Morning light broke over Konoha.
A massive crowd had already gathered in front of the village bulletin board. Pinned dead center was a large notice, bearing the official seal of the Fifth Hokage—Tsunade, at the very top.
The document was long. People read in hushed silence, though the horrifying details recorded within sent ripples of shock through the onlookers.
Then, their eyes reached the bottom. The space was densely packed with official signatures and seals... Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku...
For a dozen seconds, the crowd stood in stunned, dead silence.
Then, the uproar exploded.
"What...?"
"Lord Danzo, he...?"
"Human experimentation? Cells of the First Hokage? Has he lost his mind!?"
"He committed kidnapping and assassination? And the target was... Lord Shinichi!?"
"No wonder... no wonder the Anbu suddenly took over Root..."
"The Uchiha's eyes... My god..."
Gasps, curses, and panicked questions boiled over. Most of the civilians looked completely terrified. To them, the Hokage's assistant was just a gloomy old man who occasionally stood in the Hokage's shadow. They never imagined he hid such a monstrous true nature.
The younger ninja felt a cold wave of lingering fear and anger. It hit hardest for the genin and chunin who had heard the dark rumors of Root's selection process, or worse—the ones who had almost been drafted into it.
"Damn it!" A ninja in a chunin flak jacket punched the nearby wall, his voice a low roar. "Using the First Hokage's power... to do this? Unforgivable!"
"No wonder the Uchiha..."
Another ninja trailed off, but everyone around him understood. The brief mention of the Uchiha clan on the notice dug up complex memories of the family that had perished overnight. It validated dark suspicions that had been buried for years.
Like wildfire, the news swept through every street in Konoha.
Over by the Memorial Stone, another crowd had formed.
These were mostly older villagers and retired ninja. They stared silently at the names carved into the polished stone before turning complex gazes up toward the Hokage Monument.
"The Third Hokage..." an old man sighed. "He must feel terrible."
"But Lady Tsunade did the right thing." A middle-aged, one-armed retired ninja gritted his teeth. "This poison should have been rooted out years ago! Look at what's written... How much of his own people's blood does he have on his hands?"
"Lord Shinichi..." someone whispered, awe bleeding into their voice. "It's him again. Suppressing the One-Tail during the Chunin Exams, fighting off Orochimaru during the Konoha Crush, and last night... he personally ended Danzo."
"I heard Lord Shinichi and the Hokage personally dragged the evidence out of Danzo's lair..."
"Indeed. The future of Konoha... it really does rest on the shoulders of these young people."
Hidden away from the murmuring crowd, Kakashi Hatake stood alone in a quiet, shadowed corner of the memorial forest.
His gaze rested quietly on the stone tablet, fixed entirely on the name carved into the rock... Uchiha Obito.
He held a small bundle of wildflowers.
Bending down, Kakashi gently rested the bouquet against the base of the tablet. A profound, lingering grief washed over him. 'If you were still alive... seeing Konoha like this... what would you say, Obito?'
He shook his head, burying the heavy sigh deep in his chest.
...
Mount Myōboku.
Poof!
The white smoke of the Reverse Summoning Jutsu rapidly cleared.
Tejima Shinichi looked up, taking in his new surroundings. This was one of the three great sage regions, but the vibe was entirely different from Shikkotsu Forest.
Giant trees pierced the sky. Mushrooms grew as large as houses. Crystal-clear streams wound through the vibrant greenery, and the distant roar of waterfalls echoed in the air.
But more importantly, the atmosphere itself was heavy. It was practically suffocating with vast natural energy. The raw power stirred Shinichi's very core, making him itch to just sit down and absorb it all.
"So, what do you think?" Jiraiya's voice broke the silence. The Sannin stood with his hands on his hips, flashing a wide, proud grin. "A whole lot different from Shikkotsu Forest, right? An entire clan of toads lives here!"
Shinichi nodded. "The difference is night and day. Shikkotsu Forest is just the main body of Lady Katsuyu, so the environment is singular. This is a complete ecosystem built around an entire clan. It's far more complex."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and clapped him on the shoulder. "Spot on. Come on, let's go. The Great Toad Sage has been waiting anxiously..." He paused, awkwardly scratching his cheek...
"And that old man has a habit of falling asleep. If he dozes off again right now, it'll be a real pain."
The two set off down a winding path, dwarfed by the towering flora.
Along the way, toads of all shapes and sizes popped up to watch them. Some leaped nimbly between massive leaves, while others crouched beneath giant mushroom caps, tracking the two humans with wide, curious eyes.
Not long after, they rounded a bend in the path. Two small-statured toads were already waiting for them.
One was dark blue, wearing a small scholar's cap and leaning on a short staff. The other was orange-red, sporting a distinct hairnet and sharp, perceptive eyes.
"Jiraiya," the dark blue toad rasped. "You have finally brought the Child of Prophecy."
"Ah, Lord Fukasaku. Lady Shima." Jiraiya immediately stopped and gave a deep, respectful nod. "This is the boy the Great Lord wants to see—Tejima Shinichi."
At the mention of his name, Fukasaku and Shima turned their piercing gazes onto Shinichi.
Fukasaku narrowed his eyes, his short staff twirling slightly in his webbed claw. Beside him, Shima leaned forward, inspecting the young man with intense, calculating scrutiny.
The silence dragged on for a few tense seconds.
Then, a flash of pure amazement crossed Fukasaku's eyes.
"This chakra... it's vast. It's at least ten or twenty times greater than little Jiraiya's!" The elder toad looked over at his wife. "Old woman, what do you think?"
Shima nodded solemnly. "Indeed. And the innate pressure radiating from his life force... The Great Lord's prophecy must be about him!"
Standing off to the side, Jiraiya's mouth twitched. He laughed sheepishly. "Hey, hey, you two don't have to be so direct about it, right? Spare my pride a little... Shinichi is my junior, after all."
Fukasaku glanced at the Sannin, tapping his short staff lightly against the ground. "It is simply a fact. Your chakra reserves are quite impressive for a human, but compared to the boy standing in front of us..." The old toad shook his head. "It is like night and day."
Jiraiya slumped his shoulders, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, alright... I get it."
Fukasaku looked back at Shinichi, his expression returning to absolute seriousness...
"Tejima Shinichi. I am Fukasaku, and this is Shima. We are two of the great sages of Mount Myōboku, and the Great Toad Sage has been waiting a long time for you."
He turned sideways, gesturing with his staff toward a grand temple in the distance.
"Come with us."
Shinichi looked at the two elder toads and gave a respectful nod. "Thank you."
The group stepped forward, following the two sages into the temple. Soon, resting upon a massive, elevated platform, they laid eyes on him—
Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku.
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