"How could this be?"
Compared to Otsutsuki Hagoromo's surprise, the Great Toad Sage appeared exceptionally calm.
"I have peeked at too much fate. I suppose this is fate's punishment for me..."
"As for matters of the outside world, I am now too lazy to inquire, and also uninterested. I have hardly dreamed at all these years... Today, I am rarely a bit clear-headed. You should state your request quickly..."
The Great Toad Sage spoke listlessly, his condition seeming as if he might die at any moment.
"Very well... I want two Sage Power Regeneration Talismans, and I also wish to ask Mount Myoboku to teach the Sage Art to Ashura's reincarnation..." Seeing the Great Toad Sage's poor condition, Otsutsuki Hagoromo simply stated his purpose for coming directly.
"The Sage Power Regeneration Talismans I can give you. But as for teaching the art, you should do it yourself... You are not unaware of our Mount Myoboku's Sage Art..." The Great Toad Sage spoke faintly.
"Mainly, Mount Myoboku has abundant natural energy, and there is also the Toad Oil..." Given the unstable current situation, the Sage of Six Paths knew that learning the art within Mount Myoboku would be faster.
"I will have Fukasaku give you a few more liters of Toad Oil then..."
"I have a premonition that my death is approaching. Mount Myoboku will begin sealing itself off from this day forward..."
As soon as the Great Toad Sage said this, the Sage of Six Paths instantly widened his eyes, appearing somewhat incredulous.
"If that is the case, then I will not trouble Mount Myoboku further... Waking up after a thousand years, I was very happy to see you again. I never thought you would also reach your limit now..." Otsutsuki Hagoromo said with a touch of emotion.
"For a toad to live over a thousand years, heaven has treated me quite generously..."
The Great Toad Sage suddenly fell quiet. No matter how much Otsutsuki Hagoromo spoke to him afterward, there was not even half a response.
"Has he fallen asleep..."
Otsutsuki Hagoromo frowned slightly.
"Great Lord Elder is often like this, please do not mind it... Honorable Sage, please wait a moment. I will go fetch the Sage Power Regeneration Talismans and the Toad Oil for you..." Fukasaku proactively spoke.
"Thank you for your trouble..." Otsutsuki Hagoromo nodded.
Not long after, the Sage of Six Paths took the items and left Mount Myoboku directly.
"Great Lord Elder, are you really going to die..." Fukasaku hopped to the Great Toad Sage's side, his eyes brimming with tears as he asked.
This was the ancestral patriarch of the toad clan. Knowing that the patriarch's life was nearing its end, Fukasaku felt very reluctant to part.
"I won't die before you do..."
The Great Toad Sage spoke abruptly. Fukasaku was so startled by this sudden voice that he jumped several feet high on the spot.
"Great Lord Elder... You!!!"
"Fukasaku, I have calculated your fate. You will die before this old ancestor. I should be the one who is sad..."
Upon hearing this, Fukasaku's face flushed red. Clearly, he had been tricked by this scheming old toad again!
"Old undying... Just keep lingering. It would be best if you outlasted everyone..."
Fukasaku, fuming, wanted to leave, but when he hopped to the door, he suddenly stopped.
"Was what you said about sealing the mountain also false?"
"Whether we seal it or not is irrelevant now. Those who are meant to come will always come. I just don't want to be entangled in too much karma with Hagoromo anymore..." The Great Toad Sage said unhurriedly.
"Why? Weren't you and he good brothers..." Fukasaku couldn't help but ask.
"My relationship with him was always just cooperation... Back then, I taught him the Sage Art, gave him sage treasures. He settled Kaguya for me and sealed the Divine Tree..."
"He broke free from his mother's control and became the world's savior. We of Mount Myoboku preserved our sacred land and eliminated the threat of the Divine Tree. Everyone got what they needed..."
These words made Fukasaku's heart race with fear. This was the first time he had heard such ancient secrets!
"So, you don't plan to continue cooperating with him?" Fukasaku quickly grasped this point.
"I would like to continue cooperating with him. After all, that outsider Hagoromo's mind isn't particularly complex, and he is relatively easy to get along with... Unfortunately, destiny is not with him. Heaven no longer favors his two sons either..."
The Great Toad Sage let out a heavy sigh as he spoke.
"Didn't you say before that the Child of Prophecy still had hope?"
The so-called Child of Prophecy refers to Naruto, or rather, the reincarnation of Otsutsuki Ashura.
The Great Toad Sage had once said that the Child of Prophecy and the Agent of Change were opposed to each other, and in the end, a battle between them would be unavoidable.
Previously, from the Great Toad Sage's perspective, it seemed the Child of Prophecy still had a chance of winning. Why had he suddenly changed his tune now?
"Heh... Silly child... Look at my eyes. Do they still have hope of opening again..." The Great Toad Sage asked with a bitter laugh.
"!!!"
Hearing this, Fukasaku instantly widened his eyes, a vague guess forming in his heart.
"I peeked at his fate. He taught me a lesson. This is a causal relationship... Now that this 'effect' still exists, it proves that fate has ultimately chosen him..."
It had been over ten years since the Great Toad Sage's eyes went blind. The injured eyes showed no signs of recovery even now. That divine punishment power remained strong and potent. Even if he could dream now, all he could see was darkness.
This outcome proved both the power of that divine being and indicated that the rise of that god was unstoppable. The so-called Child of Prophecy had no possibility of victory. If there were a possibility of winning, it would prove that the god would not rise, and his eyes would not remain in a state of blindness.
The Great Toad Sage was using the future 'effect' to deduce the present 'cause'. As the saying goes, where there is a cause, there must be an effect... Since the 'effect' already exists now, it is destined that the 'cause' will follow!
The Great Toad Sage, knowing full well that the Sage of Six Paths would lose, was still willing to help him purely out of regard for their past friendship. That was why he gave the sage treasures.
From now on, there would be no further connection between them!
The reason the Three Great Sage Regions could remain aloof and detached was not because they were independent from the world or avoided karma. The main reason was that they understood how to assess the situation and adapt. Even if they did not stand on the side of the victor, they would absolutely not stand on the side of the loser!
The White Snake Sage, the Great Toad Sage, the Great Slug Sage. These long-lived ancient monsters almost all had means to peek at fate. 'Seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster' was the true meaning of an immortal's method!
The Great Toad Sage's refusal to allow Mount Myoboku to teach the Sage Art to the Child of Prophecy, plus his statement about sealing the mountain, meant that the Child of Prophecy would lose. The Sage of Six Paths and his sons had an extremely low chance of winning. Therefore, he did not want to be stained by this karma of failure, lest he might be settled with afterward.
"Lord... What exactly is destiny? I see that the Sage of Six Paths is also a benevolent person who cares for the world. Why does destiny no longer favor him..." After a long silence, Fukasaku asked this question.
"You silly child... So-called destiny, it all depends on strength and background. Destiny doesn't care whether you are benevolent or not..."
The Great Toad Sage uttered a very realistic statement. As soon as he said it, Fukasaku was completely stumped.
"Ah???"
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