"What's with that boy? Why can't we summon him over?!"
Reverse Summoning works the same way as regular Summoning.
The more chakra the target has, the more chakra is required for the summoning.
Right now, all the toads of Mount Myoboku realized that even pooling together their Sage Chakra wasn't enough to reverse summon a single child!
Naruto, watching from the side, was completely puzzled.
"Eh? Ero-sennin, what's wrong with these toads?"
Jiraiya frowned, scanning the area, but didn't see Shinju anywhere. He explained,
"Looks like Shinju's chakra is way too massive. Reverse Summoning just won't work on him…"
Even Jiraiya himself was shocked at that!
These were all Myoboku toads.
Every one of them had Sage Chakra!
And yet, they still couldn't summon Shinju?
What the hell?
Just how much chakra did that little boy have stored up inside him?!
Could it actually be more than Naruto, who carried the Nine-Tails?!
The toads kept trying for a long while, but nothing worked.
Finally, Fukasaku leapt onto Jiraiya's shoulder and said,
"If Reverse Summoning can't bring your other disciple here, then you'll just have to trouble yourself, little Jiraiya. Go fetch the boy by land and bring him to Mount Myoboku." --003d_--003d
"...Guess that's the only option we've got. 눈_눈"
Jiraiya sighed helplessly.
Truth be told, he really didn't want to make that trip.
Because walking from Konoha in the Land of Fire all the way to Mount Myoboku would take at least a month or two!
That was far too exhausting.
Naruto cut in from the side,
"If you want Shinju here, isn't it simple? Ero-sennin, just bring Shinju's Flying Thunder God kunai. Then he can teleport here instantly using the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Jiraiya slapped his forehead.
"Why didn't I think of that?!"
So, the toads canceled the summoning and sent Jiraiya back.
After Jiraiya got a Flying Thunder God kunai from Shinju, they summoned him again.
Two seconds later, Shinju teleported in with the Flying Thunder God!
The moment he arrived at Mount Myoboku, Shinju was instantly drawn in by the surroundings.
The sky was clear, the air fresh.
All around him were gigantic plants—just a single blade of grass was taller than half a person!
As Shinju was taking it all in, a toad spoke up.
"So this boy's the one we couldn't summon?"
"Doesn't look like much."
That was Gamabunta.
"Only that red hair of his stands out a little…"
Fukasaku remarked.
"Red hair… red…"
Shima suddenly felt something off.
Earlier, when she and Fukasaku were attending the Great Toad Sage, hadn't he mentioned dreaming of a vision filled with red?
Could that red be tied to this boy's hair?!
That would explain why the Great Toad Sage suddenly ordered this boy to be brought to Mount Myoboku to train in Sage Arts!
Hearing the toads discuss him, Shinju looked up and saw countless toads of all shapes and sizes gathered around.
Some carried twin blades.
Some had twin forks on their backs.
One of them even looked like a gangster, pipe in his mouth, short sword at his waist, arms crossed, a real don't-mess-with-me look!
Shinju: …
Hiss~~
Mount Myoboku's scenery really did feel like a Sage's paradise.
But why did all these toads feel more like yakuza…?
Fukasaku raised his hand, signaling for the toads to leave.
"Alright, alright. Since the boy's already here, everyone scatter."
"Shima and I will be teaching these two kids Sage Arts."
Once Fukasaku spoke, the toads dispersed.
Soon, on the vast open ground, only Jiraiya, Shinju, Naruto, and the two elder toads remained.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Fukasaku, a Sage of Mount Myoboku. This here is my wife, Shima." The green elder toad said.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll be teaching you Sage Arts."
"For tonight, you two should rest here in Mount Myoboku."
After speaking, the two toads reminded Jiraiya to take the kids around and let them enjoy Mount Myoboku while they still had time.
Once Sage training began, they wouldn't get much free time anymore.
Before leaving, Shima didn't forget to remind Jiraiya,
"Jiraiya, take good care of them. Tonight, come to my place for dinner."
"Got it, Shima-sama."
Jiraiya answered cheerfully.
After that, he took Naruto and Shinju for a stroll around the outskirts of Mount Myoboku, introducing them to the local scenery and culture.
That evening, he brought the two boys to Shima's home for the promised meal.
"I wonder what kind of food a Sage eats."
Naruto sat at the table, face full of anticipation.
(¯﹃¯)
After training chakra balance in the morning and wandering all around Mount Myoboku in the afternoon, his stomach had long since been growling.
"Do you think it'll be something like dragon liver or phoenix marrow?"
Shinju thought aloud innocently.
But realistically speaking… these were toad sages.
And toads ate… bugs?!!
∑(✘Д✘๑)
The realization hit Shinju, and his expression turned grim.
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
"What's wrong, Shinju?"
"N-no, nothing."
Shinju waved it off.
Jiraiya just chuckled silently to himself.
Soon enough, Shima brought out plate after plate of bugs!
"This here is braised giant earthworm… this is chilled cicada larvae… these are fried mosquito cakes…"
"And this is Jiraiya's favorite—steamed slug. Sauce is on the side, dip it yourselves."
Once the food was all served, Shima glanced at the two boys, who still hadn't touched their chopsticks. She assumed it was because they were nervous being at Mount Myoboku for the first time, so she gently reassured them.
"Think of Granny Shima's place as your own home. No need to be shy…"
Gulp~
Staring blankly at the plates of insects, Shinju and Naruto exchanged looks and swallowed hard at the same time.
They wanted to not be polite, really they did.
The problem was—how could anyone bring themselves to eat these bugs?!!!
(ಥ﹏ಥ)
Jiraiya saw the two still hadn't touched their chopsticks, so he quietly leaned down and said,
"It's your first time here. If you don't even take a single bite, won't that look a bit rude?"
Both Shinju and Naruto nodded.
They understood that much.
The problem was… looking at the wriggling things in the dishes, they just couldn't bring themselves to do it.
In the end, Shinju hardened his resolve, picked up a piece of braised earthworm meat with his chopsticks, and put it into his mouth…
Then, he deliberately put on a face of surprise.
"Wow, this is delicious!! ✧(◍˃̶ᗜ˂̶◍)✩"
"Naruto, hurry up and try some!"
Naruto looked at him, doubtful.
Seeing that, Shinju quickly grabbed several more pieces into his own bowl, eating as he praised,
"Shima-sama, your cooking is amazing! These bugs look, smell, and taste fantastic!"
"Especially this braised earthworm—it's savory and fresh, absolutely perfect!!"
Shima loved cooking—and even more, she loved hearing others praise her cooking!
Being complimented like that by Shinju, she beamed from ear to ear!
Granny Shima: o(￣▽￣)o
"You've got such a sweet tongue, child. Wait right here, Granny will make you two more dishes…"
Naruto, still suspicious, watched Shinju eating so happily.
Finally, he picked up a piece of earthworm meat and put it in his mouth…
The instant he chewed, a sticky, slimy, indescribable sensation exploded across his tongue!
"Ahhh! Shinju, you liar!!!"
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