Jiraiya’s Plan

When the Toad Sage revealed that Naruto was the child of Namikaze Minato, Shima Senjin and Shinnō's demeanor shifted suddenly.

"Oh, Minato's kid, he's a friend of our family's Wentai. They've collaborated countless times, the best of partners," Shima Senjin remarked.

"Indeed, Wentai's temper has been getting out of hand lately. Even Jiraiya treads carefully around him. But Minato was the only friend Wentai truly respected," Shima added with a hint of regret.

"It's a shame Minato passed away so young. That blasted Nine Tails is to blame for it all," they lamented.

As the conversation turned to the Nine Tails, Kurama squirmed uncomfortably, feeling a pang of guilt.

Yet, Naruto's expression softened considerably. He recalled how Minato had been able to handle the troublesome "child" Toad Sage with ease, a feat even Jiraiya couldn't accomplish. During the chaos of the Nine Tails incident, Minato's friend Wentai had lent a hand in containing Kurama.

With this realization, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. He no longer entertained the dangerous notion of destroying the toads of Mount Myōboku.

In the words of the Toad Sages, he gleaned insights into Namikaze Minato, piecing together a clearer picture of his father.

For instance, Namikaze Minato also trained in Sage Mode at Mount Myoboku. Later, the two Toad Sages considered collaborating with Minato to help him master Sage Mode and harness its chakra extraction abilities.

However, the major drawback of Sage Mode is its high chakra consumption, making it unsuitable for ninjas with limited chakra reserves. Minato faced this issue as well. Despite dedicating considerable time to chakra extraction, he found Sage Mode impractical due to the rapid depletion of his chakra reserves.

Unfortunately, before they could finalize their collaboration, Minato was appointed as the Fourth Hokage, leaving him with little time for further training, leading to his untimely demise.

This realization left the Toad Sages feeling nostalgic and wistful.

Naruto respected the Toad Sages' memories of his father and refrained from interrupting their recollections. But as another figure entered the scene, their reminiscing came to an end.

The newcomer was Jiraiya, the one who had manipulated Naruto's actions.

"Jiraiya, you really had the nerve to do this," Naruto snapped, omitting any honorifics and addressing Jiraiya by his first name.

Naruto felt a pang of shame for falling victim to Jiraiya's deception. He had been caught off guard, something that rarely happened to him, especially when facing the likes of Anbu, Root, Akatsuki, or even the Hokage. He had always exuded confidence, relying on his plot armor or strength to maintain the upper hand.

But Jiraiya, with his seemingly innocuous appearance, had outsmarted him.

Despite his frustration, Naruto still harbored a sense of trust towards Jiraiya, considering him one of the few individuals he could rely on.

His anger simmered as he wondered why Jiraiya had been summoned when he was promised the key.

Ignoring Naruto's glare, Jiraiya turned to the Toad Sage with a stern expression. "Master Toad Sage, have you confirmed this child? Is he the prophesied son?"

The Toad Sage responded cryptically, "Yes and no."

Angrily, Jiraiya pressed, "Which is it?"

Naruto interjected, "Are you playing word games now?"

Unexpectedly, the Toad Sage clarified, "Jiraiya, prophecy merely serves as guidance and isn't always clear-cut. Even I can only glimpse fragments like dreams and can't definitively predict the future. Moreover, even if I could foresee the future, who's to say it's set in stone?"

It was a classic paradox. If you could foresee and alter the future, how could you have foreseen it in the first place?

To simplify, imagine foreseeing yourself falling in the future, only to avoid it upon knowing. But if you never fall in the future, why did you foresee it in the first place?

Such matters concerning time were perpetually enigmatic and intriguing.

But one thing the Toad Sage affirmed without hesitation: "This child will not bring about the destruction of the Shinobi world. You can trust him to be a beacon of hope for peace."

"Heh, are you so sure? What if I'm the ultimate villain?" Naruto sneered, deliberately provoking.

But the Toad Sage calmly asked, "Who are you, really?"

"Damn it," Naruto exploded. This old sage was relentless in his facade of ignorance, and now he understood why Shima Senjin had been so brusque.

Even Jiraiya was at a loss for words. Sensing the Toad Sage's gaze shifting towards him, he swiftly redirected his attention to Naruto.

It was then that he voiced his concerns to Naruto:

"What's your game, Naruto? Even I can't discern your true intentions or plans. The Hokage has launched an investigation suspecting you as the enigmatic figure A Fei, founder of the Akatsuki organization. Akatsuki is a dangerous faction of S-rank renegades, rumored to have captured the Three Tails Jinchūriki. What's your move?"

Jiraiya laid out all his apprehensions in one breath.

It dawned on Naruto why Jiraiya had brought him to Mount Myoboku this time. Only with the Toad Sage's validation would he dare hand over the key.

Because it was the Toad Sage who had guided Jiraiya on this path.

The Great Toad Sage had prophesied for him: Jiraiya would grow into a formidable ninja and eventually take on disciples. Furthermore, these disciples would bring about significant changes to the world, whether for stability or destruction.

Hence, Jiraiya's scheme.

But Naruto chose silence. He wouldn't divulge anything, not to Jiraiya, not to the Hokage, not even to Konoha Village.

So he sidestepped Jiraiya's interrogation and stated coldly, "Hand over the key to our faction."

Jiraiya gazed at Naruto intently, contemplating another question for the Toad Sage. Yet, before he could speak, the sage interjected, "Who are you?"

"Shut it, already," Jiraiya cut in, realizing the old toad was of no use anymore.

"Very well, I'll give you the key."

"I know you're eager to forge a contract with Mount Myoboku to obtain the key. However, your father entrusted it to me for safekeeping. Before I hand it over to you, I must ascertain your intentions and future," the Toad Sage explained.

....

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