"Your father may have been influenced by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki…"
The Toad Sage spoke slowly, and for the first time, even he seemed uncertain.
When he mentioned their father, a rare trace of hesitation appeared in his old eyes.
"As a ruler, his talent is beyond question," the Toad Sage said. "He is one of the most remarkable men I have ever seen. But in the end, he is still human. If someone like Kaguya wished to sway him, it would not be impossible."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Even so, that does not erase what he has accomplished."
There was clear admiration in his voice now.
"It was he who brought peace to this land."
"It was he who ended endless suffering and gave ordinary people the chance to live stable lives."
The Hagoromo brothers remained silent as they listened.
The Toad Sage was not flattering their father. He was simply stating facts.
For countless years, the lands of men had been full of chaos. War, famine, oppression, and fear had shaped the lives of ordinary people. The strong trampled the weak, and rulers treated the people as tools to be used and thrown away. Compared to those dark times, the current age truly looked like a golden era.
Their father had unified the land.
He had brought order.
He had made sure people had food, safety, and work.
He did not waste his days chasing pleasure. He was not a ruler lost in greed or vanity. In his entire life, he had only Kaguya by his side. He did not surround himself with luxury, nor did he demand more than what was necessary for daily life.
In many ways, he seemed almost flawless.
To the people, he was more than a king.
He was a savior.
And yet—
The existence of the Divine Tree cast a long and terrible shadow beneath all that peace.
As long as the tree remained, and as long as it kept draining the life force of the people and the Natural Energy of the world, disaster would one day come. The prosperity of today would only become the foundation of ruin tomorrow.
That was why the Toad Sage had taken the risk to reveal himself.
That was why he had chosen to speak to the Hagoromo brothers.
Because they were the only ones left who might be able to stop it.
---
"Father…"
Hagoromo lowered his head slightly, deep in thought.
Beside him, Hamura's face was equally troubled.
To be honest, neither of them believed their father was the kind of man who could be easily charmed or deceived. In their eyes, he had always been calm, rational, and almost impossible to sway once he made up his mind.
A man like that being seduced by sweet words?
It felt wrong.
Especially by Kaguya.
Even though she was their mother, neither brother could pretend they admired her. Her beauty was undeniable. Her power was overwhelming. But aside from those things, there was little warmth in her, and even less wisdom. She was distant, cold, and impossible to understand.
To say such a person had bewitched their father through charm alone…
No.
That did not make sense.
Then another possibility rose in both their minds.
Control.
If their father had not been persuaded, then perhaps he had been forced.
Kaguya's strength was terrifying. No one in the world could rival her. If she wished to restrain or threaten someone, who could stop her? It was entirely possible that their father had discovered the truth long ago but could do nothing under her pressure.
The more the brothers thought about it, the more likely that explanation seemed.
In the end, Hagoromo raised his head.
"No matter what the truth is," he said quietly, "we will know once we see Father ourselves."
Hamura turned to him. "Brother… should we return now?"
Hagoromo gave a firm nod.
"Yes."
There was no hesitation left in his eyes now.
Whatever awaited them, they had to face it.
---
The Toad Sage looked at the two brothers and spoke again.
"On the matter of saving the world, our goals are the same."
His tone was calm, but sincere.
"If you need my help, ask."
Then his expression grew serious.
"Both of you have extraordinary talent in Senjutsu. If you are willing, you may come to Mount Myōboku and train under us."
He lifted his head slightly and looked toward the Divine Tree.
"When Natural Energy is combined with chakra, the result is far more powerful than ordinary techniques. If you master it fully, then even against your mother… you may not be helpless."
"Senjutsu…" Hagoromo repeated softly.
The word was not unfamiliar to him.
In the royal palace, there had always been priests, shrine maidens, and mystics who used crude versions of spiritual arts. They called them sacred techniques, but their power had never seemed particularly impressive. Most of them were slow, limited, and exhausting to use. Compared to chakra, they felt clumsy and incomplete.
That was why Hagoromo had never paid much attention to them.
But now, after experiencing Natural Energy directly, he understood the difference.
What those palace mages used was only a faint imitation.
The true power of Natural Energy was on an entirely different level.
Even the Divine Tree needed it.
If they could truly learn how to control that energy and merge it with their own chakra, then perhaps they could create a power great enough to stand against Kaguya herself.
Still, that was for later.
Right now, there was something more important.
They had to go home.
---
The next day, the brothers set out on their return journey.
They moved quickly, faster than anyone traveling with retainers or guards. Their figures crossed mountains and plains like shadows racing the wind. Neither of them spoke much on the way back. Too many thoughts weighed on their hearts.
By the time the capital of the Land of Ancestors came into view, the sun was already beginning to fall.
The familiar city lay before them, grand and peaceful.
People walked the streets without fear.
Merchants called out to customers.
Children ran through the roads laughing.
It was the very image of a prosperous age.
And yet now, when the brothers looked upon it, they no longer felt only pride.
They also felt unease.
Because they knew now that beneath all this peace lay a terrible secret.
---
At last, they returned to the palace.
The place was as familiar as ever. The same walls. The same courtyards. The same quiet dignity.
But for the first time in their lives, the brothers felt nervous as they approached their father's residence.
What if the Toad Sage had been right?
What if their father truly was under Kaguya's control?
What if the man they respected most had become a puppet without them noticing?
Neither wanted to believe it.
And yet neither could dismiss the possibility.
With heavy hearts, they stepped into the rear garden.
Then they stopped.
Because the scene before them was not what they expected at all.
---
Their father stood alone among the flowers.
He wore simple clothes and held a watering can in one hand. The evening light fell softly over the garden, painting everything in warm gold. He moved slowly, carefully watering each plant as though he had not a single worry in the world.
He looked calm.
Peaceful.
Almost absurdly ordinary.
There was no madness in his eyes.
No stiffness in his movements.
No sign of pain or control.
He looked exactly like himself.
The gentle sound of footsteps made him turn.
For a moment, surprise flashed across his face.
Then he smiled.
"Why are you two back so soon?"
His voice was warm, completely natural.
"Did you already grow tired of traveling outside?"
---
The Hagoromo brothers froze for a second.
Then, almost without thinking, they both began observing him with everything they had.
Hagoromo subtly reached out with his senses, using the traces of Natural Energy he had begun to understand to examine his father's presence.
Hamura activated his Byakugan to its fullest, staring carefully at every detail.
Neither found anything wrong.
No foreign chakra.
No sign of restraint.
No hidden influence.
Nothing.
Their father was not being controlled.
He was fully himself.
And realizing that brought a strange mixture of emotions.
Relief came first.
A deep, powerful relief.
At least the worst possibility was not true.
But immediately after that came something even heavier.
If their father was not being controlled…
Then that meant he was choosing this path of his own will.
That truth was even harder to accept.
Still, for the moment, both brothers let out a quiet breath.
"Father," Hagoromo said at last.
Their father smiled more deeply as he set the watering can aside.
There was no suspicion in his face. No sign that he was on guard. He simply looked at his sons with the same calm affection as always.
But then—
His eyes sharpened just a little.
It was subtle.
So subtle that most people would never notice.
Yet Hagoromo and Hamura did.
Their father looked at them for a long moment, as if seeing straight through them.
Then he chuckled softly.
"It seems you discovered quite a few things during this trip."
The brothers' hearts tightened.
He had noticed.
Of course he had.
This was the man who ruled the entire land. It would have been stranger if he had not.
He took a step forward, his expression still gentle.
"Tell me," he said, "did you come here today…"
"To share those discoveries with me?"
---
That single sentence made the air in the garden suddenly feel much heavier.
Because the brothers now understood one thing clearly.
Their father had not been fooled.
He had not been forced.
And he had not lost himself.
He knew far more than they had expected.
Maybe…
He had known everything from the very beginning.
--------------------------------
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