Because Shisui had no chakra left, the branches and vines had no interest in him.
The Seven-Tails said weakly, "Shisui, quick, run away!"
Shisui felt a pang of hatred for his own powerlessness; his brief time with the Seven-Tails had completely changed his view of Tailed Beasts.
They weren't just monsters capable only of slaughter; they had their own names and personalities.
Just like people.
Disregarding everything else, Shisui continued to hack at the vines on the Seven-Tails' body.
The Seven-Tails worried about Shisui: "...Shisui, run away!"
Shisui fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Chomei, I'm sorry. Actually, the experience of us being together was a Genjutsu."
"I used the unique Dojutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan to rewrite your will, making you my Summoned Beast."
"All of this is fake to you!"
"..."
The Seven-Tails suddenly realized it didn't have a Summoning Contract with Shisui. Were those days spent with Shisui really just a Genjutsu?
No—
Shisui stood up, panting heavily as he attacked the vines binding the Seven-Tails with his Shinobi Sword.
The Seven-Tails felt the tiny Shisui, like an ant trying to shake the heavens and earth.
Born in the morning and dying at dusk, how can one know the cycle of the moon?
A speck of dust in the drifting sands, how can it recognize the great mountains?
It was somewhat beyond his capabilities.
The Seven-Tails said slowly, "Shisui... I would rather believe it was real, because to me, you are my first friend."
Shisui's entire body stiffened—
The experiences between the Seven-Tails and Shisui were a Genjutsu, like a dream, but even if it was a dream, the Seven-Tails held it dear in its mind.
Tailed Beasts had always been lonely, like wild beasts, spending their entire lives searching for their own wisdom.
But the wisdom they encountered was the folly of those greedy for their power; to pursue power beyond one's own wisdom is foolishness.
...
"What a pair of star-crossed lovers!"
The Great Tree of Takigakure before them was Ryou's clone, so Ryou heard the conversation between the Seven-Tails and Shisui inside the vine prison.
Ryou could no longer tell if the power of Kotoamatsukami was so strong that it made the Seven-Tails believe in Shisui forever, or if the Seven-Tails' life as an insect was so lonely that it desperately wanted a partner.
None of that mattered anymore; the Seven-Tails had been successfully captured.
"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Ryou was wondering whether to eat it directly or follow the procedure when Jiraiya, bringing Gamaken, unexpectedly released a large-scale Fire Release Ninjutsu toward him.
Candy was quick to react, instantly guiding Futamata-no-O-no-Mikoto's chakra to undergo Water Attribute transformation.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Ryou spewed it out, a waterfall erupting from his mouth—no, not a waterfall.
It was a vast ocean, a tidal wave.
Ryou stood atop the crest of the wave, rushing toward Jiraiya and Gamaken with the vast ocean in tow.
Exploding Water Colliding Wave is an A-rank Ninjutsu. When spat from the mouth of the 'Tailless Tailed Beast,' Kisame, it looked like a waterfall.
It made it seem like a Forbidden Jutsu.
Ryou's current chakra level was equivalent to the Nine-Tails'. An Exploding Water Colliding Wave performed with Nine-Tails-level chakra was like releasing an entire ocean.
The battlefield instantly turned into a massive lake.
Ryou stood atop the wave, and from that crest, the view was boundless, the temptation infinite...
The Exploding Water Colliding Wave transformed into a wall of water that blotted out the sun, spanning heaven and earth as it surged toward Jiraiya and Gamaken.
The water flowed as violently as an enraged dragon, carrying a destructive force capable of crushing mountains.
Soon, the giant wave covered Jiraiya and Gamaken, forming a massive Water Prison that trapped Jiraiya and his Summoned Beast inside.
The Great Waterfall Technique summons a giant waterfall to strike, focusing on a linear, area-of-effect impact.
In contrast, Exploding Water Colliding Wave creates a closed Water Prison domain to imprison large Summoned Beasts or create one's own home-field combat territory.
However, Gamaken is a toad; the water inside the Water Prison wouldn't hinder it. Instead, it would become Gamaken's home turf.
Ryou immediately released a Fire Release technique.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Raging flames descended like a sea of fire, evaporating the Water Prison. The temperature of the seawater imprisoning Jiraiya and Gamaken rose rapidly.
"Jiraiya, I'm sorry!"
Gamaken couldn't withstand this temperature; because it took extreme damage, it was summoned back to Mount Myōboku.
At that moment, Kakuzu's Water Release mask rushed into the boiling Water Prison and rescued Jiraiya.
Jiraiya was completely soaked, his clothes clinging to his body and his hair dripping wet, looking extremely disheveled.
He panted heavily: "Senior Kakuzu, thanks!"
Kakuzu didn't waste words, saying to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya, the Seven-Tails has been captured. We are no match for Uchiha Ryou. It's time to retreat."
Kakuzu had already been more than fair.
As a mercenary, he usually only fought battles where he had the upper hand. Once Ryou reached the power level of Futamata-no-O-no-Mikoto, he was no longer someone Kakuzu could contend with.
Even the Konoha Anbu from Jiraiya's own village had fled far away, yet Kakuzu had stayed behind.
Back then, Takigakure sent Kakuzu to assassinate Hashirama, and Kakuzu really went to risk his life against Hashirama.
Never mind if it was beyond his abilities or not.
How many Shinobi in the Warring States Period dared to try and assassinate Hashirama?!
"Retreat..."
Jiraiya looked with a grim expression at the distant Great Tree of Takigakure. The tree's branches had formed a vine cage, imprisoning the Seven-Tails and Shisui inside.
"Damn it, the Great Tree of Takigakure was turned into a clone by this guy Ryou's Wood Release."
"No, I can't retreat. That Uchiha kid didn't hesitate to expose his Mangekyo and exhaust all his chakra to save us."
"How can I just watch him be captured by Ryou?"
"Kakuzu, help me stall Uchiha Ryou for one minute. I need to enter Sage Mode."
Stall Ryou for one minute?!
Kakuzu looked at Ryou's Tailed Beast-like body; a single claw swipe could tear one of Kakuzu's masks to shreds.
He probably couldn't even stall for ten seconds!
"No, the price Konoha paid isn't enough for me to risk my life against a Shinobi like this. You have to pay more!"
Kakuzu turned his head, but Jiraiya had already disappeared.
"Junior, how dare you deceive me?"
Ryou turned into a gray shadow and charged toward Kakuzu's position: "Old man Kakuzu, hurry up and hand over all the money you've earned over the years, and I'll spare your life."
"Brat Ryou, in your dreams!"
Kakuzu formed hand seals, and the three Earth Grudge Fear masks beside him merged into his body. The Lightning Release mask was on the left, Water Release on the right, and Wind Release at the back.
Kakuzu: Earth Grudge Fear Mode!
Kakuzu went all out. He had to; that brat Ryou was already eyeing his money.
Kakuzu could die, but he would never give his money to anyone.
...
"The Great Tree of Takigakure has actually become Lord Ryou's clone!"
White Zetsu's eyes were full of shock.
If a giant tree two hundred meters tall—about 60 stories high—became a living thing, it could easily level any city, no matter how high its walls.
Black Zetsu looked at the moving giant ancient tree and was reminded of the God Tree.
He was Kaguya's will and also carried a part of Kaguya's past experiences.
The original God Tree was stationary, its Roots reaching deep into the Shinobi World, absorbing the planet's energy.
It was Kaguya merging with the God Tree that gave the tree a will, allowing it to move.
To become more suitable for combat, the God Tree was directly forged into the Ten-Tails, becoming a beast of calamity that brought natural disasters to the world.