The blades of grass slowly parted, revealing three tiny, young figures trembling deep in the undergrowth.
A little toad, a slender little white snake, and a soft, plump little slug.
The three little creatures huddled together, trembling all over, their tiny bodies shuddering. Clearly, Kaguya's terrifying pressure had frightened them so badly moments ago that they had not dared move.
Timid and weak, adorably dazed and pitiful.
Every gaze across the shinobi world was glued to the three little creatures cowering and trembling in the grass on the Sky Screen.
Inside the Hokage Building, Tsunade stared at the little toad, white snake, and slug, her pretty face full of bewilderment. No matter how she looked at them, something felt wrong.
Throughout her long life, she had always considered the three sages ancient beings who stood above worldly affairs.
Who could have imagined that, a thousand years ago in ancient times, these future sages of the sage lands had been three pitiful little creatures huddled in fear, not even daring to breathe loudly?
Beside her, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze wandered uncertainly. His face full of hesitation, he murmured under his breath.
"Are... are these three little creatures actually the sages of the Three Great Sage Lands?"
Jiraiya froze outright beside them, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. Disbelief filled his face, and his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Th-this is actually the Great Toad Sage?"
Jiraiya felt as though his world was falling apart.
Whenever he visited Mount Myōboku to pay his respects, he faced the Great Toad Sage seated high upon a dais-a calm, sacred, unfathomable being who saw through the past, present, and future.
That ancient patriarch of Mount Myōboku could foretell fate and guide the world with a casual word, radiating