Splash!
A golden figure suddenly shot out from the turbulent sea surface. Perhaps it was a case of "first time unfamiliar, second time proficient." Climbing up from the seabed this time, he was no longer as battered as the first.
Tap, tap~
Standing on the sea surface, rising and falling with the waves, Naruto's figure blurred and vanished from the spot. Where the undercurrents converged, he hadn't dared to use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Looks like they've left." Standing outside the village, Naruto slowly took off his upper garment, letting it hang halfway down his waist, revealing his well-defined musculature—not as exaggerated as the Fourth Raikage's muscles, but still exuding a sense of power.
"Didn't you leave a Flying Thunder God formula on the Deva Path Pain?" Kurama asked.
"No need to use it for now. I want to see who's really pulling the strings behind Akatsuki." Sheathing Kusabimaru, Naruto shook his head slightly. His lengthy conversation with the Deva Path Pain earlier wasn't due to any lingering sentiments from the Dragon Vein incident. "The one wanting to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki is probably that guy."
Drip, drip~ Seawater dripped from the hem of his hanging clothes onto the ground.
"Mm." Kurama nodded slightly. "After the ruckus you caused, Akatsuki will probably lie low for a while. Where are you planning to go?"
"Where do you want to go?" Naruto smiled faintly.
"Tch, what do you mean, where do I want to go?" Kurama scoffed lightly. "How about the Land of Snow? I hear the snowscapes there are nice. The Land of Demons isn't bad either; I've never seen a real priestess..."
"Anywhere is fine."
Village Hidden in the Leaves, at the main gate.
Tsunade, accompanied by a group of Konoha's higher-ups, personally saw Kakashi and Jiraiya off, lining the path out of the village, showing the importance they placed on this Five Kage Summit. Even Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had no objections to Tsunade's proposal to hold a Five Kage Summit. In their view, being able to emulate the First Hokage in convening a Five Kage Summit was a symbol of a prosperous era, an honor, and a form of recognition. It demonstrated that under their governance, Konoha was thriving and everything was heading in a positive direction.
"I'm counting on you both." Tsunade removed her Hokage Hat and said to the two men.
"Please rest assured, Fifth Hokage," Kakashi nodded slightly.
"Still don't trust me?" Jiraiya laughed heartily.
It's precisely because it's you that I don't trust you... Tsunade grumbled inwardly, but she understood the significance of the current occasion, so she kept this complaint to herself. "Set out," she said.
Poof!
The moment her words fell, Jiraiya vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"Is that... the Summoning Technique?" Koharu Utatane frowned slightly.
"You go on ahead. Jiraiya will catch up later," Tsunade said to Kakashi. As one of the Sannin, she knew Jiraiya's relationship with Mount Myoboku better than any of the Konoha higher-ups present. It could be said that without Mount Myoboku, there would be no Jiraiya today. But this was also what puzzled her. In all their years together, this was the first time she had seen a toad from Mount Myoboku summon Jiraiya.
Did something happen? Tsunade gazed at the distant sky. For some reason, a sense of foreboding gnawed at her.
Mount Myoboku.
Amidst the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, a scene completely different from the Five Great Nations.
Poof!
Jiraiya stared at his surroundings, completely bewildered. Although he had been here many times, the last time it was this sudden... he remembered it was the last time.
"Yo, Little Jiraiya!" On the ground before him was a small green toad with a white beard and eyebrows.
"Chief, what's up?" Jiraiya looked at him and asked, scratching his head.
"The Great Toad Sage has a prophecy concerning you," Elder Fukasaku said, hopping into the distance to lead the way.
"Another prophecy?" Jiraiya was taken aback. When he was twenty, he had received a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage. His travels over the years had been to search for the Child of Prophecy whom the Great Toad Sage had said would bring unprecedented change to the shinobi world.
"I've brought him," Elder Fukasaku announced.
Looking at the Great Toad Sage on the high platform, most of whose body was submerged in a bathtub, Jiraiya greeted him: "Great Toad Sage, I'm here!"
The Great Toad Sage was entirely orange, with yellow eyes. Around his neck, he wore a string of prayer beads, with a light purple cat's eye stone embedded in the center. The stone had the character for 'Oil' written on it.
The Great Toad Sage slowly opened his sleepy eyes, looked at the two below, and said languidly, "I called you here, not for any other reason... Hmm... Who are you again?"
Jiraiya: "..."
Does he have to pull this gag every time? Is it amusing? Elder Fukasaku couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
"Great Toad Sage, it's me, Jiraiya! Didn't you say you had a prophecy for me?" Jiraiya said, exasperated. It was like this last time, and it's like this again.
"Oh, it's Jiraiya..." The Great Toad Sage nodded in sudden realization. "I have seen your prophecy. Soon, you will meet a princess with the Byakugan..."
"Byakugan?" Jiraiya's heart stirred. The scope of this prophecy was much smaller than the last one.
"Through the Byakugan princess, you will meet a person who wears a long sword at their waist... You will have an exchange, and at that time, you will face a choice;"
A long sword at their waist? Could it be a samurai? Jiraiya mulled over his words.
"Your choice will determine the future course of the shinobi world..."
Determine the future of the shinobi world again? Jiraiya's pupils contracted. He couldn't help but ask, "Great Toad Sage, can you tell me more?" What right did he have to decide the future of the shinobi world? He was just a good-for-nothing ninja...
"Snore..." A snore emanated from the Great Toad Sage, who had closed his eyes at some unknown point.
"..." Jiraiya sighed helplessly. Again with this.
"Jiraiya-boy, there's no need to rush things. Just focus on what's in front of you," Elder Fukasaku said, understanding his pressure, and patted his calf comfortingly.
"I understand, Chief." Jiraiya quickly readjusted his composure. Perhaps I've already decided the future of the shinobi world once in these past years... He mocked himself inwardly.
"Want to stay for a bit? Ma's always talking about you," Elder Fukasaku asked as they left the Great Toad Sage's residence.
"Can't. I still have to go to the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning."
"Oh? What's happened?"
"The village wants to reconvene the Five Kage Summit," Jiraiya said. "I'm in charge of notifying Kumogakure and Kirigakure."
"Something like this shouldn't fall to you, should it?" Elder Fukasaku asked doubtfully. Konoha was, after all, the number one village in the shinobi world. Surely they weren't so desperate they couldn't find an envoy?
"The transition between Kirigakure's Fourth and Fifth Mizukage seems a bit off. I'll check it out while I'm there," Jiraiya explained.
"Then be careful." Elder Fukasaku didn't ask further. The Three Great Sage Grounds had endured for so many years; they had their own unique ways of survival.
Poof!
Jiraiya turned into a puff of white smoke and returned to Konoha.
The Great Toad Sage, soaking in his bathtub, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, reaching towards an increasingly blurry future...