feeding and companionship, the God Tree's consciousness had come to regard Xuandou as the person closest to it.
"What happened to these waters?"
Xuandou asked.
The God Tree's consciousness fell silent for a moment, then answered:
"To produce a Chakra Fruit, I inevitably have to absorb this planet's life energy."
"I've already absorbed all the life energy in this vast stretch of sea and the soil beneath it."
"Those sea