Arisu was preparing to leave the village.
So he planned to say goodbye to that old man and give him something along the way as a gift of fate.
But when Arisu had just arrived at the old man's door, he was stunned.
'What's going on? Dead?' Arisu was shocked inside. His perception could not be wrong. The old man was already dead?
Arisu hurried into the house.
He found the child from before holding onto the ox and crying loudly, while the old man lay peacefully on the bed. It was clear he had just passed away not long ago.
"Wuu wuu wuu, Immortal, my grandpa is dead… wuu wuu…" The child cried as he spoke.
With one glance, Arisu saw that the old man had not been killed. His lifespan had simply come to an end. He died naturally of old age, without any pain.
In that instant, Arisu understood.
The old man was already very old. The reason he had not died yet was likely because he was holding onto one last breath, wanting to see him again.
Now that his wish had been fulfilled, the old man's heart was at peace.
So he left. Of course, it was also possible that after seeing him, he was too excited, and being so old, he passed away soon after.
"Sigh…", Arisu let out a soft sigh and stepped forward to pat the child's back.
"Child, where is your father?", Arisu asked gently.
"I don't have a father. Grandpa said my father was killed by bandits back then. My mother died giving birth to me.", The child said while crying.
Arisu fell silent. He looked around at the bare and empty house and understood in his heart that this child likely could not support himself.
"Your grandfather and I can be considered old acquaintances. Then I will find a way out for you.", Arisu said softly as he looked at the child.
He was about to go to Hagoromo's Ninja Sect anyway. He might as well send the child there to study. That was truly a good place.
There was no need to worry about safety or food and clothing.
His future career prospects would also be bright.
(Meaning: the descendants of the Ninja Sect almost all established ninja clans and became major powers in the chaotic era later on.)
With himself as a recommender, even if this child's talent was poor, Hagoromo would still give him face.
After that, Arisu buried the old man.
Then he brought the child to the Ninja Sect.
This time, Arisu did not hide his chakra presence. Hagoromo quickly came out to welcome him.
'Goodbye, Hagoromo.'
Hagoromo had already stepped into middle and old age.
He looked quite like the older Hagoromo from the Shippuden period.
Hagoromo Otsutsuki looked at Arisu in shock.
In just an instant, he seemed surprised at why Arisu still looked the same, while he himself already had obvious signs of aging, yet Arisu remained as before.
"Teacher, you still look as elegant as ever…" Hagoromo bowed and sighed.
Arisu nodded slightly and pointed to the child beside him. "This child is the grandson of an old acquaintance of mine. He now has no one to rely on. I hope to let him stay in the Ninja Sect."
Hagoromo quickly nodded when he heard this.
"Master, you do not need to be polite. You are my teacher and also the founding ancestor of the Ninja Sect. Whoever you wish to keep, you may keep.", Hagoromo said respectfully.
Then he looked gently at the child. "What is your name?"
The child answered honestly, "My name is Monkey."
Hagoromo frowned slightly when he heard that.
It was normal for ordinary people to give careless names to their children. Most of them had no education, and giving a cheap name made it easier to raise the child.
"Mm, Monkey does not sound good. How about this, I will give you a name."
"From now on… you will be called Sarutobi!" Hagoromo personally gave the child a name in a gentle tone.
"Sarutobi… Sarutobi… sounds good, sounds good!", The child nodded as he repeated it.
Hearing this familiar name, a light flashed deep in Arisu's eyes.
'So that is how it is…'
'Sarutobi… the ancestor of the Sarutobi clan?'
At this time, the world did not have the concept of surnames.
Even when Hagoromo named children, it was only Indra or Ashura, not Otsutsuki Indra or Otsutsuki Ashura.
Now Sarutobi was a name. Perhaps later it would evolve into a clan surname.
Arisu could not help but sigh at invisible fate.
'Fate is truly wonderful, is it not?'
He only pointed casually, just gave a simple indication, and created a great ninja clan, achieving the famous Sarutobi clan of Konoha.
After that, Hagoromo ordered someone to take Sarutobi to get familiar with life in the Ninja Sect.
Inside the room, only Hagoromo and Arisu remained.
"Teacher, you are still the same. I have always not understood, how long exactly can you live?"
Hagoromo could not wait and asked the question he most wanted to ask.
In the past, he always felt that Arisu would not outlive him, so he thought Arisu would surely pass before him.
But now, he himself had already reached middle and old age.
It was known that Arisu was from the same generation as his mother Kaguya. That made Arisu's age terrifying…
"What is it?"
Arisu looked at Hagoromo meaningfully.
"Sigh, I feel that I have aged. And the Ninja Sect is not as I imagined…", Hagoromo smiled helplessly.
Over these years, he had felt a sense of powerlessness.
Only now did he understand that saving the world was not so easy.
Because of his mother, he was destined not to turn the Ninja Sect into a war machine or rule the world by force. He wanted more to achieve his goal through teaching and guiding people.
"The Ninja Sect has existed for a long time, yet achieved nothing. Although many branches were established around the world, there are no worthy successors…" Hagoromo said with a bitter smile.
Arisu glanced lightly outside at the people sitting around the bonfire, singing and dancing, and then said, "I do not see any problem. At least it is lively…"
Hagoromo, "..."
"Ahem, Teacher, I forgot to tell you, I have sons. Two of them. The older is named Indra, the younger is named Ashura.", Hagoromo said with a smile.
"I see. Then congratulations. I did not bring any gift.", Arisu said lightly.
"Hehe…", Hagoromo smiled.
The two talked about many things.
In the end, Hagoromo truly could not hold back his earlier doubt and asked again, "Teacher, may I ask how old you are?"
Arisu smiled. "Hagoromo, why do you keep questioning my age?"
Hagoromo stood up and bowed, "Please forgive me, Teacher. There are many things I do not understand. Why does Teacher clearly have great power, yet has no desire for the world?"
"Does Teacher truly have no ideals, no ambitions?"
"If Teacher truly has no desires, then why did you fight with Mother over the chakra fruit back then?"
"Now Teacher's lifespan is also unknown. I am truly curious."
Hagoromo spoke all his doubts in one breath.
He truly could not understand what Arisu wanted to do.
Before, he even hoped Teacher could govern the Ninja Sect with him. Later he realized Arisu truly had no interest in worldly matters at all.
But if he truly had no desires, then what was it about fighting Mother for the chakra fruit back then?
Was fighting for the fruit not to gain power?
And what was that power for?
To rule the world? Or just to have power?
'Sigh…' Arisu sighed softly in his heart.
'Time had passed too quickly.'
Back then and now, too much time had already gone by.
Arisu's personality had also changed.
Arisu smiled bitterly in his heart. Could he really tell Hagoromo, that back then he was young and hot-blooded?
First of all, Arisu back then had the mindset of a typical transmigrator. He was bold, and on top of that he practiced immortal arts and had a system.
Young and hot-blooded, for the sake of reaching the Six Paths level, he dared to go against Isshiki.
Thinking about it now, it was truly frightening afterward.
At that time, Arisu probably was not even at the Super Kage level. If Isshiki had ignored Kaguya and chased Arisu down, tearing at him, Arisu would definitely have been finished.
There was no way around it. How old was Arisu at that time?
Not even thirty.
Exactly the age of wanting to compete with the heavens.
At that period, for the sake of the Six Paths level, he dared to seize the main stage in the martial arena of his previous life.
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