"This is the God Tree..."
Hagoromo stood before the God Tree, gazing at its magnificent form. He could not help but sigh, "It's so tall..."
After growing for several decades, the God Tree was now far more magnificent than it had been before.
Across the vast wasteland, this was the only God Tree standing. Yet it gave off an extremely terrifying feeling, as though what stood before them was not a tree, but a god towering between heaven and earth.
Terrifying chakra flowed within it, carrying immense Natural Energy.
As Hagoromo stood before the God Tree, this aura resonated with the chakra within his body.
In a place no one noticed, a faint Rinnegan pattern surfaced in his eyes, tinged with a hint of purple.
Yet the moment Hagoromo turned around, the change vanished completely, as though it had never appeared.
"This God Tree... I wonder how far it will grow."
Nearby, his younger brother Hamura sighed.
As Namikawa Yū's sons, they knew many secrets that would have been completely classified to ordinary people.
Thus, they also knew that the God Tree before them grew at an astonishing speed every year.
For this reason, the Land of Ancestors had to collect enormous quantities of Chakra Crystals from all over the land each year to nourish the God Tree.
But judging from the current situation, the God Tree was still far from reaching the end of its growth.
The God Tree before them rose straight into the heavens, and its end was almost impossible to see.
Hamura did not know how long it would continue growing before it finally stopped.
Perhaps the God Tree's growth itself had no end.
Under normal circumstances, however, the energy contained within a world was limited, and the God Tree would often drain it dry in a very short time.
"Is that... the God Tree's fruit?"
The Hagoromo Brothers looked up at the God Tree before them.
From where they stood, they could clearly see a fruit growing atop the God Tree's crown.
The fruit had already taken shape. Nourished by enormous amounts of chakra, it was gradually growing larger, though it had yet to fully ripen.
The two remained silent as they stood there for a long while. Only afterward did they leave.
This experience still had a certain impact on the two of them.
That night, they inexplicably had the same dream.
In the dream, they saw a toad.
The toad's body appeared enormous, completely unlike an ordinary toad, and it radiated a rich aura of Natural Energy.
"Who are you?"
The moment they saw the toad, the Hagoromo Brothers immediately came to their senses.
"Is this a genjutsu?"
They soon realized that something was wrong. They understood that they had entered a genjutsu space and were no longer in reality.
"My name is Gamamaru. The two princes may also call me the Toad Sage."
The enormous toad before them stared at the Hagoromo Brothers. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "I have been waiting for you for a very long time."
"Waiting for us?"
Hagoromo was puzzled. "Why have you been waiting for us?"
"Is there something you want us to do?"
"Yes."
Gamamaru nodded. "A crisis capable of destroying the world has already appeared. In the near future, a tremendous danger will emerge."
"And the two of you are the Child of Destiny chosen by the world—the ones fated to save it."
"A crisis that will destroy the world?"
Hamura frowned and immediately rebuked him. "What nonsense!"
"Everything outside is so beautiful. The world is at peace. Where is this crisis you speak of?"
The Ninja World was currently enjoying an unprecedented era of prosperity.
Even an ordinary commoner could grow up safely in this era without encountering any accidents.
The Hagoromo Brothers had witnessed all of this with their own eyes.
Now, how could they believe some inexplicable giant toad that had suddenly appeared and claimed that a tremendous crisis was about to befall the world?
"Even if a crisis truly appears, Father's abilities and Mother's power will be more than enough to deal with it."
Hagoromo spoke with complete confidence in his parents.
Throughout the long history of the Ninja World, Namikawa Yū's abilities needed no further explanation. No matter how difficult or troublesome a matter was, it seemed insignificant before him.
As for Kaguya's power, it was the strongest the Hagoromo Brothers had ever witnessed in their lives.
No matter how terrifying the crisis, it seemed that nothing could withstand the two of them.
"The Son of the Land of Ancestors?"
Upon hearing Namikawa Yū's name, Gamamaru's expression became animated, revealing deep admiration. "He truly is an extraordinary man."
"In all the years this world has existed, he is the first person capable of achieving such a feat."
"He not only ended the wars, but even the demons that once ravaged every corner have disappeared..."
"Your mother's power is also truly formidable, enough to suppress any disaster."
"However, the one threatening the world is none other than your mother herself..."
He spoke softly, letting out a long sigh.
The one who would destroy the world was our mother herself?
Hearing this, the Hagoromo Brothers' expressions changed slightly.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Hagoromo Otsutsuki's expression instantly turned serious.
He stared fixedly at Gamamaru before him, as though he wanted to see straight through him. "What exactly is your purpose?"
He had barged in front of them without permission, dragged them into this genjutsu space, and then spread malicious claims about their own mother before them.
No normal person could tolerate that.
The Hagoromo Brothers were no exception.
Thus, they glared fixedly at Gamamaru, looking very much as though they intended to attack him directly.
"What I said was not false. It was a real scene that will come to pass..."
Gamamaru sighed and spoke. "Beneath the light of the Land of Ancestors, darkness lurks as well. Most of the time, that darkness is concealed by the radiance, preventing you from seeing it clearly."
"But destiny will guide you to see everything."
"When that time comes, you will naturally have your answer."
As his voice fell, ripples spread through the genjutsu space before them, and it quickly shattered.
With a crisp sound, the Hagoromo Brothers returned to reality, escaping the genjutsu space they had been in.
"The Toad Sage... Who exactly is that guy?"
Hagoromo and Hamura wore solemn expressions. Neither could help but have the same thought flash through his mind.
After that day, the Toad Sage did not appear again.
Everything that had happened that day was like an illusory dream, leaving behind only a faint impression.
Just as the Hagoromo Brothers were about to forget the dream entirely, a new change occurred.
That day, the brothers were patrolling around the God Tree.
One prison cart after another suddenly approached from ahead, heading toward the central forbidden grounds where the God Tree stood.
"Those are... prison carts transporting prisoners?"
Hagoromo was astonished. "Why are they here?"