CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 347: THE VESSEL? COULD IT BE THIS THING?

Kyoichi had to admit—his understanding of the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy technique had always been a little one-sided, shaped mostly by reputation and hearsay.

Of course, whether that toad was truly the Great Toad Sage or just an "old toad" was something he’d only know once they met face-to-face.

"Has the Great Toad Sage awakened yet?" he asked.

"He has. He’s waiting for you now," said Fukasaku. "But if you came any later, he might’ve fallen back asleep. Once that happens, nobody can control it—he might even forget what he dreamed in the first place."

Shima couldn’t help but complain under her breath.

Of course... her grumbling wasn’t aimed at Kyoichi. Her tone was more like she was venting toward the Great Toad Sage himself. After all—

He had suddenly declared that he wanted to meet this Kyoichi kid... who wasn’t even from Mount Myōboku, but from the neighboring Shikkotsu Forest!

Thankfully, Kyoichi lived in Konoha. They’d only needed to contact Minato to make arrangements—it wasn’t that troublesome. But if the Sage had dreamt of someone they’d never heard of? Who would they even go looking for?

She quickly caught herself and said apologetically, "Sorry, I was thinking of something else. Let’s go now—before the Great Toad Sage dozes off again."

"It’s not that bad..." Fukasaku coughed lightly. "He remembers the important stuff. Still, it’s better to handle business first and chat later."

"Then I’ll trouble the two of you to lead the way."

Kyoichi nodded politely.

To be honest, Mount Myōboku’s hospitality was far beyond what he had expected.

Of course... that might have something to do with his current strength.

In this world, power determined everything—your words, your respect, even your place in the conversation. Mount Myōboku had deep roots and impressive strength, but it was never the center of the shinobi world.

In the end... it was still a world ruled by humans.

Kyoichi relaxed, exchanged a glance with Minato, and followed Shima and Fukasaku toward the grand hall.

Inside, the Great Toad Sage sat slumped in his usual spot.

Beside him, Jiraiya sat upright, looking somewhat nervous.

When Kyoichi entered, Jiraiya started making exaggerated faces—who knew what he was trying to communicate? But... it didn’t matter.

He wasn’t here for Jiraiya’s drama. Whatever they had discussed earlier wasn’t his concern.

He stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"Kanda Kyoichi, here to pay my respects to the Great Toad Sage."

"Oh, so you’ve come," the Great Toad Sage said slowly. "Fukasaku, Shima—you two may leave... Hmm? Jiraiya, when did you get here? If it’s nothing urgent, why don’t you step out for a while?"

"Eh?" Jiraiya froze, his expression blank. "Weren’t you the one who told me to come?"

"Was I? Ah—right, right, I did. But your matter isn’t as pressing. Let’s talk after I’m done with... him."

The Sage’s tone lingered a little on "him," as though he’d already forgotten Kyoichi’s name—but that didn’t matter.

He clearly knew who he wanted to see.

With no other choice, Jiraiya slipped out.

Kyoichi sat down across from the ancient sage.

The Great Toad Sage opened his eyes slowly. "To tell you the truth... I haven’t dreamed in a long time. I’ve been sleeping deeply and peacefully. Hah, it’s been ages since I felt so well-rested."

"That might be a sign that the shinobi world’s future is bright," Kyoichi said with a small smile.

So it seemed—the Great Toad Sage’s prophecies weren’t meaningless. The future had changed, and that’s why he hadn’t been dreaming.

He wondered what the old sage had seen this time.

The Great Toad Sage seemed lost in thought, muttering softly to himself before finally continuing.

"Yesterday, I dreamed again. I saw you standing beside another young man who possessed the Rinnegan. The two of you together performed the same technique that the Sage of Six Paths once used to create the moon..."

"Hmm?"

Kyoichi’s eyes snapped open slightly.

That technique—there was no mistaking it.

Six Paths—Chibaku Tensei.

He frowned thoughtfully. "And? Did I succeed?"

"I don’t know."

"...Of course you don’t." Kyoichi exhaled sharply. This is exactly why I hate fortune-tellers.

He couldn’t even get a straight answer.

The Great Toad Sage chuckled softly. "I can sense you don’t believe in prophecies. Ever since Jiraiya met you, he’s been visiting Mount Myōboku far less often."

"That’s not because of me," Kyoichi replied evenly. "He’s just been busy collecting material for his books."

The Sage nodded. "Jiraiya... his talent was never the greatest. He lacked a clear goal. My prophecies, vague as they were, at least gave him direction."

"But tell me, child—do you truly think the ’Child of Prophecy’ exists? Or do you believe I should’ve told him more? For example, that this child would surely descend from the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths?"

"You know much," Kyoichi said coolly, "but even so—it may not be as you believe."

The Great Toad Sage wasn’t surprised. Anyone capable of standing beside a Rinnegan wielder and using Chibaku Tensei must have known quite a lot already.

"Perhaps so..." Kyoichi replied ambiguously.

A long silence followed. The ancient toad seemed to realize that this young man was far from easy to read.

This was new. No one had ever stood before him like this—not even the Sage of Six Paths himself.

Finally, the old sage asked, "Then tell me—what do you know, and what do you wish to know?"

Kyoichi grew serious. "Our current enemy is Madara. I’m not too concerned about him personally—but I want to understand what happens when the nine tailed beasts are united. Is there truly a terrifying being sealed upon the moon? And... does that being have descendants?"

The Great Toad Sage narrowed his eyes toward the doorway, falling silent for a long time before replying.

"Madara, you say? So it’s him again... And the Rinnegan—does that belong to him as well?"

"Yes."

"The nine tailed beasts... they are fragments of the chakra of the God Tree, the source of all things—and also the harbinger of the world’s destruction."

The Great Toad Sage’s tone turned grave.

He could tell how critical Kyoichi’s questions were.

To be honest, his aged body and mind were already strained, reaching back through countless memories.

"The moon... seals away its true body."

"As for descendants... I would say—"

He stopped himself. He had been about to say no such descendants exist, but something didn’t add up. If there were truly no heirs, how did this young man know so much?

The ancient toad straightened up slightly and fixed his cloudy eyes on Kyoichi.

"Where did you learn all this?"

"From a stone tablet," Kyoichi answered calmly. "It tells the history of the Uchiha and Senju. You need a high-level Sharingan or the Rinnegan to read it. The last part was unclear—only the word ’moon’ could be deciphered."

He wasn’t hiding anything. It was verifiable information, after all.

The Great Toad Sage fell silent again.

That stone tablet... it could very well be a relic of the Sage of Six Paths himself. But the Sage would never have left behind something so distorted.

Something about this was strange.

"I’m not sure whether that being left behind any descendants," the old toad finally said. "But I can tell you this—the moon holds both her body and her consciousness. A clan guards the seal from generation to generation. Without what they protect, even gathering all nine beasts will mean nothing."

"You mean... this thing?"

Kyoichi weaved a genjutsu, projecting the image of the Gedo Statue before them.

"Eh—!?"

The Great Toad Sage’s eyes flew wide open.