Mount Myōboku was as serene and enchanting as legend described.
Massive mushroom-like trees towered overhead, thick leaves blanketed the sky, and countless toads lounged everywhere, giving the entire place the feel of a whimsical fantasy world.
Just then—boom!
Gamabunta descended from the sky, landing heavily and glaring at Yue with clear irritation.
"What the hell are you doing on Mount Myōboku, brat?"
It was obvious he still remembered the humiliating "lesson" Yue had given him before—an experience nearly traumatic enough to haunt him.
Yue bowed deeply and spoke with complete sincerity.
"Lord Gamabunta, I was reckless back then and offended you. After learning about your heroic feats, I deeply regretted it. So I came this time to apologize honestly. I was young and ignorant."
Sometimes, you just had to bow your head under another's roof.
Gamabunta hadn't expected Yue to apologize so straightforwardly—or so humbly.
With nothing left to say, he puffed on his pipe, exhaled a thick stream of smoke, and finally grunted:
"Fine. Come with me. The Great Toad Sage already foresaw your arrival."
That surprised Yue.
Could the Great Sage truly see the past and future so clearly?
He followed Gamabunta to the hall.
There, seated on the chief throne, was the Great Toad Sage—old and almost fragile—flanked by Fukasaku and Shima. The Sage observed Yue quietly the moment he entered.
Then the Sage suddenly spoke:
"You do not belong to this world."
A chill ran down Yue's spine.
Of course—the legendary Sage saw right through him with a single glance.
"Your arrival has already started to blur the future I once saw. But it matters not. I know you're a good child."
Yue was stunned.
He didn't consider himself evil, but "good child" was definitely overselling it.
"Fukasaku," the Sage continued, "this boy is Jiraiya's disciple. Please teach him senjutsu."
In just a few words, his fate was arranged neatly.
Yue bowed again. "Thank you, Great Toad Sage."
Fukasaku and Shima warmly brought Yue and Shizune back to their home.
Fukasaku stroked his white beard and said,
"Little Yue, from now on consider this place your home. Don't be polite—we'll treat you as family, just like Jiraiya's child."
Being called "Little Yue" felt strange, but considering the seniority, he could only accept it respectfully.
Shima chimed in cheerfully,
"Little Yue, I heard you taught Gamabunta a lesson before. Good job! That kid's temper is awful. Someone needed to put him in his place."
Yue lowered his head without responding—clearly, Shima was giving him a graceful excuse.
Soon after, she finished preparing a large table of "food."
Yue had mentally prepared himself.
He really had.
But seeing an entire table of bug-based dishes still made his eyes water.
Shizune nearly vomited on the spot.
Shima enthusiastically piled bugs into Yue's bowl.
If he wanted to learn senjutsu, he had to endure this—so Yue shut his eyes tight like a warrior going to his death and swallowed the whole bowl in one go.
His expression practically screamed: "I'll do it. You all do as you please."
Shima was delighted.
"Little Yue, eat up! Have another bowl!"
Before he could react, she ladled a bowl of soup—complete with several fat wriggling bugs—into his hands.
Yue felt the bugs moving in his stomach, scalp tingling, but he endured and gulped the soup down.
Shima was moved.
Even Gamamaru had called Yue a "good boy," and now she felt the same.
After the meal, the moment the three stepped outside, Yue and Shizune both immediately bent over and vomited violently.
Yue even threw up bile.
Fukasaku, watching Yue force himself to "eat politely" for Shima's sake, couldn't help liking him more.
When Yue recovered, he used Wood Release to build a house from scratch in just a short moment.
Shizune carried their luggage in to tidy the place and prepare dinner.
Fukasaku was shocked.
"Little Yue, your bloodline ability sure is convenient! When you have time, make a house for me and the missus too—we could use an upgrade."
"No problem, Grandpa Fukasaku. Also, please tell Grandma Shima we won't be eating with you tonight—Shizune is cooking."
Yue intentionally shifted to calling them "Grandpa" and "Grandma," shortening the distance between them.
He would need the couple's help for senjutsu training, after all.
Fukasaku nodded and brought Yue to the training grounds, where he began explaining the principles behind senjutsu.
Yue listened carefully.
He understood the theories, but actually doing it was far more difficult.
Fukasaku pointed to a stream of constantly flowing toad oil nearby.
"That's Mount Myōboku's special toad oil. It helps you draw in natural energy."
He dipped his hand into the oil and smeared some on Yue's arm.
Immediately, Yue's arm transformed into a toad limb, his face swelling slightly as transformation began.
A smack from Fukasaku's black rod instantly returned him to normal.
"Toad oil makes you take on toad-like traits. This rod knocks the excess natural energy out of you."
Yue nodded vigorously. Painful, yes—but better than turning into a full toad.
Thus began Yue's grueling days, enduring physical and mental torment while repeatedly failing and repeatedly being smacked back to normal.
Naruto had taken only a week to learn senjutsu.
Yue had already spent a month—yet hadn't even touched the threshold.
Just countless stick-whacks.
Meanwhile, Shizune's food supplies had run out.
They ate mushrooms every day—many of them poisonous.
Without Shizune detoxifying them, Yue would probably be seeing hallucinations of gods by now.
He now reacted to mushrooms the same way he did to bugs—nausea, disgust, and an urge to vomit.
As hunger worsened, he began staring at poor Tonton with glowing green eyes, drool dripping down uncontrollably.
In his mind, Tonton had already turned into a golden roasted pig dripping with oil.
Tonton, terrified, stuck to Shizune and refused to go anywhere near Yue.
Shizune worried Yue might one day sneak off and roast Tonton when she wasn't paying attention.
After learning the method to travel between realms, she took the initiative to go out and purchase proper food and supplies.
When Yue saw the provisions she brought back, he almost wept with gratitude.
Bringing Shizune had been absolutely the right move.
Finally—no more bugs.
No more mushrooms.
A normal life at last.
Time in the mountain passed quickly.
In the first year, Yue finally learned how to absorb natural energy.
In the second, he began learning to balance it.
In the third, he could maintain balance, though he still toad-ified slightly—something unacceptable for someone who cared about appearance.
In the fourth, he fully mastered the balance; aside from the Sage Mode eye markings, no toad traits appeared at all.
And by the fifth year, he learned Frog Kata and could perfectly synchronize with Fukasaku and Shima.
His senjutsu training was complete.
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