He leaned forward slightly, moving closer to Shimura Zō, and lowered his voice until it was barely more than a serpent’s hiss. Yet beneath it lay the seductive allure of someone unveiling the truth.
“That’s because… you fail to see Indra’s true nature, and you fail to understand the Sage of Six Paths’ intentions.”
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.
“Can Indra’s personality really be summed up by the word ‘strong-willed’ alone?”
“He is proud and aloof, arrogant to the extreme, and trusts only in his own strength and wisdom.”
“When he looks upon those less gifted than himself, what lies hidden in his heart is contempt—the belief that they are unworthy of standing alongside him.”
“If a man like that were truly allowed to take the position of leader of Ninshū and wield absolute authority, then after the Sage of Six Paths passes away… what would become of Ninshū? What would become of the shinobi world?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gaze grew deep and sharp, as though it had pierced through the river of time itself.
“He would become an unquestionable, absolute… dictator!”
“Every dissenting voice would be suppressed, and every path would have to conform to his will.”
“Ninshū would no longer be a home built by everyone together. It would become nothing more than an extension of Indra’s personal will!”
“Do you think,” he demanded, staring directly into Shimura Zō’s eyes and emphasizing every word, “that this is what the Sage of Six Paths… would have wanted?”
Without waiting for an answer, he pressed on, offering a striking comparison.
“Don’t forget what the Sage of Six Paths’ mother—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—was like.”
“She was immensely powerful, yet she ruled through terrifying tyranny and regarded the entire world as her personal possession! It was the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura who joined forces and sealed away their own mother!”
There was a chilling certainty in his voice, as though he were revealing the workings of fate itself.
“He devoted his entire life to founding Ninshū and spreading Chakra in order to create a better world—one different from the world his mother had ruled.”
“How could he… how could he possibly allow his own son to follow the same path and become a second Kaguya?”
“To drag the order he had spent his entire life building back into the abyss of tyranny and terror?!”
These words exploded beside Shimura Zō’s ears like thunder!
His eyes widened, his face filled with the shock of sudden realization.
All his previous doubts—all the decisions his elder brother had made that once seemed so contrary to reason—suddenly appeared to have found an explanation that was perfectly “correct,” incomparably “noble,” and even deeply aligned with the Sage of Six Paths’ true will!
“So… so that’s how it is!” Shimura Zō exclaimed excitedly, nodding vigorously as he looked at Hiruzen with admiration and conviction.
“Brother, your analysis has truly… truly opened my eyes! I was too short-sighted. I saw only the difference in their strength, without recognizing the dangers beneath the surface or the deeper intentions of the Sage of Six Paths!”
Seeing that his cousin had been completely convinced, the calculating gleam in Hiruzen’s eyes deepened.
He struck while the iron was hot, and his voice began to reveal a far more naked ambition—one tied directly to the interests of their respective clans.
“What’s more, Zō, think about it carefully.”
His tone became brutally practical and cold.
“If someone as powerful, domineering, and convinced of his own superiority as Indra were to inherit Ninshū…”
“With his personality, how much room for independence do you think he would allow clans like the Sarutobi and Shimura—clans that may not possess the greatest natural talent, but still have minds and influence of their own?”
“Our two clans would probably be forced to live at his mercy forever, under Ninshū’s absolute control—obedient pieces in his grand design, ready to be replaced at any time.”
After a brief pause, he declared decisively,
“So, whether for the greater good or for our own interests, Indra must never succeed him!”
“What we must do next is devote all our efforts to… supporting Asura!”
A shrewd light flashed in Hiruzen’s eyes, like a master chess player beginning to arrange his pieces.
“Not because of his mediocre strength, but because of that philosophy of his… one that sounds so beautiful, so unquestionably right: Chakra is a bridge that connects people’s hearts. Through Chakra, people can understand one another, support one another, and create peace together.”
“We must spare no effort in spreading this belief and shaping opinion within Ninshū. We must make more and more people believe that Ninshū’s future does not lie in the ultimate strength of any single individual, but in the bonds between people’s hearts and the warmth of the collective.”
“We must make everyone believe that the ‘understanding’ and ‘acceptance’ represented by Asura are the true orthodox inheritance of the Sage of Six Paths’ will of kindness!”
His voice carried an almost hypnotic power.
“We must help Asura consolidate his faction and expand his influence.”
“At the same time, we must continue to subtly… encourage the arrogance and isolation of Indra’s faction, making them appear increasingly cold and inhuman, completely at odds with the ideals of ‘understanding’ and ‘acceptance.'”
At last, he painted the alluring vision that lay at the end of it all, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
“Only then can we place Asura in the position of successor and, at the same time… drive Indra—the greatest threat and obstacle—away completely! Force him out of the heart of Ninshū!”
“When that time comes,” Hiruzen said, clenching his fist, his eyes burning with ambition for the future, “a Ninshū led by an Asura who is relatively ‘gentle’ and ‘dependent on the support of others’ would be the best possible outcome for our two clans! We would have greater room to maneuver and more autonomy!”
He stared straight at Shimura Zō, as though he intended to inject this ambition directly into the man’s soul.
“Then, when the opportunity presents itself, the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan can truly free themselves from Ninshū’s absolute control. In this world… we can establish ourselves, develop independently, and no longer be subject to anyone’s arbitrary rule!”
“We will forge a… future of our own!”
Inside the secret chamber, the air itself seemed to freeze beneath the weight of such naked ambition and far-reaching calculation.
Shimura Zō’s breathing grew rapid, and his face flushed with excitement.
At last, he completely understood his elder brother’s entire scheme.
This was not merely about preventing a “dictator” from taking power. It was also about carving out, beneath the great tree that was Ninshū, a space for their own clans—a place free from restraint, where they could grow and flourish as they pleased!
“I understand, Brother!” Shimura Zō said, clasping his hands in a solemn gesture. All hesitation had vanished from his eyes, leaving behind only determination and obedience. “Everything will be done according to your instructions!”
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, a profound smile spreading across his face—the smile of a man who believed everything was firmly within his grasp.
The image on the Heavenly Curtain finally froze on Hiruzen’s profile, filled with calculation and ambition, and Shimura Zō’s expression of conviction and excitement.
The conspiracy had been set in motion. The course had been decided.
Within the Heavenly Curtain, Hiruzen’s schemes were like an ice spike steeped in poison, ruthlessly piercing through the veil of a thousand years—and into the hearts of every watcher.
Throughout the shinobi world, an eerie silence descended.