Chapter 2 Planting Trees During the Ninja Clan Era (2) Takeya: I don't talk much, ...
The boy's clothes had been dried by the fire. Just in case, Senju Takeshi pulled out a blanket from the side and covered the boy with it, wrapping himself in it as well. Senju Takeshi was very healthy; even in winter, he was like a little furnace, keeping warm even in the thinnest short-sleeved shirt.
Senju Takeya's physique has been like this since childhood; he is very resilient.
But Indra did not seem to be spared, and he also developed a fever.
In his dream, Indra kept seeing his father's cold and wary gaze, as if he had committed a heinous crime that was too numerous to count. That one look filled Indra, who longed for family affection and to be loved, with grief, anger, and fear. The naturally intelligent Indra realized that he seemed to be regarded by his father as a born evil.
It's okay. As long as he tries his best to be a good boy, helps his father, and walks the path of bringing happiness and peace to the ninja world, time will prove that he is not a bad boy and he will gain his father's approval.
As you gradually let down your guard and fall asleep in a warm and safe environment, a wave of exhaustion and grievance seems to wash over you.
Still delirious with fever, Indra awoke from a nightmare in a dazed state. He felt a thick, cool hand gently covering his forehead. A moment later, a cool, soft, damp cloth was placed on the back of his neck, and then another cool cloth was placed on his forehead.
The bed is very warm. The quilt is made of goose down, which was made by Senju Takeya using goose down he collected himself. The mattress on the wooden bed is also stuffed with cotton by Senju Takeya. It is very soft and comfortable to sleep on. His best friend once joked that Senju Takeya lives very seriously every day. He takes care of his little home meticulously and builds his home into the most comfortable and warm place.
Qian Shouzhu also enjoys the peace and quiet of being alone, as well as the lively and joyful time with his best friends. His world is small, just a tiny corner of his own. He doesn't know much, but it's enough to support him in slowly realizing his ideal life.
"Father……"
Looking at the child who was weakly and indistinctly calling for his father and tugging at his sleeve, Qian Shouzhu also sat down by the bed, holding a freshly brewed medicinal soup in one hand. Since coming into this world, he has had a more direct and clear sense of plants and can know their effects. Qian Shouzhu also thought that if he had gone to a Western fantasy world, he would definitely have become an excellent alchemy master.
Fortunately, thanks to this ability, Senju Take is not helpless when faced with someone who is sick and has a fever.
Once the medicine in his hand had cooled down to a temperature that wasn't too hot to drink, Qian Shouzhu helped the child sit up. He patted Indra's back, waking him up from his drowsy state, and brought the bowl to his lips.
Indra smelled the bitter medicine and knew that the other party was feeding him medicine soup. He was not a child who was afraid of bitterness and refused to drink medicine. He knew that he had already caused trouble for others. He obediently followed Senju Takeya's actions and drank the medicine soup in the bowl in one gulp. The medicine soup was so bitter that it almost made people vomit. However, with a piece of candied fruit quickly stuffed into his mouth, the bitterness was quickly suppressed.
So sweet! Delicious!
Indra's eyes lit up, his cheeks bulging from being stuffed with that big candied fruit, and he seemed more alert.
The other person's strong hand rubbed his head. The boy didn't say a word, but the action was full of tenderness and approval. Indra's eyes inexplicably stung, and he followed Senju Takeya's force and lay back down in bed.
The boy, his face flushed red, turned to the side, clutching the edge of the blanket, and watched obediently and quietly as the young man walked to the hearth, tidied the fire with fire tongs, then wiped his hands and picked up the wooden spoon hanging on the rack to stir the perfectly cooked warm soup in the pot.
Sick people don't have a good appetite and shouldn't eat greasy food, so Qian Shouzhu only cooked a pot of corn and pork rib soup. The soup was delicious and sweet, and very easy to drink.
Noticing Indra's gaze, Senju Take also tasted the perfectly cooked corn and pork rib soup in the pot, added a little salt, stirred it, ladled a bowl, and brought it over to the low table next to the bed. Then, Senju Take paused and added, "It's hot, wait a minute."
Indra simply looked at Senju Takeya and then nodded somewhat slowly.
—Indra stayed behind.
Qian Shouzhu didn't ask why. The child was very sensible and eager to do all the chores. It was clear that the child had a strong sense of self-respect and was very independent. Asking to be taken in was a request that the child had mustered up his courage and asked. Qian Shouzhu let the child have his way, and in his spare time, Qian Shouzhu would knit.
Thousand Hand Bamboo also noticed that Indra seemed to be waiting, waiting for someone to come and pick him up.
Because that look is so similar to how Senju Taken used to wait for his best friend to get off work.
But as the days went by, the light in Indra's eyes gradually dimmed. He wondered if he had been too willful. Even though he knew how busy the affairs of the Ninja Sect were, he still hoped that his father would come to find him and bring him home.
Life with Takeya was very interesting. Indra learned that potatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower... so many crops could actually grow on trees, which really reshaped the child's worldview.
The trees bearing different vegetables and fruits are connected by platforms woven from vines, allowing people to easily reach out and pick them as they walk through. They are a perfect match for Zhu Ye Ge's treehouse, standing tall on the ground and forming a small, idyllic world of their own.
Moreover, given how high the treehouse was, Indra couldn't imagine anyone other than someone with chakra who had trained in the art of using the foot technique and could easily climb up.
After the autumn harvest, there wasn't much work to do. Indra, who had looked around but couldn't find anything to do, sat under a tree. He stared blankly at the Philodendron growing freely under the tree. The Bamboo Sapium sebiferum hadn't taken any special care of them, yet they were as vibrant as wild grass, growing in a large patch in the heart of the forest.
What did the Thousand-Hand Bamboo do? He said he only stopped to admire them and did nothing else.
Indra thought that perhaps it was also because of his acceptance that they were allowed to grow in this land he had transformed into something incredibly fertile, closely intertwined with the grove he had planted.
Upon hearing the footsteps, Indra knew it was Thousand-Armed Bamboo.
A warm, soft scarf was wrapped around Indra's neck. The boy, flattered, grabbed the white wool scarf and looked at the boy sitting next to him. "Takeya-nii?"
Senju Take also patted Otsutsuki Indra's head, "Thank you for your help these past few days. I don't have anything else to give you."
The bamboo hand-woven fabric is also specially made wider and longer, so that children who grow quickly can wear it for several more years, but it is not too wide and long.
Indra's ears burned, and he buried half his face in the scarf. He never expected that the scarf that he had seen Takeya knitting since the first day he arrived was for him.
"I've bothered Takeya-nii these past few days," Indra said shyly. "It was Takeya-nii who took me in after my impulsive runaway."
This was the first time Indra had brought up the topic of why he had come here with Thousand Hand Bamboo.
Qian Shouzhu remained silent, knowing that being a quiet listener was enough for him.
Indra was the son of the Sage of Six Paths, and also the eldest son. He had a younger brother. After his brother was born, Indra realized that his father favored his brother more than him. Although Indra was a little jealous, he accepted it. After all, his brother was simple-minded, easily swayed, and easy to fool, so he naturally needed to take better care of him.
Until he awakened his Sharingan.
The look his father gave him sent a chill down Indra's spine.
His father loved him, but more than that, he was wary and scrutinizing, his eyes like those of someone observing a potential future criminal.
—He's just a child.
Children are ignorant, but it is great that they can correct their mistakes.
Such words could never have been exchanged between Indra and the Sage of Six Paths, firstly because Indra was born intelligent, sensible, and knew how to behave properly; and secondly because, in the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, Indra resembled his mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, to the point that the child was already considered to have original sin.
Whenever Indra makes a mistake, he receives merciless rebuke and punishment from the Sage of Six Paths. Fortunately, Indra has a strong will and does not break down because of this. Indra not only understands that his father does not want to see him make mistakes, but also understands the principle of not doing evil even if it is small. The idea that mistakes should be punished accordingly is also gradually taking root in Indra's mind.
As the eldest son, he will be the future heir to the Ninja Clan, and he must do his utmost in everything he does.
Everyone said so, and the highly responsible Indra accepted these ideas. He was willing to take on these duties and obligations and make efforts for them.
But ultimately, he is still just a young child. No matter how sensible and resilient he is, he is still just a child who wants his father's love and praise.
After arguing with his father, he could no longer control his emotions and panic upon seeing his father's cold eyes again, and he ran away.
The children of the Sage of Six Paths are extraordinary, not to mention that Indra is a genius who can independently develop hand seals that can be used to control chakra. He gritted his teeth and fled, not knowing how far he had run, only to find himself near a village when he stopped.
With no intention of disturbing the villagers, Indra wandered aimlessly in the area for three days before seeing a little white rabbit coming down from the mountain.
The little rabbit had snow-white, fluffy fur all over its body, eyes as clear and flawless as ruby, and a red mark on its forehead, making it look extraordinary. More importantly, Indra discovered that the little rabbit possessed natural chakra, just like the summoning beasts of the Three Sacred Lands.
This kind of small animal certainly won't die accidentally like the puppy my brother used to have.
So, with the thought that 'since I've seen it, I might as well catch it,' the action-oriented Indra began to catch the rabbit.
As it turned out, the rabbit was incredibly agile and nimble. Indra was not the type to give up easily or resort to cheat codes just because a rabbit was difficult to catch. However, he did get carried away and, even without activating his Sharingan, he relentlessly pursued the rabbit that had been toying with him the whole way.
After Indra caught the rabbit, he also approached the most special forest area of the mountain. Then, sensing the powerful aura of natural chakra, he walked in as if summoned, and then he saw the sapling.
What happened next needs no further explanation.
“Indra is a good boy.” Senju Takeya’s words remained emotionless, but Indra could hear the excessively reserved gentleness in this person. “Undoubtedly.”
“But I ran away from home without considering the consequences, knowing that I would cause you trouble. I saw that you were soft-hearted, but I still shamelessly asked to stay. Even though my father was very busy, I still wanted him to come and find me…” For some reason, Indra’s heart was beating a little fast, making him feel flustered and helpless.
“In my eyes, you are an almost perfect good child.” After a moment of silence, Senju Takeya spoke slowly, his words calm yet firm. “Your shortcomings are not shortcomings in my eyes. You can tolerate and forgive the shortcomings of others, but not without limits. You feel guilty if others’ interests are harmed because of you. You have a moral sense, abide by the rules, value family, and give your love.”
After learning that Senju Takeya was not good at speaking due to his lack of communication skills, Indra patiently talked to him, tirelessly finding topics to discuss, and even becoming a chatterbox himself to help Senju Takeya improve his spoken language.
Regardless of what Indra's future holds, in Senju Takeya's eyes, Indra is a child who is perfect in every way.
As long as the future Indra doesn't commit crimes and kill innocent people, Senju Takeshi can accept it. Even if this child announces that he will rule the world in the future, he can sincerely praise him: "As expected of Indra."
Only favoritism can turn a person's flaws into strengths.
Although they only spent a short time together, Senju Takeshi truly favored Indra, and thus there was nothing wrong with Indra.
While improvement in spoken language is normal, this improvement is too great.
Indra's eyes began to sting again, and he couldn't help but feel them welling up with tears. He sniffed and buried his face completely in his scarf. "Takeya-nii..."
Qian Shouzhu tilted her head slightly towards the boy, waiting for him to continue.
Indra said in a muffled voice, "We've already talked too much today, there's no need to practice anymore."
Thousand Hand Bamboo also flicked Indra's forehead with a flick of his wrist, his expressionless face.
Shy as you may be, it's wrong of you to ruin the atmosphere. He's praising so earnestly, even his best friend would praise him for his eloquence!
Thousand Hand Bamboo also held back 99% of his strength, but he still couldn't withstand the opponent's sheer power.
Indra clutched his red and throbbing forehead and gasped.
It was the first time Indra had been flicked on the forehead, and it was even a punishment. Yet, he couldn't help but laugh happily. He looked up at the boy and only then did he realize that the boy had a very beautiful and distinctive beauty mark on the left corner of his mouth. Before this, he had never looked at the other person's face so closely.
He seems to understand Takeya-nii better now.
Indra thought to himself, filled with joy and secret delight.
A note from the author:
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[Mini Theater]
Indra: Asura, a person's abilities are limited. I understand that the more people are trapped in the status quo, the more easily they fall into an unchanging predicament and suffer greatly.
Ashura: Brother, what do you mean...?
Indra: I'm not going to be the older brother anymore! Ashura! I'm going to be Takeya-nii's younger brother! [Brother complex gene injected]
Centuries later—
Uchiha Osaka: I think our Uchiha family's brother complex is somewhat hereditary.
Uchiha Shisui: I agree with what Senma said.
Uchiha Itachi: I agree with what Senma said.
Uchiha Sasuke: I agree with what Senma-nii-san and Nii-chan said.
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