Meanwhile, at Mount Myōboku, home of the Great Toad Sage.
"Naruto, your celestial arts training is nearly complete," Fukasaku remarked, gazing at Naruto with admiration.
Cultivating senjutsu is no simple feat. Without innate talent, even a lifetime of practice would be insufficient to attain mastery.
Take Jiraiya, for example. Though exceptionally skilled in ninjutsu, his aptitude for senjutsu was not as remarkable. It took him a long time to finally master Sage Mode.
But Naruto? In such a short period, he had already become proficient. His talent was extraordinary, truly befitting the Son of Prophecy.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a serious expression. He understood the grave danger Konoha was in and knew he had to return as soon as possible to protect the village.
"Fukasaku Sage, what is the current situation in Konoha?" Naruto asked urgently.
His primary concern was the well-being of his home.
"According to our latest intelligence, Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, has arrived in Konoha. The situation is dire," Fukasaku informed him solemnly.
"Then I must hurry back to help everyone!" Naruto declared anxiously.
"Of course, but first, we need to have Kosuke Toad inform Shima. She will summon you directly to Konoha."
Given Mount Myōboku's distance from Konoha, summoning was the only way for Naruto to reach his destination quickly. Fortunately, Shima was already near Konoha, making it a simple matter to have her execute the summoning technique.
"Understood," Naruto agreed, though his urgency was evident. He knew he had no choice but to wait.
At that moment, the Great Toad Sage appeared.
"I have had a vision," he proclaimed.
"A vision? What did you see?" Fukasaku asked, recognizing that the Great Toad Sage's dreams often foretold the future.
"I saw a man engulfed in flames, wielding a burning long blade. He was floating in the air, standing before a scene of carnage—a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood."
A shiver ran through the Great Toad Sage's body as he spoke.
Even against Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, he had never felt such an ominous presence. Yet, the sight of this fiery figure filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread.
"A man engulfed in flames?" Naruto and Fukasaku exchanged puzzled looks.
The Great Toad Sage's predictions were rarely wrong, meaning this mysterious figure could be a significant threat in the future.
"Whoever this person is—friend or foe—if they threaten Konoha, I will defeat them!" Naruto vowed, his resolve unwavering. Having mastered Sage Mode, his confidence had soared.
The Great Toad Sage shook his head.
A being capable of instilling fear in him was not someone Naruto could handle so easily. However, Naruto still had time to grow. As the Son of Prophecy, he would undoubtedly achieve incredible power in the future.
Just then, Fukasaku received word from Kosuke Toad.
"Naruto, Shima is ready. It's time to go."
"Understood." Naruto nodded.
"One more thing—the enemy this time is formidable. Gama Bunta and Gama Ken will accompany you."
"Got it."
Moments later, Naruto, Gama Bunta, and Gama Ken were summoned to Konoha by Shima.
However, as Naruto took in his surroundings, he was momentarily stunned.
"Lady Tsunade, Kakashi-sensei, why are you here?"
Yes—Naruto had been summoned directly to where Tsunade and Kakashi stood.
"We're observing Lord Bai Ye's battle with the enemy," Kakashi explained, his gaze fixed in the distance with a serious expression.
Naruto followed his gaze and immediately spotted Bai Ye and the Deva Path of Pain floating in mid-air.
Naruto had little knowledge of Bai Ye, having been away at Mount Myōboku during his arrival in Konoha. However, something about this man left a deep impression on him.
Inside his mind, Naruto attempted to negotiate with the Nine-Tails, urging him to lend his strength for the battle ahead.
But the Nine-Tails, usually defiant and proud, suddenly recoiled in terror. Without a word, he retreated deep into the seal, refusing to move.
"That man... is he the one fighting the enemy?" Naruto muttered, his expression solemn as he observed Bai Ye.
Even with his newly acquired Sage Mode, the aura emanating from Bai Ye felt distant—far beyond his current reach.
Meanwhile, within Naruto's subconscious, the Nine-Tails trembled in fear.
"Who is this man? Why does he seem more terrifying than the Sage of Six Paths himself?"
The Nine-Tails had a keen intuition. Upon seeing Bai Ye, he immediately realized that this man was on an entirely different level—stronger than Uchiha Madara and even the First Hokage.
Feeling the oppressive energy radiating from Bai Ye, the Nine-Tails shuddered, convinced that this man's strength rivaled, if not exceeded, that of the Sage of Six Paths.
"No... that's impossible! The Sage of Six Paths is the strongest being in the ninja world! Even Madara and Hashirama couldn't compare!"
Then, a chilling thought crossed his mind.
"Wait... the Great Toad Sage's vision! The man engulfed in flames, wielding a burning blade—could it be him?!"
At that moment, back on the battlefield, the Deva Path of Pain made his move.
He put distance between himself and Bai Ye before beginning to channel chakra at an unprecedented level.
This time, the chakra concentration was even greater than when he unleashed the almighty Shinra Tensei earlier.
"Is he preparing another devastating attack?"
Tsunade and the other Konoha shinobi looked on with grim expressions.
Naruto and Gama Bunta, sensing the immense chakra surging within Pain, grew increasingly tense.
"This guy is incredibly strong," Naruto admitted, despite his confidence in his newly honed abilities.
A single question weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
"Can that man—Bai Ye—defeat this enemy?"