The Sage's Prophecy

The one responsible for teaching Obito Uchiha Sage Art was the mature beauty known as Tagorihime.

Tagorihime parted her red lips and spoke slowly. "When you humans normally use ninjutsu, you rely on drawing upon the chakra hidden within your bodies."

"Ordinary chakra is actually produced by the fusion of one's physical energy and spiritual energy."

"However, Sage Chakra is entirely different. On top of that foundation, you must draw in energy from nature and perfectly blend that natural energy into your original chakra."

As she spoke, Tagorihime extended her long, pale fingers and lightly gestured through the air.

"But to maintain the balance of the three energies, each must account for one-third before it can be activated."

"If there is too much natural energy, you will be consumed by the power of nature. At Mount Myoboku, that means turning into a frog. In severe cases, you become a lifeless stone statue."

"At Dragon Cave, you will turn completely into a snake. In severe cases, you will also become a stone statue."

"Of course, if there is too little natural energy, you will be unable to gather Sage power and activate Sage Mode."

Tagorihime explained with great care.

Obito Uchiha nodded seriously, removed his shirt, and began earnestly attempting to gather Sage Art.

Tagorihime slowly formed a snake-shaped whip.

Crack!

"Go ahead and train. I'll help you from the side. The moment your natural power becomes unbalanced, I'll use this whip to lash you awake!"

Tagorihime said with a faint smile.

Obito Uchiha silently stared at the whip in Tagorihime's hand and swallowed.

Training began.

The natural energy around him slowly began entering Obito Uchiha's body.

As natural energy continued pouring in, Obito felt his body gradually growing heavier.

Obito Uchiha struggled to control the balance of the three energies, beads of sweat the size of beans slowly appearing on his forehead.

Suddenly, Obito felt too much natural energy flooding into him. His body began showing signs of turning serpentine, and his skin slowly became slick.

Seeing this, Tagorihime flicked her wrist. The long whip whistled through the air and struck Obito with precision.

A burst of searing pain hit him, and Obito instantly snapped awake, hurriedly readjusting the ratio of his energies.

After nearly losing balance several times, Obito gradually grasped the trick. He shut his eyes tight and focused completely, finally maintaining the three energies at one-third each.

A vast, incomparably powerful Sage Chakra surged and churned through his body like a raging tide.

At that moment, Obito's eyes became chilling serpent eyes, flashing with a soul-piercing gleam!

The dark snake scales covering his body were now completely under his control as well!

Even more astonishingly, the top of Obito Uchiha's head began to bulge slightly, as though a pair of mysterious dragon horns were about to break through his skin.

Seeing this, even Tagorihime could not help revealing a satisfied smile.

Tagorihime nodded lightly, then slowly put away the whip clenched in her hand. "Not bad. To gain an initial grasp of this power in such a short time, you truly deserve to be called an unparalleled genius of the Uchiha Clan."

"From here on, you need only keep training diligently and persistently. Given time, you will certainly be able to wield this power as easily as your own limbs."

Hearing Tagorihime's praise, Obito Uchiha merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Stay in Dragon Cave and train for the time being. War has broken out in the outside world. Remaining here to conserve your strength is ultimately the wiser choice."

Obito Uchiha nodded faintly. He knew very well that the war was only escalating, and ending it in the short term was practically impossible.

Rather than rashly throwing himself onto that cruel, bloody battlefield, he might as well seize this rare opportunity to remain in Dragon Cave and cultivate in peace for a while.

Once his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, he could choose the right moment to return to the battlefield. Then, he would surely shine brilliantly and turn the tide in one stroke!

"Remember not to provoke the red snake in the back mountain..."

Tagorihime warned.

Obito Uchiha focused slightly and nodded.

That should be Shinya, Boruto's summoning beast.

After Tagorihime left, Obito Uchiha looked around.

Unlike Mount Myoboku, where natural energy was especially dense, Dragon Cave was filled with dark, damp air. There was no sun, only gloomy black clouds.

"I'll cultivate here for a while..."

Thus, Obito Uchiha began his path of cultivation in Dragon Cave.

Mount Myoboku.

Inside the great hall.

A gigantic old toad, bright orange all over and covered in wrinkles of varying depths, slowly opened its enormous eyes like an ancient beast awakening from a long slumber.

Gamamaru! Also known as the Great Toad Sage!

The passage of time had left clear traces upon him.

A string of ancient-looking prayer beads hung around his thick neck, while a uniquely shaped hat sat atop his head. It resembled a doctoral cap from the human world, adding a touch of refined dignity befitting an elder.

"This is truly unbelievable... The future that had already been set in stone has changed without any warning..."

His voice was filled with shock and confusion.

"Even the scenes I saw in my dreams are becoming more and more blurred..."

As Gamamaru spoke, he furrowed his brow slightly, as though struggling to understand the reason behind it.

Yet faced with such strange and unpredictable changes, even with the experience and wisdom he had accumulated over a thousand years, he could not find a definite answer for the moment.

Gamamaru could not understand it. By all reason, the fated future should have been impossible to change, yet it had changed now, rendering everything before it void.

"Great Elder, did you dream of something again?"

Fukasaku, standing nearby, naturally noticed the Great Toad Sage's abnormal state.

"Fukasaku, hurry and tell little Jiraiya that he must be careful of snakes. Snakes will bring disaster to this world!"

Gamamaru suddenly said for no apparent reason.

At his words, both Fukasaku and Shima frowned.

"You must tell Jiraiya that snakes will bring disaster to this world!"

"I saw a snake. This snake will bring unprecedented destruction to the Shinobi World! But there is still time to stop it!"

Gamamaru's eyes were no longer clouded as he spoke again, his tone this time even more resolute and certain!

Fukasaku and Shima were left utterly bewildered.

"Dear, could the Great Elder be planning to go to war with Dragon Cave?"

Shima complained.

"The snake here may not necessarily be a snake from Dragon Cave. It could be some kind of metaphor, but for some reason, the Great Elder can't say it..." Fukasaku said slowly.