A few days passed. The sun was sinking, dyeing the sky in streaks of orange and red as the disciples gathered in the training hall.
"Next," Indra said coldly, standing over the fallen disciple he had just beaten into the floor. His fists were still steady, his gaze sharp—unfazed as though he hadn't even exerted himself.
No one moved. The disciples exchanged nervous glances, each too scared to step forward.
"What? No one?" Indra's tone sharpened with disdain. "Cowards." He turned his back on them and began walking toward the exit.
Danava watched silently, a faint frown forming. Still the same… step by step toward darkness. No matter how much I hope otherwise.
At the doorway, Ashura finally rushed forward. "Why did you do it, elder brother? It wasn't necessary to use so much force. Didn't you say you'd think it over?"
Indra stopped, his back still to them. His voice came out low and sharp. "I have no tolerance for weakness."
"That's not the way of Ninshu, elder brother," Ashura protested, his voice trembling but firm.
Slowly, Indra turned his head. His Sharingan gleamed faintly in the evening light, its red glow casting a chilling shadow across his face. "In time… I will take over Ninshu and carry out my ideals."
Ashura flinched, his hands curling into fists, but he didn't respond. Indra gave him one last cold look before walking out into the night.
Danava's chest tightened as he watched them. Indra… Ashura… brothers, yet already standing on opposite sides. And me? His eyes narrowed. Hm... Damn, is there nothing I can do?"
The disciples whispered nervously among themselves, their fear of Indra growing.
Danava sighed, watching the scene unfold. Indra's already walking down that road… the same story playing out. But this time, I'm here. Maybe things won't go the way fate decided last time.
He walked over to Ashura, who was still frozen at the doorway, shaken by Indra's words.
"Stop standing there like a frightened rabbit," Danava said, resting a hand on Ashura's shoulder. "You'll only waste your effort."
Ashura looked down, guilt and worry clear in his eyes. "Elder brother Indra… he's changing. I don't know what to do."
Danava exhaled, crossing his arms. "What you should do is grow a backbone. Indra's strong, yeah. But strength without balance turns into arrogance… And arrogance destroys everything. If you don't learn to stand tall, Ashura, he'll trample you every single time."
Ashura hesitated but nodded slightly, trying to take in his brother's words.
Danava's eyes drifted to the setting sun outside. The seeds are already planted. Indra's pride, Ashura's softness… and me, stuck in between. I won't let this repeat the same tragedy. Not if I can help it.
Inside the house, the other disciples whispered uneasily, fear still lingering from Indra's brutal display. None dared to speak aloud, but all of them knew—something was changing within the brothers.
And far behind the mountains, hidden in the shadows, the black entity observed once more, its expression curling into a wicked grin.
A few years had passed. The world had grown, the brothers had grown—but so had the distance between them.
Ashura lay sprawled on the grass, arms behind his head, eyes drifting lazily across the evening sky streaked with fading orange. The cicadas hummed, filling the silence.
"Man… elder brother Indra sure has changed," he muttered to himself. "He's just so strict now. And elder brother Danava… sigh, he doesn't even try to approach Indra anymore."
Before the thought could sink deeper, a voice called from behind.
"Hey, Ashura!"
Ashura sat up, blinking, and turned to see a familiar figure waving.
"Taizou?" he asked, surprised.
His friend grinned, jogging over. "What's up?"
Ashura tilted his head. "I was gonna ask you that. You came all the way here for something, right?"
Taizou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, then clasped his hands together. "Yeah, actually. To tell you the truth… I needed a favor."
Ashura raised an eyebrow but stood, brushing grass off his clothes. "A favor, huh? What is it?"
"Come with me," Taizou said with a conspiratorial smile. "I'll show you."
They walked together, following a narrow path into the forest. The trees stood tall and thick, branches tangling overhead until the sunlight barely trickled through.
After a while, Taizou stopped and pointed ahead. "Here. You see this?"
Ashura looked around. It was an overgrown thicket, thick with trees blocking the way forward.
"Our village farmland is just past here," Taizou explained. "But it takes forever to go around. If you could knock down some of these trees, it would be a huge help. You know, make a shortcut."
He gave Ashura a sheepish grin. "With your ninshu, it should be a piece of cake, right?"
Ashura folded his arms, lips curling into a half-smile. "So basically, you want me to do the hard work while you sit back and watch?"
Taizou laughed nervously. "W-well, when you put it like that…"
Ashura sighed, but there was no real annoyance in his voice. "Alright, alright. Stand back."
He placed his hands together, focusing his chakra. The ground beneath his feet thrummed, and faint energy sparked along his arms. Ashura's expression sharpened—yet his aura remained calm, steady, unlike Indra's suffocating intensity.
"Here goes," he muttered.
With a controlled wave of chakra, the trees before him creaked, groaned, and toppled one by one, falling aside to open a clear path through the forest. Dust lifted, sunlight poured in.
Taizou's jaw dropped. "You really did it… in just a few seconds!"
Ashura let out a breath and dusted his hands off. "There. Shortcut made. But next time, you owe me something tasty from the village."
Taizou laughed and nodded eagerly. "Deal!"
A few days later…
Danava stood outside the house with Hagoromo, the two of them speaking quietly about the disciples' training. The evening air was calm, but the peace shattered when Indra appeared, flanked by two of his most loyal followers.
They dragged a man forward, bound with rope, and threw him roughly onto the ground. Dust rose as the man groaned in pain.
Hagoromo's eyes widened, and even Danava felt his chest tighten. What is this…?
From inside the house, hurried footsteps echoed. Ashura came running out—his expression froze the moment he saw the prisoner.
"Taizou?!"
His voice cracked, disbelief and anger mixing together. He whipped his head toward his elder brother.
"Elder Brother, what's the meaning of this?!"
Indra slowly turned. His Sharingan glowed faintly in the fading sunlight, cold and merciless.
"This man," he said, voice steady but sharp, "committed a crime. He cut down the trees and sold them as though they belonged to him. He took what is meant to be shared by all and made it his own."
Ashura's breath hitched. His fists trembled.
Indra's gaze sharpened, now piercing directly into his younger brother. "And you, Ashura… you are just as guilty."
The words struck like lightning. Ashura's eyes went wide, his lips parting in shock.
"W-What do you mean, Elder Brother?"
Danava stepped forward, breaking his silence at last. "Indra, explain yourself. How could Ashura—?"
Indra's expression darkened further, the tomoe of his Sharingan spinning slowly.
"Because you're too gullible, Ashura," Indra said calmly, his eyes still cold.
He gestured toward Taizou. "You allowed this man to deceive you, Ashura. By helping him, you became an accomplice to his crime."
Ashura immediately knelt beside Taizou, helping him sit upright. "Was clearing the jungle for a path… a lie?"
Taizou looked down, guilt written across his face. "I'm sorry, Ashura. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. My mother was sick… I didn't know what else to do. I needed the medicine as quickly as possible."
Danava stepped closer, his voice gentle. "You should have told the truth, Taizou. We could have helped."
"Yeah, Taizou," Ashura added softly. "I could have used Ninshu to make it easier."
Taizou shook his head. "My mother… she hates Ninshu. She said the world doesn't need it."
Indra's voice remained steady and firm. "Whether you believe in it or not, the law is the law. Ashura, since you didn't know about this, I will forgive you this time."
Danava glanced between them, his frown deepening slightly. "Elder brother… maybe you're taking this too far. Everyone makes mistakes. We could give him another chance."
Indra said nothing, simply turning away.
Danava muttered under his breath, frowning, "Dammit, Indra… Why do you have to have a stick up your butt?"
Ashura quietly stayed with Taizou, helping him to his feet while the evening breeze rustled through the trees. The tension lingered, but for now, the situation was resolved without more conflict.
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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.)