Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 56: The Great Toad Sage

Minato remained on high alert for a while, only relaxing when Kushina arrived with the unconscious Six-Tails Jinchuriki. He cast an inquiring glance at her.

"Minato, it should be gone now."

Facing Minato's gaze, Kushina shook her head. "I can no longer sense any malice."

As she spoke, a look of relief appeared on her face. "Thankfully, I activated my malice-sensing ability as soon as I came to the battlefield."

To be honest, she didn't particularly like this ability, which she had gained by extracting chakra from the Nine-Tails.

In Konoha, she had never used it.

Because once activated, she could always sense malicious intent in crowded places. Even if it wasn't directed at her, it was still unsettling.

Hearing this, Minato finally let out a long breath and turned his gaze toward the nearby toad.

"Master Fukasaku, why did you use the Reverse Summoning Technique to come here?"

"The Elder sent me to save someone. He foresaw certain things again." Fukasaku observed the surroundings for a moment before hopping away into the distance. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you further."

"Thank you!"

Sincerely expressing his gratitude, Minato turned his attention to the injured Fugaku and said to the two of them, "Fugaku, let me take you back to the camp first. You've exhausted too much of your strength."

This time, Uchiha Fugaku didn't try to force himself. He nodded and used his Mangekyo Sharingan to issue a command to the Tailed Beast. "For now, the Three-Tails will follow your orders. I'll leave the rest to you, Fourth Hokage."

In his current state, following them would only slow them down. It was better for him to retreat to the rear.

"Understood," Minato nodded, his gaze shifting back to the remains of the White Zetsu clone, his expression growing heavy.

There was still much to handle after this war.

...

"Failed, huh."

Inside a barrier, Hyuga Fuji slowly opened his eyes.

"Was it the Great Toad Sage who sent you to find me?"

"..."

Fukasaku, who had distanced himself from Minato and come here on the Great Toad Sage's orders, wore a deeply solemn expression.

This white-eyed youth—what did he know?

"We're not enemies, and there are no white creatures like that here. Why the grim expression?" Hyuga Fuji chuckled softly.

After a moment of silence, Fukasaku finally spoke cautiously, "The Elder wishes to meet you."

"This is just a shadow clone. If he really wants to, I could go and meet him."

Hyuga Fuji smiled faintly. "But if he wishes to meet my true self, I'm afraid I don't have the time for that."

Hearing this, Fukasaku recalled his conversation with the Great Toad Sage just a few minutes ago.

"If you encounter a white-eyed youth, invite him over."

The Elder hadn't specified whether it had to be the true body or not.

"A shadow clone will do."

After a pause, Fukasaku said, "Let's go, then."

Hyuga Fuji nodded.

...

Mount Myoboku.

After Fukasaku brought Hyuga Fuji there, the Great Toad Sage awoke from its slumber. Staring at the familiar face it had seen repeatedly in its dreams, it let out a sigh.

"The first time I dreamed of you was half a year ago."

As if knowing what Hyuga Fuji wanted to hear, the Great Toad Sage waved its webbed hand to dismiss Fukasaku before continuing, "At the time, I no longer had the ability to deal with you. Does that answer satisfy you?"

Hyuga Fuji's shadow clone looked at the massive, ancient toad before him and shook his head slightly.

"Not satisfied."

"We share common interests."

The Great Toad Sage paused at these words, then added, "You are not an Otsutsuki; you won't destroy this planet. As for the disputes of the ninja world, they have nothing to do with Mount Myoboku, so I have refrained from interfering in your affairs."

"..."

Seeing Hyuga Fuji's faint smile, the Great Toad Sage couldn't help but chuckle wryly. "No matter what I say now, you won't believe me, will you?"

"Facing a being that can foresee the future, it's only natural to be cautious until I fully understand your abilities or gain absolute strength."

Though Hyuga Fuji spoke of caution, his demeanor remained relaxed.

"Believe me or not, I can't say whether my actions align with your expectations. Therefore, I can only hold your weak points."

The Great Toad Sage fell silent.

"So, you've stayed in Konoha until now, forging close ties with Minato and others, even setting up a series of safeguards around them—partly to prevent me from taking action?"

"Wouldn't you?" Hyuga Fuji chuckled lightly.

Sitting in its chair, the Great Toad Sage's aged expression turned somber as it closed its eyes.

Change... It despised it.

If not for Hyuga Fuji, the ninja world could have followed its destined path, reaching a prosperous future.

But now, the changes Hyuga Fuji introduced had diverted the future's course to an unknown destination—something it had yet to glimpse in its dreams.

So, if killing Hyuga Fuji could restore the ninja world's course, it would not hesitate to act.

Unfortunately, it hadn't lied earlier—by the time it became aware of Hyuga Fuji, it was already too late. Not six months ago, but two years ago.

That was when Hyuga Fuji first appeared in its dreams, doing something that provoked it to consider taking action. But as soon as that future unfolded in its vision, the consequences of acting became clear.

Had it exposed Hyuga Fuji two years ago, with Minato, Jiraiya, and Konoha's help, it might have been able to kill him—even if he used Izanagi.

But Hyuga Fuji would ultimately escape through a peculiar reincarnation technique.

And when he reappeared, Mount Myoboku would be destroyed...

The details in between were unclear. Its dreams didn't reveal everything, and its foresight had limitations.

That reincarnation technique seemed to have been prearranged by Hyuga Fuji, linked to specific individuals. Upon his body's death, his soul would transfer to one of them.

Who those individuals were, where they were, how many backups he had, and the technique's restrictions—all of it remained uncertain.

Its ability to foresee the future had its boundaries, and taking action carried immense risks.

Worse still, if Hyuga Fuji reincarnated into the Child of Prophecy, it would spell the end.

Hyuga Fuji's soul was peculiar. The Great Toad Sage suspected that even if it had foreseen him earlier, it might not have been able to completely eliminate this threat.

After a long silence, the Great Toad Sage asked, "You should be aware of Indra and Ashura's reincarnations. How can you be so sure I'll protect them and their parents, even making concessions for their sake? Their reincarnations don't have to be who they are now."

"Didn't you essentially confirm it today by sending a toad to save Uchiha Fugaku?"

Hyuga Fuji chuckled softly. "Simply seeing the future and achieving the desired future are two different things."

"Indra and Ashura's reincarnations don't necessarily have to be Minato and Fugaku's children, but they are the ones you need."

The Great Toad Sage fell silent again.

It knew the other party had accurately grasped its weak points.

The Great Toad Sage looked deeply at Hyuga Fuji.

"Can you see the future as well? Otherwise, I can't comprehend how you know some of these things."

Its understanding of Hyuga Fuji came from its foresight, yet the information revealed in those visions didn't explain why Hyuga Fuji seemed to know the future so well.

This Hyuga youth knew too much, grasped too many details, and influenced the future in ways that diverged from its visions, showing it alternate possibilities.

Without knowledge of the future, this would be impossible.

(End of Chapter)

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