Naruto: The Sage’s Brother

The borders of the Land of Sou trembled under the weight of countless armies. Soldiers from all corners of the world stood ready, their weapons glinting in the moonlight. These warriors had been summoned by a mysterious benefactor with a single promise and a divine gift: to slay the Rabbit Goddess and claim her divine power. The Land of Sou was nothing more than collateral damage in their eyes—a prize to be taken once their true goal was achieved.

A commander of the allied forces raised his sword high, his voice booming across the battlefield.

"Today, we kill the Rabbit Goddess! Today, we ascend as gods!"

The armies erupted into a deafening cheer, their war cries shaking the ground as they marched forward.

High above the battlefield, Hagoromo faced his younger brother, Hamura. The two clashed in midair, their movements blurring with speed and power. Hagoromo's eyes were filled with both sorrow and determination, while Hamura's gaze remained cold and unrelenting, devoid of the warmth that had once defined him.

"Mother! What have you done to Hamura?" Hagoromo demanded, his voice breaking as he narrowly dodged a spinning kick aimed at his head.

Kaguya, watching from above, responded with calm indifference. "Hagoromo, you are still too soft. If you cannot even kill your brother, how do you intend to defeat me?"

Her words stung, but Hagoromo knew they were true. He couldn't keep holding back. As Hamura charged again, Hagoromo summoned his chakra, lightning crackling around his arm. His hesitation vanished as he prepared to strike.

"Forgive me, Hamura!" Hagoromo roared as he thrust his arm forward, lightning piercing through his brother's chest.

Hamura's body froze midair, his eyes widening as blood dripped from his lips. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Elder… Brother… I am… sorry…" he whispered before his eyes fluttered shut.

Hagoromo landed beside Hamura, his heart pounding as he knelt by his brother's side. His Sharingan spun violently, reflecting the anguish consuming him. It wasn't long before the crimson tomoe began to shift, their shape twisting into the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan. But the transformation didn't stop there.

With a surge of power, the Mangekyō evolved further, expanding into concentric rings—the Rinnegan.

"Hamura! Don't leave me! I can fix this!" Hagoromo cried, pulling out the treasured Sage Seal, a relic from the Land of Toads. He pressed the seal to Hamura's wound, its green light spilling over the injury and mending it with divine precision.

Hamura's eyes fluttered open. "What… did you do, Elder Brother? The wound is… gone?"

Before Hagoromo could answer, a shadow fell over them. Kaguya descended from the skies, her expression unreadable.

"Mother, please stop this madness. If we destroy the Divine Tree, we can end all of this suffering!" Hagoromo pleaded.

Kaguya's eyes narrowed. "You are naive, Hagoromo. Do you truly believe that peace will follow the Tree's destruction? Look around you. Look at these armies of men who seek to dethrone me. Even if I were to vanish, they would continue to fight—to kill—for power. This is the true nature of humans"

The battlefield erupted into chaos as arrows darkened the sky, hurtling toward Kaguya. With a mere glance, she repelled them, the projectiles shattering harmlessly midair.

"Foolish humans," she muttered, her tone laced with disdain.

"Bring out the relics!" one of the commanders roared.

From the ranks of the allied armies, four warriors stepped forward, each wielding a tool imbued with chakra granted to them by their benefactor.

The first was a golden chain that shot toward Kaguya with lightning speed. She attempted to repel it, but the chain coiled tightly around her, its energy draining her chakra.

Kaguya's eyes widened. What is this? A tool that absorbs chakra?

Before she could break free, a bolt of lightning streaked past her, narrowly missing her head. A second warrior, dressed in desert robes, lowered his crossbow and cursed under his breath.

"Tch… I missed."

A third warrior appeared from thin air, his blade gleaming with a radiant light. He descended upon Kaguya, aiming to cleave her in two. She dodged at the last moment, her instincts screaming danger.

But as she turned to retaliate, a sharp tug on her soul brought her to a halt. She spun around to see the fourth warrior wielding a gourd, its mouth aimed at her, attempting to rip her soul from her body.

Kaguya's fury erupted. She yanked the man toward her with overwhelming force, gripping his head tightly. "Where did you get these tools? How can you wield chakra? Answer me!"

The man grinned through the pain. "Die, monster."

In an instant, his body erupted in an explosion of fire and force, the shockwave rippling across the battlefield.

As the dust settled, Kaguya stood unharmed but enraged. She surveyed the carnage, her gaze falling on her sons in the distance. Memories of war and betrayal surfaced, fueling her resolve.

"It appears I have been too lenient. I should have crushed their hopes from the start."

A third eye opened on her forehead, glowing ominously. The earth trembled as the Divine Tree began to shrink, its massive trunk twisting and folding until it transformed into a monstrous flower. At its center, an eye opened, its malevolent gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

The ground cracked and split as enormous arms clawed their way to the surface. The Ten Tails emerged, its colossal form towering over the battlefield like a living nightmare.

The Ten Tails roared, its voice shaking the heavens as it prepared to unleash its power. A massive orb of black energy formed in its mouth, growing larger with each passing second.

"Mother, stop! Don't do this!" Hagoromo shouted, his voice desperate.

But Kaguya did not listen. The orb shot forward, colliding with the land of Sou in a deafening explosion. When the dust settled, the once-vibrant land was reduced to a lifeless wasteland.

Amid the ruins, Hagoromo and Hamura stood, protected by a black orb of chakra. With them was a lone survivor—a trembling teenager from the village, his eyes wide with terror.

"Mother! Why did you destroy the village? There was no need for such devastation!" Hagoromo's voice was filled with rage and despair as he surveyed the destruction.

Kaguya remained unmoved. "You still do not understand, Hagoromo. This is humanity's true nature. When given even the slightest chance, they will turn against you. Mercy is a weakness you cannot afford."

The Ten Tails loomed behind her, its monstrous presence sealing her words with terrifying finality.

Hagoromo clenched his fists. "Mother, your tyranny ends today!" He summoned a black staff, his Rinnegan glowing with power as he prepared for the battle of his life.

…..

After Hagoromo and Hamura led Kaguya a way to uninhabited lands a shadow arrived

upon the ruins of the Land of Sou. The air was thick with ash and the stench of charred flesh. Amidst the desolation, a figure emerged from the shadows, his presence radiating a chilling calm.

Tenshin stood atop a shattered ridge, his dark hair rustling in the faint, unnatural breeze that seemed to follow him. His piercing blue eyes swept across the battlefield, a flicker of amusement dancing within them.

The lone survivor—a teenage boy clutching the sword of the warrior who attacked the rabbit goddess—staggered forward, his eyes wide with terror. He had witnessed the destruction, the wrath of gods, and now this man's unnerving stillness. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to obey.

Tenshin tilted his head, studying the boy like a predator sizing up insignificant prey. "Oh, there's still one left," he mused, his voice smooth yet devoid of warmth.

The boy clenched his jaw, trembling yet resolute. With a desperate cry, he charged, swinging the sword with all the strength he could muster.

Tenshin didn't move.

The boy froze mid-stride, his body engulfed in crimson flames. He screamed as his flesh disintegrated, leaving only ash to drift in the wind.

Tenshin sighed, brushing invisible dust from his robes. "Using my own toys against me truly laughable," he murmured, his usual polite smile absent.

"Jashin," he murmured, his tone light yet cold, "it seems they served their purpose well."

From within his robes, he withdrew the cube. It trembled in his hand, glowing faintly as if alive, its hunger palpable. Tenshin glanced at it, his expression softening in rare satisfaction.

"Yes, I know. You're eager, aren't you?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Every soul here is yours."

The cube responded, unraveling thousands of glowing, ethereal strings. They snaked through the battlefield, latching onto the broken corpses, severed limbs, and even the lingering essence of chakra left behind. One by one, the remnants of the allied armies vanished, absorbed into the cube's endless void.

As the last trace of life was devoured, Tenshin held the cube up to the faint moonlight. Its surface shimmered, pulsating as if sated—for now.

"Not bad," Tenshin muttered, slipping the artifact back into his robes. He turned his gaze toward the distant battlefield where Kaguya and her sons clashed. The tremors of their battle echoed even here, shaking the very earth.

"Hagoromo…" Tenshin said softly, his tone laced with rare intrigue. "Your growth exceeds my expectations. Unlocking the Rinnegan already? And Hamura… your loyalty might prove troublesome."

For a moment, his features darkened, a rare frown creasing his brow. "I suppose I'll need to accelerate my plans."