Chapter 96

"You being able to arrive at Mount Myoboku is proof that you have been chosen as the child of destiny!" Fukasaku declared firmly.

Jiraiya was stunned, his mouth agape in disbelief.

He asked, "So, what is the prophecy you have for me?"

Fukasaku shook his head and replied, "I don't know. But you can train here while waiting for the Great Sage's prophecy."

Jiraiya blinked, a bit confused, but then a smile slowly spread across his face.

A chosen one, huh? Training here and getting stronger... that actually sounds pretty good!

…

Back in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a troubled expression, filled with guilt.

If it weren't for him pushing Jiraiya, none of this would have happened.

Now, Jiraiya had vanished, and he had no way to even begin searching for him. He felt utterly helpless.

"Don't worry, Sarutobi-sensei, Jiraiya has always been lucky. I'm sure he'll come back safe this time as well," Hui comforted him, though he couldn't shake his own concern.

He wasn't entirely sure if, due to his own presence in this world, Jiraiya would still end up at Mount Myoboku.

If not...

"Yes, Sarutobi-sensei, Jiraiya may seem reckless, but he'll be fine," Tsunade added, trying to reassure him.

"It's all my fault," Sarutobi sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have taught him the Summoning Jutsu without a proper contract in place."

Hui wasn't sure what to say.

In truth, he also felt a bit guilty. He knew that something like this might happen, but he hadn't warned anyone in advance.

However, Hui had been conflicted. If he had told Jiraiya about it, would Jiraiya have continued being lazy for the rest of his life?

After all, Jiraiya's pivotal moment was when he arrived at Mount Myoboku!

"How about this," Hui suggested after thinking for a moment. "If Jiraiya doesn't return within three days, I'll start searching the locations where summoning creatures live. We'll find him eventually."

In reality, they wouldn't have to wait long. If Jiraiya truly went to Mount Myoboku and things unfolded like in the original story, he would soon return to Konoha after forming a contract with the toads.

"No, this was my mistake," Sarutobi Hiruzen said decisively. "If anyone's going to search for him, it should be me."

But by the afternoon, Jiraiya had returned on his own.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, thankful that nothing had gone wrong.

Before Jiraiya could even brag about his experience, Sarutobi gave him a stern scolding.

Hui, pretending to be angry as well, watched as Jiraiya squirmed with guilt.

After the scolding subsided, Sarutobi finally asked Jiraiya what had happened.

Jiraiya, now excited, eagerly began to recount his adventure, embellishing every detail.

He bragged about how amazing and powerful Mount Myoboku was, even claiming that the legendary Sage of Six Paths had trained in its techniques. He declared that Mount Myoboku was the greatest of the three summoning realms.

Jiraiya also portrayed himself as a "child of prophecy," destined to be the strongest shinobi and the future hero of the ninja world.

His exaggerated storytelling earned him skeptical looks from everyone else. Hui and the others exchanged glances, silently agreeing that they didn't believe a word of it.

"Come on, everything I said is true!" Jiraiya shouted, his frustration clear as a black line formed on his forehead.

"Alright, alright, we believe you," Hui replied quickly, attempting to placate him.

However, the half-hearted assurance only deepened Jiraiya's frustration.

"Ugh! Damn it!" he shouted, but his outburst only earned him more laughter from the group.

Regardless, Jiraiya's life had finally "gotten back on track." He was now set on the path that would one day make him one of the great legends of the ninja world.

In the following days, everything started to return to normal. Konoha and the entire ninja world entered a period of calm development.

Hui resumed his duties as the relatively idle vice-captain of the Anbu, spending most of his time training with Tsunade.

Jiraiya continued to travel between Mount Myoboku and Konoha, steadily improving his abilities.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, seemed more mysterious by the day, constantly learning new techniques with a determination to master every jutsu.

At this point, Orochimaru hadn't yet strayed down the dark path he would one day follow. The key events that would shape his future had yet to occur.

Specifically, two major tragedies—his parents' deaths and, even more critically, the death of Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki—had not yet happened.

[tl/n: I think there was a mention of his parents dying in the first war?]

These events would make Orochimaru painfully aware of the fragility of life, pushing him toward forbidden research in a desperate attempt to conquer death.

Nawaki's death in particular had a profound effect. Even after Orochimaru had grown powerful, he couldn't prevent Nawaki's death, which occurred right under his nose. This was something Orochimaru found difficult to accept.

Unable to cope with the frailty of human life and the inevitability of death, Orochimaru changed.

 He grew cold and callous, obsessed with the idea of immortality and transcending human limitations.

Hui knew all of this and had no intention of letting Orochimaru walk that path. He planned to alter Orochimaru's fate, allowing him to shine in a role more fitting of his brilliance.

But for now, there was no need to rush.

Hui was subtly influencing Orochimaru, planting seeds of different ideas without drastically altering his course.

At this moment, Orochimaru wasn't yet someone in need of intervention.

Time passed peacefully, and before long, three years had gone by.

During these three years, Konoha had developed rapidly, and the village was constantly changing.

In this time, several significant individuals who would shape the future of the ninja world were born.

Among them were Minato Namikaze, Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka...

There were also Uzumaki Nagato and Uzumaki Kushina...

This was the 25th year since the founding of Konoha, and Hui was now fifteen years old.

One day, he suddenly received a new mission—one that involved a small country known as the Land of Whirlpools.

The rulers of this land were the Uzumaki Clan.

Though the Land of Whirlpools had survived the last great conflict, it now seemed to be facing new trouble.

When Hui saw the details of the mission, his eyes gleamed.

If his memory served him correctly, the Land of Whirlpools would be destroyed around this time.

This mission would likely lead him to witness yet another bloodbath, perhaps even involving several famous shinobi.

Undoubtedly, it would be a mission drenched in blood and filled with death.

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