Ninja Sect's Great Development

In front of the Ninja Sect main hall, a crowd surged.

All the disciples huddled into a circle, their gazes locked tightly onto Indra in the center.

Hagoromo stood with his hands behind his back in front of the crowd, while Asura peered over the shoulders of the disciples in the front row, his small face filled with curiosity.

In the middle of the clearing, Indra stood tall and straight. After taking a deep breath, his fingertips suddenly began to dance.

Those hand gestures were complex yet fluid, and in the blink of an eye, he completed a coherent set of hand seals.

"Whoosh—"

A cluster of scorching flames suddenly erupted from his palm. The orange-red fire illuminated the boy's face brilliantly and plunged the surroundings into instant silence.

The next second, gasps exploded.

"Fire, fire?! Creating fire out of thin air?"

"How is this possible! Aside from Lord Hagoromo, who else can manipulate power like this?"

"What were those hand gestures just now? They looked dizzying, yet they had an indescribable sense of order!"

The members of the Ninja Sect widened their eyes; some gasped, some leaned forward but dared not get too close, and a cacophony of discussion rose one after another, their eyes filled with unbelievable shock.

Hagoromo's pupils constricted sharply, and a stormy sea surged in his heart.

He naturally recognized this as a "jutsu," a way to mobilize the chakra within the body and release it in a specific form.

However, his own bloodline was unique, allowing him to draw out power without the need for such complex gestures. He had never imagined that someone could combine chakra with hand shapes to create such a method.

"Brother! Brother!"

"What did you do? Where did this fire come from?"

Asura could no longer contain himself. He pushed through the crowd and ran over, grabbing Indra's wrist. He leaned his little head toward the flame in his brother's palm, peering at it with a mix of fear and curiosity.

Indra gently raised his hand, and the flame in his palm obediently extinguished. Seeing the excitement in his younger brother's eyes, he explained patiently, "I discovered that the chakra within us can be guided through different hand shapes. As long as one forms the corresponding seals, one can release different powers. This fire is one such example."

Having said that, he turned and bowed slightly to Hagoromo: "Father, this is what I have researched recently."

Hagoromo looked at his son, who was not yet ten years old, and the astonishment in his heart grew even more intense.

He had long noticed Indra heading to the Bamboo Forest day after day. He had secretly sensed the area but never found a second person there.

He had assumed Indra was just finding a quiet place to practice, but now he realized he had been researching such an earth-shattering technique.

"So that is how it is."

Hagoromo nodded, the doubts in his heart dissipating, replaced by admiration for his son's talent.

"Brother is amazing!"

"I want to learn too, Brother, will you teach me?"

Asura shook Indra's hand, his eyes shining as he requested excitedly.

The surrounding Ninja Sect disciples also cast expectant gazes, each stretching their necks, their eyes filled with a longing for power.

Indra, however, frowned slightly and looked helplessly at Hagoromo.

He understood that all decisions in the Ninja Sect were made by his father. Even if he had created this method, whether it could be taught to others was up to his father to decide.

Unless the master in the Bamboo Forest spoke, no one could override his father's judgment.

Hagoromo's gaze swept over the longing expressions of the crowd, and he fell into deep thought.

The popularization of power would inevitably lead to disputes. But now that various nations were gradually being established in the world and conflicts were rising, if the Ninja Sect remained stagnant, how could it protect its followers?

The wheels of history rolled forward, just as humanity moved from tribes to city-states. Even if accompanied by war, it was an unstoppable progress. He could not let the Ninja Sect remain in place forever just because he feared conflict.

Just like the nations and tribes of the world.

One could not simply force everyone to remain in the tribal era just because of the fear of war and power struggles.

He turned his head to look at a boy standing beside him.

The boy had steady features; he was the child recommended by Manji years ago, whom he had named "Sarutobi." Over the years, he had studied diligently in the Ninja Sect, and his temperament and insight far exceeded those of his peers.

"Sarutobi, what do you think?"

Hagoromo asked.

Sarutobi stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a steady, powerful voice: "Replying to Lord Hagoromo, this disciple believes this method is viable.

Firstly, once the disciples learn this technique, they will possess the power to protect themselves and be spared from the harassment of mountain spirits and bandits in these chaotic times.

Secondly, chakra can be used for farming and construction, which can increase the productivity of the Ninja Sect.

Thirdly, with power, we can better protect the innocent people of the world and fulfill the original intent of the Ninja Sect."

Upon hearing this, Hagoromo nodded slowly. Sarutobi's words aligned perfectly with his own thoughts.

Although it might cause disaster, the overall result was that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

Not to mention, he was there to provide a safety net.

Hagoromo raised his eyes to look at the crowd, and under the gaze of all, he announced in a clear voice: "From this day forward, everyone in the Ninja Sect must learn the art of hand seals and study the application of chakra!"

As his words fell, thunderous cheers erupted all around.

The disciples waved their arms, their faces filled with excitement and fanaticism—power, this was a power they had never possessed before. Even if they claimed to be pure-hearted and desireless, who could not be obsessed when faced with such power to control oneself and change their surroundings?

Hagoromo took in the expressions of the crowd, the smile at the corners of his mouth gradually fading, and he sighed softly in his heart.

Was it right or wrong to bestow power upon them?

Would it propel the Ninja Sect toward prosperity, or would it sow the seeds of strife?

At this moment, he had no way of knowing; he could only let the torrent of history push the Ninja Sect, and himself, forward step by step.

Perhaps history would prove him right, but... he could not prove it now and could only choose to comply.

If he were to stop it, how would the people of the Ninja Sect view him?

Would they think he wanted to monopolize power?

Would they think he, Hagoromo, was greedy for power and did not want them to touch it?

At that time, rifts would form, leading to the disintegration of their hearts.

Indra looked at his father, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

He had known all along that his father would make this choice.

Green bamboo formed a shade, the wind brushed the treetops, and the rustling of bamboo leaves carried a touch of solitude.

Manji leaned against a grey boulder, his fingertips carelessly fiddling with the Six Paths Sword, his eyebrows slightly raised as he muttered to himself.

That kid Indra, could he have fallen in love with me? To think he actually comes every single day.

He had only mentioned it casually back then, telling Indra to come to the Bamboo Forest every now and then so he could spare some time to guide him. He never expected this youth to be so stubborn, coming to this Bamboo Forest every day, rain or shine, for over three hundred and sixty days a year.

Every time he arrived, those eyes shone like stars, staring straight at him, filled with admiration and eagerness.

When he left, he would look back every few steps, his reluctant demeanor making Manji want to laugh.

Come to think of it, Indra still hasn't awakened the Sharingan. Perhaps I should give him a scare and see how the kid reacts.

A playful glint flashed in Manji's eyes.

Normally, Black Zetsu would incite the Great Wild Boar to launch a sneak attack, and Indra would awaken his eyes after being stimulated.

With a thought, a faint ripple of chakra emanated from Manji's body, and an illusion, like an invisible net, instantly enveloped the entire Bamboo Forest.