"What's the big deal?"
Gamabunta froze — not out of shock at Senju Haruto's power, but at the sheer audacity and ignorance in that statement.
Even Jiraiya, one of the legendary Three Sannin of Konoha, would never approach Sage Arts with such a cavalier attitude.
And yet, this brat before him had just declared that Sage Arts were "nothing special."
"Brat…"
Gamabunta's voice dropped low, his tone like rolling thunder. In his eyes, this was no minor disagreement that could be smoothed over with a few words.
He didn't know why the Great Toad Sage had chosen to teach someone like Senju Haruto the ways of Sage Arts — but that attitude alone was unworthy of Myōboku's teachings.
And worst of all, someone who approached Sage Arts without reverence… would only end up turning themselves into a lifeless stone statue.
That thought made Gamabunta act without hesitation. He raised his massive foreleg and brought it down toward Haruto with a crushing force.
"Stop, Bunta!"
Even Fukasaku was startled by Gamabunta's sudden move.
"This is bad…"
Jiraiya sucked in a sharp breath. He knew Gamabunta's temper was explosive, and he'd been meaning to warn Haruto.
Naruto, seeing the scene unfold, was so startled that he scrambled behind Haruto for cover.
But just as Fukasaku began gathering sage chakra to block the attack—
A surge of chakra unlike anything before erupted outward.
"This chakra…!"
Fukasaku's eyes went wide. In all his years, he had never felt chakra of such absurd magnitude.
Even Shima, who was preparing lunch far away, felt the overwhelming pressure.
"That direction… that's the Oil Falls?"
Her mouth fell open in disbelief.
This massive chakra didn't belong to anyone she knew — not Jiraiya, not her husband, not any toad in Mount Myōboku.
And within that chakra, she sensed no malice… no trace of evil intent.
That meant one thing — this wasn't the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"Who could it be?!"
Shima leapt onto her toad mount and ordered it to rush toward the Oil Falls immediately.
Yet even as she moved, an ominous feeling gnawed at her. This chakra carried an overwhelming, almost domineering force.
"Could someone be here to steal the Nine-Tails…?"
Back at the falls—
Fukasaku's eyes bulged so wide they almost popped out. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed Senju Haruto possessed chakra on this scale.
A dense, purple aura had formed over Haruto's body, draping over him like a cloak.
That unleashed chakra slammed directly into Gamabunta.
The pressure on his back was like an entire mountain dropping onto him.
Boom!
Gamabunta's balance shattered, and his massive body crashed face-first into the ground.
The earth trembled violently with the impact.
Pinned flat, Gamabunta stared at Haruto with both enormous eyes, his gaze full of disbelief.
But more than his own humiliation, what truly shook him was the raw force Haruto possessed.
In his entire life, the only other being he'd felt chakra this overwhelming from… was the Nine-Tails itself.
This guy… wasn't he here to learn Sage Arts?
Just who was he, really?
And it wasn't only Gamabunta. Every toad present, including Fukasaku, sucked in a sharp breath.
Even Jiraiya stood there, mouth hanging open.
Haruto… just how strong are you?
When we fought before… did he hold back? No — that wasn't holding back. That was holding back an ocean.
And the most shocking part…
Right now, Haruto was only using ordinary chakra — pure physical and spiritual energy.
No natural energy at all.
If someone with this level of chakra learned Sage Arts…
Both Fukasaku and Jiraiya realized in that instant why the Great Toad Sage had chosen Haruto to train.
The stunned silence was broken when Shima arrived, accompanied by Gamahiro and a squad of toads, all of them braced for battle.
"Husband!"
Shima leapt from her mount to Fukasaku's side, scanning the area for threats.
"What happened? Where's the enemy?"
But before she even finished the sentence, her senses locked on the source of that massive chakra — and her eyes fell on Gamabunta's humiliating position.
"Little Haruto?"
She froze in place. Even after double-checking, there was no mistake — this incredible chakra was coming from Haruto.
"What on earth is going on?" she asked, bewildered.
"It's nothing…"
Haruto drew a deep breath and calmly withdrew his chakra, releasing Gamabunta from the crushing pressure.
"Gamabunta was about to attack me and Naruto. I was worried Naruto might get caught in the crossfire, so I defended myself with chakra."
His tone was casual, but both Fukasaku and Shima exchanged exasperated looks.
"Haruto…"
Gamabunta himself felt conflicted. He was proud, but not arrogant enough to ignore reality.
After witnessing chakra of that magnitude, he understood Haruto's true strength.
Even if they kept fighting, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Haruto didn't even need ninjutsu — just that overwhelming chakra alone was enough to crush him flat, robbing him of the strength to stand.
So when he regained his freedom, Gamabunta actually felt… relieved.
And quietly thankful that Haruto wasn't an enemy of Mount Myōboku.
That thought didn't linger long. Gamabunta took a deep breath and made his decision.
"Haruto, I acknowledge your strength."
With that, he vanished, as if the whole thing had been nothing more than a harmless tumble.
Shima let out a long breath of relief.
"I can't believe Little Haruto has such terrifying chakra," she murmured.
"Exactly," Fukasaku replied. "Wife, just imagine… if Haruto masters Sage Arts on top of that, how powerful would he become?"
The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.
Naruto, standing behind Haruto, finally processed what had just happened — and stared at him with unfiltered admiration.
"Alright then, Lord Fukasaku," Haruto said with a sudden smile. "Let's begin my Sage Arts training."