Chapter 104 Otsutsuki Hagoromo

This was the first time Naruto had used this ability. Previously, he had only used his Michikaeshi to create illusions. Now, combining it with ordinary Genjutsu, the effect was even more powerful than he had imagined.

With the boost from his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, even Kage-level Ninja would struggle to detect his Genjutsu, let alone break free from it.

By the time they realized they had been killed in the Genjutsu, they would already be dead in reality, their deaths mirroring what they had experienced in the Genjutsu.

After dealing with the two giant toads, Naruto didn't linger. He immediately resumed his journey toward the source of the Six Paths' Chakra.

He knew Mount Myoboku couldn't possibly be foolish enough to think that Gamabunta and Gamahiro alone could defeat him, especially after he had effortlessly taken down Gamaken and Jiraiya.

The two giant toads were merely sent to buy time, but they had only given Naruto a brief moment to catch his breath.

---

Inside the palace halfway up Mount Myoboku, Gamamaru stared solemnly at the scene displayed in the crystal ball before him. Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and the previously severely injured Gamaken represented the pinnacle of Mount Myoboku's combat strength. Yet, Naruto had defeated them all with such ease.

Beside Gamamaru, Fukasaku and Shima, who had just returned from their tasks, wore equally grim expressions. Their yellow eyes were filled with immeasurable sorrow and pain.

Gamabunta and Gamahiro were their children. Seeing their offspring reduced to such a state before their eyes was an unbearable agony.

"There's no time left. Is this as far as we can go?"

Gamamaru sighed softly.

However, the body of Jiraiya, which had been lying still, slowly sat up, its appearance gradually changing.

"Gamamaru, it's enough. This body can't endure much more."

'Jiraiya' spoke calmly. Although this body had trained in Senjutsu, that was all it had to offer.

"Can you defeat him in your current state?" Gamamaru asked quietly.

'Jiraiya' didn't answer the question. From what he had seen earlier, Naruto was already beginning to master the use of Yin-Yang Release. Combined with the Chakra of Asura and a portion of Indra, he knew it was only a matter of time before Naruto stepped into the realm of the Six Paths.

"Gamamaru, whether it was the battle with Mother back then or the issue with Asura now, all you've ever seen is Mount Myoboku. And all you've ever thought about is how to use me and Homura."

'Jiraiya's' eyes gleamed with a cold light. Gamamaru, however, showed little reaction.

"Whether it was the Rabbit Goddess or the Child of Destruction, their arrival would bring disaster to this world. The Rabbit Goddess sought to turn the entire shinobi world into her nourishment, and the Child of Destruction's ambitions would plunge the world into an abyss."

"It would be an unprecedented war!"

'Jiraiya' fell silent, using his arm to push himself up from the ground. After giving Gamamaru a deep look, he turned and slowly walked out of the palace.

"That's why I'm stepping in. This isn't for your Mount Myoboku. It's for the entire Ninja World."

Now, he was going to teach that unruly child a lesson.

Gamamaru silently watched as 'Jiraiya' left the palace. The slit of its eyes, revealing only the whites, gave no hint of its emotions.

This had always been an ambush targeting the Child of Destruction, and the timing was perfect.

Jiraiya's premature encounter with the Child of Destruction had shown Gamamaru the early destruction of Mount Myoboku. That was why it had hastily prepared this plan.

The Child of Destruction would use Jiraiya's body to enter Mount Myoboku… a scene Gamamaru had foreseen in its prophecy.

Gamamaru had considered abandoning Jiraiya's body, but with the Child of Prophecy lost, Jiraiya's body would play a crucial role in future plans.

Plan not for the moment, but for eternity.

Rather than being forced into a passive position in the future, it was better to turn the tables, using Mount Myoboku as bait and its destruction as the price to bury the Child of Destruction.

After all, it was just one holy land. As long as they survived, rebuilding another would be no great challenge.

"Fukasaku, Shima, take the clan members and leave. Mount Myoboku has suffered enough. We won't participate in the battle to come."

"Understood, Great Toad Sage-sama."

Fukasaku and Shima replied in low voices, then went to guide the other toads to safety.

After Fukasaku and Shima left, Gamamaru slowly rose from the spot where it had slept for countless years. Its body trembled slightly, but there was a steadiness to its movements.

---

In the dense forest, Naruto had been running for some time.

Admittedly, Mount Myoboku was vast, and its environment was quite pleasant. It was a shame that such a place was inhabited by toads.

"Naruto! The old man's Chakra is moving toward us!"

While rushing forward, Naruto suddenly heard Kurama's voice again.

He was slightly startled but didn't show much emotion. This was exactly what he wanted.

And inside the seal space, Kurama's eyes also gleamed with excitement and a growing fighting spirit.

After all, this is the Sage of Six Paths! Even if it was just a trace of his Chakra, defeating him would give Kurama bragging rights for years, especially when it came to that big raccoon.

"Naruto, if you want my Chakra, take as much as you need!"

In the seal space, Kurama stood up for the first time in a long while. Its chakra surged wildly into Naruto's body, bypassing the seal's restrictions as Naruto absorbed it all.

The arc on Naruto's mouth could no longer be suppressed.

'Kurama, who had been lounging in the seal space for so long, was finally showing some of the demeanor of the strongest Tailed Beast.'

At last, as he was about to leave the dense forest, Naruto saw the figure waiting for him.

However, the moment he saw the figure, his expression shifted to one of surprise.

"Jiraiya?"

But he quickly realized that although the figure had Jiraiya's face, the horns growing from its head, the white robe adorned with six magatama, and the pair of purple Rinnegan all pointed to its true identity.

He hadn't expected the other party to appear in this form.

"You're finally here."

Jiraiya… no, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, which is now inhabiting Jiraiya's body, spoke with a complex expression, like a parent looking at a rebellious child.

Naruto, however, couldn't help but feel even more disdain as he observed the figure.

"Your current appearance is even uglier than I imagined."