Chapter 472 - 472: Discussions and Secrets

Inside Konoha.

"So that means Kara has officially commenced their moves, and the abilities they possess are exceptionally formidable."

Listening to Tonbo Tobitake's briefing, Naruto sank into deep, solemn thought.

"Yes. I need you to notify the Shinobi Alliance. Within two years—in two years' time—I will personally strike at their headquarters. If all goes according to plan, our ultimate adversary will reveal himself during that battle, precisely as predicted by the Priestess of the Land of Demons."

"You must have gathered plenty of intelligence by now. Numerous individuals across the world gifted with prophetic foresight have issued warnings—warnings that the Shinobi World will face an unprecedented catastrophe in the near future."

Tonbo Tobitake spoke with quiet gravity.

In the Shinobi World, the Priestess of the Land of Demons and Gamamaru of Mount Myoboku were far from the only ones capable of seeing the future.

There were many others throughout the world who possessed prophetic gifts.

While their degree of accuracy varied, starting several years ago, warning signals had begun flashing across all of their visions in succession.

Every single prophecy depicted scenes of utter apocalypse.

As a result, this information spread rapidly throughout the Shinobi Alliance.

Everyone was now acutely aware that an all-out, decisive war was imminent.

The Shinobi Alliance, the World Shinobi Association, and individual sovereign nations had all fully transitioned to a wartime footing.

Or rather, the war had already begun.

The fact that the Shinobi Alliance had managed to flush out so many peripheral members of Kara was directly due to full cross-national cooperation.

Otherwise, relying solely on the Shinobi Alliance's internal resources, many of these operations would have fallen far short.

Hearing this, Naruto nodded gravely. "Understood. I will make all the necessary arrangements and notify the other leaders... But Tonbo-san, do we really have a solid chance of bringing them down?"

"Of course. From here on out, leave Boruto's training to me, Orochimaru, and Kabuto."

Tonbo Tobitake stated firmly.

Hearing his son's name, Naruto pondered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.

As his son, if Boruto was fated to inherit the duty of saving the Shinobi World, it was a responsibility he could not escape.

Tonbo Tobitake had already explained everything to him—the immense latent potential slumbering within Boruto, visions of the future, and the vast array of enemy capabilities.

The Otsutsuki God was a entity far vastly superior to Kaguya Otsutsuki.

One could not afford even a single fraction of carelessness.

Even as Hokage, Naruto had begun delegating routine administrative affairs to Shikamaru and Shikaku so he could dedicate himself fully to refining his combat readiness.

That's right—Shikaku had been pulled out of retirement by Naruto to help hold down the fort.

Shikamaru was no exception.

Naruto now devoted the overwhelming majority of his time to grueling physical and tactical training.

Aside from major policy decisions that strictly required the Hokage's personal signature, all other village matters were handled directly by Konoha's upper council.

Shikaku and Shikamaru served as the central hub of operations.

All of this was done for one single purpose: preparing to face the terrifying enemies that would emerge in the near future.

"We will win this... won't we?"

Naruto did not doubt the validity of the prophecies.

Because this was not the isolated vision of one seer, but the collective consensus of every prophet across the world.

According to lore passed down by the Three Great Sage Regions, this was the world itself mobilizing to preserve its own existence.

It required the collective strength of all shinobi to save the Shinobi World from total annihilation.

Otherwise, the entire world would be drained dry by the Divine Tree, leaving nothing behind.

"Don't underestimate the sheer resilience of shinobi. Everything I've built over all these years was specifically meant for this very moment, got it?"

Tonbo Tobitake let out a soft chuckle.

There really never is a moment of total peace, is there?

Or rather, even during peaceful times, one must always prepare for potential future threats.

Still, once we deal with the Otsutsuki God, true, lasting peace should finally arrive.

Until the Shinobi World enters the interstellar era, at least.

"Got it. I've always trusted your judgment, Tonbo-san."

Naruto smiled in response.

Inside him, Kurama chimed in, "Heh, well said. Ever since you were a kid, I knew this guy was built different. Turns out he's a prophet himself."

In Kurama's eyes, the fact that Tonbo Tobitake knew about the existence of the Otsutsuki God meant he undoubtedly possessed prophetic abilities of his own.

And had possessed them since childhood.

Looking at how he had approached Naruto back in his youth, maintained flawless relationships with everyone, and orchestrated his own steady rise to power up to this point...

It was as if he were an author holding the master script, constantly tweaking the plot to fit the evolving circumstances.

He behaved remarkably like the protagonist of a web novel Kurama had been reading recently titled Now That I Transmigrated Into a Novel, Naturally I Must Follow the Plot Safely.

Don't say that, Kurama. Tonbo-san doesn't use prophecy—this is pure intuition, Naruto communicated internally.

Kurama remained noncommittal.

His mind was constantly distracted by the light novels he read to pass the time.

A frantic storm of wild theories swirled through his fox brain.

...

At Mount Myoboku.

"Mmm... still the same as always, filled with delicious aromas."

An old woman puffing on a pipe strolled across the vast landscape.

She looked around at the gigantic creatures and various frogs hopping about.

Sensing something formidable in her presence, those frogs scrambled away at top speed.

"Now, now, don't be like that. We're here to discuss the ultimate, decisive matters. Whether the Shinobi World can secure lasting peace depends entirely on us," a light, feminine voice chimed in.

Following the sound revealed a tiny young girl wearing a slug hair ornament atop her head.

The White Snake Sage scoffed, "You've lived for thousands of years, yet you're still acting cute? Dressing up like a little girl at your age!"

"I am a girl! Being a few thousand years old doesn't make me an old hag," the Katsuyu Sage replied with a soft giggle.

Hearing the banter between the two ancient Sages behind him, the guide frog leading the way broke into a nervous cold sweat.

Multi-thousand-year-old absolute powerhouses... Both of them are even older than the Great Toad Sage!

Especially that old woman—she looks like she could devour me at any second!

If I had known, I never would have accepted this guiding duty. I was far too naïve, thinking two venerable Sages would be easy to talk to.

"Hey, kid up front, don't let your mind wander! I'm not going to eat you—your combat power will still be needed in the future!"

As if sensing his inner panic, the White Snake Sage let out a raspy chuckle.

"Y-Yes, White Snake Sage!"

The guide frog quickened his pace, leading them straight to the front of the Great Toad Hall.

The two ancient Sages looked up at the grand entrance. It had been an exceptionally long time since their last visit.

Stepping inside, they saw high-ranking figures of the Toad Kingdom gathered in full attendance.

Shima, Fukasaku, Gamahiro, Gamabunta, and every other top-tier powerhouse among the toad clan were present.

"Welcome, honored Sages. We have awaited your arrival for a long time."

The moment Lady Shima spotted the two, she immediately stepped forward to bow in respect.

The rest of the toad clan followed suit.

"Old Toad, speak up. Why exactly did you summon us all the way here?" the White Snake Sage demanded directly.

Gamamaru spoke slowly, "I have experienced another prophetic dream. In two years' time, a true, catastrophic war will erupt. The outcome... remains unknown."

"Oh? Unknown outcome? That means our chances of victory are actually quite high!" the White Snake Sage remarked.

Gamamaru continued, "Indeed. However, even if we prevail, corpses will pave the field. The Shinobi World will plunge into a period of deep silence, and the world order will undergo a complete reshuffle."

"That is of no concern to us. Our sole objective is to guide the Shinobi World through this existential crisis—just as our ancestors did thousands of years ago," the White Snake Sage replied coldly.

The Katsuyu Sage added soft-spokenly, "Yes... Of all the ancient Sage Regions that once spanned the Shinobi World, only three remain today, all due to the great war back then. Now, that entity who was forced into a mutual destruction with our ancestors seems set to resurrect through his own hidden means."

Having existed for several millennia, the Katsuyu Sage possessed vast, ancient knowledge.

Had the impending crisis not unlocked those dormant memories, it would have been difficult to recall details from so long ago.

Several thousand years was simply too long a span of time—long enough to overflow even an immortal mind.

"Factoring in the strength of these human shinobi, a fifty-fifty split on survival is actually a decent prospect," the White Snake Sage concluded.

As a cold-blooded creature, all she cared about was maintaining a domain for her species' survival.

She harbored no fear of death, nor any emotional attachment to it.

They had simply lived far, far too long.

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