In front of the main hall of the Ninja Sect, a crowd had gathered.
All the disciples formed a circle, their eyes tightly fixed on Indra in the center.
Hagoromo stood at the front of the crowd with his hands behind his back, while Asura held onto the shoulders of the disciple in the front row, his little face full of curiosity.
In the center, Indra stood tall. After taking a deep breath, his fingers suddenly began to move rapidly.
The hand movements were complex yet smooth. In just a moment, he completed a full set of connected hand seals.
"Hu..."
A fierce flame suddenly rose in his palm. The orange red fire made the boy's face glow brightly and threw the surroundings into sudden silence.
The next second, gasps exploded.
"Fire, fire?! Creating fire out of thin air?"
"How is this possible! Other than Lord Hagoromo, who else can control power like this?"
"What were those hand movements just now? They looked dazzling, but somehow very orderly!"
The people of the Ninja Sect widened their eyes. Some sucked in cold air, some leaned closer but did not dare approach. Voices overlapped one after another, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
Hagoromo's pupils shrank sharply, waves rising in his heart.
Of course he recognized it. This was a "technique" formed by mobilizing the chakra within the body and releasing it in a specific way.
But his own bloodline was special. He did not need such complicated hand movements to activate his power. He had never imagined that someone could combine chakra with hand signs and create such a method.
"Brother! Brother!"
"What did you do? Where did this fire come from?"
Asura could no longer hold back. He pushed through the crowd and ran over, grabbing Indra's wrist.
He leaned his small head close to the flame in his palm, looking at it with both fear and curiosity.
Indra gently raised his hand, and the flame in his palm obediently went out.
Seeing the excitement in his brother's eyes, he patiently explained, "I discovered that the chakra inside the body can be guided through different hand forms."
"As long as you form the corresponding seal, you can release different kinds of power. This flame is one of them."
After speaking, he turned around and bowed slightly to Hagoromo. "Father, this is what I have researched these past few days."
Hagoromo looked at his son, who was not yet ten years old, and the surprise in his heart grew even stronger.
He had long noticed that Indra had been going to the bamboo forest day after day. He had secretly sensed the area, yet he had not detected a second person there.
He had only assumed that Indra had found a quiet place to train. Only now did he realize that he had been studying such an astonishing method.
"So that's how it is."
Hagoromo nodded. All the doubts in his heart disappeared, replaced by a sigh of admiration for his son's talent.
"Brother is amazing!"
"I want to learn too. Brother, can you teach me?", Asura shook Indra's arm, his eyes shining as he eagerly asked.
The disciples around them also cast hopeful looks. One after another, they stretched their necks, their eyes full of longing for power.
Indra frowned slightly and looked at Hagoromo helplessly.
He understood clearly that every decision in the Ninja Sect was made by his father. Even though he had created this method, whether it could be taught to others still required his father's decision.
Unless the Grandmaster in the bamboo forest spoke, no one could go beyond his father's ruling.
Hagoromo's gaze swept across the eager expressions of the crowd, and he fell into thought.
The spread of power would surely bring disputes. But now that various nations were gradually forming and conflicts were rising in the human world, if the Ninja Sect stayed closed off, how could it protect its followers?
The wheel of history rolled forward. Just like humanity moved from tribes to city states, even if accompanied by war, it was progress that could not be stopped. He could not keep the Ninja Sect standing still out of fear of conflict.
Just like the nations and tribes in the human world.
He could not force everyone to remain in the tribal era simply because they feared wars for power, could he?
He turned his head and looked at a young man standing beside him.
The young man had a steady expression. He was the child once recommended by Arisu and given the name "Sarutobi."
Over the years, he had studied and trained diligently in the Ninja Sect. His character and knowledge far surpassed those of his peers.
"Sarutobi, what do you think?", Hagoromo asked.
Sarutobi stepped forward and bowed. His voice was calm and strong. "I believe this method is worth adopting."
"First, if the students learn this technique, they will have the ability to protect themselves from wild beasts and bandits in these chaotic times."
"Second, chakra can be used for farming and construction, which can improve the productivity of the Ninja Sect."
"Third, with power, we can better protect the innocent people of the world and carry out the original intention of the Ninja Sect."
Hagoromo slowly nodded. Sarutobi's words matched exactly what he had been thinking.
Although it might cause disaster, overall, the benefits outweighed the harm.
Besides, he himself was still here to take responsibility.
Hagoromo looked up at the crowd and announced loudly before everyone, "From today on, everyone in the Ninja Sect must learn the art of hand seals and study the use of chakra!"
As soon as his words fell, thunderous cheers erupted around him.
The disciples waved their arms, their faces filled with excitement and passion. Power, this was power they had never possessed before.
Even if they claimed to be calm and free of desire, who could resist such power that allowed them to control themselves and change their surroundings?
Hagoromo took in everyone's expressions. The smile at the corner of his mouth slowly faded, and he let out a soft sigh in his heart.
By giving power to everyone, was he doing right or wrong?
Was he leading the Ninja Sect toward prosperity, or planting the seeds of conflict?
At this moment, he had no way of knowing. He could only let the tide of history push the Ninja Sect, and himself, forward step by step.
Perhaps history would prove that he was right, but... right now he could not prove it. He could only choose to follow the flow.
If he stopped it, what would the people of the Ninja Sect think of him?
Would they think he wanted to monopolize power?
Would they think Hagoromo was greedy for power and did not want them to touch it?
At that time, distance would grow between them, and people's hearts would scatter.
Indra looked at his father and slightly curled his lips.
He had already known that his father would make this choice.
———
Green bamboo formed shade. The wind passed through the treetops, and the rustling of bamboo leaves carried a hint of quiet loneliness.
Arisu leaned casually against a blue gray boulder, idly playing with the Six Paths Sword at his fingertips. His brow lifted slightly as he grumbled in his heart.
"That kid Indra wouldn't have fallen in love with me, would he? He actually comes every single day."
Back then he had only mentioned it casually, telling Indra to come to the bamboo forest from time to time so he could give him a bit of guidance when he had time.
He had not expected the boy to take it so seriously. Three hundred and sixty plus days a year, rain or shine, he came to this bamboo forest every day.
Every time he came, those eyes of his shone like stars, staring straight at him, full of admiration and eagerness.
When he left, he would look back every few steps. That reluctant look almost made Arisu laugh.
"Speaking of which, Indra still hasn't awakened his Sharingan. I might as well scare him and see what reaction this kid has."
A playful look flashed across Arisu's eyes.
Originally, according to the normal course, Black Zetsu would lead a wild boar to launch a sneak attack, and Indra would awaken his eyes under stimulation.
With a thought, faint chakra ripples spread around Arisu. Like an invisible net, his illusion instantly covered the entire bamboo forest.