Chapter 25: The Enfeoffment
Yuu withdrew his gaze from the two boys.
Just as Hagoromo and Hamura had each inherited a portion of Kaguya's power, Indra and Ashura had each inherited a portion of Hagoromo's.
That bloodline gave them gifts far beyond ordinary people. Powerful potential slept within their bodies, waiting to be awakened.
In Yuu's eyes, if the strength inside these two could be fully drawn out, they would be no less formidable than pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki.
Their talent was exceptional, and their blood was clean.
Relatively speaking, though, their personalities were also sharply different.
Indra, the elder, was deeper and sharper. His talent was clearly superior.
Ashura's talent did not match his brother's, but he was open-hearted and straightforward, and his affinity for senjutsu was actually better than Indra's.
To Yuu, both were outstanding, simply strong in different ways.
But one thing was obvious.
Between the two children, Hagoromo favored the younger, Ashura, more than Indra.
It was not glaring yet because of their age, but the signs were already there.
When the two boys ran off to play, Yuu looked at Hagoromo and spoke.
"Between those two, do you prefer Ashura?"
Hagoromo hesitated before nodding. "In talent, Indra is above Ashura. But in character, Ashura far surpasses Indra."
"They're only a few years old," Yuu said, almost at a loss. "How can you already judge their character?"
"And even if Indra is a bit more calculating, he hasn't reached the point of having bad character."
To Yuu, it felt like a double standard.
They were still children. How much could you truly see?
It was simply Hagoromo's preference. He liked Ashura's temperament, so Ashura naturally looked more pleasing to him, and Indra's shortcomings naturally looked larger.
But in Yuu's eyes as their grandfather, even if Indra was more thoughtful, it was still well within normal bounds. It was nowhere near being a real problem.
In many situations, being shrewd was not a flaw at all.
And having no guile and being simple was not necessarily a virtue either.
It all depended on how they were guided.
If Hagoromo continued treating them differently, then with Indra's personality, something that might have stayed harmless could be forced into becoming a real issue.
"Sometimes it's better not to interfere too much with children," Yuu said softly. "Give them room."
"If you push too hard, you might not get the future you want."
"You're right, Father."
Hagoromo nodded, but he did not look like he intended to change much.
Seeing that indifference, Yuu could only sigh inwardly and let the matter rest.
His children were grown now. They were no longer the obedient boys from before. They had their own thoughts and their own way of doing things.
In that situation, Yuu could not say much more.
He could only hope that in the future, they would not repeat the old tragedy and walk a road that ended in brothers turning on each other.
Yuu exhaled quietly, thoughts flickering through his mind.
Compared to Hagoromo, who already had two sons, Hamura still had no news.
He had married, but he had not fathered any children yet.
Yuu was not anxious about it. With their lifespans, there was more than enough time ahead.
"Come and meet your mother."
A moment later, Yuu smiled and called Kaguya over.
This was the first time Indra and Ashura would meet their grandmother, and it was also the first time Hagoromo and Hamura had seen their mother again after so many years.
"G Grandmother…"
Facing her for the first time, Indra and Ashura were visibly nervous.
From Kaguya, they felt an overwhelming pressure.
It was the oppression of the Progenitor of Chakra. She did not need to move. Simply standing there, her terrifying chakra felt almost suffocating, like something vast and absolute bearing down on them.
Kaguya looked at Indra and Ashura.
She gave them only a brief glance and said nothing.
Her Byakugan held the same cold indifference as ever, like a lofty deity with no human warmth.
"It's your first time meeting your grandsons," Yuu said from the side. "Don't scare them."
He took Kaguya's hand and gently shook his head at her, telling her to ease up.
Kaguya nodded. She still did not speak, but the pressure around her slowly receded.
Indra and Ashura immediately let out the breath they had been holding.
Yuu shifted his gaze back to the boys.
"I heard you two want to become a Daimyo in the future as well?"
The moment his voice fell, Indra and Ashura tensed again.
"That's right!"
Ashura, frank by nature, answered first. "We want to be Daimyo like you, Grandfather, and lead people to a better life someday!"
"Brother and I both think it would be really interesting!"
Indra was still nervous, but he eventually nodded as well.
Ruling a land, holding authority over a territory, deciding everything with one's own will, it was a dream many men carried.
It was only natural that Indra and Ashura would think the same.
Nearby, hearing this, Hagoromo also became a little tense.
He looked up, carefully watching Yuu's reaction, worried that such words might anger him.
But it was clear that Yuu would not be angry over something so small.
Meeting everyone's gaze, he smiled.
"Good. That kind of courage is worth praising."
"This path is far harder than you imagine."
"But since you have the desire, you might as well experience it early."
He paused, thinking, then spoke again as the others stared at him in surprise.
"How about this."
"I will give Turtle Island and the Island of Ryu to you to govern. From today onward, you will be the kings of those two regions."
The Land of Ancestors had now unified the entire ninja world.
And naturally, the world did not consist of only a single continent.
Over the years, as the fleets continued exploring outward, many islands had been discovered. Some were vast, no smaller than a country.
Turtle Island and the Island of Ryu were among the largest. Both were enormous, but still barren, with only indigenous inhabitants living there.
Now, in the name of the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors, Yuu bestowed those two territories upon Indra and Ashura as their private domains.
.....
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