The Shinobi world was embroiled in chaos, a fierce battle raged on the moon, and a constant game of chess was being played between the Pure Land and certain entities within the shinobi world.
But Yuki Yoru, once overlooked and disregarded by all the major players in this chess game, had now completed all preparations to become a player himself.
But just as he was about to make his final breakthrough, grim news arrived from his seasoned partner—the White Snake Sage.
"I can't sense the White Snake Sage's chakra anymore, and there's no trace of it left inside Ryūchi Cave."
Inside Ryūchi Cave, the Three Snake Princesses (Sanshin-hime) were frantic and unsettled. Countless serpents slithered restlessly through the cavern, as if trying to use their unique bond with the sage to locate him.
"Maybe the White Snake Sage just got bored and went out for a stroll?"Mei Terumī spoke in a low voice, but the moment she said it, even Yuki Yoru was speechless.
After all, could a millennia-old, ascended sage like the White Snake Sage really experience something as trivial as 'boredom'? Even if he did, he would surely have informed this attendants who served him before leaving.
As the Sage of a holy land and its very core, the White Snake Sage knew better than anyone the weight of his own existence.
And yet, he had vanished completely from Ryūchi Cave—without leaving behind the slightest trace. Even attempts at reverse summoning through chakra yielded no response.
This could only mean one thing: the situation was dire.
"Lord Mizukage—no, Your Majesty… if it's you, surely you can help us!" Ichikishimahime looked at Yuki Yoru with desperate hope. The White Snake Sage was the absolute cornerstone of Ryūchi Cave, and his disappearance was no small matter.
The reason a holy land could be called a holy land was not because they themselves were so special and mysterious, but because of the existence of the Sage.
If the White Snake Sage were to disappear, Ryūchi Cave would instantly plummet from its divine pedestal. Outside forces would tear this 'fat piece of meat' apart and leave nothing behind. All the summoning beasts there would be reduced to nothing more than ordinary creatures, stripped of their sanctity.
More critically, the shinobi world's three great holy lands existed in a delicate balance:
The Slug Sage. The White Snake Sage. The Great Toad Sage.
If even one of them were to disappear—or worse, die—the other two would inevitably undergo subtle shifts. This would ripple outward, altering the entire structure of the shinobi world, and upsetting the strategies of countless players in this grand game.
No… perhaps the White Snake Sage's disappearance was no accident, but a deliberate move by someone.
Yuki Yoru didn't immediately answer Ichikishimahime. Instead, he carefully examined the White Snake Sage's usual resting place, as well as every corner of Ryūchi Cave.
The White Snake Sage could not have simply vanished without reason. If he had left on his own accord, perhaps he would be hard to find. But if he had been taken away, or summoned elsewhere, then some trace of chakra should remain.
The Three Snake Princesses and the countless snakes of Ryūchi Cave clearly thought the same, but no matter how hard they searched, they found nothing.
All eyes turned toward Yuki Yoru. They knew their own efforts were futile; only he could possibly uncover the truth.
And then, perhaps it was an illusion, but the Three Snake Princesses suddenly felt a strange aura rise from Yuki Yoru. His expression twisted into something eerie, and in his eyes…
"It's not that there is no chakra residue here, but that the chakra you have is not enough to find this chakra.
In Yuki Yoru's eyes, a deep black gleam surfaced, countless pupils writhing within his sockets. The sight was so grotesque that the Three Snake Princesses froze, nearly losing control and revealing their true forms.
With the emergence of these "eyes," an eerie aura spread from Yuki Yoru's body. After a moment, he slowly closed his eyes.
"I've already seen everything. But from here on, I'm afraid you won't be able to take part."
"What do you mean by that?"
Tagitsuhime grew anxious. To her and the others, the White Snake Sage's existence was even more important than their own lives. If Yuki Yoru had truly discovered some clue about the Sage, they had to know—otherwise they couldn't be at ease.
"Don't worry. The White Snake Sage is my ally. Besides… I've never exactly liked that guy."
"I'll take care of everything. You only need to wait quietly."
"But—!"
The three Snake Princesses wanted to protest further, but Yuki Yoru only chuckled. His form seemed to melt into a pool of black water, then shattered and vanished.
"Don't worry. That man never does anything he's not confident about," Mei Terumi reassured them. "If he's taken action, it means he has the strength to see it through."
"By the way, things in the shinobi world have been rather lively lately. Has Ryūchi Cave discovered any particularly outstanding talents?"
"Uh… not really. But we have come across some rather strange individuals."
"Strange individuals?"
"Yes. Some people who… by all rights should have been dead long ago."
..
The eternally gentle sunlight bathed the mountain ridges. Tranquility and harmony seemed to be the eternal theme here.
The raging wars outside, the despair of death and sorrow that plagued the world, could never seem to intrude upon this paradise.
In the distance, there were some buildings that looked like houses. A waterfall fell from the mountain peak. The rushing sound of the water covered the noisy chirping of insects. he color of the water was murky, but it didn't give a dirty feeling. Instead, it was closer to some kind of natural oil.
A gentle breeze rustled vast stretches of leaves. A toad lying on one flipped over comfortably, continuing its beautiful dream within this paradise.
This was one of the three great holy lands of the shinobi world—
Mount Myōboku!
"The Great Toad Sage doesn't seem concerned about the outside world at all… Even though the summoners who signed contracts have all disappeared."
In the grandest building of this hidden land, Fukasaku the Sage cradled a steaming bowl of insect stew, gazing worriedly into the depths of the toads' holy land.
"Not long ago, the prophecy spoke of something so dangerous. And yet now…"
"Maybe the Great Toad Sage has received another astonishing new prophecy," Shima the Sage said, scooping another serving of bugs into Fukasaku's bowl.
"Don't fret so much, dear. All we need to do is wait for the Great Toad Sage's latest prophecy."
"But it seems another war has broken out in the outside world. And you know as well as I do, Yuki Yoru's power is devouring souls—"
"Well, isn't this awkward. To think that on my very first visit, I'd overhear an old toad gossiping about me behind my back."
The sudden voice froze both sages mid-bite, their souls nearly leaping from their bodies.
The entire Mount Myōboku trembled. An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended from the sky, pressing all the creatures of Mount Myōboku flat against the ground. Even the two Sages were bent over by this spiritual pressure.
The two Sages strained to look up at the sky. Though their minds were filled with disbelief, the figure they knew all too well, yet now found strangely unfamiliar, slowly appeared in the sky, looking down upon all of Mount Myōboku.
"Long time no see… you two warty toads."
"Yu–Yuki Yoru?!"
Fukasaku's face was full of terror, so much so that he dropped his bowl and chopsticks. A mess of half-cooked insects writhed on the ground.
The two of them had not seen Yuki Yoru in several years. The last time they saw him was when Jiraiya was still alive.
In the past few years, Fukasaku had been secretly paying attention to the development of the shinobi world. The biggest factor was thatYuki Yoru, their former enemy, had grown a little too fast.
Kage of a hidden village. Master of souls. Alliances forged and broken. Now, one of the undisputed overlords of the shinobi world.
This was the same boy who once fled for his life from Jiraiya's pursuit. And yet now, he had become a force to rival nations. Fukasaku had always worried this day might come—but never imagined Yuki Yoru would appear here, of all places.
Here, in Mount Myōboku!
"Relax. I don't like you two toads, that much is true. But until I confirm certain things, I won't act recklessly."
Looking down upon the holy land, Yuki Yoru's eyes swept casually across it. To him, Mount Myōboku held no secrets.
The environment here was impressive—far better than Ryūchi Cave. Perhaps because toads were closer in nature to humans than snakes, the scenery of Mount Myōboku was tranquil, idyllic, brimming with the essence of nature.
It was just that there were too many toads, which ruined the scenery a bit.
The rich natural energy permeated every corner of this world—its strength even surpassing that of Ryūchi Cave.
Yoru's gaze shifted from the scenery and the toads of Mount Myōboku. He even directly skipped over the two Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, and looked into the deep toad cave.
"Old toad, I've already come all this way. Are you really going to keep playing dead in there?"
"…"
oru's voice echoed avoice echoed through the silent Mount Myōboku, but no one responded to him. Only the countless toads seethed with anger at such blatant disrespect.
"How dare you?!"
"Yuki Yoru, even if your strength is vast, Mount Myōboku is not a place where you can run wild!"
The two toad Sages spoke one after another. Yoru didn't even turn his head, but the spiritual pressure emanating from him intensified.
Mount Myōboku trembled once more under this pressure, akin to the majestic power of heaven. Countless weaker toads were directly crushed by this spiritual pressure. Even large toads like Gamabunta were pressed flat against the ground, unable to move an inch.
The two toad Sages gritted their teeth, their limbs on the ground, and began channeling Sage chakra to resist Yoru's spiritual pressure.
But the moment they used a little of their Sage Chakra, the pressure increased a little more, making the two toads look pained!
"...A guest who has come is a guest. Why would I refuse to see you?"
Just as Yuki Yoru's spiritual pressure was becoming unbearable for the many large toads, crushing them and about to crush the two toad Sages to death, a deep voice slowly emerged from within the cavern.
The overwhelming spiritual pressure suddenly eased. Yoru chuckled lightly, took a step forward, and his figure instantly landed beside the two toad Sages at the cave entrance.
"As toads, it doesn't matter if you croak about others in your dreams. But you'd best learn to control your tongues."
"You—!"
The two sages glared at him, their faces a mix of fury and fear, but Yuki Yoru only smiled as he strode into the cavern. Before long, he came upon a towering, majestic figure seated at its center.
The Great Toad Sage looked ancient, decrepit—like an old toad on the verge of death, ready to breathe his last at any moment. Compared to the White Snake Sage, he seemed far older.
But Yuki Yoru knew well enough that appearances meant little at this level. Even the TSnake Princesses could shift their forms at will—let alone the Great Toad Sage.
Yagura quietly observed the Great Toad Sage.
This toad didn't appear often in the original story, but each appearance was crucial and mysterious.
Not only had he prophesied for Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Minato, and Jiraiya, but he had once guided the Sage of Six Paths himself. He had even bestowed upon the Sage of Six Paths and his brother a "Sage Talisman," aiding them in sealing away their mother, Kaguya…
One could say this toad's shadow stretched across the entire story—perhaps even the true mastermind, the ultimate hand behind the scenes of the shinobi world!
"They say the Great Toad Sage holds the power of foresight," Yuki Yoru said slowly. "So tell me—did you foresee my arrival today?"
The Great Toad Sage slowly opened his eyes. His weak state made it feel as if even opening his eyes was very difficult. His eyes were murky, just like a regular old human's.
His murky eyes fell on Yuki Yorus body, and at this moment, a dense number of eyes had already appeared in Yorus eyes.
Four eyes met. Both were silent.
The silent air was abnormally quiet. After a long time, the Great Toad Sage slowly spoke: "The things I see, you can also see now, can't you?"
"Oh?" Yoru's brow lifted slightly. "That makes me curious. The things I see… can you see them as well?"
The Great Toad Sage's half-drooped eyelids lifted slightly. A gleam of light flashed within its murky eyes, lasting a long time before returning to normal.
"This world has too many secrets. The more you know, the more pressure you will bear." The Great Toad Sage shook his head: "I don't like to peek into the future of others, so how can I care about the things you see?"
"Is that so?"
Yoru narrowed his eyes. "But I remember someone once described you like this."
"That damned toad likes to keep everything tightly under control, enjoys the feeling of manipulating everything.' Someone with such a strong desire for control, who wants to hold everything in the palm of their hand—would you really not care about the things I see?"
"I came before you with such sincerity to talk, yet you still try to fool me. Gamamaru!"