Towering trees covered the entire land. A flying insect darted swiftly through the gaps in the forest.
A green figure, about the size of a palm, swiftly swept past, firmly grasping the flying insect between its six legs.
The palm-sized dragonfly, holding the newly caught flying insect, hadn't even had time to rejoice.
A pink tongue flashed past the dragonfly's eyes like lightning.
The long, pink tongue coiled the dragonfly into the mouth of a half-human-sized orange-peeled Toad.
Just as Gamamaru was about to swallow the dragonfly, a look of reluctance appeared on its face, and it spat the dragonfly out of its mouth.
Plucking the dragonfly's wings and limbs, and throwing it into a large stone bowl.
The large bowl was already crammed full of all sorts of insects.
"That's enough." Gamamaru dusted off his front paws. "This bowl is enough for them to eat for several days."
Heipi was squatting on a rock nearby, with a huge, still-struggling grasshopper in his mouth.
It tilted its head and mumbled something indistinctly.
"How much do you think they're going to eat? These gods are even more troublesome than us."
"Don't ask," said Gamamaru. "It's pointless to ask. Let's go, it's getting dark."
It picked up the stone bowl, turned, and walked into the depths of the forest.
Heipi swallowed the grasshopper, jumped off the rock, and followed behind Gamamaru.
They passed through a dense vine and circled around an old tree that had been split in two by lightning.
Gamamaru stopped in front of a huge camphor tree and tapped the roots three times with its front paws.
A crack silently appeared in the tree trunk, revealing an extremely narrow passage.
The path was lined with glowing moss, its green light illuminating the stone steps beneath our feet.
Heipi followed behind, muttering to himself.
" Mount Myōboku is so big, yet they insist on living in a place like this. Takamagahara so much better, with its tall and grand shrines. Now look what they've done, they've dug into the ground and even taken over our territory."
"Shut up." Gamamaru didn't even turn his head. "Say one more word, and you'll have to hunt for yourself tomorrow."
I won't talk about the Heipi.
The passage was long and winding, leading downwards. The deeper one went, the drier the air became, and the dimmer the light from the moss grew.
The last stretch of road was almost entirely dark, with only the occasional sound of insects rubbing their wings together in the Gamamaru bowl.
When you reach the end, a stone chamber appears ahead.
The stone chamber was small, with a fist-sized luminous pearl embedded in the ceiling, barely illuminating two blurry outlines.
Amaterasu sat at the innermost part, leaning against the stone wall, her eyes half-closed.
Kukurihime-no-Kami sat beside her, her hands resting on her knees, looking like a statue that had grown out of a stone.
Gamamaru placed the stone bowl on the ground and pushed it forward.
" Amaterasu, Kukurihime, please forgive our poor hospitality. This is our favorite food, and we hope you will enjoy it as well."
Amaterasu opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the stone bowl. She glanced at the insects whose wings and legs had been plucked, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"Just leave it there."
The Gamamaru didn't move. After waiting for a while, seeing that Amaterasu had no intention of eating it, it had no choice but to take two steps back.
As he stepped back, he couldn't help but glance at the Taiseki bowl.
What a pity, these two gods don't even like these delicious insects.
Heipi had already shrunk into the corner; it was most afraid of Amaterasu.
The cold aura emanating from this woman was more unsettling than any corner of Mount Myōboku.
" Gamamaru," Amaterasu suddenly spoke.
"Exist."
Have you had any prophetic dreams these days?
Gamamaru shook his head.
"It's been a long time since I've done it. Amaterasu, please be aware that my prophetic dream is not as accurate as that of Lady Kukurihime by your side."
"I can't control that either. If I have a new dream, I will definitely tell you the truth."
Amaterasu silent, tapping her fingers lightly twice on her knee before waving them away.
"You may leave. Do not enter without my summons."
Gamamaru picked up the empty bowl and retreated with Heipi.
The passage closed again. Only Amaterasu and Kukurihime-no-Kami remained in the stone chamber.
The light from the luminous pearl cast the shadows of two people on the stone wall, one sitting and one lying down, like two ancient statues.
" Kukurihime."
Kukurihime-no-Kami.
" Amaterasu- sama."
"Try again, find Omoikane."
Kukurihime-no-Kami nodded, and slowly raised her hands, palms facing each other.
The light in the stone chamber flickered on for a moment, then went back to darkness.
Her breathing became shallow and long, as if she had sunk into a very deep river. Amaterasu looked at her face.
His face was almost transparently white in the light of the luminous pearl, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
After a long time, Kukurihime-no-Kami's brows slowly furrowed.
"What did you see?"
"Ban. Shinsei." Kukurihime-no-Kami's voice was broken, as if through a thick layer, "I saw them, but I couldn't see them clearly."
It was as if a veil was blocking their view; their shadows were visible, but their movements were blurred.
"Didn't you say last time that you could accurately predict 90% of Madara Uchiha?"
Why can't I see Madara Uchiha anymore?
"I'm sorry, Amaterasu, I've disappointed you."
Amaterasu snorted coldly and continued to give orders.
"Then find Omoikane, find Omoikane for me."
Kukurihime-no-Kami remained silent for a moment. Her brows furrowed even more, and her lips trembled slightly.
No! In the long river of time, there is no trace of Omoikane! It's as if he was wiped off the face of this river.
Amaterasu's face darkened. She straightened up from the stone wall and stared at Kukurihime-no-Kami.
Say it again.
"There's no sign of him." Kukurihime-no-Kami opened her eyes, panting heavily. "I searched three times. From top to bottom, from near to far. I didn't see Omoikane-no-Kami in the entire river!"
Amaterasu stood up. She walked up to Kukurihime-no-Kami and looked down at her.
She slowly raised her right hand, and a very faint black flame appeared in her palm.
Black flames instantly enveloped Kukurihime-no-Kami.
The terrifying temperature made the entire stone chamber scorching hot.
Kukurihime-no-Kami looked up at her, her face pale, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.
Are you lying to me?
"No." Kukurihime-no-Kami. "I'm not lying to you."
"You've never been wrong before," Amaterasu. "You predicted Hashirama's name, Inada -Kushinadahime's name, and Madara's name. Every single time you were right. Now you're telling me you can't find Omoikane?"
"Please forgive me, Amaterasu! Omoikane is different. She is the goddess of wisdom. She understands the power of prophecy better than anyone else."
He knew how to hide himself in the river of time.
He could erase himself from the record of fate if he wanted to.
Amaterasu did not stop; the ball of black flame pulsed in her palm, slowly extending into an extremely thin whip of fire that wrapped around Kukurihime-no-Kami's shoulder.
Kukurihime-no-Kami froze completely, even her breath caught in her throat.
The black flames didn't burn her, but the heat from that whip was enough for her to know that Amaterasu had a single thought, she would disappear from this world.
"You'd better be telling the truth." Amaterasu's voice was very soft, as soft as moonlight falling on snow. "I don't have much patience left."
I burned the God Tree! The Ōtsutsuki Clan is about to descend, and now Omoikane-no-Kami is hiding!
I don't want Takamagahara to be destroyed in my hands. If you have other intentions, then I don't mind turning you into fertilizer for Takamagahara Takamagahara's destroyed!
Kukurihime-no-Kami knelt down, her forehead pressed against the cold stone ground.
" Amaterasu, I beg you to believe me. I did not intentionally hide Omoikane's whereabouts."
He was indeed not in the prophecy. He is the god of wisdom, knowing better than anyone how to evade foreknowledge. Perhaps he had foreseen this, and thus hid himself from the river of fate beforehand.
Amaterasu looked at her; the black flame whip was wrapped around Kukurihime-no-Kami's shoulder, neither tightening nor loosening.
After a long time, Amaterasu slowly withdrew her hand.
The black flames retreated into her sleeve and disappeared. Kukurihime-no-Kami sat slumped on the ground, panting heavily.
There was a faint scorch mark on her shoulder, like a mark that hadn't burned in.
I'll believe you this once, but only this once. Try again tomorrow.
The day after tomorrow, I'll continue trying until I find the Omoikane.
If you still can't find...
She didn't finish speaking, and neither did Kukurihime-no-Kami.
The stone chamber fell silent again.
The soft glow of the luminous pearl shone on Amaterasu's face.
It cast a dark and gloomy shadow over her once bright and warm face.