Mount Myoboku, the most picturesque and pleasant of the Three Great Holy Lands.
The emerald-green trees swayed gently, and the mountain streams flowed with crystal-clear water, reflecting the sunlight like scattered gemstones, sparkling brilliantly.
Giant mushrooms, strange vegetation, and towering stone pillars reaching into the sky lined the paths, flanked by massive toad statues.
It truly had the aura of a holy land.
When Fukasaku and Shima appeared before Gamamaru, their expressions were initially blank, but they quickly realized what had happened.
'Jiraiya-chan is dead...'
Both toads showed sorrowful expressions, then turned their gaze to Gamamaru, who remained seated in his usual spot.
"Great Toad Sage-sama, Jiraiya-chan, he..."
Gamamaru shook his head, cutting off Fukasaku. His eyes, which are usually closed, opened slightly, revealing a sliver of white, adding a hint of ferocity to his otherwise benevolent appearance.
"Fukasaku, go and retrieve the Sage's Talisman."
Hearing this, Fukasaku was momentarily stunned. The last time the Sage's Talisman had been used was during the era of the Sage of Six Paths.
But soon, his expression turned to one of joy.
"Great Toad Sage-sama, are you going to use it to save Jiraiya-chan?"
Gamamaru shook his head again, dismissing Fukasaku's hope. "Just do as I say, Fukasaku."
Gamamaru didn't elaborate. Jiraiya no longer had a role in Mount Myoboku's plans, and the Sage's Talisman was too precious to waste on him.
Hearing Gamamaru's words, Fukasaku's eyes flickered with disappointment, but he couldn't question the Great Toad Sage or make any demands.
Fukasaku hopped away toward the back mountain.
Gamamaru then turned to Shima, who was still by his side, and said, "Shima, go to the center of Mount Myoboku's barrier. You'll need to activate it later."
Shima's expression changed at this. If retrieving the Sage's Talisman was to revive someone, then activating the barrier was undoubtedly to block someone.
Shima then thought of Naruto's abilities, 'Could it be...?'
Shima shook her head, dispelling the chaotic thoughts. After acknowledging the order, she also hopped toward the back mountain.
With Fukasaku and Shima gone, Gamamaru closed his eyes again. His mood was still not good today.
His dreams were becoming increasingly chaotic.
Originally, he thought Jiraiya would only encounter the Child of Destruction on the day Konoha was destroyed, but now, Jiraiya had met his end much earlier.
The future had already been thrown into disarray by the changes in the 'Child of Prophecy.' Even the slightest breeze could alter the course of fate, as it had with Jiraiya.
This made Gamamaru lose faith in his own dreams… or perhaps, he was unwilling to believe them. Mount Myoboku was about to face its greatest crisis in a millennium, and this was only the beginning...
"Hagoromo, I hope you can stop this."
Gamamaru didn't snore this time, as he wasn't asleep.
---
The leaves in the forest rustled in the wind, creating a natural symphony, serene and peaceful.
As space rippled slightly, a figure with golden hair appeared in the forest.
"Hmm?"
Naruto let out a surprised hum, looking around with a thoughtful expression.
Naruto felt a sense of astonishment.
He had followed the Flying Thunder God mark on Jiraiya's body, but instead of appearing near Jiraiya, he found himself in a forest with no sign of the man.
Naruto carefully sensed his surroundings and noticed the dense concentration of Natural Energy, 'This had to be a corner of one of the holy lands.'
'It seems Mount Myoboku has some tricks up its sleeve.'
To erase a Flying Thunder God mark, one needed the power of the Six Paths. This time, Mount Myoboku hadn't erased the mark but had instead transferred it to this forest.
'Mount Myoboku still retained some of Six Paths' powers.'
"Hehe, it seems I've fallen into Mount Myoboku's trap."
After a brief moment of thought, Naruto understood his current predicament. However, he showed no signs of panic. Instead, he began pondering another question.
'How had these toads known I would come?'
Naruto suddenly remembered the dream-loving toad of Mount Myoboku, 'Perhaps it had dreamed something about me.'
"Naruto!"
Naruto, who was still deep in thought, suddenly heard a call. This call did not come from the outside world, but from within his body.
Kurama, who had been engrossed in manga, novels, and snacks for so long that it had barely interacted with Naruto, had now called out to him.
"What is it, Kurama?"
Naruto asked in his mind, remaining alert to his surroundings.
At this time, Kurama's expression was unusually grave, a far cry from its usual arrogance. It spoke in a serious tone.
"I sense the old man's Chakra, and it's growing stronger!"
"Old man? You mean the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo!"
Naruto paused for a moment before realizing who Kurama was referring to.
Before Naruto could ask further, he felt a sudden blockage in his mind, as if a gate had been slammed shut in a previously smooth passageway, leaving him uncomfortable.
Naruto carefully examined the sensation and quickly identified the cause of the blockage.
A barrier had suddenly enveloped Mount Myoboku, cutting off his ability to sense the Flying Thunder God's marks outside the mountain.
Using his Dojutsu, Naruto carved a Flying Thunder God's mark onto a nearby tree. In a flash, he appeared on the tree.
Seeing this, Naruto breathed a small sigh of relief, 'It seemed the barrier only blocked my perception of the outside world and didn't suppress his abilities.'
He had thought it would be more impressive.
"Naruto, should we leave?"
"Leave?" Naruto's brow furrowed slightly, his tone tinged with disdain. "Kurama, you, the so-called strongest Tailed Beast, seem to be living up to your reputation less and less."
Since he was already here, leaving now would be a waste of the feast the toads had prepared for him.
Moreover, to ensure the success of this trip to Mount Myoboku, he had even absorbed Kakashi's left eye, which contained Kamui.
For once, Kurama didn't argue with Naruto. After a brief silence, it spoke gravely. "You don't understand the power the old man wields."
"Heh, an old man who's been dead for a thousand years. Even if he comes back to life, how much strength could he possibly have?"
Naruto's expression remained unchanged. "If he really had the power to kill me outright, he would have done so already. Why wait for me to come to Mount Myoboku and then set up a barrier?"
If a thousand-year-dead Otsutsuki's Chakra could scare him off, that would be truly laughable.
Kurama fell silent again. It could indeed sense that Hagoromo's Chakra was unusual. While it was growing stronger, it was still incredibly weak in terms of sheer volume… far inferior to Naruto's current power.
"Alright, Kurama, tell me where the Sage of Six Paths is."
Naruto did a quick warm-up, a faint smile curling on his lips. For the first time in a long while, a spark of fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
From the moment he gained his power, he had never truly gone all out in a fight.
"Let me see for myself… Do Sage bleed?"