Black Zetsu suddenly sprang to his feet. The lazy, completely laid-back look he had worn vanished without a trace.
The "Main Quest" flashing on the system interface, along with the long list of rewards, was like the strongest stimulant, instantly reigniting the soul of the office worker he had been in his previous life.
Since he had transmigrated into the Naruto world, if all he did was travel around and be a complete slacker, then it would be far too much of a waste of this nearly immortal body and all the ninjutsu and bloodline abilities in this world.
"Power... all kinds of powerful abilities..."
Black Zetsu's eyes gradually lit up, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile filled with excitement and ambition.
His earlier thoughts of lying flat were thrown completely out of his mind without the slightest hesitation.
"If the original Black Zetsu could pull off something that huge, why can't I? No, I'll do even better!"
He took a deep breath and immediately made up his mind to follow the original Black Zetsu's path completely.
Drive the destined conflict between Indra and Asura, secretly manipulate history, resurrect Kaguya, recover chakra... Every step that could earn system rewards, he would complete one by one.
"Haha... this is the proper way for a transmigrator to do things!"
Black Zetsu muttered to himself, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
He looked up at the evening glow, which was gradually fading into darkness, his gaze seeming to pierce through the long years ahead.
"Indra and Asura haven't even been born yet, and the Ninshu hasn't been established either... I've got plenty of time. I can start planning from the very beginning."
He raised a hand and felt the strange chakra belonging to Black Zetsu flowing through his body. He slowly clenched his fist, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
"I'll lie low first and observe every move Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, makes. I'll find the best point to step in... One step at a time. No rush."
The mountain wind swept past, and Black Zetsu's figure gradually melted into the night. The man who had planned to live as a slacker had now completely switched into the mode of the hidden mastermind who manipulated history for a thousand years.
In the distance, Arisu watched everything silently from within the void. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.
In the blink of an eye, another hundred years quietly passed.
During that long century, Hagoromo traveled throughout the world with his power, which far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Using Sage Chakra as his foundation, he personally repaired the countless shattered mountains, rivers, and cracks in the earth left behind by the battle between the Divine Tree and the Ten-Tails. At the same time, he cleared away the remnants of the Divine Tree scattered across the world.
Wherever he went, he removed the threats left by the Divine Tree while teaching ordinary people the basics of ninjutsu and the principles of how to conduct themselves.
At first, only a handful of kind-hearted villagers followed him.
Gradually, as his footsteps reached more and more nations, increasing numbers of people were moved by Hagoromo's kindness and strength and willingly became his followers.
After a hundred years, several hundred loyal followers had gathered around Hagoromo.
Among them were samurai, farmers, scholars, and many young people who had only just begun learning ninjutsu.
On this day, Hagoromo stood atop a hill, looking at the ever-growing group below him with a slight frown.
"The group is getting larger and larger... I alone possess supreme power, so naturally I can keep traveling everywhere. But they're only ordinary people. Constantly journeying long distances and living out in the open is too hard on them."
Hagoromo let out a quiet sigh and made up his mind.
He could no longer lead hundreds of people wandering across the world. It was time to find a place to settle down, let his followers live in peace, and establish an order that belonged to them.
Thus, Hagoromo led everyone toward the familiar land from his memories.
Several months later, they finally arrived at the ruins of what had once been the palace of the Land of Ancestors.
This place had once been the center of Kaguya's rule. Now it had become a desolate ruin, with only broken walls and crumbling structures telling the story of its glory and tragedy from a thousand years ago.
Standing in the middle of the ruins, Hagoromo looked into the distance, as though recalling something.
All these years, he had never seen the Observer Senior.
He didn't know whether what he had done met the Observer Senior's expectations.
However, since the Observer Senior had never appeared, then presumably everything he had done was in line with the Observer Senior's ideals.
In the end, Hagoromo nodded gently.
"This will be the place."
Hagoromo immediately used Sage Chakra to level the land, move enormous stones, and draw in fresh spring water with his own hands.
With the help of several hundred followers, magnificent buildings rose from the ground one after another: halls, training grounds, residences, libraries... They gradually took shape.
Hagoromo named this place the Ninshu.
He established its rules, taught ninjutsu, and guided people's hearts, hoping that through this place he could spread the ideals of peace and strength, so that the people of the world would never again repeat the conflicts over chakra that had occurred a thousand years earlier.
News of the Ninshu's founding spread rapidly.
More and more people with ambition came from afar, and the Ninshu continued to grow larger every day.
Not long after its establishment, Hagoromo's great reputation quickly spread throughout the surrounding nations through the stories passed down by his followers.
Countless people came to pay their respects, seek instruction, or simply catch a glimpse of the legendary figure who had saved the world.
Every day, crowds from every direction gathered before the Ninshu's main hall, kneeling on the ground with reverence and gratitude.
On this day, inside the Ninshu's main hall, several hundred core followers and representatives from many regions gathered together.
An elderly man with white hair, one of Hagoromo's earliest followers, stepped forward after being chosen by everyone.
Facing Hagoromo, the old man bowed deeply. His voice trembled, yet was filled with devotion.
"With your supreme power, you restored the mountains and rivers, removed the disaster of the Divine Tree, taught ninjutsu, and enlightened all living beings."
"Your merits are beyond measure. No one in this world can compare to your kindness and divine power... After discussing it together, we wish to honor you with the title... Sage of Six Paths!"
As soon as his words fell, everyone in the hall knelt at the same time and shouted in unison.
"Sage of Six Paths!"
"Sage of Six Paths!"
The cries rose like waves, each louder than the last, echoing throughout the skies above the entire Ninshu.
Seated in the main seat, Hagoromo looked at the sea of people below him and was briefly stunned. Then he revealed a gentle smile with a touch of helplessness.
He raised a hand and lightly gestured downward, signaling everyone to rise.
"I merely did what I ought to do. There is no need for such an honorific..."
Although Hagoromo said so, seeing the sincere admiration and unwavering conviction in everyone's eyes, he ultimately did not refuse the title.
After the title of Sage of Six Paths spread far and wide, and after much persuasion and matchmaking from those around him, Hagoromo finally decided to marry.
He married an ordinary woman named Reiko.
She was gentle and kind. During Hagoromo's travels to teach and guide people, she had quietly accompanied him and helped care for the people they met along the way.
The wedding was held in grand fashion in the square before the Ninshu's main hall.
Flowers created through Sage Arts drifted down from the sky, and thousands of citizens and disciples witnessed the joyful occasion together. The celebration was lively and lasted for three days.
One year after the wedding, Reiko became pregnant and gave birth to twin sons.
The first boy was named Indra by Hagoromo, while the second was named Asura.
Both children inherited Hagoromo's powerful chakra bloodline, and from the moment they were born they displayed extraordinary potential.
However, after giving birth, Reiko fell gravely ill. Her body had already been weak to begin with, and the strain of childbirth had exhausted her completely.