The group followed the elders to a stone dwelling among glowing flora. They settled in for a few days to adjust. Jiraiya wrestled with local toads, while Tsunade studied the giant plants and Orochimaru observed the terrain with clinical interest.
Yoichi spent the time acclimating. The air pressed against the his skin like a physical weight.
Between periods of meditation, he drew his blade.
The steel cut through the thick atmosphere in precise arcs.
The air is so dense, it feels like swinging through water, he thought.
This resistance served to refine the edge of his technique, focusing on precision rather than raw power to prevent the metal from snapping.
Yoichi practiced the same strike thousands of times, forcing the Heavenly Demon Qi to flow thinly along the blade.
This heavy natural energy acted as a whetstone.
Each swing became a silent battle to maintain control in a world that felt too small for such strength.
One evening, Yoichi approached Fukasaku and Shima as they shared tea. The boy stood before them, a calm but heavy presence.
"Is the Great Toad Sage available for an audience?" Yoichi asked. "I have questions about something that requires his presence."
Fukasaku set down the cup, large eyes reflecting the amber sunset. Shima looked at the youth with solemn gravity. Neither seemed surprised; the pair had been waiting for the guest to speak.
"The Great Sage sleeps often," Fukasaku replied. "But for a guest with your countenance, the old man might wake. He has been dreaming of a shadow that looks very much like yours."
Fukasaku led the way up the moss-covered steps. Inside the massive hall, the Great Toad Sage sat upon a throne, his ancient body dwarfed by the scale of the room. Gamamaru's eyes were clouded with age, staring at a point beyond the physical world.
"Lord Sage," Fukasaku called out. "The traveler has arrived."
The massive toad blinked slowly.
A rattling breath escaped his lungs as his gaze sharpened on the young Uchiha. A reminiscent expression filled the ancient eyes, as if the old toad were peering through a window into the distant past.
Tanned skin, those same sharp facial features, and those earrings, the Sage mused internally. How laughable, this curse is truly something special yet cruel.
The toad leaned forward, a gravelly rumble vibrating in Yoichi's chest. "I remember that energy," the Sage whispered. "A crimson shadow that refused to bow. It has been a long time since a practitioner of the Martial Ancestor's way stood here."
Yoichi stepped forward, the Heavenly Demon Qi surging in response. "Then you know him," he said, his voice echoing. "What was your connection to the Martial Ancestor? Were you his ally, or simply a witness to his path?"
The Great Toad Sage let out a dry, hacking chuckle.
"I was a student of the world, much like you. We shared the same sun when the earth was still young. He did not seek allies, but he sought the truth of the heavens, and I provided the silence he needed to find it."
Yoichi clenched his fist.
The legend was breathing right in front of him.
"If you knew him, then you know if his strength was a blessing or a curse. Tell me what he left behind for those of us who follow."
Gamamaru settled into his throne. "Our affinity was one of balance," the Sage rumbled. "He was the storm, and I was the stillness. He sought truth through the blade while I watched the flow of time."
The old toad spoke of a world without villages.
He described the Ancestor sitting atop Myōboku's highest peak for decades, harmonizing Qi with the earth. Yoichi listened, his own energy pulsing in rhythm with the ancient tales.
"He challenged the limits of mortality,"
Gamamaru continued, his voice faint. "The stars dimmed when he flicked his wrist. He reached a height where the air was too thin for others to breathe."
Yoichi stepped closer, his expression hardening.
He wanted the truth of the end, not just legends.
The weight of his own power reminded the boy of the fragility of the human vessel.
"Enough stories," Yoichi interrupted. "A man that powerful does not simply fade. How did the Martial Ancestor die?"
Silence pressed down on the hall. Fukasaku and Shima exchanged worried glances. Gamamaru's reminiscent expression shifted into something darker, a shadow of ancient grief crossing his weathered face.
Gamamaru exhaled a heavy cloud of smoke.
"I do not know the full truth," the Sage admitted. "He spoke often of a curse, a shackle placed upon him as a practitioner of the Martial Arts. Yet, his students never suffered from it. That reality made the curse both enigmatic and horrifying."
The old toad closed his eyes, the memory vivid. "The last time I saw him, he stood at the edge of the world. There was no fear. He turned and smiled at us, a look of pure, defiant joy. It was the smile of a man who had finally seen what lay beyond the veil."
The air in the temple grew cold. "Then, the sky fractured," Gamamaru rasped. "A colossal bolt of lightning, terrifying and white, descended. It did not just strike him; it sought to erase him. When the light faded, nothing remained but scorched earth."
The Sage looked directly at Yoichi. "He was not defeated by a mortal foe. The world itself rejected his presence. He was smited before our very eyes."
Yoichi remained motionless, hand white-knuckled on his sword hilt. The students were spared, but the master was erased, the Uchiha thought. The Heavenly Demon Qi within him roared, sensing the weight of that celestial judgment.
"So the peak is a lonely target," the boy muttered. "The higher you climb, the more the heavens want to strike you down."
"No, child. You misunderstand the nature of the strike. It is not merely about the height of the peak."
The old toad leaned in, his shadow looming over the boy. "Even I do not fully understand it. But from what wisdom I possess, I know the truth is hidden. It is hidden from you, and yes, even from myself."
The Sage's gaze grew piercing, as if trying to look through Yoichi's soul. "What struck him was something more terrifying than raw power."
"It was fate."
Yoichi felt a chill crawl down his spine. The Heavenly Demon Qi within him stirred, reacting to the gravity of the words.
Fate, he thought.
It was a weight far heavier than any mountain.
Behind the curtains of this world, something was watching, ensuring the gears turned as intended.
"Do not look to me for the final answer,"
Gamamaru whispered. "The grand design is not for my eyes. Only you can seek the truth within yourself to know what lies ahead on your path."
"So the answer isn't in a legend," Yoichi muttered. "It is buried within the layers of deceit and facade."
Yoichi turned without another word. His sandals clicked against the cold stone as he walked away, his expression masked by a heavy, unreadable shadow. The Heavenly Demon Qi pulled inward, becoming a dense, silent vortex of concentration as he vanished into the misty corridor.
Fukasaku watched the boy go, his throat tightening. He turned toward the throne, searching the Sage's weary face.
"Is it okay, Lord Sage?" Fukasaku asked. "To lie like that?"
Gamamaru did not answer immediately. He stared at the empty space, his mind drifting back thousands of years. The voice of his old friend echoed in his mind, fierce and uncompromising.
"Why do we even need a Child of Prophecy?! To let other innocent people suffer from Hagoromo's rambunctious bloodline?! This matter won't end until that Child of Prophecy lives on! That's why I have a plan. I want you to help me, my friend."
The old toad let out a long, rattling breath. "I did not lie, Fukasaku" he finally rasped. "I simply withheld the information in accordance to my close friend."
The Sage looked at his trembling hands, muttering under his breath. "The Great Partition Plan... This will be the end."
Even now, centuries after the lightning had cleared, Gamamaru couldn't help but admire his friend's benevolence. The Ancestor had chosen to be a target so that others might finally be free from the script of the bloodlines.
"He is already walking it," Gamamaru whispered, closing his eyes. "The curtains are moving. Better he seeks the truth through his own strength than to die paralyzed by a fear he cannot yet fight."
...
Yoichi sat on a jagged outcrop overlooking the clouds. The Sage's words echoed, a heavy weight on the boy's chest. Palms faced the sky, feeling the pull of a fate not yet understood.
A sharp shake of the head cleared the fog.
There is no point in mulling over indefinite circumstances right now.
After all, he was still too weak to dig for the truth.
Yoichi then sat cross-legged, absorbing the rich natural energy.
This golden haze surged into his core to begin the first stage of the Innate Realm: the Meridians Strengthening Stage.
The natural energy was being refined alongside the meridians themselves, tempering the flesh to transform that raw power into Qi.
The 12 Main Meridians served as the conceptual framework for this stage.
These pathways required intense refinement because natural energy is deadly to a human body, especially if an individual loses control.
The meridians were reinforced to withstand the mystical yet destructive force of nature being harnessed within the physique.
Natural energy flooded the Yin and Yang Meridians, widening the pathways to accommodate the violent Heavenly Demon Qi. Focus remained locked on the Governing and Conception Vessels, the two great rivers anchoring his internal circulation.
The refining process did not stop at the major channels. Minor and hair-breadth meridians were included.
Like branches on a tree, these tiny vessels absorbed sustenance from the natural energy, growing resilient.
Every inch of the internal network hardened.
By the time the sun dipped, the foundation was no longer merely human.
...
Two years passed in a blink of silver and shadow.
The future Sannin eventually left the mountain, summoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi. The instructor required their presence in Konoha to advance their training in both Ninjutsu and Martial Arts.
While the trio returned to the village, Yoichi remained a silent phantom amidst the mists.
Family bonds were not neglected during this time.
Periodic visits home kept him tied to his kin.
Naoko and Nobuyuki offered quiet support for the path, though young Akira felt aggrieved at the loss of time with an elder brother. These moments of warmth were short, always ending with a return to the cold isolation of his stringent training.
Diligent efforts paid off. Yoichi now stood at the peak of the Meridians Strengthening Stage, an internal network tempered like folded steel.
Mastery of the Malevolent Palm reached Small Success, and a new sword-drawing technique, Severance, was birthed.
This single, blinding slash was designed to slice, its destructive effects amplified by the rot of Heavenly Demon Qi.
Spoils from the Silver Roulette were handled with efficiency.
Rare pills and artifacts were stashed away, while ores and herbs were gifted to fuel the alchemy and research of Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Golden Tickets remained untouched, hoarded to stack the chances for a truly tremendous reward.
The solitude was broken by a messenger toad bearing a scroll.
The message was grim and urgent.
"Return to the village immediately. There is a massive problem in the Land of Grass involving the Daimyo's son."
Therefore, his quiet time in the peaks had come to an end.
__________