I didn't look as fierce as Indra or as bright as Ashura. But I looked different. And in this world, different could mean dangerous—or special.
But one thing was for sure—we three shared a strong bond.
We were brothers. And not just in the bloodline sense, but real brothers.
Indra, the eldest, was like a mini guardian. He always took his role seriously. If one of us fell and scraped a knee, Indra was the first one to glare at the ground like it had offended him. When Ashura cried, Indra would silently hand him a flower—or a rock, once. He was still figuring out how to comfort people.
He loved us, even if he didn't say it much. And I loved him back.
Even though deep down, I knew how this story usually went.
Yeah, yeah, future Madara-mode, rage, betrayal, reincarnation loop—
But right now?
He was my big brother.
And nothing about his cold exterior could change the way he'd ruffle my hair after a hard day or sit between me and Ashura when we'd fight over some stupid toy.
Ashura, the youngest, was sunshine in human form. Loud, clumsy, and way too trusting. He'd give a wild bear a hug if Father didn't stop him. But he had a way of making everyone feel better just by existing. Always smiling, always laughing, always dragging us into trouble—and somehow out of it too.
We weren't perfect. We argued. We wrestled. Indra once knocked me into a pond because I teased him about a girl from the village.
But at the end of the day, we were still there—sitting under the stars, bruised, soaked, and laughing.
The triplets of the Sage.
And right now, as I'm telling you all this…
As I'm reading books.
Yeah. Books.
The ones written by none other than the Sage of Six Paths himself—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. My father.
Talk about living with the author.
It was nighttime. The air was cool, with crickets chirping outside.
Inside our room, three candles flickered quietly, casting dancing shadows on the wooden walls.
I, Indra, and Ashura sat in a small triangle, each with a book in hand.
Well… two of us were actually reading.
Ashura groaned for the sixth time in ten minutes. His book lay open, untouched.
"Ahhh, elder brothers, how can you both read all this? It's too boring!" he whined, flopping dramatically onto his back like he'd been mortally wounded by ancient text.
Indra didn't even look up. He just smiled calmly, turning a page.
"Because, Ashura," he corrected gently, "these are necessary for us to understand Ninshu. Not just how to use chakra, but how to connect with others."
Still calm. Still composed. Typical Indra.
I glanced up from my book, raising an eyebrow at Ashura.
"Then sleep already," I muttered. "Why are you still reading if you hate it so much?"
Ashura sat up, pouting. "Because if I sleep, Father will say I'm lazy again!"
I smirked. "Well, maybe if you stop pretending to read and actually read, you wouldn't have to worry about that."
Ashura puffed out his cheeks and grumbled something about "nerds" and "books being evil."
Indra chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, Ashura. One day, you'll understand why this matters."
I leaned back slightly, watching the candle flame dance in Ashura's eyes.
"One day, huh?"
"Yeah, Indra… you don't know the half of it."
As we kept reading, flipping through more pages filled with Father's long lectures on harmony, chakra flow, and the principles of Ninshu…
I suddenly realized something.
"Wait… why is Ashura so quiet all of a sudden?"
I looked up from my book.
There he was.
Head tilted back, mouth slightly open, soft snores escaping.
His book had slid halfway off his lap, and his candle was flickering dangerously close to dripping on his sleeve.
I smirked.
"Hmph. Elder brother, look who's asleep first."
Indra looked up from his book and followed my gaze.
He blinked once, then a soft smile tugged at his lips.
"Let's get him to bed properly," Indra said gently, closing his book.
"He might fall ill if he stays like this."
I nodded. "Yeah. Knowing him, he'd catch a cold and still blame the book."
We moved quietly, carefully.
Indra lifted Ashura with practiced ease, holding him like he'd done it a hundred times. I followed, grabbing his book and blowing out the candle near him. The room dimmed slightly.
We padded across the floor, laid Ashura down on his mat, and tucked the blanket around him.
He mumbled something in his sleep—probably about food—and turned to the side, a content smile on his face.
I stood there for a moment, watching.
"He's like a puppy," I muttered.
Indra chuckled. "A loud, annoying one."
I looked at him and smirked. "But our puppy."
Indra smiled again. "Yeah. Ours."
We sat back down, now just the two of us, the silence warm and peaceful.
I picked my book back up.
We kept reading for a while longer, the silence between me and Indra only broken by the soft rustle of turning pages and the occasional crackle from the candle flame.
But eventually…
I yawned, long and deep, stretching out like a cat.
"Alright, elder brother…" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes, "I'm going to sleep now, okay?"
Indra glanced at me from the corner of his eye, still calm and focused.
I smirked as I got up.
"And don't read too much, or you'll end up with dark circles. Not a good look, you know."
Indra let out a quiet laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."
With that, I blew out my candle, crawled under my blanket beside Ashura, and shut my eyes.
I could feel the warmth of the room, the presence of my brothers close by, and the peaceful hum of the night around us.
The next morning soft rays of the morning sun spilled through the window, casting a warm golden glow across our room.
I blinked my eyes open and stretched.
Next to me, Ashura was already groaning awake, kicking off his blanket like it personally offended him. Indra sat up calmly, as usual, brushing the sleep from his eyes with that too-perfect composure he always had.
All three of us got up, rubbing sleep from our eyes and yawning in sync. A new day had begun.
Our morning routine? Simple.
Play.
Most mornings were free—no serious lectures, no chakra training (yet). So we did what any normal kids would do: we went out and played with the other children in the village.
And right now?
Yeah. We were playing tag.
"Danava! You're it!" Ashura shouted, tapping my shoulder before dashing away with that goofy grin on his face.
"Oh, you're not getting away that easily!" I yelled, taking off after him.
Kids were laughing all around us—some cheering, some running, some trying to hide behind barrels or trees. Indra, for someone so calm and wise beyond his years, was surprisingly fast and agile, weaving between kids like a breeze.
Ashura was quick… but clumsy. He tripped, rolled, popped back up, and kept running like nothing happened.
I chased him around a corner, past a group of kids pretending to be shinobi, and finally lunged forward—
"Tag! Gotcha!" I grinned, tapping his back.
He froze, groaned, and then looked around like a hawk, eyes locking onto Indra.
"Oh no you don't!" Indra laughed, already running before Ashura even reached him.
I stood there for a second, watching my brothers run ahead through the village path, their laughter echoing under the morning sun.
As I stood there catching my breath, watching Ashura bolt around like a wild animal, something hit me.
This kid… is a monster when it comes to stamina.
We'd been playing for a while now, and while most kids were panting and slowing down—including Indra, who was trying to hide his exhaustion with that composed face—Ashura was still running like he just started.
I narrowed my eyes, arms crossed as I leaned against a tree, watching him go.
No wonder he ends up being the ancestor of people like Hashirama and Naruto. That stupid stamina pool makes no sense.
Indra, for all his genius and talent, was starting to look a little tired. His movements, though graceful, were losing sharpness with each lap. Compared to the other village kids, he was still a prodigy. Fast, strategic, and sharp. But compared to Ashura?
Yeah... his physical ability still paled in comparison.
As for me?
Heh. I was somewhere in the middle. My body wasn't bursting with chakra-fueled stamina like Ashura's, but I wasn't lagging behind like Indra either.
My steps were heavier, but I could still move. Still tag. Still dodge.
So I guess in terms of physicality…
Ashura > Me > Indra
Tch... just like in canon.
But I wasn't mad.
I actually found it kind of funny.
"Oi! Danava, stop standing there like a statue!" Ashura yelled as he dashed by again. "You're it!"
"Hah? You little—! I'm going to catch you and throw you into the river!" I laughed, springing back into the chase.
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Can read up to 8 chapters ahead. (For now, don't worry; I will increase the chapter count soon, and you can read chapters of Tensura: True Dragon of Sun as well. It has somewhere around 25 or so chapters ahead, maybe? Yeah, but not less than 25, so go ahead.)