Mount Myoboku.
Naruto Uzumaki had briefly experienced a short period of peace and tranquility.
All the frogs on Mount Myoboku absolutely spoiled him.
The younger ones played with him.
The elders tolerated him and trained with him.
As for food, Minato Namikaze frequently brought meals from the Ninja World to prevent him from developing a frog's stomach.
"Yaaaah!"
Not far away, the massive Gamaken continuously leaped through the mountainous greenery.
Naruto rode atop his head, yelling loudly.
He was working on his balance.
Watching the two figures grow more distant, Minato quietly sighed.
A familiar grinning face suddenly popped into his mind, sending him into recollection and momentarily lost in thought.
Elder Fukasaku unknowingly appeared beside him on a nearby boulder, gazing in the direction Naruto and Gamaken had disappeared.
"Worried?" Fukasaku broke their silence.
Coming back to himself, Minato let out a heavy sigh. He rubbed his face, speaking uncertainly, "Actually... I've also seen the future."
"Hmm?" Fukasaku instantly showed interest.
Knowing Minato lacked any known precognitive abilities, Elder Fukasaku's mind immediately jumped to wild possibilities.
Could it be Minato met someone while in Pure Land?
Perhaps even the soul of the Sage of Six Paths?
Minato continued slowly.
"I once saw him—Naruto at fifteen years old. Passionate, cheerful, confident, strong-willed. He told me about people he wanted to protect, friends and mentors he held dearly."
"When I came back to this world, those sealed memories grew clearer."
"So despite all the terrible things you've told me, I still firmly believe that will become Naruto's future. I believe we'll win, and normalcy will return to the world."
"But now... events happening today seem not to have left any mark on that fifteen-year-old boy's life..."
Obvious confusion laced Minato's voice.
Fukasaku remained silent briefly before replying, "Minato, come with me to see Elder."
Human and frog solemnly entered the temple where Great Toad Sage slumbered.
Gamamaru opened his eyes just slightly, stopping his snoring as he stirred awake.
Ever since Kaguya began her machinations, he stopped pretending not to recognize anyone.
"Great Toad Sage, I need to confirm something." Minato began after making sure Gamamaru was fully awake, then retold the earlier conversation.
"I see." Gamamaru responded calmly. "Minato, go search where you met him."
Minato blinked in slight surprise.
Leaving Mount Myoboku with a puzzled heart, he journeyed alone toward the Land of Wind.
At a significant distance from Louran Ruins,
A blonde woman suddenly appeared, blocking his path forward. She coldly demanded:
"What business do you have here, Minato Namikaze?"
"Lady Tsunade?" Minato hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "No—it's White Zetsu!"
[Monster Strength Fist!]
[Rasengan!]
The distance between them closed rapidly. Just as they were about to meet, a yellow flash erupted and Minato Namikaze vanished from the spot.
"That guy sure runs fast!" White Zetsu, disguised as Tsunade, muttered while clenching his fists.
After another yellow flash, Minato reappeared in a desert somewhere in the Land of Wind.
"Why did White Zetsu suddenly appear here?" Minato murmured thoughtfully.
"The first time I encountered White Zetsu was also in the Land of Wind. How could they have stayed here for so long? Could it be because of me? No, that doesn't sound right. There must be something valuable in the Land of Wind... Hmm..."
To avoid raising suspicion from White Zetsu, he could only change direction and leave.
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei had already returned to Kirigakure accompanied by her subordinates.
The group reported what happened in Shikkotsu Forest to Elder Genshi.
"So you're saying that the Sage didn't deny the existence of Sage Arts?" Elder Genshi asked calmly inside the Mizukage's building.
The Kiri ninja who gave the report just now nodded.
Terumi Mei stood aside silently.
Elder Genshi's calm gaze swept across her briefly before he fell into deep thought. After a long silence, he continued, "Kirigakure definitely needs a leader. Without a Mizukage, we face many difficulties in diplomatic affairs with other villages."
With that, he withdrew his gaze from Terumi Mei and added indifferently, "I'll discuss this with the other elders. If you have any suitable candidates in mind, feel free to recommend them."
Already feeling uneasy, Terumi Mei became even more uncomfortable under his gaze. As she left the Mizukage's building, she mumbled inwardly: Could Elder Genshi suspect something about me...
She decided not to think about it too much and just let things play out.
Once the higher-ups decide to select a new Kage, there will surely be heated discussions throughout the village.
Different names would start circulating among the villagers.
Terumi Mei noticed more and more people discussing her name, which finally relieved her tension.
The outcome seemed obvious by now.
Besides, there weren't really that many potential candidates left in Kirigakure anyway.
Among the First Generation Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, some had died and others had fled.
As for the second generation Seven Swords, before they could fully assemble, half had already defected—including Zabuza Momochi and Hoshigaki Kisame.
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Even those once-prominent clans had dwindled down to only a handful of members.
What Terumi Mei currently lacked was a defining victory that would truly make her name.
Take the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, or A – the Fourth Raikage, for example—they both gained battlefield fame when they were young.
With so few qualified candidates around, Terumi Mei clearly stood out as the best option.
Soon after, Kirigakure began mobilizing around this matter and sent out letters abroad.
Even toward Konoha and Kumogakure, whose relationships with them currently remained somewhat tense, they still dispatched envoys carrying invitations.
Selecting a new Mizukage symbolized a fresh start for the village—one that could finally clear away the shadows of its bloody past.
Kirigakure no longer wished to be seen by the world as the 'Village of Blood Mist.'
...
"An invitation letter was also sent to us?"
"Will you really send someone, Lady Hokage?" Hiashi asked.
Tsunade didn't answer immediately. She held the invitation tightly in her hand and stared at the words written on it: "The Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei."
Ever since she saw that a woman had become a Kage, she suspected Kaguya's involvement.
It wasn't that she doubted women's capability to lead—rather, Terumi Mei wasn't all that well-known.
Just like Nii Yugito, before becoming Raikage, she hadn't been particularly famous either.
Public perception of her was still mainly as a Jinchuriki.
During the short time Hiashi waited, Tsunade began communicating with Kaguya.
"Kaguya-sama, I suppose Terumi Mei is another one of your puppets?"
"You're sharp," Kaguya replied indifferently.
Rubbing her forehead, Tsunade couldn't help but sigh.
Under Hiashi's piercing gaze, she said, "Of course we're sending people. Go find Yugao and Samui."
After Hiashi left, she immediately vented to Kaguya, "Honestly, I just don't get it. You're already so powerful. Why bother playing these silly little games?"
Kaguya: "..."
Soon after, Yugao and Samui entered the Hokage's office together.
Tsunade handed them the invitation letter while explaining, "This is an invitation for the inauguration ceremony of the Fifth Mizukage from Kirigakure. Yugao, you'll lead Konoha's delegation there to offer our congratulations."
"As for you, Samui, you will represent Kumogakure. I've already discussed this with Raikage. The cloud ninja assigned to accompany you will meet up with you along the way."
Samui raised her eyebrow ever so slightly, surprised inside.
Since when had Lady Hokage and Lord Raikage grown so close?
Moreover, how exactly did they coordinate this?
She hadn't seen any Kumogakure ninja enter Konoha recently. How could they have known beforehand?
Meanwhile, both Iwagakure and Sunagakure also received invitations.
Without hesitation, Onoki quickly decided who would lead Iwa's delegation: "Kitsuchi…"
Rasa took much longer to decide. After carefully selecting a jonin suitable in both strength and rank to head Sand's envoy, he finally settled on: "Fumaji…"
Outside Sunagakure village, Namikaze Minato silently watched Fumaji and his group of six leave the village.
Activating Flying Thunder God, he instantly appeared within Sunagakure.
A flash of golden light streaked through the air, and suddenly a figure materialized in Rasa's sight.
Confronted by Minato's sudden arrival, Rasa twitched his lips slightly, irritation creeping into his tone: "Fourth Hokage—I guess it's no wonder so many people obsess over you."
"Rasa, I need your help with something," Minato stated directly.
Rasa fell silent. After a moment, he responded, "Last time, because of you, we lost Gaara. Now what do you want from us?"
"...Even though the Land of Wind possesses a treasure, it's gone unrecognized," Minato murmured softly.
Rasa looked puzzled.
"Lord Fourth Kazekage, do you know how the Ancient Kingdom of Louran fell?" Minato asked.
"It fell apart from within," Rasa replied calmly.
The existence of Louran had always been awkward. Its history remained unclear, and geographically, although located within the Land of Wind, it maintained independence from Sunagakure.
Though small in size, it was nonetheless a sovereign entity.
Therefore, neither the Land of Wind nor Sunagakure had shown it any concern or recognition.
"Minato, do you really want to bring back that many people at the cost of their lives?"
Minato asked again.
He wasn't asking for help because he doubted himself. He just didn't know how many White Jue were out there. Someone needed to keep them occupied while he entered the ruins.
Back then, Minato only happened to participate in the mission to eliminate Hanzo.
"In short, we can't afford to take that risk!" said Rasa.
Rasa maintained his indifferent attitude. "No one knows."
At this moment, Orochimaru spoke again: "There's another option - Sage Mode."
"Sage Art can't create that many people either," Minato replied.
"Oh no... not that again," Orochimaru said with a smirk, shaking his head. "Let's be honest, it's quite cruel, isn't it?"
"There are plenty of people who secretly learned Sage Art these days. They've turned into mindless zombies—mindless creatures barely distinguishable from the dead. Send those guys to Louran. Even if they die, it'll be for a worthy cause."
Minato pondered for quite some time and found Orochimaru's words somewhat reasonable.
These rabid folks could hurt anyone. Better to send them somewhere far from civilization.
Rasa stared at Minato without speaking, as if thinking about something. Suddenly he said: "Minato, I remember your summoning beast is a frog, right? Why don't you ask Mount Myoboku for help? By the way, I also need your assistance. Now everyone is pursuing Sage Art, can you tell me the location of Mount Myoboku?"
"Are there still any Louran Survivors?" Minato asked again.
Minato was quiet for a long moment.
He wasn't asking for help because he doubted himself. He just didn't know how many White Jue were out there. Someone needed to keep them occupied while he entered the ruins.
If this attempt failed to uncover the truth and instead drew Princess Kaguya's attention, they might never get another chance to approach that place.
As Minato left Orochimaru's base, he crossed paths with Sasuke.
Seeing Minato reminded Sasuke of Naruto. Walking up to where Orochimaru stood, he asked: "Is Naruto back?"
Orochimaru shook his head, looking at Sasuke with an indescribable gleam in his eyes.
Does this guy really not want to see Naruto, or is he secretly hoping he shows up?
Feeling slightly awkward under Orochimaru's gaze, Sasuke cleared his throat and said, "I'm leaving for a while to find Itachi Uchiha."
"To get yourself slaughtered?" Orochimaru flatly replied, casually pulling out a syringe and drawing a vial of blood from Sasuke.
He moved smoothly and efficiently, like a cold-blooded surgeon.
Before Sasuke even registered the pain, he saw Orochimaru's syringe already filled with red blood.
Sasuke glared furiously at him, [Three-Tomoe Sharingan] burning fiercely in his crimson eyes.
"Oh?" Orochimaru let out in surprise. "Three Tomoes at ten years old?"
"There's tremendous value in that eye of yours," Orochimaru licked his lips while smiling and pulled out another syringe...
"Don't push too far," Sasuke coldly warned. "What exactly are you planning to do with this? Clone me?"
"You're quite observant," Orochimaru smiled without denying it.
After learning about White Zetsu, Kaguya, and other matters, he had stopped obsessing over using short-lived bodies for Living Corpse Reincarnation, instead treating them as living materials—Sasuke was no exception.
"Clone the Uchiha Clan?" Sasuke murmured to himself.
"You seem to find this idea rather appealing, don't you?" Orochimaru continued smiling.
"...," Sasuke hesitated for a moment, his expression darkening, before finally muttering, "Use Itachi's."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Good luck with that."
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