"Kakashi!"
Jiraiya stared at him in disbelief. "Aren't you surprised?!"
This didn't make sense. Kakashi had always been a devoted fan of the Icha Icha Paradise series. The book he was holding had just been published a few days ago.
Knowing that Kakashi had been on a mission in the Land of Waves—a poor country where the latest books might not be available—Jiraiya had thoughtfully brought him a copy.
But the reaction he got…
Kakashi looked completely unfazed!
"...Ah, no!"
Kakashi (or rather, Black Kakashi) quickly scratched his head, feigning embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry, I was just too shocked. Thank you very much, Lord Jiraiya. I've been looking forward to this book for a long time."
Trying to act as he should in this world, he accepted the book enthusiastically and immediately flipped it open, pretending to be absorbed in its pages.
Jiraiya, watching this, finally relaxed.
That's more like it!
For a moment, he had feared that his most devoted reader had abandoned the series.
"Sensei, what book is that?"
Menma, standing nearby, felt curious. He moved closer, trying to get a peek at the cover.
Jiraiya's old mentor in another world had written it—maybe it had literary value?
"?!"
Jiraiya's face changed instantly. He waved his hands in alarm, shooing Menma away. "No way! This isn't something for kids! Haven't you heard of the three taboos of a ninja?"
"...?"
Menma almost choked.
Look at this guy.
If he knew it wasn't suitable for kids, why did he write it in the first place?!
And he had the nerve to lecture about ninja taboos? Did he even follow them himself?!
"Ahem..."
Kakashi flipped through a few pages, and his face grew slightly warm. He quickly closed the book and put it away.
"Menma... Naruto," he corrected himself, "it's too early for you to read this kind of thing. Wait until you're an adult."
Twelve years old was definitely too young for Icha Icha Paradise.
But for himself, it was fine.
Jiraiya coughed, steering the conversation away from the book. "Kakashi, I actually came here for something important."
His tone grew serious. "This matter concerns the future of the entire ninja world."
He pulled Kakashi aside, lowering his voice.
Then, he began explaining the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage.
The child of prophecy.
The one who would bring either destruction or salvation to the world.
"So… sorry, Kakashi!" Jiraiya finished with an apologetic look. "I don't want to take your student, but this prophecy is too important!"
According to the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya was destined to become the mentor of the child of prophecy and guide them on their path.
Even if it made things awkward, he had to do it.
Kakashi, outwardly calm, was screaming internally.
The child of prophecy? Seriously?
What a joke.
The fate of the entire world resting on one person? How absurd.
There was no such thing in their ninja world, yet the Empire was thriving just fine.
"...Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi finally spoke, carefully choosing his words. "This isn't a decision we can make alone."
"This concerns Naruto. We should ask his opinion, right? And considering his identity, we also need to consult Lord Hokage."
Jiraiya immediately relaxed.
Kakashi wasn't rejecting the idea. That was a good sign.
"As for the old man," Jiraiya said, waving a hand dismissively, "I'll handle him myself."
He turned serious again. "But how do you think we should talk to Naruto about this?"
"Just be honest," Kakashi said. "Naruto is smart. If he's truly the child of prophecy, he and you, Lord Jiraiya, are destined to be teacher and student. I think it's best to talk about it sooner rather than later."
"...Smart?"
Jiraiya hesitated.
He had no doubt about Minato's intelligence.
But Naruto…
Jiraiya had checked his academy records before.
His grades were… impressively balanced.
All consistently at the bottom.
Jiraiya had always thought the kid had not inherited Minato's brain.
"Naruto just plays around too much and doesn't take things seriously," Kakashi said. "If he puts his mind to it, he'll improve quickly… After all, he is the child of prophecy. How could his brain be bad?"
"...You have a point," Jiraiya admitted.
The child of prophecy should at least have some intelligence, right?
Later That Day
After their private discussion, Jiraiya and Kakashi approached Menma.
Kakashi introduced Jiraiya. "Lord Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, as powerful as the Hokage himself. He was also the teacher of the Fourth Hokage."
"If you train under him, you might truly become the child of prophecy who determines the fate of the ninja world."
Menma, playing the role of Naruto, feigned surprise.
"I… can determine the ninja world's future?"
"As long as you follow me and train hard, there's a chance!" Jiraiya laughed.
"But, Lord Jiraiya…" Menma hesitated. "I don't really understand this 'child of prophecy' thing. Could you explain it in more detail?"
"Well, how about this?" Kakashi suggested. "Since the bridge in the Land of Waves is complete and we're heading back to Konoha soon, let's walk around for a bit and talk as we go."
Jiraiya and Menma had no objections.
As they wandered through the streets, Jiraiya sighed at the scene around them.
"This place is so poor," he muttered.
The streets were nearly empty. Shops looked abandoned.
"This is probably one of the poorest places in the entire ninja world," he said.
Then, he turned to Menma with a determined expression.
"But I believe that once the child of prophecy grows, the future will change!"
"A world where people understand each other, a world of prosperity, peace, and stability—it will come someday!"
Menma stopped in his tracks.
"...People understanding each other?"
His voice was filled with disbelief.
"Is that really your ideal, Lord Jiraiya?"
Somewhere Else…
Meanwhile, in a distant part of the ninja world, Otsutsuki Tenma sat on a grand throne, gazing at the vast sky beyond.
"People understanding each other?" he murmured.
A faint smirk played on his lips.
"How naive."
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