Chapter 103 – Rinnegan
"Young Yusuke, come with me. The Great Toad Sage wishes to see you," Fukasaku said calmly.
"Alright."
Since he was a guest in their sacred land, Hatake Yusuke had no reason to refuse the summons.
Led by the two Toad Sages, Yusuke was guided through the paths of Mount Myōboku until they arrived at a large chamber, where a giant toad—only slightly smaller than Gamabunta—was resting.
Its ancient appearance, deeply wrinkled skin, and sleepy expression immediately gave away its immense age. Draped around its neck was a large necklace inscribed with the kanji for "oil" (油), and atop its head sat a traditional hat. This was the Great Toad Sage—a legendary creature who had lived since the time of the Sage of Six Paths, gifted with the ability to peer into the future.
"Hmm... There's a reason I called you here," the Great Toad Sage rasped, his voice heavy and low.
"Hm?"
Yusuke looked at him, curiosity flickering in his gaze. He wasn't entirely sure what the old sage was getting at.
"…Wait, who are you again? Why are you here?" the sage suddenly asked after a long pause.
"Uh… I'm Hatake Yusuke, Great Toad Sage. I came to Mount Myōboku to learn Sage Mode," he replied awkwardly.
Even though he'd been warned that the Great Toad Sage could be a little... scatterbrained, it still caught him off guard.
'Why does it always start like this…' Fukasaku muttered in his heart but wisely kept it to himself.
"Ohh, right! I remember now. Yusuke, I had a vision about you," the sage murmured as he slowly opened his cloudy eyes—yet even through the haze, they carried a depth of timeless wisdom.
"A vision, huh? Alright, lay it on me. I'm mentally prepared," Yusuke said, his expression turning serious.
"I saw you… encountering a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan. In that vision, you died. But strangely, after that moment, I could see nothing at all… as if your entire existence was erased from the flow of time," the Great Toad Sage explained, his voice calm.
"…I die?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible. I'm invincible."
He spoke with absolute certainty. In this shinobi world, he truly believed that nothing—not even an Ōtsutsuki—could defeat him.
"Hohoho! Don't worry, child. 'Death' isn't always so literal," the old toad chuckled.
Still, Yusuke frowned. The very idea of death—his death—didn't sit right with him. He had already climbed so high in power… it was hard to believe something could end him.
"…I see. Thank you for the warning, Great Toad Sage," Yusuke said respectfully, bowing his head.
"To be honest, your Sage Mode is... strange," the Great Toad Sage continued. "You can maintain it indefinitely without reverting. In my lifetime, I've only seen one other person capable of such a thing."
To Yusuke, it made perfect sense. His Logia-type Devil Fruits—especially the ones aligned with nature, like the Pika Pika no Mi and Mera Mera no Mi—allowed his body to passively absorb natural energy with ease.
"Yeah, my body's… a little special. Drawing in natural energy feels completely natural to me," Yusuke replied casually.
The Great Toad Sage looked at him with wide eyes. Not even Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki had radiated this kind of mystical power.
"Yusuke… you know what the Rinnegan is, don't you?" the old sage suddenly asked.
"Of course. One of Jiraiya-nii's students had it," Yusuke replied. He still didn't know where this was going, but he answered seriously.
"Yes… the eyes of the Sage. And what do you think of its power?"
"Hm… It's powerful, sure. But not impressive enough to get excited about." Yusuke shrugged.
To him, the Rinnegan was strong, yes—but only one ability truly piqued his interest: the Outer Path's Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. The power to resurrect the dead… now that was something worth chasing.
Still, he couldn't quite understand why this was being brought up now.
"Return to your training for now. Once you've truly mastered Sage Mode, I'll explain everything," the Great Toad Sage said, closing his eyes once again and drifting off into slumber.
Though filled with curiosity, Yusuke didn't press him. He knew well that ancient beings like this often played the long game.
"Oh right, no training just yet. It's dinner time! You've got to try my wife's cooking. It's delicious!" Fukasaku said enthusiastically.
"…Eh?"
Yusuke's face turned pale. He suddenly remembered the infamous "dark tradition" of Mount Myōboku.
So that's why Minato-nii never came here. Back then, he kept warning Yusuke not to cause trouble—but now, the truth was clear. Minato had let him come here alone… on purpose.
"Uhh… no need to trouble yourselves, Fukasaku-sama. My body's special enough that I don't really need to eat. I'd rather continue training, honestly," Yusuke said with a strained smile, doing his best to dodge what was coming.
But Fukasaku didn't pick up on the subtle rejection. With the same cheerful tone, he practically dragged Yusuke toward the dining hall.
Not long after, Yusuke found himself seated in front of a table… covered with bug dishes.
He froze.
With trembling hands, he picked up a fried insect using chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. The moment he bit into it, hot fluid burst forth from its body.
'Crispy? Chicken-like flavor?' he thought in agony. Of course not! This wasn't food fit for any human!
Even with his high tolerance for extreme survival, this was pure torture. But Yusuke wasn't one to lose face.
'No way I'm going down like this…' he thought grimly.
With practiced precision, he secretly manipulated the air inside his body using the power of the Door-Door Fruit, creating a portal and ejecting the bug directly out of his stomach.
From the outside, he looked calm—eating with perfect manners. In truth, he didn't swallow a single bite.
And so, the "wonderful" dinner finally came to an end. Deep in his heart, Yusuke made a silent vow:
"Next time, I'm dragging Minato-nii here too. Let him taste this hell for himself."
Elsewhere, Minato suddenly shivered. A chill ran down his spine. He brushed it off, unaware of the revenge that fate had quietly scheduled for him.
Back on Mount Myōboku, Yusuke resumed his training. Now he sat cross-legged atop a towering spire of rock. For most, it would've been a challenge—but for him, it was hardly an inconvenience.
He was determined to master Perfect Sage Mode—not just for the reward granted by the system, but because of the warning left behind by the Great Toad Sage.
Unexpectedly, as he meditated and honed his focus, his understanding of both the Pika Pika no Mi and Mera Mera no Mi deepened even further. It brought him great joy.
Sage Mode really does amplify all my elemental abilities… With this, my grand plans will unfold much faster than I thought.
Yusuke's eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
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