Chapter 6 Planting Trees During the Ninja Clan Era (6) Bedtime Story - Light...
After dinner and washing up, Indra was the first to crawl into bed and warm it up, then patted the spot next to him eagerly.
The wooden house is more than enough for Senju Takeshi to live in by himself. However, because it is a single-person dwelling, there is only one bed in the wooden house. Senju Takeshi would not let a child sleep on the floor, and Indra would also feel embarrassed to let his master sleep on the floor.
So on their first day living together, the two of them were at an impasse for a moment, one holding a pillow and the other holding a blanket, before deciding to compromise and sleep on the bed together—it would be so silly to sleep on the floor instead of the bed in this cold weather.
At present, most people sleep on the ground. The wealthy sleep on tatami mats with soft bedding, while the vast majority of ordinary people, especially the poor, simply lay a straw mat on the ground.
When Indra first slept in a bed, he was not used to it and it took him a long time to fall asleep. However, he still found that the bed was much cleaner and more comfortable than sleeping directly on the floor.
At first, Indra was not used to sleeping with others, but now he is obviously quite comfortable sleeping next to Senju Takeya.
As the night deepened, the chirping of insects and the occasional hooting of owls filled the air. All sounds were quiet and peaceful. Indra buried his face in the warm blankets, the natural, cool scent of herbs emanating from the boy reminding him of pine needles covered in frost, the wisps of incense rising from temples, and beams of light spreading through the morning mist…
Indra was lost in thought when he heard a rustling sound as someone turned over beside him.
"Can't sleep?" In the dimly lit room after the lights were turned off, the boy's eyes grew even deeper, as if the night had been cut into them.
“A little…” Indra blinked slowly. He was still in high spirits and wouldn’t feel sleepy for a while.
"..." The boy was silent for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Then, would you like to hear a bedtime story?"
Indra had told Senju Takeya about the past history of the ninja world and the story of the founding of the Ninja Sect. Senju Takeya thought that as the older brother, he should also tell his younger brother stories.
Indra's spirits lifted. The boy, who had read extensively, already had a general idea of what stories his elders would tell him as bedtime stories, but he still couldn't hide his anticipation. "I want to hear them!"
Senju Takeru had been preparing for a long time, organizing his thoughts and words, before awkwardly beginning to tell his sworn brother a bedtime story: "A long, long time ago, in the vast universe, there was a star system 3 million light-years away from the ninja world, called the M78 Nebula. There, there was a planet called the Land of Light. And the story begins 270,000 years ago, when this planet was not yet called the 'Land of Light'..."
Indra listened intently, his thoughts and emotions gradually becoming immersed in the story told by Senju Takeya. His mind began to develop a more complete conception and imagination of the planets and races in Senju Takeya's story.
As the Land of Light in his mind gradually became clearer, the boy's eyes grew brighter. However, Indra, whose biological clock was very regular and who was still growing, could not resist the strong drowsiness that slowly crept in with time. After his eyelids drooped for a while, he finally reluctantly grabbed Senju Takeya's hand.
With the positive feedback from Indra, Senju Takeda gradually gained confidence in her storytelling ability and became more and more enthusiastic about telling stories. After Indra fell asleep, she also fell asleep holding the child.
The next day, Indra actively joined Senju Takeya in building the steps. After watching Senju Takeya lift the boulder with one hand and move it to a convenient location, he could easily imagine how Senju Takeya had built the stone steps. He was also amazed by his brother's strength, because when Senju Takeya lifted the boulder with one hand, it was as easy as picking up a feather. He didn't need any preparation, and his breathing didn't change at all.
"Brother, how can we end the war and usher in a utopian society like the Land of Light?" Indra asked as he used his Wind Release technique to modify the size and shape of the bluestone slab.
"It's difficult," Senju Take said frankly. "The high quality and virtue of the residents of the Land of Light are not isolated cases or limited to a small area, but rather the case for everyone. Evil and selfish people are rare in the Land of Light. Therefore, they have an incredibly stable social foundation from the beginning, without internal strife or war. If the humans in the ninja world had even a quarter of the residents of the Land of Light, they wouldn't be like this. They would submit to absolute power. But once the Goddess of the Rabbit was sealed, the hearts of the people, who had no one to suppress them, began to fall into chaos again. Even if your father is someone who can seal the Goddess of the Rabbit, he obviously cannot rule everyone as ruthlessly as the Goddess of the Rabbit and stabilize the world."
The Goddess of the Rabbit is called the Goddess of the Rabbit because of her ability to suppress and quell wars with absolute power, making her seem like an unapproachable and inviolable deity. Therefore, she is revered as the Goddess of the Rabbit.
Compared to the domineering and oppressive power of the Goddess of the Rabbit, the Sage of Six Paths was too inexperienced and too merciful.
It's a pity that the Goddess of the Rabbit eventually became obsessed with the pursuit of power. Otherwise, if Senju Takeshi had taken the right measures during the Goddess of the Rabbit's time and established rules that could stabilize the ninja world, he might have been able to truly rule and assimilate the entire ninja world much earlier.
Indra lowered his head.
“But it’s not impossible.” Senju Takeya reached out to pet the lost cat, but stopped when he realized his hands were dirty.
"How do we do it?!" Indra perked up at the question and, without any hesitation, looked up and rubbed his hand against Senju Takeya's.
"The simplest and most direct way is through power. You must first obtain power that surpasses your father's, like the goddess of the rabbit, so that everyone has no choice but to submit to you. Then, use benevolent and equal policies to discipline and change people, so that they are well-fed, watered, and live in peace. Change their environment first, then change their mindset, so that they will actively choose to become good people who know etiquette, are polite, and have high moral character under the rules and discipline."
The concepts of morality and immorality are rooted in habit, and habit originates from life. It's about ensuring that evil is punished, good is respected, and that responsibilities and rewards are clearly defined. "Then you must become a sage, a call to action, a symbol, not a centralized tyrant, a ruler, or a dictator," said Qian Shouzhu, lowering his eyes and gently patting Indra's head.
Indra suddenly realized.
“Indra, I don’t know much. It’s all the wisdom of our ancestors that I’ve seen in textbooks and books. But I know one thing very well—” Senju Takeya’s voice was steady and powerful, and every word touched Indra’s heart, “Dignity is only on the edge of a sword, and truth is only within the range of a cannon.”
“Brother…” Indra stared blankly at Senju Takeya. At this moment, his whole world consisted only of the calm-looking boy in front of him. The boy in his eyes radiated an undeniable light, so bright it was terrifying, like the North Star in the sky.
“However, Indra, I also want you to know that peace is relative; complete peace does not exist.” Senju Take also squatted down, placing a hand on Indra’s shoulder. “Just like the harmony between us, the peace and stability of the village beneath our feet, but in faraway places, there must be people being killed, robbed, oppressed, and exploited. It’s like the Land of Light, although the entire planet is peaceful and bright, it can still produce rebels. And in the vast universe, darkness is the dominant color. That’s why those beautiful things are so dazzling and precious. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Thousand-Hand Bamboo is never stingy with words when it comes to the intelligent and sensitive Indra. As long as things are explained clearly, the child will understand and there is no need to worry anymore.
I've made this clear today, so there's no need for further explanation.
“I understand, elder brother!” Indra’s eyes sparkled. “I will remember every word you say!”
Thousand Hand Bamboo gently pinched Indra's fair and soft cheek, leaving a dirty gray mark on the child's delicate face.
Looking at Indra, whom he had turned into a little kitten, Senju Takeya showed no sign of guilt: "Now, let's focus on our work and live in the moment."
"Yes!" Indra, like a kitten with its tail held high, got to work with great enthusiasm.
There was no further conversation between the two, but the atmosphere was incredibly intimate and warm.
Thanks to Indra, who activated his Multiple Shadow Clone Technique immediately after refueling, and the reliable and all-powerful Little White Gold, the remaining section of the stone steps was repaired in the first half of the day. Thousand Hand Bamboo couldn't help but marvel at Indra's terrifyingly high work efficiency. It felt like people who could use chakra had an advantage in getting things done with less effort.
After finishing his work, Indra once again went down the mountain on behalf of his brother to deliver tangerines.
A full basket of tangerines is enough to give about ten to each household in the village. If there are children in the family, then take five more.
"Oh my! Isn't this Lord Indra? When did you return?" Aunt Meixin couldn't help but smile when she saw Indra, dressed in new clothes, his little face made even more adorable and delicate by the snow-white rabbit fur trim around his collar. "The Mountain God is really something, always thinking of us and comforting us. It's all thanks to the Mountain God that we have such good lives now. The Mountain God is all alone, and we don't want to bother him. Now that Lord Indra is back, the Mountain God must be very happy."
Indra blushed as he listened to Aunt Meixin's words. He nodded hurriedly and rushed off to deliver tangerines to the next household.
The villagers still don't know Senju Takeya's real name, but in their hearts, Senju Takeya has a unique title—the Mountain God.
This is because the first time Senju Takeya appeared, he came out of the mountains, and he has lived in the forests of this mountain ever since.
Ever since the appearance of Thousand Hand Bamboo, the mountain has become increasingly prosperous. Abundant and sweet wild fruits and precious and rare herbs have grown with each step. The number of animals living in the mountain has also increased. The closer one gets to the place where Thousand Hand Bamboo lives, the more vibrant everything becomes. Soon, the fields at the foot of the mountain have also become fertile.
This situation is exactly like the mountain god being born from the mountains!
Compared to the unreachable Ninja Clan and the Sage of Six Paths who proclaimed the will of peace, the villagers had more faith in the mountain god who protected them and brought them a bountiful harvest.
These days, war seems to be on the verge of resurgence, but with the mountain god above, the villagers below have little fear in their hearts. They are focused on living their lives well, cultivating their fields, and managing their homes, unafraid that the fruits of their hard work might one day be destroyed by those bandits, samurai, and ronin.
Therefore, they also respectfully addressed Otsutsuki Indra, the adopted brother of the mountain god, as "Master".
They first met Indra when the mountain god personally led the child to them, treating him with great affection.
In the days that followed, Indra took over the duties of the mountain god, going down the mountain to deliver goods and exchange them for supplies. The boy was eloquent, capable, and likable, but unfortunately, he left after a short while. The mountain god was once again left all alone, which made the villager Hat feel envious. He then performed a ritual to please the mountain god.
As soon as I came down the mountain, I saw the villagers standing on the altar they had built on the opposite mountain, dancing wildly. I also said: ...There's no need for that. The child has just gone home, not gone forever.
The villagers dancing looked like they were performing a ritual to summon the spirit of Indra, creating a kind of beauty that suggested Indra was dead.
It was clearly not Senju Takeya who was performing the shamanistic ritual, but it was Senju Takeya who was so embarrassed that he was digging his toes into the ground.
The last time he felt such a strong sense of powerlessness was in his first year in the ninja world. He tried his best to deny that he was a mountain god, but he was defeated by the reality that he could not speak the ninja language at all and could only barely understand it.
Thus, the current situation arises where villagers pay "protection fees" and he is responsible for "protecting" them. Both sides contribute and feel at ease. However, Thousand Hand Bamboo sometimes struggles to cope with the villagers' enthusiasm. Therefore, when Indra helps him move around, he feels greatly relieved and can comfortably retreat to his small home, tending to his tree garden and caring for the saplings.
A note from the author:
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[Mini Theater]
When someone says that there are no perfect people in the world:
Indra: (The great roc spreading its wings is like a thousand-armed bamboo)
Villager: (Dancing like a shaman, wildly dancing towards the Thousand Hand Bamboo)
Senju Takeya: ... (So angry that the image is blurred)
Uchiha Osaka: Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Senju Takeya: Now, only those who appear in the chat area are allowed to laugh at me.
Uchiha Shisui: Wait, so the god we enshrine in the Uchiha clan's shrine now wouldn't be—
Indra: Who else could it be but my elder brother?
Uchiha Osaka: ...I really want to laugh, but I can't laugh when I think about how I've knelt and even kowtowed.
Thousand Hands Bamboo: ...Haha.
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