The Great Toad Sage had lived for over a thousand years. In order to pursue the path of the "future," it spent most of its time sleeping, often unable to distinguish between dreams and reality. Many memories had long been lost within the chaos of dreams.
But Kaguya was the one thing it would absolutely never forget.
"This is the secret I've pressed at the very bottom of my heart," the Great Toad Sage said.
Many people came to Mount Myoboku seeking enlightenment and training. Some among them became legendary figures renowned throughout the ninja world.
For example, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and one of the Sannin, Jiraiya.
Especially Senju Hashirama, he, just like Ryosuke, suppressed the world with his own strength. The so-called Tailed Beasts, in his hands, were nothing more than chickens and dogs. With a clap of his palms, the Thousand-Armed Buddha could grab a tailed beast in one hand and play with it in his palm.
But even to Senju Hashirama, the Great Toad Sage never revealed information about Kaguya.
The reason was simple.
"Once I speak it, it will inevitably interfere with the future."
"The future I saw before, at least in my eyes, could still be considered a pretty good ending."
"If interference or deviation were to occur…"
"That would be far too terrible."
Ryosuke nodded.
"But now you've decided to reveal it to me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The Great Toad Sage smiled, its wrinkles shifting along with the expression, "Because I can no longer see it."
Ever since Ryosuke descended into this world and changed the trajectory of the world, the Great Toad Sage's visions of the future had become unbelievably chaotic. The original course of the world that it had long known was completely disrupted.
Because of this, in recent years the Great Toad Sage had no choice but to spend even more time asleep, just to make its chaotic dreams clear again.
The terrible part was that just when the Great Toad Sage finally managed to see a little clearly, Ryosuke once again changed the world's trajectory and obtained the Ascension Star Core.
All of the Great Toad Sage's earlier work was flipped upside-down, it could only start all over again.
That feeling was like building Lego, and just when you're about to finish, a brat comes running over and knocks it all down, forcing you to rebuild from the beginning.
If the Great Toad Sage hadn't long passed the age of getting angry, it would probably have already led all the brothers of Mount Myoboku on a surprise attack on Kirigakure to demand an explanation from Ryosuke.
Until this time, after the all-ninja-world battle ended and Ryosuke once again obtained an Ascension Star Core, the Great Toad Sage chuckled, changed its sleeping position, and began a new round of future exploration.
And then after it fell asleep, "Before I could see much of the future, the dream fell into darkness."
"A pitch-black, suffocating darkness."
The Great Toad Sage spoke calmly.
Ryosuke could see, in its eyes, a weight that had spanned a thousand years.
"Darkness… what is it?"
The Great Toad Sage slightly shook its head.
"I don't know."
"But in my premonition, the world will, in the near future, fall into endless eternal night."
Sitting upon its throne, the Great Toad Sage had quietly watched, for a thousand years, the ebb and flow of the human world, humans killing each other, reconciling, killing again, reconciling again, repeating this cycle endlessly.
No matter how powerful a ninja appeared, it would only think, 'Ah, another interesting person has appeared in the world.'
Even with Senju Hashirama, the Great Toad Sage merely thought he was an excellent young man.
"But when I witnessed that darkness, I felt a heavy despair. The last time I felt something similar…"
"Was because of Kaguya."
Since knowing the Great Toad Sage, this was the first time Ryosuke had seen it reveal such a serious expression. He frowned slightly, "Is she really that strong?"
"I know, Ryosuke, you've defeated many powerful enemies. They had outstanding talent, astonishing skill, and exceptional luck. But even if you add all of them together, they still can't compare to Kaguya."
Ryosuke found it hard to believe, "Including the White Snake Sage?"
"Including the White Snake Sage, including me, the Slug Sage, and including you... Yes, Ryosuke, based on my observation of you, you are indeed very strong, but you are not a match for Princess Kaguya."
"In this world, no one is her opponent."
Ryosuke felt his scalp go numb, and it all felt too unrealistic.
The White Snake Sage, just with Sage Art, Inorganic Reincarnation, could manipulate the ground and make it surge like a tidal wave.
Nagato could create a small planet out of thin air.
Now, Ryosuke had even touched the threshold of the Ultimate Lifeform, only one step away from crossing it. He possessed multiple Six-Star Stands, and with a wave of his hand could summon a thunderstorm spanning hundreds of kilometers.
"So what exactly… is she?" Ryosuke asked.
The Great Toad Sage waved its hand. Using exquisite natural energy control, it lifted a teapot and teacups into the air, poured a cup each for itself and Ryosuke.
"The night is still long. Let's take our time."
After that, the Great Toad Sage explained in detail to Ryosuke about Kaguya, the God Tree, the origin of the Tailed Beasts, how it convinced the two Otsutsuki brothers to seal Kaguya on the moon, and how the brothers each walked different paths afterward.
The elder brother, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, founded Ninshū and spread ninjutsu throughout the world.
The younger brother, Otsutsuki Hamura, in order to watch over the moon seal, led part of the clan to the moon to reside there.
From that point, the story of the Otsutsuki clan came to an end.
The history after that was the familiar era of warlords contending for dominance, the chaos of the ninja world, until Senju Hashirama pacified the land, distributed the Tailed Beasts, and established the ninja villages.
"Is there anything you don't understand?" the Great Toad Sage asked.
Ryosuke quietly thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No, thank you, you explained it very thoroughly."
This secret had been suffocating in the Great Toad Sage's heart for nearly a thousand years. It didn't know how many times it had gone over it again and again. Every word had been refined to the limit, naturally clear and easy to understand.
Ryosuke took a sip of tea. "I've observed the moon and know that beyond the ninja world, aliens exist."
"But I didn't expect that even the concept of the 'ninja world' and 'ninjutsu' itself was something created under the influence of alien descendants."
"You actually can't put it like that."
The Great Toad Sage set down its teacup.
"The God Tree brought by Princess Kaguya was able to grow and bear fruit because it absorbed the origin power of this world."
"Before Kaguya descended, this world was full of places like Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest where natural energy was extremely rich. But after the God Tree was planted, the concentration of natural energy across the world became extremely thin and depleted."
"In the past, humans did not need to come to Mount Myoboku at all. Many talented warriors, during their sword training, could naturally master 'Senjutsu'. But now..."
The Great Toad Sage spread its hands.
The descent of the God Tree, forcibly seizing the planet's origin power, caused the natural energy concentration to drop.
If it continued, this world would eventually dry up and perish.
This was the real reason why the Great Toad Sage, who rarely interfered with the "present" while pursuing the "future", took the initiative to approach the two Otsutsuki brothers and coax them into sealing their own mother.
The cause and effect was roughly like this.
Ryosuke thought for a moment, then asked another key question. He pointed upward.
"In the future you observed, the Otsutsuki on the moon, are they…"
"Friend or foe?"