Kazuki shook his head and asked Jiraiya, "The Sage of Six Paths... really existed?"
"If after a thousand years the solution of the stone tablet was correct, why did he not apply it himself in his time?" he mused aloud. "There are still many unknowns. The first thing is to determine whether the stone tablet is real or not."
Jiraiya listened attentively to Kazuki's words and nodded in satisfaction.
In his mind, Kazuki's value as the child of prophecy rose several levels.
[From the target Jiraiya, you get a special talent-devout believer of prophecy!]
[Devout believer of prophecy]: When Jiraiya experiences emotional fluctuations due to the prophecy, your mastery of Sage Mode will strengthen accordingly. This talent can unlock a final quest, and after completing it, you will receive a special reward: the power of Mount Myoboku.
Hearing the electronic notification in his mind, Kazuki smiled as he received the gold coins. He then patted Jiraiya on the shoulder and said, "I will seriously think about the prophecy and the stone tablet. When the intensity of the war subsides, I will ask you to confirm it."
He paused, and with a sincere look, he added, "Jiraiya, you have spent so many years traveling the world, fighting for peace and the child of prophecy, and you have endured so much doubt and criticism. If it weren't for this coincidence, I probably wouldn't have fully understood it either."
"You are amazing. Mount Myoboku and the shinobi world are lucky to have you. I will do my best to understand the stone tablet and complete its meaning."
Jiraiya felt a tremor in his heart, he even felt a little itchy in his nose. After so many years, someone finally understood him!
And that someone was the child of the prophecy!
"Kazuki, this is my duty. I will help you in any way I can!" After a few seconds, Jiraiya regained his composure and beat his chest with determination. "If you need anything, just tell me."
Kazuki gave him a respectful look, but inside he was laughing.
At that moment, the natural energy, which he could barely perceive before, began to become clearer. It was like little fireflies of heat and power floating around him, gradually entering his perception.
"As for the prophecy and the stone tablet, I will also consult with Tsunade and Orochimaru to analyze it from the perspective of the different Great Wise Regions." Kazuki spoke in a deep voice. "After all, this affects the peace of the entire shinobi world and we cannot take it lightly."
Jiraiya sighed in his mind. Kazuki still didn't fully trust Mount Myoboku.
But since it was the Sage of Six Paths, even Ryuchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest probably wouldn't dare lie about it...
That gave him some peace of mind.
"Well, we've talked enough about the prophecy. Now, let's talk about the war." Kazuki waved his hand, and his expression turned serious. "Although Iwagakure has lost ten thousand shinobi, they still have more than ten thousand left. Besides, the Tsuchikage is not an easy leader to break. We cannot underestimate him."
"As for Kirigakure, I've already taken care of them. But there are still three active fronts: Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Amegakure."
He frowned slightly and sighed. "The Tobirama series weapons have proven effective, but the enemy will also learn to counter them."
"In addition, the supply of new weapons cannot keep pace with consumption. We only had about six months to prepare, production is limited."
"We must be prepared for the possibility that enemies will unite to launch an all-out attack against us."
Minato nodded solemnly. He couldn't help but be impressed, despite all his exploits on the battlefield, Kazuki was still so stable and composed.
"I have to inspect the Kumogakure front. You must remain alert for possible retaliation from Iwagakure. If there is any problem, immediately report it to headquarters through Yamanaka Kaze."
After saying this, Kazuki quickly walked away, his figure showing signs of exhaustion.
Minato and Jiraiya watched him leave and looked at each other with complicated expressions.
"Minato, you may have to slow down the matter of the Fourth Hokage..."
Jiraiya scratched his head embarrassedly. "It's not that I don't support you, it's just that Kazuki is the child of prophecy, and letting him become Hokage is the best choice for the ninja world and the future."
"But hey, it's not that you've run out of opportunities. There will always be the Fifth Hokage..."
Jiraiya tried to comfort Minato.
However, both knew that Minato's chances of reaching the position of Fifth Hokage were unrealistic. Kazuki didn't have any apprentices yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't have any in the future.
Minato, without losing his characteristic optimistic attitude, smiled warmly: "If it is Kazuki who surpasses me, then I can accept it without any problem."
Then, with a determined gleam in his eyes, he added, "Still, perhaps I have an advantage over him..."
Jiraiya opened his mouth as if to object but held back. Though he had always maintained that there was no greater ninja than Minato, his devotion to the prophecy outweighed that conviction.
Minato laughed happily. "I have a girlfriend. If I try hard after the war, I might be able to be a father before Kazuki."
With a mischievous smile, he continued, "If I have a son, I could have him become Kazuki's apprentice. Who knows, maybe he'll have a chance to be the Fifth... or even the Sixth Hokage."
Jiraiya was speechless. His instincts told him he should scoff, but thinking about it... Minato made sense.
If his son became Kazuki's apprentice, he would be the disciple of the Child of Prophecy and would also have the connection to Mount Myōboku. He would be the perfect candidate for Hokage!
With renewed seriousness, Jiraiya patted Minato on the back and solemnly declared, "Minato, you have to do your best."
"Don't let me look down on you, young man!"
Minato looked at Jiraiya speechlessly and shook his head.
He didn't know why, but sometimes he had the feeling that Tsunade cared a little more for Kazuki than she should have for a disciple...
Although he didn't like to get involved in gossip, if that assumption was correct...
He didn't know what his sensei's reaction would be when he found out...
...
Meanwhile, Kazuki was calmly heading towards the Kumogakure battlefield.
"The chakra of the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails… Without the Demonic Statue to extract them, I have not been able to fully obtain them."
He analyzed the chakra of the tailed beasts within his body. In total, he had managed to retain about half of each one.
"I don't have the Demonic Statue, but perhaps I can try to summon the source…" He mused silently. "These portions of chakra, in essence, belong to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. The more I absorb, the more I will become a suitable vessel for her."
"Even her son, the Sage of Six Paths, forcibly extracted the Ten Tails from his body and split it apart, which shows how dangerous it is. Not just anyone can control it."
If his goal was to maintain peace in the shinobi world and prevent Kaguya's resurgence, it made sense for the Sage of Six Paths to remain the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki.
The fact that he had extracted the Ten-Tails from his body only meant one thing: even he could not completely subdue that power, for in the end, it still belonged to Kaguya. Had he tried to prolong it, he might have faced an even greater disaster… a fate even more tragic than remaining in the Pure Land.
From Kazuki's perspective, the biggest risk was ending up like Uchiha Madara… a simple sacrifice for Kaguya's resurrection.
"As energy entities, the power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan… is definitely not something easy to handle." Kazuki sighed inwardly. "That's why I must have Kaguya herself filter out any potential threats to me. Only then will I be truly safe."
"First, I'll go see Shisui, Tsunade, and Orochimaru to finalize some plans. Then, I'll get the summoning scroll from the Shikkotsu Forest and study Senjutsu. While I'm at it, I'll listen to what other sages have to say about the toad prophecy…"
"Afterwards, I will have to check on the development of Kirigakure…"
Truth be told, he had too many things to do.
In this war, Kazuki's main targets came down to Shisui and Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan…
And, in addition to obtaining the final mission of Kumo and Suna, if he had already obtained the Pact of the Earth and the Ocean, he also needed to claim the Pact of the Wind and the Lightning.
"Black Zetsu… I've already set the stage for you. Don't let me down…"
While thinking of his 'brother', Kazuki sent him his support mentally. Meanwhile, his clone continued to observe Black Zetsu's movements, waiting for his next move.
It was at that moment that Tobirama could no longer contain himself and, in an urgent tone, exclaimed: "Kazuki! Do you really believe in those prophecies and in the inscription on the stone tablet? Something doesn't add up…"
"Relax, Tobirama." Kazuki replied calmly. "You have a Sharingan too, right? When the time comes, we can go together and check it out."
Tobirama tilted his head in thought. Suddenly, he felt more relaxed.
Oh, right. He had a Sharingan too!
So… he just had to go with Kazuki and see for himself.
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