My Secret Pact with the Sage
"Perhaps fate is stirring..." Sage Katsuyu's voice rumbled beneath the earth. Every drop of liquid in the swamp and every leaf in the vast forest trembled.
"A dozen days ago, little Tsunade brought the Exploding Blade Shibuki. That incredibly sturdy piece of silk was a corner of that man's clothing. Even after a thousand years, I recognized it at a glance."
"That man was the Sage of Six Paths."
The Sage of Six Paths... Had he foretold the fates of the toads, white snakes, and Katsuyu of the three great sage lands? Hyuga Yuto was moved.
He said nothing and remained half-kneeling as he listened.
"Toads die of old age, so that fellow has grown increasingly decrepit. The last time I saw him, his skin was sagging all the way to the ground."
"White snakes shed their skin and hibernate in Ryūchi Cave year-round. Their appearance barely changes. They are the laziest and most carefree."
"Katsuyu is immortal... Hahaha..."
The sage blessed with endless life suddenly laughed, showing no sign of stopping.
Hyuga Yuto's instincts told him that the emotion within that laughter was anything but "joy."
Only after every tree within dozens of kilometers had fallen did Sage Katsuyu finally stop.
"In short, everything has proceeded according to the Sage of Six Paths' prophecy. He founded Ninshu and was the first to grasp the true essence of chakra. His power was unparalleled throughout history, and those eyes of his could see very far. Very far."
"I enjoy immortality, yet I must also accept this fate. Another thousand years from now, Katsuyu will not die and will still live beneath Shikkotsu Forest."
"And yet, a tiny bird is trying to use its beak to damage its cage."
"It is an insignificant little matter, too