CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 348: AGITATED, GAMAMARU IS AGITATED

"How can that be?!" The Great Toad Sage’s voice trembled. "It’s sealed on the moon—how could you possibly have seen it!?"

At that moment, the Great Toad Sage was completely thrown into confusion.

Everything he’d heard so far—

"What’s wrong?" Kyoichi asked calmly. "Was this completely outside the scope of your prophecy?"

"Uh..." The old sage froze, inwardly cursing. Damn it, he’s right.

Age had dulled his once-keen mind. Now, all this information was too much, too sudden—it took him a long time to even process it.

Finally, he managed to ask, "Was it... the Rinnegan?"

That was the only explanation he could think of.

Long ago, the Sage of Six Paths had sealed away Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. The only thing capable of undoing that seal silently would be the Rinnegan—and conveniently, Madara had the Rinnegan...

The Great Toad Sage’s thoughts churned.

"Then why," he muttered, "would the Sage of Six Paths leave behind something like that?"

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

It was entirely possible that Kyoichi’s suspicions were correct—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki did leave behind a contingency, something to meddle with the world from the shadows and pave the way for her resurrection.

And honestly... that wouldn’t even be difficult for someone like her.

Realization struck him.

Now he understood why Kyoichi had come.

Perhaps the boy was interested in prophecies—but what he truly sought was not foresight, but knowledge. The ancient memories that lay buried in the Great Toad Sage’s mind.

He had walked right into the boy’s plans.

Not that the Great Toad Sage minded. He had lived long enough—long enough to laugh and drink with the Sage of Six Paths, to watch Kaguya’s downfall. Compared to those days, this was nothing.

The young man before him was... intriguing.

"You wish to know more about the God Tree?" the Sage finally said. "Very well. That being must never return to this world. I’ll tell you the history—"

"No need," Kyoichi interrupted. "History doesn’t interest me. Knowing the God Tree’s origins won’t make me stronger. What I want to know is—do you understand Yin–Yang Release? Or even just Yin Release or Yang Release individually?"

The old sage blinked, caught off guard.

History?

Kyoichi likely knew more about it than he did.

The God Tree was Kaguya herself—and she wasn’t the only one of her kind. There were more of her clan scattered across the stars. Everything she had done on earth had been preparation... for them.

And the shadow she left behind—Black Zetsu.

But what good was that knowledge?

They couldn’t even defeat it. The only plan Kyoichi had come up with was risky and uncertain.

The Great Toad Sage spoke slowly, almost cautiously.

"Yin–Yang Release... I do not know it. That art was known only to the Sage of Six Paths and his brother. They attained it through sudden enlightenment—it was not something one could simply train for. At most, I can guide you in Sage Mode... but your body already shows signs of natural sage transformation."

In other words—

Completely useless.

Kyoichi exhaled softly.

"You toads really are disappointing. You’ve met the Sage of Six Paths before—why didn’t you seize that advantage? You could have elevated Mount Myōboku’s role in the world, and safeguarded the shinobi realm far more effectively."

The Great Toad Sage blinked.

Wait—was this human scolding him?

"You can’t put it that way," the old sage stammered.

"Oh? Then how should I put it?" Kyoichi’s tone was calm, almost cutting. "Right now, I’m trying to understand Yin–Yang Release, the Rinnegan, and the Sage of Six Paths. If you had learned and preserved that knowledge, wouldn’t the world have reached peace faster? Isn’t peace your goal?"

Then, with a faint smirk, he added, "Or are you afraid—afraid that if you learned too much, Mount Myōboku would become a target... or worse, a source of disaster for the shinobi world?"

That struck a nerve.

The Great Toad Sage fell silent.

No matter how he answered, it would sound like an admission of guilt. Especially that last accusation—

So you fear death, yet expect others to die for peace?

This youth’s words cut deep. Too sharp, too direct—he reminded the old sage of someone from long ago.

Senju Tobirama.

The Great Toad Sage had never met Tobirama in person, but from what the toads had observed, this Kyoichi boy shared the man’s sharp intellect and unrelenting logic—not just in temperament, but in tone and gaze.

Normal conversation was impossible.

After a long pause, the Great Toad Sage finally said, "The Sage of Six Paths’ knowledge was never meant to be easily passed down. That stone tablet... he left it hoping that Asura’s and Indra’s descendants would find peace with one another."

Deciding to ignore Kyoichi’s jabs, the sage began speaking at length—rambling, yet full of ancient weight.

He recounted the forgotten history buried under the dust of ages.

Indra.

Asura.

The origin of chakra.

The birth of the Sharingan and Rinnegan.

The rise of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

From beginning to end, he told it all.

Kyoichi didn’t interrupt.

He already knew most of this, but hearing it from a legitimate, ancient source was valuable—it gave the history a voice, a record. In a way, the Great Toad Sage could serve as the perfect vessel to pass these truths on.

When the story ended, Kyoichi opened his mouth to respond—but the Great Toad Sage simply waved his hand.

"Go, child. There’s no need to linger in Mount Myōboku. The shinobi world still needs you."

And before Kyoichi could speak again, he found himself outside.

Space-time displacement—using Sage Chakra, no less. The old toad could still manage that much.

---

"Whoo!"

A booming voice echoed as Kyoichi blinked, now standing in the misty clearing.

"Making the Great Toad Sage use Sage Chakra himself, kid—you’re the first in years to pull that off. What on earth did you two talk about?"

It was Gamabunta, puffing clouds of smoke from his pipe.

Beside him, Minato looked utterly stunned.

Kyoichi had been teleported out by the Great Toad Sage himself?

That was as good as being kicked out.

Why?

Minato had met the Great Toad Sage only a few times, but in his experience, the ancient toad was always calm, gentle, and wise—he never lost his temper like this.

"What happened, Kyoichi?" Minato asked carefully.

"Nothing serious," Kyoichi said with an easy smile. "We just had an honest discussion about how to achieve peace. I’ll explain the details later."

He even waved casually at Gamabunta.

Minato thought for a moment. It made sense—Mount Myōboku had its own secrets. Some things weren’t meant to be said aloud.

So, he let it go and followed Kyoichi back to Konoha.

Gamabunta, on the other hand, was fuming.

He hated two kinds of people:

—Those who were too clever for their own good.

—And those who spoke half-truths.

Unfortunately, Kyoichi fit both.

Still... there was no denying it. From the flow of chakra in his body, from the way nature energy pulsed through his skin—this human was truly powerful. Not a Hashirama-born Sage Body, but one forged through sheer will and training.

Strong. Dangerous. And a contract holder of Shikkotsu Forest, no less.

Not someone worth picking a fight with.

Gamabunta exhaled a cloud of smoke, muttering to himself, Calm down, Bunta. Just ask Fukasaku or Shima later... or maybe Minato.

No need to lose his temper.

Back in Konoha, Kyoichi and Minato sat down in the living room. Kyoichi poured out a bottle of sake—rare for him.

"I asked the Great Toad Sage," he said quietly, "why they never passed down the secrets of the Rinnegan or Yin–Yang Release—so that future generations could understand and counter it. Was it fear? Or simply lack of foresight?"

He took a sip, eyes narrowing slightly.

"The Great Toad Sage didn’t answer me. He just told me... a story of the past."