Konohagakure, in the corner of an unremarkable little tavern.
Jiraiya sat gloomily in his chair, pouring cup after cup of sake down his throat.
The smell of alcohol, mixed with a faint intoxication, spread out, making him appear utterly dispirited.
There was none of his usual passion and vigor from when he had pursued the "Child of Prophecy."
"Tsunade… there's absolutely no way she'll let me near Naruto now."
Half-drunk, he spoke helplessly to the two Toad Sages sitting across the table, his words slightly slurred. "The old man seems not to fully understand even the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku's prophecy."
Jiraiya let out a heavy sigh and continued, "And on top of that, there's also the Slug Sage supporting Tsunade from behind, clearly declaring opposition to us taking Naruto away… the resistance is too great."
He rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Besides, after that last conflict, the people in Konoha's police force are watching me like I'm a thief!"
A trace of bitterness appeared on Jiraiya's face. "If I deliberately approach Uzumaki Naruto, those Uchiha shinobi will definitely step in to stop me. If I insist on taking Naruto away… in their eyes I'd become an enemy of justice. By then, I'd be forced to fight them."
He tilted his head back and downed another cup of sake, his tone filled with powerlessness. "Hah… and there's no way I could ever raise my hand against comrades from the village… I really have no way out."
Fukasaku and Shima exchanged looks, each seeing deep helplessness reflected in the other's frog eyes.
Neither of them had expected that bringing the Child of Prophecy back to Mount Myōboku for training would prove to be such a struggle—
Countless times harder than finding the Child of Prophecy itself!
The entire Konohagakure, from top to bottom, seemed to be invisibly opposing Mount Myōboku's plan.
"You've already contacted the Great Toad Sage, right?" Jiraiya set down his cup, asking with a trace of final hope, "Has the Great Toad Sage… not given any new instruction or response yet?"
Fukasaku shook his head, his voice low. "Not yet. But… the Great Sage seems to have… left Mount Myōboku."
"What?" Jiraiya froze, his drunkenness fading somewhat.
In his impression, that Great Toad Sage who had lived for over a thousand years had almost never left the sage region of Mount Myōboku.
Shima followed up, her tone uncertain. "We don't know exactly where the Great Sage went—it didn't tell us. But I suspect the Great Sage has probably gone to find the Slug Sage."
Jiraiya vaguely understood. "It wants… to negotiate with the Slug Sage personally?"
Shima nodded slightly. "That's probably… the case."
With that, silence once again fell between the man and the two toads.
The three pairs of eyes looked at one another, not knowing what to do next.
...
Elsewhere, in Shikkotsu Forest—one of the three great sage regions on par with Mount Myōboku.
Just as Shima had guessed, the massive form of the Great Toad Sage now appeared upon this vibrant yet ancient land.
Before it stood a colossal divided body of the Slug Sage, its size nearly matching the Great Toad Sage's own.
The Great Toad Sage sat down cross-legged with an air of calm authority.
From somewhere, it produced two wine bowls larger than a human and a bottle of special sake that released a mellow fragrance.
It deftly poured both bowls full.
The liquor rippled.
The Great Toad Sage lifted its heavy eyelids, gazing at the gentle-aura clone of the Slug Sage, then grabbed a bowl first and tilted back half of it in one great gulp.
Only then did it speak, its voice aged and weighty. "Slug Sage, you should know well that my prophecies are not idle words. That catastrophe from over a thousand years ago, which nearly brought the shinobi world to ruin—you and I both experienced it firsthand. The world we live in has long been coveted by certain existences."
Its tone carried the weight of history. "Everything Mount Myōboku has done is to allow the shinobi world to avoid that fated future of destruction. The Child of Prophecy, Uzumaki Naruto… at a certain crucial moment in the future, he is the only hope capable of transforming and liberating the shinobi world."
"If he lacks proper guidance, even I cannot foresee into what kind of dark abyss the shinobi world will ultimately fall."
The Great Toad Sage's gaze grew incomparably grave. "Perhaps… the complete ruin of the shinobi world would not be impossible."
The divided body of the Slug Sage lowered its head, glancing at the wine bowl before it—something quite out of place for its kind—and slowly shook its head, its voice as gentle and calm as ever. "I don't drink."
Then it replied to the Great Toad Sage. "If Uzumaki Naruto truly is the prophesied 'Savior,' then his path of growth need not be limited to Mount Myōboku alone."
"I believe that the philosophy and power of 'Absolute Justice' likewise hold the potential to cultivate him into a qualified guardian of the shinobi world."
"Since even you, Great Toad Sage, cannot clearly perceive what specific changes 'Absolute Justice' will bring to the shinobi world, then why not choose to quietly observe for a while?"
The Slug Sage continued slowly. "Perhaps, through the practice of 'Absolute Justice,' you may witness a path completely different from your past prophecies—one that leads to a better future. That is not impossible."
The Great Toad Sage fell silent for a long while; no expression could be read on his enormous frog face. "Because the uncertainty of 'Absolute Justice' is too great. Mount Myōboku… and the entire shinobi world, cannot afford to take that risk."
It emphasized, "Once, Mount Myōboku, through the Child of Prophecy, brought the shinobi world an era of relative stability that lasted for over a thousand years. That proves that the path I chose is a viable one."
It paused and said, "But 'Absolute Justice'… is an entirely new, unprecedented path, shrouded in mist ahead, leaving me completely unable to see the future."
"Slug Sage, in my impression, you are not someone inclined to take risks so easily. Can you tell me the true reason for your persistence?"
The Slug Sage did not seem surprised by the question. It answered candidly, "You glimpse fragments of the future through your dreams. As for me… I have seen another possibility through my observation."
The Great Toad Sage was slightly taken aback. "Observation…"
The Slug Sage nodded and continued. "Mount Myōboku truly has no need to hold such deep prejudice toward 'Absolute Justice.' You have not even taken the effort to understand it in depth—so how can you be certain it cannot bring the shinobi world a future even more beautiful than the one in your prophecy?"
"That is why I suggested you might as well wait and see. For beings like us, time is hardly a scarce thing. Perhaps, after merely one sleep, we will already witness the changes of the shinobi world."
Hearing this, the Great Toad Sage took a deep breath.
From its grand seated posture, it slowly rose to its feet, gazing deeply at the divided body of the Slug Sage before finally saying, "The risk… is still immense."
"However, since even you, Slug Sage, are so resolute… then I too can temporarily set aside my impatience and wait in observation."
The divided body of the Slug Sage responded gently. "Thank you for your understanding."
As it watched the Great Toad Sage's massive figure disappear into the misty depths of Shikkotsu Forest, the divided body seemed to deflate all at once, its entire form drooping.
In a voice so faint that only it could hear, it muttered feebly, "I'm just a tiny divided body… and they make me negotiate at this level with Mount Myōboku's sage? Can they not give such an important task to someone else? For a moment there, I thought the mood had gone wrong and that the toad was about to swallow me whole…"
Just as its complaint faded, the ground beneath it seemed to tremble slightly.
A wave of vague yet gentle intent rippled forth.
It seemed to be responding to something.
And then—
[Rumble, rumble, rumble...]
The entire ground of Shikkotsu Forest began to quake violently!
A colossal slug head, vast beyond description, slowly rose from the depths of the earth!
Its size could not possibly be measured.
It was as though it was the sage region itself!
The true body of the Slug Sage silently gazed into the distance.
Wordless.