In the afternoon, smoke curled lazily from rooftops.
At this hour, villagers had already begun preparing their meals.
Inside the largest house at the village center, Hiroki and three others sat together in the living room, engaged in conversation.
The four of them sat around a square table, facing each other in pairs.
Brothers Hayato and Hamura sat side by side, while Hiroki and Kaguya sat together.
Outside, a young girl peeked into the room. Her eyes met theirs.
Startled, she quickly pulled her head back out.
"Who is she?" Hiroki asked.
Kaguya also looked on curiously.
Hamura gave a teasing smirk and subtly jerked his chin toward Hayato.
Hiroki immediately understood. "Oh, girlfriend?"
Hearing his playful tone, Kaguya suddenly smiled as well.
Hayato felt somewhat embarrassed. He cleared his throat deliberately and chose not to respond, continuing instead with his story.
"That day, Hamura and I went to the battlefield. Originally we only wanted to persuade them to stop fighting, but they completely ignored us."
"It wasn't until we used force that they finally became frightened, immediately kneeling to the ground saying they wanted us to be their leader and would serve us loyally."
"I didn't want that at all, yet they refused to stand up, insisting only if we agreed to lead them would they listen to us."
"It's so strange—why must someone always stand above others? Why can't people just coexist equally? I really don't understand their thinking."
Hayato's expression turned somber as he lightly traced the outline of his eye socket, murmuring, "...and yet, it can't be helped."
"When I speak peacefully with them, they disregard me, but the moment I issue a command as 'Master,' they obey without question."
"Why are people like this? Even though this was never my intention, things always end up going against my wishes."
"All I ever wanted... was for everyone to live happy lives."
Hayato sighed deeply. Beside him, Hamura remained emotionless.
"Afterward, I issued another command—that all those possessing chakra must join the Ninja Arts sect here. They were forbidden from interfering in others' affairs and instead use their chakra to cultivate new lands. Wherever chaos emerged across the continent, they were to go there and restore order."
Hayato fell silent, watching Hiroki and Kaguya for their reaction.
Both showed no change in demeanor.
"Father, Mother, what do you think?"
"Everything is your decision now. Just remember our agreement, that's all," Kaguya replied calmly.
"Real 'masters' rise through experience. You're keeping the peace, sure—but how does that help them grow stronger?" Hiroki questioned.
Hayato wasn't wrong. He and Kaguya had become rulers too, in a way—the continent had simply exchanged one master for another, albeit a kinder one.
Hayato hesitated before finally saying, "It has to start somewhere, doesn't it?"
Quiet for a long time, Hamura suddenly cut in, "By the way, something unusual did happen recently..."
He recounted his experiences with Shuushi, emphasizing the details of their battle.
"There's something really strange about him. He had no heartbeat, which means he should have already been dead, yet he could still move around normally. And it seemed like he felt absolutely no pain..."
"Did that man really die in the end?"
"He died—I watched with my own eyes as his body turned to ashes. However, ordinary people usually fear death, but he didn't seem to care at all." After a careful recollection, Hamura explained.
Hiroki fell into deep thought.
A dead body that could still move and felt no pain—it reminded him a little of Hidan somehow.
Of course, it was nowhere near as advanced as Hidan's ability.
Still, something this mysterious and untraceable must be connected somehow to the Ninja World's native forces.
Was it the Shinigami? An Evil God? Or something else entirely?
"Did you ask that frog?" Kaguya's cold voice suddenly spoke up, her tone filled with an indescribable sense of disgust. "Is this another one of his schemes?"
Hayato and Hamura couldn't understand why she had grown so hostile toward Gamamaru all of a sudden. They exchanged glances before Hayato replied.
Kaguya snorted coldly, "Hayato, Hamura, I'm adding one more thing: if you fail to keep your promise, then those frogs' lives will belong to me. I'll give you a thousand years."
Since events had mostly occurred similarly across both worlds, and in the other timeline the Otsutsuki Clan hadn't appeared for a thousand years, it was safe to assume this world would also grant them a thousand-year respite.
Before the arrival of the Otsutsuki Clan, these two fools' silly antics must end. She had no intention of putting up with their foolishness forever.
Hayato and Hamura exchanged glances, instantly feeling thrilled. "A thousand years—what couldn't we accomplish in that time?"
Even if people have flawed thinking now, after a thousand years of change, they should be able to live in peace and equality, shouldn't they?
As for spreading chakra—in just one year, they'd made humanity accept its existence. In a thousand years, wouldn't everyone become like dragons (strong and transcendent beings)?
Seeing their overly optimistic expressions, Kaguya immediately felt helpless, so her tone softened slightly.
"You should focus first on figuring out how to survive a thousand years yourselves," she said gently but meaningfully. "Hayato, Hamura, you did promise me we'd defeat our enemies together. I don't want to face them alone because you're gone by then. Do you understand?"
"What I wish for is for us to stay a united family in the end." Her words carried layers of meaning as she cast a significant glance at Hiroki beside her.
"And during these thousand years, you must continue protecting this world, too."
Listening to Kaguya's words, Hayato and Hamura felt a special warmth deep within their hearts—but simultaneously, her words strangely sounded like a farewell address.
"Mother," Hamura voiced his concern. "Why are you speaking like this all of a sudden?"
Before Kaguya could reply, Hiroki asked again, "Hamura, can you recall what that person looked like? Please draw him for me."
Though puzzled, Hamura followed through, carefully sketching from memory onto a blank sheet of paper, outlining Shuushi's features before handing it to him.
"Father," he asked respectfully, "why do you need this?"
Name and appearance.
Hiroki closed his eyes, recalling the details.
Hayato and Hamura were watching him closely. He opened his eyes again quickly, appearing puzzled.
"Hamura, are you certain his name is truly 'Shuushi,' or that he genuinely looks like this?"
"I'm absolutely sure," Hamura replied firmly.
"There's no one like that in my records."
"Father, how are you so certain?"
"I have my ways," came the calm response as he fell into thought, furrowing his brows while trying to recall what he had seen in the Scroll of Seals.
When he stayed silent for a long while, Hayato was about to speak.
Kaguya furrowed her brow slightly and shook her head, silently telling them to keep quiet.
"Silence."
At this moment, Hiroki's expression eased. He stood up, stepped aside, and started forming hand seals.
Snake-Boar-Sheep-Rabbit...
"What jutsu is this? Brother, do you know it?" Hamura asked eagerly.
"No idea. Father never taught us this, and I don't recall any records mentioning it."
Dog-Rat-Rooster-Horse-Snake...
The sequence complete, Hiroki pressed his palms together.
[Dead Demon Consuming Seal!]
"Huh? Someone is calling me?" A voice filled with confusion echoed from within a dark space, its owner—a giant white-haired man with a pale violet face—feeling utterly bewildered.
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