POV: Hagoromo
On a vast grassland, with mountain peaks rising in the distance, stood an old man with pale skin, fading brown hair, and flowing white robes adorned with black magatama along the collar, giving him an aura both regal and serene.
The old man let out a long exhale, releasing the weight of countless years spent nurturing the world and teaching its people how to truly connect with one another.
"Finally… my time to rest, and to observe the world from the Pure Lands. Or perhaps I should call it my reclusive retreat."
A faint smile touched his aged face.
"I have watched over this world for so long. But as my brother once said, it is time to give them space to grow, to breathe, and to make their own mistakes."
His gaze drifted toward the endless horizon.
"And it will be a long millennium filled with mistakes."
For a moment, his expression softened with concern.
"But hopefully, my sons… and what I am about to do next… will help smooth the roads yet to be walked."
He paused.
"Hopefully indeed."
Like a conductor preparing an orchestra for its grand performance, Hagoromo closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the vast sea of chakra that was the Ten-Tails.
His voice became solemn.
"I am sorry, but your strength is too great for this world."
A beat passed.
"So I shall rebirth you as nine guardian beasts protectors of the land in my absence, alongside my sons."
As always, the Ten-Tails remained silent, still as a statue.
Then, with a single thought from the Sage, the colossal chakra of the beast split into nine distinct signatures, each carrying a unique nature and specialty of its own.
Within moments, the masses of chakra began to take shape.
Each form bore one more tail than the last, save for the first.
Then their shapes refined further, taking on the forms of beasts:
the first, a raccoon;
the second, a cat;
the third, a turtle;
the fourth, an ape;
the fifth, a horse;
the sixth, a slug;
the seventh, an insect-like creature;
the eighth, a bull-octopus;
and last but certainly not least…
a fox.
Each manifested as a giant newborn beast, innocent and powerful.
As they slowly stirred and awakened to life, a warm voice greeted them.
"Welcome, my children, to this vast world."
The Sage's eyes softened with unmistakable affection.
"You are not weapons.
You are not monsters.
You are beings born of chakra, life, and purpose."
He looked at each of them in turn.
"Each of you possesses a gift unlike any other a strength that, if guided with wisdom, will protect this world long after I am gone."
He stepped closer, his tone becoming gentler.
"This world will not always understand you.
Some will fear you.
Some may even seek to use your power for their own selfish desires."
His gaze sharpened.
"But never forget who you are.
You are my children.
Guardians of balance.
Witnesses to ages yet to come."
Then his eyes rested upon the fox.
"And you, especially…"
A small smile touched his lips.
"There is great potential within all of you.
But potential means nothing without choice.
You must decide for yourselves what kind of beings you will become."
He raised his staff toward the heavens.
"Grow.
Learn.
Become wise.
And when darkness once again descends upon this world…"
His voice deepened.
"Stand together."
The wind swept softly across the grasslands as he continued.
"I will remain with you for the next few years to guide you in understanding yourselves, your specialties, and Ninshū.
After that, I shall move on to the Pure Lands and watch over you from there.
Because of the bond we share, I will still be able to visit you in your times of need through your mindscape and offer guidance whether you ask for it, or whether I sense that you need help.v6v g666
His expression turned solemn once more.
"But remember this, my children: guidance is not dependence.
My words may light the path, but it is your own feet that must walk it.
Trust in one another.
Never allow yourselves to become chains for one another.
Though you now walk as nine, you were born from one source, and you shall always be family."
He looked upon them with quiet pride.
"May your names one day be spoken not with fear, but with reverence.
Go forth, my children, and let this world witness the birth of its guardians."
Unknown POV
As I drifted into consciousness, a thrill of excitement ran through me.
I'm alive.
"They said I wouldn't survive…"
A surge of disbelief and relief washed over me.
But I made it through that deadly unknown disease.
Then a thought struck me.
Hold on… where am I?
I looked around and froze.
There was nothing.
No sky.
No ground.
No light.
No darkness.
Just an endless void stretching in every direction.
Slowly, I raised my hands or at least what should have been my hands and stared in shock.
My body was transparent.
For a moment, panic gripped me.
Then I forced myself to relax and let out a long exhale…
At least, it felt like I did.
I didn't hear a thing.
Absolute silence.
"So… I died, huh?"
The words came out calmer than I expected.
"Well, I lived a good if short life. Made it to sixty."
A small, bitter laugh escaped me.
"Would've liked to make it to a hundred, but I guess that just wasn't destiny."
Surprisingly, I wasn't panicking.
Maybe I should have been.
But years of anime, manga, web novels, xianxia, wuxia, progression fantasy, and LitRPG had prepared me for moments exactly like this.
Honestly, if I hadn't been such a massive weeb, I'd probably be panicking like a headless chicken right now.
Instead, a grin spread across my face.
"Alright then."
"I'm ready for whatever comes next."
"Whether I get to meet some random ROB or get yeeted into another world…"
My eyes sharpened with determination.
"I won't take anything for granted."
The moment those words left me, the void began to distort.
Ripples spread through the emptiness like cracks in reality itself.
Before I could even react, space twisted violently around me.
A vortex no, a wormhole burst open beneath me.
"Oh, shit!"
And then I was pulled in.