Chapter 190: The Great Toad Immortal's Prophecy
"Have you heard? The Hidden Rain Village was destroyed!"
"...Yeah, I heard about it last night. Even if it's a dispute over interests, innocent people shouldn't be dragged into it."
"I heard the attacker was a very young boy—didn't seem to belong to any known faction."
"Is this going to start another war?"
"Don't worry. The Land of Fire isn't like the Land of Rain. At least... not in the short term."
...
On the streets of Konoha Village, passersby whispered among themselves, discussing the tragedy with hushed urgency.
Some wore solemn expressions, their eyes clouded with unease, anticipating what might come next.
Others looked regretful, as though mourning the death of a rabbit—sympathetic, but distant.
This incident was more than a local skirmish. It had the potential to reshape the entire ninja world. The last time casualties of this scale occurred was during the destruction of the Land of Fire's former ally—the Land of Whirlpool
It was clear that the annihilation of the Hidden Rain Village would dominate political discourse in not just the Land of Fire, but across all nations.
A few days after Ryosuke returned to the village,
the news had already spread throughout the ninja world.
With the Hidden Rain Village destroyed, their intelligence network collapsed like a fragile sheet of paper—burned to ash and carried across nations by merchants and wanderers.
In no time at all,
a massive stone had struck the surface of the already rippling lake that was the ninja realm, sending waves far and wide.
Ambitious small nations, no longer content with their limited territories, began eyeing the Rain Country like a piece of ripe meat ready to be carved.
And the great nations?
They would never pass up the opportunity to seize such fertile ground.
Though the Land of Rain was only a small-to-medium-sized developing nation, it had once birthed a legendary ninja—Hanzo the Salamander—revered as a demigod.
Even though Hanzo had passed, the legacy he left behind kept the Land of Rain in the crosshairs of ambitious nations.
In the eyes of the major powers, it remained a potential threat.
And where there's threat, there's interest.
The Land of Rain infrastructure—its economy, systems, and governance—surpassed the average small nation by far. Land size was secondary.
Now, stripped of its hidden village's protection, the Land of Rain was exposed—vulnerable. Any opportunist strong enough to move in could easily reap the rewards.
If no one strong enough rose to consolidate its remaining power, the Land of Rain was likely to vanish into history, devoured by jackals, just like the Land of Whirlpool once was.
This was the grim reality understood by those who kept a pulse on the world's shifting tides.
---
"It matches the report from the Hyuga Clan Leader," a voice echoed in the Hokage Building. "The Hidden Rain Village suffered a catastrophic war, something beyond imagination. The devastation stretched across the entire village and even into nearby cities."
"But… there's no intel on the identity of the invaders. The details of the battle are completely unknown."
Inside the Hokage's office, Jiraiya—the Fifth Hokage—sat at the head of the room. To his left and right were Tsunade, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Enma, the village's three senior advisors.
Further down sat the leaders of each clan.
Among them, Nara Shikaku sat nearest the advisors, equal in rank to Mitokado Enma. Beside him was Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan.
Shikaku wasn't just a clan head; he often served as Konoha's chief strategist. Had the advisory positions not been fully occupied, he would've already taken up the role.
"Of course there's no intel," Hiashi said, placing his hands calmly on the table, his tone flat. "No one would expect the person who destroyed the Hidden Rain Village and carried the weight of such a sin to be its own leader."
"Only by making the world feel pain—by experiencing pain themselves—can they believe peace can be achieved. A village ruled by such ideals… may never have been safe."
"They might've just been lunatics. If any remnants remain, they could still be a threat to Konoha."
"Indeed..." Mitokado Enma's face was grave. "It's difficult to believe that someone who inherited the power of the Sage of Six Paths would act like a madman."
"It's the truth," Hiashi replied firmly, offering no further explanation.
He wasn't sure whether Enma's words reflected his own doubts or if he was simply voicing what Jiraiya couldn't.
After all, Hokage advisors often acted as the Hokage's mouthpiece—saying what the leader couldn't directly express. It had been that way since Sarutobi Hiruzen's era.
Enma narrowed his eyes, clearly wanting to retort, but before he could speak—
"We still need clarity, regardless," Shikaku cut in at the perfect moment.
Enma, mid-breath, paused, shooting Shikaku a glance before choosing to remain silent.
"Perhaps..." Shikaku continued, turning toward the Hokage, "I'd like to suggest that Hyuga Ryosuke be allowed to attend the next meeting. As the individual directly involved, it would help us ensure no important detail is overlooked."
It was a reasonable request.
"I don't agree," Utatane Koharu immediately objected. "Though Hyuga Ryosuke's contributions, status, and fame in the village are not low, rules are still rules. Without rules, there's no order."
"This meeting is for clan leaders only. Since Ryosuke is not a clan head, he cannot attend."
"This matter should be decided by Hokage-sama," Shikaku said lightly, turning back to Jiraiya without missing a beat.
All eyes turned toward the Hokage.
Jiraiya, caught between the opposing views, didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked to Hiashi.
"This situation involves sensitive matters," he said. "I believe we should first hear Ryosuke's opinion. If he's willing to share his knowledge, allowing him to attend may be the best course."
"...Then this meeting is adjourned?"
Hiashi responded calmly, "I'll ask Ryosuke myself when I get home."
In the past, Hiashi would've hesitated to speak so assertively.
But now…
The times had changed.
In this new era of the ninja world, if the Hyuga clan lost Ryosuke, they'd remain a mid-tier power—respected, but replaceable.
But with Ryosuke?
The Hyuga stood at the top—unshakable, the most powerful family in the entire shinobi world.
Since he came from the most powerful clan, it was only natural he wouldn't act humbly—especially when his reputation was on the line.
Being labeled the butcher of a village—even if everyone slain belonged to an enemy village—would still be disastrous for Ryosuke. After all, among the dead were unarmed civilians.
"Then let's end it here for now."
Jiraiya, clearly growing impatient with the direction of the meeting, glanced around at the group—each lost in their own thoughts—and seized the chance to wrap it up.
Just like that, a meeting as important as the one concerning the destruction of Hidden Rain Village came to an abrupt close.
Many high-level meetings ended this way. Reaching a conclusion in one go was impossible. There would always be finger-pointing, infighting, veiled accusations, and quiet grabs for power.
Seeing that Jiraiya had proposed to adjourn, no one objected. One by one, the clan heads stood up and left.
When they were gone, only Jiraiya and a few senior advisors remained in the Hokage's office.
"What's that boy Shikaku playing at?" muttered Utatane Koharu, just as the last of the Inuzuka elders closed the door behind him.
"And you too, Jiraiya."
She shot a glare at Jiraiya, who was already sighing. "Do you realize what it means for someone to single-handedly wipe out Hidden Rain Village? That boy's strength has already surpassed what any ordinary shinobi—or even the village—can control."
"If he shows up at one of these meetings and starts interfering, are we supposed to listen to him or not?"
Her expression darkened. "If we give in to his strength and start bending to his opinions, then who's really running Konoha? Will anyone still care about you, the Fifth Hokage?"
"And if we don't listen, and the Hyuga clan attacks us? Konoha might not survive such a confrontation."
They had once believed the Uchiha were the greatest threat in Konoha—that by eliminating them, peace and unity would follow.
But hidden beneath that struggle had been another clan, biding its time until their king matured. In hindsight, the question of whether Hyuga or Uchiha was Konoha's top clan had already been answered.
One remained, growing stronger and more dangerous with each passing day.
The other was a memory—reduced to a few scattered survivors.
"And you, old man," Koharu turned her fury on Mitokado Enma, "why do you keep targeting the Hyuga? That smug sarcasm of yours—do you really think they're still the same clan as before?"
"You're too old. You don't see things clearly anymore."
Her anger poured out like a rapid-fire jutsu, words snapping like kunai as she berated him.
Jiraiya didn't bother responding. He just scratched his head and turned back to the stack of paperwork.
Tsunade stood by the window, silent, watching the people moving about below.
"Did I target them? Or am I just being honest?" Mitokado Enma grumbled, his tone defensive. "We're supposed to take everything the Hyuga say at face value?"
Koharu scoffed. "Even if Hyuga Ryosuke really did kill those people—what's the point of proving it? Do you want to push him so far he ends up like Hatake Sakumo, crushed by guilt?"
Homura Mitokado opened his mouth slightly, startled, but then fell silent again.
"You're insane," Koharu muttered, her eyes narrowing. "Are you seriously trying to recreate what happened to Sakumo? Without even consulting me?"
"Sakumo abandoned his mission, causing delays that led to thousands of casualties. He knew he was guilty."
"And that guilt killed him."
"But you think Ryosuke would react the same way? That he'd take his own life if he were confronted with judgment?" She laughed coldly. "Dream on. Someone capable of something like that wouldn't be driven by guilt—they'd be possessed by a demon."
"Someone like that wouldn't care what people said. Forget it."
…
The two elders bickered like children, but beneath their words ran layers of manipulation and scheming.
All the while, Jiraiya and Tsunade stayed out of it—each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Realizing they were getting nowhere and that neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya would join their side, Koharu and Homura stormed out, continuing their argument elsewhere.
Suddenly, silence fell.
Only Jiraiya and Tsunade remained in the Hokage's office.
The quiet was broken only by the rustle of pen against paper.
"What do you think?" Jiraiya eventually asked, still focused on his paperwork.
"That's disgusting," Tsunade muttered, her eyes still on the village below.
She hadn't stayed among the Hokage's upper echelons for political power or clan squabbles. She was here for the people—for their protection, in case another invasion happened.
"I'm not talking about those two," Jiraiya said, finally lifting his head. "I mean Ryosuke. What he said might actually be true."
Tsunade turned, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember when you, Orochimaru, and I went to Hidden Rain Village on that mission years ago?" Jiraiya asked. "I stayed behind for a while after you two left. Took on three… registered disciples."
Tsunade's frown deepened. "Don't tell me one of them is the guy Ryosuke mentioned—the one with the Rinnegan?"
Jiraiya scratched his head in embarrassment. "Unfortunately… yes."
"The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku once prophesied that one of my future students would be the Child of Destiny—someone who would bring peace to the ninja world."
"So when I met Nagato, I thought… he might be the one."
"That's why I stayed in the Land of Rain a while longer. I tried to teach him to control his powers."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you bring him back to Konoha? Are you sure he's the one the prophecy meant? Bringing peace to the world… by making people feel pain?"
She'd heard of the Great Toad Sage, of course—just like she knew about the Slug Sage.
But this… this path toward peace seemed too twisted.
"It was just a prophecy," Jiraiya said with a shrug. "Prophecies are vague. Open to interpretation. They're not always right."
"I didn't bring them back because… I thought he needed to walk his own path. If I interfered, it might distort whatever fate he was supposed to fulfill."
Tsunade's expression darkened. "Then maybe… the prophecy wasn't asking you to avoid interfering."
"Maybe it wanted you to guide him. To lead him down the right path."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were thinking the same thing.
That perhaps, somewhere along the way, the Child of Destiny had lost his way.
And maybe, just maybe, if Jiraiya had brought them home to Konoha—kept guiding them—things wouldn't have turned out like this.
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