"Great Toad Sage, are you saying that child Kusuo has a natural Sage Body?" Jiraiya's mouth hung open, and he couldn't close it for a long time. The news was simply too shocking.
"Although it was just for a fleeting moment, I have never been wrong about these things," the Great Toad Sage said, his eyelids drooping as if he were recounting ancient secrets. In truth, these things were not that significant to him. "Don't get too excited. When I say 'natural Sage Body,' I am referring to someone who possesses all seven elemental natures and has the potential for fusion."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's excitement calmed down considerably. He composed himself and asked, "Then, may I ask, Great Sage, what is a Sage Body, and why does possessing all seven natures give one the potential for fusion?"
Jiraiya felt as if he was on the verge of discovering a completely new realm, a realm that existed only in the ancient memories of the Great Toad Sage.
"A Sage Body, you ask..." Facing Jiraiya's question, the ancient toad murmured to himself, as if awakening long-sealed memories. "These matters involve too many secrets. I cannot reveal everything. If you have the chance, you should help that child more. A toad's intuition is never wrong. His future achievements will far exceed our imagination."
For no apparent reason, the image of a figure in flowing white robes flashed before the Great Toad Sage's eyes, gone in an instant. Then, an invisible force gently swept Jiraiya out of the cave.
Jiraiya's body flew backward uncontrollably. He opened his mouth to ask more, but the words died in his throat.
"Sigh, it seems that child Kusuo holds even more secrets than the village knows," he lamented, though there was no sadness in his heart. Jiraiya could sense that Kusuo's heart, while not bound to Konoha, was still with them. That alone was enough.
He looked up at the sky. Mount Myōboku seemed to have no night; the sun above was bright. "I wonder how Kusuo is doing with his senjutsu training. Such a difficult thing, he's bound to hit a wall," Jiraiya chuckled mischievously, as if it were one of the great joys in life.
"Hey! Gamakichi! Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?!" he suddenly shouted at an orange toad hopping through the sky.
The good-natured Gamakichi looked back and spotted the tiny human, Jiraiya, on the ground. "I'm rushing home for dinner! Naruto is improving so fast, I have to grow up quickly too!"
"Time really flies..." Gamakichi's words brought back memories for Jiraiya. When Naruto first summoned Gamakichi, the toad was only the size of his palm. Now, he was almost as big as his father.
Jiraiya leaped up and landed on Gamakichi's head. "What's the hurry for dinner? With a stomach that big, you probably still have plenty to digest. Come on! I'll take you to see a good show!"
Jiraiya pointed into the distance. Gamakichi's large, curious eyes looked over. "Isn't that the toad's training grounds?" Far on the horizon, countless sharp towers stood like a sea of spires, an awe-inspiring sight. Jiraiya himself had trained there on a wooden plank.
"That's right! That's the place! We're about to see a genius being stumped by senjutsu. Let me tell you, this genius I'm talking about has never hit a wall in his life. He's always won effortlessly, crushing his opponents. This time, he suddenly asked me to teach him senjutsu. He's definitely going to run into a brick wall!" Jiraiya whispered into Gamakichi's enormous ear.
Gamakichi's eyes shifted. Although he didn't understand why Jiraiya was so excited, he got the gist of it. He nodded his big head in agreement. Indeed, senjutsu was difficult even for native toads to learn; it took a very long time to grasp the essentials, let alone for a human. As for the "genius" Jiraiya was talking about, such a thing didn't really exist. Weren't all humans who came to Mount Myōboku to learn senjutsu incredibly talented to begin with?
"Alright!" Gamakichi agreed, pushing off with his powerful legs. WHOOSH! He leaped incredibly high into the air. Jiraiya stood on his head, full of vigor, as excited as if he were looking at a graceful woman. With his hands on his hips, he declared, "Let's go!"
...
"Old man, are we still having dinner?" Shima nudged her husband. Both she and Fukasaku had been staring motionlessly at Hatake Kusuo for a long time. The sage markings on the human boy's face were becoming more and more distinct. Combined with the black markings already on his forehead, his face looked like that of a god or a demon.
"No! Wait a little longer!" Fukasaku said, his tone grave. "This is a child who received the Great Toad Sage's evaluation. For Little Jiraiya's sake, and for our ancestor's, we must watch over this boy." He didn't dare to be careless. Even now, he couldn't relax his guard. Even though Kusuo had already exhibited all the characteristics of a sage, this was still his first time practicing senjutsu. If something went wrong midway and no one was there to help, there would be only one outcome: turning to stone. Death. The many giant toad statues scattered around Mount Myōboku, their sizes indicating they were experienced toads who had lived long lives, were a testament to the risks of making a mistake and petrifying. What more for a human boy?
"The old man is right. We'll watch a little longer and cook after he's finished," Shima said, her passion for cooking giving way to seriousness. The two old toads stared intently at the cross-legged figure before them, their focus absolute.
Suddenly...
WHOOSH! THUD!
A loud noise slammed into their ears, accompanied by a large body.
"Sorry to trouble you, Great Sages. How is that child Kusuo doing? Is he still struggling to find the knack for it? Is he getting frustrated and angry? Don't worry! Let me, Jiraiya the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, help him take his first steps and quickly grasp the essentials of becoming a sage!" Jiraiya leaped down, looking at the two sages with great anticipation.
However, he faintly sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off. Why were the two sages looking at him as if he were an idiot?
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, confused. "What's wrong, you two? Did something major happen?"
Shima and Fukasaku stared at him with a strange look for a moment before speaking in a low, ghostly tone. "Not really, but as for your offer to help him get started... I don't think that will be necessary. In fact, we were just thinking that, if needed, you might even be able to learn a thing or two about sage training from this child."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya was completely and utterly baffled. What was going on? Had the two sages eaten a poisonous bug and gone mad from the heat?
When he turned his head and saw the change on Hatake Kusuo's face...
Hiss!
THUD!
He stumbled backward, crashing to the ground in shock.
-------
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