"Sage Fukasaku?"
Led by Wentai Gam, Haseo soon came face to face with the "top enforcer" of Myoboku Mountain—the mighty toad sage Fukasaku, who could channel Natural Energy and wield Sage Art with mastery.
Since the Supreme Great Toad Sage had long since retired from battle, theoretically speaking, both Fukasaku and Shima were now the most powerful toads on Mount Myoboku.
Fukasaku and Shima surpassed all other toads in battle power.
To put it into perspective, the Great Toad Sage was like the Elder Namekian, a wise figure who wouldn't lower himself to fight directly, while Sage Fukasaku was more like Piccolo—actively engaged and formidable.
"Lord Haseo, please follow me. The Great Toad Sage is just ahead."
Even among toads, one called a "sage" must surely possess unique abilities. Though much older than Haseo, Fukasaku radiated intense Natural Energy that Haseo clearly felt.
Not only would ordinary toads stand no chance against him, but most ninja likely wouldn't either.
Since he had come this far, Haseo thought there was no harm in meeting the Great Toad Sage, so he followed behind Sage Fukasaku... while Wentai Gam stopped here and went no further.
"Sage Fukasaku, I've heard that Mount Myoboku's big blue worms, little flowerworms, and caterpillar rice balls are local specialties. Their appearance might seem quite something, but supposedly their taste is top-notch... Is that really true?"
Usually, talking about food was a safe and friendly way to break the ice with new acquaintances. Offering compliments could even help quickly build rapport with the locals.
"You've also heard about these things, Lord Haseo? Did Little Jiraiya tell you?"
"That's right. For your kind, the food of Mount Myoboku might look quite unappetizing at first glance, but as long as one dares to try, the flavor is guaranteed... In fact, countless Sage Art trainees have visited Mount Myoboku throughout history, yet not a single one has ever complained about our cuisine.
That texture is truly unforgettable—imagine biting down and feeling those juicy critters burst in your mouth, with others still wriggling around alive inside! After we finish our serious matters, please do give them a try."
"Heh... Hehe, sounds really... distinctive."
Haseo resolved to make a polite exit at the earliest opportunity. While judging something merely by its appearance rather than personally trying it was admittedly superficial, he truly didn't want to shove those colorful creepy-crawlies into his mouth.
Just imagine—having to sleep on the cold hard floor like that. If his family found out he had feasted on bugs outside, he probably wouldn't even be allowed back home.
In short, Mount Myoboku's so-called delicacies were visually horrifying enough to make ordinary people physically sick.
There weren't many topics for casual conversation between a human and a toad, even if that person wasn't entirely ordinary... He said he liked them big and white? It insisted on slick and green? Clearly, they came from different taste universes.
The only trait that seemed to fit was his fear of his wife, yet as is well known, no male creature would willingly expose such a flaw.
Fortunately, the journey was short, and the two soon reached their destination.
Sage Fukasaku and Haseo had been walking upward all the way, eventually entering a massive natural cave.
It had the look of nature's handiwork, but there were plenty of signs that someone had arranged things on purpose. From first glance alone, it resembled a library carved into the mountainside—just how entertaining or inspiring its contents might be, however, remained a mystery.
After passing through several rows of shelves, they finally saw the Great Toad Sage sitting on an enormous chair directly facing the entrance.
Behind him stood a wall filled with scrolls. The giant toad looked extremely old overall, wearing a string of prayer beads around his neck and a doctoral cap on his head… Oh right, he wasn't wearing any clothes either.
Maybe he should've spent more time getting dressed than fussing over a hat? Well, one shouldn't judge a toad by human moral standards.
"Sage of Six Paths, huh? Feels like it's been ages."
Just as Haseo, led by Sage Fukasaku, was approaching the Great Toad Sage, the latter suddenly lifted his head slowly and spoke those words.
Haseo paused slightly in his steps… then continued forward, all the way until standing at the foot of the Great Toad Sage, looking up at this ancient being who had lived untold centuries.
"You mistook me, Great Toad Sage. I'm just a Ninja from Konoha."
The Great Toad Sage had lived far too long; now, his mind had become... uh, extremely muddled.
That's probably why, the moment he saw Haseo, he blurted out "Sage of Six Paths."
Although by now, someone probably already scattered the Sage of Six Paths' ashes...
"Is that so? Did I mistake you?
Ninja from Konoha, you carry a nostalgic Aura about you."
No kidding—who else but Haseo himself scattered the Sage of Six Paths' ashes?
"Great Toad Sage, this is Lord the Fourth Hokage of Konoha..." Sage Fukasaku jumped over to stand beside the Great Toad Sage, introducing Haseo's identity.
Perhaps due to stimulation from the aura Haseo carried, the Great Toad Sage's consciousness was relatively clear at this moment. At least, there was no need to repeatedly confirm Haseo's identity—this was a good sign. Most days, the Great Toad Sage had less memory retention than a goldfish.
"The Fourth Hokage—you coming here—are you looking to find out if it's a boy or a girl?"
Haseo "..."
Sage Fukasaku "..."
Where did this question come from?
"Cough, I mean, I got it wrong. What I meant was... Do you wish to know the future of the world? Don't know why it shifted into the topic about boys and girls. Somehow, you seem like the type who'd ask such a question..."
Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage, could indeed be described as growing wiser with age—easily seeing straight into Haseo's true nature.
"Actually, compared to the future of the world, I'm more curious about how you, the Sage, are able to make prophecies. You see..."
Haseo wanted to say more, but at that moment, the Great Toad Sage interrupted him.
"Information and information, intelligence and intelligence—they intertwine endlessly, inevitably revealing omens.
"The world will continuously attempt self-correction. Fourth Hokage, although you've strived to prevent certain events, you haven't managed to eradicate them entirely. The ancient evil will remains within the present world, and calamity continues to brew.
"In the near future, the person you hold dearest will become your enemy. Though reluctant, ultimately you'll have no choice but to wage a protracted war to preserve the balance of the world.
"This war's outcome will determine the direction of the world, yet regardless of whether the result is favorable or not, the world will once again be reset.
"The process in between remains ambiguous; however, the long-term outcome has already become clear.
"Fourth Hokage, the power you've received isn't just for show. How it will be used won't depend solely on you."
"..."
What am I even supposed to do with this...?
The Great Toad Sage's sudden monologue left Haseo momentarily stunned.
Regardless of exactly how the Great Toad Sage makes these prophecies—no matter how cryptic they might sound—there's no denying his predictions have always been accurate. Moreover, unlike most mystics, what the Great Toad Sage says is far clearer—it's actually substantial.
These truly are genuine prophecies—not just clever wordplay.
The "evil will" he mentioned must refer to Black Zetsu. So Black Zetsu is still alive… Well, it's not that hard to believe—he always seems to find ways to survive.
But what does he mean by "the dearest person becoming an enemy"? Who could that be?
Tsunade? Impossible. Her household status and sheer dominance alone ensure Haseo has absolutely no way to stand up to her.
Could it be someone resurrected through Impure World Reincarnation? Unlikely, since Orochimaru has been quite well-behaved recently.
Could there be another possibility?
Suddenly, Haseo gasped sharply—could it be that Tsunade will give birth to a traitorous child?
Like the Indra Chakra taking over someone again? That seems far-fetched. Haseo is so tired of all this family drama...
Truth is, the whole world basically plays out like one big domestic drama.
Six Paths Chakra, Indra Chakra, Asura Chakra—these concepts themselves seem vaguely defined, as if whoever designed this universe never really understood them clearly to begin with. How could things possibly develop so dramatically from such uncertain foundations?
"Lord Haseo, the Great Toad Sage has already fallen asleep..."
Just as Haseo was lost in these thoughts, Sage Fukasaku's voice interrupted him.
It turned out that the Great Toad Sage—the original instigator—had already dozed off, making it impossible to request further clarification.
Besides, prophecy itself inherently cannot go into greater detail anyway.
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