Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto series.
Prologue
"We curse you! You who have turned your back upon Us!"
The Rabbit Goddess bellowed.
"We curse you! You who have defied Our Will!"
He knew that the Goddess's, his Mother's, words were directed to him. Not to his brother or the both of them, only him.
He did not care, he took in the rage in Her Eyes with glee.
"We curse you! You who have stolen Our Eye!"
Even as the earth began to cover the Goddess's visage, Her Third Eye shone with unbridled hatred.
He could hear laughter. It was his. He could see his brother watching him with surprised look.
"Nirvana will never be in your reach! Samsara will forever torment you!"
At that time, he paid Her words no heed. He had dismissed it as empty words brought about by rage.
They should suffer. Both his Mother and that Tree should suffer for taking Haori away from him.
"WE CURSE YOU WITH ETERNITY!"
Now, he knew better.
Yet he could not bring himself to care.
He passed away after hearing his two eldest sons promises to continue to battle one another, one to protect his teachings, and another to destroy it.
He did not fear death, in fact, he welcomed it as a time for him to finally rest.
Yet it was not meant to be.
He woke up within the soul of his granddaughter.
He knew it was not a reincarnation. His granddaughter had her own soul, separate from his.
It was not a reincarnation, but a transmigration.
While initially surprised by his new existence, he was pleased.
He could offer his counsel to the girl, lead her away from her father, his eldest son's path of darkness.
That elation died alongside his granddaughter at the moment her own father murdered her.
It was then that he gave up on his eldest son.
The next body he inhabited was a descendant of his youngest son.
This time, he chose to observe instead, curious to see what had become of his legacy.
What he saw disgusted him.
His teachings, meant to inspire hope within people, meant to save people, meant to give meaning to her death, was instead perverted into weapons that spread chaos and destruction.
He had hopes for the boy, the descendant of his youngest son.
That the boy would carry his will and bring a new era in this age of chaos. Yet the world was not kind to the boy. Unlike the others, the boy did not kill, he preached preached forgiveness and salvation, hoping to redeem even the most wicked of men. However, his people betrayed him and took his life.
He was unable to comprehend what he had seen, for mankind to reject salvation on their own will. Yet, he did not give up. For there would be a next time.
He realized that the God's curse was real, that he would forever wander in this cycle of death and rebirth.
That merely meant he would receive another chance to make things right.
He had lost count of the number of deaths that he had experienced.
Countless disappointments brought about by his descendants. Indra's descendants who were filled with hatred. Asura's descendants who were unable to do what was necessary. He no longer held any expectation in them. Despair was not something he was unfamiliar to. It had always been part of his life since her death.
None of them were capable of ending the era of strife. Even when he spoke to them since their birth, even as he tried to raise them to be a bringer of peace.
He felt a stab of pain as yet another vessel of his died.
What kind of child would he be transmigrated into next? What manner of disappointment would he endure next?
The moment he woke up, he felt it.
His new vessel was different. He could feel the familiar soul of his eldest son within the boy.
He realized that the boy was a reincarnation of his eldest son.
Yet, he no longer cared.
So he merely watched, observed as the boy became friends with another of his descendants, one with the soul of his youngest son.
As they grew, as their friendship stood strong against the world that seemed to be determined to tear them apart, he could feel himself hope again.
Then the boy, now a man, suddenly began to show traits similar to his eldest son. His vessel, his descendant was losing himself in hatred yet again.
This time, he knew the reason.
A creature of darkness, a black humanoid with yellow eyes. It hid itself from his descendant's sight, yet it could not hide from him.
The creature had perverted the warning that he left for his descendants, it spoke with honeyed words, luring his descendant into darkness.
From this creature, he could feel his Mother, he could feel the Divinity that cursed him.
He loathed them. This monster, his Mother, that Cursed Tree.
He loathed how they would not leave the world in peace.
He loathed how they engineered the cycle of hatred and suffering.
More than anything...
He loathed them for condemning him to this world that spat on her death.
As another of his descendants who had fallen to darkness spoke with the creature, as they began to form a plan that was meant to deceive the world, a plan that would bring about the rule of God that he rebelled, he listened.
And slowly, he began to conceive a plan of his own.
A plan to end this cursed era.
He waited.
He waited for his current vessel, the reincarnation of his eldest son, to die. His current vessel had survived longer than he had initially expected.
His current vessel took portions of his youngest son's descendant into his own body, becoming closer to him more than any other descendants since his sons. His current vessel even acquired a lesser form of his Eyes. The moment he saw those degraded eyes, he knew then that his plan would be successful.
He knew that his vessel's end would come soon, he could sense the man becoming weaker.
His vessel brought a young man, yet another descendant of his eldest son, into a world of illusion.
His vessel spoke of their goal to create a perfect world, a perfect world within illusion. He laughed at their naivety.
His vessel spoke of their plan to make use of the Divine Tree. He sneered at their ignorance.
His vessel spoke of his Eyes as if the man understood how to reach it. He ridiculed their blindness.
As his vessel gave his last words to the foolish boy who was blinded by promises, he rejoiced.
Finally, it was time for him to begin.
He wasted no time to rip his vessel's soul, the soul that was Indra's. It would not be returned to the cycle, no, he would take it with him.
He only needed to wait until he was reborn within one whose soul was Asura's.
If Indra's descendants would keep losing themselves to the curse of hatred.
If Asura's descendants would remain too weak to do what was necessary.
Then he would craft a perfect vessel with his own hands.
A vessel who would have his Will and Eyes.
A vessel who would be both Asura and Indra.
A vessel who would establish an era of Peace and Order.
Perhaps then, he would be able see Haori once again.
The title of the story 'Throughout Heaven and Earth' is based on Tayuya's favorite saying, 'Yuiga Dokuson' (I alone am exalted), which was part of the words that Gautama-Buddha uttered at the moment of his birth, 'Tenjō Tenge Yuiga Dokuson' (I alone am exalted, throughout Heaven and Earth).