Jiraiya stepped into the grand hall, the solemn air settling around him like mist.
"Little Jiraiya, you've come," a gentle voice echoed.
At the far end of the chamber, the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, slowly opened his aged, clouded eyes.
Despite their haziness, there was warmth in them as they fell upon the white-haired shinobi.
His old, wrinkled toad face held a faint smile.
It had been a long time since he last saw the boy he once guided. He seemed pleased by the visit.
"I came to see you, Great Toad Sage," Jiraiya said seriously. "And… I have a question to ask."
His tone was solemn, and the air around him grew heavy. His expression darkened with thought.
"Oh?" Gamamaru blinked slowly. "What question do you carry?"
Even he had not expected Jiraiya's sudden appearance—let alone the weight in his voice.
Several other toads gathered nearby, their round eyes filled with curiosity. Jiraiya's rare seriousness had caught everyone's attention.
What could be troubling him so deeply?
Jiraiya stood tall, silent for a moment, as if choosing his words with care.
He hadn't looked this serious in years. Whatever he was about to say—it was no small matter.
"Haha… speak then," Gamamaru said, offering a weak laugh. His voice trembled with age, but his heart was already focused.
Jiraiya finally spoke.
"In your dreams… have you seen anything about a group called the 'Atsukara'?"
He fixed his gaze on the Sage, but in his mind, he saw only the memory—the figure in the monkey mask.
Atsukara. Sun Wukong.
He remembered the man's words vividly.
That the organization sought peace for the shinobi world… and even spoke of visitors from beyond this world.
"Atsukara…?" the Great Toad Sage murmured, repeating the name softly.
But in his ancient eyes, there was only confusion.
"Huh?"
What… was going on?
He didn't recall ever hearing about this organization. In fact, he had absolutely no understanding of them.
"Yes, exactly—Atsukara!" Jiraiya nodded seriously.
But when he saw the thoughtful look in Great Toad Sage's eyes, he added, "They're a new force that recently emerged in the ninja world. Every single member is incredibly strong. Some can use Wood Release, some have mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, illusions, even Dust Release—and there are those who can control gravity!"
"Wood Release? Flying Thunder God? Control gravity?"
The Great Toad Sage murmured softly, but his aged eyes flashed with surprise.
Huh?
Are there really such abilities in the ninja world?
Especially Wood Release—ever since Hashirama died, no one had inherited that power.
And now suddenly, there are ninja who can use it? And someone who can control gravity?
That's... almost unimaginable.
Very few people could possibly reach that level.
And the Flying Thunder God Technique—that thing is basically a broken jutsu.
Even though Mount Myōboku understands summoning and other space-time ninjutsu, it's still worlds apart from the Flying Thunder God.
It's an entirely different class of space-time technique!
But now—
All these terrifying abilities… are gathered in a single organization?
You have to understand—even a single ninja who can use Wood Release could grow into a top-tier powerhouse.
One person alone could shift the balance of the ninja world, throwing the major villages into chaos.
"You've never heard of this 'Atsukara' either?" Jiraiya's brows furrowed.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecies had never failed before. But this time, he hadn't foreseen any force like Atsukara.
That was… strange.
"No…"
The Great Toad Sage murmured again, and after a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "Let me think. Let me… think…"
The ancient toad seemed to fall into a deep hesitation, then slowly closed his eyes.
It seemed… he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Jiraiya and the other toads present sat quietly, watching as the Great Toad Sage drifted off. No one said a word. They simply observed, solemn and respectful.
Jiraiya waited in silence. He knew what was happening—this was no ordinary slumber.
The Great Toad Sage was dreaming. In his dreams, he could glimpse fragments of the future, signs of what was to come.
All they could do now… was wait.
Time passed, slow and steady.
But the Great Toad Sage's sleep seemed restless. His massive body trembled ever so slightly, his breathing grew heavier, rougher.
Jiraiya and the other toads tensed unconsciously. No one knew what the sage was seeing, but it was clear something was wrong. It had been a long time since they had seen him sleep so uneasily.
Even their breathing began to quiet, drawn in by the tension.
After what felt like ages—
The Great Toad Sage's eyes snapped open.
He gasped for air, his enormous frame heaving with each breath.
"Great Sage… did you see something terrible?" Jiraiya stepped forward, his voice tight with concern. He had never seen the old sage in such a state.
Could it be...
Could the Atsukara really bring irreversible devastation to the Shinobi World?
"I saw it… I saw it…" The Great Toad Sage panted for breath before speaking in a low, shaken tone.
"I saw a terrifying explosion… a blood-red domain overflowing with oppressive pressure… a forest of bones reaching the sky… and a towering tree bursting into the sky. Enormous chakra tentacles stretching outward… a massive five-pointed curse seal carved into the land..."
His voice trembled.
"And at the front of it all… that figure. That shadow… standing alone at the vanguard. They were fighting. Fighting fiercely…"
As he spoke, the images returned to his mind, chilling him to the core. What he had seen was no less than the end of days for the Shinobi World.
"Fighting?" Jiraiya's heart tightened. "So… a great war does break out in the end?"
He took a deep breath, his eyes sharp with resolve.
"If they threaten the Shinobi World… then I'll take the fight to them myself!"
"I... I can see their silhouettes clashing in battle. But those people... they're not shinobi from the Ninja World!" Gamamaru said, his tone tinged with memory.
"They seemed to be outsiders... not from here. No, I'm not sure. Everything about Atsukara is hazy... I can't say for certain!"
In his dream, he had only seen the backs of those from Atsukara.
But their opponents—those faces stirred something in him.
Familiar.
Like that person from a thousand years ago who plunged the Ninja World into chaos... Kaguya. They looked like her—perhaps from the same clan.
"Outsiders... from beyond the Ninja World?" Jiraiya murmured, eyes wide in shock. "Great Sage, could the people fighting them be beings from beyond the sky?"
He suddenly recalled his conversation with Sun Wukong of Atsukara. They hadn't formed just to bring peace to the Ninja World—but to stand against something far more dangerous.
Beings from beyond the skies.
Could it be that Sun Wukong had foreseen this?
That one day, the Ninja World would face another great war—against enemies not of this world?
"Beings from beyond... the sky?" Gamamaru echoed quietly, voice trembling. It was as if something had finally clicked in his mind. "Perhaps... those people truly are not of this world."
A shiver ran through his massive body.
Just one Kaguya had brought the entire Ninja World to its knees a thousand years ago. Now... there were many of them?
Could the Ninja World survive that?
Jiraiya looked at the Great Sage, sensing his unease. Slowly, he asked, "These beings from beyond... who are they really? Are they... that powerful?"
Confusion and worry only deepened in his heart.
****
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