Ryūshiki sat up, a sly smile on his lips. "Don't underestimate tricks like that. Sometimes, the simplest tactics work best against people way stronger than you."
Kaguya's eyes flickered with an emotion she couldn't name.
Ryūshiki stood and beckoned. "Come on—let me show you something."
He led her north, to a canyon beyond Awokigahara.
Ryūshiki raised his palm.
Thunder rumbled.
A colossal sand table rose from the depths of the canyon, casting shifting shadows across the stone.
Kaguya stared. "What is this?"
Ryūshiki replied, "This is our clan's treasure—'Heaven's Eye.' We use it to monitor the Reed Plains."
Kaguya blinked. "Reed Plains?"
Ryūshiki nodded. "It's our name for all the life-bearing worlds beneath Takamagahara. The Root Solid Island you passed on your way home? Just one tiny corner of the Reed Plains."
Kaguya gazed at the shifting sand, silent.
Ryūshiki continued, "There were once a hundred and eight territories in the Reed Plains. Since our clan's invasion, seventy-two have been wiped out. Only thirty-six remain."
Kaguya's eyes followed the gray outlines on Heaven's Eye—each one a territory lost to the Ōtsutsuki's march. The path of conquest, and the evidence of their sins, was laid bare.
Ryūshiki pointed to a cluster of symbols. "See those marked with tree branches? Those are lands where a Divine Tree has been planted, but not yet destroyed."
Kaguya counted—eighteen territories bore the mark.
Ryūshiki tapped the sand table, highlighting one in particular. "That's Izumo. Gods of high rank and above can use Heaven's Eye to check on the Divine Tree's activity there…"
A low hum vibrated through the sand.
In the center of Izumo's barren earth, a Divine Tree towered. Beneath its roots, a man with thick horns sat alone.
High above, an eye opened in the sky.
The man under the tree opened his own eyes and glanced up, cold and dismissive.
"Hmph." He snorted and shut his eyes again.
Kaguya watched the vision unfold. "Who is that?"
Ryūshiki answered, "That's Kamishiki—the one I mentioned before. He's guarding the Divine Tree in Izumo. That tree devoured Haneshiki, whose strength was second only to Kamishiki's. The fruit it bears should be top-tier. Once Kamishiki eats it, he'll ascend a rank."
"Our clan's hierarchy goes: Grass God, Lower God, Low God, Middle God, High God, Upper God, and—though none have ever reached it—the Supreme God."
"Kamishiki is currently a Middle God. With that fruit, he'll become the twelfth High God."
But Kaguya was focused on something else. "What about the humans of Izumo? Are they… all gone?"
Ryūshiki's expression darkened. "Pretty much. Not just the humans, but our own branch families too."
A wave of sorrow washed over Kaguya—she felt the pain, but couldn't change a thing.
Ryūshiki noticed, and gently changed the topic. "Aren't you curious what 'branch families' are?"
Kaguya shook off her sadness. "What are branch families?"
Ryūshiki explained, "Clan members born in Takamagahara are 'main family.' Those born in the Reed Plains are 'branch family.'"
"Branch families are always beneath the main family in status. Most main family members treat them like… well, like outcasts."
"Before the Third Suikon King, plenty of clan members who couldn't get their hands on a chakra fruit would go hunting branch family members in those territories—almost drove them to extinction."
"But when your father became king, things changed. Now, branch families are officially recognized as part of us. Killing or devouring them is forbidden."
Kaguya frowned. "Then why does Kamishiki still dare…?"
Ryūshiki snorted. "Out here, far from the center, Kamishiki does whatever he wants. He thinks he's above everyone—even your father."
Kaguya fell silent.
Ryūshiki's voice grew firm. "Your father is still the strongest in our clan—at least for now. Even if that changes, I'll support him. He's made things better, even if only a little."
"He set new rules. In the past, clan members would devour each other all the time. Now, unless it's absolutely necessary for evolution, it's forbidden—except if both sides agree."
"It's saved a lot of weaker people."
He turned to Kaguya, eyes serious. "You need to be careful around Kamishiki. Avoid him whenever possible."
Kaguya nodded. "I will."
Ryūshiki pointed to another corner of the sand table. "See there? That's Tsukimi—the place you and Isshiki are headed."
Kaguya echoed, "Tsukimi…"
Ryūshiki smiled. "Yep. Look up, and you'll see the moon."
Kaguya did just that—her eyes found its pale glow.
Ryūshiki mused, "Not many planets have a natural moon. And I mean real moons, not artificial ones."
Kaguya asked, "Does the moon have any purpose besides looking pretty?"
Ryūshiki's eyes gleamed. "Absolutely. A natural moon is a special kind of chakra stone. On planets with moons, the Ten-Tails can become a Divine Tree even without devouring clan members. The fruit will be incomplete, but…"
"The higher the quality of the Divine Tree, the more life force it needs. If it's fed strong clan members, it wipes out all life—like Izumo."
"But when the moon catalyzes the fruit, it's gentler. It still causes casualties, but it won't annihilate everything."
Ryūshiki's gaze darkened, his hand clenching unconsciously. "Planets with moons aren't just Tsukimi. There was Mino, too—now destroyed. Your mother, Nayotake, was sent there over a century ago to plant a Divine Tree. She couldn't bear to harm the humans, so she used the moon to catalyze the tree. She was discovered."
"When your father found out, he ordered her to find a vessel through Karma and sacrifice it to the Ten-Tails. Your mother chose death instead—to prove her resolve."
Kaguya's face fell, grief shadowing her features.
Was peaceful coexistence with humans really just a dream?
The power of Heaven's Eye made resistance seem impossible.
Ryūshiki watched her carefully.
He'd brought her here for a reason—to see what truly lived in Kaguya's heart.
Thunder rolled. The sand table sank back into the canyon.
Ryūshiki turned. "Let's head back. I'll teach you one last technique—'Heaven's Eye Rift.' It lets you tear a territory out of Heaven's Eye, hiding it from sight and shifting its spatial coordinates so no one can ever find it."
"This is my final lifeline for you."
"I hope you'll never need to use it—unless there's truly no other way."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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