"Duanmu?!" Seeing Duanmu appear out of thin air, Kakashi suddenly took half a step back. His right hand instantly reached for the ninja bag on his waist. Sharingan turned quietly under the mask and vigilantly scanned the space around Duanmu. Although the space fluctuations at that moment were weak, they could not hide from his keen perception.
After confirming that Duanmu had no obvious external injuries and that his chakra was only slightly more disordered than usual, he relaxed slightly, but his brows were still furrowed. "Where have you been? Naruto has almost turned the village upside down."
Duanmu had just recovered from the shock of the Dragon Palace, and the runes of Thunder Sage Art and the information about the Wolf King Trial were still in his mind. When Kakashi asked him this question, he was speechless.
"Let's go see Lord Hokage first. I'll explain the whole story later." Kakashi nodded. He also understood that this matter was not trivial and that he really needed to report it to Hokage immediately.
When Duanmu saw Hiruzen Sarutobi and told him the whole story, Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and the smoke from the pipe rose up, casting bright and dim light and shadow on his wrinkled face.
He was silent for a long time, and his deep gaze seemed to penetrate the Duanmu in front of him, looking towards the distant past and the unknown future. In his gaze, there was surprise at Duanmu's adventure, but also solemnity at the existence of "Star-Devouring Shadow", and as a shadow of a village, careful consideration of any potential threats and opportunities.
"'Star-Devouring Shadow' in the gap between dimensions, the true dragon who lives in 'Dragon Palace'..." Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly repeated these words, with a trace of emotion in his old voice. An imperceptible shock, "I have lived for so long, experienced the Shinobi World war, and seen many legendary beings, but I have never heard of such a name. Sure enough, there are many secrets that we don't know about in this world."
He paused, removed the pipe from his mouth, and focused his eyes on Duanmu again, his eyes sharpening. "Now, immediately summon all the senior officials in the village and the person in charge of Anbu to Hokage Office. This matter must be kept strictly confidential, and other villages must not be aware of any clues.
Duanmu, come with me to the inner room. I need you to describe in detail the appearance, characteristics, breath fluctuations, and every word it speaks - any detail may be crucial."
Duanmu did not dare to neglect and immediately followed Hiruzen Sarutobi into the secret room inside Hokage Office.
The walls here are made of thick special alloy and have excellent sound insulation effect. The air is filled with the faint scent of ink and the old smell of paper. Hiruzen Sarutobi motioned to Duanmu to sit down, and he sat on the soft cushion opposite, taking out a blank scroll and a writing brush, preparing to record.
"Since you started channeling in the training ground," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was low and serious, "What happened to that little Toad? Have you had any contact with Mount Myoboku before?"
Duanmu calmed down, starting from practicing Summoning Technique, to being accidentally sucked into the space, and the conversation with "Star-Devouring Shadow", including the other party's response to Mount Myoboku, Ryūchi Cave's disdain, the promises about Moonview Plains wolves and Thunder Sage Art, and Senjutsu's thoughts that were engraved in his mind were all told in detail.
He specifically emphasized the opponent's giant star-like eyes, the suffocating pressure in the space, and the feeling when he was finally sent back.
While listening, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly recorded on the scroll, making a rustling sound with his pen tip across the paper. His expression kept changing as Duanmu told him, sometimes his brows were furrowed, and sometimes his eyes were solemn. When "Star-Devouring Shadow" called himself the "True Dragon" and mentioned "Dragon Palace" and "Thunder Sage Art", his fingers holding the pipe tightened slightly, and the sparks in the pipe flickered.
"... So, before it sent me back, it imprinted the basic mental skills of Thunder Sage Art into my mind. It also said that after I finish processing Chunin Ninja Exams, I should go to Moonview Plains to accept the trial of the wolf pack as soon as possible." After Duanmu finished speaking, he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, waiting for his instructions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi Put down the brush, gently roll up the scroll, and place it on the table.
He picked up the pipe, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled the smoke. After a moment of silence, he said, "Duanmu, what you encountered may very well be an existence far beyond our knowledge. The name 'Star-Devouring Shadow' sounds like it means destruction and the unknown. Although it does not seem to be hostile at the moment and has even given you an opportunity, we must not take it lightly."
He paused and said to a guard beside him, "Where is Jiraiya? Didn't you say he was back before? Tell him to come over immediately!"
After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head, looked at Duanmu and continued, "You should have been through reverse channeling. Jiraiya also arrived at Mount Myoboku in this way back then, but he went to Mount Myoboku, and You went to the so-called 'Dragon Palace'. Reverse channeling usually requires a specific Summoning Contract or token as a medium. You didn't use any contract scroll at the time, so why did that little Toad guide you there? There may be some hidden meaning in this."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, with a trace of thought in his eyes, "Jiraiya has traveled abroad all year round, and has a better understanding of Mount Myoboku and various secret space passages. When he comes, he may be able to find some clues from the details you described."
As soon as he finished speaking, the office door was gently pushed open, and a white-haired man wearing a green vest, white trousers, and signature oil paint on his face walked in. It was Jiraiya who had just rushed back to the village.
"Hey, old man, you are so anxious to call me back. Have you found any interesting information?" He said with a smile, his eyes swept across the room, and when he saw Duanmu, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, "Oh? Isn't this boy Duanmu? I heard that you performed very well in the Chunin Ninja Exams qualifiers."
Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at him angrily. "Stop being so playful, something big has happened."
Then Duanmu accidentally broke into "Dragon Palace" while channeling in the training ground and encountered "Star-Devouring Shadow" who claimed to be a "true dragon".
The smile on Jiraiya's face gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemn look.
He walked up to Duanmu, squatted down, looked at him carefully, and then stretched out his hand to put on his shoulders. A gentle chakra slowly penetrated Duanmu's body, carefully checking his physical condition and chakra flow.
After a moment, he retracted his hand and frowned. "You said that information flow was directly printed into your mind? How do you feel now? Do you have any symptoms of dizziness, nausea or mental confusion?"
Duanmu shook his head. "No, it was just a little painful at first, but it's much better now. And although those mental runes are obscure, I can feel that they are very stable in my mind, just like... like an innate instinct."
Jiraiya stood up, walked to Hiruzen Sarutobi, picked up the scroll on the table and browsed quickly. When he saw "Thunder Sage Art" and "Moonview Plains wolves", his pupils shrank slightly. "The power of thunder that directly triggers the origin of heaven and earth? This is comparable to Mount Myoboku's Senjutsu is much more domineering, but also a hundred times more dangerous. As for the Moonview Plains wolves... When I was young, I traveled to the Land of Fire border, and I seemed to have heard a local elder mention a legend, saying that there lived a group of wolves blessed by the wind and sand, which could mobilize the power of nature. I didn't expect it to be true."
He put down the scroll and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Old man, this matter is not simple. I have never seen the name 'Star-Devouring Shadow' in any ancient books or secret information. It can not only open space channels at will, but also teach such a domineering Senjutsu, and can also command the wolves possessing Natural Energy... Its strength may have surpassed our understanding of 'Kage Level', and may even be close to the legendary 'Six Paths' level."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, "I am so worried too. Unknown existences are often accompanied by unknown dangers, but since Duanmu has been involved, what we can do is to help him be fully prepared."
He looked at Duanmu, his eyes became gentler, "Duanmu, regarding Thunder Sage Art's basic mental method, you must not rush for success. Without Before Jiraiya and my guidance, you can only meditate on the theory, and you must not try to activate any thunder power, understand? If you are not careful with that kind of power, your meridians may be severed, or even your body may explode to death."
Duanmu nodded solemnly. "I understand. Lord True Dragon also said that the cultivation process is extremely dangerous, so I will be careful."
Jiraiya patted Duanmu on the shoulder, with a smile on his face, "Boy, you are lucky. Not everyone can encounter this kind of adventure. However, don't worry, with me and the old man here, you will not die in vain."
It was also at this time that Hokage Advisor and Danzo of Konoha arrived.