As the words left his lips, his form slowly turned translucent, merging with the air until he vanished entirely.
"Wait!? You!"
Hane and Hamura's eyes widened in shock, their faces registering utter disbelief. Such a disappearance was no feat of an ordinary human.
"Big brother, look around!" Hamura suddenly activated his Byakugan, his expression one of astonishment.
The two of them whirled to scan the surroundings, only to realize that the cottage by the lake had vanished without a trace. The stove, the clay pot, the wooden table all had disappeared as if they had never existed.
Only the endless snow and the frozen lake remained, as though the entire encounter had been a vivid illusion.
The cold wind whipped across their cheeks, biting and unforgiving.
Hane and Hamura stood frozen, exchanging glances filled with both confusion and awe.
Then Hane's eyes widened with sudden realization.
"Hamura, think about it didn't that man look exactly like the portrait of Manji in the temple!?"
Hane exclaimed, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Hamura froze, his mind reeling. Seeing his sister's reaction, he realized she was right.
"Could it be… no, it's impossible…"
…
Far from the snowy lake, Manji's figure appeared atop Mount Myoki in the next moment.
For over a decade, Manji had devoted himself to mastering sage techniques. He had also casually invented some jutsu that would only appear centuries later, including the Rasengan, Chidori, Kirin, and various teleportation techniques.
Of course, these were creations for experimentation; Manji never intended to use them to confront Kaguya. His true strength always lay in sage arts.
He had also developed techniques specifically to contend with the Ten-Tails, employing sage methods from the Swamp of Bones to create techniques reminiscent of the Myojin Gate.
Yet, despite his immense progress, Manji felt a mysterious force suppressing him, preventing further growth. He could only strengthen himself through clever methods.
For an immortal like him, a decade passed in the blink of an eye. Time was hardly a measure of significance.
More importantly, time had tempered Manji's mind. He felt himself growing increasingly composed, his temperament refining with each passing year.
Mount Myoki, Peak of Longevity.
Clouds and mist swirled around the summit, blending seamlessly with the sky. This was the name he had given his dwelling.
As he stepped into his chamber, a plump figure bounced forward Gamadamaru, now a half-grown toad.
"Master, how are things outside?" Gamadamaru asked respectfully.
Manji strode to the stone table at the center of the chamber and settled down. With a subtle touch of his fingers, a faint flow of sage chakra streamed into a crystal orb that projected the lake scene where Hane and Hamura had just been.
"They are the same as before. The two children have grown, their minds maturing. The time has come," Manji said calmly, his voice steady.
He then looked sharply at Gamadamaru. "In a few days, follow my method. Find a way to approach them and speak of the God Tree, but remember do not reveal the truth directly. Leave clues. Guide them to discover it themselves. People only truly believe what they see and hear with their own eyes and ears, and only then will the will to resist awaken."
Gamadamaru's eyes shone with admiration. As expected of his master meticulous and strategic.
"Don't worry, Master!" Gamadamaru straightened up, thumping his chest in earnest promise.
He had long been skeptical of Kaguya's rule. If the God Tree drained the land, Mount Myoki would also be affected.
Yet, just as he spoke, Gamadamaru's shoulders slumped slightly, his plump body curling in hesitation, as if holding back words.
"You still have something to say?" Manji asked with sharp perception, immediately discerning the toad's thoughts.
After a pause, Gamadamaru knelt and lowered his head, voice grave. "Master… I had a dream."
"I dreamed that Kaguya and her two sons fought beneath the God Tree, the clash shaking the heavens and earth, threatening to destroy the world itself…"
"Oh?"
Manji raised an eyebrow. He was well aware of Gamadamaru's prophetic dreams the very reason he had formed a contract with this seemingly ordinary toad.
In the original timeline, Gamadamaru's foresight drove the Sage of the Six Paths to oppose Kaguya. Yet now, even with this variable, the flow of history continued inexorably.
"In the dream, was there any sign of me?" Manji asked with genuine curiosity.
Though a traveler from another world and aware of the general course of events, he still wanted to know what role his "butterfly" would play in the coming storm and how he might influence the fated battle.
"No, Master. I replayed the dream many times in my mind, and from start to finish, I never saw your figure. It's as if you never took part in that battle at all," Gamadamaru replied, confusion clouding his eyes.
"I see…"
Manji paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his gaze before he returned to his calm demeanor.
His own future could not be predicted. Interesting.
As a foreigner in this world, with the immortality granted by his system, he existed outside the bounds of fate, an unpredictable variable in the tapestry of destiny.
"That is… just as it should be," he murmured, a faint smile curling his lips. The uncertainty of the future made it all the more worth exploring.
A few days later, a small village erupted into chaos.
For some unknown reason, the river sustaining the village had stopped flowing. Its bed lay cracked and dry, and the villagers faced a dire water shortage.
Word quickly reached Hane and Hamura. Over the years, under their mother's orders, they had traveled widely, aiding ordinary people in times of need, earning them great respect among the locals.
The two raced toward the river's source and soon arrived.
From a distance, they saw a massive boulder, as large as a small hill, lying across the river, completely blocking the flow.
"A boulder blocking the river?" Hamura frowned, activating his Byakugan to examine it closely.
"This doesn't look like a natural fall," Hane observed.
Without hesitation, Hamura raised his hand, gathering condensed lightning chakra.
With a thunderous crack, the boulder split into fragments, scattering across the riverbed.
At that moment, a plump figure hopped out from the forest, landing in front of them.
It was Gamadamaru.
"You two must be Hane and Hamura," he said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gamadamaru."
His voice carried a deliberate calm, feigning gravity, entirely shedding his previous meekness before Manji.
Hane and Hamura stared, stunned.
Hamura instinctively activated his Byakugan to probe Gamadamaru's chakra. He sensed a pure, unique energy, but no hostility. After all, he could not perceive sage chakra.
"You… you can speak?" Hane asked in astonishment.
Gamadamaru didn't answer directly. He merely gestured with his front limbs, his expression mysteriously solemn. "Follow me. I have something to show you."
With that, he hopped toward the forest's depths.
Hane and Hamura exchanged a glance. Though puzzled, their instincts told them this mysterious toad was no ordinary creature.
They followed without hesitation.
Gamadamaru moved swiftly, weaving through the trees with agility. Hane and Hamura kept pace until they reached the peak of a towering mountain.
From the summit, the view opened wide.
In the distance, the God Tree rose majestically, its massive trunk and lush branches radiating overwhelming chakra, as if supporting the heavens themselves.