Ninja Ice House

Chapter 599 Analogy

While the well-informed Kaguya Otsutsuki was introducing it, Fukusugi Bokusui carefully examined what it was and found that there were quite a few of them.

"While it's called a tree, I think it's more like a fungal spore. If that's the case, it must not be a self-growing type, but rather a parasitic type..."

"According to your common sense about biology, that is indeed the case."

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki continued explaining, without any surprise.

“This seed-like thing could exist in every world that is born… no, theoretically it should exist, but the chances of it germinating are not high. It often dies naturally and becomes nutrients for the next generation.”

"Like potted plants, they are indeed quite difficult to grow due to factors such as sunlight, temperature, water, fertilizer, soil pH, air humidity and air circulation, and pests and diseases. Besides the requirement for a large number and scale of immortals, what other requirements are there for this thing?"

“The spatiotemporal anomaly is like the tiny gaps in a dense soil layer, which, according to your analogy, allow the roots to penetrate and absorb water and nutrients.”

"What nutrients does this kind of 'tree' need?"

"The concept of an unlimited intelligence gathering entity has already been clearly stated, and I don't think it needs further explanation."

"Information... This is actually a kind of information-based life form? Wait, if the real world is unchanging, and information is vast but doesn't actively update or iterate, then... a world with life, especially a civilization formed by highly intelligent life, is what nourishes it?"

"more or less!"

"So that's how it is! Human memory, emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, social trends, the rise and fall of civilizations—this is... the Akasha Records!"

The Book of Life, the Origin of the Universe, the Memory Bank of the Universe, or the Alaya Consciousness, the Root, etc., are essentially the same thing.

"You...understand?"

"After all this time, it turns out they're just different forms or different evolutionary directions of the same thing. For example, the Book of Life and Death that governs reincarnation, the Hetu and Luoshu, or those primordial clay tablets—they're all essentially the same thing at their source. All information integrates the life form, and in a world of idealism, information represents thought, which itself possesses power..."

It truly deserves the title of "World Tree," although strictly speaking, it is not a "tree," but rather resembles both a tree and a fungal spore.

"You can continue to make your own connections..."

Gu Shanbu Shui wasn't in a hurry. In any case, the originally noisy dream space had become completely quiet after Gu Shanbu Shui's forceful suppression. Regardless of what he thought before, now, the young master was in charge here.

"It seems quite familiar. The World Tree, the Tree Guardian, angels and immortals, fruits or spores—putting aside the minor details, this thing... isn't it just the Divine Tree or the Ten-Tails? And the Divine Tree needs the natural energy of the ninja world and the chakra of ninjas to grow. These are the vitality of life, civilization, or the world; essentially, it's extraordinary energy carrying a vast amount of information..."

The fact that Ashura and Indra were able to transmit their influence for a thousand years through their chakra reincarnations demonstrates that this extraordinary power is the embodiment of life force and thought, or the integration of all memory information. It is the most suitable nourishment for the so-called "World Tree" or the Divine Tree.

The so-called "World Tree Species" and the Divine Tree differ in that the former needs to release spores, hiding within living organisms, especially highly intelligent ones, witnessing everything they experience before finally returning to its original form—a "grazing mode." The latter, however, is directly extracted, completely consumed, much faster, though it has a hint of unsustainable exploitation. "Are the Ten-Tailed Divine Trees, which are two subspecies under a large genus, still retaining the spore parasitic lifestyle?"

What do you think White Zetsu is?

"Oh...right, isn't this thing a 'moving undead' whose body and mind have been controlled by spore fungi? It can be used as an assistant normally, and as an emergency 'ration' to replenish energy in critical moments. I see!"

"Now I understand why this seemingly insignificant subspace, which could be shattered by external forces at any moment, and Jiraiya himself, made me feel such a great sense of crisis. It turns out that there is a 'seed' here that can shatter the heavens!"

Whether it was the ninja world itself or any other force that wanted to cause trouble in this unnoticed corner, Kosugi Bokusui was aware of his own position.

Essentially, the troubles of the young head of the family are the same as those of Kaguya Otsutsuki a thousand years ago.

You may think it's good for the ninja world, beneficial to its ecology and civilization, but others may not think so. A large number of immortals in the three great summoning beast holy lands may not necessarily have interests that are completely aligned with those of the ninja world's humans and the ninja world itself.

"Is it a divine object born from this world itself, or was it deliberately cultivated by someone imitating the divine tree?"

"Many things, if you calculate the probability of them happening, don't need to push or stop them. Just watch them happen naturally."

"Understood!"

We don't know when spring will return, but once winter is over, spring will surely come. We just have to wait. At most, we can do some random things to indirectly help bring about the time when the mountain flowers bloom as soon as possible.

"Did I ravage those otherworldly immortals' lair too much, or not hard enough, and they're still not satisfied?"

"It might not be them! It could also be Yu Yi..."

"I don't need any evidence!"

Even if it were truly a spirit that was born spontaneously and began to grow because the external conditions were too favorable, Gu Shanbu Shui's dislike of that place was perfectly reasonable.

"Flowers can grow on cow dung, lush vegetation can often grow in rotten ground, and the largest fruits can always grow next to piles of excrement and piss. I never thought that such a remote place could nurture such good things."

"What are your plans?"

Everyone else is easy to deal with, but the key is Jiraiya, who is completely wrapped up by the Divine Tree World Advent. Since he is still alive, the mission that the ninja world has given him still exists.

After Kosugi Bokusui's ransacking, the little remaining strength here was almost completely exhausted. Even if these Konoha ninjas survived and could still use ninjutsu normally, their power level continued to decline.

It has become weaker.

"Let's plant it. I'm also very curious about what it will grow into. However, this subspace needs some adjustments."

After pausing, he continued, "..."

"Talk to Jiraiya. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are being closely watched by the Sage of Six Paths. The main figures I can directly or indirectly influence are not strong enough. Jiraiya is the closest to the 'Child of Destiny.' If he can cooperate with me to some extent, that would be even better."

Hosting banquets, beheadings, and having subordinates act as dogs—Commander Gushan had no interest in any of these. He was content as long as his men could perform some "insignificant" tasks according to orders at crucial moments.