The information was immense—yet shrouded in fog.
The words of the Great Toad Sage were like a key that opened a door. But beyond that door was not clarity—only a deeper corridor, thick with dust and cobwebs.
He had confirmed the existence of beings "from beyond the sky ."
He had linked the origin of chakra directly to an external source.
He had even implied that the world itself had once been altered.
But how it was altered, why it was altered, what exact role the Sage of Six Paths played, and what Kaguya Otsutsuki truly intended—
All of that remained veiled behind legend.
Jiraiya felt dizzy.
On one hand, he had obtained knowledge that touched the root of the world itself—proof that Mount Myōboku preserved fragments of forgotten truth.
On the other hand, that truth only made the situation more dangerous.
If the mother of the Sage of Six Paths had come from beyond this world, then chakra itself was likely foreign.
And if the Sage of Six Paths had spread chakra…
What was his motive?
To continue his mother's legacy?
To protect humanity?
Or something more complex?
The Heavenly Screen's accusations no longer felt impossible.
If the shinobi world's history had been shaped by an otherworldly being from the very beginning—
Then what even was "native civilization"?
Had this world always been a battleground for multiple external forces?
Jiraiya bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Great Toad Sage."
His doubts were not gone—but he now carried something solid. Something Konoha could analyze.
The Great Toad Sage's voice had grown faint.
"What I know… is only this. The rest… you must judge for yourselves. Be careful, Jiraiya… the waters of this world are deeper… and murkier… than we imagined…"
His head lowered once more.
He returned to healing slumber.
Jiraiya stood still for a long time.
When he finally turned to leave Mount Myoboku, his steps were heavy—but his eyes carried colder resolve.
They had begun excavating the buried strata of history.
Each step forward would carry risk.
And perhaps even greater mysteries.
Hokage's Office
The air inside the Hokage's Office felt nearly solid after Jiraiya reported the name "Kaguya."
"I suspect the Great Toad Sage held something back," said Hiruzen Sarutobi, calm but firm.
"Kaguya… Kaguya Ōtsutsuki…"
Tsunade tapped her fingers lightly against the desk.
"'From beyond the sky .' 'Altered the world.' At least now we have a concrete direction. This intelligence is valuable."
Her gaze shifted to Jiraiya—acknowledging the importance of the information, yet still cautious about its source.
"The old man's right," she continued. "The Great Toad Sage likely didn't tell us everything."
It wasn't blind suspicion.
Ancient beings understood politics and timing.
If Hiruzen could withhold information for stability—
What about a millennium-old sage?
Hiruzen exhaled smoke slowly.
"That feeling of hesitation… of stopping just short of full disclosure. I've seen it too many times to mistake it."
"He admitted Kaguya's existence and origin. But her purpose, the details of how she altered the world, the exact role of the Sage of Six Paths—those he either claimed ignorance of… or glossed over."
"Is it truly ignorance? Or judgment that we are not yet ready?"
Jiraiya rubbed his temple.
"Intuition, huh… My intuition once told me Tsunade liked me."
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.
Tsunade's forehead vein twitched.
Hiruzen nearly choked on his smoke.
Tsunade glared.
"Some people's 'intuition' just grows more suspicious with age. Seeing schemes behind every word."
Hiruzen wisely chose silence.
Then—
The office door slammed open.
In a flash of Body Flicker Technique, Kakashi Hatake appeared, his usual laziness gone.
"Tsunade-sama! We've uncovered critical intelligence!"
He held an ancient leather scroll, edges worn and cracked with age.
Tsunade instantly shifted back into Hokage mode.
"Report."
Kakashi handed it forward.
"Following your orders, a squad prioritized artifacts and records related to the Uzumaki Clan."
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