The resurrection of Jiraiya and the summoning of the Two Great Toad Sages signified that some unresolved matters could no longer be ignored.
Avoidance would never solve anything. It was time to face them head-on.
Naruto decided to make a trip to Mount Myōboku.
Beyond explaining the current situation to the Great Toad Sage, there was another critical task: the key to the Four Symbols Seal on his body was entrusted to the Scroll Toad of Mount Myōboku. To move forward, he had to face this challenge as well.
That very day, through the reverse summoning technique, Naruto returned to the long-lost Mount Myōboku.
The croaking of frogs, lotus flowers and leaves, the waterfall of toad oil—these familiar sights brought back memories of his training in his previous life.
As nostalgia filled his heart, a certain unease also crept in—the kind of nervousness one feels when returning home after a long time.
Finally, under the guidance of the Two Great Toad Sages, he arrived at the Hall of Longevity in Mount Myōboku.
The Great Toad Sage, aged and frail, sat on his throne with his eyes half-closed, looking as though he had just woken from a long slumber.
"Hmm? Little Shima, little Fukasaku, who is this unfamiliar young man?" The sage's memory, as always, was unreliable.
Fukasaku reminded him, "Have you forgotten? This is little Naruto!"
The Great Toad Sage muttered in a daze, "Oh~ oh~ so it's Naruto. It's been a few days, hasn't it? But why are your eyes all swirly now?"
The question struck a sensitive chord. Though the sage asked casually, Naruto couldn't help but feel awkward.
At this moment, Fukasaku explained, "Those are the Rinnegan. They belonged to Nagato of the Six Paths. After Naruto defeated him, he transplanted those eyes. The power of those eyes even helped resurrect little Jiraiya. Although my wife and I are not fond of those eyes, at least Naruto hasn't used them for anything evil."
Shima added, "Hmm, not evil per se. He's only betrayed the Leaf Village and attacked the Hidden Cloud Village, that's all."
Naruto lowered his head, unable to refute her blunt honesty.
"Oh-ho~ is that so? I already know everything," the Great Toad Sage said calmly. "Little Fukasaku, little Shima, please step outside for a moment. I need to have a private chat with Naruto."
Shima protested, "Hey, old man, what could you possibly say that even we can't hear?"
Fukasaku reassured her, "Alright, wife. If the old man insists, he must have his reasons. Let's wait outside."
"Senile old man, always acting so mysterious..." Shima grumbled as she and Fukasaku stepped outside to wait.
Clang!
The grand doors of the hall shut behind them.
The Great Toad Sage opened his eyes slightly, revealing a flash of brilliance that sent chills down Naruto's spine.
"Li!"
"You came back using that artifact, didn't you?"
Naruto's pupils contracted sharply.
The Great Toad Sage continued, "No need to be surprised. Toads have the ability to foresee the future. Changes in the timeline cannot escape our sight."
"The progression of the world is inherently dynamic. Any intervention through time creates an uncertain state, also known as chaos."
"The reason toads sometimes appear muddled is because the world has not yet fully stabilized."
"Your return has caused the chaotic state to dissipate. No, to be precise, it wasn't merely your return that caused this. The true reason lies in the destruction of the only artifact capable of manipulating time—Li."
Naruto clenched his sweaty palms and asked, "Great Toad Sage, I don't fully understand. What do you mean?"
The Great Toad Sage explained, "Oh~ did I make it too complicated? Simply put, Li, as a unique artifact that transcends time, possesses singularity. Its existence allowed time to be interfered with, enabling even past events to be rewritten. That's why it created uncertainty."
Naruto began to grasp the idea. "So, you're saying that Li is unique across the past, present, and future?"
"Exactly. After transporting you back, Li exhausted its final reserves of power and was destroyed, wasn't it? This means there is no longer any factor in existence capable of interfering with the timeline."
"From the moment you returned, everything you've done and the impact you've had on the world has determined the future. That future is now the final and only resolution."
Naruto broke out in a cold sweat. He never imagined that the Great Toad Sage had seen through everything.
He suddenly recalled a revelation from his past life. During the great catastrophe that led to the destruction of the Shinobi World, the sages had also been involved. On his deathbed, the Great Toad Sage had disclosed a shocking secret: the Three Great Sage Lands did not originate on Earth, where the shinobi lived, but on the Otsutsuki clan's homeworld, Takamagahara. The ancestors of the Three Great Sages were contemporaries of the Otsutsuki progenitors.
"No wonder..." Naruto murmured to himself. "No wonder the Great Toad Sage even knows about Li."
"Indeed, I know you are Naruto and that everything you've done is to prevent history from repeating itself."
The Great Toad Sage's tone shifted: "However, because Li no longer exists, the causality tied to it will also be rewritten. This means the future may change in ways you cannot predict."
Naruto pondered deeply. The causality tied to Li... could it be Otsutsuki Urashiki?
In his previous life, it was Urashiki Otsutsuki who brought Li to the shinobi world.
Now that Li was gone, the chain of causality might alter Urashiki's actions entirely. This, in turn, could affect Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and everyone connected to them.
The Great Toad Sage continued, "In other words, they may arrive sooner than you expect—or much later. If it's later, that's fine. But if it's sooner..."
A bead of sweat rolled down Naruto's face.
In his previous life, the Otsutsuki trio—Kinshiki, Momoshiki, and Urashiki—only appeared during Boruto's era, over a decade from now.
If they came later, all would be well. But if they arrived earlier, the shinobi world would face its trial prematurely.
"This is the consequence of interfering with time," the Great Toad Sage said. "Risk and opportunity coexist—it's up to you to navigate them."
"The night you returned, I had a dream. The dream brought a revelation: a boy returning from the future would elevate the shinobi world's power to unprecedented heights. The true destiny of this world will be decided—either unparalleled prosperity or utter destruction. And remember, this time, it's not just the shinobi world, but the whole world."
Naruto raised his gaze. "So, the fate of the entire world rests on my shoulders?"
The Great Toad Sage replied solemnly, "If you truly are the Child of Prophecy."
"Wait!" Naruto suddenly thought of something. "Even if Li is destroyed, the one who created it could theoretically make another one, right?"
The Great Toad Sage smiled. "To think of that so quickly... you've truly grown, Naruto. But that's impossible. The creator of Li was my ancestor, the Prophet Toad Sage, who brought me to this planet to escape calamity. He perished over a thousand years ago—his body and soul have completely vanished, never to return."
Plop... Plop...
The Scroll Toad leaped out from beneath the throne, unfurling the scroll to reveal the key to the Four Symbols Seal.
The Great Toad Sage said, "Now, Naruto, go and do what you must. You've lived this life once before—surely you know the way forward."
"I understand!"
Whoosh! Naruto rolled up his left sleeve, baring his arm as he pressed his palm firmly onto the scroll.
Zzzzz!
The seal imprint burned itself into his hand.
Unlike his previous life, this time, he used his left hand—a symbol of his resolve to walk a path completely different from before.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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