Atop a yellow earthen peak in Mount Myōboku, Fukasaku stared in astonishment at Minato Namikaze, who was seated cross-legged on the pointed stone slab.
The moment Minato sat down, Fukasaku could sense Natural Energy rapidly converging toward him.
In the blink of an eye, an orange-red eyeshadow appeared around Minato's eyes. Suddenly, he opened them, revealing bright yellow toad-like eyes with horizontal pupils.
Fukasaku watched as Minato gracefully stood up from the stone slab. His movements were steady, and the slab beneath him didn't wobble in the slightest.
It was only when Minato leaped down from the slab that the stone, as if losing its support, fell from the peak and shattered into fine debris upon colliding with the rocky mountainside below.
"No signs of toad transformation..."
"Not even a hint!"
"This is a perfect Sage Mode, far superior to Jiraiya's!"
Fukasaku fixed his gaze on Minato's handsome face. Aside from the eyes and the eyeshadow, there was no trace of any non-human characteristics.
"And the speed at which you entered Sage Mode is astonishing! It shows that your mind is as calm and serene as still water!"
"Remarkable, little Minato..."
"It seems Jiraiya has been slacking off. I'll have to drag him back here for retraining in Sage Mode. Depending on us two old-timers every time just to enter Sage Mode is unacceptable..."
Fukasaku began with effusive praise for Minato but quickly shifted to a tone of frustration, shaking his head as if lamenting Jiraiya's shortcomings.
"Oh, no, it's all thanks to your guidance, Fukasaku-sensei!"
"To be honest, I'm still not that skilled in Senjutsu..."
Minato scratched his head with a modest smile, his tone humble.
Hearing this, Fukasaku was momentarily speechless. After all, in Mount Myōboku's history, Minato's mastery of Sage Mode had already secured him the second-highest rank.
If this level of proficiency was considered "not skilled," then what could one call Jiraiya's level of mastery...?
"Let's put that aside for now. The Great Toad Sage has a new prophecy. Come with me!"
"It concerns your wife and your unborn child!"
Fukasaku turned and began leading the way without waiting for a response.
Minato's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and his expression grew solemn. He had heard from Jiraiya-sensei about the Great Toad Sage's prophecies before.
Having personally witnessed the immense and terrifying energy of the Great Toad Sage, Minato had no reason to doubt its prophecies.
After all, among the oral traditions of Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage was said to possess the ability to "see through karmic destinies with divine insight."
A prophecy about Kushina...
Could it be related to the Nine-Tails sealed within her?
Was someone in the shinobi world still coveting the Nine-Tails?
Could it be...
Regardless of who it was, if anyone dared to harm his family, Minato would show no mercy!
A sharp glint of determination began to shine in Minato's eyes.
In the Land of Earth, a nation of rugged mountains, Iwagakure was similarly surrounded by towering rocky peaks. This gave the village a natural defensive advantage but also made its interactions with the outside world less convenient.
The Tsuchikage's office, carved from a massive boulder, was the tallest building in Iwagakure. Its peculiar shape resembled either a lopsided steamed bun or, less flatteringly, a solid black lump left after consuming too much pork blood—a primitive artistic aesthetic that defied description.
The office's interior was spacious, with a circular pool at its center, where the village's "faith" was enshrined.
Suspended in mid-air was a short, elderly man draped in a red cloak, with a green-striped vest beneath. His cloak fluttered gently in the wind.
Though he appeared to be in his sixties and was diminutive in stature, the fact that he could float and the aura emanating from him made it clear that he was no ordinary individual.
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
"Following the tragedy at the Wind Daimyō's residence, a dazzling lightning display erupted a few nights ago at the Lightning Daimyō's estate."
"The next day, Kumogakure announced that a group of rogue shinobi had infiltrated the Daimyō's residence with malicious intent."
"These rogue shinobi claimed to be the same group responsible for the massacre at the Wind Daimyō's estate. However, this time, they happened to encounter the Fourth Raikage during their attack."
"The Fourth Raikage eliminated them all on the spot, leaving no remains..."
"Kumogakure has since declared that Sunagakure need not pursue the culprits further. The noble Raikage has already resolved the matter for them. If Sunagakure wishes to express gratitude, they can send a monetary gift instead."
"Furthermore, the Lightning Daimyō, in gratitude for the Raikage's 'protection,' has voluntarily handed over the nation's economic authority to Kumogakure."
"From now on, the Daimyō's finances will be managed by Kumogakure."
A burly, round-faced shinobi stood before the Tsuchikage's desk, reading aloud from a document in a loud voice.
"Hm?"
"What nonsense are they up to?"
"The Daimyōs had all agreed to drastically cut military spending and focus on recovery..."
"The Wind Daimyō's death was suspicious enough, and now his successor seems entirely uninvolved. It appears that Sunagakure has begun to seize control of economic authority as well..."
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, furrowed his thick white eyebrows, muttering to himself in a low voice.
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"
"According to the latest intelligence, some officials in the Wind Daimyō's court have even been replaced by shinobi!"
"Moreover, the Wind Country has been heavily developing the Land of Birds, which they've occupied. Their river diversion projects are progressing rapidly, with many shinobi dispatched to assist, greatly accelerating the work."
"Our undercover agents have also uncovered a peculiar finding..."
The burly shinobi, with his sharp hearing, had caught every word of the Tsuchikage's muttering.
"What peculiar finding?"
Ōnoki turned to the burly shinobi, his interest piqued.
"Our agents discovered that the civilians of the Land of Birds show no opposition to Sunagakure's takeover of their governance. On the contrary, they seem highly supportive."
"However, whenever the Wind Daimyō is mentioned, the civilians express undisguised disdain."
"Hm?!"
Ōnoki's face showed genuine surprise.
After all, it had always been the Daimyōs' appointed officials who managed national affairs and taxation—this arrangement had existed since ancient times.
In earlier eras, the Daimyōs' samurai groups handled military matters. But as shinobi gradually rose to prominence, the samurai began to decline, leading to the Daimyōs hiring shinobi for wars and protection.
It wasn't until Hashirama Senju established the Five Kage Summit agreements that the "One Nation, One Village" system of shinobi villages was formally codified.
Under this system, economic and political power remained under the Daimyōs' control, while military authority and the handling of "public service" missions were entrusted to the shinobi villages.
As the oldest of the Five Kage, Ōnoki had seen two generations of Daimyōs come and go, while he himself remained alive and well. He considered Iwagakure's relationship with the Daimyō's court to be quite amicable.
Whenever Iwagakure needed funding, the Daimyō's court had never used excuses to avoid providing support.
But now, Sunagakure had somehow managed to win over the hearts of the people and shift their loyalty toward the village...
Those young upstarts, disregarding tradition, were far too audacious...
Still, as Ōnoki reflected, he couldn't help but recall the times he had to bow and scrape before the Daimyō's court to secure funding.
Deep down, he, too, felt a twinge of dissatisfaction...
After all, as a powerful figure known as "Ōnoki of Both Scales," how could he not possess the pride of a true strongman?
Hovering in mid-air, Ōnoki slowly descended, his expression contemplative and uncertain.
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