"If Gamamaru truly mastered that kind of power... and even came into contact with the 'true Sage' who bestowed it upon him..."
Tsunade's words came out somewhat disjointed, but her meaning was unmistakable.
If Mount Myōboku's inheritance truly originated from a being capable of reaching those "Sages" from beyond the world—the very ones who cast these foreign power systems into existence—then Mount Myōboku's true foundation and hidden strength were likely far beyond anything they had ever imagined.
It completely overturned her long-held impression that Mount Myōboku was merely a powerful sacred land of summoned toads with a unique method of cultivating Natural Energy.
Jiraiya himself was equally stunned, his entire worldview shaken.
Scratching his white hair, he wore a complicated expression of shock, confusion, and instinctive disbelief.
"That can't be right, Tsunade. It doesn't make sense."
Even his voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
"If the Great Toad Sage... if Gamamaru really has such an incredible background—if he truly encountered those so-called Sages from beyond the world, learned authentic Senjutsu capable of changing the fate of the world, and could even foresee destiny..."
He gestured as though describing the immense, ancient toad resting atop Mount Myōboku.
"...then what about his eyes?"
"The legendary eyes said to see both the past and the future... aren't they... gone?"
"If he really had backing that powerful, if he truly possessed abilities of that caliber, then why would he end up in such a... damaged state? It doesn't add up."
Jiraiya's doubts were perfectly reasonable.
A being entrusted with passing down otherworldly Senjutsu and guiding the Sage of Six Paths according to destiny should not have been left so grievously impaired.
Just as Tsunade and Jiraiya were thrown into confusion by the shocking revelation, questioning everything they thought they knew, the silent Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had been smoking his pipe with an equally grave expression—finally spoke.
Unlike his two disciples, he remained composed.
His aged yet still piercing gaze swept across them as he spoke in a calm, measured voice tempered by decades of experience.
"The two of you... calm yourselves first."
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he looked back toward the Heavenly Curtain, where Hagoromo sat atop a massive boulder with orange markings around his eyes.
"Before you frighten yourselves any further, answer one fundamental question."
He paused until both Tsunade and Jiraiya focused on him.
Then, slowly and deliberately, he asked,
"Are you certain... that the 'Senjutsu' Gamamaru taught the Sage of Six Paths... is the same thing as the Sage Mode passed down by Mount Myōboku today?"
The question hit them like a bucket of ice water.
Of course.
The "Senjutsu" Gamamaru spoke of in the Heavenly Curtain was an ancient and broad concept—a power bestowed upon Hagoromo in accordance with destiny to oppose the God Tree's power system.
The Sage Mode inherited at Mount Myōboku, however, was the specialized technique practiced by Jiraiya and a select number of contract holders throughout history, allowing them to greatly enhance their Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and sensory abilities through Natural Energy.
Both involved Natural Energy.
Both bore the word "Sage."
At first glance, they appeared to share the same origin.
But were they truly identical in level, completeness, and depth of origin?
Was it possible that the Senjutsu Gamamaru originally taught Hagoromo was a far older and more complete system—one much closer to its otherworldly source?
And that the Sage Mode preserved at Mount Myōboku was merely a branch of that original system...
A fragment...
A simplified form shaped by the passage of countless ages and adapted to the rules of this world?
Or perhaps...
The two merely shared similar names while being fundamentally different powers altogether.
After all, throughout history, countless techniques and concepts had become distorted through generations of retelling and misunderstanding.
Hiruzen's question immediately shifted the discussion away from blind panic and speculation, bringing it back to careful analysis.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances.
Both saw the same realization—and deeper contemplation—in the other's eyes.
They would have to reexamine Mount Myōboku's legacy, along with the true nature of the Senjutsu revealed by the Heavenly Curtain, rather than simply assuming the two were identical.
At the same time, their view of Gamamaru—and whatever connection he might have to powers beyond the world—became far more cautious and complicated.
Awakened by Hiruzen's calm but crucial question, both Tsunade and Jiraiya felt as though a dense fog had suddenly lifted from their minds.
"Old man," Tsunade asked immediately, her eyes sharp, "are you saying that Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode may simply be... an imitation of the Senjutsu Gamamaru described in the Heavenly Curtain? Or perhaps an incomplete, greatly weakened version of it?"
Before Hiruzen could answer, Jiraiya slowly nodded, his expression solemn as understanding dawned upon him.
"I think that's very likely."
"We've all fallen into the same trap."
"We've been unconsciously interpreting events from a thousand years ago using today's understanding."
He looked toward both Tsunade and Hiruzen, his eyes reflecting careful self-examination.
"The core of the Sage Mode we practice is achieving perfect balance between Natural Energy and our own Chakra, allowing for an explosive increase in power."
"But when did the Chakra system itself come into existence?"
"Only after Kaguya descended, planted the God Tree, and consumed the Chakra Fruit."
"In other words, during the Sage of Six Paths' era—or even earlier, when Gamamaru first taught him Senjutsu—the concept of Chakra as a complete, organized power system may not even have existed yet."
The more Jiraiya spoke, the clearer his thoughts became.
"In that case, the Senjutsu Gamamaru taught Hagoromo was likely a method that relied entirely upon sensing, guiding, and wielding Natural Energy itself."
"It wouldn't have required Chakra at all."
"It might even have rejected combining with Chakra."
"That would make it a far older and more fundamental path of power—one completely separate from the God Tree's Chakra system."
He paused, deep in thought.
"Then, as the Chakra system gradually became the dominant foundation of the shinobi world, and as countless years passed..."
"The sages of Mount Myōboku likely incorporated this new Chakra system into their teachings, gradually refining and evolving what we now know as Sage Mode—a hybrid form that combines Chakra with Natural Energy."
"That would explain why they both carry the name 'Sage,' yet differ so drastically in both power and essence."
"That explanation makes everything fit," Tsunade said, nodding firmly as she followed Jiraiya's reasoning.
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