"Fate..."
In the depths of Mount Myoboku's grand hall, an elderly-looking toad sat—none other than the leader of Mount Myoboku, the Great Toad Sage.
It seemed to sense something, its deep yellow eyes looking out of the hall toward the mountain ranges and forests brimming with nature's aura.
"Elder, has something happened?"
Fukasaku Sage, who had been meditating and practicing Immortal Techniques nearby, opened his eyes, interrupting his training, and looked at the Great Toad Sage.
"Minato..."
"Minato?"
"...That child Minato is dead..."
"!?"
Fukasaku Sage widened his eyes, looking at the Great Toad Sage in shock.
"Minato... is dead?"
"Go to Konoha and retrieve something."
"Something?"
Still not recovered from the shock and grief, Fukasaku Sage was full of confusion upon hearing the Great Toad Sage's command.
"You'll understand once you get to Konoha..."
The Great Toad Sage closed his eyes and began to slumber.
"..."
Fukasaku Sage lowered his head in contemplation for a while, then jumped off the meditation platform. At the door of the grand hall, he turned to look once more at the now even more frail Great Toad Sage.
Was the elder just now using some kind of Jutsu? To become this weak... Fukasaku Sage felt deep reverence.
The Great Toad Sage, who has survived since the Ancient Era and is the founder of Mount Myoboku, is deeply revered by Fukasaku Sage from the bottom of his heart.
But sometimes, he would find some of the Great Toad Sage's unusual actions incomprehensible, leaving him mired in confusion.
◎
Konoha, emergency room.
Minato lay pale on the operating table, surrounded by several medical ninja working to save him. Not far away, Tsunade's face was ashen as she gave instructions, as if she was terrified of the blood flowing from Minato's body.
The medical ninja trying to save Minato were sweating profusely, while nurses rushed in and out, very busy.
"It won't work; the heart and lungs are injured to this extent… it's already..."
A medical ninja said in utter dejection.
Though the other medical ninja continued resuscitation, they too knew that Minato's chances of survival were zero.
A miracle was impossible.
Half an hour later, Tsunade took a deep breath, a look of sorrow in her eyes, and said to them, "Alright, let's stop here. You've already done your best."
"Tsu—Tsunade-sama?"
The medical ninja looked at Tsunade.
"The one who did this is also a medical ninja like you. Do you think he would foolishly let you save him back?"
Tsunade's fist struck the wall, her jaws clenched with rage.
That damn brat!
Her clenched fist trembled, and her eyes revealed a complex and bitter glint.
Ever since she learned it was Hakushi who caused last night's chaos, Tsunade still couldn't believe it.
That person would actually do such a thing.
Tsunade fell into remorse over her own foolishness.
Be it Nawaki, Dan, or the village left behind by her grandfather, she had failed to protect them all.
What exactly does he want to do? Tsunade was both hopelessly angry and bewildered.
Why would Hakushi do such a thing?
Leading away some of the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan—was that the work of Danzo and Sakumo?
And on top of that, why hide his strength?
What else had he done behind the scenes that she didn't know about?
Now that Minato was dead, how was she supposed to explain things to Jiraiya?
Tsunade's emotions were in utter chaos. Finally, she took a deep breath, managed to recover a little, cast a glance at Minato on the table—already 'a corpse'—and was even less able to face it, turning to leave.
Beep, beep—
Tsunade froze in place.
The medical ninja also froze.
The lines on the monitor began to oscillate, no longer a flatline.
"Alive... He's alive?"
"How—How is that possible?"
"Wait, what's that?"
The medical ninja stared wide-eyed at the scene, as from Minato's body, a talisman with engraved script emerged, in the center a rune for 'Sage', emitting a gentle green light that enveloped Minato's completely cold body.
Minato's face began to regain its color, his heart started beating again, and his fingers were moving ever so slightly.
They all understood that the talisman inscribed with the 'Sage' character was desperately pulling Minato back from death.
Isn't that Mount Myoboku's Sage Talisman… why is it on Minato? Tsunade frowned.
She vaguely sensed that the truth was far from simple.
She had contracted with Katsuyu from Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Great Sacred Lands. Because Katsuyu is gentle-natured and has survived since the Ancient Era, she knew many secrets of the Ninja Realm and would occasionally tell Tsunade about some of them.
Among them were stories about Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave, the other two Sacred Lands.
According to Katsuyu, in the hands of the Great Toad Sage at Mount Myoboku, there exists a Sage Talisman imbued with mysterious power.
It is the most precious Sage Treasure in all of Mount Myoboku, said to bring the dead back to life.
But because of its power to reverse death, the act of using it must come with a heavy price.
Why would such a priceless treasure, whose use would cause great cost to its bearer, be placed on Minato specifically? What is that Great Toad Sage planning? Tsunade narrowed her eyes, thoughts stirring.
Looks like a trip back to Shikkotsu Forest is necessary; I need to ask Katsuyu about the Great Toad Sage. She resolved secretly.
◎
Noon.
"Shikora Elder, are you feeling better?"
In the courtyard, Rika walked over and saw Elder Shikora leisurely drinking tea on the corridor while admiring the rainy scenery outside.