Chapter 23: Time is Running Out
"I'll have to leave eventually…"
Back in his residence within the palace, Yuu stared at the panel that materialized before him. The thought drifted across his mind in silence.
A countdown was displayed on it. At this point, there were only about ten years left.
This was the limit imposed by the reincarnation panel.
After living in this world for so long, Yuu had finally come to understand that reincarnation was not without restrictions.
For each reincarnation, he could remain for a maximum of fifty years.
It wasn't that he physically could not stay beyond fifty years. It was that he could no longer maintain the stability of time.
To put it simply, it was an issue of time flow.
This world and his original world were essentially parallel worlds.
Their time flows should have been different by nature, yet the panel's overwhelming power had forcibly altered that relationship.
Under the influence of the reincarnation panel, no matter how long Yuu stayed here, only an instant would pass in his original world when he returned.
However, that benefit was not infinite. It was capped at fifty years.
In other words, once his stay exceeded fifty years, the time flow of the two worlds would become synchronized.
Yuu could choose to remain in this world forever.
But if he did, the fate of his original body would likely be grim.
It was entirely possible he would simply starve to death at home.
Thinking of that outcome, Yuu let out a quiet sigh.
"Will I have a chance to come back to this world in the future?"
The question surfaced, and a moment later, information fed back into his mind.
He could.
Since the panel could send him to reincarnate into this world, it could also bring his original body here.
But to accomplish that, the cost would be enormous.
To fully open a stable connection between the two worlds, he would need a massive amount of points.
"I see."
With that answer, Yuu's expression eased. "That's not too bad, then."
"In that case, with the time I have left, I should squeeze out as many benefits as I can."
The thought settled in his mind as he turned and walked to the side.
While Yuu was planning his next steps, the brothers began their own busy work on the other side.
They sought out the Great Toad Sage and told him what Yuu had said.
"I see…"
After hearing them, realization dawned on the Great Toad Sage's face. "So this is the breadth of mind of the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors. It's truly that vast…"
He had assumed Yuu would fly into a rage once he learned of the brothers' intentions.
He had even believed Yuu might send people to detain or imprison them, so the Great Toad Sage had prepared himself for the worst, ready to rescue them at any moment.
He never expected this outcome.
Yuu had not only refused to stop them, he had encouraged them to move forward and become stronger.
Even if that strength might one day stand in Yuu's way, it apparently did not matter to him.
"Father has always been like this."
The usually quiet Hamura spoke up, his tone firm. "I said it long ago. With Father's character, it's impossible for him to do those things."
"Even if he truly stood on Mother's side, it's impossible for him to take action against us."
If the brothers' relationship with Kaguya could be called strained, then their relationship with Yuu was the opposite.
Hamura had been raised by Yuu himself. He simply could not believe Yuu would ever move against them.
To him, the idea was absurd.
"That's true."
Hagoromo nodded as well. "Father was never that kind of person."
"Looks like I overthought things."
The Great Toad Sage smiled, taking it in stride. "In that case, since you've come back, I assume you've made your decision."
"Yes."
Hagoromo's answer was immediate. "We'll go with you and learn Senjutsu."
"No matter what the future holds, we have to become stronger."
"That way, even if Mother walks the wrong path one day, we'll have the ability to correct her."
"Then follow me."
The Great Toad Sage nodded. "Training at Mount Myōboku is not easy. You two should be prepared."
"You don't need to tell us that."
Both brothers remained calm, without the slightest trace of fear.
They were geniuses, and their resolve was steady. Once they decided something, hesitation had no place.
And so, in the days that followed, they followed the Great Toad Sage to Mount Myōboku and began learning the Senjutsu passed down there.
Senjutsu was, at its core, a method of using Natural Energy.
In this area, the brothers displayed exceptional affinity and talent.
It didn't take long for them to grasp Senjutsu, fully inheriting Mount Myōboku's teachings, then using that foundation to begin their own training.
As their training continued, their strength rose steadily, improving at a terrifying speed.
Time passed outside, faster with every day that slipped away.
Before they knew it, several more years had gone by.
In those years, the Land of Ancestors changed again and again.
Human sacrifices across the land decreased, and livestock could now replace them.
The pressure within the Land of Ancestors began to ease.
As more and more people mastered chakra each year, the number of chakra crystals that could be condensed annually also increased.
Everything about the Land of Ancestors seemed to be growing, steadily moving toward a brighter future.
But in stark contrast to that progress, natural disasters became more frequent.
In these years, as productivity rose and war and famine vanished completely, earthquakes began to strike from time to time.
Terrifying tsunamis swept across regions, leaving scenes of destruction in their wake.
If the people of the Land of Ancestors had not already mastered chakra in general, the losses would have been unimaginable.
Even so, the casualties were still heavy.
Many died each year, and the impact was profound.
These were, in truth, the effects of the God Tree's power.
As the God Tree grew, its absorption of Natural Energy became more and more severe.
The concentration of Natural Energy in the world fell lower and lower, and with it, a layer of protection was stripped away.
The result was unending disasters, like the world itself sliding toward ruin.
And in this year, two figures appeared before the God Tree once again.
"The Natural Energy the God Tree is absorbing… it's getting more and more terrifying."
Before the God Tree, Hagoromo slowly raised his head and stared at the increasingly magnificent trunk and canopy. His expression inevitably became complicated.
Beside him, Hamura stood in silence. His Byakugan remained fixed on the God Tree, yet he did not speak.
.....
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