The Great Toad Sage murmured to himself, then fell asleep once more.
Space and time shifted, dazzling and bizarre.
When Neji steadied himself again and took in his surroundings, he found himself standing upon a wild, ancient land.
The natural energy in the air was so dense it had nearly become tangible, far purer and more violent than that of his own era.
Following the guidance of the Great Toad Sage's spacetime mark, he knew that he had arrived roughly a thousand years in the past—an age not long after Kaguya Otsutsuki's descent, when her two sons, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and Hamura Ōtsutsuki, had yet to grow up!
He suppressed most of his aura, retaining only the foundation of Wet Bone Forest Sage Art, and began traveling through this era, observing it.
He saw humanity struggling to survive beneath the shadow of the Divine Tree, their lives harvested as a source of troops for White Zetsu.
He saw the young Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and Hamura Ōtsutsuki, who had begun to doubt and resist their mother's actions.
He also encountered the still-young Gamamaru, then merely a small toad with the power of foresight.
Neji did not rashly interfere with history. He was like a ghost, an observer.
Relying on his formidable strength and knowledge of the future, he offered Hagoromo and Hamura a few seemingly incidental pointers at certain critical junctures as a "mysterious wandering ninja," helping them recognize Kaguya's true nature sooner and develop their chakra powers more systematically.
He exchanged insights on Sage Art with the young Gamamaru, sharing some mature techniques from later generations for wielding natural energy and helping him grow faster.
Gamamaru was filled with curiosity and gratitude toward Neji. He regarded him as both teacher and friend, unreservedly teaching him Mount Myoboku Sage Art's founding concepts and