With every passing second, golden notifications flooded Kazuya's vision:
[You have collected 1,000 Chakra points]
[You have collected 1,000 Chakra points]
[You have collected 2,000 Chakra points]
[You have collected 1,000 Sage Energy points]
[You have collected 800 Sage Energy points]
[You have collected 50 Sage Skill points]
[You have collected 40 Sage Skill points]
[You have collected: Wind Release: Toad Iron Cannon]
[You have collected 1,000 Toad Iron Cannon Skill experience points]
[Your Toad Iron Cannon Skill has leveled up to Lv2 (0/1000)]
With each clash, the points kept coming. Just a few exchanges in, and he'd already gathered 4,000 Chakra points and nearly 2,000 Sage Energy points.
It was a substantial harvest—though Kazuya was a bit underwhelmed.
"So, Fukasaku and Shima aren't quite as strong as I'd hoped."
He glanced at the gleaming orbs cascading toward him, a mix of satisfaction and slight disappointment in his gaze. The haul was decent but a far cry from what the Great Toad Sage would've given him. It was clear that the combat ability of Myoboku's sages, aside from the Great Toad Sage, was more limited than anticipated.
Then again, he thought, Myoboku's toads have no reason to be some kind of almighty force. If they had that much power, they'd have conquered the shinobi world ages ago.
Satisfied with the steady inflow of points, Kazuya didn't let up his attack.
Weak or not, these two were still impressive opponents. A pair of Sage-trained, battle-hardened toads with enough power to match most Kage-level shinobi? That made them rare, high-quality sources of experience.
"Sage Art: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Sage Art: Giant Rasengan!"
"Sage Art: Vacuum Bullets!"
Kazuya went all out, unleashing Sage Art after Sage Art, letting his energy flow freely as if he had an endless supply. His Sage Mode was active, and he was ready to take full advantage of it.
BOOM! BOOM!
The air shook as explosions and waves of energy rippled through Myoboku. By now, the tremors had become a regular background noise for the other toads. With Gamabunta around, such disturbances were nothing out of the ordinary, so the onlookers didn't think much of it—yet.
What the toads didn't realize was that their peaceful days were about to be rudely interrupted.
"Take this! Sage Art: Frog Call!"
The two elder toads, exhausted and cornered, turned to their ultimate technique. A powerful sonic blast rang out, blanketing the battlefield in an intense, disorienting wave of sound.
This was no ordinary jutsu—it was the ultimate auditory Genjutsu. In the original storyline, even Itachi Uchiha, a master of illusions, had been caught off guard by this move. It was no mere trick; it was a technique with the power to paralyze even the most skilled shinobi.
For a moment, Kazuya's expression turned serious. He considered dodging, but then he had a different idea.
Here was the perfect chance to test his Lv5 Genjutsu Resistance. Could it neutralize such a powerful sound-based illusion?
The sound waves vibrated through the air, reaching Kazuya's mind with crushing force. For a moment, it seemed like he might falter, but then—
A surge of clarity erupted in his mind, sweeping the sound away like a fresh breeze.
[You have collected 1,000 Chakra points]
[You have collected 2,000 Chakra points]
[You have collected 800 Sage Energy points]
[You have collected 1,000 Sage Energy points]
[You have collected: Sage Art: Frog Call]
[You have collected 1,000 Frog Call Skill experience points]
[Your Frog Call Skill has leveled up to Lv2 (0/1000)]
Success! As the illusion faded, Kazuya felt the energy flow smoothly through his body, unaffected by the potent sound of Genjutsu. In the same instant, the Frog Call technique itself appeared in his skill list.
"Not bad," Kazuya grinned. His Lv5 Genjutsu Resistance had proven itself, neutralizing one of the strongest auditory illusions in existence. With that, he could likely resist most of the Sharingan's mind-altering abilities, too.
Relieved and confident, Kazuya felt more certain than ever. Even the likes of Shisui and Itachi would struggle to affect him with their techniques.
White light flashed as Kazuya teleported, suddenly appearing directly before the two toads.
"What?!" Fukasaku's eyes widened. "Does that Genjutsu not work on him at all?!"
Kazuya didn't give them a chance to dwell on it.
With swift, calculated movements, he launched himself back into combat, each strike perfectly controlled to keep them at bay without causing lasting harm. Golden orbs continued to spill from the two elder toads, each a testament to Kazuya's mastery and precision.
For the next half hour, the tranquil Myoboku mountain was turned into a battleground. Entire sections of the landscape were transformed into craters and scorch marks.
Finally, Fukasaku and Shima, utterly drained, collapsed onto the ground.
"Kid… enough already… our backs are killing us. You're more than ready. There's nothing left for us to teach you!" Fukasaku gasped, looking utterly spent.
"We surrender!" Shima croaked and slumped beside him.
To the inhabitants of Myoboku Mountain, Kazuya was nothing short of a force of nature—a monster in human form.
Learning Sage Mode in just fifteen minutes? It was almost unbelievable. His combat prowess was beyond description, a terrifying presence that none of the toads had ever faced before. Even Fukasaku, normally confident and composed, found himself eyeing Kazuya with open fear. If this young man had truly wanted to end them, they wouldn't have lasted even a moment.
"Thank you both for your guidance," Kazuya said, offering a polite smile.
But to Fukasaku and Shima, that smile seemed like something from a demon, a chilling expression that they were glad to retreat from.
The sage toads may have been down for the count, but Myoboku was filled with toads proficient in Sage Jutsu. And for Kazuya, that meant it was open season.
Without pause, Kazuya resumed his relentless training—or, more accurately, his campaign—against every toad he could find. For the next several days, Myoboku was anything but peaceful.
Starting with the powerhouse Toad Boss Gamabunta, he moved on to every toad who dared wield Sage Jutsu. Toad warriors, healers, farmers, even the younger trainees and elderly retirees—no one was spared. If there was even a scrap of Sage Jutsu to be learned or refined, Kazuya found them, offered "guidance," and promptly knocked them around a bit. Those who were less skilled in Sage Jutsu received personal instruction from Kazuya, then a merciless thrashing once they'd finished their training.
Even the enormous Rock Toad, a mountainous creature rarely disturbed, felt Kazuya's fist as he unleashed a few earth-shaking left hooks, leaving the giant toad wailing as the ground trembled beneath it.
With a smile, Kazuya mused to himself, They say, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Here at Myoboku, it's more like 'When in Myoboku, put every toad six feet under.'
And so, Kazuya's training escalated with renewed enthusiasm.
BOOM! BOOM!
The very foundations of Myoboku quaked with each impact, and the sounds of frantic toads echoed through the land. Gamabunta, usually the stoic boss of the mountain, soon found himself retreating whenever he saw Kazuya coming, his stoic composure replaced by a look of dread.
From a distance, Fukasaku watched Gamabunta's undignified retreat, a tear welling up in his eye. "When did we, the toads of Myoboku, become such victims of cruelty? Seeing young Gamabunta run like that... it's heartbreaking!"
"Well then, why don't you go help?" Shima quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"On second thought," Fukasaku muttered, casting a sideways glance at his wife. "Isn't it about time we checked on the stew back home?"
"Now that you mention it, yes, we should check on that!" Shima replied.
With that, the two elder toads exchanged knowing looks and disappeared from sight. Standing around was asking for trouble, and if Kazuya decided to train with them again, those old bones wouldn't make it.
A couple of days later, midday found Kazuya enthusiastically sparring with a young toad of only seven years old when a deep, resonant voice interrupted his focus.
"Enough, young one… You are reaching the point of excess."
Kazuya blinked in surprise. The voice was calm yet carried a weight that seemed to traverse the centuries. It could only belong to the Great Toad Sage, and it was clear the old toad was using some form of telepathy to speak directly to him.
"So," Kazuya thought with a hint of regret, "it looks like my little adventure here is coming to an end."
Despite his disappointment, he couldn't help but marvel at the haul he'd amassed during his time at Myoboku. Just in terms of Chakra, he'd collected over 180,000 points. Sage Energy was even more plentiful, totaling over 300,000, which had propelled his Sage Energy up to Level 5. His Sage Skill had also reached Level 5, meaning his Sage Mode now lasted an impressive 120 minutes.
Looking at his stats now, Kazuya couldn't help but feel a thrill of satisfaction:
Chakra: Lv5 (611,000/1,000,000)
Sage Energy: Lv5 (214,000/1,000,000)
Tailed Beast Power: Lv5 (0/1,000,000)
Sage Skill: Lv5 (100/1,000)
With Chakra at Level 5 and over 600,000 in reserve, he was now firmly at a Kage-plus level. Both his Sage Energy and Tailed Beast Power were also maxed at Level 5. In terms of raw stats, he had fully entered the realm of the super-Kage, a level few shinobi could ever dream of achieving. Once he pushed each energy type near the million mark, he would likely surpass even Sage Mode Naruto from the Fourth Great Ninja War.
The potential was exhilarating.
Just then, Fukasaku approached him cautiously. "Kazuya… the Great Sage has asked to see you," he announced, wary of saying the wrong thing lest Kazuya get any more "ideas."
"Of course," Kazuya replied smoothly.
He had expected as much; he only hoped the Great Sage wasn't planning to give him a stern talking-to.