"Idiot! Fool! That's definitely not me! Why would I crawl around like that?!"
Black Zetsu shrieked, its voice sharp with humiliation and fury—as if its image as a master manipulator had been thoroughly desecrated.
But the Heavenly Curtain did not alter its course for the sake of its outrage.
The Birth of a "Divine Maiden"
The God Tree's emergence—its emerald radiance piercing heaven and earth, its overwhelming life force—could not possibly go unnoticed.
Drawn by what they believed to be a miracle, people gradually gathered at the basin's edge in small groups, carrying awe, curiosity, and fear in their hearts.
When they saw the colossal tree that seemed to connect heaven and earth—
And beneath it, the woman in flowing white robes, breathtakingly beautiful, her temperament as cool as the moon, seemingly one with the tree itself—
Shock and instinctive reverence filled their souls.
In that primitive era—chaotic, dangerous, ruled by strength—such a being transcended understanding.
And so they gave her a name.
"The Divine Maiden! A Divine Maiden has descended!"
"She came with the Sacred Tree!"
"She guards it!"
"Praise the Divine Maiden! Praise the Sacred Tree!"
They knelt in prostration, chanting simple prayers.
They brought offerings—the best food their tribes possessed, rough woven cloth, polished stone tools—carefully placing them at the basin's boundary.
At first, Kaguya paid these ant-like beings no mind.
She remained seated in meditation beneath the God Tree, occasionally opening her Byakugan to observe the Chakra Fruit's formation.
Time passed.
The humans did not leave.
Instead, they began treating the place as sacred ground.
Their devotion deepened.
Perhaps the long wait grew tedious.
Or perhaps something else stirred within her.
When savage beasts approached the outer settlements at night, she quietly drove them away.
When tribal skirmishes threatened to erupt into bloodshed, a single cold glance from her would fill both sides with inexplicable dread—halting the violence.
She never descended to speak with them.
Never directly answered their prayers.
Yet these minimal gestures—effortless to her—became, in the humans' eyes, proof of divine intervention.
"The Divine Maiden protects us!"
"With her here, the beasts dare not approach!"
"She calms our conflicts! We must be even more devout!"
Their offerings grew more generous.
Their worship more fervent.
Kaguya still sat beneath the God Tree, outwardly detached.
Yet at times, upon her eternally frozen features, there flickered the faintest ripple—so subtle even she might not have noticed.
Reactions from the Shinobi World
Those watching the Heavenly Curtain fell silent.
They had seen the terrifying growth of the God Tree.
They felt its immense energy.
They saw Kaguya as a cold executor of duty—
And then as a distant yet tangible guardian who subtly improved human survival.
They saw how ancient humans deified a visitor from beyond the sky and began forming early civilization around that miracle.
Complex emotions arose among the viewers.
The scene of "Divine Maiden quietly protecting, villagers devoutly worshiping" softened many hearts.
"This 'invader'… doesn't seem entirely evil."
"She secretly drove away beasts to protect them."
"It's… surprisingly peaceful."
"If things had continued like this—if the God Tree bore fruit, she completed her mission and left—maybe it would have become a beautiful legend. A faith."
"But we know it didn't end that way."
"What happened to make her eventually 'reshape the world'?"
"Something massive must have occurred."
The Heavenly Curtain seemed to respond.
Time accelerated.
Days turned to months. Seasons cycled beneath the God Tree's eternal emerald canopy.
The outer settlements prospered.
Faith in the Divine Maiden deepened.
Until one day—
A different figure appeared at the basin's edge.
The Prince of the Land of Ancestors
He looked to be in his early twenties.
His clothing, though simple in material, was carefully tailored and adorned modestly—distinguishing him from the villagers.
He was handsome, with bright, gentle eyes and a smile as warm as spring sunlight.
Villagers paused their work and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness Tenji."
Through whispered conversations, viewers learned that this young man—Tenji—was the second son of the daimyō of the Land of Ancestors.
Though "Land of Ancestors" in that era amounted to little more than a large town and a dozen surrounding villages.
Tenji held no real power.
Only symbolic nobility.
Yet what truly set him apart was not his status—but his character.
He bore none of the arrogance common to aristocrats.
He listened patiently to farmers discussing harvests.
Played with children.
Even helped villagers repair structures with his own hands.
Soon, his gaze fell upon the towering God Tree—and the solitary white-clad figure beneath it.
Unlike the others, who dared only kneel from afar, Tenji approached—careful to maintain respectful distance.
"Divine Maiden, the weather is beautiful today. The sunlight upon the Sacred Tree is magnificent."
"Divine Maiden, do you never grow bored sitting here? Would you like to hear some stories from the Land of Ancestors?"
"Divine Maiden, I found these sweet forest berries today. Would you care to taste them?"
He stood at that measured distance, speaking warmly, as though conversing with an old friend.
He talked of clouds drifting overhead.
Of birdsong in the woods.
Of village gossip.
Of strange tales recorded in fragmented ancient texts he had read.
He did not kneel.
Nor did he demand.
He simply spoke.
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