After waking up, nothing happened.
At the side, Nanashi was already awake, standing at the entrance of the pit where she had once been sealed, staring at something unknown.
Takeshi stretched lazily, looking as if he had nothing to do, but in his heart, he was calculating how to deal with this person in front of him.
Leaving her alone was definitely not an option, but bringing her back to Konoha—she didn't seem to have that intention either.
"Um..."
Before Takeshi could think of how to open his mouth, Nanashi spoke first:
"Could you... take me to see that so-called Konoha?"
Her voice was soft, as though afraid that Takeshi would refuse her.
"Well, it might be a little troublesome, but... it's not impossible."
On the surface, Takeshi appeared hesitant, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
Like rain falling just when the crops need it—he had been fretting over what excuse to use to persuade her, but he didn't even need to say anything. She had offered it herself.
Takeshi believed that once they reached Konoha, everything would fall into place.
Even if she harbored some kind of ill intent, he had Fugaku and Obito as his two "Gundams" ready to act as enforcers.
"Sorry for troubling you."
Seeing Takeshi's conflicted look, Nanashi politely apologized.
"It's nothing, as long as you remember our agreement. But before we head to Konoha..."
Takeshi looked her up and down in front of her, his gaze pausing on her bare feet, before letting out a helpless sigh.
"At least tidy yourself up a bit first."
The way she looked now, anyone would think he had picked her up out of some garbage heap.
Not much better than Haku back in the Land of Water.
...
Within the Land of Hot Water.
As usual, Jiraiya was searching for the Child of Prophecy under the pretext of "gathering material." He had just taken out his telescope when the scene before him changed—the voluptuous lady suddenly turned into a clothed toad.
"Eh? Boss lady? Old man?"
Regretfully putting his telescope back into his robe, Jiraiya, though disappointed, forced a smile and greeted the two Great Toad Sages.
"It's been a while. You never bother coming to Mount Myōboku yourself."
Shima placed a dish she was holding right in front of him with a snort.
Seeing the fat worms still wriggling inside the dish, Jiraiya swallowed hard, edging the "delicacy" quietly away.
"The old geezer has come up with a new prophecy again, so we were told to bring you here. After you eat, we'll go see him."
"How can you call the Great Toad Sage an old geezer?"
Fukasaku immediately scolded her.
"Hah? Isn't he an old geezer? He probably can't even remember his own name anymore."
"Alright, alright, Sages—since the Great Toad Sage has a prophecy, let's skip the meal and go see him right away."
Seeing the two about to argue, Jiraiya hurriedly smoothed things over, while also expressing his eagerness to hear the prophecy.
In the end, with Shima grumbling, Jiraiya managed to avoid the ordeal of eating worms and came before the Great Toad Sage.
"Oh, you are... who were you again?"
The Great Toad Sage, just like when Jiraiya had first met him, sat atop his dais, eyes closed, aged and feeble—unsurprisingly forgetting Jiraiya's name.
"It's Jiraiya, Great Sage," Fukasaku quickly whispered.
"Oh, Jiraiya, yes. And, uh... who are you again?"
Jiraiya: "..."
"Ahaha, as you just heard—the prophecy has changed."
The Great Toad Sage never did call his name right, but Jiraiya had long grown used to it. He suppressed the urge to complain and listened carefully.
"The future of the ninja world is shrouded in mist. The Child of Prophecy has vanished. Your mission is over. From here on, you may live as you wish."
The Sage's words not only shocked Jiraiya but also left the two other sages stunned.
What did that mean? That all his efforts over the years were for nothing?
Jiraiya couldn't accept it.
He had dedicated himself to changing the shinobi world, searching tirelessly for this Child of Prophecy—only to be told it was all gone?
And what did it mean that the future was shrouded in mist? What was the world supposed to become?!
To all of Jiraiya's questions, the Great Toad Sage had no answers. In his dreams, the visions had simply been that way.
"In short... take it one step at a time."
The Sage, clearly exhausted, fell silent after saying this.
With a heavy expression, Jiraiya bid the sages farewell, refusing their invitation to stay for a meal, and returned to his "research" spot.
But staring at the women still playing in the hot springs, he no longer had any worldly desires—only a crushing sense of failure.
"So in the end, was everything meaningless?"
Sitting cross-legged, he reflected on his life so far, realizing he had accomplished nothing great—leaving almost no mark on the shinobi world.
"Perhaps the final chapter of the Snow Woman should also be completed in Konoha."
Looking up at the sky, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and made his decision.
"Maybe... maybe Tsunade could accept my confession now, hahaha..."
With a self-mocking laugh, Jiraiya brushed the dust from his clothes and turned back toward Konoha.
...
Meanwhile, in Konoha.
Itachi stared resentfully at the Takeshi shadow clone lounging in a chair, slacking off, while he himself slogged through a pile of documents nearly as tall as he was.
At his side, Shisui calmly discussed a new list with Yamato.
The compromise with the Hyūga clan had avoided a major purge, all responsibility being dumped onto Hyūga Isamu alone. He was now in the Internal Affairs prison awaiting final judgment.
Thus, all the Hyūga clan names were crossed off the list. The new targets would be chosen from the hardliners of the Sarutobi clan.
"Sensei, I've drafted the work plan for cracking down on gambling, drugs, and prostitution. You can sign it now."
Glancing enviously at Shisui and Yamato, who only needed to deal with Konoha's external enemies, Itachi handed his report to Takeshi's shadow clone for signing.
"Let me see... hmm. 'Make Icha Icha Paradise, Snow Woman's Tale, and similar works restricted. Prohibit sale to underage shinobi...' Good. Prepare two copies of this report—one for Internal Affairs, one for the Police Force. Have them strictly investigate these books."
With a flourish, Takeshi signed his name.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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