As natives, they were forced to follow the will of the world. The grand direction of their fate would not, and could not, easily be changed.
But players, the so-called 'Fourth Calamity,' were free from the world's will. Their actions were full of uncertainty and could have a huge impact on the state of the game world.
Game administrators, on the other hand, could customize the game rules, control the game data, and prevent players from destroying the game world.
"Now, do you understand Tsukuyo's situation?" Zetsu asked quietly.
"Tsukuyo's administrative privileges have been blocked by the 'Mother' you mentioned, and his soul—or spirit, you could say—is imprisoned in our world." Senju Wakama tried to understand Tsukuyo's current situation using the knowledge he had just acquired. "His real body is in the 'real world'."
Zetsu said with satisfaction, "Not bad, Wakama. You've understood completely."
"So, in that world, Tsukuyo's... gender is male." Senju Wakama took a deep breath.
Before encountering video games, Senju Wakama had found the concept of a male playing a female character very difficult to grasp.
But now, Senju Wakama understood.
When playing video games, some characters were female. If a player wanted to control one, they would inevitably be a woman within the game.
This resulted in a situation where the player himself was a man, but the NPCs in the game saw the player as a woman.
This was Tsukuyo's current situation: a male player using a female character, a beautiful woman with the soul of a man...
To survive, Tsukuyo needed to constantly heal people, thereby increasing his strength to become invincible.
To escape this world, Tsukuyo needed an NPC who would give everything for her.
It was too difficult.
"That's right. He is a direct descendant of my mother, the heir of the newest generation. He is very important. But because my mother has completely abandoned her physical body, she has gradually lost her humanity." Zetsu said with some concern, "Being overly rational is not necessarily a good thing."
Senju Wakama was puzzled. "Overly rational? What does that mean?"
Zetsu continued, "Tsukuyo constantly reincarnates in various worlds, forming bonds with 'data' like us. To him, we might be living human beings with our own thoughts and will, just living inside a world like a box."
"But to 'Mother,' we are just a set of data with emotions and independent feelings that should be used to their maximum value."
"Mother wants to tell Tsukuyo that forming bonds is for the sake of gaining the greatest benefit. Forming bonds is to make data like us willingly become 'artificial intelligences' with independent thought, created specifically to serve them."
"Our emotions towards them are the most powerful tool for controlling our own behavior. If we are not willing to be used by them, then we should be formatted every time the world resets, forgetting everything from the past and repeating the life of the previous cycle."
"If you are willing to give everything for them, then you are qualified to become a tool in their hands, to fight alongside them..."
Zetsu said that while Tsukuyo appeared to be full of vicious schemes and morally corrupt, in reality, he always had his own bottom line. He never forced anyone to give everything for him. On the contrary, he would always encourage everyone to think of themselves first before considering doing something good for him.
But this philosophy and code of conduct clearly conflicted with that of 'Mother.'
When Tsukuyo traveled through the major worlds as a man, his personal charm would attract countless men and women to his side.
But to this day, not a single woman had been willing to give everything for him.
So, Zetsu said, 'Mother' believed that this might be the result of different ways of thinking caused by gender differences.
And now, Tsukuyo had become a coveted beauty. They all wanted to know if such a being existed, one who would be willing to give everything for Tsukuyo.
As things stood, Tsukuyo had been in this world for many years.
But such a person had still not appeared.
Senju Hashirama wasn't it, Senju Tobirama wasn't it, Senju Wakama himself wasn't it, Senju Itama wasn't it, and Uchiha Madara wasn't it either...
And now, Zetsu was optimistic about Hyuga Haku.
Perhaps the feelings for Tsukuyo held by this young man from the Hyuga branch family, who humbled himself to the dust, could be pure.
Zetsu had been observing in secret, but unfortunately, Hyuga Haku still hadn't triggered the "give everything for Tsukuyo" mechanism. This proved the emotional bond was still not deep enough.
As expected, it was simply too difficult to meet such harsh conditions.
For half a month straight.
Senju Wakama's daytime work continued as usual, as did the "seven-day appointment," but something was still changing quietly.
On a bright and beautiful morning.
Senju Wakama was using a clone to host a lottery draw.
His real body was sitting in a corner, reading a chemistry textbook full of Chinese characters.
The Senju clan's affairs were numerous, and Tsukuyo was also quite busy.
Senju Wakama wanted to learn more. If Tsukuyo discovered what he was reading, he would definitely be questioned, so he had disguised the book's cover to look like his own notes.
Senju Wakama found chemistry knowledge to be very useful. It would allow him to create various chemical weapons from certain materials, conserving chakra.
Whether poison gas or explosives, they could all be of use to him.
And Brother Zetsu had also said that Tsukuyo had studied these things since childhood. But right now, Tsukuyo wasn't immediately teaching everyone how to use this dangerous knowledge, instead choosing to let everyone live a good life first.
The first things Tsukuyo imparted to everyone were knowledge of agriculture and medicine, not the creation of highly lethal weapons.
Tsukuyo was bestowing "happiness" upon everyone through subtle influence.
Then, he would let everyone immerse themselves in that happiness, and then they would turn back and figure out how to protect it, proactively seeking to become stronger.
Under those circumstances, even if they mastered extremely deadly weapons, people would consider how to act so as not to harm the happiness they held in their hands.
Senju Wakama considered himself inferior to Tsukuyo; he still had much to learn.
Suddenly...
"Wakama..."
A girl's voice, somewhat familiar yet a little strange, came from above him.
Senju Wakama calmly closed the book and looked up.
What met his eyes was a Byakugan with a purplish tint, flowing black hair, and a white female yukata.
Hyuga Miyu. He hadn't seen her in many days, and she seemed to have changed.
Her fair face had gained some definition, and her cheeks remained youthful and full, but her features had lost their previous childishness. Her figure also seemed to be maturing.
Unfortunately, they had been apart for too long. Seeing her again, Senju Wakama felt not a single ripple in his heart.
Whenever he recalled the agonizing feeling he had during that initial period when he had lost contact with her, Senju Wakama's heart would inexplicably calm down.
"Good morning, Miyu."
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