"Then let's go!"
Haru agreed directly to the two toads' request.
He had spent so long playing house with Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade precisely so he could go to Mount Myoboku and learn Sage Mode.
Shima and Fukasaku were stunned at first. They had not expected Haru to agree so easily. Then their faces filled with joy as they used Reverse Summoning to bring Haru back to Mount Myoboku.
Soon, Haru got his wish and met the Great Toad Sage. After the Great Toad Sage was awakened, it recounted the scene it had seen in its dream prophecy.
"A towering wooden giant, two demonic giants, enemies from beyond the sky..."
The wooden giant here should represent Hashirama.
The demonic giants should refer to Susanoo. One of them should be him, since these toads all believed he was the new Child of Fate.
As for the other Susanoo user...
Who was it?
Enemies from beyond the sky. Kaguya?
Or Momoshiki?
Even the Boruto-era characters were getting involved now?
Annoying.
Haru felt a headache coming on. The Great Toad Sage's prophecy was trustworthy. A thousand years ago, it had used prophecy to make Kaguya's family fight each other. Later, it had also successfully predicted Naruto.
Toad dreams really were quite accurate.
"Great Toad Sage, I came here this time because I want to train in Sage Mode and learn sage arts. From the future you described, it seems there will be a great battle. I need stronger power."
Haru could not figure out the contents of the prophecy. The Great Toad Sage had spoken too vaguely. It did not even mention the names of the people involved. In the future of the ninja world and the Leaf, there were probably quite a few people who could summon a wooden giant or Susanoo.
So Haru simply stopped dwelling on it.
He went straight to the point and expressed his intention: learning Sage Mode.
"Oh, oh... You want the power of the toads. Fukasaku will help you. I'm sleepy again... achoo."
The Great Toad Sage fell asleep again while speaking. Shima and Fukasaku were already used to this, so they brought Haru out of the palace.
"Hokage, would you like to stay here for lunch? My wife's cooking is very good. Training in Sage Mode consumes a lot of stamina, and it is very hard to master quickly."
Fukasaku saw that Haru impatiently wanted to start training Sage Mode, then looked at the sun that had already reached noon.
Even if Haru was not hungry, he was hungry, so he warmly invited Haru to his home for lunch.
"Uh... no, I'm not hungry. You can go eat. Huh? I really am not hungry. Don't drag me!"
"Come on, Hokage, don't be shy. The toads of Mount Myoboku are very warm and hospitable. Dear, hurry and prepare the ingredients. Today's bugs need to be big and tender!"
"Got it! Hokage, my cooking is very good!"
Haru failed to break free and was directly dragged back home by Shima.
It was a stone house. A few stone slabs served as the bed, stools, and table. It was extremely simple.
"Please wait a little. Lunch will be ready soon."
"All right. Before lunch, then tell me about Sage Mode training first."
"Wow, Hokage, you really are impatient. But since we're just sitting here anyway..."
"So-called Sage Mode begins with sensing natural energy. Then you absorb natural energy, align yourself with nature, and merge with nature, allowing natural energy to freely enter and leave the body."
"Sage arts are different from human ninjutsu. Ninjutsu uses chakra formed by combining physical energy and spiritual energy, then releases techniques through specific seals. Sage arts require adding natural energy and balancing it with the chakra inside the body."
"The first step is sensing natural energy. For animals, this is very difficult. You must remain still."
"The state of Sage Mode lasts for a very short time. Usually, it lasts at most five minutes. And if you want to use it in battle, you must break away from combat and gather natural energy first."
Haru sat to the side and listened with great interest. When he heard Fukasaku talk about the limitations of Sage Mode, he could not help frowning.
"The Leaf's First Hokage could maintain Sage Mode for a very long time. Every time he entered battle, he just clapped his hands and entered Sage Mode."
"Well... uh... everyone's constitution is different. As for the Leaf's First Hokage, I was talking about ordinary people."
Fukasaku was momentarily at a loss for words.
He had also heard of First Hokage Hashirama's Sage Mode. It belonged to the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest. The Sage Modes of the three great sacred lands each had their own strengths, but overall, they were similar.
Hashirama simply was not a normal person. He had directly trained Sage Mode to an unbelievable level.
"Dear, what are you two talking about? It's time to eat."
Shima brought over plate after plate of bugs.
White, black, yellow...
All kinds of colorful bugs squirmed on the plates.
Uh...
They were alive.
There was also bug soup.
"Why are these bugs still alive?"
"They taste best alive. Fresh and sweet, full of sauce. When you bite down, they burst with juice!"
Fukasaku could not wait to pick up a still-squirming bug from the plate. He bit off half of its body in one bite. Its juices flowed all over Fukasaku's claws. The remaining half of the body was still moving while Fukasaku chewed the bug with great enjoyment.
"Come on, you eat too."
Haru looked at the bugs on the plate and felt his stomach churn.
He could eat fried bugs. Add some cumin and chili powder, and they tasted pretty fragrant and crispy.
But eating live bugs?
Haru backed down.
He had not become brave enough for that.
"This plate of bugs... the white ones. I'm not used to eating them alive. Can you deep-fry them, then add some cumin, chili powder, or something like that?"
"Do humans all like cooking them that way?"
"What a waste of ingredients. But since you are a guest, please wait a moment."
Shima carried a plate of milky-white bugs back to the kitchen and processed them a second time. After a while, a plate of freshly fried bugs was served. However, there was no cumin, only simple chili powder.
After all, toads ate them alive. Having chili powder as seasoning was already decent.
"Crunch! Damn, it burst!"
"Mm... Dip it in some chili powder. It actually tastes pretty good."
Haru tried eating one large fried bug. The taste was unexpectedly decent.
After lunch, Fukasaku brought Haru to a fountain filled with toad oil and began the first step of training.
Over the course of one afternoon, Haru sensed a tiny bit of natural energy after being struck over and over again.
He had a little bit of talent for training Sage Mode.
But not much.
There was probably no chance of him becoming a sage like Hashirama.
"I can't slack off anymore. I need to concentrate the day's work in the morning, go to Mount Myoboku in the afternoon to train Sage Mode, and fight two-on-one at night. That will be a fierce battle!"
Ever since returning from Mount Myoboku that time, Haru's life had become extremely regular.
In the morning, he handled the Leaf's affairs. In the afternoon, he went to Mount Myoboku to train.
At night, he went to Tobirama's laboratory to ask about the progress of the Hashirama cell experiments and the progress of various other experiments.
The electric three-wheeler and amoxicillin capsules he had given Tobirama last time had already been recreated in the laboratory thanks to Tobirama's high efficiency.
Tobirama had even upgraded the electric three-wheeler so that it could use chakra as a power source. Soon, it would be ready for mass production.
The electric three-wheeler happened to be useful for transporting goods. The Leaf's traffic was truly getting more and more congested. It really solved an urgent need.
However, compared to the electric three-wheeler, producing penicillin was what truly carried immeasurable merit.
In Haru's previous life, when penicillin had first appeared, it sold for more than its weight in gold.
So much so that later, there had been a classic post on a certain forum: if you had one ton of penicillin and went back to that turbulent era, what would you do?
That would truly be heaven-sent wealth.
Everything was progressing in an orderly manner. The Hashirama cell experiment had also reached its final stage.
The Uchiha clansmen injected with Hashirama cells were currently in good condition. Their physical quality, chakra volume, and recovery ability had all greatly improved.
They could even use the First Hokage's Wood Release.
Although it did not have Hashirama's overwhelming power, it could still be considered powerful.
The experiment was going so smoothly that Tobirama's face turned dark. His brother's exclusive skill had actually been reproduced in Uchiha bodies.
This was truly infuriating.
It probably would not be long before Haru obtained the final version of the Hashirama cell solution.
After spending so much money, manpower, and resources, it was finally about to happen.
Truly worth celebrating.
All good things. All good things.
Haru sat in his office, reviewing the Leaf's recent development.
It was truly a realm of thriving vitality and rising competition.
Even Madara, whom he had always worried about, had shown no trace. Perhaps he really had been overthinking it. So much time had passed. Madara might have only returned to the Leaf by coincidence, and now he might have already left the Leaf and gone back to his lightless underground cave to grind hard for the Rinnegan.
"Hokage, the Uzumaki clan is about to arrive in the Leaf!"
With a bang, Shikato opened the door to Haru's office and reported urgent intelligence.
"What's going on? Didn't you say there were still three days?"
"There was wind at sea, and the ship moved faster!"
"Then hurry and prepare. There should already be a plan for the welcome ceremony. Remember to notify me when they arrive. I'll go show my face."
Haru calmly instructed Shikato and planned to go home first to fix himself up. The special Hokage robe of the Third Hokage was still at home.
Wearing that outfit on ordinary days was too flashy. He was often surrounded by crowds.
The Uzumaki clan had sent over more than a hundred people this time. They had packed and sent all of the clan's most outstanding and talented members to the Leaf.
Those five billion ryo really had not been spent in vain!
Haru looked at the list with satisfaction. The long line he had cast had finally caught fish. Since all the Uzumaki clan's seeds had come to the Leaf, he had to make them move places and directly grow in the Leaf instead.
"The Leaf... So this is the Leaf?"
"So big, so prosperous!"
"Look at these lights, these roads. Our Land of Whirlpools can't compare at all!"
"Hey, hey. I don't like hearing that."
"What's wrong with it? I love telling the truth!"
A grand welcome ceremony left the Uzumaki seeds dazzled. The Leaf's prosperous scene filled them with anticipation.
They would be living here for several years.
"Everyone, welcome to the Leaf. You are the most outstanding young people of the Uzumaki clan. In the future, you will study in the Leaf and become the finest ninja linking the Leaf and the Uzumaki clan. For the sake of the Leaf and the Uzumaki clan..."
"Next, let Mito say a few words!"
After Haru said a few lines, he handed the microphone to Mito.
Mito had been watching the Uzumaki clan's news closely. When she heard that the Uzumaki clan had arrived earlier than scheduled, she immediately rushed over in a hurry.
Last time, because she had not met Ashina before Haru did, Haru had exploited the opening.
Although the Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan still maintained a good relationship, their bodies were very honestly leaning toward the Uchiha clan.
A full five billion ryo!
It had smashed the Uzumaki clan to the point that they wanted to kneel and call Haru father. No matter how good the Senju clan's words were, and no matter how touching the stories of mutual support in the past were, that was five billion ryo.
Five billion ryo.
Haru represented the Hokage of the Leaf. For the Uzumaki clan, building a good relationship with the Hokage's clan was incredibly important.
Forget the Uzumaki clan. Any family in the Leaf that wanted to advance had to maintain a good relationship with the Uchiha clan. Even the Senju clan was no exception.
The relationship between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan was indeed constantly improving.
Haru, this Hokage, was truly excellent. He could lead the Senju clan forward and help them earn large amounts of money. Who would not love the family of the God of Wealth?
"Mito, you must build a good relationship with the Hokage. You must respect the Hokage. The Uzumaki clan is counting on the Leaf and the Hokage to help support us."
"How has Hizuki been recently? Has she gotten together with the Hokage yet? That old fellow Takuya from the Hyuga clan has been... We absolutely cannot let the Hyuga clan get there first."
"What?"
"There hasn't been any progress at all? Mito, can you be useful for once? Hizuki will be the next Nine-Tails jinchuriki in the future. With her identity, only becoming the Hokage's wife would... Marrying Haru would not only be good for Hizuki, it would also be good for the Uzumaki clan. This is killing two birds with one stone!"
Recently, the correspondence between Mito and Ashina had basically been about Ashina telling Mito to build a good relationship with Haru and quickly have Hizuki marry Haru and become the Hokage's wife.
So annoying.
The Senju clan could naturally look after Hizuki.
With the relationship between the Uzumaki clan and the Leaf, no matter who became Hokage, they would never mistreat the Uzumaki clan.
Mito really did not understand what Ashina was so worried about.
As Mito gave her speech, she glanced at Haru and remembered unpleasant things.
She would never let Haru make a move on Hizuki.
And she would not let these Uzumaki clansmen in front of her be bought over by Haru either.
"While you study in the Leaf, all of your expenses will be covered by the Leaf. This is this month's living allowance. Those whose names are called, come up to receive it."
Mito's speech was more or less the same as what Haru had said. Haru was getting a little tired of listening.
Better to give them something practical.
Give money!
Give cash!
"Long live the Hokage!"
"Long live the Leaf!"
Haru, rich and imposing, had a pile of money brought over and directly stacked on the ground.
That visual impact made the Uzumaki youths cheer endlessly. They spontaneously surrounded Haru.
Mito's expression darkened.
Why was no one surrounding her?
So what if he had money!
(End of Chapter)
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