The weight of that solemn entrustment and those expectations instantly filled Hagoromo with an incomparable sense of responsibility and pressure.
His expression became extraordinarily grave.
Facing Gamamaru, he gave a deep, solemn nod.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Seeing that Hagoromo understood, Gamamaru spoke no further.
He gathered his thoughts, as though drawing upon the deepest memories and inheritances entrusted to him.
Then, enunciating each word with absolute clarity, he revealed the name of the second power.
"The second power..."
"...is called the Three Corpses Technique."
"The... Three Corpses Technique?"
Hagoromo repeated the name under his breath twice, his brows knitting tightly together.
Unlike "Senjutsu," whose name carried an air of profound mystery, this title sounded strangely unsettling.
Corpses?
Sensing his confusion, Gamamaru gave a slight nod and began explaining in a solemn tone, as though unveiling one of existence's greatest secrets.
"Do not concern yourself with its name."
"The Three Corpses Technique cultivates the three states of one's being."
"It is a supreme art that reaches directly to the origin of life itself, allowing one to divide the true self."
"Its fundamental principle is to divide one's existence into three."
"The True Self."
"The Benevolent Corpse."
"And the Malevolent Corpse."
"The True Self is who you are now."
"It bears your will, your memories, and your primary consciousness."
"The Benevolent Corpse and the Malevolent Corpse are two extreme aspects—two incarnations—separated from the very essence of your soul and life."
"The Benevolent Corpse embodies all your compassion, kindness, mercy, and desire to protect."
"The Malevolent Corpse embodies all your rage, hatred, destructive impulses, and thirst for annihilation."
Gamamaru's explanation left Hagoromo deeply shaken.
He could already sense the astonishing potential hidden within this divine art.
"When you cultivate this technique to a sufficiently advanced level," Gamamaru continued, unable to conceal the reverence in his voice, "you will be able to separate those two Corpses from your own body with a single thought."
He paused deliberately before emphasizing,
"And these two bodies..."
"...will possess power identical to your own."
"A perfect copy."
"One hundred percent."
"They will possess the same Chakra."
"The same Sage Mode."
"The same combat experience."
"The same understanding and mastery of every technique."
"They will be no different from you."
Boom!
Those words exploded inside Hagoromo's mind like thunder from the sky .
His entire body trembled violently.
His eyes widened in utter disbelief, and even his crimson Sharingan began spinning uncontrollably.
"Th-Three times the fighting power...?"
"...Three... versions of myself?!"
His voice cracked with excitement.
The calculation itself was simple.
Its implications were anything but.
If three identical versions of himself fought together...
Using the same techniques.
Sharing the same experience.
Acting with perfect mutual understanding...
Would their strength merely triple?
No.
The increase in combat capability would be far greater than that.
"Precisely."
Gamamaru nodded firmly, speaking as though stating an immutable law.
"Once you master the Three Corpses Technique..."
"...it will be as though three Hagoromos exist."
"You may simultaneously separate two bodies whose strength is completely equal to your own."
"They will obey your every command as naturally as your own limbs."
"And whenever you wish, they may return to your body and merge back into you once more, becoming one without the slightest distinction."
His voice rose with unmistakable conviction.
"Just imagine it, Hagoromo."
"When facing an opponent of equal strength..."
"Or even one stronger than yourself..."
"You will fight three against one."
"Who in this world could possibly stand against you?"
"This..."
"...is a power capable of overturning heaven and earth itself."
Three selves.
Perfectly synchronized.
Equal in strength.
Cooperating flawlessly.
This wasn't merely a simple increase in numbers.
It represented an exponential leap in power and tactical possibilities.
Hagoromo's heart pounded violently.
His blood seemed to boil.
The anxiety he had long felt over his lack of strength...
The fear inspired by his mother Kaguya's immeasurable power...
At this very moment, they were finally replaced by genuine hope.
Hope that he could one day catch up to her...
Perhaps even surpass her.
"...The Three Corpses Technique..."
Hagoromo softly repeated the strange name.
Yet within it, he now perceived limitless potential.
His eyes burned brighter than ever before, filled with unwavering determination.
The spectators throughout the shinobi world were equally astonished.
This was true self-duplication.
The creation of another self completely equal to the original.
If the Sage of Six Paths truly mastered such a technique...
And combined it with Sage Mode...
Then the balance of power between him and Kaguya might truly shift in ways no one could predict.
Yet the technique's very name...
Its division into the Benevolent Corpse and Malevolent Corpse...
And Gamamaru's earlier insistence that it did not belong to this world...
Once again stirred memories of the terrifying theory of casting the bait.
Could a power system capable of splitting a person apart so completely truly have a normal origin?
"Great Toad Sage!"
Flames seemed to burn within Hagoromo's eyes.
They were born not only from his overwhelming desire for strength, but also from his unwavering resolve to change fate and save the world.
"Please..."
"Teach it to me immediately."
"If I can master the Three Corpses Technique..."
"If I can wield the strength of three selves..."
"Then I know..."
"I know I can stop Mother."
"I will stop her."
Though his voice trembled with emotion, every word rang with absolute conviction.
Looking at the young man chosen by destiny, whose eyes burned with unyielding resolve, Gamamaru smiled.
It was a smile filled with both satisfaction and solemnity.
Slowly, he nodded.
"So be it, Hagoromo."
"I shall now pass on the complete inheritance of the Three Corpses Technique, together with all of my understanding."
"Use this power wisely."
"Do not betray destiny's trust."
"And do not betray the hopes of the countless lives that inhabit this world."
As his words faded, Gamamaru's dark golden body began emitting a faint radiance.
A strand of indescribably mysterious light separated from him and slowly drifted toward Hagoromo's forehead.
Closing his eyes, Hagoromo devoted himself completely to receiving the ancient inheritance that had transcended countless ages.
The scene blurred as light and shadow flowed rapidly.
Only fragmented images remained visible.
At times, Hagoromo sat cross-legged in meditation, his aura surging violently as though his very existence were splitting apart before being reconstructed.
At other moments, three indistinct figures—each radiating the exact same presence—appeared around him, separating, exchanging places, and merging together again.
Sometimes agony twisted his features, as though his soul itself were being torn apart.
Other times, his gaze turned razor-sharp as the three figures formed Hand Seals simultaneously, unleashing waves of terrifying power.
The seasons passed in rapid succession.
Day and night alternated endlessly overhead.
The countless years of arduous training required to master the Three Corpses Technique were compressed into a silent montage, leaving behind only the traces of passing time and an ever-growing, suffocating sense of pressure.
At last, the flow of light slowed.
The Heavenly Curtain returned to normal.
The scene froze.
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