Mount Myoboku's Frogs

Today, a special guest arrived in Konoha.

A talking toad.

Uchiha Yan had long since instructed all Konoha ninja to report any talking toads, snakes, slugs, or the like immediately upon sighting them. Thus, the moment this toad appeared in Konoha, the guards brought it to the Konoha White Palace.

Before long, Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Yan, Senju Hashirama, and Senju Tobirama met the talking toad in the People's Assembly Hall.

The toad was light green all over, with a white beard and eyebrows, and wore a little cape. It looked quite old.

Uchiha Yan recognized it at a glance. This was Fukasaku, one of Mount Myoboku's two great toad sages.

What a case of searching everywhere to no avail, only for it to come knocking on his door. He had been looking for the three great sacred lands for so long without a single lead, yet they had come to him on their own.

"Hey, old toad, who are you? What are you doing in Konoha?" Senju Tobirama asked. He felt that the world was becoming increasingly strange. First there had been the tailed beasts, and now a talking toad had appeared.

"How rude." Hearing Senju Tobirama's tone, Fukasaku felt that this white-haired, red-eyed brat had no manners at all.

"You must be the esteemed toad sage from Mount Myoboku, one of the three great sacred lands," Uchiha Yan said, taking over the conversation.

"That's right. I am Fukasaku, a toad sage of Mount Myoboku. You may call me Sage Fukasaku." Fukasaku was delighted that Uchiha Yan had recognized him.

"You know him, Yan?" Uchiha Madara asked in surprise.

"I read about it in ancient texts. There are three great sacred lands in the ninja world: Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. Mount Myoboku is where the toad sages reside."

"You've got some knowledge, kid. I came to Konoha on the orders of the Great Toad Sage. The Great Sage had a prophecy concerning peace in the ninja world."

"A prophecy? Peace in the ninja world?"

"You'll understand once we reach Mount Myoboku. You haven't signed a contract with Mount Myoboku yet, so I'll take you there. Stand still and follow my hand signs."

After saying that, Fukasaku began directing them through the hand signs.

Bang—

After a burst of white smoke, they had arrived in an entirely new place.

The surrounding plants were abnormally enormous. Massive toad statues stood everywhere, and several toad-shaped houses could be seen in the distance.

"There's a very strange energy here." The moment Tobirama entered Mount Myoboku, he noticed something unusual.

"This is natural energy," Hashirama explained.

"Lord Hashirama, your Sage Art also draws upon the natural energy of the earth, doesn't it?"

"That's right. But natural energy outside isn't concentrated enough, so each time I enter Sage Mode, I can't maintain it for long."

In the original story, Naruto had been unable to merge with the two great sages, Fukasaku and Shima, because of the Nine-Tails. He had used Shadow Clones to gather natural energy instead. Only later, with the Nine-Tails helping him refine natural energy, was that flaw completely resolved.

"This natural energy is used to learn Sage Art," Sage Fukasaku said.

"Sage Art?" Uchiha Madara knew that Hashirama possessed Sage Art, but Hashirama's Sage Art had been innate. He had not expected Sage Art to be something one could learn later in life.

"Come. The Great Sage is already waiting."

Fukasaku led them to the Toad Temple. Inside, an enormous toad sat reclined in a chair, asleep.

At last, Uchiha Yan saw one of the most mysterious beings in the world of Naruto—the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, Gamamaru. He had existed since Kaguya's era, lived for over a thousand years, and foretold the future of the ninja world. He could be called the greatest prophet in the world of Naruto.

"You're here." Gamamaru seemed half-asleep as he spoke in intermittent fragments.

"Yan, are you sure this is the Great Toad Sage you mentioned?" Uchiha Madara was somewhat doubtful.

"Indra's inheritor..." Gamamaru glanced at Uchiha Madara, then turned to Senju Hashirama. "Ashura has come as well."

"The ninja world will one day face a great calamity. The enemy will be exceptionally powerful, and you will need to save the ninja world."

"One god, seeking tranquility, divided yin and yang; the two opposing forces, through interaction, can give rise to All Things in Nature."

Senju Tobirama could not understand a word the old toad was saying, but wisely chose not to speak.

"And you..." Gamamaru looked at Uchiha Yan. "Your fate has changed. It has become impossible to predict. I can no longer see it clearly."

As expected of the Great Toad Sage—he truly had some skill. If he had not transmigrated, this body's original fate should have been to die in the decisive battle between the Senju and Uchiha.

After saying that, Gamamaru did not look at Senju Tobirama. Instead, he closed his eyes.

Senju Tobirama felt a little awkward. He felt as though he had only come along to make up the numbers. The Great Toad Sage had commented on his elder brother and Uchiha Madara, and had even said something about Uchiha Yan, but when it came to him, the old toad had fallen asleep.

"The Great Sage is often like this. The prophecy has already been spoken. The calamity of the ninja world will need to be resolved by you." Seeing Gamamaru asleep, Sage Fukasaku led Uchiha Madara and the others out of the hall.

"Sage Fukasaku, may we learn Sage Art?" Uchiha Yan asked. "Learning Sage Art would also help us resist the coming calamity more effectively."

"Since the Great Sage asked me to bring you here, arrangements have naturally been made. First, you must sign a contract with Mount Myoboku."

Fukasaku took out a summoning scroll. Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Yan each bit their fingers and pressed them onto it in turn.

"From now on, whenever you wish to come to Mount Myoboku, simply summon us. A toad will naturally bring you here."

Bang—

Another burst of white smoke, and the four returned to Konoha's People's Assembly Hall.

That night, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were deeply troubled. They had thought that with Konoha established, they had safeguarded one part of the ninja world's peace. They had never expected an even greater calamity to still be waiting for them.

"The two opposing forces, through interaction, can give rise to All Things in Nature. What exactly does that mean?" No matter how much Senju Hashirama thought about it, he could not figure it out.

"And the Great Toad Sage said that we are Indra and Ashura. What is that supposed to mean?" Uchiha Madara could not make sense of it either.

"Could Indra and Ashura be connected to the Uchiha and the Senju?"

"Yan, you've always been clever. What do you think this means?" Uchiha Madara asked.

Uchiha Yan thought for a moment.

"Lord Madara, I've seen this sentence before."

"You've seen it?" Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara said in surprise.

"Yes. I saw it on the stone tablet in the Uchiha clan grounds."

Uchiha Madara was now completely different from his original counterpart. In the original story, he liked to stay in the clan grounds whenever he had nothing to do. Now, he was not only serving as Hokage, but also roaming the ninja world with Hashirama to capture tailed beasts. It was perfectly normal that he had not paid attention to the tablet's contents.

Uchiha Yan had not wanted to reveal this so early. The words on that tablet had been altered by Black Zetsu, and he had intended to keep it hidden. But the Great Toad Sage had already spoken of the prophecy, which meant that the villains from Boruto would likely appear ahead of schedule. Although Naruto and Sasuke had not yet been born, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were still here. Those two were also the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura.