When Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped into the Senju estate and laid eyes on the elderly Uzumaki Mito, now in her sixties, he felt an impending sense of doom.
The first question Mito asked him was: "What does 'Hokage' mean? And what does 'Konoha' mean?"
Hiruzen vividly recalled the origins of these names.
The First Hokage had once said, "Madara, I want you to take over as the leader of the village. Since you're proficient in Fire Release, we shall call this position 'Hokage.'"
Madara Uchiha had responded, "Hashirama, the first houses of Konoha were created from your Wood Release. They formed the foundation of the village, so let's call it 'Konoha.'"
Yet over time, the meaning had been distorted into something else:
Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternal. The flames will continue to illuminate the village and nurture new leaves.
Beads of sweat formed on Hiruzen's forehead. Could he really say this in front of Uzumaki Mito? He had a sinking feeling that today would be a socially catastrophic day for him.
...
Deep within a dark cave…
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, an iron fist burst through the ground, sending shattered rocks flying against the colossal Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, only to be deflected away.
Kakuzu leaped forward, his target set on the massive statue.
Sage Art! Steel Release Secret Technique!
Activating three powerful forces at once, he soared through the air and delivered a devastating punch straight into the Demonic Statue's body.
Rumble!Rumble!
Dust billowed as the ground trembled. The Demonic Statue staggered backward under the impact.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he observed the retreating statue. Though this giant was technically the Ten-Tails, it was merely an empty husk. Certain individuals with spatial abilities could potentially snap its neck, so Kakuzu was confident he could inflict serious damage.
However—
Poof!
With a massive cloud of smoke, the Demonic Statue suddenly vanished into thin air.
Landing lightly, Kakuzu pressed one hand to the ground. "What's this? Even the 'Shinobi Shura' is backing off?"
A slight smirk formed at the corner of his lips. There was only one person capable of reverse-summoning the Demonic Statue at this moment—Madara Uchiha.
After scanning his surroundings and confirming no immediate threats, Kakuzu relaxed slightly. He raised his fist, retracting the steel layer, and examined the tiny wood fragments clinging to his knuckles. Carefully, he collected the debris into a small pouch.
This was his true purpose here.
...
Kakuzu returned to Ryūgakure.
Accompanying him was Sakumo Hatake.
Sakumo's arrival was informal—he bypassed all protocol, neither reporting to Konoha nor informing the Hokage. He had simply shown up as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still reeling from his earlier conversation with Mito, was now struggling to draft the latest revision of the Will of Fire doctrine.
The moment Kakuzu returned, Ni reported the results of the Kirigakure attack.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist came as seven, but only four returned."
"The ones we killed were Suikazan Fuguki, Ringo Ameyuri, and Kurīarare Kushimaru."
Ni proceeded to recount the battle in detail.
At the start of the skirmish, Ni ordered the Seven-Tails to launch a Tailed Beast Ball in an attempt to annihilate the entire group.
Biwa Jūzō, wielding the Executioner's Blade, had bravely stepped forward to deflect the attack. However, someone pulled him back at the last moment—the wielder of Samehada, Suikazan Fuguki.
To Ni's surprise, Samehada actually devoured the Tailed Beast Ball.
Realizing this, Ni commanded his summoning beasts to launch a relentless assault on Suikazan Fuguki. After enduring a fierce onslaught of the Seven-Tails' power, the swordsman finally fell.
"Kakuzu-sama, this is the weapon he left behind."
Ni presented a massive blade wrapped entirely in bandages.
Kakuzu accepted it with interest, running his fingers along its surface. From this angle, he could see Samehada's toothy maw beneath the layers of cloth.
"Interesting. A sword that can devour a Tailed Beast Ball... This is quite the weapon."
He couldn't help but wonder—what exactly was Samehada made of to possess such incredible abilities?
Beside him, Hidan shrugged in exasperation. "Tch, just my luck. That woman zapped me over a hundred times before I finally managed to get her blood. In the end, I sent her to meet Jashin-sama."
"But that brat, Hozuki Mangetsu, was something else. I cut him open, and he turned into water. I never managed to get his blood. If I had, he'd have been a perfect sacrifice for Jashin-sama."
Hidan threw up his hands, clearly frustrated. He had never encountered an enemy who could literally liquefy their body, making him immune to his usual blood rituals.
Kakuzu nodded. The Hozuki clan's unique physiology not only countered Hidan's abilities but also rendered them resistant to physical attacks. After all, in the future, Suigetsu Hozuki would even manage to block the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball.
The final casualty, Kurīarare Kushimaru, had fallen into a trap meticulously planned by Heisei Rokuno and a squad of shinobi.
Though they had failed to eliminate all Seven Swordsmen, taking down three of them was still an impressive victory.
"Now, our priority is to reassure the villagers, distribute compensation, and ensure that everyone is at their posts. We can't allow Kirigakure to launch another surprise attack."
Hearing Kakuzu's words, Ni hesitated before asking—
"Kakuzu-sama, Kirigakure's surprise attack failed this time. Do you think they'll regroup and come back so soon?"
Kakuzu merely chuckled and said nothing. Who knew? With Kirigakure's internal affairs in chaos, anything could happen.
For now, there were no major incidents, and life in Ryūgakure remained peaceful—until more than half a year later when Konoha sent people.
Kakuzu didn't bother avoiding a public confrontation. He directly called Hatake Sakumo over to stand beside him.
"Jiraiya, are you here to take someone back?"
"No, no, no," Jiraiya quickly waved his hands. "Kakuzu-sama, you've got it all wrong. I'm not here on behalf of Konoha this time."
"Oh? Then you must be here to pay the fine, right?" A golden glint flashed in Kakuzu's eyes. He still remembered Jiraiya's 15 million ryo fine.
Jiraiya let out a bitter laugh. "Come on, Kakuzu-sama, don't joke about that. I actually came here to ask for a favor."
Hearing that Jiraiya wanted something for free again, Kakuzu was about to refuse outright. But after listening to what Jiraiya had to say, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Myōboku Mountain is one of the Three Great Sage Lands… The Great Toad Sage wants to see you. He said he dreamed of a prophecy related to you."
Not long after, Kakuzu followed Jiraiya to Myōboku Mountain.
He had to admit, the scenery here was far more pleasant than Shikkotsu Forest—lush greenery, birds singing, insects chirping, and frogs croaking in the distance.
Besides Jiraiya and Kakuzu, there was one other human here—Namikaze Minato. After exchanging greetings, the three of them went to meet the acting leader of Myōboku Mountain, Fukasaku.
Without much preamble, Fukasaku led them deep into the mountain to see the Great Toad Sage.
The ancient sage slowly opened his weary eyes, squinting at Kakuzu below.
"Great Toad Sage, the one you saw in your dream—Kakuzu—has arrived. Please, share your words with him," Fukasaku said respectfully.
"Mm~" The Great Toad Sage exhaled weakly, his voice slow and feeble. "Little Minato, you're here… How long have I been asleep? Why does it feel like you've grown older?"
Kakuzu watched the old toad ramble in confusion, his expression indifferent. Given the sage's age—probably close to a thousand years—memory decline was understandable. He could call people whatever he wanted, Kakuzu wasn't going to argue.
"Little Minato, I dreamed of a prophecy about you," the Great Toad Sage murmured. "You will be a key factor in a great upheaval that will reshape the world's future…"
Hearing this, Jiraiya suddenly tensed up and couldn't help but ask, "Great Toad Sage, are you saying Kakuzu is the prophesied Child of Destiny?"
Before the old sage could reply, Kakuzu smacked Jiraiya on the back of the head.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Ow! My bad, my bad!" Jiraiya clutched his head, wincing in pain while apologizing profusely. He realized he had lost his composure.
After all, the Great Toad Sage had once prophesied that Jiraiya would be deeply connected to the Child of Destiny. That prophecy had driven Jiraiya to wander the world in search of the one who would bring great change. It had become a defining purpose in his life.
So when he heard another prophecy, he instinctively reacted with urgency. But thinking about it logically… it didn't make sense.
Kakuzu? The Child of Destiny?
That title… just didn't sit right.
Kakuzu himself found it ridiculous. He was old enough to be a grandfather, and now they wanted to call him a "child"? What a joke.
"No, no, no," the Great Toad Sage unexpectedly raised a trembling finger and waved it. "My latest dream showed me… the world in the future seemed even darker. Against this darkness, the Child of Destiny continued to struggle forward… but this time, someone else stood in his way. That person was none other than little Minato."
As soon as these words left the sage's mouth, Fukasaku, Jiraiya, and Namikaze Minato were all stunned.
The implication was clear—Kakuzu would be the one standing in the way of the Child of Destiny.
Seeing their expressions, Kakuzu remained utterly indifferent. Instead, he asked a different question.
"Great Toad Sage, tell me… is everything this so-called Child of Destiny does necessarily right?"
The Great Toad Sage fell silent.
One minute passed.
Two minutes.
Ten minutes.
Thirty minutes…
Fukasaku rubbed his forehead awkwardly. "Should we… get him a blanket? At his age, falling asleep sitting up like this might make him catch a cold."
With no other choice, Fukasaku leaped onto the Great Toad Sage's shoulder and whispered into his ear.
A few minutes later, the ancient toad finally snapped out of his daze. He glanced around in confusion before muttering a few words to Fukasaku. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he spoke again.
"Ah, yes… little Jiraiya, you asked whether the Child of Destiny's actions are all correct, didn't you?"
"To be honest… I don't know. All I can say is that he will bring change to the world. Whether that change is good or bad…"
The sage fell into thought again.
Seeing this, Kakuzu immediately changed the topic, steering the conversation before the old toad drifted off once more.
"Great Toad Sage, perhaps you should just get to the final conclusion."
"Ah, yes… I nearly forgot the main point I was trying to make." The Great Toad Sage paused in thought once more, though this time, he managed to stay awake.
"That's right, I remember now. You will stand between the Child of Prophecy and the deepest abyss of darkness. To most people, it may seem like you are obstructing the Child of Prophecy's path. But in my eyes, that's not necessarily the case."
"Are you stopping the Child of Prophecy from moving forward? Or are you guiding him? …Or perhaps, leading him into the darkness? Maybe, in the end, you will fight alongside him. I cannot say for certain."
The room fell silent. Everyone present was lost in thought.
Among them, only Kakuzu had begun to form a clearer picture of the situation.
The Great Toad Sage's words weren't wrong.
The Child of Prophecy was Naruto, and Kakuzu had been born long before him. Naturally, that meant he had walked ahead of Naruto on the path of life. That much was no surprise. But what Kakuzu truly wanted to know was something else.
"Great Toad Sage, what exactly do you mean by a greater darkness?"
The Great Toad Sage fell silent again. Ten minutes passed. Just as Kakuzu was starting to lose patience, the old sage finally spoke.
"I do not know… but… but…"
Fukasaku, Jiraiya, and Minato all tensed, their hearts pounding in their chests.
From the Great Toad Sage's words, it wasn't hard to deduce that this so-called 'greater darkness' referred to an even stronger enemy.
Everyone was now trying to guess—who could be the greatest enemy of all?
Meanwhile, Kakuzu already had a theory forming in his mind. Could it be that the Ōtsutsuki Clan would make their move?
In this world governed by the chakra system, the only ones who could truly be called the 'greater darkness' were the Ōtsutsuki.
Just as everyone anxiously awaited the Great Toad Sage to deliver his final conclusion—
"Ah… so sleepy…" The old toad let out a massive yawn, his mouth stretching wide.
"Great Toad Sage, please don't fall asleep yet! You have to think—who is the final enemy? If we know that, we—"
Jiraiya instinctively rushed forward, eager to get an answer, but Kakuzu grabbed him and pulled him back.
Enemies? What enemies?
As far as Kakuzu was concerned, as long as one had enough power, there was no such thing as a true enemy.
"Great Toad Sage, I want to learn Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu."
"…Go on, then," the Great Toad Sage murmured, lifting a single finger in permission before his head tilted to the side, and he drifted off into another endless slumber.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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