"Boss, Big Sister, why have you never mentioned this before?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
He was well aware of the nature and significance of the Great Toad Sage's prophecies. In fact, his own journey through the shinobi world—partly chasing Orochimaru's traces—had been driven by those very predictions.
He had long been seeking the prophesied "Child of Destiny." First, he had believed it was Nagato, but intelligence reports claimed Nagato had perished. Then he thought it might be Minato, the Fourth Hokage, but he too had died. So, who was it now?
The prophecy spoke of someone who would bring a monumental shift to the world. Jiraiya still hadn't deciphered it completely. But now, for the Great Toad Sage to request to meet Kakashi—this was truly surprising.
Could Kakashi somehow be tied to this supposed shift?
"Little Jiraiya, we only learned of this three years ago," Fukasaku replied. "You haven't returned to Mount Myōboku in some time, so naturally, you wouldn't have heard."
Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly. It was true—he hadn't visited Mount Myōboku in years.
"That's fair enough. Hahaha..." he laughed awkwardly.
Ignoring Jiraiya's antics, Fukasaku turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, was it?"
Kakashi immediately straightened and replied, "Yes, Elder Fukasaku."
"The curse mark on your neck is indeed derived from the senjutsu chakra of Ryūchi Cave. It's embedded deeply into your body and cannot be removed easily by outside force—unless, perhaps, one uses the fabled Totsuka Blade to seal it away entirely."
"Totsuka Blade? Is there another option?" Kakashi asked, troubled.
He had no idea where the Totsuka Blade could be found. In the manga, it had been in Itachi's possession, but at this point in time, there was no indication of where Itachi had obtained it. Counting on such an item was unreliable.
"There is another path," Fukasaku said. "Learn senjutsu yourself. Once you master Sage Mode, the curse mark will no longer be able to erode your body. Its influence will become negligible."
"Sage Mode?" Kakashi's eyes lit up.
He had long hoped to learn sage techniques. He'd recognized their immense power from the moment he arrived in this world. After all, Sage Mode was among the rarest and highest forms of chakra manipulation.
In the original storyline, only those with mastery over sage chakra—like Naruto and Hashirama—could stand against threats like the Six Paths–empowered Madara and Obito. If he could attain such power, Kakashi's strength would skyrocket.
"Yes, senjutsu. But here's the problem," Fukasaku said, "You're not under contract with the toads. I can't make the decision to teach you our techniques. I'll have to consult with the Great Toad Sage himself."
"Couldn't Kakashi just sign the toad summoning contract now?" Jiraiya asked.
Fukasaku examined Kakashi carefully. "No... he already holds two separate blood contracts. One of them is with a very powerful summoning race. Our toads can't share a summoner who is already bound to a rival clan."
"I see..." Jiraiya muttered, slightly surprised.
He hadn't known Kakashi had formed another summoning contract—especially with a race powerful enough for even Mount Myōboku to acknowledge. But he didn't press further. In the shinobi world, keeping summoning secrets was a matter of principle—even among trusted comrades.
"Alright then," said Fukasaku. "Shima and I will return now and speak with the Great Toad Sage. We'll return with an answer."
With that, the elder toads vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Kakashi, don't worry," Jiraiya said with a smile. "Since the Great Toad Sage foresaw something in you, he'll surely allow you to learn sage techniques. Once you've mastered them, that curse mark won't trouble you anymore."
"Understood. Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."
"There's no need to thank me," Jiraiya replied, grinning. "You're Minato's student—like family to me. Anyway, that's all for now. I'm off to gather some... research material."
He gave a lecherous grin, eyes sparkling.
Kakashi sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused. Jiraiya truly hadn't changed.
"Safe travels, Master Jiraiya."
Just as he was turning to leave, Jiraiya paused, pulled a small book from his pouch, and turned back.
"Oh, right! Your eighteenth birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?" He held out the book with a smirk. "Here—Icha Icha Paradise. Took me years of field research to write this masterpiece. Study it carefully. It's a favorite among real men! Hahaha!"
Before Kakashi could respond, Jiraiya vanished in a swirl of dust and leaves.
Kakashi stood still, staring at the book in his hands.
Was this... the legendary banned novel—Icha Icha Paradise?
The cover gleamed faintly in the sun. Kakashi's fingers trembled. His curiosity surged.
His hand opened the cover almost involuntarily. A soft glow seemed to shimmer from the pages.
His Sharingan widened slightly, entranced by the prose before him.
This was...
This was…
Brilliant.
Kakashi stood rooted to the spot, flipping through the book page by page, completely absorbed.
It wasn't long before he'd finished the entire, relatively thin volume. A satisfied grin stretched across his face as he closed it.
Only a man like Jiraiya—who roamed endlessly and gathered "experience" with great effort—could write something so... exquisite.
He slid the book into his pouch, where he could access it easily at any time. This kind of literary treasure deserved protection. And rereading.
No wonder the Kakashi in the original world was obsessed with this book.
But "Icha Icha Paradise" was just a brief detour.
Kakashi quickly returned to his meditative training. Now that Mount Myōboku was involved, he had hope for resolving the curse mark. The question was whether the Great Toad Sage would approve teaching him sage techniques.
Still, Jiraiya had been right—if there was a prophecy involving him, the Great Toad Sage wouldn't ignore it.
Therefore, learning senjutsu seemed likely.
Fukasaku had surely sensed that too—but still, formal protocol needed to be followed.
What intrigued Kakashi now was the nature of the prophecy.
In the original timeline, the Great Toad Sage never mentioned him. But according to Fukasaku, the prophecy came three years ago—right when Kakashi had merged with his past self from another world.
So... had his arrival changed this world?
Had the flap of one butterfly's wings already reshaped destiny?
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