The riverbank returned to peace.
"Hamura, why did you suddenly attack that talking toad? Even if its origins are suspicious, we could have captured it, questioned it properly, and heard what it wanted to say before deciding."
Frowning, Hagoromo walked over and looked at his younger brother in confusion.
"There's an eighty percent chance that strange creature is the one that blocked the river. Brother, someone with unknown origins like that is bound to be full of lies the moment it opens its mouth."
"We can't give it any chance. You still remember Mother's warning to us, don't you? Outsiders usually have evil intentions. We must never trust them lightly."
Hamura brushed the dust off his clothes, shook his head, and spoke calmly.
Hearing that, Hagoromo's frown eased slightly.
Over the years, their mother Kaguya had indeed repeatedly warned them to stay vigilant against all outside forces.
In the end, Hagoromo still nodded.
"...I understand.", Hagoromo said.
Seeing that he had convinced his brother, Hamura felt somewhat relieved.
Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, his expression changed slightly.
"Brother, let's hurry back. Today should be the day of the Divine Tree ritual. Mother should already be making preparations. We can't be late.", Hamura said hurriedly.
Although his tone remained calm, he was extremely anxious inside.
He clearly remembered the original story. On the very day of the Divine Tree ritual, the woman his brother Hagoromo loved, Hatori, would be offered to the Divine Tree as a sacrifice.
That was one of the key sparks that eventually drove the brothers apart.
"I absolutely can't let Hatori die... Otherwise, sooner or later, Brother will walk the same path."
Thinking that, Hamura urged him even more anxiously, pulling Hagoromo along as they hurried toward the palace of the former Land of Ancestors.
———
[Meanwhile, Deep Within Mount Myoboku]
Covered in dirt, Gamamaru returned before the White-Browed Toad, his face still showing lingering fear.
"Boss! That was terrifying!"
"I followed your orders and went to 'accidentally meet' those two brothers, but before I could even say a few words, that white-haired kid called Hamura started bombarding me without another word! He wouldn't listen to a single explanation, and he almost turned me into dried toad!", Gamamaru complained loudly.
The White-Browed Toad sat before the crystal ball, and a trace of seriousness flashed across his aged face.
"Hamura... So he actually behaved like that? It seems this child's path of destiny has already deviated greatly..."
The White-Browed Toad frowned deeply.
Rubbing the place where the palm wind had scraped him, Gamamaru croaked pitifully, "Exactly! That kid hit especially hard, and his eyes were faintly glowing blue. He must have awakened some incredible eye technique."
"Hagoromo was much easier to talk to, but he's completely led around by his younger brother. What are we supposed to do now?"
The White-Browed Toad remained silent for a long time. Looking toward the direction of the Land of Ancestors faintly reflected in the crystal ball, he let out a long sigh.
"Continue observing... The time has not yet come. We must not act rashly."
Sitting atop the high platform, the White-Browed Toad looked deeply at the still somewhat disheveled Gamamaru before him.
"Gamamaru, recently... have you had any unusual dreams?"
The White-Browed Toad suddenly asked.
He knew that Gamamaru was born with the ability to have prophetic dreams.
Those dreams often revealed fragments of destiny and were of great importance to Mount Myoboku.
He had originally hoped that before or after leaving the mountain this time, Gamamaru would sense something, providing clearer guidance for leading the Hagoromo brothers.
Gamamaru froze for a moment, scratched the top of his head, carefully thought back for a while, then shook his head.
"No, Boss. I've been sleeping pretty well lately. I haven't had any dreams at all."
Hearing that, the White-Browed Toad frowned even more deeply.
"No prophetic dreams... That isn't normal."
"The path of destiny has already been seriously disrupted. That Hamura... is quite unexpected."
The White-Browed Toad muttered quietly.
The atmosphere inside the hall became heavy for a moment.
The White-Browed Toad slowly closed his eyes before speaking again.
"For the time being, don't approach them lightly anymore. Continue observing and wait for new signs to appear. If there are still no prophetic dreams... we may need to intervene in this matter another way."
Gamamaru acknowledged the order.
———
Arisu had seen everything Otsutsuki Hamura had done.
Hamura's decisive attack on Gamamaru, the power of the immature blue Tenseigan, his cold and resolute killing intent, and his unwavering determination to protect Kaguya.
Every bit of it was clearly reflected in Arisu's eyes.
"Hmph!"
Arisu's expression immediately darkened. He frowned slightly, and obvious dissatisfaction flashed through his eyes.
"Heh, this kid."
Arisu's voice carried a trace of coldness.
In the original story, although Hamura had also participated in sealing Kaguya, he later lived quite comfortably.
He became the ruler of his own little kingdom on the moon, had descendants, and enjoyed a life blessed with many children. Compared to Hagoromo's exhausting life of constant worries, it was many times better.
But this transmigrator was determined to protect Kaguya, even going so far as to try to kill the key plot character, Gamamaru.
"Can't you transmigrators just honestly follow the original script?", Arisu snorted coldly. The tolerant warmth from before had disappeared from his eyes, replaced by growing gloom.
Since this Hamura refused to quietly enjoy the "good ending" that originally belonged to him and insisted on standing with Kaguya, then...
"Then you'll be sealed away together with Kaguya."
A sinister glint flashed through Arisu's eyes.
He was no longer just a bystander. With a thought, he immediately began considering a response.
In only a short moment, Arisu made his decision, and a plan quickly took shape in his mind.
"Since you want to change the plot, then I'll help you change it even more thoroughly.", Arisu murmured softly.
———
[Late At Night]
Hamura was already asleep peacefully in his room.
Hagoromo, however, suddenly woke from a light sleep.
"What is this?"
Hagoromo got up and looked outside. He felt a strange summoning force coming from beyond the palace, reaching straight into the depths of his soul and urging him to go there alone.
"...What is this?", Hagoromo murmured, frowning slightly.
He glanced at his younger brother's room next door. After confirming that Hamura hadn't stirred, he quietly got up and followed the summons out of the palace by himself.
The night wind brushed through his white hair. Moving like the wind, Hagoromo soon arrived at a secluded clearing deep in the forest behind the mountain.
There, an old man dressed in an ancient robe, with white hair and beard, stood quietly.
The old man had a kind face, yet carried an air that transcended the mortal world. Faint traces of sage chakra flowed around him.
It was Arisu in disguise.
The old man turned around, his gentle yet sharp gaze falling upon Hagoromo.
"Hagoromo, you've come.", Arisu spoke slowly.
Hagoromo frowned. He could clearly tell that this old man was no ordinary person. The ordinary people of this world were all just ordinary.
But this old man was clearly extraordinary.
"Who are you?", Hagoromo asked in a deep voice.
"Hagoromo, I am a guide. I came here to tell you some things."
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