A single sound of surprise drew the attention of every person and toad in the cave. It was the questioning voice of the Great Toad Sage himself.
"Human boy, come here," the Great Toad Sage beckoned to Hatake Kusuo.
Jiraiya gave Kusuo a strange look, his heart also fluttering. Could it be? Was I actually right? Is Kusuo really the Child of Prophecy? At this thought, a wave of ecstasy began to surge through Jiraiya.
Hatake Kusuo calmly walked forward and looked up at the Great Toad Sage before him. The toad's body was ancient beyond words, exuding an aura of extreme old age and decay. Yet, the presence that emanated from him was profound, majestic, and vast. Kusuo could feel the toad's gaze sweeping over his body, as if penetrating his flesh to reach his very soul.
The scene was completely silent.
"Human boy, you are very unusual," the Great Toad Sage stated plainly.
The sage toads, led by Fukasaku and Shima, were all stunned. Uh... what does that mean? Everyone was eagerly awaiting confirmation of the Child of Prophecy's identity. Why did their great ancestor not reveal any information and just offer such a vague statement?
"What is your purpose here?" the Great Toad Sage asked when he saw that Kusuo remained silent.
"To learn senjutsu," Kusuo replied succinctly.
"Very well. Fukasaku, Shima, you two take him. I will speak with Little Jiraiya." Instantly, the Great Toad Sage agreed to Kusuo's request, keeping only Jiraiya behind to catch up.
This move left all the toads present even more baffled. What did their ancestor mean by this? In an instant, their gazes towards Kusuo became tinged with awe.
"Come, we'll take you to the place where the toads like to train," Fukasaku said, hopping in front of Kusuo and pointing a webbed hand towards a certain area before leading the way.
Kusuo's eyes flickered. He had remained silent the entire time mainly because he wanted to see if the Great Toad Sage could perceive anything about him. After all, in a world like Naruto, where something as mystical as a toad's dream could come true without fail, what else could be considered strange?
Following Fukasaku, they arrived at a place filled with a forest of sharp, spire-like towers. Shima had gone off to cook.
"By the way, Lord Fukasaku, I've already eaten lunch, and I brought a bento from home for dinner, so I won't be able to join you," Kusuo said directly to Fukasaku. Good heavens, could the food toads ate even be consumed by humans? Those squirming, live bugs would make even Bear Grylls frown and cry for help if he were teleported here.
"That's a real shame," Fukasaku said, turning his head. His old, white-bearded face showed a hint of regret. In his heart, his wife's cooking was the most delicious food there was.
"This is where the toads train. The natural energy here is the most abundant and gentle, unlike the violent energy in other places," Fukasaku explained. "You can start by feeling it out here. But I must warn you, learning senjutsu is a long and difficult process. Sometimes, you might not make any progress for a year or even longer..."
Fukasaku was still chattering on when he suddenly froze. Because, in the short time he had been explaining, the human boy had already sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and begun to feel the fluctuations of energy in the environment.
The most shocking part was that red markings were faintly appearing on the boy's eyes and forehead!
"That's... the Sage Mode face markings!" How is this possible?! How can someone be born with the ability to master the secrets of senjutsu?!
In an instant, Fukasaku was completely dumbfounded. He was so shocked he was babbling incoherently, almost unable to speak. Throughout history, many humans had come here to learn senjutsu, but no one had ever entered the state so quickly, with the sage markings appearing on their face. Not Little Jiraiya, not Little Minato—no one!
Compared to Fukasaku's shock, Kusuo's mind was completely immersed in the ocean of natural energy. He had to admit, the Breathing Style was truly powerful. He had originally thought that mastering senjutsu would require certain techniques and skills, which he would then master in one fell swoop with the monstrous talent he inherited from Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Who would have thought that upon arriving here, the abundant, rich, and gentle natural energy would automatically enter his body with each breath?
Countless waves of immense, ethereal energy stacked upon each other, becoming incredibly heavy and vast. On a fundamental level, it far surpassed ordinary chakra. No matter who refined it, their chakra seemed inferior in comparison.
"Old man," Shima's voice called out. "Tonight we're having trilobites and stir-fried green worms. These are rare delicacies I saved specially for our guest. You should..."
"Shhh~!!" Fukasaku hurriedly put a finger to his toad lips, signaling for Shima to be quiet.
Shima, holding a basket of food, looked at Fukasaku's grave and shocked face with confusion. "What's wrong, old man?" she whispered.
Fukasaku didn't speak, but continued to stare seriously at Kusuo. Shima followed his gaze, and instantly...
Clatter.
The basket in her hand fell to the ground.
"Is that... the Sage Mode face markings!?" she gasped. "How can it be so fast?! Old man, could it be that Little Jiraiya already taught him how to sense and absorb senjutsu chakra beforehand?"
This shockingly unbelievable scene unfolded before the two old sages, shattering their hearts that had lived for so long. To be able to control natural energy and manifest the sage markings immediately upon entering the sage region... the word "genius" was far from enough to describe this monstrous talent!
"Impossible. Little Jiraiya needs a long time to form hand seals to enter Sage Mode, and he still needs our help. He hasn't mastered the complete power of a sage," Fukasaku said, shaking his head gravely.
In that instant, both he and his wife, Shima, simultaneously recalled the words of the Great Toad Sage back in the sacred cave.
"This human boy, you are very unusual."
"Perhaps... perhaps this boy can master the complete power of a sage," Fukasaku mused. The complete power of a sage referred to the ability to enter Sage Mode at will, anytime, without any assistance or lengthy hand seals for sensing. Both Naruto's meditation and Jiraiya's long hand seals were, in fact, inferior, second-rate methods.
At that very moment, in the cave of Mount Myōboku's sacred grounds, an incredulous shout echoed out.
"What? Great Toad Sage, you're saying that child Kusuo is actually...!"
-------
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