The memories suddenly became chaotic, with purple and golden light intertwining like two flames devouring each other— Kaguya and Isshiki's memories overlapped here.
It was a damaged wooden spaceship, the cabin stained with blood, a black robe torn to shreds and stained with dark red liquid. Ōshiki held Kaguya in his arms, her face still streaked with tears. The explosion had injured her; there was a deep, bone-revealing wound on her arm, from which golden blood was seeping.
" Ōshiki... who are they?" Kaguya's voice was choked with sobs as she clutched Ōshiki's robe tightly.
Ōshiki's face was deathly pale, golden blood continuously gushing from the corner of his mouth. His left arm was gone, and the muscles at the wound site were still twitching. He looked up at the outside of the cabin, where a dark red planet lay, its surface covered with black rocks. A huge Kageko floated in the sky—the condensed form of the planet's will, like a cloud of black mist. Standing within the mist were several people dressed in animal skins, radiating energy of the same origin as the planet's own—the gods of this planet.
"They are the guardians of Wild Star." Ōshiki's voice was weak, yet still carried an air of authority. "They discovered our ship long ago and laid an ambush."
Screams erupted from outside the cabin. Tsubasa turned and saw members of Ōshiki Squad falling one by one. A man in a black robe was entangled by the mist of the planet's will, his body instantly corroded into bones; another attempted to unleash flames in retaliation, but was punched in the chest by the planet's god, his golden blood splattering onto the rocks and instantly evaporating.
" Isshiki!" Ōshiki shouted, "Take Kaguya and get out! Use the escape pods!"
Isshiki was leaning against the corner of the cabin, his right leg broken, still clutching an energy blade tightly in his hand. Hearing Ōshiki's command, he abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with resentment. " Ōshiki Shi, let's go together!"
"Go!" Ōshiki's voice was resolute and unwavering. He waved his hand, and a golden light shield enveloped Isshiki and Kaguya. "I'll hold them off. Remember, take Kaguya to a safe place, find a remote planet, plant the God Tree, and wait for reinforcements from this planet..."
Before he finished speaking, Ōshiki suddenly rushed out, his body instantly expanding into a golden meteor that crashed into the mist of the planet's will. The mist churned violently, emitting a piercing scream, and Ōshiki's voice vanished—he had used his own body to detonate the primal energy within him, buying time for Isshiki and Kaguya to escape.
" Ōshiki Shi!" Isshiki's eyes were bloodshot as he tried to rush out, but he was firmly trapped by the light shield. The light shield carried him and Kaguya towards the escape pod. He looked back at the dark red planet and saw a huge golden explosion that dyed the entire planet's sky gold.
The escape pod activated, heading towards the depths of space. Inside the cabin, Isshiki held Kaguya in his arms. She had cried herself to sleep, tears still streaming down her face. Isshiki looked at Kaguya in his arms, then at the dark universe outside the window, his eyes filled with confusion and anger—he had never been so humiliated. The glory of the elite squad had shattered completely at this moment.
The memory shifts again, this time from Isshiki's perspective, filled with intense hatred.
The escape pod landed on a blue planet— Shinobi Planet. It was a planet with green vegetation, blue oceans, and intelligent life, a planet of moderate energy, yet quite remote. Isshiki landed in a forest with Kaguya in tow. His injuries were severe; his bones were not yet fully set, and his internal organs were extremely damaged. Every step he took was excruciatingly painful.
"It's safe here." Isshiki placed Kaguya under a large tree, then reached into his robes and pulled out a golden seed—a seed from the God Tree, the team's spare for this mission. "I'm going to plant the God Tree, then find a place to heal. You stay here, look after the God Tree, and don't leave. Don't have any contact with the humans here."
Kaguya nodded. She had grown quite a bit; her hair had reached her waist. However, the liveliness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of timidity. She watched Isshiki buried the God Tree seed in the soil. The seed sprouted instantly upon contact with the soil of the Shinobi Planet, growing into a small sapling with a faint golden light flowing through its branches.
"Remember the clan rules." Isshiki crouched down, looking into Kaguya's eyes, his tone serious. "The fruit of the God Tree is for our planet; you absolutely cannot touch it. You are not allowed to have contact with the humans here, and even more so, you are not allowed to..." He paused, not finishing his sentence, but instead patted Kaguya's shoulder heavily. "Once I've recovered from my injuries, I'll find a way to take you back to our home planet."
After saying this, Isshiki turned and disappeared into the forest. He found a secluded cave and began to heal his wounds. The primordial energy of the Shinobi Planet was gentle, suitable for healing injuries, but it was also very thin, and the healing speed was much slower than he had expected. Every year, he would contact Kaguya through the God Tree God Tree to check on its growth, and Kaguya's reply was always simple, " The God Tree is fine, I haven't left."
But he didn't know that while he was healing, Kaguya had secretly left the forest.
The images in his memory became blurry, as if seen through a layer of mist. Tsubasa could see Kaguya with a man dressed in magnificent robes. That man was the king of the Land of Ancestors of the Shinobi Planet, and also the father of Hagoromo and Hamura. He discovered that Kaguya was attracted by her beauty and took her as a distinguished guest. When Kaguya looked up at the starry sky, the king gave her beautiful love, and Kaguya fell in love with him.
" Kaguya, who are you? Why are you different from us?" The man's voice was gentle, filled with curiosity.
Kaguya blushed and looked down, fiddling with the wild fruit in her hand. "I... come from a very far place."
Will you leave?
Kaguya fell silent. She remembered Isshiki's words, the death of Ōshiki, and the clan rules of Ōtsutsuki Planet. But looking into the man's gentle eyes, she shook her head. "I won't leave."
Later, Kaguya became pregnant. She touched her belly, her face full of a happy smile, but also with a deep fear. She knew this was against the clan rules, a capital offense, but she couldn't bear to part with this child, this gentle man, or the sunlight and air of Shinobi Planet.
Envoys from an enemy nation attempted to abduct Kaguya, but she killed Kaguya all. War broke out between the two nations, and to end the war, the king of the Land of Ancestors planned to abandon Princess Kaguya. After learning the truth, Kaguya took her maid, who had been by her side day and night, with her. However, the maid was killed by pursuers while protecting her, and Kaguya fled to hide under the God Tree.
The God Tree soon blossomed and bore fruit; the golden fruit hung high at the treetop, radiating an alluring light. Kaguya knew this fruit was for the Ōtsutsuki Homeworld, but she also knew that only by consuming it could she gain enough power to make all those who betrayed her pay the price. She also wanted to protect the child in her womb.
On a moonlit night, Kaguya climbed the God Tree, plucked the fruit, and took a bite. Golden energy instantly enveloped her entire body; her hair grew longer, her eyes transformed into Tenseigan, and a red Rinnegan appeared on her forehead. She activated Infinite Tsukuyomi, and everyone who looked up at the sky was shrouded in Genjutsu. Her strength surged, instantly reaching the Star Level Second Stage, an unprecedented height.
At that moment, Isshiki, inside the cave, suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed that the God Tree's energy had vanished, replaced by a familiar yet strange power—was it Kaguya? She had eaten the God Tree's fruit!
"Traitor!" Isshiki's eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins. Ignoring his still-healing injuries, he rushed out of the cave and flew towards the God Tree. He saw Kaguya, now transformed, standing beneath the God Tree, holding two newborn infants in her arms, her face radiating maternal love.
" Kaguya!" Isshiki's voice was filled with boundless rage, "Do you know your crime?"
Kaguya turned around, her eyes changed, no longer filled with timidity, but with determination and coldness. " Isshiki, I don't want to go back to Ōtsutsuki Planet. I want to live in this world. These are my children, and I won't let you hurt them."
"Born a bastard child with a wild star? Stole the God Tree Fruit?" Isshiki's body trembled with rage. "These are capital offenses! Today I will eliminate these two bastards and take you back to your home planet!"
Having said that, Isshiki raised his hand and released an energy blade, slashing towards Hagoromo. But at that moment, Kaguya suddenly moved. Her speed was astonishing. She raised her hand and struck with all her might, a purple energy beam instantly hitting Isshiki.
Isshiki stared in disbelief at his chest, golden blood gushing from the wound. He looked up at Kaguya, his eyes filled with shock and hatred. "You... dare to attack me, betray the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"
"It's not that I betrayed them, it's that I won't allow anyone to hurt my child." Kaguya's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable strength. "I only want to protect the people I love."
Isshiki's body began to dissipate, his soul detaching from his body and transforming into a tiny golden speck of light, fleeing into the distance. He couldn't believe that he had been ambushed by a child he had watched grow up, his body destroyed and his soul wounded. In the last moment before his consciousness faded, he saw Kaguya holding two children, channeling his physical energy into the God Tree. -- And the story of the Shinobi World had only just begun.
The memory abruptly faded, Tsubasa abruptly opened his eyes, gasping for breath. The purple light inside the crystal ball had vanished, turning into an ordinary stone, while the Isshiki energy on the metal surface had become even more transparent due to the draining of the memory, threatening to dissipate at any moment.
"How is Father?" Tenpi walked over and handed Tsubasa a glass of water. "You look more exhausted than if you had fought a battle."
Tsubasa took the water glass, his hands still trembling. He took a sip, the icy liquid sliding down his throat, calming him slightly. But as soon as he closed his eyes, those images would reappear—the densely packed God Tree on the Ōtsutsuki Planet, the life forms trapped in the "green bubbles," the tragic deaths of the team members on the wild star, Kaguya's gentle smile, Isshiki's overwhelming hatred, and that Shinobi Planet used as "nourishment" by the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
" Ōtsutsuki Planet... is far more terrifying than we imagined." Tsubasa's voice was hoarse. "They constantly plunder the planet's essence, and the God Tree is a tool for absorbing that essence."
Tenpi fell silent, staring Isshiki on the metal table. His gaze was grave. "In Kaguya's and Isshiki's memories, Ōtsutsuki Ōshiki was at the Star Level Third Stage Peak, Isshiki was at Star Level Second Stage. They were only mid-level power. How many super-strong individuals must Ōtsutsuki's planet have? Domain Level powerhouses? Or even higher?"
"I don't know." Tsubasa shook his head, his heart filled with helplessness. "But one thing is certain: the current Shinobi World is utterly vulnerable in the face of the Ōtsutsuki Planet. They haven't come yet only because the Shinobi Planet hasn't been discovered, Kaguya Otsutsuki is protecting it. But not long ago, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki sent a distress signal to the Ōtsutsuki Planet. The Shinobi World could face invasion at any moment."
"Then what do we do?" Tenpi's voice carried a hint of urgency. "Notify everyone? Unite and prepare for war against the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"
"Preparing for war is useless." Tsubasa stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the Shinobi World. Smoke curled from the distant villages, and children's laughter drifted on the wind—those were the things he wanted to protect. "The gap between us and the Ōtsutsuki cannot be bridged by alliance. Their spaceships can traverse the universe, their Domain Level ninjas can detonate planets, and our Ninjutsu might just be child's play in their eyes."
He paused, his eyes suddenly hardening. "Now there are only two paths. First, buy time. Annihilate the first wave of invaders with overwhelming force. Don't let them escape, of course, this is on the premise that they haven't deployed any Domain Level experts. Second, develop other planets and relocate the Shinobi World's humans. After the Shinobi Planet is destroyed, there will be a spark to continue rebuilding our home."