"Heh, I finally dealt with it."
A cold smile curled across Otsutsuki Isshiki's lips as he looked at the Sealing Cauldron before him. He felt somewhat relieved.
It hadn't done much damage to him, but it had really been a torment.
However, just as Isshiki thought everything was over, a figure silently appeared behind him.
"Release him."
A calm, aged voice suddenly sounded beside Isshiki's ear.
"Hm!? Who's there!?"
Otsutsuki Isshiki's pupils shrank sharply, and every hair on his body stood on end.
He immediately retreated to widen the distance, then turned around. An old man with white hair and beard, a face as cold as frost, stood there quietly with a sword in hand.
"Who are you?!"
Alarmed, Isshiki shouted coldly. Chakra surged through his body as he prepared to attack at any moment.
Arisu did not answer immediately. He merely looked at him calmly and said in an even voice, "Like you, I came from the other side of the sea of stars, a being that plunders worlds."
Isshiki frowned deeply as his thoughts raced. Another alien race? Why had he never seen one before?
Didn't they know the Otsutsuki Clan was the strongest force in the universe?
"If you're also an alien, why interfere in the affairs of these natives?"
Isshiki asked in a low voice.
Arisu shook his head. A trace of remembrance appeared in his eyes.
"This world has gone through many cycles. In the previous cycle, this monkey helped me."
Isshiki frowned.
"Cycles? What do you mean?"
Arisu looked at Isshiki and let out a faint sigh.
"In the end, you're just an ant. You cannot break free from the cycle.", Arisu spoke slowly.
Isshiki did not become angry after hearing those words.
If someone weaker than him had dared to say such a thing, he would have attacked already.
But the old man before him gave him an unprecedented sense of danger.
A thousand years of battle experience told him that if he made a move, he would very likely be killed in an instant.
"If this world has gone through so many cycles, then you've saved him in this one. What about the next cycle? Are you going to appear again and again to protect him?"
Suppressing the urge to attack, Isshiki asked coldly.
Arisu fell silent for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he simply waved his hand.
An invisible force instantly enveloped the Sealing Cauldron and easily shattered it.
BOOM!
The seal broke apart, and the White Ape King fell out of the cauldron, panting heavily, covered in wounds.
Otsutsuki Isshiki stared in shock.
He had broken his seal with nothing more than a wave of his hand... What kind of monstrous existence was this?
The White Ape King's gaze shifted back and forth between Isshiki and Arisu. It wasn't sure whether the two of them were together.
"I'm leaving."
Isshiki gritted his teeth and ultimately chose to retreat.
He immediately opened a portal and disappeared from where he stood.
In a situation like this, he couldn't just charge in recklessly anymore.
After Isshiki left, the White Ape King finally realized that it was the old man before him who had saved it.
"Senior... I will never forget your life-saving grace."
The White Ape King stepped forward, bowed slightly, and thanked him sincerely.
Arisu looked at the White Ape King, and a trace of remembrance flashed through his eyes.
Strictly speaking, the current White Ape King was no longer the White Ape King from before. They could be said to be two completely different "monkeys."
Arisu opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but stopped himself.
He had wanted to reminisce with the White Ape King, but suddenly realized that, for the current White Ape King, this was their first meeting.
In the end, Arisu only smiled gently and said, "Raise your descendants well."
With that, he turned around and slowly walked away, his back looking especially lonely.
The White Ape King stood where it was, watching the figure gradually disappear into the distance. It couldn't help scratching its head and muttering, "How come... I've never seen this person before..."
———
Meanwhile...
Otsutsuki Kaguya still followed the original course of events and was taken back to the royal city by the Land of Ancestors' procession.
With an indifferent expression, she allowed the guards to settle her into a magnificent palace, offering no resistance and saying very little.
At that moment, high in the sky, Arisu's eyes narrowed slightly.
He looked toward the royal palace of the Land of Ancestors, his brows slowly knitting together.
The Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors, who should have been nothing more than an ordinary ancient ruler, now carried a trace of something that felt out of place.
The feeling...
It was impossible to describe clearly, but it definitely wasn't something a person of this era should possess.
"Don't tell me the Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors got possessed... Why are there already so many transmigrators showing up... This is still the ancient era..."
"If it's already like this, then by the time we get to the Third Great Ninja War, when transmigrators show up all over the place... will there even be any locals left..."
Arisu rubbed his forehead and decided he should get involved.
———
[Deep Within The Royal Palace Of The Land Of Ancestors]
The Son of Heaven sat upon the lofty throne, looking at the white-haired woman brought before him. Excitement and complicated emotions that he could hardly conceal flashed through his eyes.
He waved his hand, dismissing all the guards and leaving only himself and Kaguya in the hall.
"Beautiful lady, you came from the heavens, didn't you?"
"There's no need to be afraid. It's very safe here. I... will take good care of you.", The Son of Heaven spoke gently.
Kaguya raised her eyes slightly but said nothing, only quietly observing him.
The Son of Heaven smiled and continued, "This world is filled with war and suffering, but I've always believed that true power can bring peace. Recently, strange signs have descended from the heavens. Perhaps Heaven is guiding us..."
Though he spoke casually, he carefully watched Kaguya's reaction.
At the same time, his fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the throne.
Then, as if mentioning it by chance, he continued, "I recently had a dream. In it, I saw a distant future where people could fly through the sky, travel underground, move mountains, and overturn seas... Truly amazing. If we could obtain that kind of power, perhaps we could end this chaotic age and let the people live in peace."
Every so often, his words included terms and ways of thinking that absolutely did not belong in this era, making him seem like an ambitious and somewhat prophetic wise ruler.
Watching everything from the shadows, amusement flashed through Arisu's eyes.
'Interesting... So that's how it is.'
He did not intervene immediately and simply continued watching.
———
Suzuki sat excitedly on the throne, looking at Kaguya with great interest.
"Holy crap, I finally got Kaguya back!"
On the surface, Suzuki remained calm while seated on the throne, but inside he was already overjoyed.
Everyone else transmigrated to the start of the main story and joined the protagonist's group.
But he had transmigrated straight into the ancient era and even become the Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors, Hagoromo and Hamura's father.
Next, all he had to do was follow the script, marry her, have two sons, and then find a way to obtain the Chakra Fruit...
"Hehe, this is in the bag."
Suzuki looked at the legendary Princess Kaguya before him.
He tried hard to maintain the bearing of an ancient emperor, but inwardly he couldn't stop complaining.
This girl's presence is way too overwhelming. Her face is beautiful, but those eyes... she really is final boss material.
But it didn't matter.
He was a transmigrator with the "prophet" halo.
As long as he stayed careful, didn't reveal too much, slowly guided the plot, and won Kaguya over, he would become the greatest winner behind the scenes in this world.