At a water source, the two of them and the frog went in.
The deeper they went, the more different the atmosphere around them became. The air was filled with a pure and vast energy.
It was completely different from the chakra of the ninja world, gentle yet full of power, carrying a feeling of nature itself.
"The energy here… is so special."
Hamura could not help but speak. His Byakugan opened on instinct, yet he found that the energy of this land was mixed yet pure, something that could not be measured with normal chakra sensing.
"Mm…"
Hagoromo also nodded. His Sharingan turned slightly, and he could see countless tiny points of light floating in the air. They were the visible form of this special energy.
"This is the sage chakra unique to Mount Myoboku, the oldest and purest energy." Gamamaru smiled slightly, with a bit of pride.
Passing through layers of clouds and mist, a grand hall appeared before their eyes.
The hall was built from huge rocks, carved with ancient toad script, giving off a faint golden glow. The roof was wrapped in vines, blending with the surrounding mountains and forest, as if it had formed naturally.
This was the Toad Hall of Mount Myoboku, the residence of the sage of Mount Myoboku.
Of course, White Brows had stepped back behind the scenes.
The real boss of Mount Myoboku was actually Arisu.
Gamamaru stepped into the hall first.
"Master, I've brought them." Gamamaru respectfully called out toward the inside of the hall.
Hagoromo and Hamura followed closely behind. The moment they stepped into the hall, they were drawn to the scene inside.
The hall was spacious and solemn. On the high platform in the center sat a figure.
The man wore a long robe in black and red. His dark hair fell loosely over his shoulders. His face was still handsome. It was the mysterious man who had been fishing in the snow that day.
Arisu slowly raised his eyes. His gaze fell on the two of them, carrying a bit of gentleness and also a depth that seemed to see through everything. His voice was exactly the same as that day.
He spoke warmly, "You've come?"
The familiar voice and familiar face instantly broke down the last of their mental defenses.
Hagoromo's pupils shook violently. He took half a step back without thinking, his heart filled with disbelief and shock.
The hero from childhood stories, the idol they worshiped every year, was actually standing right in front of them.
"It's you?"
Hagoromo's voice carried restraint and a slight tremble. He cupped his hands instinctively, his tone full of respect.
Hamura stood beside him, too shocked to speak. He just stared blankly at Arisu on the high platform, his mind completely empty.
They had never imagined that the heroic legends that followed their childhood, the beautiful stories their mother told, actually had a real person behind them, and that person was sitting right before them now.
The impact of a legend stepping into reality made it hard for them to process. Everything felt unreal.
"I told you, we would meet again."
Arisu looked at their shocked expressions. A faint smile appeared on his lips, his tone still gentle.
These words were like thunder, waking them from their shock.
They took a deep breath and tried to calm themselves. Hagoromo cupped his hands again and asked respectfully, "Sage, how should we address you?"
"Just call me Sage." Arisu spoke lightly, his tone calm and steady.
"Sage!" Hagoromo raised his head, his eyes full of urgency and pleading.
"Since you knew we would come, you must also know why we came. You are the one who knows all the truth. Please tell us, what exactly has Mother been hiding? What is the truth about the God Tree?"
A series of questions poured out, carrying the doubts and pain that had built up in his heart for so long.
Hamura also looked at Arisu, his eyes full of expectation. He too longed to know the full truth.
"Do not rush."
Seeing this, Arisu slowly raised his hand. A clear crystal ball appeared in his palm.
The crystal ball gave off a soft glow. As Arisu poured chakra into it, clear images gradually appeared inside.
"See for yourselves."
Arisu's voice carried a distant sense of age.
The images inside the crystal ball began to move.
First, two people wearing strange clothes descended upon the ninja world. They were Kaguya and Isshiki.
Then the scene shifted.
Kaguya, with worry on her face, told Arisu about her fate of being sacrificed to the God Tree. Her eyes were full of unwillingness and pleading.
She promised Arisu that as long as he helped her break free from Isshiki's control and obtain the fruit of the God Tree, she would share the power with him and protect this land together.
The young Arisu, with a gentle smile on his face, agreed to her request.
The scene changed again.
In front of the Ten Tails, Arisu fought fiercely with Isshiki. In the end, he helped Kaguya and together they sacrificed Isshiki.
However, just when everything seemed complete, the moment Arisu turned around, a trace of resolve flashed through Kaguya's eyes. A sharp bone ash shot from her hand and pierced straight through Arisu's chest.
Hagoromo and Hamura's pupils shrank when they saw this. Their faces were filled with shock and disbelief.
They had never imagined that their mother would do something so treacherous.
The scene continued. Kaguya swallowed the fruit of the God Tree and gained immense power.
After that, the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"Back then, your mother was an outsider. She and her companion Isshiki came to this planet."
"According to their clan's rules, she was supposed to be the one sacrificed to the God Tree."
"She was unwilling to die like that, so she came to me and promised me the fruit of the God Tree, asking for my help."
"I thought she was a woman who longed for freedom and had a kind heart, so I agreed. But I did not expect that she would stab me in the back for the sake of power."
Arisu's voice slowly sounded, telling the truth shown in the images.
Arisu paused, his gaze landing on the two of them, his tone calm. "I should have died in that betrayal. Luckily, I survived through the sage arts of Mount Myoboku."
"As for your mother constantly sacrificing ordinary people, it was not to nourish the land, but to create a White Zetsu army."
"She is afraid, afraid that her clansmen will find this place and take revenge for her betrayal and seizure of power."
"Those who are sacrificed will eventually turn into White Zetsu with no consciousness, knowing only obedience, becoming her chess pieces to resist her clan."
Arisu deliberately hid the truth that he was immortal because of a system, attributing everything to sage arts. This fit his identity as a "Sage" and avoided unnecessary trouble.
The light of the crystal ball slowly faded, and the hall fell into complete silence.
Hagoromo and Hamura stood there, their faces pale, their bodies cold.
Their mother's betrayal, the truth of the sacrifices, the secret of White Zetsu… everything.
"So the beautiful stories Mother told were actually just to cover up her stabbing you in the back!"
"The truth is so dark!"
Hagoromo clenched his fists tightly. The magatama necklace at his neck turned cold again.
He remembered Haori's gentle smile. He remembered the cold bodies beneath the God Tree.
He remembered the deception over the years. The red light of the three tomoe Sharingan in his eyes flared up, and anger and grief surged again.
"Mother…"
Hamura's Byakugan stared at the place where the crystal ball had disappeared, his face full of disappointment and pain.
The mother he had always respected turned out to be someone who would sacrifice countless lives for her own desires.
But Hamura also felt sympathy for his mother, because she too had been betrayed.
On the high platform, Arisu quietly watched the two of them without speaking.
Arisu was observing their expressions.
Sure enough, Hagoromo, who would later become the Sage of Six Paths, had the harsher heart.
And Hamura, the ancestor of the Otsutsuki on the moon, had a more delicate heart. He could understand that their mother had once believed in love.
If it came to filial piety, Hamura would definitely be stronger.
If it came to great love for the world, Hagoromo, the future Sage of Six Paths, would be superior.
However, based on the current path, Hagoromo was more favored by Arisu.
"However, my being stabbed in the back by your mother is a small matter. The urgent task now is to save the world and make your mother stop all this!" Arisu said lightly, placing his actions on the moral high ground.