Naruto standing near the pathway quickly attracted the attention of passing Uchiha clan members.
After witnessing his savage yet ridiculously efficient medical ninjutsu, the Uchiha greeted him with friendly smiles.
"Doctor Mianma," one of them said politely, "now that you've settled in the Land of Whirlpools, we don't have to worry about getting sick anymore."
Naruto nodded back, offering a helpless smile.
Medical ninjutsu could handle injuries—broken bones, torn flesh, even severed limbs. As long as he pumped enough Yang Release chakra into it, cells would divide like crazy and the wound would close.
But if someone caught a fever or a cold?
Without medicine, even he couldn't magically cure that. He wasn't a walking pharmacy.
Not long after, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he saw Uchiha Mikoto walking side by side with Uchiha Izumi.
Inside the sealed space, Namikaze Minato's eyes flickered with memory.
"That's Uchiha Mikoto," Minato said quietly. "Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was very close to her. We even joked about arranging a marriage between you two… but unfortunately, you're a boy."
Naruto's expression twitched.
"Yeah, sorry to ruin your matchmaking dreams."
He immediately banished the horrifying mental image of himself in female attire.
"So Sasuke's mother had that kind of connection, huh? According to Shisui, she nearly died by Itachi's blade. Her husband couldn't even stop it. Now she's separated from Sasuke… honestly, that's tragic."
Minato sighed softly.
"Yes. But thanks to you saving Mikoto, Kushina would be relieved. They were dear friends."
"You're welcome," Naruto replied lazily. "I saved her because she's Sasuke's mom. And secondly… her cooking is actually pretty good."
"...That's it?" Minato stared at him.
Then his tone sharpened slightly.
"You already knew about the conflict between the village and the Uchiha. You contacted Shisui in advance. You secretly pulled the Uchiha out. None of that was done on a whim."
Naruto glanced at him casually.
"Of course not. Saving the Uchiha wasn't impulsive. I want to see what happens if they leave Konoha's environment."
He smirked.
"Think of it as a social experiment. If it works out, maybe I'll publish a paper."
Minato fell silent.
A social experiment?
With Naruto's current strength, there weren't many people in the shinobi world capable of stopping him.
If Minato were still alive, he might have been one of them.
But now?
He was just a mass of chakra and fading memories.
One day, even that would disappear.
Capital of the Land of Fire
On the rooftop of a public bathhouse, a gray-haired man crouched suspiciously.
Jiraiya.
After being chased off by furious security guards—again—he fled awkwardly back to his hotel, clutching his precious notebook.
Compared to The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant, readers clearly preferred Make-Out Paradise.
For the sake of his beloved audience, he was willing to endure being labeled a shameless pervert. Such dedication should bring readers to tears.
After writing more than a dozen passionate pages, Jiraiya finally put down his pen and looked out at the bustling streets below.
His life was constant travel. Espionage missions across nations. Nearly every task tied directly to Konoha's safety.
But strangely, ever since completing his last mission, the Third Hokage hadn't assigned him anything new.
Could it be the old man had finally grown a conscience and decided to let him rest?
Jiraiya immediately dismissed the idea.
The old man's philosophy was simple: if something is useful, use it until it breaks.
Since Orochimaru defected and Tsunade left the village, Jiraiya was the only shinobi who could reliably handle S-rank missions.
A week of rest was understandable.
Over a month?
Suspicious.
Had something happened in Konoha?
After thinking it over, Jiraiya picked up his pen again.
The capital wasn't far from the village. He could drop by soon—check on Minato's son, maybe tease the brat a little. With the old man around, things shouldn't be too bad.
Just as he resumed writing, Jiraiya suddenly frowned and glanced toward the corner of the room.
With a puff of smoke, a toad appeared.
"Master Jiraiya," it croaked softly, "Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima are looking for you."
Before the sentence even finished, Jiraiya felt the Reverse Summoning Technique activate.
In an instant, he was transported to Mount Myōboku.
The sky above Mount Myōboku was eternally blue, and the vegetation was lush and vibrant.
Jiraiya looked at Fukasaku Sage and Shima Sage, who leapt onto his shoulders.
"What's going on? Did the village send word?"
Fukasaku shook his head.
"It's not us. The Great Toad Sage wishes to see you."
The Great Toad Sage…
Jiraiya muttered under his breath as Fukasaku led him toward the Toad Temple.
He had walked this path many times, yet every visit made him uneasy.
After all, he was about to meet the legendary Great Toad Sage—an ancient being who had lived for over a thousand years. Not only had he mastered senjutsu, but he also possessed prophetic visions—glimpses of a vague and shifting future.
Following those prophecies, Jiraiya had found two "Children of Prophecy."
Nagato, bearer of the Rinnegan.
And Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.
Yet both had died young.
Neither had become the one to change the world.
Soon, Jiraiya entered the temple.
The Great Toad Sage sat atop his platform, half-asleep, half-awake, as though drifting between dreams and reality.
Fukasaku jumped forward respectfully.
"Great Sage, I've brought Little Jiraiya."
The Great Toad Sage slowly opened his cloudy eyes.
But before he could speak, Jiraiya blurted out,
"Great Sage, is there another prophecy about the Child of Prophecy? I'll go find him right away."
The Great Toad Sage's dim eyes focused slightly.
"This time… the future is not blurred."
"He is a blond-haired boy."
"His eyes… are strange. They seem to be constantly changing."
"A blond boy? Eyes that keep changing?"
Jiraiya frowned. That sounded even more cryptic than usual.
The Great Toad Sage nodded slowly.
"Perhaps because too many timelines overlap… even my sight is affected. But one thing is certain."
"He will change the entire shinobi world."
"And he is a ninja who comes from Konoha."
Jiraiya broke into a grin.
"If he's from Konoha, that makes things easy. I'll go find him and train him properly this time."
"No."
The Great Toad Sage shook his head.
"You do not need to search."
"Fate will ensure that you meet."
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