Inside Mount Myōboku.
The Great Toad Sage stared at the crystal ball before him, appearing exceptionally solemn.
Beside him, several giant toads stood silently, not daring to utter a sound.
Facing the Great Toad Sage, even the usually arrogant Gamabunta was utterly submissive at this moment. Not to mention Gamaken and Gamahiro, who were relatively more docile toads.
"Old man, what's going on?"
Gamakichi hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but ask.
"The Great Toad Sage is so tense, is it because of that Chakra?"
The Chakra that erupted outside was simply too strong, even from within Mount Myōboku, they could feel it clearly.
Gamakichi had grown up by now, his size even comparable to his father's. Even so, this power made them feel a sense of unease, a fear from deep within that he had never imagined.
"What exactly is that thing outside?"
Gamakichi couldn't help but feel a little confused, but his father glared at him fiercely.
"Shut up, this isn't the time to discuss that!"
Gamabunta was also extremely puzzled, but he could tell the situation wasn't good, so he was also exceptionally well-behaved at the moment.
"Let's wait for the Great Toad Sage's arrangements. This situation is probably unusual."
"Oh."
Gamakichi nodded helplessly. He could only watch the Great Toad Sage expectantly, waiting for his further instructions.
"Is everyone here?"
After an unknown amount of time, the Great Toad Sage finally spoke in his ancient voice. His drowsy eyes now held no trace of sleepiness as he scanned all the toads present.
"Everyone is here, Great Toad Sage."
Fukasaku immediately spoke, which made the Great Toad Sage nod.
"Any response from Jiraiya?"
"Not yet. He's probably in battle right now, so…"
"Keep trying to contact him. Make sure he understands the gravity of the situation."
"Yes, but what exactly is going on this time?"
Fukasaku was truly curious. He glanced at all the toads present and finally asked the question everyone was concerned about.
"Also, what's with that Chakra?"
"It's good that I tell you, at least you can be mentally prepared."
The Great Toad Sage sighed faintly, his tone exceptionally solemn.
"This is probably a moment of life and death for the entire Ninja World. That Chakra earlier, if I'm not mistaken, came from the Ten-Tails."
"What?!"
"The Ten-Tails?"
"The legendary Ten-Tails?"
This news immediately left all the toads present bewildered.
Living in Mount Myōboku, they naturally knew more than other beings. The appearance of such a terrifying entity as the Ten-Tails immediately made them lose their composure.
"Great Toad Sage, is that aura really from the Ten-Tails?"
Shima couldn't help but ask, and the Great Toad Sage nodded helplessly.
"Yes, it's the Ten-Tails, and that's why I've gathered everyone this time."
At this point, his gaze was somewhat complex, but it quickly returned to calm.
"The Ten-Tails poses an unimaginable threat to the entire Ninja World, so we must do something no matter what. Moreover, the Ninja World has once again fallen into war, and it's an unimaginably vast war for the entire Ninja World. For everyone's peace, we must make some choices to protect this world."
"War, huh?"
Gamaken was a little dull-witted, but showed no fear, while Gamahiro nodded, seemingly with a hint of anticipation.
"War, huh? Tsk, what a pain, but just cut them down."
Gamabunta was the most direct. He bit down on his pipe and yelled, appearing somewhat annoyed by the trouble, but also a little excited.
"Protect the world, eh!"
Gamakichi blinked. Having grown so much, he also yearned to go out and see more.
Not just them, but the other toads also became subtly excited.
This was the Great Toad Sage himself speaking, so even if there might be danger, it was definitely something to look forward to.
"War, huh…"
Only Fukasaku and Shima subtly sensed something was amiss. But since the Great Toad Sage hadn't spoken, they didn't feel it was appropriate to ask.
"Then get ready. Once Jiraiya summons us, we'll prepare to depart."
Seeing this, the Great Toad Sage thought for a moment, then closed his eyes to rest. He didn't even notice that his body was subtly trembling.
'The three Ōtsutsuki presences, already treated as the Path to Godhood, have appeared and are growing stronger and stronger.'
'At the same time, there's also the sealed Rabbit Goddess, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, who almost destroyed the world once.'
'And now, the suddenly appearing Ten-Tails aura, far more terrifying than back then.'
'As well as Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki, hidden in this world, ready to hunt other Ōtsutsuki to achieve his own goals.'
'What exactly is happening to this world?'
'Hagoromo, Hamura, if this world continues like this…'
'It's truly going to be over!'
...
"Brother, Takemi, this child, he…"
The great toads of Mount Myōboku were plunged into fear. Not only them, but the entire Ninja World was in chaos.
And in the Pure Land, the brothers, who had been watching all this, also felt a sense of bewilderment.
The Ten-Tails, they were all too familiar with it. They had defeated their mother, sealed the Ten-Tails, and the Sage of Six Paths himself had even split the Ten-Tails, leading to the Tailed Beasts of today. Now, a Ten-Tails stronger and with a more terrifying aura than before had appeared.
How could they not feel alarmed?
"I don't know either, don't ask me."
The Sage of Six Paths felt a bit numb listening to his younger brother's question. He felt that recently, the phrase he had said most often was 'I don't know either.' Actually, he couldn't be blamed, because he truly didn't understand these things very well. He didn't even know where Takemi had gotten a Ten-Tails.
And now, with the aura erupting from his clone, it was highly likely he had captured another Ten-Tails.
"Perhaps, ever since he awakened his bloodline, he came with his own Ten-Tails?"
The Sage of Six Paths was at a loss, so he could only make up a story. All he wanted was a reason to convince himself.
"And you saw it just now, he opened a space and seemed to enter another place, and in there…"
"There's also a Ten-Tails, and it belongs to those foreign Ōtsutsuki?"
Hamura immediately understood what his elder brother meant, but he couldn't help but become even more confused.
"Could it be that he fed other Ōtsutsuki's Ten-Tails to his own?"
"I really don't know."
The Sage of Six Paths was a bit pained, he really didn't want to discuss these issues.
"And instead of talking about these things, let's do something productive. Now everyone is attracted by that Chakra and has started gathering, so…"
"Oh? Big brother, are you ready to act?"
Hamura immediately understood what his elder brother meant. He couldn't sit still anymore and was ready to make a full move.
"Yes, it's time to act. After all, things are already this chaotic."
The Sage of Six Paths smiled wryly and nodded. He stood up and gazed into the distance.
"Actually, I've always believed in Takemi, after all, this world holds his bonds. But I hope this matter goes more smoothly, and at the same time, I can resolve a thousand-year-old wish."
"A thousand-year-old wish?"
Hamura blinked, immediately understanding.
"Are you talking about the problem with Indra and Asura?"
"Yes, it's been a thousand years. This is the best era, and some problems should be resolved."
The Sage of Six Paths nodded, but although he said that, he felt a bit dejected in his heart.
He also wanted to figure out what Takemi was thinking, but asking directly would probably seem very impolite. It would be better to use the resolution of Indra and Asura's problem as an excuse to appear, and then find an opportunity to ask this Ōtsutsuki born in the Ninja World. He did believe in Takemi, but Takemi was a bit too exaggerated right now.
"Shall we go together and see?"
After a moment of thought, he looked at Hamura.
"Anyway, you've already awakened, not planning to get some exercise?"
"Gladly."
Hamura thought for a moment, then nodded decisively.
"It just so happens that the Ninja World still has my descendants, and they are Byakugan descendants with very pure blood. Besides that, I also want to verify something."
"Hmm? You…"
"That is, I want to see if the will and techniques you've manipulated the Ninja World with for a thousand years, accumulated on the countless bones of living beings, are truly that effective?"
"…"
"And after the reincarnations of Indra and Asura know the truth, how will they face you?"
"…"
"Oh, right, and what will mother and Takemi think when they see you?"
"…"
The Sage of Six Paths took a deep breath. He really regretted calling his brother now. For a moment, he even wanted to strangle this damned brother on the spot.