The instant the spatial rift closed, five figures stepped onto the soft, warm asphalt road.
The road surface beneath their feet held the slight warmth of being baked by the sun, completely different from the texture of the dirt and rocks of the Ninja World.
Shun walked at the very front, his dark robe fluttering lightly in the gentle breeze, kicking up tiny wisps of dust as the hem brushed the road surface.
He raised a hand to adjust his collar, and a hint of almost imperceptible pride flashed in his scarlet Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—this planet was his most satisfying masterpiece.
Following behind him were four people with varying expressions.
Madara stood with his arms crossed, the hem of his black cloak sweeping the ground and leaving faint traces, his eyes filled with vigilance and scrutiny.
Hashirama looked around curiously, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of his battle armor, frequently craning his neck to try and touch the cars zooming past him, his face showing the pure curiosity of a child, and his eyes shining with excitement.
Nagato wore a black trench coat, his Rinnegan calmly reflecting the surrounding scenery. He glanced sideways slightly whenever Konan's expression changed.
Konan adjusted her white cloak, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes when she saw the skyscrapers piercing the distant sky.
She immediately turned to Nagato and whispered, "It's much more prosperous than the Land of Water, and even the air carries the scent of peace."
"Is this the Ancestral Planet?"
Hashirama was the first to break the silence, his voice filled with unconcealed shock.
He couldn't help but reach out and pat Madara beside him, causing Madara to stumble slightly due to the force.
"Madara, look at those cars. They can run so fast, the power of technology is truly unimaginable."
Madara impatiently swatted his hand away and sneered, "You're so noisy, Hashirama. They're just clever tricks and gadgets, there's nothing interesting to look at."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the sky, where several silver-white Fighter Jets streaked across. The incredible speed of the jets caused Madara's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to suddenly contract.
Those iron behemoths, without any Chakra fluctuations, could still soar freely in the high altitude. The sight of the fighter jets slicing through the clouds overturned his understanding of "power."
The arrogance in his heart involuntarily subsided a little, and his clenched fist quietly loosened slightly.
Ahead, dozens, even hundreds of stories tall, skyscrapers were everywhere, their glasses reflecting dazzling light in the sun.
On the Commercial Street, electronic screens displayed colorful scrolling images, showing commercial and public service advertisements.
On the highway, colorful cars drove orderly along designated routes, their speed far surpassing the swift horses and ninja tools of the Ninja World.
Pedestrians wore light and comfortable clothing, their faces bearing calm smiles, and children laughed and ran while holding their parents' hands, clutching brightly colored snacks.
Elders closed their eyes and rested beside the street greenery.
The air was filled with the aroma of food, the freshness of plants, and a faint floral scent.
In the distant plaza, a fountain shot out crystal clear water, refracting a rainbow-like halo.
Several children chased and played by the fountain, their clear, pleasant laughter cutting through the street noise and reaching everyone's ears.
Hashirama's steps gradually slowed, and his expression shifted from initial curiosity to deep silence.
He recalled fighting Madara years ago at the Valley of the End for his ideals, and the original intent when he established Konoha: merely hoping that ninjas would no longer die in war, that children could grow up safely, and that clan members would be well-fed and clothed.
But the Ancestral Planet before him had long surpassed all his imagination.
Hashirama subconsciously looked at Madara and noticed he was staring at the laughing children on the street, his eyes holding a complicated expression.
"Madara, the peace we pursued back then... it was only the starting point. So peace can look like this." He muttered softly, his tone carrying a trace of self-mockery.
He raised a hand to touch his cheek, his heart filled with emotion.
Hashirama said, "I once thought that establishing a Ninja Village would achieve peace. Yet I never considered that such vigorous development could follow peace—this is true stability and prosperity. Madara, my ideal back then was too narrow."
Madara's lips pressed into a straight line. He didn't reply, nodding slightly.
His entire life had been a struggle against "weakness." He hated Hashirama's naive view of peace and was obsessed with using power to establish absolute order.
But seeing the sight of the Ancestral Planet now, the obsession in his heart subtly loosened, like solid ice soaked in warm water.
Without the power constraints of ninjas, and without the conflicts of the clans, this world had reached a height neither he nor Hashirama had ever attained, simply through its own development.
The power he was so proud of seemed to lose its original meaning in the face of such prosperity.
The two stood side by side on the street, their figures exceptionally silent beneath the shadow of the tall buildings.
Past disputes and obsessions became light as dust at this moment, leaving only shock at the scene before them and contemplation of the "future."
"It truly exceeds imagination." Nagato's voice rang out calmly.
He turned to look at Shun, a trace of inquiry in his Rinnegan. "It is rare that these people, without Chakra, can create such a world."
He remembered how he had once thought of using Ten-Tails to intimidate the Ninja World into achieving ultimate peace. A sense of guilt arose in his heart, and the look in his eyes towards the children softened considerably.
Konan nodded in agreement, forming a tiny paper flower on her fingertip, which she gently blew into the wind. The paper flower drifted toward the plaza and landed on a child's shoulder.
"Their lives are very stable. There is no war, and no displacement."
Her gaze fell upon an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand, supporting each other, their faces bearing the peaceful smiles accumulated over the years.
Konan's eyes instantly softened. This was exactly the life she, Nagato, and Yahiko had desperately sought in Amegakure years ago.
"It seems you have a favorable impression of the Ancestral Planet." Shun turned around, a proud smile on his lips.
He raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to look around, his eyes shining with pride. "You might not believe it, but this Ancestral Planet is a Life Planet I created using Ninjutsu after I awakened the Rinnegan."
"What?"
Hashirama exclaimed in surprise, staring wide-eyed, looking at Shun in disbelief, then turning back to the prosperous scene before him.
"Creating a planet with life and such a flourishing civilization using Ninjutsu? How is that possible?"
Madara was also stunned, which quickly turned into deeper thought.
Creating a Life Planet?
This went beyond the scope of Ninjutsu, it was almost the power of a deity.
The look he directed at Shun carried genuine gravity for the first time.
Shun smiled slightly and continued, "Not only that, but I also created nine other living planets, though their level of development is not as prosperous as the Ancestral Planet."
His tone carried faint pride.
The Ancestral Planet was like a child he had meticulously nurtured, now grown into its finest form. This sense of accomplishment satisfied him far more than simply pacifying the Ninja World.
Finishing his thought, he changed the subject, fixing his gaze on Madara. "Madara, how about I have Nagato return the Rinnegan to you, and then transplant your current Eternal Mangekyo to Hashirama? Given his special physique, he should easily awaken the Rinnegan. Then both of your strengths could advance to the next level. What do you say?"
Madara raised an eyebrow, remaining silent for a moment.
He asked cautiously, his Chakra subtly surging around him, "Why would you do that? This isn't a funny joke."
The Rinnegan was the power he had pursued his entire life, and the pair of Rinnegan on Nagato were precisely his masterpiece from back then.
He stared intently at Shun with his Eternal Mangekyo, trying to find a flaw in his eyes, all the while involuntarily deep in thought.
If he could regain the Rinnegan, he would recover his full strength, but should he help Hashirama awaken the Rinnegan?
Hashirama was also stunned for a moment, and quickly waved his hands.
He reached out and grabbed Madara's arm, afraid he might impulsively attack, his face full of refusal. "No need. Madara's eyes are easier for him to use. I still prefer my own eyes."
"Foolish Hashirama, you probably haven't even witnessed the true power of the Rinnegan."
The smile on Shun's face gradually faded, and his expression became serious.
With a wave of his hand, a Golden Chakra Barrier enveloped the five of them. Runes flowed across the barrier, isolating them from the external noise and prying eyes.
"I am not joking."
His gaze swept over the four of them, his tone grave. "Did you think I resurrected Madara and gathered you simply to pacify the wars of the Ninja World? That was only the first step."
He paused, then slowly began, his voice carrying a sense of distance and weight. "Before the Ninja World was born, this Universe was already home to an ancient and powerful clan, the Ōtsutsuki."
"They live by cultivating the God Tree and plundering Chakra, viewing the life on other planets as mere ants."
"And the origin of the Ninja World is closely related to the Ōtsutsuki clan."