Sage Talismans, Jiraiya's Recovery, and the Great Toad Sage's New Prophecy

Outside the bedroom.

The little Nine-Tails soaked in the hot spring, listening to the faint sounds coming from the bedroom.

"What an irritating sound. What's so fun about that thing? Why can't he let it go?"

"Maybe I should sneak away now. Then no one will be able to restrict my freedom ever again."

The little Nine-Tails secretly glanced toward the bedroom. It felt it could take advantage of Uchiha Shadian's distraction to slip away, escape his control, and regain its freedom.

It acted the moment it decided.

The little Nine-Tails climbed out of the hot spring, then sneakily slipped away along the corridor.

Everything went smoothly. Even after it left the inn, Uchiha Shadian had not noticed its escape.

Once outside the hot spring inn and on the street, the little Nine-Tails was overjoyed. It sniffed the air and thought excitedly, This is the scent of freedom. I'm finally free!

Mount Myoboku.

The toads watched Jiraiya lying on a stone bed with worried expressions.

Ever since the two sages had brought Jiraiya to Mount Myoboku, he had remained unconscious.

The wound in his chest had been healed by the healing Sage Talisman bestowed by the Great Toad Sage.

"Great Toad Sage, why hasn't little Jiraiya woken up yet?" Fukasaku asked worriedly.

"Soon. He'll wake up any moment now." As soon as the Great Toad Sage finished speaking, a bout of coughing sounded. Jiraiya immediately woke up.

"Little Jiraiya, you're awake! Wonderful! The Great Toad Sage hasn't gone senile after all. The healing talisman really worked," Shima said delightedly.

"I-I-I'm not dead?" Jiraiya asked hazily. Uchiha Shadian had clearly pierced his heart with a sword. He should have died without question!

Fukasaku said, "Little Jiraiya, the Great Toad Sage bestowed a Sage Talisman that healed you."

"Thank you, Great Toad Sage, for saving my life." Jiraiya hurriedly thanked the Great Toad Sage.

"Little Jiraiya, the fate of the world has changed. Everything that has happened will be reversed. The red beast has brought everything back to the beginning," the Great Toad Sage murmured.

"What does that mean, Great Toad Sage?" Jiraiya pressed.

Snore, snore!!!

No answer came in response to Jiraiya. Only waves of snoring could be heard.

Clearly, the Great Toad Sage had crashed and fallen asleep again.

Shima sighed. "The Great Toad Sage has fallen asleep again."

Fukasaku said helplessly, "Who knows how long he'll sleep this time before waking up?"

"Luckily, the Great Toad Sage woke up when we brought little Jiraiya back. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a Sage Talisman to heal him."

"I wonder where the Great Toad Sage usually hides these things. We can never find them, no matter how hard we look!"

Jiraiya muttered, "The fate of the world has changed. Everything that has happened will be reversed. The red beast has brought everything back to the beginning."

"What exactly does that mean?"

Jiraiya sank into thought.

"Everything that has happened will be reversed. The red beast has brought everything back to the beginning."

"Could it mean that the red beast reversed everything and returned it all to the beginning?"

"No, changing the order like that changes the meaning."

"Everything will be reversed!"

"Does everything mean absolutely everything?"

"What is this red beast referring to?"

"Could the red beast be the Nine-Tails?"

"The Nine-Tails brought everything back to the beginning?"

Jiraiya frowned as he pondered.

But he clearly could not figure anything out right now. He would only know after putting it into practice and verifying it himself.

"Little Jiraiya, these are ten Sage Talismans bestowed by the Great Toad Sage. They can instantly heal someone on the verge of death. Take them." Fukasaku pulled out ten Sage Talismans and handed them to Jiraiya.

Sage Talismans.

The treasure of Mount Myoboku. The talismans were filled with Sage Chakra and possessed terrifying healing power. Once used, they could immediately pull someone back from the brink of death.

Many years ago, Hagoromo had used a Sage Talisman given to him by Gamamaru to save his younger brother Hamura, who had been controlled by their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, then struck down by Hagoromo and left on the brink of death.

They were extraordinarily precious treasures.

"Thank you, Great Toad Sage, for bestowing these Sage Talismans." Jiraiya accepted them and gave the Great Toad Sage a deep bow.

With these ten Sage Talismans, it was equivalent to having ten extra lives.

Trading ten lives for Uchiha Shadian's one life—he refused to believe he still could not defeat Uchiha Shadian.

"Sage Fukasaku, how long was I unconscious? I want to return to Konoha immediately and provide support." Jiraiya put away the Sage Talismans, his expression anxious.

Fukasaku said, "Little Jiraiya, you've been unconscious for a full day and night."

"I had the toads gather information. The battle between Konoha and Uchiha Shadian has temporarily ended."

"After Uchiha Shadian used a great fire to burn more than nine thousand Konoha ninja to death, he disappeared with the Nine-Tails."

"What? More than nine thousand ninja?" Jiraiya's eyes widened in disbelief. More than nine thousand ninja were not ordinary people. Without powerful means of resistance or the ability to evade, how could a single blaze burn so many to death at once? That was one-third of all Konoha's ninja forces.

What kind of fire could burn more than nine thousand ninja to death in one stroke?

Water Release, Earth Release, Wind Release—these ninjutsu could all counter fire. How could a blaze kill more than nine thousand ninja at once? Were those nine thousand people all idiots?

Fukasaku said gravely, "According to what the toads learned, Uchiha Shadian used the First Hokage's Wood Release. He used massive amounts of Wood Release to surround everyone under the Third Hokage, and the vines summoned by the Wood Release bloomed with poisonous pollen that blanketed the entire forest. At first, the Konoha ninja did not know the pollen was toxic. By the time they realized it, most of them had already been affected. After being poisoned, their bodies became numb, and they suffered dizziness, vomiting, and unconsciousness."

"Taking advantage of the widespread poisoning among the Konoha ninja, Uchiha Shadian unleashed massive amounts of fire and burned the entire forest. The Konoha ninja trapped inside had nowhere to run and could only be burned alive."

"Then that old man, the Third..." Jiraiya clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, drawing blood.

"The Third Hokage is fine. Tsunade arrived in time, detoxified a small number of people, and led them out of the encirclement of the Wood Release forest. They successfully escaped the sea of flames. In the end, more than a thousand survived, preserving a small portion of Konoha's remaining forces."

"I need to return to Konoha immediately." Jiraiya looked anxious.

"No." Shima stopped him.

"Little Jiraiya, you can't return to Konoha yet."

"Why, Sage Shima?" Jiraiya asked in confusion.

Shima said seriously, "From now on, little Jiraiya, you must remain on Mount Myoboku and continue training in Sage Mode."

"Your Sage Mode is not perfect enough. Otherwise, Uchiha Shadian would never have so easily succeeded in ambushing you from behind."

"You must complete your training in Perfect Sage Mode before you can return to Konoha and continue taking part in the campaign against Uchiha Shadian."

"Is that really necessary?" Jiraiya asked.

Fukasaku said, "Do you want to die at Uchiha Shadian's hands again, little Jiraiya?"

"The Sage Talismans bestowed by the Great Toad Sage are not meant to give you the confidence to waste extra lives."

"Without a Perfect Sage Mode capable of rivaling Uchiha Shadian, little Jiraiya, you are not leaving Mount Myoboku."