"Sorry, Brother, I was delayed on the way and came late."
Ashura scratched his head, still wearing that friendly expression.
"It doesn't matter.", Indra smiled gently.
In his eyes, his younger brother had a weak personality and abilities far below his own.
Returning late this time and even bringing a group of ordinary people, he must have been unable to complete the task alone and had to rely on nearby villagers to get through it.
If it had been him, he could have swept away all obstacles by himself. There would be no need to drag others along like this.
But even though he thought his brother was useless...
Ashura was still his only blood relative. Deep in his heart, he still saw him as family.
He even thought that once he inherited the Ninja Sect, he would guide his brother onto the "right" path and protect him well.
Indra lightly glanced at the group of ordinary people behind Ashura, their faces showing fear yet full of trust, and said nothing.
By the window of the main hall, Otsutsuki Hagoromo stood quietly, taking in everything below.
Seeing Ashura surrounded by mortals, his brows gentle and warm, a faint smile of relief curved on the old man's lips.
This child carried the same bearing he once had when he traveled the world and guided people.
He understood how to connect with others. His heart held great love and tolerance, and he knew how to treat all living beings with kindness.
And the original intention of setting this test was never to judge strength.
The leader of the Ninja Sect needed not absolute power alone, but affinity, tolerance, and a broad heart for all people.
Indra's strength was unmatched through the ages, but he was proud and distant, believed in power above all, and did not understand connection or compassion. He was not the best choice to lead the Ninja Sect and carry on its ideals.
As for Ashura's weakness in strength, as the founder of the Ninja Sect, Hagoromo had his own way to forcibly pass his power to him and raise his cultivation to the same level as Indra.
To put it simply, he would give him a cheat and directly pour "cultivation" into him.
Before long, by Hagoromo's order, Sarutobi gathered all the core disciples of the Ninja Sect into the main hall.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was solemn and quiet. The green stone floor was smooth like a mirror. The disciples kneeling on both sides held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo sat at the highest seat. His chakra was steady like a deep abyss as his gaze slowly swept over those below.
Indra and Ashura knelt side by side at the very front of the hall.
Indra's back was straight, his expression calm, still certain that the position of successor belonged to him.
Ashura lowered his eyes as he sat, the unease in his heart growing stronger.
Ashura was not afraid of failing to become the successor. He was afraid that Father would choose him....
All eyes focused on Hagoromo, waiting for the final decision.
Hagoromo slowly lifted his gaze. His voice was steady and dignified, echoing through the entire hall. "Today, I will announce the successor of the Ninja Sect."
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the hall tightened to the extreme. You could hear a pin drop.
Indra slightly raised his eyes, a light of certainty flashing within them, waiting for his father to say his name.
But in the next second, Hagoromo's voice fell clearly, without any hesitation.
"The successor of the Ninja Sect is Ashura."
With one sentence, it was decided.
Ashura suddenly looked up.
His eyes were wide open, his face full of shock and disbelief. His lips parted, yet for a moment he could not say a word. He had never expected this honor to fall upon him.
Beside him, Indra's calm confidence froze instantly. His dark pupils shrank sharply. His expression shifted from calm to stunned, then to complete disbelief.
Even the chakra around him surged uncontrollably with a sharp fluctuation.
He stood frozen in place, as if unable to believe what he had just heard.
The moment those words were spoken, it was not only the two of them.
All the disciples of the Ninja Sect were shocked.
They admitted that Indra was fierce, but he truly had power and authority. He was a leader among leaders.
Although Ashura was gentle and they liked following him more, in terms of the Ninja Sect, Indra might have been more suitable.
"Why!?"
"I don't have Brother's talent. Why choose me!?"
Ashura quickly stood up, his voice anxious, almost pleading. "Father! You can't do this! I'm not suitable at all!"
Ashura's panic and retreat only turned into deep hypocrisy and mockery in Indra's eyes.
Indra stood there, his dark robe unmoving. His face was as cold as if covered in frost.
"Why not let me take the position? Please tell me your reason.", Indra slowly looked toward Hagoromo on the main seat. His tone carried suppressed rage and unwillingness.
He was a genius rarely seen in a thousand years of the Ninja Sect. He awakened the Sharingan at birth and controlled the strongest power. The position of successor should have been his without question.
Hagoromo looked at his two sons, and a trace of sigh passed through his aged eyes.
"I just received information. The border village you were guarding has already been destroyed.", Hagoromo said with a slight sigh.
As soon as the words fell, the entire hall was shaken.
Everyone looked up in shock. Whispered discussions instantly spread.
Sarutobi, standing at the front, darkened in expression.
He stepped forward and looked at Indra with doubt. "Did you use force to clear out the remnants of the Divine Tree and pressure the villagers, which led to their destruction?"
"Do I look that stupid?", Indra suddenly turned his head. His cold gaze shot toward Sarutobi like a blade.
Before the words fully fell, his scarlet Sharingan suddenly opened. The tomoe slowly rotated in his eyes. A fierce pressure swept out and locked tightly onto Sarutobi.
"You...", Sarutobi felt the hairs on his body stand up. Even his bones felt cold.
Under the gaze of those eyes that saw through everything and carried terrifying pressure, even breathing became difficult.
But he still gritted his teeth and straightened his back, resisting the pressure.
He had been personally brought back to the Ninja Sect by the Sage of Six Paths Arisu and had been given his name by Hagoromo.
In terms of background, that legendary ancestor was his greatest support. He had never been afraid of Indra.
Hagoromo took in this scene, his brows slightly furrowing. The disappointment in his heart grew heavier.
It was only a single question, yet Indra immediately used the Sharingan to apply pressure.
This way of worshiping authority and using power to threaten others at the slightest provocation was so similar to his mother Kaguya, who once unified the world yet ruled with cruelty.
Back then, Kaguya had used the overwhelming pressure of the Byakugan to suppress all resistance and hold absolute power, eventually falling into obsession and destruction.
And at this moment, Indra's words, expression, and even the way he used power already carried some of Kaguya's violent aura.
"No need to be angry."
Hagoromo spoke lightly, suppressing the pressure in the hall as he slowly revealed the truth.
"According to my information, after you left, the villagers fought among themselves over control of water resources. In the end, both sides were badly hurt, and the village was destroyed."
"What?!", Indra froze suddenly. A thin trace of red appeared where he bit his lip. A flicker of shock passed through his sharp eyes.
"Happiness that is easily obtained never lasts long."
"You were too eager for quick results. You only knew how to use power to quickly solve problems, but you never thought about nurturing bonds and feelings among the clanspeople."
"Ashura lived and worked with the villagers. He personally taught them how to survive and exchanged sincerity for sincerity. Only happiness formed that way will not easily collapse.", Hagoromo's voice was calm.
This explanation did not convince Indra. Instead, his face grew darker, and the violent aura around him almost overflowed.
"That is Ashura's weakness. He needs to rely on those useless emotions! Besides, what does the destruction of a remote village prove? It's nothing but a trivial matter!"
Indra growled in a low voice.
Seeing that Indra was still stubborn, Hagoromo slowly turned his head and looked at all the members of the Ninja Sect in the hall.
Since that was the case, then let there be a public vote.
"Then everyone present, would you rather follow Ashura, or Indra?", Hagoromo asked slowly.
Indra also suddenly turned his head. His scarlet Sharingan swept over everyone, his gaze filled with pressing expectation and pressure.
He did not believe that after giving them power and teaching them to control chakra, these people would betray him and choose the useless Ashura.
"I prefer Ashura!", Sarutobi almost blurted it out. His voice was firm.
The hall fell silent for a moment....
In their hearts, they had to admit that Ashura was gentle and sincere. He was always willing to suffer alongside them.
His closeness was far beyond the proud and distant Indra. But because of Indra's power, no one dared to speak easily.
This silence, in Indra's eyes, was naked betrayal.
"It was I who gave you power! I gave you the means to survive! You should choose me! Without me, you would still be ants trampled by others!"
Indra completely lost control. His scarlet Sharingan spun violently. His face twisted with anger, showing full ferocity.
Everyone was frightened by his vicious appearance and stepped back repeatedly. Fear showed on their faces. No one dared to meet his gaze.
Hagoromo let out a soft sigh. His voice was full of regret. "Child, you are attached to appearances…"
"Power has never been the foundation of rule. Bonds are."
Ashura looked at his brother, who seemed almost insane. His eyes were full of worry and helplessness. He opened his mouth, his voice so soft it was almost unheard. "Brother…"
Indra's face was cold as frost. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Cold chakra light almost seeped from between his fingers.
Suddenly...
Indra suddenly raised his eyes, looked past everyone, and stared at the ancient painting hanging in the center of the hall.
It was the portrait of the legendary ancestor of the Ninja Sect, the Sage of Six Paths Arisu.
At this moment, the painting became his last straw.
"You mediocre people! You judge the successor out of selfishness. Do you dare invite the ancestor to appear and let him personally decide the successor of the Ninja Sect!?", Indra shouted upward, his voice filled with desperate madness.
He was certain that with his talent and his connection to the ancestor, once the ancestor appeared, he would surely silence all opposition and appoint him as successor.
At this moment, Indra also wanted to rely on connections to take the position.
Hagoromo's brows suddenly lifted, a trace of helplessness and surprise passing through his eyes.
Indra was truly panicking and grasping at anything now.....
Even he, as the leader of the Ninja Sect, rarely got to see the ancestor Arisu. Yet Indra naively thought he could summon him at will?
Sarutobi beside them looked even more strained, his mouth twitching.
His grandfather had once waited at the village entrance for a hundred years just to see the ancestor once. Yet Indra thought he could invite him out with a single angry shout?
"Stop this nonsense!", Hagoromo's tone grew much harsher.
"Good! Good! Hahaha!!!", Indra clenched his fists and suddenly rushed out of the hall.
That day, not a single person was willing to follow him.....