Chapter 312: Accident
"Sorry, Tobi, but art is an explosion!"
Boom!
A gargantuan Patrick-Star-shaped explosion echoed through the forest. Below, Tobi scrambled his hands and feet, desperately trying to flee the blast radius.
"It's over! It's all over!" he shrieked incessantly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment the explosion rang out, nearby Konoha ninjas immediately detected it. After regrouping, they headed toward the source of the blast.
"I've caught Sasuke's scent. Along with it are the scents of two others—likely Akatsuki members."
Having a clear direction, Kiba Inuzuka instantly picked up the trail. Behind him, Naruto was lost in a state of unease. Just moments ago, he had encountered Sasuke's brother, Itachi Uchiha. Despite the extensive combat experience he had gained under Tonbo-sensei's training, he was still no match for him, and Itachi had forced him to swallow... something.
Tonbo Tobitake gathered all the incoming intelligence.
With the information I provided, Jiraiya shouldn't die, right?
Although Tonbo hadn't personally intervened, the intel he brought back should have saved Jiraiya. Space-time ninjutsu was practically an absolute defense, and Jiraiya's reverse-summoning was incredibly potent.
As for the situation with Sasuke, it was as he expected. Without his large-scale interference, although there were minor differences, events followed the established path. Deidara was dead. Itachi's plan was likely nearing completion.
Having watched them grow up since they were children, only to watch them slaughter each other—sometimes Tonbo felt he was being too cold-blooded. But the thought was fleeting. He didn't truly care what happened to Sasuke and Itachi. It was just the passage of time that made him feel a bit pensive.
Unnoticeably, he had spent a vast amount of time in this world. He was nearly thirty-one years old; by the time the Fourth War ended, he'd be past that. He had lived this second life for eighteen years. Though he was still technically young, seeing the children who once asked for hugs now grown and striving for their own goals gave him the sensation of being an old man.
The winds of the ninja world were surging. Forces everywhere were becoming active.
Inside the Hidden Rain Village, Jiraiya's infiltration was discovered by Pain.
Bang! Bang!
Boom!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Summoning beasts, Fire Style, the Rinnegan... Just as Tonbo had anticipated, armed with the intelligence, Jiraiya managed to force out all six Paths of Pain. He bore no significant wounds, though his chakra was starting to wane. The markings on his face and the two Great Sages on his shoulders showed he was fighting with everything he had.
Pow!
A Rasengan struck the Human Path, twisting its head until the neck nearly snapped away from the body.
Cloud-Lightning Gorge, Land of Lightning.
"Bakayaro, Konoyaro! Your swordsmanship is shiny, but I've still got plenty of charm and power..."
Sasuke's team found the rap-ninja, Killer Bee. They proceeded to get soundly thrashed in a Taijutsu exchange.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Splash!
Jiraiya, looking like a pincushion, plunged into the sea. He sank toward the dark depths of the ocean. In his mind's eye, a vision of Mount Myoboku appeared. The Great Toad Sage manifested before him.
"Jiraiya, my boy... I have envisioned it. A critical node in resolving the crisis of the ninja world. You will die in the depths of the ocean. When you wake again, you will continue to lead the next Child of Prophecy to solve the final crisis of the world."
"Hm? Is Naruto not the Child of Prophecy?" Jiraiya stood before the Great Toad Sage, confused. According to previous prophecies, his disciple was supposed to be the revolutionary, the savior.
Gamamaru replied, "Naruto is likely the Child of Prophecy for this era—the revolutionary who handles the immediate threat. But according to the latest prophecy, after peace comes the next threat... the final threat."
Since the first Child of Prophecy, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, every era had its savior and its world-ending threat. But except for Hagoromo's generation, subsequent threats had been stifled mid-way by his prophecies until now. Now that the "Final Prophecy" had appeared, even Gamamaru was surprised.
"So, you're saying I will die in the deep sea?" The usual boisterous smile vanished from Jiraiya's face.
"Yes. Not only that, even if you can run, do not run. You must not run. In this vision, I saw countless path fragments; this is the only route with a chance of success for saving the world."
"A chance of success? That means the future threat will be so great that the entire world might not be able to resist it. And even with this sacrifice, it only increases the probability slightly? That truly is a grueling task. But then again, only the White-Haired Youth, Jiraiya, could handle such a heavy burden."
Jiraiya deduced much from the Sage's words. His seriousness vanished, replaced by a self-deprecating chuckle. "So, according to your prophecy, I will be resurrected in some way in the future and take another disciple who will save the world?"
"That is what my dream showed," Gamamaru said.
"Well, that's a bit troublesome. Fine, since it requires a future generation to solve, let the 'Master of Fate,' Jiraiya, sacrifice himself once more."
Jiraiya wasn't forcing a smile. It was as if a certain mental suggestion had taken root, shifting his mindset. The vision faded, and a flood of memories rushed into his mind.
"I see... Future Sasuke, and the young ones... is that blond kid Naruto's son? I actually placed a mental suggestion on myself long ago!"
"How embarrassing. To think this is how the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant ends. How boring... But ending like this isn't so bad. A frog in a well, drifting away into the great ocean... Is that the final chapter? Haha, it's quite grand... impressive."
As the Chapter of the Deep Sea ended, what would the next chapter be?
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, Naruto, who had just returned to Konoha, felt his heart race. He felt as though something precious had been lost.
"What is it, Naruto? We'll definitely bring Sasuke back, don't lose heart," Sakura comforted him, seeing his pale face. Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and Itachi; one day, they would surely bring him back.
"It's nothing... I just have a bad feeling." Naruto didn't know how to explain it.
The Hokage's Office.
Tsunade, who was busy with paperwork, suddenly widened her eyes. She quickly pulled out a newspaper with lottery numbers hidden in her desk. Comparing them to her ticket...
Thump. Thump.
She won. But she couldn't bring herself to smile. The unease in her heart was magnifying exponentially.
"Dead?"
Tonbo Tobitake's expression froze. Just now, the neural filaments he had secretly attached to Jiraiya were vanishing. This only happened when the host no longer had chakra to sustain them.
Neural Transfer.
Tonbo vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, his body was immediately crushed by the weight of the deep ocean. He quickly sealed his breath and adjusted to the pressure.
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