Konohagakure Village
Kushina Uzumaki, pregnant, struggled to carry the groceries she had just bought as she made her way home.
Because of the importance of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and her husband Minato Namikaze's high status in Konoha, the area around their house was heavily guarded by ANBU.
One reason was to keep an eye on the Jinchuriki's movements; the other was to protect her as she approached childbirth.
After all, the Jinchuriki's labor could loosen the seal, which was a major concern, and any mistake was unacceptable.
As she opened the door, she saw a familiar figure. His bright yellow hair, shining like the sun, gave her a sense of calm. Kushina stood frozen for a second by the door, dropped the bags, and without hesitation, leaped into his arms despite her pregnancy.
"Minato—!"
Kushina clung to him, unwilling to let go, almost like a kangaroo hanging onto him.
Minato wrapped his arms around his wife, kissed her forehead affectionately, and then smiled warmly. "I'm home, Kushina. I'm sorry for leaving you to handle everything while I was away."
Ever since the Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Sogetsu, was killed, Minato had sworn to avenge his close friend. He had left the village to investigate clues about "Danzo" and the Aurora Order. He would only occasionally return to the village, leaving all household matters to the once-spoiled girl.
Kushina never complained. Instead, she took charge of everything, even while pregnant, hardly ever complaining.
This made Minato feel increasingly indebted to his wife.
Now, with the imminent birth of their child, he had to put everything on hold and rush back to ensure his wife's safety.
"It's fine, as long as you're back," Kushina said, giving him a kiss before cheerfully adding, "Now that you're back, you can start serving me!"
"No problem."
Minato Namikaze replied with a smile.
The two stared into each other's eyes, a deep connection growing in the silence. As their feelings intensified, they couldn't hold back any longer.
Minato gently placed Kushina on the sofa, gazing into her enchanting eyes. Unable to resist, he leaned in and kissed her deeply on the lips.
"Mm, no, stop…"
Kushina shyly responded to her husband, giving a playful yet reluctant push.
"I'm just giving you a little kiss~"
Minato chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist, lovingly gazing into her eyes.
But just as things were about to get more intimate, an unexpected interruption occurred.
Suddenly, a toad appeared from the water pipes in the kitchen.
The toad jumped onto the counter and, with its big eyes, stared at the couple on the sofa. It said, "Sorry to disturb you, Lord Minato, but there's something very important."
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze.
Sobbing noises could be heard, like a kettle boiling.
Kushina's head steamed, her face turning as red as a cooked shrimp. She forcefully kicked Minato away.
Luckily, Minato was quick on his feet, flipping mid-air and landing gracefully. His face slightly flushed, he pretended to cough a couple of times to ease the awkward tension. "Oh, it's you, Kōsuke. What's going on?"
Kōsuke was the messenger toad from Mount Myōboku. Normally, its appearance meant there was something important from the mountain.
"I'm not sure, but this time it's from the 'Great Toad Sage.'"
Kōsuke said honestly, "The Great Toad Sage told me to bring you a message. He wants you to come to Mount Myōboku immediately. He has something very important to tell you."
The Great Toad Sage?!
Upon hearing this, Minato's expression grew serious. "Could it be a new prophecy?"
It is said that the Great Toad Sage is the ancestor of Mount Myoboku, having survived for a thousand years. He possesses miraculous prophetic abilities but rarely speaks and is mostly in a deep sleep.
Now, hearing that it was the Great Toad Sage who summoned him, a shadow of unease grew in his heart.
Minato Namikaze was about to leave but paused, hesitating for a moment. He turned back to look at Kushina, a trace of guilt on his face. "Kushina, I..."
"It's okay, Minato," Kushina said, her large belly protruding as she walked over. She gently embraced him, resting her head on his chest. "You have more important things to do. I'll be fine here, so don't worry about me."
Even so, Minato could still feel the reluctance in his wife's voice.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
He tightly hugged Kushina around the waist and whispered in her ear, "I promise, I'll be by your side when the baby is born."
"Mm."
Kushina gently nodded and reluctantly released him, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Go ahead, Minato."
The couple shared only a brief moment together before they had to part again.
But Minato pushed aside his longing and followed the messenger toad, using reverse summoning to disappear from the room.
Mount Myoboku.
Strange rocks stood tall, and the croaking of toads filled the air.
The vibrant vegetation looked like a subtropical forest, the air humid and heavy. From a distance, it resembled a vast valley. This was Mount Myoboku, one of the Three Great Sage Lands.
"Little Minato, you've arrived."
A deep green toad, with white eyebrows and beard like an elderly human, sat atop another large toad.
"We've been waiting for you for a long time, Little Minato."
By the side of the deep green toad, there was another purple toad, resembling an older lady with curly hair. With a warm smile, it said, "Ever since you learned Sage Mode, you haven't even come back to see us."
Facing the two toads that were about the size of a palm, Minato Namikaze showed deep respect. "Sage Fukasaku, Sage Shima, I wonder why the Great Toad Sage called for me this time?"
"I don't know."
Sage Fukasaku shook his head and replied, "The Great Toad Sage suddenly told us to bring you here. He said there's a new prophecy."
A new prophecy?!
Minato's heart skipped a beat. He had heard his teacher, Jiraiya, mention prophecies before, and it was one of the reasons Jiraiya often left the village.
But now... what could this new prophecy be?
"Don't delay too much, little Minato."
Fukasaku jumped down and landed on Minato's shoulder, stroking his beard. "Don't keep the Great Toad Sage waiting."
"Understood, Sage Fukasaku."
Minato suppressed the shock in his heart and followed the toad's guidance, heading deep into Mount Myoboku.
There, sitting on a sacred throne, was a massive orange toad, wearing a necklace around its neck and a doctoral hat on its head. It looked ancient, with wrinkled, scarred skin, its eyes closed as if dozing off.
"Is... little Minato... here?"
Sensing the presence of the visitors, the Great Toad Sage slowly awoke, struggling to lift its eyelids. It revealed a solemn, serious expression and whispered in pain, "I dreamt of... a vast, dark ocean rising from the depths of the earth, unleashing a cataclysmic tsunami that swallowed all life on land; while ancient stars in the sky shone brightly, aligning at the right moment, and the ancient primordial being awakened from death, to reclaim the authority that belongs to Him."
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