"There's something else I need to tell you."
Jiraiya spoke halfway, but then paused, glancing toward Shizune with a hint of hesitation.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya, I'll excuse myself."
Shizune, understanding immediately, picked up Tonton and prepared to leave.
But just two steps out, Tsunade stopped her.
"No need. Stay here."
She turned to Jiraiya and said firmly, "I trust Shizune. This child has been by my side since she was little. She's calm and dependable. There's no need to worry. If there's something to say, just say it."
Seeing this, Jiraiya couldn't insist further.
He looked out the window, hesitated for a long moment, then said, "I still have a mission from Mount Myoboku. You've probably already heard something from the Slug Sage of the Shikkotsu Forest. A great change is coming to the Shinobi World. We must find the Child of the Prophecy if we want to save it."
"The Slug Sage did mention something like that."
Tsunade frowned, confusion hidden in her expression.
"But I still don't quite understand—what exactly is this so-called 'great change' in the Shinobi World?"
"You haven't left the village in a long time, have you?"
Jiraiya sighed again, his gaze distant.
"I've been traveling non-stop, so I've seen a lot. I can clearly feel it—something is changing across the entire Shinobi World."
"You mean... those mutated monsters?"
Tsunade had seen reports submitted by the ANBU.
Apparently, terrifying creatures had begun appearing in different parts of the Shinobi World.
Their forms were twisted, varied, and grotesque.
Ordinary people who laid eyes on them often fell into madness.
Each time the ANBU were dispatched to handle these monsters, the cost in lives and resources was devastating.
"Not just that. To be precise, it's about the reason those monsters were born."
Jiraiya pulled out a pendant from within his cloak, his voice deep and serious.
"This pendant holds a power similar to that thing. It can easily hypnotize a genin. I got it by chance after slaying one of those creatures. For some unknown reason, its power clung to this."
"In the ANBU report, it was mentioned that these monsters possess all kinds of strange abilities."
Tsunade's brow furrowed slightly.
"That's right. After they die, it seems a certain kind of 'power' seeps out from them."
Jiraiya nodded firmly.
He carefully placed the pendant back into his robes before continuing slowly,
"And these types of monsters… have started to appear more frequently in recent years. Do you know what that means?"
"The great change the Slug Sage spoke of!"
Tsunade said gravely.
"Exactly. A great change."
Jiraiya's brows tightened into a knot.
"These past two years, while I was taking Sasuke around for training, we ran into creatures like this several times. The most dangerous encounter… we nearly lost our minds just by looking at one of them. If Sasuke hadn't snapped out of it in time and pulled me away, I'd probably be dead already."
"Even you…"
Tsunade's pupils contracted.
Jiraiya wasn't just any ninja—he could use Sage Mode.
And even he almost died just from a glance?
Just how terrifying were these monsters?
"And based on my investigations, the Aurora Order has an inexplicable connection to these creatures."
Jiraiya exhaled deeply and revealed his findings.
"Their doctrine claims that their 'Lord' will awaken from death and recreate the world. I suspect… the source of those monsters—and the changes happening across the shinobi world—are all orchestrated by the Aurora Order!"
"Speaking of the Aurora Order, that reminds me of something!"
Tsunade's expression suddenly shifted as she spoke quickly.
"An ANBU agent had infiltrated the Aurora Order. In the final message they sent back, they mentioned the term 'The Hanged Man Pathway.' Do you know what that means?"
"A Pathway."
Jiraiya's tone turned solemn.
"It's a completely different power system from the chakra-based one founded by the Sage of Six Paths."
"A different… power?!"
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
She was visibly shaken.
Jiraiya furrowed his brows tightly and said, "It seems to be related to those monsters. About this power, I don't know much, but what I am certain of is that whether it's the White Zetsu, the Aurora Order, or even Onoki from Iwagakure, all of them are connected to this power!"
"Jiraiya, what exactly is the future that the Great Toad Sage predicted?" Tsunade asked.
The Slug Sage hadn't revealed much to her, only mentioning the Child of the Prophecy and a huge change in the ninja world.
"The future the Great Toad Sage predicted," Jiraiya lowered his eyelids and spoke with a heavy tone, "is that the entire ninja world will face the 'End of an Era' — unless the Child of the Prophecy can be found."
Tsunade's mood, already heavy, grew even more burdened after hearing Jiraiya's words. It felt like a massive boulder weighing down on her heart.
"End of an Era… Child of the Prophecy," Tsunade weakly slumped into her chair, her gaze dim. "Is there really no other way to save the ninja world? Is there no other option?"
"How could it come to this?!" Shizune, unable to hold back any longer, finally spoke up, her face full of terror. "We… no, the ninja world, is going to be destroyed?!"
Anyone would feel the same. They had originally thought that the war sparked by Onoki was the worst bad news possible.
But it turned out, compared to what Jiraiya said, it was like a small flame next to a raging fire!
Ninja wars? Though shocking, there had been three major ones in history already. Even if many died, it was just a return to a Warring States period.
But Jiraiya's news was different.
The ninja world—or rather all of humanity—was going to be completely wiped out!
"I asked the Great Toad Sage the same question." Jiraiya sighed deeply and shook his head.
"But the Great Toad Sage's answer was, there is no other way. Even our efforts are nothing more than laughable, futile struggles. Whether the Child of the Prophecy exists, or whether they are willing to save the ninja world, all depends on the his single thought."
"If that's the case, then…" Shizune, listening nearby, was almost overwhelmed by despair. "Does that mean everything we've done is meaningless?"
Jiraiya remained silent.
Faced with Shizune's doubts, he felt powerless and didn't know how to respond.
In fact, he had asked the Great Toad Sage himself, but the answer was silence.
That ancient being from old times, who once guided the Six Paths Sage, chose silence when confronted with his question.
At that moment, Jiraiya understood.
Their choices didn't matter.
Not even finding the "Child of the Prophecy" had anything to do with their efforts.
Wasn't it ridiculous?
Whether they tried or not, they could not decide the fate of their world.
"It shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't be like this," Shizune murmured, looking lost, like a walking corpse.
"If that's the case, then why should we even try?"
Yeah, if the ending was already decided, then what was the point of trying?
It was completely meaningless.
"You're wrong, Shizune," Jiraiya said softly, sighing.
"No matter whether our efforts matter or not, we have to try. At least we must prove to fate that we tried. So even if we fail in the end, we can accept it without regret. That is my ninja way."
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