Chapter 592: Prophecy
"Naruto, I'll confirm this one more time... Sage Mode training carries risks."
Walking on the quiet street, Jiraiya's expression was stern as he spoke to the orange-haired boy in a deep voice.
"If you're just acting on impulse, there's still room for regret now!"
"I understand, Pervy Sage," Naruto Uzumaki answered calmly.
Jiraiya looked deeply at Naruto. From the boy's azure eyes, he didn't see any impatience to achieve quick results, only the steadiness and determination characteristic of a ninja.
He is serious, Jiraiya thought.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind, I can only do my best to support you!" The Pervy Sage patted his shoulder, a hint of gratification in his tone.
Having traveled the world for years, accomplishing nothing else, just to find the entrusted child from a prophecy, only to finally realize the person he was looking for was right beside him.
Naruto Uzumaki, the Child of Prophecy.
Personally guiding his growth, watching him slowly grow from a child into a reliable man—Jiraiya's feelings were undoubtedly very gratifying.
For the Pervy Sage, who had remained unmarried his whole life and never had a child, the affection he poured into Naruto was probably more than just that of a master and disciple!
Compared to his father, that man who was far too dazzling and a genius, the seemingly clumsy Naruto was more like a disciple who had inherited everything from Jiraiya...
Even a child.
As they walked, the two habitually arrived at Team 7's old gathering spot.
"Let's do it here."
Jiraiya simply stopped and summoned the toads in the open space of the training ground. He was just about to cast the Reverse Summoning Jutsu when his expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head.
"You really did come here." On the other side, someone suddenly walked out.
The newcomer was a young girl. In the hazy night, one could faintly see her beautiful face and slender figure. Graceful and tall, she moved like a startled swan and stepped as if blooming lotuses. Draped in gauze-like silver light, she looked like a goddess under the moonlight.
It was exactly Haruno Sakura.
"Sakura?"
"Sakura-kun!"
Jiraiya's slightly puzzled tone and Naruto's surprised shout rang out simultaneously. The latter ran over taking two steps at a time, saying with pleasant surprise: "Sakura-kun, why are you here?"
He could distinguish very clearly between Sakura Uchiha and the original body.
"Hmph!" The girl lightly punched him, feigning anger. "If I didn't come, were you planning to just leave silently like this?"
"Hehe," Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. "I thought asking Sasuke to pass on the message to you would be the same."
"Could that be the same?" Haruno Sakura rolled her eyes and couldn't resist flicking his forehead hard. "If I hadn't finished my healing a day early, you would have been gone by the time I came back tomorrow!"
As she spoke, she sighed: "Other things aside, this time you're going for Sage Mode training!"
"Haven't you completed Sage Mode training too, Sakura-kun?"
"That's exactly why I know the risks of this training!" Haruno Sakura looked at the boy seriously.
Sage Mode training is life-threatening!
But from Naruto's eyes, the girl couldn't see the slightest hesitation. Just like Jiraiya, what Haruno Sakura saw deep in his eyes was only azure determination.
"Don't worry, I will successfully complete the training!" Naruto smiled confidently and answered firmly.
Even when speaking grand words, the current Naruto looked full of confidence and much more reliable.
He's starting to look a bit like the Fourth Hokage!
"You..."
Haruno Sakura sighed slightly. She originally wanted to say she had already arranged for Naruto to go to the Hidden Cloud for perfect Jinchuriki training, asking him to give up this dangerous training. But now, she suddenly felt it was unnecessary.
The perfect Jinchuriki training also carried risks. Moreover, compared to the growth in strength, what was more important was this brilliant, indomitable will!
"Do your best," she abruptly stepped forward and hugged Naruto tightly. "We'll be waiting for you to come back!"
After several seconds, Haruno Sakura finally let go.
"Uncle Jiraiya, you do your best too!" She waved, bidding farewell to the two.
Jiraiya smiled faintly, while Naruto gave her a thumbs up. A toad beside them croaked like a frog in imitation.
"Goodbye!"
With that, the two and the toad turned into a puff of smoke, disappearing from the open space.
Mount Myoboku.
The distance from Konoha to here was more than ten times the distance between Konoha and the Hidden Sand. Traveling at a ninja's pace, even at top speed, it would take a month to arrive.
Like the Shikkotsu Forest, it was located in a wild, uncultivated area outside the territory of human civilization, filled with ancient trees and devoid of human presence.
Countless toads of all sizes lived here, playing, training, and living their lives.
This was the paradise of toads, a place for survival and reproduction, and also Naruto's destination for this trip, one of the three great sources of senjutsu.
"You've arrived, little Jiraiya, little Naruto."
When they landed, an elderly toad was already waiting on the side.
"Hehe, Sage Fukasaku, I've brought Naruto to train in senjutsu." Jiraiya chuckled. "And incidentally, let the Great Toad Sage see the Child of Prophecy I've chosen!"
"The Child of Prophecy?" Sage Fukasaku looked at the boy beside him, who had a face full of novelty. "Very good... Come this way, the Great Geezer is waiting for you!"
Deep within Mount Myoboku.
Sage Fukasaku guided the two through winding paths among strange trees and exotic grass. Soon, a massive building appeared before them.
Walking into the temple, it opened up spaciously. The Great Toad Sage was sitting on the highest seat at the top, looking at them with a smile.
"Jiraiya..." For once, the Great Toad Sage was clear-headed enough to recognize the visitor. "Is that boy beside you the Child of Prophecy you've chosen?"
Jiraiya bowed slightly and replied solemnly: "That's right, his name is Naruto Uzumaki! I believe he is the ninja who will bring revolution and peace to the entire ninja world in the future!"
Child of Prophecy? Bring revolution and peace to the ninja world?
Naruto stood by, looking completely bewildered.
However, seeing Jiraiya's rare serious demeanor, he had to suppress his doubts and didn't interrupt their conversation.
But Naruto wasn't the only one in the great hall harboring other thoughts.
Sitting at the highest point, the Great Toad Sage actually had some things that were difficult to speak of... because recently, he discovered that his prophetic dream had changed!
Yes, as early as a millennium ago, he prophesied, "A blue-eyed boy, laughing and calling the names of the nine beasts, and bringing peace to a world long plagued by war!"
The Sage of the Six Paths also acknowledged Gamamaru's prophecy.
However, just as the day of the prophecy was approaching, the Great Toad Sage mysteriously had a different dream...
In the dream, a young woman's eyes flashed with divine light. Her voice was like thunder, and her imposing aura was like a deep abyss and a prison, as if a goddess had descended upon the world!
The Great Toad Sage only saw her silhouette.
He couldn't clearly see her appearance, nor did he see what exactly happened in this prophecy. This was because, in the very next second, the woman's eyes moved, and her gaze actually fell upon the Toad Sage in the void!
For thousands of years, since the death of the Sage of the Six Paths, this was the first time the Great Toad Sage had been so shocked!
He, an outsider, was actually seen?
Because of that single glance, the Sage's soul trembled slightly, and the image in the dream instantly collapsed and vanished!
The new prophecy came to an abrupt end after only two scenes...
Who was she? What did she do? What events and changes occurred in the future?
The Toad Sage's first reaction was to think he saw Kaguya breaking her seal in the future. But mysteriously, he clearly felt that she was not the biological mother of the Sage of the Six Paths. Kaguya had empty power without charm, her eyes hollow; it was absolutely impossible for her to be as vibrant and overflowing with divine light as that woman!
On the other hand, the tone of the new prophecy was not gloomy, but rather bright and translucent. This indicated that the future was developing in a good direction, and there was no need for unwarranted anxiety...
However, should this prophecy be spoken?
"Hoho..." The Great Toad Sage hesitated again and again, and ultimately didn't speak it aloud. After all, having a prophecy collapse out of fear from a single glance was quite embarrassing.
More importantly, he didn't know how to tell Jiraiya.
Gamamaru smiled as always and said slowly: "Well done, Jiraiya! I have a premonition that you made the right choice, and the future of the ninja world will be bright..."
Jiraiya, who had run around for half his life for the Toad Sage's prophecy, received a confirming answer and left the temple fully satisfied.
Sage Fukasaku stayed behind.
He kept feeling that what the Great Geezer said today was a bit strange.
It felt somewhat vague and evasive.
"Lord Great Geezer..." Fukasaku hesitated for a moment but still asked his question.
"Sigh... I'm ashamed." The Great Toad Sage let out a long sigh and said in a low voice, "About ten days ago, I had another dream, a new prophetic dream—"
Facing Fukasaku, the Toad Sage told the truth.
"Saying that, the future has undergone a major change from your previous prediction, and the so-called Child of Prophecy is no longer important?" Fukasaku was startled. "Then hasn't little Jiraiya run around busily for more than half his life all in vain?"
"That's exactly what I'm ashamed of," the Great Toad Sage covered his face and spoke in a low voice. "For a mistaken prophecy, I caused little Jiraiya to waste more than half his life. If this were spoken aloud, what a huge blow it would be to him! He trusts me so much, yet I... sigh, I, a dignified Toad Sage, won't have the face to see him anymore!"
Sage Fukasaku momentarily didn't know what to say either.
"Then in the images of the future, is Naruto still there?" He thought for a moment and asked again.
The Great Toad Sage was slightly stunned. He carefully recalled those two scenes for a while, and his eyes lit up: "He really is!"
Fukasaku clapped his webbed hands: "Then what kind of role does he play in the future?"
"First of all, definitely not the protagonist," the Great Toad Sage racked his brains to recall. "But definitely not some insignificant role either! Moreover, he has a deep bond with that woman..."
"That makes sense then!" Fukasaku shouted excitedly. The Great Toad Sage also realized: so the Child of Prophecy was still an important character in the future situation, only the one leading the future had changed to someone else!
The previous prophecy was still partially valid!
"This way, little Jiraiya's actions still hold important significance. I'm also relieved." The Great Toad Sage smiled bitterly and said slowly, "I'm afraid something happened ten days ago that had a decisive impact on the future..."
"Rest assured, I will find an appropriate time to confess everything to Jiraiya." Sage Fukasaku bowed slightly. "For now, let's temporarily arrange the Child of Prophecy's training first!"
After saying that, he slowly walked out of the temple.
Behind him, only the deep sigh of the Great Toad Sage was left.