Hagoromo had no idea what awaited him ahead.
Perhaps it was the opportunity he had been searching for.
Or perhaps it was nothing more than another empty legend.
But at this point, it was the only lead he had that might break the deadlock.
Within the Heavenly Curtain, Hagoromo's decision to seize upon the legend of the Toad Sage as his last glimmer of hope and head resolutely into the mist-shrouded forest instantly made everything click for the audience across the shinobi world.
"So this is it! His fortuitous encounter has finally arrived! The Sage of Six Paths is about to meet his 'old master'!"
"That has to be it! The Toad Sage must have guided him—or granted him some kind of power. Otherwise, how could Hagoromo ever have become strong enough to stand against his mother, Kaguya? There was no way he could have figured it out on his own and defeated the Progenitor of Chakra."
"Wait!"
Someone suddenly slapped his thigh, his voice rising several octaves.
"If I remember correctly... wasn't it mentioned earlier? Sarutobi Hi said that the plan to manipulate both Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths was taught to them by... a toad!"
"Holy—you're right! I remember now! He really did mention a toad! I even wondered back then what kind of toad could possibly be that incredible!"
"My god... so the real mastermind isn't Kaguya, or the Sage of Six Paths, or even some extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki..."
"...it's actually a toad?!"
"I'm dying to know what kind of toad this is! The nerve of it! Plotting against the Progenitor of Chakra, driving a wedge between a divine mother and her son, manipulating mortals behind the scenes..."
"That toad is unbelievable!"
The realization spread through the audience like wildfire.
If the "Toad Sage" Hagoromo was searching for and the mysterious "toad" that had instructed Sarutobi Hi's clan were one and the same—or even connected in some way—
Then this toad's role in ancient history was far more important... and far more terrifying... than anyone had imagined.
Konohagakure — Hokage's Office
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi fixed Jiraiya with sharp, unwavering stares.
Their gazes were filled with scrutiny, questioning...
And a clear warning:
You'd better start talking.
Jiraiya felt his scalp go numb.
A thin sheen of sweat formed on his forehead.
He knew there was no avoiding this.
Under the pressure of their stares, he forced a bitter smile, swallowed hard, and spoke in a dry voice.
"D-Don't look at me like that."
"To be honest..."
"After watching the Heavenly Curtain for so long... and putting together what Sarutobi Hi said about that 'toad'... along with the Toad Sage Hagoromo is now searching for..."
"I've already begun to suspect something myself."
Taking a deep breath, as though summoning every ounce of courage he possessed, he finally spoke the name aloud.
"...Mount Myōboku."
"...The Great Toad Sage."
"I knew it."
Tsunade practically spat the words through clenched teeth.
Her face had turned icy.
She had never completely trusted Mount Myōboku's mysterious obsession with prophecies and destiny.
Now, with the Heavenly Curtain implying that the Great Toad Sage might have been orchestrating events behind the scenes for over a thousand years, whatever trust remained had vanished entirely.
"A scheming old toad who's been plotting since ancient times..."
"I wouldn't believe a single punctuation mark that comes out of his mouth."
Hiruzen's expression was equally grave.
Taking a slow draw from his pipe, he regarded Jiraiya thoughtfully through the drifting smoke.
He had always known about his student's deep connection to Mount Myōboku.
To a certain extent, he had even encouraged—and benefited from—it.
But now...
Knowing there might be a conspiracy stretching back over a millennium...
He had no choice but to reassess the risks.
After a long silence, Hiruzen finally spoke in a low, solemn voice.
"Jiraiya."
"The relationship between Mount Myōboku and Konoha... and your summoning contract... are products of history."
"It would be unwise to sever those ties hastily."
"From now on, continue interacting with Mount Myōboku as you always have."
"Train there when necessary."
"Seek their guidance when appropriate."
He paused.
Then lowered his pipe and looked directly into Jiraiya's eyes.
"But..."
"You must keep your own counsel."
"Trust your own judgment."
"And always remain cautious."
"Especially..."
"When it comes to prophecies."
"...And guidance."
Jiraiya's expression darkened even further.
He understood his teacher's true meaning immediately.
Outwardly, nothing should change.
Inwardly...
He needed to be on guard.
Not only for his own sake—
But for Konoha's as well.
Thinking about the lifelong mission he had devoted himself to—the search for the Child of Prophecy—
The possibility that it had been shaped by the designs of an ancient toad spanning a thousand years weighed heavily upon his heart.
Mount Myōboku
Unlike the uproar throughout the shinobi world, Mount Myōboku had fallen into an eerie silence.
Even the normally noisy young toads had closed their mouths.
Every eye was fixed upon the oldest and wisest being in the sacred land—
The Great Toad Sage.
The ancient sage remained slumped in his usual drowsy posture, his eyelids drooping as though perpetually asleep.
Yet every toad knew that he could still perceive the Heavenly Curtain...
And everything taking place beyond it.
Fukasaku cautiously approached and lowered his voice.
"Great Elder..."
"The one mentioned in the Heavenly Curtain..."
"Was it really you?"
"...A thousand years ago..."
The Great Toad Sage slowly moved his massive, wrinkled head.
First...
He nodded.
Then...
He slowly shook his head.
The contradictory response only left the surrounding toads more confused.
They exchanged puzzled glances.
"Great Elder..."
"What exactly do you mean?"
Even Shima could not help asking.
The Great Toad Sage seemed to gather his thoughts—or perhaps sort through memories weathered by countless centuries.
At last, his ancient, distant voice echoed throughout the sacred land.
"What the Heavenly Curtain has shown this time..."
"Part of it is true."
"But most of it..."
"...is false."
"Which part is true?!"
A younger toad blurted out impatiently.
The Great Toad Sage fell silent once more, as though searching through memories blurred by the passage of time.
Finally, he answered with certainty.
"The Sage of Six Paths..."
"Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki..."
"...was indeed taught by me."
"What?!"
Fukasaku and Shima looked at one another, both seeing unmistakable shock in the other's eyes.
Although they had suspected as much...
Hearing the confirmation directly from the Great Toad Sage was something else entirely.
"But, Great Elder..."
Fukasaku voiced the question everyone was thinking.
"According to both legend and the Heavenly Curtain, the Sage of Six Paths was born shortly after Kaguya introduced chakra to the world."
"In that era..."
"What exactly could you have taught him?"
"It couldn't possibly have been how to mold chakra... could it?"
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