That Day, Not a Single Person Followed Me.

That day, not a single person followed me. "Sorry, brother, I was delayed on the way and arrived late."

Asura scratched his head, wearing his usual kind expression.

"It is of no consequence."

Indra smiled gently.

In his eyes, his younger brother was weak-willed and possessed ability far inferior to his own. To return late while bringing a group of commoners along surely meant he had failed to complete the task on his own and had to rely on the nearby villagers to muddle through.

If it were him, he could have swept away all obstacles with his own strength alone; there would be no need for such cumbersome baggage.

Yet, even though he considered his brother incompetent...

Asura was, after all, his only blood relative, and deep down, he still regarded him as family.

He thought that once he inherited the Ninja Sect, he would certainly guide his brother onto the "correct" path and keep him safe.

Indra swept a faint glance over the group of commoners behind Asura, who looked timid yet full of trust, and said nothing more.

By the window of the main hall, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo stood quietly, taking in everything below.

Watching Asura, surrounded by commoners with a gentle look in his eyes, the corners of his aged mouth curled slightly into a smile of gratification.

This child possessed the same demeanor he had when he traveled the world to enlighten others—he understood how to connect with people, held great love and tolerance in his heart, and knew how to treat all living beings with a gentle spirit.

The true intention behind the trial he set was never to judge the strength of their power.

A leader of the Ninja Sect did not need solitary, overwhelming strength; they needed the charisma and perspective of someone who was approachable, inclusive, and cared for the masses.

Indra's power was peerless, yet he was arrogant and cold, believing only in the supremacy of strength and lacking an understanding of connection and benevolence. He was by no means the best candidate to lead the Ninja Sect and carry on its philosophy.

As for Asura's lack of power, as the founder of the Ninja Sect, he had his own ways to forcibly instill his own power into him, raising his cultivation to a level that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Indra.

To put it bluntly, it was a cheat—forcibly injecting "cultivation."

Before long, Sarutobi, acting on Hagoromo's orders, summoned all the core disciples of the Ninja Sect to gather in the main hall.

The hall was solemn and silent; the blue stone floor was as smooth as a mirror, and the disciples kneeling on both sides held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo sat upright on the highest throne, his chakra as steady as an abyss, his gaze slowly sweeping over those below.

Indra and Asura knelt side by side at the very front of the hall.

Indra's back was straight, his expression calm, still certain that the position of successor belonged to him.

Asura sat with his eyes lowered, the unease in his heart growing more intense.

Asura was not afraid of failing to become the successor; he was worried that his father would choose him...

Everyone's eyes were focused on Hagoromo, waiting for the final decision.

Hagoromo slowly raised his eyes, his voice steady and majestic, echoing throughout the hall: "Today, I shall announce the successor to the Ninja Sect."

As the words fell, the atmosphere in the hall tightened to the breaking point; one could hear a pin drop.

Indra lifted his gaze slightly, a glimmer of certainty flashing in his eyes, waiting only for his father to speak his name.

But the next second, Hagoromo's voice fell clearly, without a hint of hesitation:

"The successor to the Ninja Sect is Asura."

The verdict was set.

Asura jerked his head up!

His eyes were wide, his face full of shock and disbelief, his lips slightly parted; he was unable to speak for a moment, never having expected this honor to fall upon him.

Beside him, the calmness and confidence on Indra's face froze instantly. His ink-black pupils contracted sharply, his expression shifting from calm to astonishment, and then to utter, absolute disbelief!

The chakra around his body surged with an uncontrollable, sharp fluctuation!

He remained frozen in place, as if unable to believe the answer he had just heard.

Once these words were spoken, it was not just the two of them—

All the disciples of the Ninja Sect were shocked!

They acknowledged that Indra was formidable, but Indra indeed possessed the power and the dominance; he was a leader among leaders.

Although Asura was gentle and they preferred to be around him, from the perspective of the Ninja Sect, Indra seemed more suitable.

"Why!?"

"I do not have the talent of my brother, why choose me!?"

Asura scrambled to his feet, his tone so urgent it was almost pleading: "Father! You cannot do this! I am not suited for this at all!"

Asura's panic and refusal appeared to Indra, standing beside him, as nothing more than bone-deep hypocrisy and mockery.

Indra stood where he was, his dark robes unmoving, his handsome face as cold as if covered in a layer of frost.

"Why not allow me to take the position? Please tell me your reason."

Indra slowly looked toward Hagoromo on the throne, his tone heavy with surging resentment and unwillingness.

He spoke every word with deliberate emphasis.

He was a genius rarely seen in the millennium of the Ninja Sect, born with the awakened Sharingan, wielding the greatest power. The position of successor to the Ninja Sect should have been his for the taking, with no possibility of it falling to anyone else.

Hagoromo looked at his two sons before him, a sigh flickering in his aged eyes.

"I have just received word that the border village you were tasked with guarding has been destroyed."

Hagoromo said with a faint sigh.

As the words fell, the entire hall was stunned!

The crowd raised their heads, faces filled with shock, and the sound of hushed, frantic whispering erupted instantly.

Sarutobi, standing in the front row, saw his expression darken.

Sarutobi stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Indra with undisguised skepticism: "Could it be that you used force to purge the remnants of the God Tree, pressuring the villagers until you brought about this catastrophe?"

"Do I look that stupid to you?"

Indra turned his head abruptly, his icy gaze piercing Sarutobi like a blade.

Before the words had even faded, his scarlet Sharingan snapped open, the tomoe spinning slowly in his eyes. A biting pressure swept through the hall, locking onto Sarutobi.

"You..."

Sarutobi felt every hair on his body stand on end, a chill seeping into his very marrow. Being stared at by those Sharingan, which seemed to see through everything and carried such terrifying pressure, made even breathing a struggle.

Yet, he gritted his teeth and straightened his back, resisting the pressure with all his might.

He was brought into the Ninja Sect by the Sage of Six Paths Manji himself, and given his name by Hagoromo. In terms of background, that legendary ancestor was his greatest pillar of support; he would never fear Indra.

Hagoromo took in the entire scene, his brows furrowing slightly, his disappointment deepening.

Over a mere question, Indra had immediately resorted to his Sharingan to exert pressure.

This obsession with authority, this tendency to coerce others with power at the slightest provocation—how similar it was to his mother Kaguya, who had unified the world through tyranny and cruelty!

Back then, it was through the supreme pressure of her Byakugan that Kaguya suppressed all resistance, seized absolute power, and ultimately descended into paranoia and destruction.

And now, in Indra's words, demeanor, and even the way he wielded his power, there was already a hint of Kaguya's violent nature!

"There is no need for anger."

Hagoromo spoke calmly, suppressing the pressure in the hall, and slowly revealed the truth.

"According to my intelligence, after you left, the villagers turned on each other over the rights to their water source. They slaughtered one another, leaving both sides crippled, and the village collapsed as a result."

"What?!"

Indra was stunned, his gritted teeth drawing a thin line of red, a flash of shock crossing his sharp eyes.

"Happiness that is easily seized never lasts."

"You are too eager for quick results. You only know how to use power to solve problems, yet you have never thought to cultivate bonds and affection among your people."

"As for Asura, he shares the hardships of the villagers, teaching them how to survive with his own hands, exchanging sincerity for sincerity. Only happiness forged in this way will not easily crumble."

Hagoromo's voice was calm.

This explanation did not convince Indra; instead, it made his expression grow even darker, the hostility radiating from him nearly overflowing!

"That is because Asura is weak, which is why he needs to rely on such useless emotions to maintain order! Furthermore, what does the destruction of a remote village prove? It is nothing but a trivial matter!"

Indra roared in a low voice.

Seeing that Indra remained obstinate, Hagoromo slowly turned his head to look at all the members of the Ninja Sect in the hall.

Since that was the case, then let them vote!

"Then, everyone here, whom would you rather follow: Asura or Indra?"

Hagoromo asked slowly.

Indra also whipped his head around, his scarlet Sharingan sweeping across the crowd, his gaze filled with piercing expectation and pressure!

He did not believe that after he had granted them power and taught them how to control chakra, these people would abandon him to choose the useless Asura!

"I prefer Asura!"

Sarutobi blurted out, his voice ringing with conviction.

The hall fell silent for a moment...

In their hearts, they had to admit that Asura was gentle and sincere, always willing to endure hardships alongside them. His charisma was far beyond that of the aloof and cold Indra. It was only out of fear of Indra's power that no one dared to speak up easily.

To Indra, this silence was a naked betrayal!

"It was I who gave you power! It was I who granted you the capital to survive! You should be choosing me! Without me, you would still be ants to be trampled upon!"

Indra's restraint snapped completely. His scarlet Sharingan spun violently, his face twisted in rage, revealing his fierce nature.

The crowd recoiled in terror at his vicious appearance, faces pale, and no one dared to meet his eyes again.

Hagoromo sighed softly, his voice filled with regret: "Child, you have lost your way..."

"Power is never the foundation of rule; bonds are."

Asura looked at his brother, who appeared to be in the throes of madness, his eyes filled with worry and helplessness. He opened his mouth, his voice barely a whisper: "Brother..."

Indra's expression was as cold as frost, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists so tightly that a cold glint of chakra threatened to seep from between his fingers.

Suddenly!

Indra snapped his head up, his gaze cutting through the crowd to fixate on the ancient portrait hanging in the center of the great hall.

--That was the portrait of the legendary founder of the Ninja Sect, the Sage of Six Paths Manji.

In this moment, the portrait became his final straw to grasp!

"You fools! Judging the successor based on your own selfish desires—do you dare to summon the founder to manifest and let him decide the successor of the Ninja Sect himself!?"

Indra roared, his voice laced with the desperation of a final, reckless gamble.

He was certain that with his talent and his bond with the founder, as long as the founder appeared, he would surely override all objections and name him the successor!

At this point, even Indra was resorting to nepotism to secure his position.

Upon hearing this, Hagoromo's brows shot up, a flicker of helplessness and surprise crossing his eyes.

Indra was truly becoming desperate...

Even he, the leader of the Ninja Sect, rarely had the chance to see the true face of the founder Manji. How could Indra be so naive as to think the founder would appear just because he asked?

Sarutobi, standing to the side, looked utterly speechless, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

His grandfather had waited at the village entrance for a full hundred years just to catch a glimpse of the founder; did Indra really think he could summon the founder with nothing more than an angry shout?

"Stop this nonsense!"

Hagoromo's tone turned much sterner.

"Fine! Fine, then! Hahaha!!!"

Indra clenched his fists and bolted out of the great hall!

That day, not a single person was willing to follow me...

[PS: Nearly a hundred thousand words in, the pacing is too slow. I didn't expect it to take this long; I estimated I'd reach Hashirama and Madara by now, but I'm still on Indra and Asura. It'll likely be a while before I get to Minato, Obito, and Kakashi. If you want to see them, you'll have to wait a bit—maybe stockpile the chapters. I still have the story of Indra and Asura to finish, along with the tales of the chaotic era that follows...]