Days passed, and those days gradually turned into weeks. Finally, an entire month had gone by, and the day of the meeting arrived.
It was the day when every Daimyo and every Kage, whether from a small nation or one of the five great countries, had to be present in Uzushiogakure. Not a single one of them dared to defy the ultimatum.
Long before the appointed time, delegations from every corner of the world had already arrived in Uzushiogakure. As they entered the village and traveled through its streets, they couldn't help but look around in amazement. The prosperity before their eyes far exceeded their expectations.
Wide and well-maintained roads stretched throughout the village. Countless shops bustled with business, while shinobi and civilians moved about in perfect order. New buildings stood proudly beside traditional structures, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. Every district seemed lively, prosperous, and meticulously planned.
Seeing all of this, many of the visiting Kages and Daimyos couldn't help but feel emotional. Uzushiogakure had truly come an incredibly long way. Once upon a time, both Uzushiogakure and the Land of Uzumaki had been completely destroyed, nearly erased from history.
Yet today... Not only had they rebuilt everything from the ground up, but they had also reached a level of prosperity that surpassed even the five great hidden villages. No one present could deny that fact.
When night fell, everyone gathered at the venue prepared for the meeting. It was a vast open field specially arranged for the occasion. Rows upon rows of chairs had been placed in perfect order, enough to accommodate every invited guest.
The Kages sat together with their respective envoys, while the Daimyos were accompanied by their ministers and important officials. Every delegation had been assigned seats according to its status. The front row was reserved for the Kages of the five great villages and the Daimyos of the major countries. The seating arrangement reflected the political importance of every nation.
The Uzumaki siblings were also seated in the front row. Unlike the others, however, they remained completely relaxed as they quietly waited for Shanks to arrive.
The rest of the audience, on the other hand, was far from calm. Soft whispers spread throughout the gathering. Everyone wondered the same thing.
Why had Shanks Uzumaki summoned every ruler in the world? What was so important that it required every major and minor nation to gather here?
The wait, however, wasn't very long. After only a few moments, Shanks calmly walked onto the stage. The stage itself was surprisingly simple. There were no extravagant decorations or luxurious furnishings. Apart from a large projector positioned near the center, the stage was almost completely empty.
Shanks walked to the middle and stood there quietly. The moment he appeared, every conversation immediately came to a halt. The entire field fell into complete silence. Thousands of eyes focused solely on him. Everyone waited attentively, eager to hear the reason behind the ultimatum that had brought the rulers of the entire world to Uzushiogakure.
Shanks slowly looked around before beginning to speak. His voice wasn't particularly loud. However, through his precise chakra control, every single person present could hear his words clearly, regardless of how far away they were seated.
"Well, first of all, I sincerely thank all of you for attending this event after my invitation."
The moment those words were spoken, many people couldn't help but complain inwardly.
Invitation?As if this was ever an invitation.It was clearly an ultimatum.As though any of us were actually allowed to refuse.
Similar thoughts appeared in the minds of many Kages, Daimyos, and officials. However, no one dared to voice those thoughts aloud. The battlefield from a month ago and the overwhelming strength displayed by the Uzumaki Clan were still fresh in everyone's memories. No one wished to provoke Shanks unnecessarily.
Shanks continued speaking without paying any attention to their expressions.
"Well, before coming to the main topic, I would like to tell you all a short backstory of mine." He paused briefly. "As you already know, our village, Uzushiogakure, and our homeland, the Land of Uzumaki, were once completely destroyed. For that reason, I was forced to escape from here together with my clan siblings. As we fled, I awakened a few unique abilities. One of the more prominent abilities I awakened was the capability to occasionally witness fragmented scenes of both the past and the future."
His words immediately drew everyone's attention. Many people had never heard this before.
Shanks continued calmly. "I did not reveal much about this ability to the clan siblings who escaped alongside me. I only informed them after they had grown older and possessed enough strength to actually do something with that knowledge."
The audience listened in complete silence. No one interrupted him.
"Now, before I come to the main point, I would like to explain something that many of you have probably wondered about." He looked around the gathering. "Many of you have often questioned where Antares and Guy usually disappeared to. While the other Uzumaki siblings were carrying out different missions for the betterment and development of Uzushiogakure, I assigned Antares and Guy an entirely different task. I sent them to search for other dimensions connected to our world. Their objective was simple: to search for evidence. The evidence proving the existence of the Otsutsuki Clan."
The expressions of the Kages immediately became serious. After witnessing Kaguya's terrifying strength firsthand, none of them could remain indifferent upon hearing that name again.
Shanks continued. "And during that investigation, they found plenty of such evidence. Ancient ruins. Historical records. Fragments of information hidden across different dimensions. After gathering everything and carefully comparing all of those findings, I was finally able to reconstruct a proper history of this world."
He paused for a brief moment before speaking the next sentence. "And through that history... we also uncovered the truth about the Otsutsuki Clan."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy. Everyone instinctively leaned forward. Shanks' gaze slowly swept across the entire audience before he spoke in a calm but grave tone.
"For the Otsutsuki Clan... our world is nothing more than a field of crops. We..." He briefly paused. "...are merely the crops waiting to be harvested. This entire world itself is nothing more than a harvest field that the Otsutsuki Clan intends to reap."
As soon as Shanks finished those words, a huge commotion erupted throughout the gathering. Everyone immediately began talking amongst themselves.
"What is he talking about?"
"Is that even possible?"
"He's making all of this up, isn't he?"
"A clan that harvests entire worlds?"
"How can something like that even exist?"
Expressions of doubt, confusion, disbelief, and fear rapidly spread across the faces of the Kages, Daimyos, officials, and envoys present at the meeting. Some shook their heads in disbelief, while others frowned deeply, trying to process everything they had just heard. The atmosphere instantly became noisy.
Shanks simply watched them for a brief moment before opening his mouth.
"Quiet!"
The single word echoed across the entire field. At the same instant, a slight amount of pressure leaked out from his body. It was his Conqueror's Haki.
The pressure wasn't even close to its full power, yet the overwhelming aura instantly swept across the audience like an invisible tide. The countless whispers abruptly came to an end. Many people subconsciously stiffened in their seats, while several weaker officials turned pale without understanding why. Even the Kages narrowed their eyes as they felt that familiar domineering pressure descend upon them.
Within moments, complete silence returned. Seeing that everyone's attention had returned to him, Shanks continued speaking.
"According to all the information we have gathered, the Otsutsuki Clan is an extraordinarily powerful clan that exists throughout the universe." He paused briefly before continuing. "Just as our solar system exists, there are countless other solar systems scattered across the universe. In some of those systems, there are planets that also possess life, just like our own world."
Many people listened with widened eyes. Although they had heard theories about stars and heavenly bodies before, hearing someone casually speak about countless worlds existing beyond their own was still shocking.
Shanks continued calmly. "The Otsutsuki Clan travels to those living planets. When they arrive, they harvest them. There are generally two possible outcomes. The first is that they completely drain the planet of its vitality in a single harvest, leaving nothing behind. The second is that they deliberately leave enough life for the planet to recover over time. After that world regains its vitality... they simply return and harvest it again."
A heavy silence settled over the audience.
"The reason they repeatedly do this is simple: they become stronger. The chakra and life force harvested from an entire world allows them to continuously evolve and gain even greater power. Kaguya Otsutsuki herself was one such individual."
Everyone quietly listened.
Shanks continued. "Kaguya did not come to this world alone. She arrived together with another member of the Otsutsuki Clan. His name... was Isshiki Otsutsuki."
The moment another Otsutsuki was mentioned, everyone's expressions became even more serious. Shanks slowly explained further.
"This is the standard operating method of the Otsutsuki Clan. They usually travel in pairs. One member belongs to the Main Family. The other belongs to the Branch Family. It is somewhat similar to the system practiced by the Hyuga Clan."
Many members of the Hyuga Clan instinctively looked at one another after hearing that comparison.
"Their physical appearance is also remarkably similar. White hair. Pale white skin. And the Byakugan. They both came to our world for one purpose: to harvest it. And according to their calculations, our world had already matured enough for that harvest."
He gestured lightly with one hand.
"The instrument used to perform that harvest is known as the God Tree."
A projection suddenly appeared behind Shanks, displaying the enormous image of the Divine Tree that many people had witnessed during the war.
"The God Tree... is nothing more than the Ten-Tails in another form. The Ten-Tails is the living foundation from which the God Tree grows."
Many people's eyes widened. Even several Kages were hearing this information for the first time.
"But creating the God Tree requires a ritual. The Ten-Tails must consume one member of the Otsutsuki Clan. Only after devouring an Otsutsuki can it fully mature into the God Tree and eventually produce the Chakra Fruit."
Shanks' tone remained calm as he continued. "Once that Chakra Fruit ripens, the remaining Otsutsuki consumes it. And by doing so... their strength increases dramatically."
The audience finally understood why Kaguya had possessed such overwhelming power. Everything was beginning to connect.
"Their plan for our world was no different. They brought the Ten-Tails here. They planted the God Tree. And almost immediately, it began absorbing the chakra of every living being on the planet. Not only humans... but even the planet itself."
Many people unconsciously swallowed. The thought that the entire world had once been on the verge of being harvested made everyone's backs feel cold.
Shanks continued. "According to their original plan, Kaguya, being the Branch Family member, was supposed to become the sacrifice. She was meant to be fed to the Ten-Tails. Her death would have allowed the God Tree to produce the Chakra Fruit for Isshiki. But... at the very last moment... Kaguya betrayed him."
The entire audience remained completely silent.
"She launched a surprise attack. And she succeeded in severing Isshiki's body into two halves."
The image on the projector changed once again, illustrating the event.
"Kaguya took possession of Isshiki's lower half. But Isshiki... escaped. Even though only the upper half of his body remained."
Those words caused another wave of unease to spread through the audience. Shanks looked across the gathering before delivering the final revelation.
"And he is still alive. To this very day."
The entire venue instantly fell deathly silent.
"We have searched extensively for him. We investigated numerous ruins, ancient records, and different dimensions. But despite all our efforts... we have yet to locate him." Shanks narrowed his eyes slightly. "It appears that after learning we were searching for him, Isshiki chose to remain hidden. He is actively concealing himself somewhere within this world. And until we find him... the threat posed by the Otsutsuki Clan has not truly disappeared."