359. Akatsuki Assault Arc Part-5

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Poof… Poof…

Multiple clouds of white smoke rise on the battlefield.

"Is it the time you are about to make a choice, Jiraiya boy?"

Fukasaku walks out of the white smoke alongside Shima.

"So that's one of the children of prophecy from the previous generation?" Shima stares in the direction of Deva Path.

Fwoosh…

A gust of wind clears out the white smoke from the battlefield.

"This is going to be a tough battle, hebi!" Gamahiro unsheathes his twin blades as he confronts the Rinnegan summons.

The animal path has summoned a wide variety of his summons. Its summons includes a giant drill-beaked bird, a giant multi-headed dog, a giant snake-tailed chameleon, a giant panda, a giant ox, a giant rhino, a giant crustacean, and a giant centipede.

"As clumsy as I am, I will try my best during this battle!"

Gamaken unwraps his giant Sakazuki shield and Sasumata from his back.

"Oye Jiraiya! After this fight is over, you better treat me to some of the fine booze with your money. I want no less than a hundred barrels." Gamabunta unsheathes his giant dosu blade and holds it in his hands.

"The price is non-negotiable!" He points the blade toward the Rinnegan summons.

"It's my second time looking at the eyes of the Sage, but its power is still as incredible as ever." Fukasaku caresses his beard as he inspects the Rinnegan.

"Second time?" Shima and Jiraiya turn to him.

"Ah… that was a slip of tongue! My memory has all turned hazy with old age. Don't mind my words." Fukasaku waves his small wand to dismiss their doubts.

'I am sorry Izuna-boy! I almost blew your cover.'

Fukasaku recalls his last encounter with Izuna.

-------------Flashback-No-Jutsu--------------

"Izuna boy! Why do you want to meet me alone with the Great Toad Sage? Baa must be looking for me for dinner." Fukasaku holds his walking stick as he enters the Toad temple.

"So, where was I?" The Great Toad Sage slowly opens his eyes.

"Izuna-boy wants to say something very important to us. He asked me to be a witness so as to not reveal the content of our discussion to any fourth person." The Great Toad Sage replies to Fukasaku. He turns to Izuna and nods his head.

"Great Toad Sage, Grandpa Fukasaku, you two must have heard about the Sage of Six Paths, right?"

"I do!" Fukasaku nods his head.

"There are a few relics from the era of Sage of Six paths still stored in our treasury."

"No… let me rephrase my words!" Izuna turns to the Great Toad Sage.

"The Great Toad Sage must have even met the Sage of Six paths!"

"Huh!" Surprise appears on Fukasaku's old face.

"This senile old geezer never told me anything about it!" He harrumphs at the Great Toad Sage.

"Aah! I do have a memory of it." The Great Toad Sage slowly opens his eyes.

"It was a long time ago. I used to be a young, rash toad back then. I met Hagoromo boy back then and taught him the Sage Arts. He was very talented in it, just like you Izuna-boy!" The Great Toad Sage nods his head in approval.

"Wait, really? You used to be young. Even according to my grandfather, he always saw you as an old senile geezer. Wait, that's not the point? Old geezer, you meet the Sage of Six Path and taught him Senjutsu. And Izuna boy, how do you know about it?" Fukasaku turns to Izuna.

"Well… it's a long story, but I met with the Sage of Six Paths and he told me his story." Izuna blames his knowledge of the past on Hagoromo's gossip.

"You met with the Sage of Six Paths. No, the Sage of Six paths is still alive!" Fukasaku clutches his heart.

"My feeble old heart can't bear these many shocks in a day."

"No, the Sage of Six Paths is already dead. I only met his soul." Izuna shakes his head.

He turns to the Toad Sage.

"Great Toad Sage, you must have known about the reason for Sage of Six Path's death, right?"

Mm…

The Great Toad Sage nods.

"Hagoromo boy's soul and chakra possess a very superior quality. However, his body was still that of a human. In the end, his body was unable to sustain his powerful soul and chakra. He eventually found a cure in Redaku. But that was a temporary solution, in the end, Hagoromo boy succumbed to his mortality." The Great Toad sighs for the first time.

"Redaku! Isn't it the name of that desolate place cut off from the rest of the world? The flow of nature energy and ley lines is very chaotic at that place. As such, it's almost impossible for a normal person to ever reach that place. How come such a place has a cure for the diseases which even the Great Sage of Six Paths struggled against?" Fukasaku's surprise intensifies.

"I am not sure about the details, but that place has an intrinsic quality that stabilizes the harmony between soul and body." Izuna shakes his head.

"Izuna-boy! What does all of this have to do with you?" Fukasaku has a foreboding feeling as he stares into Izuna's eyes.

Sigh…

Izuna sighs helplessly.

"It has everything to do with me!"

Shiing…

He removes the genjutsu covering his eyes to reveal his Rinne-Sharingan.

"That… that eye…" Fukasaku and the great toad Sage's eyes widen in surprise. For the first time in a millennium, the Great Toad Sage vacates his sitting place and crawls toward Izuna.

"That… that's… a Ri… Rinnegan?" Fukasaku mutters incoherently.

"The Rinne-Sharingan? Izuna-boy, why do you possess such a cursed eye?" The Great Toad Sage walks in front of Izuna and inspects the latter's eye.

"There is… there is no doubt about it. It's the same eye as the Kaguya Otsutsuki. No, your eye even seems to be a bit more powerful than hers!" The Great Toad sage's murky eyes glare deeper into Izuna's eyes.

"You must have already found the connection by now… it's the Otsutsuki bloodline!" Izuna replies to the great Sage.

Sigh…

"That accursed bloodline of so-called gods from the old records!" The Great Toad sighs and returns to his seat.

"Izuna boy, could you explain everything to the old me? Is your eye a Rinnegan or is it something different? It does look similar to Rinnegan from legend, except for the tomoes in your eyes." Fukasaku is unable to hold back his curiosity.

'At this rate, my old heart might not be able to take this much information. I will feel upset if there is no baa to bicker with me in the afterlife.' Fukasaku takes a deep breath.

"Old Grandpa Fukasaku, my eye is called Rinne-Sharingan. It's the ancestor of Rinnegan. Or you can say it's the higher form of a Rinnegan, just like how a Sharingan evolves to Mangekyo Sharingan which later evolves to Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and then to Rinnegan. I am a special case since I skipped a few steps. My Sharingan directly awakened Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which then later evolved to Rinne-Sharingan." Izuna reveals the origin of his Rinne-Sharingan to Fukasaku.

"Old geezer was right; you really are a child of destiny!" Fukasaku shakes his head.

"Grandpa Fukasaku, I am not done yet. Hear me out first!" Izuna picks up Fukasaku in his hands and places him on his shoulders to look into his eyes.

"Now I am about to reveal some of the abilities of Rinnegan to you. This knowledge might help you in the future." He stares directly into Fukasaku's eyes.

"But Izuna-boy, you are still there with us!" Fukasaku argues.

"But what will happen if I am not here?" Izuna cuts him off.

"Izuna-boy, don't tell me, you…"

"Yes, that's right! I am also suffering from the same diseases as the old man Sage of Six Paths. I even went to Redaku to search for a cure. I was only able to buy myself five years after all these efforts. And now, I am only left with six months. My soul and chakra are too powerful for my mortal body, and I am barely holding myself together." Izuna closes his eyes and releases a sigh.

'This is one of my failsafe for the future, in case things turn for worse.'

Sob… sob…

Tear leaks from Fukasaku's eyes.

"Izuna boy!" Fukasaku grabs his shoulder and bowls his eyes out.

"Wait… wait… Old man! Don't dirty my new dress. It's a gift from my wife. She will kill me if I damage it."

Waah… waaah…

Fukasaku cries even louder, covering Izuna's clothes in green snot and tears.

"Damn it, old geezer! I am still alive and it's not certain I will die after six months. I might find a cure somewhere else." Izuna pushes Fukasaku away from his shoulders.

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Fukasaku wipes a tear from the corner of his eyes and focuses his attention on the battle.

"Jiraiya boy, Baa… Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken… carefully listen to me! I have a method to counter the abilities of Rinnegan."