Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

The thought that Kirito Tohsaka, who was a year younger than him, could already compete with a renowned powerhouse like Madara Uchiha made Yahiko feel immense pressure.

Is there any way to make him stronger quickly and catch up with Kirito Tohsaka?

Yahiko pondered deeply, but could not find an answer.

Finally, he decided to seek help from some reliable people.

Yahiko's first choice for help was naturally his teacher, Jiraiya. He had already witnessed Jiraiya's true strength on the battlefield, which was incredibly powerful, capable of even contending with the Third Raikage.

He heard that his teacher was so powerful because he had acquired a power called immortal arts.

He came here specifically to seek the power of Sage Mode from Jiraiya.

"You want to learn Sage Mode? Teaching you is no problem, but unfortunately, Yahiko, I haven't mastered Sage Mode yet. If you want to learn Sage Mode, you can only go to Mount Myōboku. But before that, you need to sign a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku and then obtain permission from the Sage of Mount Myōboku."

Jiraiya, upon learning of Yahiko's purpose, spoke frankly.

"Can I sign a spirit communication contract with Mount Myōboku?"

Yahiko was pleasantly surprised to hear Jiraiya say that.

Although they were unable to obtain Sage Mode from Jiraiya, the opportunity to sign a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku was still a rare and precious chance.

He was no longer a novice ninja who had just entered the ninja world. In the crash course opened by the Abyss organization of Amegakure, he learned a lot of useful knowledge and gained a clearer understanding of the ninja world.

Therefore, he was well aware of Mount Myōboku's status in the world of summoned beasts.

If he could sign a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku and gain the means to summon the Mount Myōboku toads, his strength would have increased dramatically.

“Of course, no problem. You are my disciple, Jiraiya, so you are naturally qualified to sign a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku.”

Jiraiya said with a smile.

Although he was a Konoha ninja, there were many things he couldn't teach to non-Konoha ninja disciples like Yahiko. However, the summoning contract of Mount Myōboku was an exception. It was something he obtained through a fortuitous encounter, and he could give it to whomever he wanted without needing anyone's consent.

"So that means Nagato and Konan can now sign summoning contracts with Mount Myōboku, right, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Yahiko quickly pressed for an answer.

When he has something good, he naturally doesn't forget to share it with Nagato and Konan.

"Yes, they can both do it if they're willing."

Jiraiya said generously.

Having received Jiraiya's promise, Yahiko quickly took his leave and went to find Nagato and Konan.

"Sigh, this is all the good I can do for you."

After Yahiko left, Jiraiya said with a somewhat somber expression.

As a teacher, he felt guilty for not being able to stand up for his students.

Kirito's theft of the Rinnegan also left a thorn in his side, making him have a bad impression of Kirito.

However, as a Konoha ninja, he could not ignore the interests of Konoha.

From Konoha's perspective, Kirito taking the Rinnegan was undoubtedly a choice that aligned with Konoha's interests; rather, it was his failure to report it that harmed Konoha's interests.

Now that Kirito has risked his life to save his mentor from Madara Uchiha, he really has no face to ask Kirito for the Rinnegan.

The feeling of being caught in the middle caused Jiraiya great inner turmoil.

"The ninja world is getting more and more chaotic. I hope that the three of them can inherit the Sage Mode from Mount Myōboku and survive the turmoil in the future."

Jiraiya sighed.

He had Yahiko and the other two sign a spirit contract with Mount Myōboku, which was obviously after he had spoken to the immortals of Mount Myōboku in advance. As long as the three of them were qualified, they could receive the immortal techniques inherited from Mount Myōboku.

He wasn't worried about this, because he knew very well that Yahiko and the other two were all exceptionally talented, at least much better than him.

If even he could pass the aptitude test at Mount Myōboku, then the three of them would definitely be able to pass the test smoothly.

Before long, Yahiko brought Nagato and Konan to Jiraiya. Jiraiya exchanged a few pleasantries with the three of them and then immediately summoned the toad responsible for guarding the Summoning Scroll of Mount Myōboku. He then had the three of them write their names on the Summoning Scroll in blood.

When Yahiko and the other two successfully wrote their names on the summoning scroll, Fukasaku, the hermit of Mount Myōboku, immediately sensed it and smiled slightly, saying, "Very good. Now, Mount Myōboku has gained three outstanding contractors."

Upon realizing that humanity would develop its own Sage Mode inheritance, Fukasaku and Shima urgently convened a high-level meeting of Mount Myōboku. Except for the Great Toad Sage, all the ninja toads of Mount Myōboku who had mastered Sage Mode chakra participated.

After a heated debate, they finally reached a consensus: Mount Myōboku could no longer follow the old path of only recruiting ninjas prophesied by the Great Toad Sage. Instead, they should broaden their recruitment scope and strive to acquire more outstanding contractors.

In short, Mount Myoboku should start learning from Ryuchi-dong.

Because of this, when Jiraiya intended to make his three disciples become contractors of Mount Myōboku, they agreed almost without much consideration.

Of course, the reason they agreed to Jiraiya's request was twofold. Firstly, they genuinely believed that Yahiko and the other two had good potential and were excellent contractors, especially Nagato, whom they valued highly. Secondly, they hoped to make contact with Hattori Masanari, the current leader of Amegakure, through the three of them.

In today's ninja world, it's not just Kirito Tohsaka who's rising to fame; the new leader of Amegakure is equally renowned. Recently, he even managed to seize the Five-Tails from Iwagakure and become the new Five-Tails Jinchuriki, further boosting his popularity.

Therefore, Fukasaku and the other ninja toads unanimously agreed that Hattori Masanari was an excellent contractor, and that if they could bring him to Mount Myōboku, it would definitely help Mount Myōboku maintain its position in the ninja world in the future.

They were also very confident that they could take down this new leader of the Rain Village.

“Old man, aren’t we interfering too much in the struggle between humans? Right now, there are rumors that Madara Uchiha, that terrifying ninja, is going to take revenge on Konoha. Amegakure is now allied with Konoha, so they are definitely also targets of Madara Uchiha’s revenge.”

Seeing her husband so happy, Shima couldn't help but pour cold water on him.

It wasn't that she genuinely wanted to discourage people, but rather that the actions of the ninja toads, including Fukasaku, who decided to change the way Mount Myōboku developed its contractors, were somewhat too dangerous.

The reason why Mount Myōboku has been able to remain a secluded paradise in the ninja world, far removed from the wars of the ninja world, is not only because it possesses strong military support, but also because it never interferes in the struggles between humans.

Their approach to the struggles against humanity has always been to stay as far away as possible, avoiding any involvement whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the radical Ninja Toads, such as Fukasaku, clearly have a tendency to involve Mount Myōboku in the struggles between humans.

“Old woman, your old-fashioned thinking might have been fine in the past, but times have changed. Even legendary things like the Rinnegan have emerged, which shows that the ninja world is undergoing a huge transformation. If our Mount Myōboku misses out, then disaster will befall us.”

Fukasaku, feeling discouraged, immediately criticized him with a stern face.

Back then, Mount Myōboku wasn't a holy land in the world of summoning beasts. It was just a relatively powerful force in the world of summoning beasts. In those days, ninjas hadn't appeared yet, and the ninja world was actually still the domain of their summoning beasts.

Therefore, at that time, there were far more than three groups of summoning beasts who had mastered the inheritance of Sage Techniques. However, with the emergence of ninjas, these powerful summoning beast groups eventually disappeared into the long river of history.

The reason why Mount Myōboku was able to rise to prominence and survive to this day is largely due to its participation in a major upheaval in the ninja world.

The Sage of Six Paths is a real person, because the strongest person on Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage, knew him and helped him seal away a powerful extraterrestrial being named the Goddess of the Rabbit.

The reappearance of the Rinnegan belonging to the Sage of Six Paths undoubtedly foreshadows another major upheaval in the ninja world.

They, from Mount Myoboku, must once again stand on the side of victory.

He had a very high opinion of that golden immortal.

Chapter 303: The Intense Competition in the Ninja World

As time went by, news of Kirito rescuing the Third Hokage from Madara Uchiha began to spread rapidly throughout the ninja world. This made Kirito's reputation even more terrifying, and many evil spirits quickly gathered their claws and dared not make any rash moves.

As a result, Konoha's reputation grew ever more illustrious in the ninja world, and its title as the number one ninja village once again became truly deserved.

The other four major ninja villages remained silent at this time, refraining from expressing any opposition or taking any extreme actions.

For a time, the ninja world welcomed a long-awaited peace.

However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease; the ninja world was ultimately thrown into turmoil by the appearance of Madara Uchiha.

In the Hidden Cloud Village, in the Raikage Building, in the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, currently acting as the Raikage, angrily tore a scroll into pieces and then smashed the unfortunate custom-made table in front of him into scrap metal with a single punch.

"Damn Konoha, what do they mean by this? When will my father be able to return?"

The Fourth Raikage vented his anger and then started yelling again.

More than a month has passed since the battle between the Cloud Village and Konoha and the Rain Village alliance.

During this time, he was forced to become the acting Raikage, living a tedious life of reviewing official documents, which made him miss his father's presence even more.

In order to relieve himself of his burdens and rescue his father, he repeatedly asked Konoha to release him, and promised to pay a hefty price for it, but Konoha refused every time. This was really too much.

Do they really think the Hidden Cloud Village wouldn't dare launch another war?

Seeing that the Fourth Raikage was about to lose his mind, Ailu quickly advised, "Acting Raikage, please calm down. It's normal for Konoha to give such a reply now. After all, they are under threat from that person, and it's impossible for them to send the Third Raikage back so quickly."

"How can you expect me to stay calm? My father is imprisoned in Konoha, and we don't even know if he's alive or dead. I've already humbled myself and apologized, but they keep refusing me. They clearly look down on me and on Kumogakure."

"Damn Konoha! I'll teach them a lesson! Ellie, do you think Konoha will give in if we offer to cooperate with Madara Uchiha unless they hand over Dad?"

The Fourth Raikage said angrily.

When Ailu heard the Fourth Raikage say that, she was speechless. Did she really need to answer such a stupid question?

However, seeing the Fourth Raikage's eager eyes, she firmly shook her head and said, "It's best not to do that. If you, Acting Raikage, still want to see your father again, you should know that the person in charge of Konoha now is no longer the easy-going Third Hokage."

The Fourth Raikage fell silent after being met with Ai's stern opposition, and then quickly became dejected and powerless.

Yes, the current head of Konoha is a very difficult person to talk to.

Although Konoha successfully rescued the Third Hokage, the leadership of Konoha did not remain unchanged after his return. Not long after returning to Konoha, the Third Hokage announced his abdication and passed the position of Hokage to the Konoha princess.

Tsunade officially became the Fourth Hokage.

This time, the transfer of power between the old and new leaders in Konoha was very smooth. The Konoha princess quickly seized power in Konoha shortly after taking office and began to carry out reforms in a very methodical way.

For example, the recent crackdown on corruption.

She successively exposed several major corrupt officials hidden deep within Konoha, severely punished the forces behind them, and then distributed the profits of these corrupt officials to minor ninja clans and civilian ninjas, thereby quickly gaining the support of a large number of minor ninja clans and civilian ninjas.

Without a doubt, this princess of Konoha demonstrated extraordinary courage and a tough attitude as soon as she took office, and was not afraid of any internal backlash.

If she's not afraid of internal pressure, then clearly this Konoha princess is even less afraid of external pressure.

"Acting Raikage, please cheer up. Now is not the time for you to be dejected. Konoha is thriving because of external pressure and the new Hokage's efforts to reform. We, Kumogakure, cannot fall too far behind."

Seeing this, Ailu encouraged them.

The Fourth Raikage showed little reaction to Elui's encouragement. The Hidden Cloud Village was now a mess, having lost the Fourth Raikage, eight Jinchuriki, and a large number of ninjas. Its strength had dropped to its lowest point in history.

Even if he has somewhat revitalized Yunyin, it is impossible for him to reach the previous level of strength of Yunyin without more than ten years.

In short, everything was fraught with difficulties.

The thought of having to be subservient to Konoha for the next ten years or so filled him with despair, and he couldn't help but think about giving up and living a quiet, unassuming life.

“Acting Raikage, you don’t need to feel too much pressure. Konoha may seem to be thriving now, but it is already fraught with danger. That person has a deep-seated hatred for Konoha and will definitely not sit idly by while Konoha prospers. Also, the other major ninja villages do not want to see Konoha rise again.”

Seeing that the Fourth Raikage still lacked motivation, Ai Lui decided to give him a glimmer of hope.

Indeed, people are motivated when they see hope.