Past The Mountain

Deep within the bowels of the forbidden zone of Mount Myōboku, Ash flickered through the tall, grassy meadows of the forest's weakest area. Countless species of arthropods thrived in this forest, whether they were insects or arachnids.

With a flash, Ash surged forward, tantō in hand, His movements were a blur, relentless like his thirst for battle. Each stride brought a swift slash, cleaving through swarms of insects many times his size, their bodies collapsing in his wake. From a distance, Gamabunta observed, reclining against a giant tree. "What am I gonna do with this kid..." Gamabunta took a deep puff from his pipe, the smoke drifted lazily around him as he recalled the events of the previous day.

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The day before, Gamabunta had received an urgent summons from Elder Fukasaku. Upon arriving at the Rock Lodging, where the Great Toad Sage Gamamaru's throne resided, he found the two Elder Toads, Fukasaku and Shima conversing with the Great Toad Sage.

"So you say, this young one… What was his name again…" Gamamaru murmured, his voice slow and deliberate, as he sat on his throne with his eyes half-open. His ancient, weathered face bore the marks of countless millenia. Despite his age and apparent drowsiness, there was an undeniable aura of wisdom surrounding him.

"As I said before, his name is Naruto. He signed a contract with us in the summoning scroll," Fukasaku reiterated, his tone firm yet respectful. "It hasn't been long since Jiraiya called upon me. On that day, he told me something I could hardly believe. That boy, under the tutelage of Jiraiya, had only recently signed his name in the summoning scroll and barely learned the summoning jutsu. The reason Jiraiya called upon me was because that boy Naruto summoned an egg. To most, it may be a detail that would be dismissed and even looked down upon,".

Shima, listening in, raised her brow in confusion. "An egg, you say? Am I missing something here? That doesn't sound like an accomplishment worth noting, does it?" she asked, her expression reflecting her curiosity

"I can't help but agree with her," Gamabunta announced, making his presence known as he walked into the meeting that couldn't wait for his arrival. "That brat may not be much to look at, but he did manage to summon me!". His voice echoed through the large room, and his light steps sent vibrations throughout the entire building.

"Not only that, but he managed to stay on my back for an entire day and earned my… hmm… tolerance. Don't sell him short because of one embarrassing moment" he added, his tone carrying a grudging respect for the boy.

Shima, still curious, added, "Well, if he managed to impress you, Gamabunta, there must be more to this boy than meets the eye. Perhaps we should keep a closer watch on this young tadpole".

Fukasaku cut their conversation short by clearing his throat. As their attention returned to him, he continued, "The subject of this conversation does not lie with the boy Naruto... rather, this entire meeting revolves around that egg. I was summoned shortly after the egg appeared, and yet when I arrived, the egg was reduced to nothing but ash."

A look of terror crossed Shima's face. "What! How could that have happened? Who would harm such a young soul?" Tears of genuine sorrow trickled down Shima's face as she mourned the tragic end of the egg.

Realizing his words were misunderstood, Fukasaku hurriedly clarified, "I-It's not like that, Shima. He's fine; no one died. Jiraiya described it as a hard white shell, unlike a toad's transparent membrane-like shell. Once that boy Naruto came into contact with it, the egg gathered a large amount of chakra directly from him, and as a result, the egg shone brightly before it hatched. Only then did the egg crumble into ash."

Hearing this, Shima's tears ceased, replaced by an enraged look. "Watch how you say these things! My heart can't handle the strain, you old man!" She whacked the back of his head as she rubbed the tears off her face.

Fukasaku stumbled forward, nearly falling on his face. "Yes, sorry Ma… I'll be careful next time," he said, wincing as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Get on with it already! I dropped my plans for this afternoon to be here," Gamabunta snapped. "You should have seen the look on my henchman's face when I told him to self-study," he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh? Ashie's learning all on his own. They grow up so fast, don't they?" Shima chuckled, as if nothing had happened.

Fukasaku sighed as he eyed the others. "Yes, he does grow particularly fast. Gamabunta, your disciple is more than meets the eye. He is the one that hatched out of that egg!"

Silence filled the room. The great toad sage watched them with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Fukasaku continued, "When I saw him, he had only recently hatched, yet he did not emerge as a tadpole but a frog. My mind immediately made a connection, but I wasn't certain of it's credibility. When I returned to Mount Myoboku, I scoured the Grand library for the one thing that could confirm my suspicion."

"There, within the restricted area, I found it, an old scroll that I had long forgotten about.... On that fateful night, that man gave this to you, did he not, Great Lord Elder?" Fukasaku unfurled the scroll and revealed its contents, a letter written to Lord Gamamaru.

"Ah, I had almost forgotten… Yes, the Hero of the West did once grace me… with such a thing. But I cannot seem… to recall his message," Lord Gamamaru said as he delved into his clouded memory.

"There is no need for you to exert yourself, I have the letter right here," Fukasaku said, flipping the scroll towards himself. Clearing his throat, he began, "The letter reads…" Without delay, Fukasaku recited the letter.

"To the Wise Gamamaru,

In these final moments of my life, I must share a vision of great importance. An egg of white will one day shine as a guiding beam. When the egg turns to ash, the tide will return from the seas. This event heralds my return, reborn at the heart of the future world, destined to once again be a savior.

Guard this knowledge well, for it is crucial to the future. My emergence will signal an inevitable calamity. This time, I will not repeat my greatest mistake.

With my last breath, I entrust this prophecy to you.

Yours in faith,

V "