Cultivation?
He already knew how!
Uzumaki Jun looked at Fukasaku, who was solemnly explaining the dangers and benefits of cultivation to him, and sighed inwardly.
So many years had passed. He had long since exchanged for the three great dojutsu from the Naruto world, and even upgraded the Byakugan. How could he not have exchanged for something as overpowered as senjutsu?
So...
The Great Toad Sage had called him here just to arrange for other toads to teach him senjutsu while he slept?
What was the meaning of this?
Jun couldn't understand the Toad Sage's intentions at all.
Had the Child of Prophecy changed?
Touching his red hair, he felt a surge of emotion...
Truly, only the path of socialism could save the shinobi world!
But...
"Actually..." Jun smiled awkwardly. "I've already learned senjutsu."
"Right, this time it's senjutsu, the secret art of Mount Myōboku..." Fukasaku paced back and forth in front of Jun, his frog feet tapping the ground as he seriously explained the precautions during training and what to do if one started turning to stone. But...
Hearing Jun's words, he nearly tripped.
Turning around, he stared at Jun intently. "What did you say?"
Had he... misheard?
"That senjutsu, I've already mastered it." Jun said modestly. "There's no need to learn it again."
Was he the kind of man who had to learn ninjutsu himself?
After the age of seven...
He had stopped relying on himself.
However...
Fukasaku, Shima, and Jiraiya—one human and two toads—exchanged glances. Had they heard wrong?
They turned back and looked at Jun suspiciously. "Really?"
"That's senjutsu we're talking about!"
In the shinobi world, the only known senjutsu belonged to the three great sage regions, and one had to use their local specialties to master it. Those who succeeded would exhibit some traits resembling their respective regions. Of course, the fewer the traits, the more perfect the senjutsu.
So...
If you've learned it, who taught you?
Jiraiya sighed and shook his head, patting Jun's shoulder. "Kid, you must've mistaken it for something else, right?"
That was senjutsu!
The same senjutsu used by the God of Shinobi. Did you think you could just learn it like that?
Did you think you were the Toad Sage or something?
Jun glanced sideways at Jiraiya. With your level of strength, you're only as strong as I was at eight years old, yet you're acting all high and mighty in front of me? He sighed. It seemed he'd have to show his skills if he wanted to be believed.
So...
He closed his eyes, then opened them again.
Satisfied, he watched the stunned expressions of the human and the toads.
Didn't expect that, did you?
"Th-this..." Jiraiya rubbed his eyes and stared at Jun, even reaching out to touch the markings around his eyes as if suspecting they were drawn on. "This is really senjutsu?"
But...
Thwack!
Fukasaku kicked Jiraiya away and then circled Jun with a serious expression. "This natural energy..."
No mistake.
"Perfect senjutsu!" Fukasaku exclaimed in admiration before giving Jiraiya, who had been kicked away, a disappointed look.
Truly, comparing goods makes you discard the inferior, and comparing people makes you resent the superior.
But...
Why did this senjutsu resemble the secret arts of Mount Myōboku so closely?
"Jun." Fukasaku stroked his chin with his toad hand, deep in thought. "Where did you learn this senjutsu?"
The more he thought about it, the more similar it seemed.
But...
Without the toad oil, how had he mastered it?
"This matter..." Jun sighed. "Goes back to that noon when I went fishing."
"That day..."
"You learned it from a fish?" Fukasaku frowned and muttered, "No, that can't be."
He had never heard of any place outside the three great sage regions that had a method for cultivating senjutsu.
"No." Jun shook his head. "I saw a frog, then zoned out for a bit, and somehow learned it."
"A frog?" Jiraiya, having recovered, glared at Fukasaku. The elder still hadn't changed his habit of kicking people in the face after all these years?
Did the Toad Sage have no dignity?
He glanced at Fukasaku warily. "One of yours?"
There were frogs among the toads of Mount Myōboku, right?
But...
Thwack!
Fukasaku kicked Jiraiya away again.
Mount Myōboku only had toads!
"Where is that frog now?" Fukasaku pondered. "Can you take me to see it?"
Perhaps it was a toad from Mount Myōboku that just looked like a frog.
A frog-like toad!
"Well..." Jun hesitated before sighing. "Since I didn't catch any fish that day, I made stir-fried frog legs out of it."
Ate it.
"..."
No need to see it, then. It must've been an ordinary frog if it could be eaten.
Fukasaku sighed and looked at Jun. Had he really learned it unconsciously by himself?
Seeing Fukasaku's doubtful expression, Jun narrowed his eyes. It seemed he'd have to reveal a bit more. Smiling slightly, he said, "Then, another day, I went fishing again..."
"Did you see another frog?" Fukasaku asked, assuming he had slowly mastered perfect senjutsu that way.
"No." Jun grinned, showing his teeth. "A snake suddenly appeared."
He suddenly wondered...
What would the three great sage regions' reactions be if they found out he had mastered all their senjutsu?
So...
Jun closed his eyes again and assumed a different form.
"..."
Silence fell once more.
"This is..." Jiraiya, having returned, widened his eyes at Jun. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What is this? Why is your skin so pale now?"
Thwack!
Fukasaku kicked Jiraiya away again and said admiringly, "Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu."
"To think you've even mastered this."
Aren't you afraid of backlash?
This Uzumaki Jun was truly a genius, having even learned the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave. No wonder the Great Toad Sage had invited him here.
But...
Why hadn't he met with him?
Fukasaku scrutinized Jun carefully. "And... that snake?"
"Since I didn't catch any fish again," Jun said regretfully, "I made snake soup out of it. Tasted pretty good, actually."
"..."
Fukasaku and Shima stared at Jun in silence, unsure of what to say.
Were humans these days really that terrifying?
Whatever.
If a snake could be eaten by a human, it definitely wasn't from Ryūchi Cave.
But before they could finish their thoughts...
"A few days later, the weather wasn't as clear as before. It was a bit chilly outside, but since I was bored," Jun said with a reminiscent expression, "I went fishing again..."
"..."
What did he encounter this time?
Fukasaku and Shima's hearts skipped a beat, sensing something ominous.
Could it be...
"I met a slug." Jun sighed. "This time, I didn't run into any frogs or snakes." Then, raising his head with a smile, he added, "That day, I zoned out again."
He closed his eyes once more...
Sure enough...
Seeing this, Fukasaku and Shima were filled with awe.
This was Shikkotsu Forest's senjutsu!
"What happened to that slug?" Shima asked curiously. "Did you eat it too?"
"No." Jun shook his head. "Too disgusting. Couldn't bring myself to eat it. Besides, I caught a fish that day."
"So I made fish soup instead."
Why hadn't Jiraiya come over this time?
Had Fukasaku's kicks traumatized him?
Without him around, showing off wasn't as satisfying.
Turning to look in the direction Jiraiya had been kicked away...
All he saw was a lonely, sorrowful figure squatting on the ground, drawing circles.