The center of Mount Myōboku, revered as a holy sanctuary by the toads, had been reduced to rubble.
Under the watchful and conflicted gazes of the surviving toads—filled with fear, anger, hatred, regret, and despair—Gensou calmly walked toward the flattened ruins. He stopped, surveying the desolate scene, and silently waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
The ground beneath him trembled violently.
With a deafening roar, a toad far larger than Gamabunta burst through the rubble, leaping from the underground.
BOOM!
The earth quaked again as dust and debris filled the air. The immense figure landed firmly on the ground.
"The Great Toad Sage," Gensou murmured, instantly recognizing the elderly, towering toad before him.
The sage's scholarly hat was gone, though its iconic prayer beads still hung around its neck. Its aged, weathered appearance stood in stark contrast to the younger toads.
Gensou's gaze shifted briefly, noting the figures clutched in the sage's massive hand—Naruto, Fukasaku, and Shima.
"Just in time," Gensou remarked, his lips curling into a faint smile as his eyes locked onto Naruto.
Naruto, still recovering from the disorienting ride, wobbled as he stood atop the sage's palm. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what he was seeing.
All around him was an expansive, gaping crater.
"Eh? Where are we? Great Toad Grandpa, what is this place? Weren't we in Mount Myōboku before?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.
He didn't realize what had happened. One moment, he had been flung through the air and caught by the Great Toad Sage; now, everything looked unfamiliar.
Unlike Naruto, Fukasaku and Shima had already grasped the reality of their surroundings. Their wide-open mouths and muttered disbelief—"Impossible," "How could this happen," "What's become of Mount Myōboku?"—made their shock evident.
"What's impossible?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Fukasaku took a deep breath and spoke with a heavy tone of grief.
"This is Mount Myōboku."
"Nani?!"
Naruto froze, staring in disbelief.
He looked again at the massive crater surrounding them, comparing it to his memories of lush forests, cascading waterfalls, and vibrant flowers.
"No way," Naruto muttered, turning to Fukasaku for reassurance.
Before the elder could respond, Shima pointed to a distant fragment of a wall amidst the ruins.
"That was my kitchen…" Shima whispered mournfully.
Naruto followed her gaze and recognized the remains of the kitchen he had often visited. Nearby, he spotted an injured toad crawling weakly from the rubble.
His heart sank as the realization hit him.
"What happened here?" Naruto's voice trembled. His fists clenched as a grave expression darkened his face.
At that moment, the Great Toad Sage's deep, resonant voice echoed:
"Gensou, you should not have come here."
Naruto flinched.
"Gensou? Why's the Great Toad Grandpa mentioning that guy?"
Wait.
Was Gensou here?
Naruto leaned forward, peering over the edge of the sage's palm. His eyes widened in shock when he spotted the lone figure standing amidst the ruins below.
"Gensou!"
So, this destruction… was his doing?!
Naruto's gaze shifted between the devastated Mount Myōboku and Gensou. His disbelief gave way to anger.
Meanwhile, Gensou ignored Naruto's glare, his focus instead on the Great Toad Sage.
Though the sage's massive frame appeared frail and aged, Gensou could sense an immense reservoir of senjutsu chakra within it—far greater than Iwajuku's. If unleashed, it could shake the very foundations of the world.
Gensou even suspected that the sage's deep well of experience and chakra might allow it to remain unaffected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Despite the sage's elderly appearance, Gensou did not underestimate it.
Looking up, he responded calmly to the sage's statement.
"Yet, here I am."
"You're known for your prophecies, Great Toad Sage. Did you foresee this day?"
The sage remained silent for a moment before replying,
"The safety of Mount Myōboku is insignificant compared to the peace of the Shinobi World. For the sake of the world's future, Gensou, you must abandon your plans and your ambitions."
Gensou studied the sage intently.
It seemed the sage's visions warned of a grim future if he succeeded in his goals.
But to stop? To give up his ambitions?
Ridiculous.
Gensou's expression didn't waver. "So, you anticipated today's events. Tell me, was it worth sacrificing all of Mount Myōboku for Uzumaki Naruto?"
Mount Myōboku had long upheld its neutrality, involving itself only through contracts with human summoners.
Even the toads' aid to Minato and Jiraiya had been due to these contracts, not allegiance to Konoha.
Naruto was no different—just another summoner bound by contract. Yet, the toads had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect him, even at the cost of their sacred land.
Why?
Because he was the "Child of Prophecy"?
The idea was laughable.
Gensou smirked.
He was no Jiraiya. He certainly wasn't the Great Toad Sage. To him, prophecies were nothing more than one possible future among many, easily altered by the will of the strong.
Power was the only guarantee of control.
The sage sighed deeply, his tone resigned. "If the skin is gone, what use is the fur?"
It was clear to him now—mere words would not dissuade this descendant of Hagoromo.
"Then there is no other choice," the sage muttered, his once-cloudy eyes gleaming with renewed determination.
Gensou narrowed his eyes as he sensed a shift in the sage's demeanor. He was about to speak when a flash of yellow descended from above.
Naruto leapt down, landing with a thud.
He had heard every word exchanged between Gensou and the sage. His fists clenched tightly as he fixed a piercing gaze on Gensou.
"Gensou, you're here because of me?" Naruto demanded.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]