As the wooden spears were about to strike the Great Toad Sage, a surge of potent natural energy burst forth from its mouth.
A gray mist enveloped its tongue. In an instant, both the wooden spears and the tongue turned to stone.
The petrification continued spreading forward, quickly reaching Natsume.
Crack!
A wooden stake was left behind at the spot.
The Great Toad Sage leaped backward and opened its mouth midair.
Sage Chakra transformed into a raging torrent, pouring down like a tidal wave.
For a moment, it felt as though the ocean had overturned.
Unable to detect Natsume's presence, it resorted to an area attack.
[Sage Art: Wood Release – Wooden Locking Wall]!
Two rows of wooden stakes rose up.
Enclosing Natsume within them, they formed an arched barrier.
The flood crashed down with tremendous impact, instantly surging outward in both directions.
The observing frogs quickly retreated.
Seeing this, the Great Toad Sage manipulated the floodwaters, sending them soaring skyward again. The water rapidly solidified in midair, taking the form of countless water frogs.
They dropped down, smashing against the wooden dome.
A few seconds later, it splintered with a thunderous crack.
But Natsume was already gone.
The Great Toad Sage turned around.
Just in time to see an orange-clad samurai soar upward from the ground, swiping his blade straight at it.
[Susanoo]!
The Great Toad Sage crossed its hands in prayer, blocking the massive blade.
Yet in the next moment, it was sent hurtling by the sheer force, crashing onto the ground and creating a deep crater.
Natsume remained motionless in place.
The samurai's left arm behind him suddenly flung forward.
Three blazing orange tomoe streaked out at incredible speed.
Pupillary power interwove with chakra, emitting a terrifying aura.
Even the fabric of space quivered.
As the Great Toad Sage stood up, the three tomoe, accompanied by violent gales, arrived without delay.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
A giant frog opened its mouth, swallowing all three tomoe in one gulp.
Gamariki the Elder.
In the original story, only a portion of its esophagus appeared.
It was summoned by Jiraiya to create a barrier against Amaterasu.
Most people swallowed whole would struggle to escape.
Amaterasu merely caused burns.
Now, Natsume could finally see its full appearance.
Truly enormous.
It definitely stood well over two hundred meters tall.
Among creatures Natsume had seen, only the Ten-Tails and Katsuyu were larger.
After Gamariki swallowed the three tomoe, its body writhed violently.
A powerful explosion churned inside its stomach.
Moments later, it opened its mouth and spewed blood and chunks of flesh.
But undoubtedly, it still lived.
"Great Toad Sage," Natsume softly smiled and said, "Since you guys on Mount Myoboku don't believe in one-on-one battles, don't blame me for being impolite either."
The Great Toad Sage had just relaxed slightly but now felt a chill run down its spine.
Instinctively, it looked toward Kaguya Otsutsuki, thinking she might be stepping in.
But it wasn't her.
Natsume pressed his palms together.
[Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands]!
Before the astonished frogs, a wooden Senju Kannon manifested out of nowhere.
Clouds gathered around it, emphasizing its boundless majesty.
Its towering two-hundred-meter frame blotted out the sky and sun.
But before the Senju Kannon, it seemed insignificant by comparison.
Two colossal hands shot forth, rushing toward Gamariki the Elder.
The Great Toad Sage swiftly formed hand seals and spat out two water spheres.
Yet before they reached the giant hands, another pair of massive arms flew forth, grabbing the spheres.
A scream rang out.
The Senju Kannon could crush the Nine-Tailed Fox with one hand.
Though Gamariki was even larger than the fox, he couldn't escape two hands.
His vast body was immediately seized tightly.
With a mere thought from Natsume, the giant hands gradually tightened their grip.
Its reddish-brown skin bulged outward, split apart, and poured out streams of blood.
It seemed on the verge of shattering completely at any moment.
The Great Toad Sage was chased by another pair of enormous hands and couldn't counterattack.
Gamabunta leapt forward, swinging his massive tanto at the arm gripping Gamariki.
Yet before the Senju Kannon, that mighty blade was no better than a nail clipper.
A fifth giant hand came crashing down toward the tanto, carrying an immense, mountainous pressure.
Gamabunta appeared to put up no resistance whatsoever and was blasted away.
"Dear!"
Lady Shima tilted her head back and opened her mouth wide.
A stream of black liquid spewed forth under her control, drenching the two arms.
This was frog oil.
As soon as Fukasaku Sage heard her cry, he knew exactly what she intended.
After all, being a married couple, they had perfect synergy.
Fukasaku Sage leaped high, aligning himself with Gamariki midair.
He formed seals in rapid succession and exhaled twin jets of flame.
In an instant, the two arms erupted into roaring flames.
"It's working!"
Lady Shima shouted joyfully upon witnessing this.
But what answered her was Gamariki's shriek.
The two arms remained unaffected, squeezing with tremendous force.
The sound ceased, replaced by torrents of reddish-brown blood.
Like rain, it fell across most of Mount Myoboku.
"Dead?"
Many frogs wore looks of disbelief.
Apart from the Great Toad Sage, Gamariki's power easily ranked among the top five in Mount Myoboku.
Especially considering his massive size and the special space within his belly, which granted additional advantages.
Even Sage Fukasaku and Lady Shima considered him troublesome.
Yet he had fallen so easily.
Gamariki, protector of Mount Myoboku for centuries, was gone.
"Damn you!"
This chapter isn't over yet!
His death ignited fury among the frogs.
In response, a wave of attacks followed.
Primarily Fire Release and Water Release techniques, interwoven chakra formed a vibrant canopy across the sky.
[Summit Enlightened Thousand-Armed Cannon!]
Natsume remained unmoved.
Wood Release was particularly effective in group battles.
The Senju Kannon behind him fully sprang into action.
All the giant hands clenched into fists and struck simultaneously.
With extraordinary speed and overwhelming size, they unleashed a storm of destruction in an instant.
Upon first contact, the frogs' jutsu shattered like fragile glass.
"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"
The Great Toad Sage frantically shouted.
But it was already too late.
The fists came down, sending flesh and blood flying everywhere.
A crimson storm descended right on cue.
The Great Toad Sage trembled, his eyes reflecting nothing but corpses.
Mount Myoboku itself was now home to only one frog.
All the others had perished in the Summit Enlightened Thousand-Armed Cannon technique.
The White Snake Sage instinctively swallowed hard.
Deep down, it felt immense relief for having surrendered quickly.
Otherwise, Ryuchi Cave would have become like Mount Myoboku—rivers of blood flowing through its grounds.
Once a pristine holy sanctuary, now it was nothing but ruins.
Flesh, plants, and dust had mixed together to form several crater-like artificial lakes.
At this moment, the White Snake Sage finally understood—even without Kaguya Otsutsuki, Natsume was a being not to be trifled with.
If Mount Myoboku couldn't withstand it, naturally Ryuchi Cave wouldn't have either.
From now on, they'd just be working for Konoha Village.
Sighing deeply, the White Snake Sage muttered to itself.
Thankfully, it would be their descendants who did the labor.
Not itself.
That was truly the only silver lining amidst misfortune.
The Great Toad Sage stared fixedly at Natsume.
It hadn't lost control.
Or perhaps, it had simply accepted its fate.
"Kero!"
The Great Toad Sage opened its mouth.
From its center, invisible waves radiated outward.
[Genjutsu: Indestructible Prison]!
A supreme sound-based illusionary technique!
Four massive frog-shaped Vidyadharas materialized around Natsume.
Each extended one hand, binding him into an obsidian cube.
Space seemed to freeze.
At the same time, the Great Toad Sage leaped directly into the air.
His Sage Chakra erupted uncontrollably from within him.
Colossal water spheres rapidly formed.
Like mountains, they crashed down toward Natsume.
This was undoubtedly the Great Toad Sage's last resort.
[Summit Enlightened Thousand-Armed Cannon]!
Natsume's consciousness stirred.
Countless arms roared downward.
The water spheres shattered completely.
The Great Toad Sage's body was smashed straight into the earth.
Blow after blow.
Each punch shook the land violently.
Accompanied by dull thuds, an enormous crater formed.
At its bottom lay the battered corpse of the Great Toad Sage.
Not even a final breath remained.
Honestly, there being any remains at all was already a miracle.
Natsume dissolved the Senju Kannon avatar and landed before Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Instinctively, the White Snake Sage took several steps back.
His aura was suffused with killing intent.
Combined with that terrifying battle just now,
the White Snake Sage grew fearful of him and wanted to stay far away.
"What do you think?"
Natsume chuckled slightly, asking, "Didn't I embarrass you?"
"Not at all."
Kaguya Otsutsuki shook her head. A faint smile graced her lips.
Though barely noticeable, for her, it was rare.
Blinking, Natsume asked, "Then… should I return your chakra now?"
Kaguya hesitated unusually.
Logically, she should reclaim it.
But for some reason, she didn't feel particularly strongly about it.
The chakra had practically become expendable.
Must be because of the Heavenly Network.
Kaguya inwardly mused—the chakra provided by the Heavenly Network was plentiful enough that she no longer felt so possessive.
"You can keep it,"
she said calmly.
Natsume was genuinely surprised. He hadn't anticipated this outcome at all.
"Let's go back first. Then I'll reward you properly."
Natsume chuckled and reached out to gently pinch her cheek.
Kaguya Otsutsuki gazed at him in silence, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
What kind of fun would this be this time?
The White Snake Sage shuddered as he watched the two display their affection.
He felt as though a thousand years of experience couldn't rival the shock of today.
Both Natsume and Mount Myoboku had left impressions on him that would probably never fade from his memory.
"White Snake Sage, can you check if there are any frogs still alive?"
Natsume had already scanned the area earlier.
No frog could survive under the Thousand-Armed Cannon attack.
Just to be thorough, he asked the White Snake Sage to confirm it personally.
"There's none."
The White Snake Sage shook his head and replied.
If even the Great Toad Sage couldn't escape, the others stood no chance.
"All the frogs of Mount Myoboku have perished, except for a few located beyond its borders."
Natsume glanced around and asked, "Handing them over to you should be no problem, right?"
"No problem at all."
The White Snake Sage hurried to assure. "Within a week, Ryuchi Cave will completely eliminate them."
The frogs outside Mount Myoboku were mostly minor troops used for delivering messages or scouting.
They weren't particularly powerful, but they were widespread.
However, Ryuchi Cave had more than enough snakes.
Dealing with them would be as simple as plucking fruit from a tree.
[Due to your actions, the destinies of the Great Toad Sage, Sage Fukasaku, Lady Shima, Gamabunta, and Jiraiya have changed. You've earned a total of 1,300 destiny points.]
Oh…!
A series of prompt chimes from the Tamaki of Destiny rang out consecutively.
This was undoubtedly the greatest gain Natsume had ever received.
How should one put it?
After all, it was Mount Myoboku, which Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist, had formed a contract with — there were over a dozen famous frogs there.
But truthfully, this wasn't necessarily the best course of action.
If handled by Ryuchi Cave, Mount Myoboku could continue providing destiny points afterward.
It was now a one-time opportunity.
It was rather wasteful.
But Natsume didn't like frogs.
And he also wanted to fulfill the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage.
Of course, the most important reason was that Natsume no longer had an urgent need for destiny points.
Had this happened back when he first crossed over, he wouldn't have dared to waste such resources.
Natsume turned his head toward the temple where the Great Toad Sage resided.
Because he had deliberately avoided it, the temple remained intact after the battle.
Mount Myoboku had existed for over a thousand years — surely it held many treasures.
Even if he didn't need them himself, leaving them behind for Konoha Village would be beneficial.
"Let's take a look."
Natsume walked into the temple.
Kaguya Otsutsuki and the White Snake Sage followed closely behind.
The temple was quite large, yet it held very little inside.
Only two items were valuable.
First was the toad oil.
It had two primary uses—aiding in the absorption of natural energy and enhancing Fire Release techniques.
The second was the crystal ball.
Known as the Telescope Technique.
During the Third Hokage's reign, he often used the crystal ball to observe Konoha.
Later, after stepping down, the crystal ball became Natsume's possession.
However, the Telescope Technique proved less convenient than imagined.
To observe someone, one must first understand their chakra nature.
And the range is limited to Konoha Village only.
At the same time, it would also be detected by others.
However, the Great Toad Sage's crystal ball is far superior.
Although it still requires familiarity with the target's chakra nature, its range is limitless.
No matter where a person is, they can be found.
For Natsume, this clearly saved a lot of destiny points.
In the future, he could simply use the crystal ball when searching for people.
Actually, its greatest use lies in warfare and intelligence gathering.
Natsume didn't find the legendary treasure of Mount Myoboku—the Sage's Talisman.
He speculated that even the Great Toad Sage only had one.
In the original story, it saved Hamura Otsutsuki.
In this world, though, it went to Isshiki Otsutsuki instead.
Therefore, there wasn't a second one.
Still, the Sage's Talisman wasn't all that impressive.
When it comes to revival abilities, Kaguya Otsutsuki reigns supreme.
Right now, she could bring every dead frog from Mount Myoboku back to life.
And unlike Nagato, she wouldn't have to sacrifice her own life to do so.
"White Snake Sage, go back and prepare. In a few days, Konoha ninjas will come knocking."
Before leaving, Natsume warned, "I suggest you keep your snakes under control. Otherwise, Ryuchi Cave's fate would become Mount Myoboku's future."
As for Mount Myoboku itself, he generously gifted it to the White Snake Sage.
Don't be fooled by its battered appearance—it may have taken quite a beating, but as one of the Three Great Holy Places, its natural energy concentration far surpasses other locations.
After obtaining Mount Myoboku, the White Snake Sage's snake population would grow further.
Not just in quantity, but in quality too.
They could serve Konoha Village even better.
Natsume and Kaguya Otsutsuki returned to the Land of Snow.
Due to his previous promise, he had no choice but to repay his debt through marriage.
After they left, amidst the ruined battlefield, a glint of golden light flickered.
An orange frog buried deep underground suddenly sprang forth.
It shuddered violently, tears streaming down its face.
Yet soon after, it remembered its mission—to meet with Jiraiya.
With a bang, it vanished in an instant.
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