The Great Ninja War arc of the Shippuden series bombarded fans with a wave of new concepts that were unheard of in the anime, adding another layer of complexity to the already intricate ninja system. The introduction of the God Tree was one such addition to the series, serving as an explanation for chakra and the initiation of the shinobi system as a whole. The Divine Tree was simply a prologue to the sudden appearance of Kaguya Otsutsuki, yet even on its own, this inexplicable phenomenon left many in shock, especially considering its overarching implications in the Naruto series.
Although the series went into considerable detail regarding the origins of chakra and its link to the birth of ninjutsu, a few particularities still remained unanswered, leading to many speculations about its origins and workings. However, with the franchise’s continuation in the form Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the concept of the Chakra Fruit and the Otsutsuki’s plans have further been expanded upon, revealing some much-needed details.
The God Tree: An Overview
Originating from another world, God Trees are the result of cultivating a Ten-Tails sapling, which acts as a seed to sprout the divine tree. However, for the tree to sprout, an Otsutsuki Clan member must be sacrificed and fed to the sapling, resulting in a towering tree rising from the ground. The enormous tree grows by siphoning natural energy from the planet, including all animate beings that inhabit it.
The process takes millennia, and after every thousand years, the God Tree produces a Chakra Fruit – an all-powerful fruit that can grant unfathomable power to anyone who consumes it. Humans, on the other hand, believed that the towering tree served as a sacred religious symbol, and the fruit it bore was meant for the divine. For the Otsutsuki, the fruit served as a means for eternal youth and longevity, along with powers that turned them into beings above gods. Kaguya Otsutsuki gained her powers in similar fashion, eating the forbidden fruit and acquiring the Rinne-Sharingan – the primary source of her unfettered power.
The Otsutsuki’s Plans With the God Tree
Being an alien race seeking immortality and godhood, the Otsutsuki have been traveling through dimensions and galaxies to find planets with the God Tree’s seed, in hopes of cultivating it to acquire the Chakra Fruit. They are also known for traveling in pairs, with one Otsutsuki serving as the sacrifice for the God Tree to sprout, while the other consumes the Chakra Fruit.
In Kaguya’s case, she was destined to be the sacrifice for the God Tree’s seed, while her partner, Isshiki, was supposed to consume the fruit. However, Kaguya grew fond of the planet and wished not for it to face the same fate as the other planets ruined by the God Tree’s ravaging destruction. By tricking Isshiki and using him as the sacrifice, Kaguya took the God Tree’s fruit for herself, consuming it and becoming an all-powerful goddess.
Similarly, other Otsutsuki Clan members have cultivated God Trees of their own, consuming multiple chakra fruits over the course of many millennia. Momoshiki Otsutuski is one such example, as he had consumed multiple fruits from his planet, until the God Tree eventually drained every last bit of its natural energy, completely destroying it. The only reason Earth’s God Tree was never able to destroy the planet was due to Kaguya absorbing the divine tree and becoming Ten-Tails herself. With Hagomoro and Hamura sealing Kaguya away and dividing the Ten-Tails into nine tailed-beasts, the threat of the God Tree’s eventual destruction of the planet was subdued, albeit temporarily.
Symbolism Behind the God Tree
Although the God Tree was simply a way to siphon chakra from the planet, the people, unaware of the truth, came to believe that the God Tree was a sacred pillar – a connection to the heavens. Its fruit was also believed to be highly sacred, barring humans from even thinking of consuming it. While this may have been the viewpoint of people in the series, the God Tree also references many real-life religions as well, clearly taking inspiration from different mythologies and cultures.
The divine tree’s fruit being forbidden is quite reminiscent of the story of Adam and Eve in Abrahamic Religions, as the two ate the forbidden fruit, thus being cursed by God. Adam’s eldest son, Cain, later killed his younger brother, Abel, out of jealousy after his own offering was rejected by God. This event is quite similar to the feud between the sons of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, as his decision to make the younger brother, Asura, his successor resulted in the elder one becoming jealous and hate-stricken. While these may simply be speculations, the God Tree’s implications within the series are certainly concrete, entirely changing the course of the Naruto series with overarching complexities.