Carrying a heavy and uneasy heart, Naruto arrived once again at the sacred land of Mount Myoboku after a long absence.
The lotus ponds that normally echoed with croaking toads were eerily silent today.
Not a single toad appeared along the way.
Even Elder Fukasaku and Elder Shima, who would usually warmly greet him, were nowhere to be seen.
Naruto's mind was too burdened to notice such details.
The Great Toad Sage… this elder, revered above all others in the ninja world, held even greater authority in my heart than the Sage of Six Paths himself.
Because unlike Uchiha Akira—whose motives were impossible to fully discern, whose intentions always seemed wrapped in mystery and self-interest—the Great Toad Sage was a true prophet. Selfless. One who could genuinely foresee the future. And every prophecy he had ever spoken had come true without fail.
He had guided Pervy Sage.
He was the great sage who revealed my identity as the Child of Prophecy.
He once prophesied that I would become true companions with the Tailed Beasts. That I would bring either unprecedented prosperity or destruction to the ninja world.
And those prophecies had all come true.
With the help of the Tailed Beasts and everyone else, I ended the Fourth Great Ninja War and united the Five Great Nations, who had fought each other for nearly a century.
But ever since the war ended, this great sage had fallen into deep slumber. Even when I visited during holidays over the years, I never once saw him awaken.
Fifteen years.
So he's finally awakened now?
A fifteen-year sleep… there's never been a precedent for that.
The dreams of the toads reveal fragments of the future's path.
Great Toad Sage… what kind of future did you see this time?
"Boom!"
The doors of the Hall of Longevity closed behind him. Naruto stopped before the throne, looking at the ancient thousand-year-old toad seated above, wearing a scholar's cap.
The toad's golden eyes gazed down at Naruto as a warm yet thunderous voice echoed through the hall.
"Little Naruto, it has been a long time. Oh my, Hagoromo is here as well."
Naruto forced a bitter smile. "At least this time you didn't forget who I was, Great Toad Sage Grandpa."
Gamamaru replied, "That is because the future I saw this time was so shocking… that even I could not forget it."
So it really is something extraordinary…
"I'm not really in the mood for small talk either," Naruto said as his cloak fluttered behind him while he sat cross-legged on the cushion below. His expression hardened. "Please, Great Sage Grandpa, tell me the prophecy."
Gamamaru's smile faded. The heavy-lidded toad eyes drooped further, carrying an unprecedented gravity.
"This dream came in three parts. Three fragments of prophecy."
"Three!?"
"That's right." Gamamaru cleared his throat. "The first fragment: A demon from beyond the heavens descends upon the ninja world, possessing a member of the Uchiha clan. After years of scheming, it will bring an unprecedented catastrophe to this land."
"A demon… from beyond the heavens? An Uchiha?"
Gamamaru explained, "A member of the Otsutsuki clan, powerful as a devil itself. A being even more dangerous than Kaguya."
The Sage of Six Paths fell silent.
Naruto clenched his fist. "Has it… already arrived in this world?"
Gamamaru nodded. "Yes. It has been here for many years already, dwelling within an Uchiha."
Naruto's pupils trembled. "Th-The second fragment?"
Gamamaru continued, "The demon usurps the sacred land of the Six Paths, building a nest there. Deep within that nest, it nurtures an extremely dangerous monster while coldly observing the chaos of the world. It feeds upon human suffering and hatred to strengthen that monster."
The Sage of Six Paths remained silent.
"Gulp…" Naruto swallowed hard. "Th-The third fragment?"
Gamamaru's voice grew heavier. "The third fragment… and the final guidance. The Child of Prophecy will lead the people into the demon's nest. After that battle, the ninja world will enter a brand-new era—either unprecedented prosperity… or complete extinction."
Naruto's eyes widened. "I'll lead everyone into the demon's nest!?"
Gamamaru corrected him. "The Child of Prophecy will."
Naruto immediately shot back, "That's me, isn't it?!"
Gamamaru shook his head. "Each prophecy has its own Child of Prophecy. Naruto, you were the Child of Prophecy of the previous era. You may not necessarily be the one this time."
"However… a toad's dream only captures key fragments of the future. It does not reveal the identities of those involved."
"Because you were the previous Child of Prophecy, and one who accomplished great deeds, I chose to share this prophecy with you."
"Whoosh!"
Unable to hold himself back any longer, the Sage of Six Paths emerged physically from Naruto's Six Paths cloak, stepping out from the golden flames flickering along the edges.
"Gamamaru, even if you cannot see identities, you should still be able to perceive certain characteristics, correct?"
"Just as you once foresaw 'a blue-eyed youth calling the names of nine beasts with laughter'—which turned out to be Naruto."
Gamamaru pondered for a moment before replying, "This time was unusual. I could not see the appearance of the Child of Prophecy… but I did see the appearance of the possessed Uchiha."
Naruto's entire body tensed. "What kind of features!?"
Gamamaru said slowly, "The individual had long black hair like a waterfall. Hair that long… it must have taken at least twenty years to grow."
In other words, twenty years ago, he had probably still had short hair.
Naruto clenched his fists harder. "Besides the hair, what else!?"
Gamamaru continued, "He was very tall. Around one meter eighty."
Naruto's fists tightened further. "What else?"
"He always wore black robes. Completely black… unchanged from beginning to end."
A nearly tangible fury surged into Naruto's eyes, though he still struggled to restrain himself. "A-And his face!? Was there anything on his face!?"
Gamamaru shook his head. "His face was covered by a layer of black mist in the dream. I could not see it clearly… Ah, right! I almost forgot the most important part."
"In the haze of the dream, I saw one of his eyes—his right eye, I believe. It was a Rinnegan… one with Sharingan tomoe within it."
Naruto finally exploded.
"It's him!! Uchiha Akira!! Every single trait matches! It's him!! It can only be him!! He was never really Uchiha Akira at all—he's an Otsutsuki from beyond the heavens possessing Uchiha Akira's body!!!"
The Sage of Six Paths shouted as well, "The sacred land mentioned in the second prophecy can only be the Peach Paradise! And that monster can only be the Ten-Tails or the Divine Tree—my mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya!"
"Everything fits! Everything!! Uchiha Akira was possessed by an extraterrestrial Otsutsuki and revived my mother Kaguya as his accomplice!"
Gamamaru spoke solemnly, "There is no time to waste. I will not keep you here any longer."
"Go quickly. This time, aside from the prophecy, I can offer no aid. Think carefully about how to face the catastrophe ahead…"
Naruto barely knew how he left the Hall of Longevity.
"Boom!"
As the great doors closed once more, Gamamaru's eyes darkened.
There was actually a fourth fragment of prophecy.
I foresaw my own end.
That is why I sent all my children away.
And now… it comes.
"Whoosh!"
A black shadow appeared soundlessly in the dim air.
"The descendants of the Sage Ancestor of Mount Myoboku truly are impressive. You actually managed to glimpse something concerning me."
Gamamaru stared at the figure. "You are…?"
The man hovering in the darkness stood around six feet tall, clad in black robes. Long black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall. A black-and-white yin-yang mask covered his face, and within the eyeholes were mismatched six-tomoe Rinnegan—one black, one white—gazing down coldly.
"That's right. I am the heavenly demon you spoke of, Gamamaru."
"So… have you decided how you wish to die?"
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