"Oh, it's little Jun." The green toad with graying hair, wearing a black cloak, looked at the red-haired young man who had suddenly walked in and said with a smile on his face, "You're back? Jiraiya said you were missing."
"Some things did happen." Uzumaki Jun nodded with a smile, acknowledging the greeting, then said, "Is the Toad... Great Sage here?"
He didn't know exactly what was going on yet, so it was better not to speak carelessly.
Moreover, why wasn't Chimiko lying in the coffin he had made for her, waiting for him to awaken her a thousand years later.
And where did Kaguya go?
After learning senjutsu, her two sons might not necessarily be able to defeat her, so it was even less likely she was sealed.
As for the three little ones back then...
Did they ultimately become the Three Great Sage Lands?
He had too many things he wanted to know!
"The Great Sage?" Fukasaku looked at Jun suspiciously and said, "What business do you have with the Great Sage? Normally, the Great Sage should be resting now."
After all, the Great Sage was quite old and spent most of his time resting.
"Is that so?" After hearing Fukasaku's words, Uzumaki Jun touched his chin, pondered for a moment, then looked at Fukasaku seriously and said, "I have some matters I need to ask the Toad... Great Sage about in person. Please."
Was this Great Sage the same Gamamaru who was almost bitten to death by the white snake back then?
If he was, why didn't Gamamaru see him when he came with Jiraiya back then?
And if not...
Where did Gamamaru and the others go?
"Oh?" Seeing the serious expression on Uzumaki Jun's face, Fukasaku frowned his toad brows and said, "It seems little Jun has something very important!"
He put his hands behind his back, paced back and forth on his short green legs, as if thinking about something...
"Alright then!"
Finally, he nodded...
"I'll go see if the Great Sage has woken up. Little Jun, please wait here for a while."
Uzumaki Jun nodded, saying seriously, "Thank you for the trouble."
He urgently wanted to know why Chimiko didn't follow the agreement they made back then.
"Wife, come out and entertain little Jun." Fukasaku shouted towards the back, "We haven't finished the bugs we roasted at noon. Bring them out for little Jun to try some authentic Mount Myōboku delicacies."
After saying this...
He directly hopped away on his short legs, jumping inside...
"Oh, little Jun is here." Shima also walked out carrying a large bowl, saying, "Little Jiraiya said you were missing, couldn't be found anywhere in the shinobi world."
"A few things happened." Uzumaki Jun glanced at the bowl Shima was holding, seemed to remember something, was momentarily stunned, then said with a smile, "I just got back."
Back then, Gamamaru also brought out bugs like this for him and Chimiko to eat. Although he and Chimiko refused many times, Gamamaru would always bring back a full bowl every time he went out to find food...
And now...
Gamamaru was gone, only the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku remained...
"It seems little Jun has been through a lot." Shima nodded, a smile on her face, pushing the bowl forward, saying, "Here, don't be shy, these were just caught this noon, very fresh."
"... No need." Uzumaki Jun's expression stiffened as he said, "Lady Shima, you know we aren't used to eating this."
"It's not good for children to be picky eaters." Shima said sternly, "Little Jiraiya was a picky eater back then. It took him a few years on Mount Myōboku to correct it. Little Jun, you mustn't follow his example."
"..."
Later, didn't Jiraiya become afraid of coming back to Mount Myōboku?
Uzumaki Jun gave an awkward laugh, averted his eyes, and immediately saw Fukasaku hopping back on his short green legs, and quickly said, "Lord Fukasaku, how did it go?"
He didn't have pica, he couldn't learn from Jiraiya and train here for three years to learn to eat bugs...
"The Great Sage is awake and asks you to enter." Fukasaku pointed to a path ahead and said, "Go straight in from here, and you will see a temple. The Great Sage is inside."
"Thank you, Lord Fukasaku." Uzumaki Jun said with a smile, "As for the bugs, please enjoy them yourselves, Lord Fukasaku."
Then...
He quickly ran inside...
And Fukasaku...
"Wife, I almost forgot to ask little Jun just now how he even got to Mount Myōboku." He looked at Shima, who was eating bugs beside him, with a puzzled expression, "Do you know?"
"No idea." Shima shook her head and said, "What does little Jun need with the Great Sage?"
"I don't know either. The Great Sage didn't ask me to follow." Fukasaku shook his head and said, "Little Jiraiya hasn't visited recently. I don't know what's happening in the shinobi world. It seems something big has happened there again." Then, looking at the almost empty bowl, "Save some for me, wife!"
Forget it...
Let's have a snack first. As for the rest, we can ask when we see little Jiraiya later.
...
Deep Inside...
Looking at the dark, ancient temple filled with traces of history before him, Uzumaki Jun took a deep breath to calm his complicated feelings and slowly walked in...
"You have come."
Just as Uzumaki Jun stepped inside, an aged yet somewhat familiar voice sounded...
Uzumaki Jun raised his head and looked at the huge stone seat covered with a large red cloth bearing the character for 'Sage'. Sitting on it was a large orange toad with yellow eyes, wearing a string of Buddhist prayer beads around its neck with a light purple cat's eye stone set in the middle, inscribed with the character for 'Oil', and wearing a doctoral cap on its head...
He sighed inwardly...
It was indeed much larger than the Gamamaru of the past.
Just as he was about to speak and ask...
"It has been a long time..." The Great Toad Sage's aged voice sounded, filled with emotion and a touch of nostalgia, "...Teacher."
And Uzumaki Jun...
Hearing the Great Toad Sage's words, he was momentarily stunned. Glancing at the light purple cat's eye stone on the Great Toad Sage's neck, he sighed and said with feeling, "It really has been a long time, Gamamaru."
So...
The world he had traveled to back then was indeed not a parallel world, but simply the past.
He opened his mouth, about to ask what exactly happened after he left back then, and where Chimiko was now...
"I know what you wish to ask, Teacher." The aged Gamamaru spoke directly, "So, please listen now as Gamamaru tells you slowly..."
Seeing his teacher grow quiet, he continued in a tone filled with recollection and nostalgia...
"Back then, I comprehended the ability of prophecy from the Dragon Vein, which you created using chakra and senjutsu to traverse time and space..."
...
"Lord Shikazo, what should we do now?" A Konoha-nin approached, looking at the frowning Konoha commander, and said, "The Fourth Hokage still hasn't sent back any. Do we need to continue waiting like this?"
The Third Hokage gave orders to end the war quickly, but now...
Without the Fourth Hokage's help, forcing an invasion under heavy artillery fire would result in severe casualties.
Nara Shikazo pondered for a moment, took out a cigarette, scratched his head, casually lit it, put it in his mouth, took a drag, frowned, and said, "Wait! Tell the men below not to act rashly. Continue waiting patiently."
Just what happened?
Could it be...
Nara Shikazo leaned against the railing, frowning, lost in thought...
"Perhaps the Uzu no Kuni Daimyo never actually disappeared, and this..."
A conflicted expression suddenly appeared on his face...
"Is just a scheme?!"
Thinking this, his heart sank with shock...
If his guess was really true...
The Five Great Shinobi Villages were truly finished!