"Gamamaru," Jie said calmly, looking up at the giant toad seated above him. "You really made me work to see you."
Jie had never seen the giant Rock-Dwelling Toad that Jiraiya could only summon part of, so he had no way to compare them directly. But the old toad before him was already worthy of the title Great Toad Sage.
For a moment, the temple remained silent.
Then Gamamaru slowly opened his eyes.
"So you are the little Uchiha brat."
Gamamaru's cloudy gaze swept over Jie, and for a moment, his ancient eyes seemed to drift back to another age.
"That chakra... even that Senju child who once raised forests across the battlefield was far behind you."
Jie paused for a moment before realizing who Gamamaru meant.
Hashirama Senju.
That was the annoying thing about old monsters who had lived too long. No matter who stood before them, they spoke as if everyone else was still a child.
Still, Gamamaru was not only relying on age. The senjutsu chakra inside him was deep enough to make even Jie take notice.
Whether that translated into strength equal to Hashirama was hard to say, but this old toad was definitely not harmless.
Hashirama's True Several Thousand Hands was terrifying, but Gamamaru's body was already massive on its own, and the natural energy gathered inside him felt almost endless. In that one regard, even Hashirama might not compare.
At the very least, Gamamaru was not someone Jie could dismiss casually.
But Jie had no interest in matching words with an old toad who had lived for over a thousand years. No matter how sharp his words were, they would not shake Gamamaru.
Jie went straight to the point.
"Let's talk about the prophecy."
Gamamaru blinked slowly.
"Prophecy?"
His expression turned vague, as if the word had stirred some ancient, half-buried memory.
"Which prophecy?"
Jie stared at him for a moment, then let out a faint sneer.
So that was how the old toad wanted to play it.
If Jie explained first, Gamamaru would have room to twist the conversation. He could deny, soften, or redirect whatever Jie said. It was a small trick, but an old and useful one.
Unfortunately, Jie had no intention of stepping into his rhythm.
Since Gamamaru wanted to pretend he had forgotten, Jie did not bother reminding him. He simply stood there and looked up at the old toad in silence.
The temple quieted again.
Silence meant little to someone who had lived for more than a thousand years. If Jie only waited, Gamamaru could probably sit there until nightfall without his expression changing.
So Jie changed the method.
His pressure began to spread through the temple, slow and steady.
It was not an attack. Not yet.
It was a warning. If Gamamaru still refused to speak once Jie's pressure fully unfolded, then this meeting would no longer remain peaceful.
The air inside the temple changed little by little.
At first, it was only a faint heaviness, almost hidden beneath the dense natural energy already filling the hall. Then the pressure continued to grow, spreading outward like an invisible tide. The massive stone seat, the ancient walls, even the natural energy in the air seemed to sink beneath it.
Gamamaru remained still.
Jie's pressure alone was not enough to truly threaten him. After more than a thousand years, the old toad's composure was not so easily shaken, and his face showed no change.
Fukasaku and Shima were different.
They stood off to the side, bearing the pressure in silence.
Shima had not been seriously injured, but even she felt as if a heavy stone had settled on her chest.
Fukasaku was in a worse state. He had already taken Jie's Frog Kata head-on, and under the growing pressure, his dark green skin began to pale.
Jie showed no intention of stopping. His pressure continued to rise, calm and steady, and he was still far from releasing everything.
Fukasaku's breathing grew rougher. His injured body trembled slightly, and he could not stop himself from coughing. Shima's worry deepened, but she forced herself to remain silent.
She understood what was happening.
This was no longer a simple conversation. It was a contest between Jie and the Great Toad Sage, and whoever gave in first would lose the initiative.
But understanding that did not make it easier to watch.
Fukasaku's condition was worsening, and Shima's anxiety rose with every breath he struggled to take. Even so, another feeling pressed down on her.
Shock.
Jie was standing before the Great Toad Sage, yet he was not being suppressed. Instead, he was the one forcing the atmosphere of the temple to bend around him.
Only now did Shima understand how much he had held back during their fight.
If Jie had released this kind of pressure during their fight, she might not have lasted until Fukasaku arrived.
The pressure climbed again, and Fukasaku's eyes began to lose focus. His body swayed as if he might collapse where he stood.
Shima clenched her forelimbs tightly. She knew she should not interrupt, but she could no longer watch him endure it.
Just as she was about to speak, the temple doors opened again, and a voice rang out from the entrance.
"Great Toad Sage! Lord Hokage! I'm here!"
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