Mizuki didn't particularly like ramen—not because it tasted bad, but because it reminded him too much of instant cup noodles. He used to eat those during hard times, only to end up vomiting later. The association had left a mild psychological scar. Unless he was truly starving, ramen just wasn't something he craved.
The four of them sat shoulder to shoulder on the narrow bench at Ichiraku Ramen, and for Mizuki, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. Seated next to Naruto, he was constantly splashed by broth as Naruto slurped his noodles with reckless abandon. It was noisy, messy, and frankly disgusting.
Glancing at the towering pile of empty bowls beside Naruto, Mizuki finally understood why the boy's stamina was so monstrous—his appetite alone put normal shinobi to shame.
Wiping a drop of soup off his cheek with a sigh, Mizuki turned to Naruto and said dryly, "I'd thought you were just getting pointers from Ebisu, Naruto-kun. I didn't expect your new teacher to be Lord Jiraiya himself. That's quite impressive."
"Huh? You mean the Pervy Sage is actually some big deal?" Naruto replied, clueless as ever.
Jiraiya, standing nearby, winced at the nickname. "I've told you over and over, it's Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku—not Pervy Sage!"
"It's the same thing. Don't sweat the details," Naruto said with a shrug, clearly not taking it seriously.
Mizuki gave a strained smile. "Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-sama was the teacher of the Fourth Hokage. There are many elite Konoha shinobi who would give anything for his guidance."
"Seriously?" Naruto blinked. "So that pervy old man is stronger than even Kakashi-sensei?"
Jiraiya grinned smugly. "You're starting to get it. The title of Toad Sage isn't just for show, kid."
Finishing his last bowl, Naruto stood up and pointed at Jiraiya. "If you're so powerful, then stop slacking off and teach me a killer new jutsu already! No more peeking at women all day! I'm coming to find you tomorrow morning, so don't run away, Pervy Sage!" With that, he ran off, presumably to crash at home.
"He didn't even pay… and he ate more than anyone," Jiraiya muttered, watching Naruto vanish down the street. Turning to Mizuki, he raised an eyebrow. "So, Mizuki, what's on your mind?"
"You're sharp as ever, Jiraiya-sama," Mizuki said, smiling faintly. This encounter had been a coincidence, but now that he had the opportunity, he wasn't going to waste it. Jiraiya was the only known living person who had successfully mastered Sage Mode.
Jiraiya gestured for him to speak. "Go on."
"It's about Sage Mode," Mizuki said plainly.
"Sage Mode, huh?" Jiraiya blinked, visibly surprised. "Not many know about that… Seems like you're not just an ordinary chunin."
"There aren't many true secrets in the shinobi world," Mizuki replied. "If someone really wants to uncover something, there's always a way."
Jiraiya studied him for a moment before nodding. "Even if you know about it, it's not something you should be messing with. It's dangerous. Not everyone's body can handle it."
"I understand. Sage Mode requires an enormous chakra reserve just to begin with. If someone like me tried to learn it now, I'd probably turn to stone—or lose my mind."
Jiraiya raised a brow. "You know more than I expected. So what do you want to know, exactly?"
"How many people in the world are capable of using Sage Mode?" Mizuki asked.
Jiraiya leaned back against the wall, thinking. "To my knowledge… just me. Orochimaru once attempted it, but he couldn't handle the natural energy. I'm not sure how far he got, but it wasn't a success."
"That few?" Mizuki murmured.
"Well, there's a reason. Sage Mode is incredibly dangerous. Without the help of a summoning contract with the right creatures, you can't even perceive natural energy—let alone absorb it safely. Do you even know what that is?"
Mizuki nodded. "If humans can access natural energy through summoned beasts, then why do the summons themselves—like the Toad Sages—have multiple practitioners? It seems odd that among humans, Sage Mode is so rare, yet among summoning clans, there are entire hierarchies of sages."
Jiraiya paused. "…I don't have a real answer for you. But I'll say this: the key lies in sensing and balancing natural energy. Without a medium like toad oil, you'd never even notice the flow, much less control it. In Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru's experiments relied on Jūgo's clan—the origin of the Curse Mark."
Mizuki's gaze sharpened. "So even if the natural energy varies slightly by region or method, it's all part of the same world. Shouldn't humans—who are said to be the 'spirit of all things'—be able to connect directly to it?"
Jiraiya laughed. "You're asking the wrong guy. Maybe the world just doesn't like humans."
Mizuki went silent. The joke landed, but it carried weight. What if the world really doesn't favor humanity?
"Is the Divine Tree the key?"
The Divine Tree… In the manga, Uchiha Madara called it a god worshipped by ancient people. If that was true, things were far worse than they seemed. What if the Divine Tree wasn't just a tool of invasion, but a symbol of betrayal? If humans had revered it as divine, had they not unknowingly offered themselves as sacrifice?
Then came the tailed beasts—formed from the Ten-Tails after it was split by the Sage of Six Paths. They were immortal. As embodiments of chakra and human will, even if destroyed, they would eventually reform. If Mizuki's theory held, they were the collective will of humanity itself. Unless humanity vanished, the tailed beasts would never die.
"Spirit of all things? What a joke. Maybe we're just parasites in a world that resents us."
That would explain why Sasuke's clone, created during Mizuki's recent experiment and infused with cursed chakra, was so violently rejected by the world. The clone felt like it was naturally incompatible with its surroundings.
Noticing Mizuki deep in thought, Jiraiya added, "You know, humans have had sages too. The Sage of Six Paths established ninshu, separated Yin and Yang, and brought order to the world."
"Right… the Sage of Six Paths." Mizuki nodded absently.
"The first hero… the original savior… Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. He defeated Kaguya, sealed the Ten-Tails, and split it into nine parts. So the descendants of that bloodline—Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki, Hyūga—became favored by the world. It's no wonder the villages they founded dominate the world stage. Only those tied to their lineage seem able to awaken Sage Mode. It's not about effort. It's not even about talent. It's about purity—of blood, of will, of destiny."