Chapter 8 Planting Trees During the Ninja Clan Era (8) When in doubt, consult your brother first…
After Indra had a clear goal and plan, he became noticeably busier, but he still made sure to set aside one day each week to see Senju Takeya.
Indra did not tell his father what he wanted to do. Whether it was out of intuition or after careful consideration, Indra knew that his father would definitely refuse or even completely deny his idea. His father was too worried about the past of the goddess of the rabbit repeating itself. That worry was so strong that it was almost to the point of fear.
It is evident how much psychological trauma the Goddess of Rabbit—her grandmother who once ruled the ninja world but was sealed away by her two sons—left on her sons.
So Indra hid his thoughts completely, not even revealing them to his younger brother.
As time passed, the mountain where Senju Takeya lived was named Xilin Mountain because it was covered with Xilin grass, and the village at the foot of the mountain was named Xilin Village from then on.
The name "Xilinxilin" not only refers to the lush grass covering the mountains and fields, but also expresses a love and respect for the mountains and forests.
Indra also noticed that time seemed to have frozen on his elder brother, leaving no trace. Unbeknownst to him, the boy looked exactly the same as when they first met, but he had almost grown to be as tall as his elder brother.
This sign actually reassured Indra. Although it was a bit selfish, he didn't want to see his brother die before him or experience the feeling of losing his brother. Rather than lose him, he would rather be the one who was lost.
Indra, who had laid the foundation for the Body Binding Technique in the Ninja Cult, began to receive instruction from Senju Takeya at the age of 12. However, calling it instruction is not quite accurate, as it was more of a sparring match where the latter dominated the former.
Indra accumulated a wealth of experience dealing with powerful opponents under Senju Takeya's tutelage. It was only after four years that he gained Senju Takeya's approval and was able to graduate. At the age of 16, he asked his father if he could travel, saying that he wanted to personally experience the various aspects of life and observe the people's conditions.
The Sage of Six Paths agreed, feeling that Indra had finally grown up as he had wished.
But when Ashura learned of this news, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Brother! Brother, don't go! How can I live without you, brother!" Ashura cried, hugging Indra's waist. "Take me with you! Take me with you! I don't want to be separated from my brother for so long! What do you mean by 'no return date'!"
“The world is so big, I want to go out and see it.” Indra said expressionlessly, trying to peel off the plaster on his body. “You’re too young, stay home obediently.”
"No, no, no!" The Asura in the immortal body was incredibly strong, and it was impossible to pry him off for a while. "I'm already 13 years old! I'm not young anymore! People my age are already starting to look after each other!"
Indra paused, realizing he already knew what Ashura was saying. He was simply influenced by his elder brother, which led him to subconsciously believe that people under 18 were immature children.
Of course, because Indra was strong enough, he could stand on his own at the age of 16—although when he said this, his elder brother silently gave him a tap on the forehead.
"Please~~~ Brother~~~" Ashura looked up at Indra, his puppy eyes wide, "Take me with you! I'll do anything! Please~ please~ Wood Release is really useful outside!"
Indra paused in his grasping of his brother's hand.
"Ashura, your studies and training are not yet complete." Hagoromo Otsutsuki appeared and spoke. If he hadn't come soon, Indra would definitely have softened his heart towards Ashura.
Indra seems to be very strict and serious about Asura's studies, but basically, as long as Asura throws a tantrum, acts cute, and begs for mercy, Indra will always give in in the end.
Not to mention that Indra has already adjusted the coursework according to Ashura's personality. Apart from the tasks personally assigned by Hagoromo Otsutsuki, Indra will definitely give Ashura a lot of leeway in the rest of the tasks.
Hagoromo Otsutsuki knew Ashura's restless and impatient nature, so he couldn't let Ashura run away with Indra. Otherwise, when they came back, the child might become wild and unruly.
Ashura is still young, and his thoughts and ideas are not yet stable and complete. He will have time to travel and train, but not now.
After Hagoromo Otsutsuki appeared and stopped him, Ashura could only reluctantly release Indra and watch his brother leave with lingering affection. After walking a few steps away, Indra turned back and waved to Ashura.
Ashura's eyes immediately welled up with tears: "Brother, don't forget me!"
Indra was both amused and exasperated: "No way, you idiot."
Indra glanced at Ashura one last time before turning back. He loved his younger brother, but he couldn't deny that he still felt a pang of jealousy towards Ashura. It had once been because Ashura was more favored by their father, but now it was because Ashura shared similarities with his elder brother: they both possessed innate superhuman strength, both had Wood Release, and both had a powerful affinity for nature...
That blood-like resemblance is infuriating.
Senju Take is just like Ashura's best example. In fact, the two of them share the same simple, pure, and kind nature. However, compared to Ashura, who is overly naive, clumsy, and prone to getting carried away, Senju Take is also a sage who has seen the vastness of the world and still cherishes the green grass and trees.
It's as if Ashura was destined to meet Senju Takeya; the two of them are simply the perfect teacher-student pair.
Therefore, because of the inexplicable dark feelings in his heart, Indra was unwilling to let Asura see his elder brother—unless he was dead.
Of course, only he himself will ever know these thoughts.
With free and light steps, Indra, who had set out from the Ninja Sect empty-handed, returned to Mount Hiryoku.
Upon seeing Indra for the first time, Senju Takeya knew that Indra would not stay; he had only come to say hello and take a look before setting off.
It's a good thing that the child has lofty ambitions and the ability to take action. Senju Takeya already supports Indra in realizing his dream, so naturally he won't stop him.
However, as the older brother, he was still a little worried about the child being alone outside.
However, because the saplings needed constant care, he could not leave this place for even a day. Therefore, Thousand Hand Bamboo also decided to entrust his most capable and trusted assistant, Little White Gold, to Indra.
Taking the luggage bundle that Senju Takeya handed him, Indra looked at the little white rabbit that Senju Takeya was holding up in front of him with both hands. He was only slightly stunned before he understood his brother's meaning. He took the little white rabbit with both hands. The warm and soft little rabbit was exceptionally obediently taken by Indra and held in his arms. Obviously, this was something that its owner and the rabbit had discussed beforehand.
Indra held the little rabbit up to his face, and the rabbit raised its pink paws and patted his forehead. Indra felt a warmth between his brows, and then an incredibly clear connection was established between them.
From then on, Little Platinum also became his summoned beast.
The vermilion mark between Indra's brows, symbolizing the signing of the spirit contract, slowly faded. He placed the little platinum on his shoulder and looked at Senju Takeya again. The handsome and extraordinary Otsutsuki boy smiled brightly: "Then I'm off! Brother!"
Senju Takeya nodded and watched his younger brother descend the mountain. This time, the grown-up boy no longer looked back every three steps as he used to. The boy carried a heavy bag on his back and only turned back to wave goodbye to Senju Takeya one last time before he was about to leave Senju Takeya's sight.
The stone steps were covered with a layer of green moss from the nourishment of time and rain. Tenacious plants had taken root and grown in the gaps between the bluestone bricks. The pure and gentle blue hyacinth grass continued to escort Indra forward, replacing the gaze of the thousand-hand bamboo, until the child left Mount Xilin.
Even now, Senju Takeshi still refers to Indra as "that child" in his heart.
After that parting, even Thousand Hand Bamboo rarely saw Indra again. More often, he would receive letters from different places delivered by carrier birds, and through these letters, he would know where Indra had gone, what he had encountered, what he had done, and what he had thought.
Senju Takeya replied to every letter he received, but apart from answering Indra's questions, the phrase he used most often in his replies was "Read and wishing you well."
He's a very boring person, and it's a pity he couldn't be an interesting older brother.
In the third year of Indra's travels, Senju Take also discovered from his letters that Indra's ideas were becoming increasingly extreme, and he had even written things like, "Wouldn't killing all the bad people be a way to make the world clean and peaceful?"
But Senju Takeshi also understood why Indra thought that way, because the situation in the ninja world was indeed too difficult to deal with. To find a way to break the deadlock, one could either slowly wear down the ninja generation after generation, or directly fight one's way out and cut through the mess quickly.
More than one hundred villages and towns are known to be willing to be included in the protection zone of the Ninja Sect, but the cities where the lords reside have basically all been refused entry by Ninja Sect disciples—of course, those who hold high positions with money and power are being refused.
For those people, it's unacceptable for someone else to snore beside their bed.
But for ordinary people struggling to survive in this world, having protection and a stable sense of security is like a windfall.
The more Indra saw and knew, the stronger his desire to purge the aristocratic and lordly classes became.
Good leaders do exist, but they make up only a small percentage.
"These people are inferior humans, twisted by the most base desires. Having lost their morality and humanity, they are no longer even human. They are like greedy, insatiable fat pigs." A dark, eerie thing said sinisterly, "The cleanest and most peaceful period in this world was the period when the Goddess of Rabbit ruled. Obviously, the world only needs one voice."
It was Hagoromo and Hamura who plunged this world back into chaos! Those two unfilial sinners deserve to die!
Indra looked down at the lump of black mud at his feet. This was the guy he had met in his second year of traveling. His name was Black Zetsu. He was particularly noisy and annoying, but some of the things this guy said were in line with Indra's usual way of thinking and habits. He completely agreed with Black Zetsu's views on those who were just occupying positions without doing any work.
The little white goldfish perched on Indra's shoulder was still that tiny ball. The little guy glanced at Black Zetsu without any emotion, twitched its ears, and had already seen at a glance that Black Zetsu was no good. Naturally, it was on guard and felt uneasy all over when it saw this dark ball.
Indra could sense Platinum's emotions. He smiled slightly and stroked Platinum's fur. He didn't crave complete world peace, but he still held a deep expectation for a society like the Land of Light that his elder brother had described. He probably couldn't leap to that level in one step; he could only take it slowly. The first thing he needed to do was to eliminate evil and maintain stability.
In Indra's eyes, those who commit heinous crimes have no value in living. He only wants to protect those who deserve to live and does not want to spend any more effort on those despicable people whose lives could lead to the tragedy of other innocent people. Rather than trying to reform them, he would rather just send them to the afterlife and cremate them.
If all those who disagree with his ideas are eliminated, then thoughts can naturally be unified, and such a world can be considered a utopian society, right?
But is his thinking a bit too extreme? Are there better, safer, and more humane solutions for evildoers?
Thus, Indra made up his mind that he would return to Mount Hiruzen to see his brother.
“I’m going to ask my elder brother what he thinks,” Indra said, his eyes so determined he could have joined the party on the spot.
Black Zetsu: ...
Brother, brother, it's that damn brother again! Every time it finally manages to get Indra's thoughts moving in the direction it desires, that bastard brother's letter immediately resets Indra, filling him with hope and enthusiasm for the future of the ninja world once more!
Does this Ōtsutsuki Indra have some kind of stubborn brother complex gene?! A brother-obsessed man has no future! That old man of the Six Paths is really useless; his son doesn't care about him at all!
Although Indra cherishes his younger brother Ashura, Black Zetsu has realized that only his mysterious sworn brother can completely destroy Indra's beliefs.
However, Mount Xilin is a forbidden zone for Black Zetsu. The land beneath that mountain is covered with roots that can devour and absorb it in an instant. This made Black Zetsu realize that there is probably a divine tree growing there. For the powerless Otsutsuki Black Zetsu, once it gets close, it will definitely become that divine tree's snack!
It is known that the Divine Tree's activation energy comes from the Otsutsuki tree, and the conclusion drawn from all these clues is enough to send chills down Black Zetsu's spine.
Who exactly is that elder brother who's taking over Indra's mind?! It won't feel comfortable letting Mother come down from the moon until that guy is dealt with! It's feared he might be a ruthless character sent by the Otsutsuki main star to plant trees in place of Otsutsuki Kaguya and Otsutsuki Isshiki!
In order to gain Indra's trust, Black Zetsu cannot yet probe into Indra's brain to read Indra's memories.
But the only person who had ever been close to that person and truly understood him was his sworn brother, Indra.
The "Ze" in Black Zetsu is the "Ze" of despair.
A note from the author:
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[Mini Theater]
Present continuous tense —
Indra: I want to ask my elder brother, at this time we should ask our elder brother, why don't we ask our elder brother about this...?
Black Zetsu: ...
Future in Progress —
Ashura: Why does my brother hate me? Why did my brother leave the Ninja Clan? Brother, no matter where you are, I will find you...
Black Zetsu: ...
The distant future in progress—
Uchiha Shisui: Any act of disobeying Senma-san is not permitted.
Uchiha Itachi: Anyone who can't understand Senma is stupid and might as well die.
Uchiha Sasuke: My brother's wish is my wish. The reason I was born must be to assist my brother!
Black Zetsu: The children of the Hagoromo lineage are definitely messed up!!!
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