Mount Myoboku was unaffected by the changing seasons. The towering lotus leaves, as tall as forests, remained evergreen and upright, their dense canopy shielding the various fungi protruding from the ground.
Before the ninjas could properly take in this land beyond their borders, a weary female voice from nearby brought them back to their senses.
"Whew... Summoning so many people at once nearly wore me out!"
Shima, sweat trickling down her forehead, gently straightened her slightly hunched body after expending so much chakra. She looked at the visitors from the Shinobi World. "Madara, Hashirama, the Great Toad Sage is waiting for you in the Temple."
Madara gave her a slight nod, then glanced sideways at Hashirama, whose excitement was written all over his face, and sighed inwardly.
They headed toward the temple hidden beyond the mountain with practiced ease. They were only going to watch a replay—was there any need to be this excited?
"Madara."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think the Great Toad Sage's Crystal Ball is really that miraculous?"
"You've asked that question more than ten times already!"
"Huh? Have I?"
As Hashirama took in the atmosphere of Mount Myoboku, a flush of embarrassment suddenly crossed his face. The towering structure gradually appearing and disappearing beyond the shifting mountains filled his eyes with deep emotion. "Do you think that a thousand years from now, future generations will be able to witness the splendor of peace from a thousand years ago, just as we are today?"
"Perhaps."
Seated atop her toad mount, Shima turned to look at the two strongest men in the Shinobi World and offered another perspective. "No need to wait a thousand years. This old lady feels like she can live for a few hundred more years. I can tell future generations about the history of this era