Naruto: From Shikotsumyaku to Otsutsuki

Takigaku Village.

As a rogue ninja, Kakuzu certainly knew the secret passage for entering and exiting.

The two sneaked into the village from a hidden pool of water. As soon as they came out of the cave, Kaguya Kazama was taken aback by the layout of Takigakure Village.

This is a combination of a huge sinkhole and an underground cave, hidden deep underground.

In the center is a vast, light green lake, and a very thick giant tree stands in the lake, with lush branches and leaves, full of vitality.

The lake is surrounded by caves and mountains, with rows of houses built around the giant trees and the lake.

Sunlight pierced through the mist at the top of the sinkhole, casting its rays upon the giant trees and bringing ample light to the village.

This scene was like a paradise, exuding a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

"Is this Takigakure Village?" Kaguya Kazama exclaimed in amazement.

"That's right, this is Takigakure Village."

Kakuzu answered, a hint of nostalgia and melancholy flashing in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

He thought to himself, "If only it were back then... Never mind, it's all in the past. Now I'm just a rogue ninja."

His defection was due to very complex reasons.

Kaguya Kazama had no interest in Kakuzu's feelings; his heart simply began to pound wildly when he saw that giant tree.

The diamond-shaped "Seed of the Wedge" imprinted on his heart was flashing, as if eagerly sensing something.

A nameless longing suddenly arose from the bottom of my heart, like a newborn baby craving milk; or like a traveler who has been thirsty for a long time in the desert craving a handful of clear spring water.

But this feeling comes quickly and goes quickly.

Seemingly sensing something was wrong, the flashing light immediately stopped, and she returned to her usual aloof demeanor.

"There's something wrong with that tree." Kaguya Kazama touched her heart and squinted.

He looked at the giant tree in the lake and asked the person beside him, "Kakuzu, what's the deal with that giant tree?"

"That's where the Hero's Water is produced, the sacred tree of Takigakure Village," Kakuzu replied.

Kaguya Kazama gave the giant tree a deep look, then said to Kakuzu, "First, go and verify the information about the Hero's Water, then take me to the giant tree."

Kakuzu nodded indifferently.

He didn't want to stay next to Kaguya Kazama for even a second longer.

For every minute he stayed longer, he felt an even greater sense of insecurity.

Soon, without causing much of a commotion, the two sneaked into the room of a high-ranking official.

Under the threat of death, the higher-ups made the information about the Hero's Water crystal clear.

This is exactly the same as the research record given by Kakuzu.

"As a rogue ninja, you still have some credibility."

Kaguya Kazama looked at Kakuzu and said with satisfaction, "Now, take me to see the Sacred Tree. After you've seen it, you can leave."

"Yes, there's a secret passage there, but you have to go in underwater."

The two dived into the lake, swam from the bottom to the center, and then entered the interior of the giant tree through a rock passage.

There are no ninjas guarding this place; the massive tree roots are intertwined, forming a cone shape that hangs down.

Below the tree roots was a platform with bottles on it, collecting the dripping water droplets.

The water droplets gathered very slowly. Kaguya Kazama watched for a long time but didn't see a single drop of liquid seep out. The bottle was only about half full, about one-third full.

"Is this the Hero's Water?"

Kaguya Kazama took out the bottle given to her by Kakuzu, compared it with the items on the platform, and after confirming that there was no difference, she waved her hand and said, "You can go now."

Without saying a word, Kakuzu instantly vanished.

Faintly, Kaguya Kazama heard the sound of water ripples exploding.

"Byakugan, activate!"

After confirming that Kakuzu had completely left in the black and white three-dimensional world, Kaguya Kazama's expression immediately became serious.

He pressed his hand hard against his heart, staring at the tangled, thick roots. From the Seed of the Wedge, fragmented information was intermittently emerging.

'The divine tree... decaying roots... inactive... evolution... failed... growth...'

These fragmented pieces of information couldn't even form a single sentence, but Kaguya Kazama, combining her own guesses, still managed to translate the general meaning.

The sacred tree of Takigakure in front of us must have mutated after a tree from the ninja world fused with the roots that fell off the divine tree, which is why it has grown so thick.

Because it merged with the roots of the divine tree, it mutated to have the function of secreting the Hero's Water.

This stuff can be roughly described as diluted sap from the sacred tree.

Drinking a little bit of the divine tree sap can increase your chakra limit.

An excessive dose can lead to death.

This explanation is perfectly normal.

Another piece of information suggests that after a long period of time, the roots of the Divine Tree have decayed and become inactive, unable to assist the Otsutsuki in evolution, but they can help the Otsutsuki's physical body grow.

This is Kaguya Kazama's current understanding; whether it is true or not, he will only know after he drinks the Hero's Water himself.

"The essence of growth is the gradual process of cell division and differentiation towards stable maturity. If I were to drink the Hero's Water, I would grow up very quickly in my current form."

Kaguya Kazama held the bottle given to her by Kakuzu, stared at the liquid inside, and without hesitation, looked up and took a sip.

goo-dong...

The cool liquid slid down my throat and into my stomach.

The next moment, a strange energy burst forth.

As this energy circulated within his body, the Otsutsuki bloodline became restless.

His cells seemed to be accelerating through time, rapidly dividing and differentiating, his chakra was increasing at an astounding pace, and his body was gradually maturing.

"Great! My guess was right. Hero's Water can indeed accelerate my growth."

Kaguya Kazama was filled with excitement; the changes in her body as she matured were clearly visible to the naked eye.

His height began to increase, his fair and tender little hands grew larger, and the small bone horn on his forehead, symbolizing the pure-blooded Otsutsuki, gradually became thicker.

But this only lasted for about ten seconds before the changes in the body stopped abruptly.

One sip of Hero's Water has exhausted its special energy.

This was the amount that an ordinary Takigakure ninja would use in a desperate fight, but for Kaguya Kazama, it was used up almost as soon as it took effect.

"Not enough, have some more." Kaguya Kazama picked up the bottle and took another big gulp.

A strange energy swept through his body once more, and the tender Otsutsuki larva began to grow again.

One bite after another.

Kaguya Kazama only stopped drinking the Hero's Water given to her by Kakuzu when she was almost finished.

At this point, he looked like he was seventeen or eighteen years old.

He conjured a water mirror, examined his reflection, and his eyes curved into a beautiful smile.

The person in the mirror was 1.8 meters tall, with a handsome face, perfect proportions, long fingers, and distinct knuckles.

Most peculiarly, he had white hair and white eyes, white round eyebrows, and a triangular, pale white bone horn about ten centimeters long on each side of his forehead.

They grow by bending backwards, with their tips pointing high, exuding a sharp, powerful, and exotic beauty.

In the mirror, he not only transformed into a young man, but his entire body was also overflowing with chakra that was almost tangible.

The chakra generated by the rapid division of cells surged and roared, transforming into waves of energy that instantly swept across the entire Takigakure village.