Chapter 20 Planting Trees During the Ninja Clan Era (20) Growing from a Peach...
The Thousand-Hand Bamboo also watched spring flowers bloom across the fields and green leaves fill the branches, and also saw golden waves sweep across the fields and withered branches covered with frost, and then the four seasons cycled and repeated.
In the end, the only ones who could stay with him were the 'sapling' that had already broken through the clouds and the still tiny little Platinum. Since the triplets were born, Platinum, who had risen from assistant rabbit to housekeeper rabbit, had unknowingly grown up in seniority.
Knowing the hardships and regrets of their fathers, the generation of Shirin Castle under Uchiha Yuki and the generation of Ninja Sect under Senju Moriya entered a period of peace. They usually did not meet, developed their own paths, and did not use any underhanded tricks against each other. However, when Shirin Castle sold things to Ninja Sect, the price was always half again as much. This was the last bit of stubbornness and open strategy of the people of Shirin Castle.
By the way, if you hear someone outside using "The Sage of Six Paths' XXX" as a prefix for their exclamation or cursing, don't doubt it, they are most likely from Xilin City.
Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.
The triplets were born in order of birth. Ken Uchiha was the longest-lived, living 15 years longer than his eldest brother and 12 years longer than his second brother.
Even though Ken Uchiha is old and wrinkled with white hair and beard, he still has a tall and strong physique. It is clear that if someone were to cause trouble at this time, Ken Uchiha, who is still a handsome old man, would definitely be able to fight them for eight hundred rounds with his fists clenched.
Sensing his impending departure, the over-100-year-old man sat on the stone steps of the flowerbed, and like when he was a child, reached out his arms to hug the blurry, steady figure that came into his view, "Uncle..."
The man silently embraced him.
Uchiha Ken was starting to feel sleepy. The sun was shining brightly today, warming him. His uncle was still warm, which reassured him.
As his memory began to decline, Ken Uchiha recalled that his older brothers had also passed away in their uncle's arms in the same way.
Is Father the same?
Uchiha Ken felt increasingly guilty, his heart clenching painfully, but he couldn't hold on any longer.
His uncle gently patted his back as if to lull him to sleep, and Uchiha Ken's eyes slowly closed as he entered eternal slumber. This time, his older brother would not throw off his blankets to wake him, nor would he hear his most beloved uncle say "Dinner's ready" to him again.
After the triplets came of age, they moved to Xilin City. After the war was over, Senju Takeshi, who no longer needed to patrol and protect the villagers day after day, stopped going down the mountain, stopped paying attention to Xilin City, and stopped visiting the triplets. He only had the triplets occasionally bring ripe crops, fruits, or medicinal herbs with excellent effects to the mountain god shrine.
However, from now on, no one will bring anything down the mountain.
Familiar faces disappeared one by one, and no one in Xilin City could catch a glimpse of the Mountain God anymore.
As time goes by, the mountain god of Xilin Mountain will inevitably become a legend, a story, a symbol and culture that does not have any real deterrent power. This is something that Qianshouzhu is happy to see. Human vitality is strong. Although the protection of the 'mountain god' can protect them, it will also hinder their growth.
Besides, he is not a god, just a little stronger than an ordinary person.
Ken Uchiha was buried by his children next to his two older brothers.
Senju Takeya's world fell silent once again.
No longer bound by relationships, Thousand Hand Bamboo devoted herself even more wholeheartedly to the cause of tree cultivation, day after day, year after year.
It wasn't that no one went up the mountain during that time, but Mount Xilin, which had been constantly nourished by natural chakra, was completely elevated to a sacred place under the influence of the 'sapling'. There was an unspoken rule that 'those who do not receive an invitation from the mountain lord may not enter'. Those people would only get lost and wander around in circles at the foot of the mountain until they wanted to leave.
However, the other mountain ranges connected to Xilin Mountain were not affected and could still be used for hunting and gathering by the people of Xilin City.
When the fruit on the giant tree ripened, Thousand Hand Bamboo had completely lost his concept of time. He could only judge day and night by sunrise and sunset, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. As for what year, month, day, and week it was, he had no idea.
The mature fruit that the 'sapling' bore looked like a peach, and Thousand Hand Bamboo was reminded of the immortal peach in the mythology of his original world. However, this 'immortal peach' was too ripe, so ripe that the pit inside had already grown.
In order to pluck the peach that stirred his heart, Senju Take also activated Sage Mode. He took to the air and carefully held the peach in his hands. He hardly needed to exert any effort; he simply lifted the peach slightly, and the chakra fruit, with its powerful life force and pure energy, was obediently plucked.
After the fruit was picked, the giant tree, having fulfilled its mission, began to twist and deform, eventually shrinking and wrapping around Senju Takeya's left wrist, becoming a suspended wooden bracelet with a jade pendant shaped like a magatama or an embryonic embryo hanging from it.
Thousand Hands Bamboo gently pressed his ear against the peach and heard the heartbeat that made him happy.
How can we bring forth the tiny life inside a peach?
Suddenly, an idea flashed into Qian Shouzhu's mind. Without a moment's hesitation, he took the peach and went into the kitchen.
He picked and chose, finally selecting a relatively small fruit knife, and chopped it down right in the middle of the peach tip.
The moment the blade touched the tip, a ray of light slowly split open from the peach, which was showing an extremely strong will to survive, followed by a rather bouncy "pop!"
The peach flesh was split in half and turned upside down. A small, white baby sat in the middle of the peach, wearing a white robe similar in style to the Ninja Clan robe but more solemn and gorgeous. Nine small black balls floated around its body.
The little boy had a pair of white jade-like horns on his forehead, which neatly parted the hair in the middle of his forehead, revealing an inverted red crescent moon mark on his forehead. The two downward-pointing points of the red crescent moon perfectly covered the cinnabar mark left after the little boy signed a spiritual contract with Little Platinum, making the little boy look even more beautiful and delicate, so beautiful that it was impossible to tell whether he was male or female. Being genderless and able to be both male and female is a characteristic of gods.
Having just woken up, the white-haired, fair-skinned little boy rubbed his still sleepy eyes. Having experienced a long period of darkness, his eyes, which were just beginning to receive light, felt a little glaring and he couldn't see clearly for a while. However, he was certain that there was no one else in front of him but his elder brother. Before he could see the world clearly again, he relied heavily on the figure in front of him and stretched out his arm.
The long sleeves of the white robe completely covered the little guy's short hands, making the already petite and adorable little guy even more irresistibly cute.
Thousand Hands Bamboo also put his fingers under the little guy's armpits, and then lifted the little guy up with both hands and quickly walked out of the wooden house, with Little Platinum jumping and following lightly.
Senju Take also held up her reborn younger brother, Pro Max, high towards the forest, showing off her incredibly cute Guardian Character version of her little brother to her plant friends: "Welcome back, my little brother—"
Indra's vision had returned to clarity, even surpassing his previous life's. Hearing his elder brother's words, the little fellow's silvery-white, ephemeral eyes welled up with tears of emotion. "Elder brother..."
"Momotaro!" The elder brother's voice was firm and resolute, each word ringing out with strength.
Indra realized that if he didn't correct this now, he would be called by this name for the rest of his life. He desperately resisted this name, even though it was given to him by his beloved elder brother. "It's Indra! Indra! Elder brother!!!"
Finally, Indra regained his name and was not reduced to being called Momotaro.
The two brothers, having enjoyed a long-awaited intimate moment, returned to the house. Indra sat to one side, watching Senju Take cut the peach flesh into four equal parts, feeling a sense of déjà vu and longing. His brows relaxed: "Is there anything in this world that you, elder brother, cannot do besides giving birth?" He could even bring the dead back to life, and even turn someone into a true Otsutsuki.
Indra clearly realized that he was now the same as his grandmother Kaguya Otsutsuki. That tree was indeed the sacred tree, a treasure of the Otsutsuki clan. However, he also felt guilty because his elder brother had planted the tree for hundreds of years, but in the end, he failed in his efforts to revive him.
From the moment he saw the sapling, he felt its powerful attraction to him. It wasn't the attraction of wanting to eat it or make it his own, but rather the attraction of wanting him to sacrifice himself. The sapling didn't grow for many years, and Indra vaguely realized that it was missing a suitable sacrifice.
Therefore, Indra willingly went to his death and was willingly eaten by the tree. He believed that he could die for his ideals and that it was a worthy death. After death, he could still do something for his elder brother to help him achieve his wishes, so that he would not have lived in vain. This was what Indra believed to be his final duty and mission as the younger brother.
But wasn't the Thousand-Hand Bamboo also willingly 'failing at the last hurdle'?
Indra believed in Senju Takeya's love, but he never expected that this love would lead Senju Takeya to such a extent.
Indeed, my older brother has always been the best older brother in the world...
"Giving birth... you've got some skills now." Senju Take said, handing Indra a slice of peach. "I 'gave you' three babies."
Still immersed in guilt, Indra, upon hearing this, was like a Totoro that had been forcibly restrained and unable to think, holding the crescent-shaped peach and remaining motionless.
At this moment, Indra, who had never been in a relationship, had a blank mind that kept repeating, "An elder brother is an elder brother, and an elder brother cannot become a wife."
"How...how was she born..." Indra stammered, then, remembering something, the little sage straightened his face, "Don't omit anything!"
Then he needs to work on his language. Whenever he speaks at a long time, Qian Shouzhu, who is usually as quiet as a mute unless someone he knows comes to chat with, needs to prepare himself, especially since he hasn't spoken to anyone for over a hundred years.
His best friend said that his taciturn nature only applies to people he doesn't know well, but in his past life, the only person he could truly become close to was his best friend. In this life, he has Indra and the Uchiha triplets. As for Little White Gold, because he is a rabbit, he also has the taciturn nature. So the master and the rabbit can communicate smoothly with each other through their strange brainwaves and equally expressionless faces.
"The leaves soaked in your blood turned into seeds. I planted them and they grew into embryo trees. The embryo trees bore three embryo fruits, which matured in about six months. After falling to the ground, they turned into three big, fat babies. I named them Uchiha Sachi, Uchiha An, and Uchiha Ken in order. Sachi looks a lot like you and later inherited your cause. An and Ken assisted him. Together, the three of them developed and continued the Uchiha clan as we know it today. They inherited your talent, having the three-tomoe Sharingan by nature and being skilled in lightning and fire chakra ninjutsu." Senju Take slowly recounted.
The 'sapling' will not benefit anyone other than its master. Those who benefit from it will pay a corresponding price, and vice versa. It also learned the principle of fairness and equality from the Thousand Hands Bamboo. Therefore, even though Indra sacrificed himself, he could still continue his bloodline. Before that, using its leaf to learn Sage Mode could be considered a bonus.
Platinum ate a leaf from the 'sapling', which unlocked his intelligence and chakra talents, granting him a long lifespan. However, from then on, he had to be loyal to and serve Senju Takeya for the rest of his life. Platinum didn't think this was a price to pay. In short, the benefits have been discussed, but what about the drawbacks?
"That's amazing..." Indra never expected that the leaf would actually continue his bloodline.
"Shall we go take a look? The Uchiha clan, but the triplets have been dead for many years," Senju Takeya said.
Indra shook his head. "The only family I care about is my elder brother. For me, affection is stronger than blood."
Even so, Indra could not deny his joy, because his brother had continued the Uchiha surname, which was full of meaning and bond to him.
Thousand Hand Bamboo stroked the bracelet on his wrist, remaining silent for a moment. Over the years, he had never given 'Little Sapling' a formal name. 'Little Sapling' had helped him so much, and its kindness was immense. Although its loyalty to him was obvious, he could not neglect it casually.
The 'sapling' has many benefits, unlike the embryonic tree, and Thousand Hands Bamboo couldn't help but ponder it deeply.
While Senju Take was pondering, Indra continued, "Besides, it was my elder brother who nurtured me and gave me a new life. The powerful and pure bloodline I have now is also a gift from my elder brother. The chakra flowing in my body is my elder brother's. It was my elder brother who gave me life. I probably won't be as close to the Uchiha clan, who are just mortals, in terms of bloodline as I was in my previous life."
Thousand Hand Bamboo paused, his hand stroking the bracelet. He raised his eyelids slightly as if in sudden enlightenment, "Tree of Life."
Indra was taken aback for a moment, then caught up with his brother's leap of thought and nodded in understanding: "As expected of my elder brother, it is truly the most suitable name."
"Mm." Thousand Hand Bamboo responded, then handed a slice of peach to Little White Gold, "It will be the Tree of Life from now on."
The little platinum dog held the peach firmly with its two front paws and nodded slightly in agreement.
The wooden ring on the left wrist of the floating, Thousand Hand Bamboo also bloomed with a happy yet shy pink flower, and lightly and joyfully twirled around with the jade magatama.
Qian Shouzhu also put a piece of peach into her mouth, and her eyes widened slightly as she was amazed by the sweet but not cloying peach juice that burst in her mouth.
treetree!
tasty!
I'll save a piece for my best friend... The Chakra Fruit shouldn't oxidize or expire.
Crispy Peach Pie Thousand Hands Bamboo has also fallen deeply in love with the Chakra Fruit today, and he is convinced that it must be the best crispy peach in the world!
Although it could no longer grant the consumer new abilities, the chakra fruit, carefully nurtured by Senju Takeya with love and abundant natural chakra, was exceptionally delicious. Indra, after taking a bite, even had a crazy idea—could he plant the Divine Tree… no, the Tree of Life all over the world! No! The entire universe!
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Author's Note: [Mini-Theater]
After eating the Chakra Fruit—
Indra: Five ants!
Thousand Hands Bamboo: Five Ants!
Little Platinum: Chirp! (Five ants!)
Indra: I wish I could plant the Divine Tree all over the universe! So that such delicious, crisp peaches could be enjoyed everywhere!
Uchiha Osaka: Don't let yourself be assimilated by the Otsutsuki instincts so quickly! So wait! The Otsutsuki were also born from the fruits of the God Tree? So are the Otsutsuki plants and animals?!
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