The revelation of the "Calamity Star" delivered a massive psychological blow to Jiraiya. The future felt ethereal and unstable.
To have his years of effort effectively dismissed by the Great Toad Sage as being upended by a mere "calamity" left his heart in a state of complex turmoil.
Sensing Jiraiya's inner conflict, the Great Sage spoke softly: "The destiny that Minato Namikaze once bore has already transferred to his son—the new generation's Child of Prophecy."
So, destiny can be transferred... Jiraiya didn't harbor much doubt. The concept of inheriting heavenly fate was not unheard of in the shinobi world, and he accepted the explanation provided by the Sage.
"Protect the Child of Prophecy well. He is the future hope of the ninja world."
"Yes, I understand."
As Jiraiya descended the mountain in a daze, two small toads—a husband and wife—hopped forward. The elderly male toad spoke up: "Father, telling young Jiraiya all of this will increase the pressure on him significantly."
This couple was none other than the parents of Gamabunta. Though small in stature—barely the size of a human's shoulders—their strength, knowledge, wisdom, and chakra reserves were staggering. They were the absolute masters of Senjutsu (Sage Chakra) within the Myoboku lineage.
Among the Two Great Sages, Shima (the wife) specialized in Fire Style and possessed a tongue capable of sensory detection.
Fukasaku (the husband) specialized in Wind Style, capable of spitting high-pressure water blades and summoning ninja tools.
Together, their duet could produce the most powerful toad-based sound genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant.
For years, as the Great Sage lived in seclusion, Fukasaku had led the residents of Mount Myoboku. His status was second only to the Great Toad Sage, and as the teacher who personally instructed Jiraiya in Senjutsu, he understood the gravity of the situation.
These three Sages of Myoboku lived in symbiosis with nature, having cultivated chakra for over a thousand years without aging.
Fukasaku, known for his righteous character, was respected by all toads as "Head," while his wife affectionately called him "Pa."
Shima followed behind her husband, expressing her own confusion. "The old snake in Ryuchi Cave is restless.
Combined with the appearance of this Calamity Star, the descendants of Hagoromo are under threat. Because of this, Hagoromo even met with me directly, entrusting me with the protection of the Konoha lineage."
The Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, shared a deep bond with the Great Toad Sage. Historically, it was with the old toad's assistance that Hagoromo successfully sealed Kaguya. Their interests had been intertwined from the very beginning.
However, the aggressive rise of the Hidden Sand in recent years had made Konoha's position increasingly precarious.
Between the threat of Kaguya and the clandestine activities of the Akatsuki, even Mount Myoboku felt the situation spiraling out of control.
To them, the Hidden Sand was a greater threat than the Akatsuki. Since Shiraishi had conspired with Ryuchi Cave to master Senjutsu, the balance of power in the mortal world had tipped toward the desert.
Coupled with the Calamity Star's Tenseigan, the Great Sage held a deep-seated wariness toward the Sand.
The old toad's eyes were cloudy, but his voice was steady as he asked, "Why have you two come to find me?"
Fukasaku scratched his head. "A verbal message came from Ryuchi Cave. They say the Sand has a cat brought back from Ashura's lineage, and it is about to complete its metamorphosis..."
The two smaller Sages didn't fully grasp the meaning, but the Great Toad Sage understood exactly which cat the White Snake Sage was referring to.
Even for the Great Sage, the mention of that "Fat Orange" sparked intense fury. "That wicked cat... has an indelible grudge against the Myoboku lineage. We must not allow it to take another step forward."
"Wicked cat?"
Suddenly, Fukasaku and Shima were hit by unpleasant memories. When they were mere tadpoles, they had witnessed their elder brothers being snatched away by a stealthy orange cat, which proceeded to disembowel and eat them right there.
The only reason the couple survived was that they were too small back then; the cat seemingly decided they weren't worth the effort yet and wanted to "fatten them up" first.
Remembering the look in that cat's eyes made the couple shiver.
However, knowing their target, they felt a lingering worry: "But that is the Hidden Sand..."
The Three Great Holy Lands rarely took direct action against human powers, especially the Hidden Sand, which was currently the strongest of the Five Great Villages.
Even Konoha wouldn't provoke them lightly, and Jiraiya wouldn't help easily due to his background.
"I will handle it personally... I only need to disrupt the evolution at the critical moment."
The old toad, much like the old snake, loathed this cat. What galled him most was that the cat was exceptionally good at acting cute.
Years ago, while being hunted by the toad and the snake, it had hidden in the Sage of Six Paths' residence, transforming into an ordinary orange cat to beg Ashura for help.
Thinking about it made the Sage's blood boil. Is it because we can't act cute? Are we not adorable enough?
If the raid succeeded, he could simply use Reverse Summoning to return. No matter how strong the Sand was, they couldn't reach Mount Myoboku.
Among the three holy lands, Myoboku, being the leader, was no joke. Shikkotsu Forest essentially had only one massive Sage, while Ryuchi Cave had many descendants but few true combatants.
"And those stone statues... It's time they were put to use."
Those who failed to master Senjutsu at Mount Myoboku were turned into stone statues. These were once famous figures in history, and even as stone, they remained precious resources for the Holy Land.
The Great Sage formed a seal. Five toad statues began to fluctuate with chakra. As the Sage's domineering Senjutsu energy poured into them, the statues began to hover.
Sage Art: Earth Style Reincarnation!
This technique uses the bodies of the deceased as a medium, using earth to perfectly reconstruct their physical forms and revive them as puppets.
The resurrected retain the appearance, physical abilities, and chakra reserves of their prime, even capable of using all their original techniques.
In history, a version of this was used to resurrect the "Four Ninja of the Lightning Style." While some minor clans possessed a secret version of this, the "Sage Art" version was the true, complete form.
These five statues contained powerful sealing arrays to convert the caster's chakra into potent Senjutsu energy.
"These five were powerhouses of the Warring States period, hailing from the Senju, Uzumaki, and Hagoromo clans. While they aren't on the level of Hashirama or Madara, they represent five standard Kage-level combatants."
Five Kage-level fighters would be enough to crush any minor village.
The Great Toad Sage's cloudy eyes turned cold. "With four or more Kage-level combatants, we can release the Sage Art Array: Super Reverse Four Symbols!"
The Super Reverse Four Symbols Sealing requires four Kage-level experts to manifest a massive sealing zone that devours everything in its vicinity.
It is the upgraded, coordinated version of the Leaf's Reverse Four Symbols Sealing—and it was the "gift" the Great Sage prepared for the Hidden Sand.
In the White Snake Abode, Shirohebi-hime sipped her tea nonchalantly, waiting for the coming storm.
Shiraishi appeared across from her, watching the tea steam. "What are you plotting, Lady Sage?"
"What do you think I am plotting?"
"I suspect it concerns the fat cat at my house. But I can't imagine who would dare strike at the Sand if you aren't the one doing the moving."
The White Snake Sage smiled elegantly. "Ryuchi Cave will not be your enemy; we still have a partnership to maintain. As for anything else... that is beyond my control."
Suddenly, Shiraishi looked up. Above the Hidden Sand, five stone statues were plummeting from the sky like meteors, screaming through the air in a vertical strike!
The Sand's perimeter barrier collided with the five statues, resulting in a massive energy explosion. Then, strange black runes began to leak from the stone. Even though it was Senjutsu, it carried a foul, suffocating stench.
The legendary holy lands, it seemed, were not above using the dead as tools.
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