Those words were like a stone dropped into a deep pool, yet what they stirred was not a ripple, but an invisible, abrupt shift in the atmosphere.
Atop the dais, the Great Toad Sage's enormous eyes, half-lidded as though he could never quite wake, suddenly opened wide!
They were no longer clouded, no longer confused, no longer dulled by the weight of years.
In their place was an indescribable clarity and depth, as though he had seen through every mystery in the world.
His gaze seemed almost tangible as it instantly fixed on Naruto below. The wisdom and ancient vastness within it were enough to make anyone beneath that gaze tremble to their very soul.
But Naruto met his eyes without the slightest fear.
After a few breaths, the aura of age and weakness around him swiftly receded like the tide.
Though his massive body remained seated there, the impression he gave had changed completely.
He was no longer an old man on the verge of death, but an ancient being who had lived through countless ages, witnessed the world's upheavals, and possessed wisdom as vast as the sea.
His aged voice rang out again, but this time, none of its earlier muddled hesitation remained. It was steady, powerful, and even carried an almost imperceptible hint of amusement:
"It seems... my instincts were right."
The Great Toad Sage's voice echoed through the hall.
"From the moment you entered this hall-no, perhaps even earlier... when you first set foot on Mount Myōboku, I sensed... that you were not truly a 'cheerful, obedient' child."
He spoke slowly, enunciating each word, as though stating a truth he had long since observed:
"You... carry a heavy burden.
"Your 'sunshine,' your 'cheerfulness,' seem more like... a disguise.
"Or perhaps, a deliberate display.
"To... illuminate certain