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Absurd! The only word Fukasaku could think of to describe his feelings right now was this. Absurd. It's truly absurd.
"Kazekaze, are you sure you're not just messing with this old toad? With just a dab of toad oil, you've mastered Sage Mode. And it's the most perfect Sage Mode at that. You must be cheating!"
Fukasaku's jaw dropped in shock, almost hitting the ground. It had lived on Mount Myoboku for not hundreds, but at least dozens of years. Whether toads or ninjas. It had seen countless toads and people who wanted to learn senjutsu. Yet even the most gifted toads took years to master extracting senjutsu chakra. But then... This human kid, Kazekaze. And he's just a seven-year-old human kid. It didn't take him years, not even months. In the blink of an eye, he mastered Sage Mode! Isn't this just too absurd? Absurd, just absurd, no matter how you look at it!
Fukasaku felt like his emotions were like a storm-tossed sea, turbulent and raging. Unable to calm down. Did he really learn senjutsu in the blink of an eye?
"I must be under some kind of genjutsu!"
Due to the shock, Fukasaku's body activated a stress mode, attributing all of Kazekaze's actions to being under an illusion. Otherwise... How else to explain? A seven-year-old kid casually learning senjutsu? There's no way to explain it!
"It must be that old hag Shima..."
Fukasaku nodded to himself, comforting himself that it must be that old hag Shima playing a trick on him by secretly casting an illusion. As long as he realized this, there was nothing to worry about. So, Fukasaku closed his eyes slightly, mimicking human hand signs.
"Genjutsu... Release!"
Fukasaku suddenly opened his eyes, dispelling the illusion on himself. But then... When he opened his eyes again. Kazekaze was still standing in front of him. Still... Maintaining Sage Mode. Those frog eyes seemed to mock his years of effort.
"Huh? The illusion wasn't dispelled? It shouldn't be. Although the old hag is also skilled in genjutsu, her illusions have never been much stronger than mine. There's no way I can't break her illusion."
Fukasaku muttered to himself. Because he was too shocked, he was more willing to believe that the old hag Shima had cast a powerful illusion on him. Yes. To Fukasaku, he was more willing to believe in his own imagination rather than the truth!
Seeing Fukasaku's reaction, Gamabunta couldn't help but gasp. Because when he was defeated by Kazekaze just now, his reaction was almost identical to Fukasaku's. The only difference was that he doubted he wasn't fully awake. Fukasaku doubted he was under Shima's illusion.
"F-Fukasaku-sama..." Gamabunta slowly spoke, trying to make Fukasaku understand that he wasn't under any illusion. Because no matter how powerful Kazekaze was, he couldn't possibly create an illusion that pulled everyone into a genjutsu world in an instant!
"I'm not under an illusion?"
Fukasaku blinked. Actually, if he calmed down a bit, he could have figured it out. But Kazekaze's performance made it impossible for him to calm down. Now, with Gamabunta's reminder, Fukasaku slowly realized. He... Really wasn't under any illusion. But rather, this human kid in front of him was terrifying!
Not just Fukasaku. Now, all the toads gathered here on Mount Myoboku were dumbfounded. None of them could believe that Kazekaze had mastered Sage Mode in just a few breaths. This was a ninjutsu that even Fukasaku-sama took many years to master. And now, a human kid had learned it effortlessly. Who could accept that? No one could accept it.
Not to mention these toads who were already familiar with senjutsu. Even Hiruzen and the others nearby. They were also in a state of bewilderment. Can anyone explain? What's going on now? Didn't Fukasaku say that senjutsu was both difficult and dangerous? Even many toads and people. Spent their whole lives unable to grasp it? A slight mistake, and they'd turn into stone statues. Completely merging with nature. But then... Just like that? In the blink of an eye, Kazekaze learned senjutsu? And according to Fukasaku. Kazekaze seemed to have activated the most perfect Sage Mode? Are you kidding? Is senjutsu really that simple?
Hiruzen swallowed, starting to wonder. Could there be a cognitive gap between toads and humans? For example. Something very simple for humans. Becomes very difficult for toads. Because he couldn't accept it, even Hiruzen started to imagine things.
"Um... Fukasaku-sama, could I also give it a try?"
After a moment, Hiruzen gathered his courage. Seeing Kazekaze learn senjutsu so easily. Hiruzen's curiosity and thirst for knowledge exploded at this moment. He took a deep breath, walked up to Fukasaku in a few strides, and took off his clothes. Kazekaze instinctively stepped back, giving Hiruzen enough space.
"You too..." Fukasaku looked Hiruzen up and down. Kazekaze had shocked him into a stress reaction, and now seeing Hiruzen, Fukasaku's feelings were indescribable. If another human easily learned senjutsu. His understanding of senjutsu would truly collapse!
"No, impossible..."
Fukasaku began to hypnotize himself, thinking Kazekaze was an anomaly, a monster. Not every human could easily learn senjutsu like him. The earlier situation must have been an accident. Senjutsu is hard. Really hard. Even he took decades to reach his current level. And... It's not even the most perfect senjutsu. In other words, Kazekaze surpassed his decades of effort in an instant. This kind of thing completely negates the meaning of effort itself!
Fukasaku really needed someone to help him re-establish his understanding of senjutsu. So, he repeated the process, applying toad oil on Sarutobi Hiruzen's arm, letting him feel the natural energy. Then. Sarutobi Hiruzen began to mimic Kazekaze's actions. With the help of toad oil, Hiruzen easily sensed the natural energy and absorbed it into his body. The next second. His body began to swell. Showing obvious signs of toad transformation!
And watching Hiruzen start to swell, Fukasaku excitedly shouted.
"I knew it! Learning senjutsu isn't that easy!"