Mount Myōboku? The land of sages? Jiraiya was completely bewildered. In his estimation, Hatake Kusuo's power had already surpassed the level of an ordinary Kage. He didn't need the boost of senjutsu. Moreover, absorbing and refining natural energy for senjutsu was not as easy as people imagined. Without at least a year or two of arduous training, an ordinary person wouldn't even be able to get started.
"Why the sudden idea?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled.
As usual, Hatake Kusuo just shook his head. He never explained his actions; it wasn't his habit.
Jiraiya nodded, understanding Kusuo's personality. He didn't press further. Instead, he took out a scroll from his coat and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else."
The two of them sped from the street corner to a deserted area on the outskirts of the village. After glancing around the empty space, Jiraiya unrolled the scroll on the ground.
"This is the contract I signed with Mount Myōboku. I'll take you there now."
Snap!
A drop of crimson appeared on Jiraiya's finger. He bit his fingertip and smeared the blood on the scroll, forming hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
POOF!
With a huge puff of white smoke, the two vanished from the physical plane. When Kusuo opened his eyes again, he found the scenery had completely changed.
"This is one of the three great sage regions, Mount Myōboku," Jiraiya explained from the side.
Kusuo took in his surroundings. The energy here was abundant, far denser than in any ordinary place in the ninja world. With each breath, he could absorb a large amount of rich essence. A place like this was perfectly suited for someone like him who possessed a Breathing Style. Kusuo's Breathing Style, enhanced by the system, could extract the maximum potential from every breath, converting everything from oxygen to chakra into pure energy in an instant. Fighting here, Kusuo was practically invincible.
"Little Jiraiya, what brings you to visit us two old folks today? Ooh? And you brought a little one with you."
Two small, elderly toads hopped over. They were the two Great Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima.
"It's the two Great Sages. Let me introduce you. This is my disciple, Hatake Kusuo," Jiraiya said, his face lighting up with joy at seeing them after so many years. He pulled Kusuo over for an introduction.
"Hello," Kusuo nodded in greeting.
"Eh!?" At that moment, the two old toads realized just how vigorous this young man's life force was. Standing before them, his vitality was like a radiant sun, too brilliant to look at directly.
"Little Jiraiya, this boy you've brought is quite unusual," Fukasaku said, his white eyebrows twitching as he stared deeply at Kusuo.
"Hahahaha!" Jiraiya placed his hands on his hips, full of pride. "Of course! He's the one most likely to be the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage spoke of. How could he be ordinary? There aren't many in the entire ninja world who catch my eye as a disciple!"
The Child of Prophecy!? Fukasaku and Shima exchanged a grave look, automatically ignoring the self-praise in the latter half of Jiraiya's sentence.
"Little Jiraiya, did we hear you correctly? You're saying this boy is the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage spoke of?"
"More or less," Jiraiya nodded emphatically.
Hatake Kusuo: "..." How come I didn't know about this? He had just asked Jiraiya to show him the way so he could try out senjutsu training and find a new reserve for his chakra supply. How did he inexplicably become the Child of Prophecy? Wasn't that title supposed to belong to that blockhead Naruto?
"Oh, speaking of which, I might bring someone else here in a while. He's a bit foolish, but his potential and character are top-notch," Jiraiya said, smacking his head as he remembered the goofy Naruto.
"That's up to you. Mount Myōboku welcomes anyone you recommend, Little Jiraiya," Fukasaku said. "Come on, the Great Toad Sage must have missed you. Let him meet this Child of Prophecy too."
Fukasaku and Shima hopped ahead, croaking as they led the way.
"Alright!" Jiraiya's eyes lit up. The mystery that had plagued him for decades was finally about to be solved, and his heart pounded with excitement. "Let's go, Kusuo! Let the Great Toad Sage see you. I'm telling you, the Great Toad Sage has lived for thousands of years, maybe even longer. His power is unfathomably deep. He's incredible!"
A vein throbbed on Kusuo's forehead. "Hey, why are you just slapping labels on people? When did I become the Child of Prophecy? I've never heard anything about it."
Jiraiya grinned, showing off his big white teeth. "Haha, I haven't mentioned it in years, so I naturally forgot. To be honest, from the first time I saw you, I had this urge to take you as my student. Your strength and your achievements are so outstanding, you have to be the Child of Prophecy. No doubt about it."
Seeing Jiraiya's excitement, Kusuo was speechless. It seemed this idea had been brewing in Jiraiya's mind for years. Good grief. He, an outsider, had somehow diverted Jiraiya's attention to himself, causing him to overlook Naruto.
'Naruto, you really have it rough,' he quipped internally.
The two of them followed Shima and Fukasaku towards the sacred grounds of Mount Myōboku. They arrived at an enormous cave, surrounded by towering mushrooms that looked like they had been grown with some kind of super-steroid. From time to time, toads the size of small Tailed Beasts would leap across the sky, landing with a ground-shaking tremor.
By now, many toads had gathered to join the excitement. The news that Jiraiya had found the Child of Prophecy had spread like wildfire in the minute they had been there. They all crowded together, their eyes fixed intently on Kusuo.
Kusuo let them stare, calmly walking into the massive cave. The interior of the cave was a world of its own. Intricate patterns and ancient lamps spoke of its great age. The Great Toad Sage was a legendary figure said to be a sworn brother of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. A simple toad treasure he gifted had brought Hamura back from the dead and boosted his power to the Six Paths level, allowing him to evolve the first Tenseigan.
As they walked, two eyes like giant lanterns shot towards them, ancient and wise, as if they could see through all illusions. The gaze first fell on Jiraiya, then swept over to focus on Kusuo. The cave, filled with Fukasaku, Shima, and other elderly sage toads, fell silent.
Suddenly, a strange, questioning sound broke the silence.
"Eh?"
-------
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