Chapter 264: Chapter 265
"She?"
Gensou followed the Great Toad Sage's gaze upward to the sky.
Through the blinding sunlight, his Rinnegan faintly discerned a massive shadow hovering high above.
"The moon… Could it be Kaguya?"
Gensou pondered aloud, turning back to the Great Toad Sage with surprise.
"You foresaw something so distant? You even dreamed of her?"
The Great Toad Sage seemed equally surprised.
"You know of her?"
It was one thing for Gensou to know about Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—after all, the Sage of Six Paths left behind traces of his existence in the ninja world.
But Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra, was a different matter entirely.
The Ōtsutsuki brothers had deliberately kept their battle with their mother a secret, leaving no reason for anyone in the ninja world to know about her.
"I know more than you think," Gensou replied calmly.
The Great Toad Sage frowned.
"If you know who she is, if you understand her identity and ambitions, then you should abandon your own. When she reappears, the ninja world—and you—will cease to exist."
The Great Toad Sage had foreseen Kaguya's return in a dream.
Though it didn't know how she would reappear, the dream also showed Gensou resurrecting the Ten-Tails, which once belonged to Kaguya.
It was certain that Kaguya's return was tied to Gensou's actions. That was why the Great Toad Sage had tried so hard to stop him.
"The future is none of your concern," Gensou replied indifferently.
Returning to his question, he asked, "Why are you so afraid of Kaguya's return?"
Seeing Gensou's resolve unmoved, the Great Toad Sage sighed.
"She already knows the truth about the war and how I secretly aided her sons."
Hearing this, Gensou smirked.
"I see."
It all made sense now. The Great Toad Sage feared that once Kaguya returned, she would target Mount Myōboku.
From Kaguya's perspective, the Great Toad Sage had indeed been a schemer.
Long ago, it had deliberately approached Hagoromo, showcasing its abilities, teaching him senjutsu, and even gifting him the talisman that allowed resurrection. It had even assisted Hamura in the second battle against their mother.
During the fateful battle that changed the course of the ninja world, the Great Toad Sage played a significant role.
Now that Kaguya knew of its existence, her vengeful nature would ensure Mount Myōboku's destruction should she return.
No wonder the Great Toad Sage had gone to such lengths, sacrificing so much, to stop Gensou.
Its ultimate goal wasn't just to save the ninja world—it was to prevent Kaguya's return and secure its own survival.
"Cause and effect," Gensou said thoughtfully. "Your dreams of prophecy have brought you to this end, haven't they?"
The Great Toad Sage remained silent, its lack of denial speaking volumes.
Gensou chuckled lightly, summarizing:
"Those who think they've seen through fate are often the ones most played by it."
He had no further questions.
"It's time to send you on your way."
With those words, a Truth-Seeking Orb floated toward the Great Toad Sage.
"Beware of Kaguya," were the sage's final words before its death.
Gensou nodded casually and flicked his fingers. The Truth-Seeking Orb advanced.
Boom!
With a resounding collision, the Great Toad Sage ceased to exist.
Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, was erased from history.
At the very moment of the Great Toad Sage's death—
Far away in Ryūchi Cave—
The White Snake Sage, coiled on its throne with a green cat's eye stone embedded in its chest and a crimson jewel adorning its horned head, was leisurely smoking a pipe.
Suddenly, it seemed to sense something. Its head snapped up, eyes fixed in the direction of Mount Myōboku. Its tail, wrapped in golden rings, lashed out involuntarily.
Moments later, the White Snake Sage's expression twisted into wild delight. It burst into unrestrained laughter.
"Gamamaru is dead! That old thing is finally dead! Hahaha!"
For eons, Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku had been at odds, and the animosity between the White Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage was particularly deep.
Had Gamamaru not been equally powerful, the White Snake Sage would have devoured it and its descendants long ago.
But now—
Gamamaru was gone!
Though it hadn't delivered the killing blow itself, the White Snake Sage was overjoyed.
As for the so-called shared fate of the Three Great Sage Regions? It couldn't care less.
"Good riddance! Dead at last!"
For days, the White Snake Sage's raucous laughter echoed throughout Ryūchi Cave.
Meanwhile, in Shikkotsu Forest—
The Slug Sage, renowned alongside the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage, was quietly enjoying its solitude, splitting into countless clones for entertainment.
At the same moment as the White Snake Sage's reaction, every one of the Slug Sage's clones paused in unison and turned toward Mount Myōboku.
They had felt it—the extinguishing of an immense life force.
"Gamamaru…"
A soft, sorrowful voice echoed through the forest.
Unlike the White Snake Sage, the Slug Sage had been friends with Gamamaru for many years.
"Gamamaru, did you foresee this day in your prophecies?"
The Slug Sage sighed.
It recalled a young, ambitious Gamamaru confidently declaring that the future was within his grasp.
The Slug Sage had once advised him not to rely too heavily on prophecies and to avoid entangling himself in human affairs.
But Gamamaru had ignored that advice, delving deeper and deeper until it cost him his life.
Though it felt a pang of sadness for its old friend, the Slug Sage would not change its ways.
For millennia, it had observed the rise and fall of its summoners, including the extraordinary Hashirama.
Now, it would continue to dwell in Shikkotsu Forest, watching silently as the ninja world changed around it.
Gensou, unaware of the reactions in Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest, wouldn't have cared even if he knew.
Neither the White Snake Sage nor the Slug Sage seemed likely to seek vengeance.
And if they did, it would merely lead to another battle.
However, after the destruction of Mount Myōboku and his battles against the Great Toad Sage and Naruto, Gensou felt an unfamiliar fatigue.
But he had no time to rest. Walking over to Naruto's lifeless body, he crouched down.
(End of Chapter)
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