Rumble~ Splash~
The Heavenly River poured down, the starry sky reversed. The scene here was no different from outer space. Strange sounds, like thunder, echoed from nowhere.
This was an eternally unknown space, connected to the continent of the ninja world. No one knew how this space was formed, and no one even knew of its existence.
It seemed to exist outside of the mundane world, detached from the mortal realm. Wisps of silvery-white mist gathered from all directions, pouring into a giant, silvery-white... egg.
Crack crack~~
The eggshell trembled, then slowly cracked. A cute child with small horns slowly crawled out of the fissure.
He had white hair falling to his shoulders, and his whole body radiated a silvery-white light. A white robe was draped over him, making him look exactly like a young Taoist priest, incredibly adorable.
"Is this where I was born?" The child, sucking his finger, looked at the starry night sky around him. A flicker of curiosity, mixed with a hint of confusion, flashed in his big eyes.
As if sensing something, the mist that had been flowing towards the eggshell paused slightly, then surged towards the child in large quantities.
"What is this? Don't come near, don't come near!!"
Seeing the mist suddenly rushing towards him, a look of panic appeared on the child's cute face.
Having just been born, he had no idea what this was. As an intelligent being, he instinctively didn't want these things near him. He desperately tried to push the mist away, but it was like his shadow, clinging to him, following him everywhere.
"Goddess of Rabbits, please protect us."
"The supreme deity who governs life and death, possessing the mighty power to grant or take life."
"Stop the slaughter, bring us peace, may you live forever and protect us from evil spirits."
"Respected Goddess of Rabbits, please accept our request and protect us."
"..."
However, as soon as the child's small feet touched the mist, he clearly felt the intent carried within it.
"What is this? Is it meant for me?"
The child froze. A vague sense of responsibility made him cautiously reach out his finger to touch the mist.
As expected, every time he touched a wisp of mist, it would seep into his mind, manifesting as a thought.
"Are they talking about me? Goddess of Rabbits? But I'm clearly a boy."
The child looked down at himself. After a careful examination, he was finally sure he was a boy, and he immediately became a little unhappy. How could they even get the gender wrong?
"Hmph, whatever. I won't stoop to their level. They can call me what they want; I'll call myself 'God of Rabbits'."
The child was delighted and no longer resisted the surrounding mist, actively drawing it in. As the mist continuously flowed in, he gradually fell unconscious, but his body was changing at a visible speed.
After an unknown period, he woke up. He now looked like an adult, around eighteen or nineteen years old, though his childlike nature remained.
Without doing anything, a black rift appeared before him. When he stepped into it, he instantly found himself on the continent.
The sun high in the sky, the white clouds drifting by, the bright blue heavens, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of trees and flowers, the bustling crowds, the noisy sounds – everything was captivating him.
"I've decided. I'm not going back."
Having witnessed so many interesting things, he calmly made this decision. He ran forward and came to rest under a large tree. Watching a group of children playing a mud-throwing game from a distance, he found it very amusing. Without regard for his current appearance, he joined them.
The outcome was natural. As an adult, he received the most mud thrown at him.
But he was having too much fun, given his childlike disposition.
Shortly after, he joined the children in catching grasshoppers, and sometimes he would go to the pond to catch loaches...
A grown man acting like a child seemed odd to anyone who saw it. Even passersby paused slightly, casting him curious glances and secretly thinking he might be a fool.
If the passersby felt that way, the parents of those children certainly wouldn't stand by and watch. Seeing their children playing with this stranger who seemed a bit simple, they immediately took their children home without a word.
The "God of Rabbits" didn't understand why they took his playmates away. But since they were their parents, he couldn't very well ask. He just watched as his playmates all had parents, and a slight ache began in his heart.
A sense of emptiness started to creep in.
Even though he knew he was a "god," formed from the collective thoughts of beings, this feeling of loneliness couldn't be easily dispelled.
"Don't all 'gods' have exclusive duties? What is my duty?" He sat on a mountaintop, gazing at the twinkling night sky, and for the first time, he doubted the meaning of his own existence.
"Who cares? As long as I'm having fun."
He pushed away the strange feelings and continued to wander the continent, doing whatever caught his interest without worrying about what others thought.
With the passage of time, he learned a great deal and was no longer as ignorant as he was before his birth. However, conversely, his alienation from society caused the emptiness in his heart to grow unknowingly.
Until one day, he arrived at a sizable village. The people there were filled with joy and laughter. Men labored doing heavy work, while women gathered to prepare delicious meals, creating a scene of warmth and harmony.
"Is it a festival?"
The "God of Rabbits" asked, swallowing hard as he looked at the delicious food laid out on the tables. Although "gods" didn't need to eat, he still wanted to enjoy the taste!
Moreover, the food here looked... Oh my, it smelled amazing.
"A festival?" A man was surprised for a moment, then chuckled. "It's not a festival, but it's more important than one."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Heh heh, you must be from out of town. Let me tell you, we prepared this especially to worship the Goddess of Rabbits." The man wiped the sweat from his brow and said enthusiastically.
"For me?" The "God of Rabbits" seemed suddenly surprised, a smile spreading across his face.
"What did you say?"
"No, nothing." He wiped the corner of his mouth.
"Haha, let me tell you, unlike other villages, the Goddess of Rabbits has personally visited our village." The man said proudly.
"Visited your village?" He was somewhat startled. How come he didn't know he had been here?
The man stuck his axe into a wooden stake and chuckled, "You wouldn't know this, but the Goddess of Rabbits flew over our village when she was chasing evil gods."