What the Heck Is a Great-Uncle Toad?

Huh? What the heck is a grand-disciple master?

Even with Kakashi's wealth of experience, he couldn't help but stare blankly. Was this toad taking advantage of him?

"It's true! I'm Tahm from Mount Myoboku." Tahm continued, "I'm Sage Fukasaku's direct disciple, and Jiraiya's junior apprentice!"

The Fourth Hokage was Jiraiya's disciple, and the Fourth Hokage was my teacher. By that logic, I really do have a toad grandmaster! Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Then why were you hunting beasts in the Forest of Death?" Kakashi asked.

Tahm felt somewhat awkward. He had indeed been farming experience by hunting Konoha's domesticated animals, so he could only brace himself and say, "Well... it was mainly for training, to improve my combat skills."

"But you also attacked Konoha shinobi." Kakashi gauged the truthfulness of Tahm's words and asked probing questions.

"What attack? That naked man was the one who blasted me first!" Tahm felt not the slightest bit guilty. "If you don't believe me, take me to the Hyuga clan and ask them. I'm the summoning beast of the Hyuga clan's heiress."

"All right. I'll verify your identity. Since you have nothing to hide, please come with me."

Tahm suddenly felt as though a police officer had invited him for tea and was about to lock him in a little room, but he still agreed. After all, Anbu Kakashi did count as a police officer.

An hour later, inside the Hokage's office.

"Tahm of Mount Myoboku. I didn't expect us to meet under these circumstances." After hearing Kakashi's report, the Third Hokage sat in the Hokage's seat and spoke with the bearing of a great leader.

"You know me?" Tahm asked, confused.

"I've been keeping an eye on you since you came into contact with Naruto." The Third Hokage wore an expression on his mature, dignified face that said, "Everything is under control."

"Damn! Why don't you take that crystal ball to the women's bathhouse instead of watching a toad like me?"

"Ahem." The Third Hokage's long-maintained masterly bearing instantly collapsed. "It seems you do know quite a lot. Did Jiraiya tell you?"

"Uh, yes." Tahm admitted it without hesitation. He couldn't exactly say he had learned it from a manga.

"Senior Brother Jiraiya told me quite a few things." Tahm added that for good measure.

The Third Hokage revealed a nostalgic expression and slowly said, "No wonder you dressed Naruto that way. Are you somewhat dissatisfied with Konoha's decision?"

Tahm did his best to make his toad face look disdainful and said, "Treating the descendant of a hero this way isn't exactly something worth praising, is it?"

"We have our own considerations, both for security reasons and in other respects." The topic grew somewhat heavy.

"Let's not talk about that." Tahm took the initiative to steer the conversation back on course. "Can I leave now?"

The Third Hokage smiled like an old fox and said, "Of course. But you'll have to take this with you."

As he spoke, the Third Hokage handed over an official Konoha document. Tahm accepted it and took a look. It read:

"Hereby sentenced:

Tahm of Mount Myoboku is guilty of destroying public facilities, hunting protected animals, attacking Konoha shinobi, and disrupting public order.

With all charges combined, the defendant is sentenced to compensate Konoha with one hundred million ryo."

Tahm flew into a rage and said, "What the hell? Are those few dozen beasts worth a hundred million?"

"It wasn't just a few dozen. Your actions also caused even more beasts to flee the Forest of Death in desperation." The Third Hokage smiled faintly.

"Even so, they aren't worth a hundred million!" Tahm roared. "Kakashi's head is only worth fifty million on the black market. Did I scare off two Kakashis?"

Kakashi, who had been standing silently in the background, felt awkward. How had his head suddenly become a unit of measurement?

"That's different." The Third Hokage had already prepared his explanation. "A villa in a prime location in Konoha can cost over a hundred million. You can't say that a human life is worth less than a house. Besides, this one-hundred-million-r yo fine has a detailed chart of property damage attached. Every penny of it has a reason behind it. Do you think Konoha would extort you by making an outrageous demand?"

What a shameless real-estate developer. Tahm condemned him with blood and tears in his heart. Kakuzu, Akatsuki's financial officer, risked his life day and night to earn money. A few jobs were enough to buy a house in Konoha.

"Besides, aren't you the partner of the Hyuga clan's heiress? They're very wealthy." The Third Hokage spoke meaningfully. "You did this, so you can't refuse to pay."

"If I ask Hyuga Hiashi for a hundred million, I'll probably get neither the money nor a moment's peace from Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" The moment Tahm thought of Hiashi's attitude toward him for running off with Hinata, he knew that asking the Hyuga clan for money was absolutely hopeless.

"Wait." Tahm suddenly thought of a solution that would satisfy everyone. "Let me become a Konoha shinobi. I can take missions and earn money to repay the debt."

Tahm continued to advertise himself. "I'm not only strong and durable, I also know an incredibly powerful healing ninjutsu."

"Oh?" The Third Hokage grew interested. "Can you demonstrate it?"

Kakashi understood at once. Without a word, he grabbed a kunai and slashed a long cut into his own arm, looking rather like a street tough.

Tahm hurriedly cast Starcall. A flash of golden light passed, and the still-bleeding wound instantly healed.

"That's an incredible healing technique, even stronger than Konoha's medical ninja arts." Kakashi was astonished. "There wasn't even a healing process; the injury vanished instantly. And it didn't just heal the wound—the fatigue and hidden injuries in his body were healed as well. It even restored a small amount of chakra."

"Excellent!" The Third Hokage was moved by this miraculous healing technique. "I agree to let you become a Konoha shinobi."

"That's great!" Tahm was delighted. Once he became a shinobi, he could obtain a license to kill and have a way to level up and buy equipment.

The Third Hokage turned to Kakashi and said, "For the next while, Tahm will be in your care. Take him around and familiarize him with the life of a Konoha shinobi."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, then resumed his cool-guy silence.

The Third Hokage said to Tahm, "Your appointment and forehead protector will be delivered in a few days. You can head back for now."

"Okay!" Having gotten what he wanted, Tahm happily turned and left.

It took Tahm quite a while after leaving to realize that the Third Hokage had seemed to be guiding him into volunteering to become a shinobi.

So this was a seller's market. I actually sold myself off for next to nothing, and ended up owing Konoha a hundred million!

Thinking about how he had just desperately showcased his abilities like a college graduate who couldn't find a job, Tahm felt a wave of embarrassment. He wasn't the useless salted fish he had been in his previous life. Someone who could fight Kakashi to a fifty-fifty draw was clearly at the level of a corporate executive. How could he have been so undignified? It was all because he had been too eager to become a shinobi and couldn't think straight. Sigh!

But enough about Tahm's regret.

After Tahm left, the Third Hokage leisurely asked, "Kakashi, what do you think?"

Kakashi said, "His identity can be verified, and he has a close relationship with Hinata Hyuga, Naruto, and the others. He also has some affection for Konoha. Combined with his own strength, he'll probably become one of Konoha's figureheads in the future."

"Indeed." The Third Hokage gave a brief reply and fell silent. He was reminded of the information he had received from Mount Myoboku, and his eyes grew deep.

The one who will change the era in the Great Toad Sage's prophecy?

Tahm, how far will you go?