"To be honest, I can't see through that child..."
Jiraiya was the first to speak.
All three fell silent at the mention of that child, instinctively wanting to overlook him.
Because even they felt a strange, inexplicable pressure when facing him...
It even gave them the absurd feeling that... perhaps they couldn't make him move so much as a single step.
And yet he was still so young...
"You couldn't see him forming hand seals either, could you? Or rather... he didn't form any at all..."
With a rare look of seriousness, Jiraiya began analyzing it piece by piece.
"There's no question... his powers of observation are extraordinary. To find that single opening among all those flying shuriken in such a short time shows just how monstrous his talent is."
"That means he could clearly see every new trajectory those hundreds upon hundreds of shuriken took after colliding in that instant."
When Jiraiya reached this point, Tsunade continued.
"Or perhaps he already knew where every shuriken would fall the moment they collided, and responded perfectly. None of the panic, confusion, or instinctive reactions people have when facing danger existed in him."
"Including that perfect tilt of his head. His control over his body and his reflexes were simply terrifying. If he weren't a living person, I'd suspect he was a machine."
Orochimaru spoke next, licking his lips, a rare mix of fear and excitement showing in his brown eyes.
"A monstrous mind for combat, monstrous senses and instincts, perfect control over his body. Yuya... what an exhilarating existence..."
Orochimaru looked almost crazed, but his two companions had long since grown accustomed to it.
"And I don't know whether you noticed his expression. He was calm from beginning to end. There wasn't even the slightest trace of panic in his eyes."