After convincing Naruto, the next step was to head to Mount Myōboku and complete the sign-in.
Before long, Senju Haruto led Naruto to the rendezvous point he had arranged with Jiraiya.
"Uzumaki Naruto…"
Jiraiya's gaze was immediately drawn to him.
Though Jiraiya's expression remained calm and composed, his emotions were far more complicated inside.
The moment he saw Naruto, memories of Namikaze Minato came flooding back.
Sensing the mood, Haruto introduced Naruto and Jiraiya to one another—though he deliberately left out the fact that Jiraiya had been Minato's teacher.
Naruto, on the other hand, felt even more on edge.
Haruto had told him that his training speed and results would directly determine how soon he could meet his parents.
Until Naruto met the standard Haruto had set, Haruto wouldn't help him control the Nine-Tails' power.
It was a pact between the two of them.
That meant this trip to Mount Myōboku was going to be one of the most important journeys in Naruto's life.
Jiraiya nodded slightly, then pulled out the scroll he carried on his back, gesturing for Haruto and Naruto to sign their names.
Naruto was the son of Namikaze Minato, and the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
It was only a matter of time before he took this step—which was precisely why Minato had entrusted the key to the Nine-Tails' seal to the scroll toad.
If Naruto wanted to retrieve that key, he first had to form a contract with the scroll toad.
With that in mind, Jiraiya thought it best to use this opportunity to have Naruto's name written down.
As for Haruto, that had been the Third Hokage's idea.
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, Haruto was without question the most gifted genius in the village—his growth rate had already surpassed even Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi.
He was also the only one to have perfectly inherited the power of Senju Hashirama.
The sheer volume of chakra he possessed, along with his mastery of Wood Release, far outstripped even Yamato's.
If Haruto could also learn Sage Arts, then there might be no one left in the entire shinobi world capable of threatening Konoha's peace.
And since Naruto would need Haruto's Wood Release to help him control the Nine-Tails at Mount Myōboku, Sarutobi reasoned that Haruto might as well form a contract with the toads.
That way, he could travel between the two places freely.
Considering Haruto's talent, Jiraiya had no objections.
After explaining how to sign their names and confirming the details, Jiraiya rolled the scroll back up.
Naruto, however, had noticed something on it.
The last name written before his and Haruto's was—
Namikaze Minato.
His father, the Fourth Hokage.
Realizing this made Naruto's heart pound even faster—he could hardly wait to get to Mount Myōboku.
"But… how are we getting there?"
Taking a deep breath, Naruto couldn't help but ask.
He had never once left the village before—this would be his first journey into the outside world.
"Reverse Summoning," Jiraiya explained.
He crouched down to teach Naruto the principle behind the Reverse Summoning Technique.
This way, they could skip the long and tiring journey and arrive directly at Mount Myōboku.
Naruto didn't fully understand the mechanics, but it still sounded incredible to him.
"All right, let's begin."
With Jiraiya's words, there was a sudden puff—and in a cloud of dispersing white smoke, he vanished right before Naruto's eyes.
Naruto's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Then, he heard the same sound again—this time Haruto vanished as well.
"I—"
Before Naruto could even gasp, the familiar world before him dissolved completely—replaced by a dense, verdant forest.
It was like stepping into a hidden paradise.
Haruto glanced around—it looked exactly as he remembered it.
Colossal plants towered all around, and statues of toads dotted the landscape.
Their sudden appearance had already drawn the attention of several toads nearby.
"Jiraiya-boy."
Seated atop a massive toad mount, Fukasaku and Shima approached to greet them.
This was no coincidence—Jiraiya had arranged it beforehand, asking them to use Reverse Summoning to bring him, Haruto, and Naruto straight to Mount Myōboku.
"Whoa—the frogs can talk!"
Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin—this was his first time seeing a talking toad.
"These two are the Great Sage Fukasaku and the Great Sage Shima of Mount Myōboku," Jiraiya quickly explained.
Though small in stature, their strength and status were among the very highest in all of Mount Myōboku.
Jiraiya introduced Naruto and Haruto to them properly.
He had already explained the reason for their visit beforehand—this was just to make sure Fukasaku and Shima knew who was who.
"Well then, let's go see the Great Toad Sage," Fukasaku said.
He had his toad mount turn toward the resting place of the Great Toad Sage.
Haruto already knew of this figure—the founder of Mount Myōboku, who had lived from the era of Kaguya all the way to the present day.
He was revered as the Great Toad Sage, with a lifespan stretching over a thousand years.
His skin was orange, his body brimming with immense sage chakra. Around his neck hung a strand of prayer beads, set with a pale violet cat's-eye gem inscribed with the character for "oil." Atop his head sat an academic's cap.
And, most notably, the Great Toad Sage possessed the power of prophecy.
I wonder if this Great Toad Sage has any prophecy about me… Haruto thought with a silent sigh, though he didn't hold much hope.
After all, he wasn't even from this world—he was a traveler from another.
Naruto followed close behind Haruto, his wide eyes full of curiosity toward Mount Myōboku.
More and more toads turned to watch them, their gazes equally curious.
Aside from Jiraiya, it had been a long time since any new humans had come here.
Naruto's spirits lifted even more.
Though the inhabitants were all strange-looking toads, none of them looked at him coldly—there was no sense of rejection or exclusion.
Naruto already liked this place.
Haruto occasionally answered Naruto's questions, but most of his attention was fixed on his sign-in assistant.
Just as they were about to meet the Great Toad Sage in person, that pleasant voice finally chimed in Haruto's ear:
Congratulations, host. You have reached the sign-in location. Sign-in commencing!
Exiting midway will be considered a failure!
1%... 23%... … 100%
Sign-in complete!
Reward acquired: The Ultimate Sage Mode!