Time Is Running Out

"I will have to leave eventually..."

Back in his quarters within the palace, Nanchuan You looked at the panel that had appeared before him, a thought quietly flashing through his mind.

A countdown was displayed on that panel, with roughly ten years remaining.

This was the time limit imposed by the Reincarnation Panel.

After spending so much time in this world, Nanchuan You had discovered that reincarnation was not entirely without restrictions.

Each of his reincarnations could last for no more than fifty years.

It was not that he could not remain after fifty years, but that the stability of time could no longer be maintained.

In simple terms, it was a matter of time flow.

This world and the main world were essentially parallel worlds.

The flow of time in the two worlds should originally have been different, but it had been altered by the Panel's immense power.

Under the Reincarnation Panel's influence, no matter how long Nanchuan You remained in this world, only an instant would pass after he returned to his original world.

But that effect was not unlimited; it was restricted to fifty years.

In other words, once he had remained in this world for more than fifty years, the flow of time in the two worlds would become equal.

Nanchuan You could, of course, choose to remain in this world forever.

But if he did that, his original body would likely be in serious trouble.

It was entirely possible that it would simply starve to death at home.

Thinking of that outcome, Nanchuan You silently sighed.

"Will I have a chance to come back to this world in the future?"

Standing there, that thought crossed Nanchuan You's mind.

As the question surfaced in his mind, a response came back a moment later.

Yes.

Since the Reincarnation Panel could allow him to reincarnate into this world, it could naturally also bring his original body here.

However, accomplishing that would undoubtedly require an enormous expenditure.

He would need a massive number of points to completely establish a connection between the two worlds.

"I see."

After learning the answer, relief immediately appeared on Nanchuan You's face. "That's not bad, then."

"Since that's the case, I should obtain as many benefits as possible in the time ahead."

That thought passed through his mind. Then he quietly turned and walked away.

While Nanchuan You considered his next steps, the Hagoromo Brothers began their own work elsewhere.

They found the Toad Sage and relayed what Nanchuan You had said.

"I see..."

Listening to the Hagoromo Brothers, understanding appeared on the Toad Sage's face. "So this is the breadth of vision possessed by the Son of the Land of Ancestors. It is truly vast..."

He had thought that Nanchuan You would fly into a rage after hearing the Hagoromo Brothers' intentions. He had even assumed that Nanchuan You might send people to detain and imprison them, and had already prepared himself for the worst, ready to rescue them at any moment.

Yet, to his surprise, Nanchuan You had given them such an answer.

Not only had he not stopped them, he had encouraged the Hagoromo Brothers to move forward and become stronger.

Even if their strength might one day hinder him, it did not matter.

"Father has always been like this."

Hamura, who had usually been rather quiet, suddenly spoke. "I told you long ago that, given Father's character, he would never do such things."

"Even if he truly stood on Mother's side, he would never lay a hand on us."

If the mother-son relationship between the Hagoromo Brothers and Otsutsuki Kaguya was somewhat strained, then the father-son relationship between Nanchuan You and the Hagoromo Brothers was exceptionally harmonious.

As a child personally raised by Nanchuan You, Hamura simply did not believe that Nanchuan You would ever attack them.

To him, that was utter nonsense.

"That is indeed true."

Hagoromo, standing before him, also nodded. "Father has never been that kind of person."

"It seems I was overthinking things."

The Toad Sage smiled, unconcerned. "But since you have returned, I presume you have made your decision."

"Yes."

Hagoromo nodded. "We will return with you and learn your Senjutsu."

"No matter what the future brings, we must become stronger."

"That way, even if Mother one day walks down the wrong path, we will have the power to correct her."

"Then come with me, both of you."

The Toad Sage nodded before speaking. "Training at Mount Myōboku is not easy. You must be prepared."

"You need not tell us that."

The Hagoromo Brothers remained calm, without the slightest trace of fear.

They were both people of exceptional talent and unwavering determination. Since they had already made their decision, they naturally would not hesitate in the slightest.

Thus, over the following days, they followed the Toad Sage to Mount Myōboku and began attempting to learn the Senjutsu passed down there.

So-called Senjutsu was, in truth, a method of using Natural Energy.

In this regard, the Hagoromo Brothers displayed remarkable talent and affinity.

It did not take them long to master Senjutsu and fully grasp Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu inheritance. Using it as their foundation, they began their own cultivation.

As they cultivated, their strength steadily grew, advancing at an incredibly rapid pace.

Time passed outside, each day faster than the last.

Before they knew it, several more years had gone by.

During those years, many changes also took place within the Land of Ancestors.

The number of living human sacrifices across the land decreased, and livestock could now be used in their place.

The burden upon the Land of Ancestors began to lessen.

As the number of people mastering chakra increased each year, the number of Chakra Crystals they could condense also grew accordingly.

Every aspect of the Land of Ancestors seemed to be growing and moving toward a better future.

Yet opposite this progress were the natural disasters.

Over the past few years, as productivity rose, war and famine had vanished completely. Yet all kinds of natural disasters had instead become increasingly frequent.

Earthquakes struck various places from time to time, while terrifying tsunamis swept across the land, creating scenes of dreadful destruction.

If the people of the Land of Ancestors had not already widely mastered the power of chakra, the losses would have been unimaginable.

Even so, the losses remained immense. Every year, many people died, and the effects were far-reaching.

This was, in fact, the influence of the God Tree's power.

As the God Tree grew, its absorption of Natural Energy became increasingly severe.

The concentration of Natural Energy throughout the world steadily declined, and with it, a layer of protection was lost.

The final result was unending natural disasters and a catastrophic scene of destruction.

And that year, two figures appeared before the God Tree.

"The Natural Energy absorbed by the God Tree has become increasingly terrifying..."

Before the God Tree, Otsutsuki Hagoromo slowly raised his head. Looking at the ever more magnificent God Tree before him, his gaze could not help becoming complicated.

Beside him, Otsutsuki Hamura stood quietly. His Byakugan was likewise fixed on the God Tree before them, but he did not say a word.