"So that's how it is! Indra was the ancestor of the Uchiha Clan! Those eyes passed down through generations—symbols of both immense power and a curse... the Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, and even the Rinnegan—all ultimately originated from the Sage of Six Paths' 'Yin power'!"
"Asura was the ancestor of the Senju Clan! Their nearly limitless chakra reserves, astonishing vitality, and incredible recovery abilities... so they inherited the 'Yang power'!"
"The thousand-year feud between the Senju and the Uchiha... its roots had already been planted in the Sage of Six Paths' two sons?!"
At this moment, the threads of history were connected with unprecedented clarity!
Countless ancient legends concerning the clans' origins, obscure records preserved in old texts, and even the inexplicable resonances of power that had appeared during conflicts between the two clans—all of them seemed to find their most fundamental explanation in this simple revelation from the Heavenly Curtain.
The weight of destiny settled heavily upon everyone who understood the implications of this shared bloodline.
The scenes within the Heavenly Curtain flashed past as the years flew by.
The infants in their swaddling clothes quickly grew into handsome youths, and then into composed young men.
Indra and Asura, brothers born of the same parents, still bore a faint resemblance to one another. Yet their temperaments and chosen paths had long since diverged, as though their names themselves had foretold it.
Indra had inherited the deepest qualities of his father's Yin.
He was handsome, yet often carried an aloof coldness about him. Proud by nature, he enjoyed thinking and training alone and possessed an almost instinctive insight into the true nature of power.
His talent was extraordinary enough to inspire awe.
His precise control over chakra and understanding of the principles behind ninjutsu surpassed those of his peers, leaving even many of Ninshū's early disciples far behind.
Most remarkably, Indra did not confine his talents to himself.
Perhaps in pursuit of efficiency, or perhaps because he grew impatient with those of lesser talent who struggled to control chakra with precision, he devoted himself to research and eventually created an intricate and systematic method of hand seals.
By forming different sequences of hand seals, one could guide and combine chakra within the body more efficiently and reliably, allowing specific ninjutsu to be performed with controlled power.
The birth of hand seals was nothing short of a revolutionary achievement!
They greatly lowered both the difficulty and risks involved in using chakra. Even Ninshū disciples of ordinary talent could master relatively stable ninjutsu through diligent practice, greatly improving the overall strength and productivity of Ninshū.
Thanks to this groundbreaking contribution, Indra earned nearly universal admiration and preferential treatment throughout Ninshū.
He was regarded as a genius—the brightest hope for inheriting the Sage of Six Paths' wisdom and power.
Yet this excessive adulation, combined with his unparalleled talent, gradually changed Indra's disposition.
He became increasingly arrogant and self-assured, ever more absorbed in his pursuit of the ultimate limits of power and perfection in the arts. He often trained alone, keeping his distance from others.
Deep down, he began to feel a faint contempt—perhaps one he had not even fully recognized himself—for those "ordinary people" who could barely wield chakra without relying on the hand seals he had invented.
He believed that only those possessing true talent and wisdom were worthy of leading Ninshū and wielding power.
Asura, meanwhile, took an entirely different path.
He had inherited his father's Yang aspect. Gentle and sincere by nature, he possessed a warmth that was like sunlight itself.
His talent for chakra was far inferior to his elder brother's. His progress in training was slow, and he struggled considerably with intricate hand seals and the complex principles behind ninjutsu.
But Asura possessed a different kind of talent.
His immense yet gentle chakra seemed naturally approachable, but more importantly, he possessed a heart that treated others with genuine sincerity.
He never became discouraged because of his slow progress, nor did he envy his brother's brilliance.
He was always willing to help others, patiently guiding fellow disciples who struggled even more than he did and sharing whatever modest but genuine insights he had gained through his own training.
Naturally, a group of companions gathered around him. They were not exceptionally gifted, but they shared the same ideals, supported one another, and treated each other with sincerity.
Individually, they might not have been powerful, but united, they could accomplish many tasks that seemed impossible.
The two brothers were like opposites.
One was like a solitary, cold moon, earning respect and distance through unmatched intellect and groundbreaking achievements.
The other was like the warm morning sun, winning trust and followers through sincerity and unity.
Their father, the Sage of Six Paths, saw all of this.
He would often stand quietly at a distance or watch from high above—observing Indra train alone beneath a waterfall as he practiced intricate ninjutsu, and watching Asura and his companions work together, drenched in sweat yet filled with laughter as they completed a task.
His expression was difficult to read.
There was admiration and faint concern for his eldest son's talent, comfort and a measure of sympathy for his younger son's nature, and beneath it all, a profound calmness—as though he had already foreseen the course their lives would take.
Yet he never intervened.
He never admonished Indra to be humbler and more approachable, nor did he urge Asura to work harder to catch up with his brother's talent.
He simply watched in silence, allowing his two children to grow and explore freely upon the newly established stage of Ninshū, each following the path inherent to their nature and defining for themselves what power and responsibility truly meant.
The Heavenly Curtain shifted once more, focusing on the simple residence deep within Ninshū—the place that symbolized wisdom and authority.
At last, the years seemed to have left their unavoidable mark upon the Sage of Six Paths, the man who had ushered in a new era.
He was no longer always as vigorous and composed as he had once been.
When sitting alone in quiet contemplation, his temples had gradually turned gray, and fine lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes.
The hands that had once effortlessly moved mountains, filled valleys, and reshaped the land now occasionally trembled beyond his control.
When he meditated and regulated his breathing, he could feel that the circulation of his strength was no longer as smooth and vigorous as before. A sense of something slipping away from the very source of his life—like grains of sand falling relentlessly through an hourglass—constantly reminded him of a cruel reality.
One day, he stood before a mirror.
The aging face reflected there formed a painfully stark contrast with the eternally youthful, almost immortal beauty of his mother, Kaguya, preserved in his memories.
An uncontrollable, icy panic suddenly sank its fangs into his heart like a venomous serpent before rapidly spreading throughout his body.
"Why...?"
He murmured to himself, his voice trembling with profound confusion and unwillingness.
"Mother could live forever, enduring as long as heaven and earth themselves... Yet after merely a few decades, I have already begun to grow old?"
The eyes in the mirror reflected the raging turmoil within his heart.
"My strength is clearly no less than Mother's. I inherited her power, founded Ninshū, spread chakra, and guided the world... Perhaps I have accomplished even more than she did!"
"Why?!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70+ chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789