Nanchuan You Controlled by Kaguya?

"Your father may have been deceived by Otsutsuki Kaguya..."

When Nanchuan You was mentioned, the Toad Sage's eyes also showed a trace of hesitation: "As a ruler, his talent is beyond doubt, but he is merely a mortal after all. It is only natural that he would be deceived by Otsutsuki Kaguya, a being from beyond the heavens."

"Yet even so, his achievements cannot be erased."

"It was he who restored prosperity to this land, and it was he who allowed mortals to live in peace and stability, enjoying a tranquil life."

He spoke thus, his words full of admiration for Nanchuan You.

Even though he harbored hostility toward Otsutsuki Kaguya, he held great esteem and respect for Nanchuan You's various deeds.

The lineage of Mount Myōboku had stood upon this land for many years, revered by many as a sacred ground.

As one of the de facto leaders of Mount Myōboku's lineage, the Toad Sage had descended to the land many times in ages past to observe the lives of mortals.

He had witnessed firsthand the miserable existence of mortals and harbored deep compassion for their various experiences.

Compared to the former rulers of this continent, Nanchuan You was as pure as a saint.

He was neither fond of women—having only Otsutsuki Kaguya as his partner in his entire life—nor did he indulge in luxury; his daily needs were merely sufficient for basic living.

Under his rule, mortals had ample food and clothing, no need to fear the threat of war, nor dread the oppression of their ruler. Their lives could be considered extremely fulfilling.

But the existence of the God Tree was ultimately a great hidden danger.

As long as the God Tree continued to drain the world's Natural Energy, the Natural Energy within the world would inevitably be exhausted one day.

And if that day truly came, the consequences would be extremely dire.

It was precisely for this reason that he had risked appearing, deliberately showing himself before the Hagoromo Brothers before him.

"Father..."

Hagoromo and Hamura exchanged glances, hesitation showing on their faces.

To be fair, they did not believe their father was someone easily deceived.

After all, in their hearts, Nanchuan You had always been very rational.

How could such a person be easily fooled?

And by someone like their mother, no less.

Even though she was their mother, in the hearts of the Hagoromo Brothers, she could hardly be called wise.

Aside from her unparalleled strength and striking appearance, Otsutsuki Kaguya's personality was full of flaws, with little to commend.

If someone claimed she could deceive Nanchuan You, they did not believe it.

Then, was he controlled?

The Hagoromo Brothers thought to themselves.

That was quite possible.

If it came to wisdom, Otsutsuki Kaguya was insignificant, but if it came to strength, no one could overlook her.

With her unmatched power, it was possible she had controlled Nanchuan You to achieve her own goals.

Nanchuan You might have realized the problem, but was trapped by Kaguya's intimidation and control, unable to extricate himself.

"Regardless of the truth, as long as we can see Father, we will know everything."

Hagoromo stood still, pondering this in his mind.

"Brother, should we go back?"

Beside him, Hamura looked at Hagoromo and asked.

"Yes."

Hagoromo nodded without any hesitation.

"On the matter of saving the world, our goals are aligned."

Before them, the Toad Sage spoke: "If you need any help, feel free to ask me."

"Both of you have great talent in Sage Art. If you wish, you can come with me to the sacred land of Mount Myōboku to cultivate Sage Art."

He continued: "Combining Sage Art with the power of Chakra can unleash extremely formidable strength, perhaps allowing you to rival your mother."

"Sage Art, huh..."

Hagoromo thought for a moment, then nodded: "That seems promising."

Within the palace of the Land of Ancestors, there were also some who used Sage Art, mostly shrine maidens and mages.

These people also employed some crude forms of Sage Art, said to be simplified versions of the real thing.

But those so-called Sage Arts were actually quite mediocre in power.

The Hagoromo Brothers had once looked into them out of curiosity, only to find that their utility was truly limited—not only were they ordinary in power, but their consumption was astonishingly high, far inferior to the power of Chakra.

But now, having carefully sensed the might of Natural Energy, he held a different view.

The power of Natural Energy was actually very strong. Even the God Tree, if it wished to grow, required this energy's supply.

If he could fully master this power and integrate it into his own combat system, he might achieve different results.

Of course, that was a matter for the future.

At the present stage, he still had more important things to do.

The next day, they set out on their return journey.

At their speed, abandoning the others, they soon returned to the capital of the Land of Ancestors.

Back in the familiar palace, they arrived before Nanchuan You's residence.

Before entering, their hearts were uneasy.

They worried that Nanchuan You had truly been controlled by Kaguya, and feared that something they didn't want to happen might occur.

But when they saw Nanchuan You, they were somewhat surprised.

In the garden behind the palace, Nanchuan You stood alone, looking quite leisurely at the moment.

His expression was calm, his demeanor composed, and he held a watering can in his hand, watering the flowers in the garden.

The whole process appeared very peaceful and serene, with no sign of anything unusual.

Only when he heard footsteps from outside did he turn around in slight surprise, looking toward the Hagoromo and Hamura brothers.

"Why are you back so soon?"

He looked at the Hagoromo brothers ahead, a smile spreading across his face: "Have you had enough fun outside?"

He didn't notice anything amiss with the Hagoromo brothers; he was simply happy for the children's return.

"Father."

The Hagoromo brothers looked at their father before them and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

From start to finish, the Hagoromo brothers had been sensing with all their might.

Hagoromo used Natural Energy to perceive, while Hamura also activated his Byakugan to its fullest to observe Chen Ziming's state.

But no matter how they observed, they couldn't detect any abnormality in Nanchuan You.

Clearly, no one was controlling Nanchuan You; he was still himself at this moment.

Having confirmed that Nanchuan You was not under Kaguya's control, the Hagoromo brothers felt an immense weight lift from their shoulders.

No matter the outcome, as long as the worst hadn't happened, it was worth it to them.

"It seems you've made quite a few new discoveries this time."

Meeting the Hagoromo brothers' gaze, Nanchuan You spoke with a smile: "Did you come here to share them with me?"