Jiraiya forced himself to ignore the disgusting pile of bugs and focused on delivering his urgent message.
"Huh? What are you talking about? What kind of danger?"
Fukasaku asked, visibly confused.
"There's a pendant that can turn anything into a monster—it's appeared here in Mount Myōboku! Gamabunta and the others are already starting to be affected!"
Jiraiya quickly sorted his thoughts and explained the situation as briefly and clearly as possible.
"Huh?"
Both Fukasaku and Shima were left slack-jawed, their small eyes filled with bewilderment.
They couldn't make sense of what Jiraiya was saying.
"Ugh! No time to explain! I'll go find them myself!"
Jiraiya couldn't spare the time to clarify further. He looked around, trying to locate where Gamabunta and the others had gathered.
"Jiraiya… one thousand meters southeast."
Suddenly, an ancient voice echoed in his mind.
"Hmm!? That's the Great Toad Sage!"
Fukasaku and Shima also heard it, both startled.
It was the voice of the Great Toad Sage—the revered leader of Mount Myōboku.
"They're being exposed to something strange. I sense immense danger. Hurry!"
The Great Toad Sage urged.
"Understood!"
Jiraiya took off, alarmed, flying through the air with urgency.
"Hey! Wait for us!"
Fukasaku and Shima, realizing something serious was happening, quickly leapt onto Jiraiya to go with him.
Meanwhile, back at the gathering grounds, all the toads were basking in the glow of the Lovecraft Pendant, enjoying their improving physical conditions.
It was just like a drug—once they experienced its benefits, they couldn't stop, completely addicted to the sensation.
"All toads, evacuate immediately!"
Suddenly, every toad heard the Great Toad Sage's voice in their mind.
"Huh? The Great Toad Sage?"
Gamabunta looked up in confusion.
"That glowing orb is dangerous. Leave at once."
Though many of the toads were puzzled, feeling no danger from the healing light, the Great Toad Sage's words held the highest authority in Mount Myōboku—none dared disobey.
So they began to scatter.
"Time to go, Gamakichi! Gamatarō!"
Gamabunta didn't hesitate. He grabbed his two dazed sons and leapt back.
But then, he noticed something was wrong—Gamaken and Gamahiro hadn't moved, nor had several other toads.
"Hey! What are you all doing?! Didn't you hear the Great Toad Sage? Move it!"
Gamabunta shouted at the unmoving toads.
"Maybe it's something tasty?"
Gamatarō said innocently.
"No way."
Gamakichi rolled his eyes.
"Ken! Hiro! What are you doing?!"
It was one thing for strangers to ignore him, but for his own brothers—Gamahiro and Gamaken—to disobey him, Gamabunta was furious.
"Ughhh… urghhh…"
Suddenly, Gamahiro and Gamaken groaned in pain, lowering their heads and trembling uncontrollably.
And they weren't alone. The other toads who remained behind started showing the same symptoms.
They trembled violently, groaned in agony, their bodies spasming in terrifying ways, while the toads that had retreated looked on in fear.
"All of you, fall back—now!!"
Gamabunta immediately sensed danger and ordered the others to get away.
He stood in front of the afflicted group, filled with worry and alertness.
"What's wrong with you guys?! What's happening to you?!"
Just as he tried to approach them to check, the mutation began.
"ROAAARRRRRR!!!"
Gamahiro and Gamaken suddenly let out blood-curdling roars—voices that didn't even sound like toads anymore.
It sounded like dozens of wild beasts howling in unison.
They weren't alone. The other afflicted toads also began howling—voices full of pain and murderous rage.
And then their bodies began to transform grotesquely.
Their skin writhed unnaturally, splitting open as pulsating flesh spilled out, replacing their outer layers with tumors and rot.
Some grew sharp spines down their backs.
Others sprouted goat-like horns on their heads.
Some had dozens of eyes emerge from their bellies.
Others grew arms like those of a gorilla.
But what they all shared was a horrifying, malformed face—no longer that of a toad, but a mass of bulging, decayed flesh.
"ROAAAARRR!!"
The mutated toads growled furiously, turning toward the surrounding survivors with overwhelming killing intent.
"What… what happened to you?!"
Gamabunta couldn't believe it—his own kin had become monstrous abominations.
"Gamabunta!!"
Jiraiya's voice came from behind.
He arrived in a flash, landing beside Gamabunta.
"Jiraiya?! What are you doing here?!"
Gamabunta asked, stunned.
"I came to handle this—but it looks like I'm too late."
Jiraiya's face was pale with dread.
"What is going on?! Why did they turn into… monsters?!"
Gamabunta shouted in panic.
"It's the orb."
Jiraiya pointed at the floating sphere in the air.
"Prolonged exposure to that light… turns you into a mindless beast."
He said grimly.
"What?!"
Gamabunta was stunned—never imagining the healing orb would have such a horrifying side effect.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
At that moment, the mutated toads roared again and charged toward the other toads who had begun to flee.
In an instant—chaos.
The ground was torn apart, and bodies were strewn everywhere.
"STOP!!"
Gamabunta, Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima shouted together and sprang into action.
Gamabunta hurled his two sons far away, then leapt high and smashed down on several of the mutated toads, stomping them deep into the earth.
Jiraiya threw kunai wrapped with explosive tags at the legs of others—crippling them and stopping their pursuit.
"Sage Art: Frog Song!!"
Fukasaku and Shima jumped high into the air and released a powerful sonic croak.
Every mutated beast who heard the sound clutched their ears in pain and staggered to a halt.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the four, they barely managed to suppress the rampaging blood-flesh monsters.
(End of Chapter)
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