Gamahiro flying across the sky was enough to silence Mount Myōboku.
To the smaller toads, that sight was a warning. Gamahiro was Gamabunta's brother and one of the stronger fighters in the mountain. If even he had been punched away, then ordinary toads rushing over would only be asking for trouble.
A few small toads immediately turned and ran deeper into the mountain.
"Lord Fukasaku! Lady Shima!"
"Bad news! An outsider has broken into Mount Myōboku!"
Shima was preparing lunch when the little toads rushed in. Hearing their panicked voices, she frowned without looking up.
"Honestly, if little Jiraiya came over, he should have told me first. I haven't even prepared lunch for him."
She muttered, "Little Jiraiya likes my insect dishes the most."
But she quickly realized something was wrong. Jiraiya was a regular visitor to Mount Myōboku. The toads would never call him an outsider. If they were this frightened, then someone else had entered the mountain.
Shima put down what she was holding and followed the little toads at once.
"Where are Bunta and the others?" she asked on the way. "An enemy broke into Mount Myōboku, and those brats didn't even try to stop him?"
The small toads hesitated before one of them stammered, "Lord Bunta and Lord Ken have already been beaten."
"Lord Hiro was sent flying with one punch."
"What?"
Shima's expression changed.
Bunta and Ken were both younger than her, but Bunta's strength was not far below hers. Anyone who could defeat them this quickly was no ordinary enemy.
"Send someone to notify Fukasaku and the old man," Shima said after taking a breath. "I'll hold the intruder back first."
She did not know whether she could defeat this person. For now, all she could do was buy time.
At the entrance of Mount Myōboku, Jie remained where he was and looked around. The toads that had been approaching him had all stopped.
Some had even started sneaking away, most likely frightened by the sight of Gamahiro being punched into the distance.
Jie did not care. He turned back to Gamaken, who was still lying nearby, and narrowed his eyes. He wanted to see how long this toad could keep refusing to talk.
A while later, Jie finally lost interest. No matter how he threatened him, Gamaken kept his mouth shut and refused to say another word.
Since that was the case, Jie could only search for Gamamaru himself.
Just as he was about to leave, he sensed a strong chakra signature approaching. Whoever it was, their chakra was powerful, but their body was much smaller than Gamabunta and the others.
"Fukasaku or Shima?"
Jie's eyes moved slightly. It did not really matter which one it was. As long as they could lead him to Gamamaru, that was enough.
Beside him, Gamaken heard the name Jie muttered and finally understood. Gamamaru was the Great Toad Sage, Mount Myōboku's old ancestor.
'So this human had come here for him?'
Regret immediately rose in Gamaken's heart. If he had known Jie wanted to find the Great Toad Sage, he would have led the way from the start. In his eyes, Jie was strong, but still far from enough to threaten Gamamaru.
The Great Toad Sage only looked old and weak. Gamaken had once stood before him and felt the terrifying depth of his chakra. Gamamaru had not stopped fighting because he was helpless. There was simply no one left in the ninja world worth making him fight.
Naturally, Gamaken did not believe Jie would be an exception.
"Sage Art: Frog Song!"
Shima's voice reached him before she did.
A strange croaking sound spread through the air with an odd rhythm.
It entered Jie's ears, and his mind blurred for the briefest moment before his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan shook it off almost instantly.
Even a powerful sound-based genjutsu like Frog Song could not truly hold him.
Jie did not attack first. He simply stood there and watched Shima descend.
Shima landed on Gamabunta's head.
"Bunta?"
Seeing his condition, her face immediately filled with worry. She slapped his head lightly with her forelimb, but Gamabunta did not react at all.
Shima quickly checked his injuries with senjutsu chakra, and only after confirming that his life was not in danger did she let out a small breath of relief.
His injuries were serious, but not fatal.
"You damned brat," Shima snapped, her sharp voice ringing out. "You barge into Mount Myōboku and hurt little Bunta this badly? I won't let that go!"
Jie ignored her anger.
"Where is Gamamaru?"
"Gamamaru?"
Shima was stunned for a moment.
"Who are you? How do you know that old fool's name?"
"Wasn't he the one who invited me here?" Jie asked calmly. "Now that I'm here, where is that old toad?"
Five years ago, that old toad had been the one to provoke him first. Jie had never forgotten the prophecy Gamamaru asked Jiraiya to pass along. Since he had come to Mount Myōboku, he might as well settle it here.
Shima clearly did not remember what had happened five years ago. Hearing Jie's words only made her more confused.
But no matter what his reason was, this human had invaded Mount Myōboku and injured their toads. Shima had no intention of letting him leave so easily.
"Whatever your purpose is, it can wait."
Shima's expression turned cold.
"After I take you down, you can explain yourself to the Great Toad Sage directly."
At first, Shima had only planned to delay him until Fukasaku and the Great Toad Sage arrived. But after seeing Jie's young face, her caution eased a little.
No one would expect a boy of sixteen or seventeen to possess power capable of overturning a battlefield.
"Fighting Tongue Bind!"
Shima formed seals with both forelimbs. Her long tongue shot out like a rope, whipping straight toward Jie.
Tongue Binding was meant to be used together with Fukasaku's water technique. When the two worked together, its power increased greatly. But against such a young human, Shima felt this was enough.
Jie looked at the incoming tongue and smiled coldly. She still had not understood what she was facing.
Since Shima had chosen to attack first, he did not mind playing along. And since she was using senjutsu, he decided to answer with senjutsu as well. This was a good chance to see how Mount Myōboku's Sage Arts compared to Ryūchi Cave's.
Jie closed his eyes and opened them again. A faint vertical snake mark appeared in his pupils, and black markings surfaced around his eyes.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
Jie sent senjutsu chakra through his feet and into the ground below. The earth beneath him stirred as if it had come alive.
As Shima's tongue approached, Jie lifted a hand.
A stone pillar rose from the ground and blocked in front of him. The loose earth had been strengthened by senjutsu chakra until it was as hard as steel. Even though Shima's tongue also carried senjutsu chakra, it could not break through the pillar.
"Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode?"
Shima sensed the nature of his chakra, and anger flared in her eyes.
"So you're the disciple of those filthy snakes!"
The snakes of Ryūchi Cave had always seen toads as prey. Now one of their contractors had come all the way to Mount Myōboku to challenge them openly. How could Shima tolerate that?
Her movements sharpened at once.
After centuries of training, senjutsu chakra had seeped into every part of her body. Every movement she made carried dense natural energy.
If this Ryūchi Cave contractor wanted to compare Sage Arts with Mount Myōboku, then she would make him regret it.
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