"Your father may have been beguiled by Otsutsuki Kaguya..."
At the mention of Namikawa Yū, a trace of hesitation appeared in the Toad Sage's eyes. "His talent as a ruler is beyond question, but he is only a mortal, after all. It would be perfectly normal for him to be beguiled by Otsutsuki Kaguya, who came from beyond this world."
"Even so, that cannot erase his accomplishments."
"He was the one who restored prosperity to this land, and he was the one who allowed mortals to live and work in peace, enjoying peaceful, stable lives."
His words were full of admiration for Namikawa Yū.
Despite his hostility toward Otsutsuki Kaguya, he greatly admired and respected everything Namikawa Yū had done.
The Mount Myōboku lineage had stood on this land for many years, and many revered it as a sacred place.
As one of the de facto leaders of the Mount Myōboku lineage, the Toad Sage had visited the land many times over the years to observe the lives of mortals.
He had witnessed their miserable lives firsthand and felt deep compassion for all they endured.
Compared with the rulers who had once governed this continent, Namikawa Yū was practically as pure as a saint.
He neither lusted after women, having had only Otsutsuki Kaguya as his woman throughout his life, nor enjoyed extravagance, requiring only enough to meet his basic daily needs.
Under his rule, mortals had ample food and clothing. They did not have to worry about the threat of war or fear oppression by their ruler. Their lives could already be considered exceptionally happy.
Yet the existence of the God Tree remained an enormous hidden danger.
As long as the God Tree continued absorbing the world's natural energy, the day would eventually come when the natural energy within the world ran dry.
And if that day truly came, the outcome would be extremely grim.
That was precisely why he had risked appearing, specifically coming before the brothers Hagoromo and Hamura.
"Our father..."
Hagoromo and Hamura exchanged a glance, both looking hesitant.
In all fairness, they did not think their father was someone who could easily be beguiled.
After all, in their minds, Namikawa Yū had always been very rational.
How could someone like him be so easily beguiled?
Especially by someone like their mother.
Although she was their own mother, the brothers really could not say she possessed much wisdom.
Aside from her unparalleled power and outstanding appearance, Otsutsuki Kaguya's character was full of flaws, with little worth praising.
They did not believe someone like her could beguile Namikawa Yū.
Then was he being controlled?
That was what the brothers thought.
That was quite possible.
When it came to wisdom, Otsutsuki Kaguya was hardly worth mentioning, but when it came to strength, no one would overlook her.
With no one able to rival her strength, it was possible that she had taken control of Namikawa Yū to achieve her own ends.
Namikawa Yū might have realized there was a problem, but was unable to free himself because of Kaguya's intimidation and control.
Whatever the truth may be, as long as we can see Father, we'll be able to learn everything.
Hagoromo stood there, thinking.
"Brother, shall we go back?"
Beside him, Hamura looked at Hagoromo and asked.
"All right."
Hagoromo nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"When it comes to saving the world, our goals are the same."
Before them, the Toad Sage said, "If you need any help, feel free to ask me."
"You both have a great talent for senjutsu. If possible, you could come with me to the sacred land of Mount Myōboku to train in senjutsu."
He continued, "Combining senjutsu with the power of chakra can unleash tremendous strength. It might allow you to match your mother."
"Senjutsu?"
Hagoromo considered it for a moment, then nodded. "That sounds good."
There were also some people who used senjutsu in the palace of the Land of Ancestors, mostly witches and mages.
These people could also use some rudimentary senjutsu, supposedly simplified versions of true senjutsu.
But those so-called senjutsu were actually nothing special in terms of power.
Out of curiosity, the brothers had spent some time learning about them, only to discover that they really were not very useful. Not only was their power ordinary, but they were also astonishingly taxing to use, far inferior to the power of chakra.
But now, after carefully experiencing the power of natural energy, Hagoromo had a different opinion.
Natural energy was actually very powerful. Even the God Tree needed a supply of this energy to grow.
If he could fully master this power and incorporate it into his own combat system, he might achieve different results.
Of course, that was a matter for the future.
At this stage, he had more important things to do.
The next day, they set off on their return journey.
At their speed, leaving everyone else behind, they soon returned to the capital of the Land of Ancestors.
Returning to the familiar palace, they arrived outside Namikawa Yū's residence.
Before entering, they felt somewhat uneasy.
They worried both that Namikawa Yū really was being controlled by Kaguya and that something they did not want to happen might occur.
But when they saw Namikawa Yū, they were somewhat surprised.
In the garden behind the palace, Namikawa Yū stood alone, looking quite relaxed.
His expression was calm and his manner composed as he held a watering can, watering the flowers in the garden.
The whole scene looked tranquil and peaceful, with nothing unusual about it at all.
Only when he heard footsteps outside did he turn around in some surprise and look toward the brothers Hagoromo and Hamura.
"Why are you back so soon?"
He looked at the brothers before him and smiled. "Have you had enough fun outside already?"
He had not noticed anything unusual about the brothers and was simply happy that his two children had returned.
"Father."
Looking at their father before them, the brothers inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
From the start until now, the brothers had been using their full power to sense him.
Hagoromo used natural energy to sense him, while Hamura likewise activated his Byakugan to its fullest to observe Chen Ziming.
But no matter how they observed him, they found nothing unusual about Namikawa Yū.
Clearly, no one was controlling Namikawa Yū. He was still himself.
Having confirmed that Namikawa Yū was not being controlled by Kaguya, both brothers immediately felt a weight lift from their shoulders.
Whatever the outcome, as long as the worst had not happened, it was worth it to them.
"It looks like you've made quite a few new discoveries this time."
Meeting the brothers' gazes, Namikawa Yū smiled. "Have you come to share them with me?"