"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chiba Hakushi, this is our first face-to-face meeting, isn't it?"
The Mire Witch, seated on the platform, spoke. Her voice was quite distinctive, and as she spoke, the surroundings became even quieter.
"Indeed, Lady Mire."
Hakushi nodded while sitting on the cushion prepared earlier by the maid, maintaining a dignified attitude neither humble nor arrogant.
Previously, communication had always been through letters, delivered by the Earth General, and this was the first time meeting in person.
"Is there something you wish to discuss by coming here at this moment?"
The Mire Witch asked.
"There are indeed matters to discuss with Lady Mire. This is a proposal I hastily drafted. Please take a look."
Without any unnecessary words, Hakushi went straight to the point of his visit.
Hakushi was about to step forward to hand the scroll to Mire. Instead, Mire, who was seated, lifted her hand, and the scroll in Hakushi's hand floated by itself, landing in Mire's hand.
Seeing this scene, a slight smile appeared on Hakushi's lips.
The witch's powers... seem quite intriguing.
Mire opened the scroll, glancing calmly over its contents. After reading, an unusually peculiar expression appeared on her face.
"Lady Mire, what do you think?"
"Although there are parts I do not understand, I can sense that if the things written here come true, it could make life better for the people of the Land of Demons. Then I entrust it to you, Mr. Hakushi."
"Thank you very much for your trust."
"Don't mention it, I just hope the people of this country can live better lives."
Saying this, Mire couldn't help but glance again at the scroll's content.
Repairing roads, building schools, popularizing education...
If Hakushi needed the Land of Demons to provide a neutral identity to engage in some clandestine, illegal activities, Mire would find it quite normal.
"By the way, there's one thing. Can Lady Mire enlighten me?"
At this moment, Hakushi interrupted Mire's thoughts.
"Please go ahead."
"It's about Mount Myoboku."
Hakushi's expression became much more serious.
At first, he thought Sacred Land Mount Myoboku was merely inhabited by a group of toads practicing Immortal Techniques.
But through the incident with Minato, he saw the potential and power this Sacred Land holds.
Even reversing life and death is possible, and frankly, Hakushi felt he needed to reassess the strength of this Sacred Land.
"Regarding matters over there, my knowledge is limited. However, there's one thing to be aware of: the Great Toad Sage, the leader of Mount Myoboku, like us witches, possesses the power to foresee the future. Moreover, compared to us, his prophecies are more comprehensive and versatile."
For the first time, solemnity appeared on Mire's face.
"The Great Toad Sage?"
The leader of Mount Myoboku—Hakushi heard this title and about the existence called the Great Toad Sage for the first time.
"It's said that the Great Toad Sage is a toad that has lived for more than a thousand years. In the records of the witch's legacy, it is sparsely noted that it was once a close companion to the Six Paths Sage, the ancestor of the ninja."
Hey, why are we suddenly talking about mythology? Hakushi internally retorted.
A toad that has lived for more than a thousand years is enough to be terrifying, and even a fabricated character from mythical tales like the Six Paths Sage showed up.
Isn't that just a myth?
And mythologies are usually fictional characters formed through various artistic processes by humans.
"Does Mr. Hakushi not believe in these things?"
"A little. Suddenly jumping to the Six Paths Sage, I always thought that was a fictional character."
Hakushi answered honestly.
"Yet, there are indeed many wondrous things in this world that cannot be explained by human common sense. That Great Toad Sage might already have taken notice of you."
Mire's words were startling, leaving Hakushi slightly taken aback.
"Taken… notice of me? What does that mean? I haven't even directly interacted with the toads of Mount Myoboku."
"There's no need for interaction. The power to foresee the future is essentially the ability to peer into destiny. Sometimes we witches also have dreams about the future, and without exception, those events happen exactly as in the dreams. However, Mr. Hakushi, there's no need to be overly pessimistic, please stay optimistic even when facing death."
Even while saying such things, Mire wore a gentle smile on her face.
Evidently, she was accustomed to matters like these.
Issues of life and death couldn't trouble her.
"..."
Hakushi looked at Mire speechlessly.
He didn't feel in the slightest that the Mire Witch was comforting him.
As he stood up from the ground, he sighed and said, "Destiny, huh? Although I don't want to believe in such oddities, I'll be mindful. Thank you, Lady Mire, for the reminder."
Mount Myoboku, huh? What a troublesome existence.
The next time he has to deal with Konoha's people, he must first get rid of this thorn in the side.
Otherwise, constantly resurrecting the dead there who were meant to be killed, that would be extremely troublesome.
"Well then, I'll take my leave, Lady Mire."
"Please go ahead."
"By the way, if my identity as a Renegade Ninja is exposed, it won't cause trouble for the Land of Demons, will it?"
"Ah, don't worry about that. In this world, there are roles only witches can fulfill."
The Mire Witch provided this answer.
Hakushi nodded; even though he didn't know what responsibilities witches carried, it must surely be a troublesome affair, probably related to the Land of Demons' status as a Neutral Country.
It's best not to delve into such matters. The current task is to rapidly strengthen his power during wartime.