Chapter 63 Secret History
The Land of Demons, at a construction site surrounded by fences.
"Universal Pull!"
Stone bricks fly in the air, under the manipulation of magical gravity, neatly stacking onto the carts.
Such a magical scene attracts a lot of workers' admiration and applause.
Facing the surrounding praises, Nagato feels a bit embarrassed.
Because he's using important combat ninjutsu for construction work, he can't help but feel like he's wasting his hard-earned ninjutsu skills.
Although the workers around him have good intentions and don't find it strange for a ninja to use ninjutsu to transport bricks, Nagato hasn't yet adapted to the rhythm here and naturally can't empathize.
But as he clenches the flyer in his hand, he suppresses this embarrassment for now.
—Hiring brick movers with integrity, ninjas preferred. Free meals during work, daily wage of ten thousand ryo.
After several days of long-distance travel, he and Konan arrived in the distant Land of Demons, a special country that enjoys neutral status in the ninja world.
In this country, you can see shrines and priestesses everywhere, and the strong sense of mysticism allows Nagato to enjoy the exotic scenery.
But this appreciation cannot last because he and Konan have come to this country with an incredibly important mission.
The largest consortium in the Land of Demons is the Purple Orchid Company, named after the capital City.
It's a large multinational consortium.
It enjoys a great reputation internationally.
In short, in terms of financial power, Akatsuki needs to look up to it.
Konan is responsible for supplying medicine, while Nagato strolls alone in Murasaki City.
Unlike the people of the Land of Rain, the people of the Land of Demons have full faces and optimistic attitudes, which are incomparable to the poverty-stricken and disaster-prone Land of Rain.
This makes Nagato envious.
But he also knows that this is the special privilege brought about by neutrality.
Given the geographical environment of the Land of Rain, it's impossible to become a neutral country.
As long as a major power starts a war, the Land of Rain is the first to be hit.
With the economy collapsing, people are displaced, starving, and political corruption is rampant. It's not an exaggeration to say that the Land of Rain has become a puppet of the major powers, including the daimyo and many nobles.
Even so, the people of the Land of Rain have never been defeated. In times of crisis, there are always people who step forward, setting an example for the suffering people of the Land of Rain.
Thinking of this, Nagato is filled with the power of struggle.
With the increase in chakra output, more bricks fly towards the four-wheeled transport carts under his ninjutsu "Universal Pull," neatly arranged for the workers responsible for transportation to push away.
Until the dusk of the afternoon, when the sun sets, the site supervisor lets everyone stop working and begins to settle today's wages.
Nagato holds the wages he earned at the construction site and finds not the ten thousand ryo written on the flyer, but a full fifty thousand ryo.
"Um, seems like there's too much..."
Just as Nagato is about to return the extra forty thousand ryo, the site supervisor stops him and says with a smile, "Keep it, kid. You've done the work of several dozen people alone, and the extra forty thousand ryo is considered an additional reward."
If Nagato didn't take this money, he would feel uneasy.
Thanks to Nagato's effort, it seems that tomorrow's work is also completed.
"...Thank you."
Nagato isn't one to talk much, but he's very sensitive to people's kindness and malice.
He can feel the warmth and sincerity of the people here, which is vastly different from the destitute people of the Land of Rain who need charity.
Holding the fifty thousand ryo, Nagato felt the weightiness in his hands, a satisfying sensation he had never experienced with such a large sum of money in his life.
In his memory, he had never held such a large amount of money before.
Thinking about the ten million ryo that Konan owed to the Purple Orchid pharmaceutical company, it meant that he only needed to work at the construction site for about two hundred days to almost completely pay off Konan's debt.
Was this the power of the Rinnegan? Nagato looked at his hands, feeling this way.
He had never realized before that the Rinnegan's ocular power could earn money so easily.
However, hiring ninjas to work at the construction site was also strange for the Land of Demons, Nagato thought.
In his previous consciousness, ninjas existed as tools for combat. Even within the Akatsuki, most of the missions undertaken were related to battles.
Eliminating bandits within the Land of Rain and dealing with rogue ninjas causing havoc in the Land of Rain were the main objectives of the Akatsuki.
The ninja villages of the Five Great Nations had even more comprehensive task systems, representing a country's military power and determining its position in the ninja world.
While working at the construction site before, Nagato noticed no fewer than a dozen workers who were ninjas. According to their conversations, they seemed to be specialized workers who were permanently stationed there, with their ninja techniques perfectly suited for various complex tasks at the construction site, supposedly specially trained workers.
This puzzled Nagato. While ninjas could certainly perform ordinary people's tasks, it was usually temporary work, with their main focus still on combat.
Countries like the Land of Demons, which specialized in training such specialized ninjas, were the first Nagato had encountered. It was the first time he had seen such an experience.
"Nagato, where have you been? I've been waiting for you here for a long time."
Gathering at the entrance of a hotel in the city of Murasaki, Nagato arrived late, and Konan complained.
"Sorry, this city is too bustling, and for a moment, I forgot myself."
Nagato scratched his head and apologized to Konan.
"Really, we're not here for sightseeing."
"How's the purchase of medicines?"
Nagato inquired about the purchase of medicines.
"It's all been purchased. The prices of medicines in this country are much cheaper than elsewhere, saving us quite a bit of money as expected."
Konan seemed very satisfied, with a smile on her face.
Although the long journey was a bit tiring, being able to purchase such a large quantity of complete medicines, and even having some funds left over, coming to the Land of Demons this time was indeed the right choice.
"That's great."
"Our budget for Akatsuki's activities has always been tight. Now we can finally save up some, just in case."
Looking at Konan's innocent and happy expression, Nagato was moved.
No matter when, as long as he could protect this smile and everyone's dreams, it would be enough for him.
He silently vowed in his heart.
The heavier the burden on his shoulders became, the more Nagato could feel his desire for peace and his unwavering belief in ending war.
"Konan..."
"What's wrong, Nagato?"
Hearing Nagato call her name, Konan looked at him with confusion.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking that with our successful mission this time, Yahiko and everyone will surely be very happy."
"They'll definitely be happy. After all, we have saved so much money this time. "But, Yahiko is heading to negotiate with the shinobi from Sunagakure and Konohagakure, so there shouldn't be any issues, right?"
Speaking of which, Konan's face showed obvious concern.
Those were shinobi from the Five Great Nations, fundamentally different from their shinobi from a small country.
Whether it was Konoha or Suna, they were formidable entities that they couldn't afford to provoke.
"Even Lord Hanzo had to compromise with Konoha back then..."
Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, was a legendary shinobi renowned in the Land of Rain.
Even he had to compromise due to the strength of Konoha. For the Akatsuki organization, which seemed insignificant within the borders of the Land of Rain, it was impossible to change the will of those shinobi from the major nations.
Konan suddenly felt that Yahiko negotiating with the shinobi from Suna and Konoha was indeed a risky move.
"Yahiko will definitely succeed! Even if he fails this time, there will be a next time. As long as we keep striving, the will of Akatsuki will be passed down from generation to generation, and eventually, we will bring true peace."
Nagato's gaze was incredibly firm.
Konan nodded as well. If even they admitted defeat, they wouldn't be able to face their past selves.
"Then let's hurry back to Amegakure. That's where our home is."
…
In the quiet chamber where the Dragon Vein sealing device is stored,
Radiating through the closed eye apparatus, a purple glow permeates, distinct from the usual chakra colors.
Rui stands alone in this chamber, gazing at the sealed Dragon Vein device, seemingly lost in thought.
"Do you have any thoughts about the remaining half of the Dragon Vein's power?" Ayane appears at the doorway of the chamber, holding freshly cooked pancakes, curious as she walks in to ask Rui.
"I just feel like things are a bit strange."
"Strange? What's strange about it?" Ayane isn't quite clear on what Rui is hinting at.
Handling the temporal disruptors arriving from another timeline, clandestinely resolving the crisis in Roran, taking away half of the Dragon Vein's core—resulting in the weakened Dragon Vein power—and prohibiting people from other timelines from using the Dragon Vein's power to disrupt this timeline's order.
"As the Dragon Vein harnesses the power of the earth, a natural source formed by the earth itself, unless the natural energy of the earth is depleted, theoretically, even if half of the core is taken away now, it will only weaken the Dragon Vein for a while. After a dozen or even dozens of years, it might recover and regain the power to allow time travel again."
Rui's words cause Ayane to slow down her pancake eating and show a pensive expression.
After Rui's reminder, the truth of the matter does seem a bit peculiar.
"Perhaps it was all sudden, and he was a bit careless, so he overlooked it?"
Ayane tilts her head.
"Overlooked it? I can't imagine someone like him making such a basic mistake."
Rui's face carries a hint of a smirk, disagreeing with Ayane's perspective.
Ayane glares at Rui discontentedly, feeling like this Sharingan woman seems to be holding onto some significant secret, leaving her in the dark.
"If you knew there was a power in the world that could traverse through time, what would you do?"
Rui counters without answering.
"Well... I'd probably use that power when faced with some insurmountable setback, to go back to a time when there was still room for things to turn around. After all, it's such a convenient power; it would be a waste not to use it like that."
Ayane ponders for a moment and responds to Rui's question.
Most people would think like that, or at least have had regrets about something and wanted to change a part of their already-happened history.
Ayane also has things she regrets and wants to redeem, even though she knows it's already history. But if one day she couldn't bear that pressure anymore, she might use that power to go back and change some things.
"But what if you go back to the past and still fail?"
"I would continue going back to a timeline where there was no failure. If I still failed, I would keep altering time, continuously repeating these failed processes. And if I encountered my past self obstructing me, I might even kill her..."
Following Rui's line of thought, Ayane feels a chill, her pancake-eating motion completely stiffening.
She hadn't considered this possibility at all.
It's only now that she understands how terrifying and awe-inspiring the power of the Dragon Vein's time-traveling ability truly is.
In comparison, the resurrection of the dead, which goes against the laws of nature, is just that.
"As for Shiroshi-kun..."
Ayane's voice trembles slightly.
"He probably feared becoming such a person himself, which is why he specifically sealed off that memory."
That's how Rui sees it.
Otherwise, Shiroshi wouldn't have asked for Livy to come to the Land of Demons, to write about the past and pass on the true history to humanity as a whole.
"Whether it's the predetermined history of the future or the history that has already occurred in the past, it's all events that have already happened, real existing history. If at that time, he used the power of the Dragon Vein to traverse through time for his own benefit, he would become the person he once detested and despised the most."
Ayane falls silent.
Thinking about Shiroshi's plan in the Land of Demons, although she can't fully grasp it yet, she knows it's definitely a groundbreaking change that overturns past knowledge.
Setting up such a massive plan, without reaching the end, no one can guarantee its success.
If it fails, perhaps he'll use the power of the Dragon Vein to return to the timeline before the failure.
Then, encountering his past self, whose beliefs remain unchanged, a life-and-death struggle is inevitable.
Perhaps he'll find himself ensnared in an unending loop of failure and repetition. In comparison, remaining ignorant from the outset might be preferable to becoming the very person he abhors.
"To be honest, I regret backing up those memories about the future."
Rui sighs, feeling that ignorance truly is bliss.
"It's done, and I don't intend to erase that part of my memory."
Ayane feels a bit gloomy.
"But perhaps, he anticipated this kind of thing as well."
Rui interjects suddenly.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Ayane is taken aback.
"Playing with fire is his specialty, after all."
Rui doesn't elaborate further but proceeds to inspect the seal of the Dragon Vein device, revealing the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Release!"
Upon the seal on the ground, new runes immediately cover it, overlaying the original sealing jutsu.
"The composition of this sealing jutsu is..."
After examining it, Rui pauses for a moment before continuing:
"It's truly his handiwork. He's done the job impeccably."
Ayane also approached to inspect the sealing script overlaid on the top layer, her expression revealing astonishment.
She hadn't expected that the sealing jutsu used by Shiroshi to seal the Dragon Vein would be this particular technique.
This also meant that all of Rui's earlier speculations were likely correct.
…
Minister Anrokuzan's clandestine activities, including the abduction of Roran's citizens to construct puppet weapon factories beneath the city, were exposed.
Though the Queen of Roran was reluctant to believe what was unfolding before her eyes, the abducted citizens discovered in the underground weapon factory were indeed the missing civilians of Roran. Emaciated and maltreated, they had managed to escape from the underground facility after the puppet soldiers lost control following Anrokuzan's disappearance, thus exposing the minister's crimes.
After confirming the truth, the Queen of Roran had no choice but to accept that Anrokuzan, a minister she had trusted implicitly, was a criminal with ulterior motives against Roran.
On that very day, the Queen ordered a search throughout Roran for Anrokuzan's whereabouts, determined to apprehend him and provide justice to her people.
After delegating this task to her soldiers, the Queen alone entered the chamber where the Dragon Vein was sealed, meticulously examining the state of the seal.
To her astonishment, the Queen discovered that the deeper core of the Dragon Vein was no longer accessible.
For generations, each Queen of Roran possessed a special power to connect with the Dragon Vein, accessing its core, which was the most vital source of the Dragon Vein's power.
Suddenly, the sealing runes on the ground lit up, causing the Queen to recoil in shock.
Upon the original sealing runes, new ones were immediately overlaid, connecting directly with the Dragon Vein.
"This is... that scoundrel Anrokuzan!" the Queen exclaimed, immediately suspecting the still-at-large Anrokuzan of attempting to seize control of the Dragon Vein's power for himself by placing this new seal, significantly weakening her connection to the Dragon Vein's core.
Though she could still manipulate the Dragon Vein's chakra to provide Roran with ample energy, her connection to the core was severed by the new seal. Moreover, she could sense that only half of the Dragon Vein's original power remained.
Besides Anrokuzan, the Queen couldn't fathom who else could easily access this chamber and tamper with its seals, stealing the Dragon Vein's power at will.
"Your Majesty," a guard entered the palace, reporting back, "Any news on Anrokuzan's capture?"
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Anrokuzan's whereabouts are currently unknown. We've searched every corner of Roran, but there's no trace of him," the guard replied.
The Queen of Roran sighed.
So much time has passed, and still, Anrokuzan has not been captured. Surely, by now, he must have fled Roran's territory and hidden elsewhere.
The thought of this made her headache.
She really wanted to retrieve that half of the Dragon Vein's power, but Roran could only rely on itself and had no influence internationally.
Seeking assistance from those major powers to apprehend Anrokuzan was clearly an impossible task.
…
A few days later.
Returning from Roran to the Land of Demons, Shiroshi discussed matters concerning the Dragon Vein with a clone of Livy in a laboratory.
"Lord Shiroshi, this doesn't seem to be a complete Dragon Vein," Livy carefully examined the Dragon Vein core Shiroshi had brought out, instantly discerning that it wasn't the essence of a complete Dragon Vein.
"Correct, this is only half of a Dragon Vein core. Since Roran's city relies on the Dragon Vein, half of the core must be left behind to prevent the collapse of the city's underground," Shiroshi explained.
"Is that so? Since Roran and the Dragon Vein are so interconnected, it's indeed unavoidable," considering this, Shiroshi's decision didn't surprise Livy; it seemed natural.
"How about it, Livy? Do you have any suggestions?" Shiroshi asked for Livy's opinion.
After contemplating for a moment, Livy answered Shiroshi's question:
"Although it's a core, this core itself is just a container for chakra. Lord Shiroshi, please allow me to take this half of the Dragon Vein core back to the Forest to cultivate for a while and store enough chakra."
Livy provided a straightforward assessment.
Although there was still plenty of chakra inside this half core, significant leakage had already occurred.
To make the container fully functional and effective, it was necessary to refill it with chakra.
From the perspective of the maximum capacity of the Dragon Vein core's reserves, it could still accommodate a considerable amount of chakra.
"However, I didn't expect the power of the Dragon Vein to be so much weaker than when I saw it before. The underground veins of Roran may be abandoned in another hundred years," Shiroshi couldn't understand the magnitude of the Dragon Vein's power as described by Livy in the past, but the current power of the Dragon Vein was sufficient for him to wield freely.
"With the matter of the Dragon Vein settled, it's time to address internal affairs in the Land of Demons. Oh, Livy, how is the work on recording history going?"
Shiroshi inquired with interest.
While he had gone to Roran to acquire the power of the Dragon Vein, a clone of Livy had remained in the Land of Demons, meticulously transcribing the history it had experienced into a book, writing down every word.
In charge of recording were historians whom Shiroshi trusted, responsible for historical research work.
"Well... because the amount of information is so vast, there are some things I don't remember very well, but I've asked those historians to record major events and some important secrets. There are some unbelievable events involved, and I think Lord Shiroshi should prepare yourself mentally before viewing them," Livy kindly reminded Shiroshi to be mentally prepared when viewing this part of history.
It knew that the world history of the past was incredibly shocking to the people of this era.
"Don't worry, I've experienced many ups and downs along the way. No matter what kind of history it is, I won't be complaining or shocked," Shiroshi replied earnestly, indicating that he was mentally prepared.
Upon hearing Shiroshi's assurance, Livy led the way ahead, taking him to the adjacent room to begin reading the epic history forgotten by the people of this era, spanning a thousand years.
…
In the reading room, Shiroshi picked up the hefty documentation of past history, which had already been printed out by a machine, showing traces of simple binding.
Afterwards, he prepared himself a cup of tea to avoid getting thirsty while reading through the historical documents.
As he flipped through the first page, Shiroshi was completely stunned by its contents.
Extraterrestrial visitor... Kaguya Otsutsuki?
What on earth is this?
Aliens?
Wasn't he reading about human history?
Why are even extraterrestrial beings appearing?
"Lord Shiroshi, please restrain your urge to comment and patiently read through it," Livy seemed to understand Shiroshi's thoughts, and after uttering these words, managed to stifle Shiroshi's impulse to express his thoughts.
So, after taking a sip of tea, Shiroshi persevered and began perusing the historical documents in his hand.
The gist of it was that a women descended from the heavens, named Kaguya Otsutsuki, consumed the fruit of the Divine Tree, becoming the first Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, possessing the power of the Byakugan and Rinnegan, and quelling chaos with absolute power.
Due to her achievements in pacifying chaos, she was revered as the Goddess of the Moon.
Blessed by the people, she gave birth to two sons.
The eldest was named Hagoromo Otsutsuki, and the younger was named Hamura Otsutsuki.
After an unknown period of time, Kaguya's character inexplicably changed. She initiated the "Infinite Tsukuyomi," an ultimate genjutsu that entrapped people in the world, shrouding them in a terrible illusion, and began mass-producing creatures called Zetsu soldiers.
Kaguya's actions against reason naturally drew extreme disapproval from her two sons.
Hagoromo and Hamura, in order to free the world from the "Infinite Tsukuyomi," joined forces with the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, to resist their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and successfully sealed her on the moon, created using forbidden techniques, thereby saving the world.
The twin sons who sealed away their mother, Kaguya, with Hagoromo becoming the second Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails and inheriting his mother's Rinnegan.
His younger brother, Hamura Otsutsuki, went to the moon to propagate their family and guard the seal on the moon's surface for generations, preventing their mother, Kaguya, from breaking free from the seal.
The deeds of Hamura Otsutsuki basically ended here. However, based on the vague traces, the Hyuga clan inferred that he was the ancestor of the Hyuga clan but didn't know why he eventually lived on the surface.
Afterwards, the surface world entered an era led by Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Even though the greatest threat, his mother Kaguya, was sealed, that era was still not peaceful.
Evil spirits roamed the world, and Hagoromo Otsutsuki traveled the world, spreading the teachings of ninjutsu and the essence of chakra while suppressing and sealing various evil spirits to quell the chaos.
Later, due to these great achievements, Hagoromo Otsutsuki was revered by the people as the Sage of the Six Paths.
The first person to unlock the essence of chakra.
This Sage of the Six Paths, like his mother Kaguya, had two children in total: the elder son, Indra, and the younger son, Asura.
Indra, the eldest son, advocated the ideology of 'power' bringing peace, while Asura, the younger son, advocated the ideology of 'love' bringing peace.
In the end, the Sage of the Six Paths chose Asura, the brother who advocated 'love,' and thus concluded the disagreement between the two brothers, who had been in constant conflict.
Even after their deaths, the descendants of these two individuals continued to wage war incessantly.
The Uchiha clan inherited the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, Indra.
The Senju and Uzumaki clans inherited the body of the Sage of the Six Paths, Asura.
The turmoil persisted for hundreds of years without ceasing, and the resulting history was just a part familiar to Shiroshi.
Several decades ago, the leaders of the Senju and Uchiha clans, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, set aside the entangled disputes and hatred of centuries, jointly ending the chaotic Warring States period and establishing an era of unity among nations and villages.
Under the joint leadership of the Senju and Uchiha clans, Konoha Village was established, with powerful ninja clans like the Sarutobi and Shimura clans being drawn into its fold.
Subsequent events need not be recounted; Shiroshi could also understand the later history based on the information he obtained during the Konoha period.
The Senju clan remained hidden in the ninja world, and the Uchiha clan had also declined significantly from its former glory.
"Now, Lord Shiroshi, you can start commenting."
After seeing Shiroshi finish the last page, Livy also showed rare humor.
Sitting in his chair, Shiroshi held the booklet, seemingly indifferent.
"Lord Shiroshi?"
Livy called out softly, seeming puzzled.
"Huh? Have I finished reading?"
Shiroshi, as if awakening from a dream, recovered from his daze and subconsciously picked up his tea cup for a drink, only to find that the tea inside had been drunk long ago.
"Lord Shiroshi, if you want to vent, it's better to do so now. Holding it in is harmful to your health."
"Um, my mind is so confused that I don't know where to start venting."
Or rather, there were too many things to vent about, and Shiroshi didn't know where to begin because every aspect seemed flawed.
Too numerous for Shiroshi to count.
For example, the setting of Kaguya Otsutsuki as an extraterrestrial, the record of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the creation of the moon using forbidden Jutsu, the centuries-old feud between the Senju and Uchiha clans apparently due to favoritism from a father...
At this point, what else could be said?
Shiroshi felt that no matter what he said now, it wouldn't be enough to encapsulate this strange feeling.
"I see, it does seem difficult to accept at first glance. The conflicts between our Uchiha and Senju clans, it's ridiculous to think that they stemmed from such a laughable reason as favoritism."
A voice came from behind, and Shiroshi realized that Rui and Ayane had appeared behind him at some point, witnessing the unfolding of the past history along with him.
"By the way, when did you two arrive?"
Shiroshi asked.
"When your mind was almost in chaos. We called you, but you didn't respond."
Rui crossed her arms and said.
Ayane stood up straight, her face filled with excitement as she said, "If the history here is true, it means that the Senju clan, Uchiha clan, Hyuga clan, and Uzumaki clan all come from the same ancestor—that Kaguya Otsutsuki. That's really unexpected."
Livy said, "I can guarantee that the contents here are entirely true."
Although somewhat unbelievable, this was the history of the birth of ninja and the mysterious history that had never been unraveled.
It was also everything Livy had experienced in the past.
"There's no need to doubt. I believe that the history presented by Livy is truthful and reliable."
Shiroshi replied, choosing to believe Livy.
Although this historical document contained traces that seemed fantastical, like a fantasy, ninja and chakra were things that couldn't be inferred by common sense.
Whether it was the history provided by Livy or the information from the Miko Miroku, they both subtly mentioned the existence of the Sage of the Six Paths as being real.
"Livy, do you have any other clues about Kaguya Otsutsuki being from outer space?"
"Sorry, Lord Shiroshi. I'm not very clear about the specific origins of Kaguya Otsutsuki. I only know this much. Gamamaru from Mount Myoboku might know more."
Livy replied apologetically.
Although she had indeed met the Sage of the Six Paths, her relationship with him was just ordinary, and she didn't pay much attention to the affairs of the ninja world.
It was merely out of pure boredom that it entered into contracts with humans, experiencing various different sceneries over the millennia. Otherwise, even it would have felt dull and boring. Entering into contracts with humans made life much more lively and interesting.
"Is it that Toad Sage again? The Child of Prophecy mentioned during the era of the Sage of the Six Paths, including the incident of reviving Minato... It seems to enjoy doing some boring things."
Shiroshi set down the historical documents in his hand, furrowing his brows slightly.
Regarding the Child of Prophecy, he had also learned some information from these documents.
According to the prophecy of the Toad Sage, the existence of the Child of Prophecy would bring true peace to the ninja world.
"If the future of humanity could be determined by prophecies, wouldn't it be the greatest irony and blasphemy to those who are currently striving for survival and working for peace? The bloodshed, tears, laughter, dreams, and the unforgettable history of pain experienced by humanity so far, all would be rendered worthless."
Using prophecies to dictate the future negated everything in human history, both past and future. That was the height of arrogance.
For Shiroshi, being a human, this was the most intolerable thing.
Whether it was humiliation or glory, peace or war, they were all part of human history.
Humans could only face these realities squarely to learn from them and grow.
Therefore, to Shiroshi, the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku was nothing more than a baseless claim.
"Does Lord Shiroshi intend to immediately incorporate this historical material into the curriculum of the school?"
After moving past the topic of the Child of Prophecy, Livy asked about the main issue.
Shiroshi had tasked Livy with recounting past history in order to fully pass it down, enabling more people to understand the past, learn from it, and gain experience, rather than simply treating it as intelligence information.
"It will definitely be incorporated, but I'm considering when it would be appropriate to do so. After all, those creatures called 'White Zetsu' have already appeared, and we must be vigilant against them."
Shiroshi frowned.
Moreover, this historical material involved many taboo subjects.
Such as the Ten-Tails, the dangerous power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and more.
How to disseminate this information, and when to do so, were decisions that couldn't be made rashly and required careful consideration.
To be honest, Shiroshi was also undecided about this matter.
Furthermore, he had only just begun the layout of the Land of Demons Nation and hadn't reached a point where he could ignore the Five Great Nations.
Spreading the information was one thing, but acceptance was another.
Most importantly, those creatures called 'White Zetsu' were still alive in this world.
Shiroshi didn't understand their purpose for appearing or why they were active.
Spreading this history now would attract their attention and expose their location.
After all, Shiroshi was still very wary of that Sharingan ninja lurking in the shadows.
"Those White Zetsu are bio-soldiers created by Kaguya using the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It's possible that something went wrong with the Divine Tree."
Livy wasn't very clear either.
After all, the affairs of the Sage of the Six Paths were too complex.
The historical material it provided to Shiroshi was only a rough overview, focusing mainly on major events due to lack of time.
"Whatever it is, we must first identify the mastermind behind the scenes."
With the Dragon Vein chakra obtained and Shiroshi gaining confidence in facing powerful enemies, he could further enhance the strength of his clones.
While continuing to develop the Land of Demons, attention must also be paid to the existence called 'White Zetsu,' and it would be best to find out who was behind them as soon as possible to settle this matter.
…
Livy brought back the half-piece of the Dragon Vein Core it received from Shiroshi to the Shikkotsu Forest.
Its task was to inject chakra into this half-piece of the Dragon Vein Core again and complete the filling process.
In simple terms, the Dragon Vein Core is a device that automatically gathers natural energy and converts it into special chakra, serving as a container-like entity.
Previously, this piece of the Dragon Vein Core was underground in the Land of Wind, extracting energy from the earth. Now, what Livy needed to do was to distribute the incredibly rich natural energy of the Shikkotsu Forest into the Dragon Vein Core, storing a large amount of chakra for Shiroshi to use in battles.
In its current state, this half-piece of the Dragon Vein Core could store chakra up to the level of a Tailed Beast.
However, for Livy, this was hardly a challenge.
Among the leaders of the Three Great Sacred Places, it had the most vigorous vitality and was the best at maintenance.
Moreover, the Shikkotsu Forest was inhabited solely by Livy, unlike Mount Myoboku and the Ryuuchi Cave, where natural energy had to be distributed among other clan members.
From Livy's perspective, the natural energy of the Shikkotsu Forest was overflowing, requiring only the excess natural energy to be filled into the Dragon Vein Core, waiting for the filling process to be completed.
Charging once with Tailed Beast-level chakra would be enough for a long time.
Furthermore, in the outside world, this core could also absorb natural energy to convert into chakra. It just wasn't as efficient as in the Forest.
Livy placed this half-piece of the Dragon Vein Core at the top of a mountain range in the Forest, absorbing the natural energy here. When it was ready to leave, it suddenly noticed a purple light shining on the core.
Livy turned around, slightly surprised:
"Is this the soul message conveyed to me by Lord Shiroshi? I see, a temporal transmission... I didn't expect so many things to happen during this trip to the Land of Wind."
Although the message was brief, Livy understood why Shiroshi had recorded this soul message in the Dragon Vein Core.
It was probably to entrust it with the role of a supervisor.
Being entrusted with such a significant task by Shiroshi made Livy very happy, but it also made it wonder why Shiroshi would hand over such an important matter to it.
Wasn't he afraid that it would misuse this power?
This trust gave Livy a somewhat inexplicable feeling.
However, this feeling was not bad at all.
Sure enough, after forming a contract with Lord Shiroshi, it could indeed see many interesting things that it hadn't seen before.
…
In the dark cavern.
Madara intently gazed at the several special White Zetsu he had created recently, utilizing the power of the Divine Tree combined with his Yin-Yang Release. These White Zetsu possessed abilities stronger than ordinary ones. Though they couldn't compare to extraordinary beings like Guruguru, their strength was beyond that of an average ninja.
In terms of stealth, they were even more covert, capable of gathering various intelligence for Madara's plans.
Finally, he turned his gaze to the end of the team, as this one was not a White Zetsu.
Among all the white figures, this individual stood out with an entirely black body.
In the sea of white, his blackness was particularly conspicuous, appearing out of the ordinary.
Madara was immensely curious about this anomaly within the White Zetsu.
"Madara-sama, just call me Black Zetsu."
Before Madara could inquire, the black figure preemptively responded, displaying submission to its creator with a respectful attitude.
"It seems you have special abilities as well."
Madara nodded in acknowledgment.
After the Divine Tree's mutation, he couldn't predict what the other party would turn into. However, traces of his Yin-Yang Release were indeed present on Black Zetsu, making it an unexpected creation.
Black Zetsu didn't reply but slammed its hand on the ground. Countless trees sprouted from the earth, intertwining their roots, brimming with power and vitality. They seemed comparable to Guruguru's Wood Release.
Not yet finished, these stout trees, rising from the ground, grew larger with the stimulation of chakra, enveloping the surroundings on the ground and in the air.
"Not bad."
Madara commented.
Although not comparable to that man, the power was indeed similar to Guruguru's Wood Release.
Next, Black Zetsu approached another special White Zetsu, its eyes filled with indifference.
"Ah!"
The special White Zetsu immediately began to scream.
Black Zetsu vanished from its original position, its body turning into a black fluid substance, covering the special White Zetsu and dyeing it black.
"Madara-sama, this is my ability."
The voice that came out was Black Zetsu's.
"Spiritual assimilation?"
Madara finally smiled.
This ability was interesting. The power of this special White Zetsu was not weak, yet Black Zetsu could easily manipulate it. It seemed that Black Zetsu's power exceeded his expectations.
Moreover, this ability often yielded unexpected gains.
"Is there anything else?"
Madara asked.
Black Zetsu's eyes emitted a strange fluctuation, and suddenly, the surrounding scene began to change.
What appeared was a vivid scene of Black Zetsu using mental control over the special White Zetsu, with even the sound recorded and played back.
The scene replayed.
"That's enough, stop here."
Madara exhaled, extremely satisfied as he looked at Black Zetsu.
This was a more perfect Divine Tree creature than Guruguru. With the ability to capture and replay past scenes, Madara could now obtain more detailed intelligence and formulate tactics more intuitively.
"You go to Konoha and monitor a shinobi named Uchiha Obito, record everything about him."
"Yes, Madara-sama."
Several special White Zetsu integrated into the underground and began to move outward, heading to Konoha to locate Uchiha Obito.
"Black Zetsu, you constantly monitor Nagato's every move in the Land of Rain, and prioritize his safety."
Black Zetsu's abilities were outstanding, capable of both monitoring Nagato and protecting him.
Madara entrusted this most important task to Black Zetsu.
"I am the embodiment of your will, please leave it to me, Madara-sama."
Under Madara's gaze, Black Zetsu disappeared into the ground, just like those special White Zetsu, possessing powerful stealth abilities.
(Chapter End)