It hopped after Hagoromo in a hurry, looking extremely anxious.
The spread of Mount Myoboku's Sage Art was no small matter to them. If there were flaws in its inheritance, it could cause a series of problems in the future.
Hagoromo, however, never slowed down. Without turning around, he simply said calmly, "This is my business. It has nothing to do with you."
With that, his figure flickered slightly, his speed suddenly increasing. In just a few breaths, he disappeared from Gamamaru's sight, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
Gamamaru had no way of catching someone at the peak of Six Paths level. It could only watch Hagoromo leave.
"Who... exactly is that guy..."
"Why does it feel like some other expert helped him..."
It bounced in place twice. In the end, it could only let out a helpless sigh, turn around, and head back toward Mount Myoboku, preparing to report everything it had seen and heard today to the White-Brow Great Toad Sage in detail.
———
Deep within Mount Myoboku, atop a stone platform shrouded in sage energy.
Gamamaru ran all the way back, panting heavily.
"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! Great Toad Sage, something terrible has happened!"
Without even catching its breath, it hurriedly jumped in front of the White-Brow Great Toad Sage and recounted everything it had seen and heard exactly as it happened.
"...That's what happened! Otsutsuki Hagoromo really does carry an extremely pure Mount Myoboku Sage Art aura!"
"I definitely didn't sense it wrong! And he even warned me not to let Mount Myoboku interfere with the human world. Otherwise, he'd cross the barrier and come beat us up..."
The more Gamamaru spoke, the more agitated it became. Its two forelegs waved nonstop, and its round eyes were filled with uncertainty and alarm.
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage sat on the lotus stone platform. After hearing the entire account, his already broad brows drew together deeply, and he remained silent for a long time.
One hand slowly stroked his snow-white eyebrows as his expression grew solemn and he fell into thought.
"...That shouldn't be possible."
After a long while, the White-Brow Great Toad finally spoke in a low voice, his tone filled with obvious confusion and gravity.
"As things stand, Mount Myoboku should be the only place in this world that possesses the orthodox inheritance of Mount Myoboku Sage Art.
"We never taught Hagoromo ourselves, so how did he learn it? And to have mastered it so purely..."
A trace of deep confusion flashed through the White-Brow Great Toad Sage's eyes, along with a hint of wariness.
"Could it be that Arisu didn't die? Did he teach him afterward? No, if it were him, he would never pass on Mount Myoboku's Sage Art... Or could it be that, besides Mount Myoboku, there are other inheritors of Sage Art in this world that we don't know about?"
The more the White-Brow Great Toad thought about it, the more serious the matter seemed. Even his original plan to wait and see began to waver.
"The leakage of Sage Art is no small matter. If its inheritance spreads freely, the consequences will be unimaginable..."
"Gamamaru, you did well. This matter must be taken very seriously. Starting today, strengthen surveillance of the outside world, but don't take the initiative to provoke Otsutsuki Hagoromo for now..."
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage looked into the distance and said in a deep voice, at this point, he let out a soft sigh, and a complicated look flashed through his eyes.
"This era has already gone completely beyond our control."
As he said this, the White-Brow Great Toad sighed again.
Gamamaru stood to one side, unusually quiet.
None of them had expected that after Kaguya was sealed away, the one who would truly become troublesome for them would be Otsutsuki Hagoromo, who should have been the "victim."
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage sat on the lotus stone platform and let out another deep sigh.
That sigh was especially heavy, as though it carried endless weariness and helplessness.
"Sigh... And I also..."
At that point, he suddenly stopped. The rest of his words never left his mouth.
His old, clouded eyes merely narrowed slightly as he looked toward the sky beyond Mount Myoboku, his gaze lingering there for a long time.
Gamamaru stood quietly at the side, listening.
It had wanted to ask more, but seeing the White-Brow Great Toad Sage stop himself like this, a powerful sense of foreboding suddenly rose in its heart.
Could it be... that the White-Brow Great Toad Sage was about to pass away?
The moment that thought appeared, Gamamaru felt a chill spread through its entire body.
If even the White-Brow Great Toad was nearing the end, then what would become of Mount Myoboku?
There wasn't anyone in the clan who could truly take charge.
Those old toads all had enough seniority, but each one was either eccentric or uninterested in serious matters. None of them looked like someone reliable enough to shoulder the responsibility.
For a moment, Gamamaru's heart was filled with mixed emotions, both worry and confusion.
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage seemed to notice its unease. He slowly withdrew his gaze and said gently, "All right, you should go back now."
After a brief pause, the White-Brow Great Toad added, "Gamamaru, spend more time cultivating Sage Art these days. In the future... Mount Myoboku will eventually belong to your younger generation."
When those words reached Gamamaru's ears, they somehow carried an especially heavy meaning.
Gamamaru couldn't keep it together. Could it be that in the future the position would be passed on to it?
Gamamaru opened its mouth, but in the end said nothing. It simply lowered its head respectfully.
"Great Sage, I understand."
With that, Gamamaru turned around and hopped away from the stone platform.
Only after its figure had completely disappeared from sight did the White-Brow Great Toad Sage let out another quiet sigh, close his eyes, and remain seated alone upon the ancient lotus stone platform, as though contemplating something from an unimaginably distant past.
Not long after Gamamaru left, the White-Brow Great Toad Sage was still sitting alone on the lotus stone platform, his brows tightly knitted, his thoughts in turmoil.
Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his back.
"Who's there?!"
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage's instincts screamed a warning. He spun around almost on reflex!
A man wearing a purple cloak stood quietly not far behind him.
The man had a tall, slender figure and an otherworldly bearing. His purple cloak fluttered gently in the breeze without making the slightest sound.
He had appeared in the core hall of Mount Myoboku without warning.
The White-Brow Great Toad Sage's pupils contracted sharply. The Sage Chakra throughout his body instantly rose to its peak, and for the first time, an extremely grave expression appeared on his aged face.
"Who are you?!", the White-Brow Great Toad demanded warily.
It was the first time in history that an outsider had appeared in Mount Myoboku's core.
Arisu did not answer immediately. He simply turned his head slowly and looked at the White-Brow Great Toad Sage.
At that moment, a faint trace of nostalgia flashed through his eyes, as though he had seen an old acquaintance from the distant past.
Then Arisu spoke calmly.
"I was the one who taught Hagoromo Sage Art."
The moment those words were spoken, the White-Brow Great Toad Sage's eyes widened.
"You don't need to investigate this matter any further, nor do you need to feel uneasy about it. Hagoromo's path is his own to walk. As for Mount Myoboku... it only needs to stay in its proper place."