Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 182
🕑 Added 2025-02-06 18:45:38 +0000 UTCMasashi stopped walking, feeling that this distance was just right.
From the perspective of the entire shinobi world, Mount Myōboku was less of a sacred place concerned with the world's safety and more like a relic of the old era.
As one of the three great sanctuaries, the Great Toad Sage was the only one who had been given a relatively clear age in official settings.
Of course, it was still vague—several thousand years.
That made things awkward.
As for Kaguya on the moon, she could be clearly classified as a figure from the ancient era of this world.
For example, in the context of the original timeline, the Third Hokage's era was considered ancient. If they looked at it this way, as long as the Great Toad Sage's "several thousand years" was at least an average estimate and not the lowest possible number, then there was a high probability that it had been alive since the era of the Ōtsutsuki brothers.
This was the truth behind its so-called prophecies and "Child of Destiny" marketing theme—it wasn't that the toads cared so much about humanity, but rather that both parties were in the same boat.
The Great Toad Sage might have never met Kaguya and her devoted son, but it definitely knew about the power of the Divine Tree and the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Since it lacked the ability to stop these events on its own, it needed to find someone who could, teach them senjutsu to enhance their strength, and work together for mutual benefit.
But as a group, Mount Myōboku was weak in comparison to the ninja world, so they needed to appear as if anyone could learn their senjutsu while simultaneously seeking protection from the strongest force available.
At this stage, that ally was Konoha.
It was all about survival, which was understandable.
But understanding was one thing, and having a temper was another. They were separate matters.
Respect should be mutual, and Ryūchi Cave had done a good job of that.
With a slap on the ground—
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Deep blue chakra manifested in the valley, bringing with it intense heat and turbulent air currents. The owner of the chakra let out a furious roar the moment its body was revealed.
Masashi's signature secret technique—Big Cat's Morning Rage!
Direct damage—Wind Release: Big Cat's Roar!
Indirect damage—I'll Take You to See a Meteor Shower!
Bonus effects—Running Everywhere, Digging the Ground, and Rolling Around!
The mist was torn apart, and a hurricane swept through the mountains, stripping away vegetation, soil, and even rock layers. Blue fireballs shook loose from the tailed beast's body, raining down and plowing through the land.
The enraged big cat grabbed anything it saw, coiling its tail around things, sitting on them with its rear, and howling in anger.
This place was in utter chaos.
The surrounding mist had completely dissipated—at least for now, it wouldn't be returning.
The air was scorching, but it was free of anything that shouldn't have been there.
Everything in sight was either flattened by wind pressure or burned clean by fire. The scene looked as if it had been shelled by hundreds or even thousands of cannons, yet to Masashi, it was incredibly reassuring.
Wiping the dirt off his hands and removing his gas mask, he took a deep breath of the smoky air, revealing an expression of satisfaction.
It was the same look a chain smoker had when taking their first puff after holding back for too long.
As for the toads that had been monitoring him—who knew if they had gotten caught in the crossfire?
Probably not. They likely returned to Mount Myōboku the moment they saw Matatabi.
This was perfect.
Mount Myōboku expected two things from its partners.
Great strength.
No hostility toward Mount Myōboku and a willingness to offer protection.
As for the latter, Mount Myōboku secured it by crafting an image of detachment from worldly affairs and using the Great Toad Sage's "prophecies."
Even the chosen partner developed a "sense of mission."
This bound them deeply together.
Just like Jiraiya.
Masashi was willing to demonstrate his strength, and if he were to obtain Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu, he would reciprocate with favors in return.
But if they tried to market their ideals to him—forget it.
He wasn't going to be some "pilgrim" of Mount Myōboku.
He only acknowledged one "sage," and even then, he had never paid homage.
After all, that sage had been cursed at just as much as he had...
A whining sound came from below.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Matatabi. I didn't know you were sleeping." Masashi softened his tone to coax the beast. "Don't be mad. Tell me what you want. I'll get it for you."
"Raaawwrrr~~"
Matatabi angrily dug at the ground, then, feeling displeased with a nearby rock wall, unleashed an adorable yet deadly breath attack, burning a hole large enough to build a house in.
Knowing he was at fault, Masashi could only smile and continue coaxing.
It took a long time, but Matatabi eventually calmed down.
"If you do that again, I'll really get mad," the tailed beast huffed.
Although Matatabi hadn't been in Konoha for long, it had already grown fond of the place.
Even when throwing a tantrum, it had made sure to protect the little two-legged creature on its head.
But it was still mad!
"Alright, alright. It won't happen again, I promise." Masashi agreed without hesitation.
Matatabi was satisfied and decided not to stay mad at its two-legged companion.
After all, this human was the kindest one it had met since the Sage of Six Paths.
He even comforted it when it got upset! No one had ever done that for it before!
How could it not be angry when no one ever tried to soothe it!?
Now calmer, Matatabi began surveying the surroundings.
Unfamiliar. Unseen. Unknown.
"Where is this?" it asked.
"The gathering place of the big toads and little toads," Masashi replied.
"???"
Didn't understand!
Mad again!
"I'm not lying..." Masashi sighed. "It's called Mount Myōboku. I've never been inside either."
That was better!
Forgiven!
Matatabi stopped whining and strode forward as if patrolling its territory.
"Masashi, are you looking for this Mount Myōboku place?"
"Yeah, but these toads don't seem to understand the difference between rejection and disrespect."
"Oh." Matatabi understood now.
The two-legged creature on its head was extremely proud. Being disrespected had made him bristle with anger.
And that made Matatabi feel good.
If the two-legged creature comforted it when it was mad, then of course Matatabi had to help him too!
"What do you plan to do?"
"I think the doorbell at Mount Myōboku might be broken. We should knock."
Masashi thought for a moment and asked, "Matatabi, can you flatten this mountain?"
Matatabi glanced at it and frowned.
"That sounds tiring," it said.
Tailed beasts didn't actually enjoy firing Tailed Beast Bombs.
"Don't worry, I'll help. We don't have to do it all at once—just knocking."
Masashi said.
Of course, he wasn't actually going to flatten it.
To be honest, after Mount Myōboku's attitude, he no longer had any interest in its senjutsu—but he was going to make a statement.
Since he was unable to demonstrate "sincerity," he decided to display his strength, deliver Ryūchi Cave's token to Myōboku Mountain, and then leave.
Myōboku Mountain's so-called "win-win cooperation" felt more like recruiting underlings. He suspected that the toads that had grown up later really believed themselves to be the embodiment of justice.
From the original timeline, the toads were indeed "shrewder," while the giant snakes were "dumber."
Masashi felt that he was being a bit "picky," but honestly, he preferred partners who weren't too cunning.
If possible, he wished the whole world consisted of naive players.
That was the main reason he had a better impression of Ryūchi Cave and a more complicated attitude toward Myōboku Mountain.
"Matatabi, spit in that direction. Make it big." Masashi glanced at a certain spot hidden in the thick mist in the distance, then pointed in the almost opposite direction.
It opened its mouth, and a massive Tailed Beast Bomb began to spin and form. With no enemies around, it had plenty of time to prepare.
Once it was ready, Matatabi unleashed it.
The Tailed Beast Bomb struck a distant mountain peak.
A blinding light illuminated the Maze Mountain, unable to be obscured by the thick mist filling the valleys.
There was no fiery explosion—this Tailed Beast Bomb, infused with Matatabi's special chakra, demonstrated its destructive power in a more thorough manner. The extreme heat erased everything, carving a massive gap into the mountain's midsection.
The mountain let out an ominous sound. Losing its structural integrity, its upper half began to collapse.
The observers hidden in the mist were stunned.
To Masashi's eyes, the colors of active chakra were visible.
The toads were communicating with each other.
As the mountain crumbled, debris and shattered vegetation formed a landslide, rushing down the slopes.
But to Masashi and Matatabi, this was nothing. With a casual leap, Matatabi easily left the danger zone.
As a free tailed beast, its mere movement was more destructive than the landslide itself.
Finally, those hiding in the mist couldn't take it anymore.
The Maze Mountain was an important security measure for Myōboku Mountain.
Seeing Matatabi open its mouth again, a figure suddenly leaped out from the mist.
"Please calm down, the passage is being opened!" It shouted.
It was a toad—small in size but loud in voice.
"Oh?" Masashi feigned surprise. "Matatabi, look! A toad in the mist! How mysterious!"
Matatabi paused its Tailed Beast Bomb, casting an unfriendly gaze at the tiny creature.
So small—smaller than those two-legged beasts! Looking at it was a struggle for it!
Also, why didn't it come out earlier? Now Matatabi had to swallow its chakra back again.
Annoyed, it raised its paw, seemingly ready to smack the toad.
"Masashi! I'm a messenger from Myōboku Mountain! One of you! One of you!" The toad's voice grew even louder, almost cracking.
"Sorry, I accidentally woke Matatabi up, and now it's in a bad mood," Masashi said. Through their mental link, he could clearly feel Matatabi's irritation.
"Matatabi, don't be mad. It's apologizing to you."
Hearing Masashi's reassurance, Matatabi finally retracted its paw with satisfaction.
Helping was fine, but an "appearance fee" was non-negotiable.
It lay down, allowing Masashi to jump off its head.
The toads, watching this intimate interaction between a human and a tailed beast, widened their already huge eyes even further.
Those familiar with history had never seen something like this before.
According to the Great Toad Sage's teachings, no human other than the Child of Prophecy could ever tame a tailed beast.
No way… Could this terrifying man really be the fated Child of Prophecy that Myōboku Mountain had been desperately seeking?
How did he end up as Ryūchi Cave's successor? Those rogue snakes were lucky if they didn't offend people, let alone be involved in destiny. Their style didn't match at all…
Even though they knew they shouldn't jump to conclusions, the toads couldn't help but overthink the situation.
Masashi walked up to the small toad.
Among the Myōboku Mountain toads, the ones appearing before the world as summoning beasts were usually the large, melee-combat type.
But within Myōboku Mountain itself, these toads were the minority.
Not all Myōboku toads were enormous, and most weren't even adept at fighting. The Myōboku Sage Mode reflected this as well—it was more like applying a buff rather than directly enhancing one's body like Ryūchi Cave's.
The toad before him was a communication toad, a smaller type.
Masashi knew this because he had seen it before—with Jiraiya.
And it was the very same one standing before him now.
"Why are you in such a rush?" The communication toad looked at the young Konoha jonin before it, feeling uneasy.
From the first time it met Masashi, it had thought this Uchiha was terrifying.
How many people had he killed?
To the toads, the Child of Prophecy was supposed to be friendly, idealistic, and averse to killing.
Not someone who would casually nuke a mountain.
"You came at the right time. I have a token from the White Snake Sage to deliver to the Great Toad Sage. Can you lead the way?" Masashi asked.
The token had to be delivered—it symbolized the private relationship between the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage.
He already understood that he and Myōboku Mountain were not aligned, but he still had to go through the formalities.
"Of course," the communication toad replied. "Please follow me. However, the passage is too fragile for Matatabi's power, so…"
"I know."
Masashi showed no impatience and agreed readily.
He told Matatabi to wait here and followed the communication toad into the thick mist.
Casually, he put his gas mask back on.
"You're overthinking. This is natural mist—it's not poisonous," the communication toad said.
"Better to overthink than be dead," Masashi replied cryptically. The communication toad gave up trying to convince him.
After all, the mist wasn't exactly "clean," though it wasn't harmful either.
The mist thickened as they walked, and soon, the air currents changed.
The fog began to thin, and a massive silhouette emerged ahead.
He was passing through a "barrier."
As soon as the sensation of crossing it faded, the mist disappeared, revealing a landscape entirely different from Maze Mountain.
It wasn't just the vegetation and terrain—the climate itself was distinct.
The humidity was perfect, and giant lotus-like plants sprouted directly from the ground.
The mountains looked like upside-down horns, with white waterfalls cascading from their peaks.
Mushrooms grew waist-high on the ground.
The completely different climate and plant life seemed to explain why the toads here grew so large.
"Please follow me. The Great Sage is waiting for you."
