Chapter 36 — Whispers of Red Clouds
The village was small, nestled against rolling hills near the ruins where the Sage once sealed the demon. Smoke from cooking fires drifted lazily in the evening air, the streets busy but calm. Jiraiya, Naruto, and Sasuke settled into a dango shop near the edge of the marketplace, a pot of steaming tea between them.
Naruto was on his third skewer already. "Man, nothing beats fresh dango after training," he mumbled with his mouth full.
Sasuke, as usual, ate in silence, though the faint twitch of his lips gave away he wasn't hating it.
Jiraiya leaned back, sipping his tea. For the first time in days, he felt a little ease creeping in. That is—until the shop's sliding door rattled open and two farmers hurried in, whispering urgently.
"Did you hear? Travelers saw them near the ridge!"
"Those people again, in black cloaks… with red clouds embroidered…"
"And the straw hats—they say they were heading west."
The whole shop went quiet for a heartbeat. Even common villagers knew enough to feel unease at the description.
Jiraiya's cup froze halfway to his lips. Red clouds… Akatsuki. His jaw tightened. He immediately scanned Naruto and Sasuke, expecting alarm, but—
Both boys were calmly finishing their food.
Naruto even let out a content sigh. "These dumplings are great, huh?"
Jiraiya slammed his cup down. "Oi, brats! Did you hear that? Akatsuki's here. Near this village."
Sasuke glanced up lazily. "And?"
The toad sage's eye twitched. "And?! They're not some wandering mercenary band to ignore! They're dangerous. If they're sniffing around this close—"
"They're just making money," Naruto cut in, waving his hand. "It's too early for them to act. They haven't made preparations yet. Nothing's going down this year."
Jiraiya blinked, dumbfounded. "What the hell do you mean 'too early'? How do you—"
Naruto grinned, though there was no real humor in it. "Relax, Pervy Sage. We'll worry about them later. Right now, they won't lay a hand on anyone. Not yet."
Jiraiya felt his stomach knot. The calm in both boys' voices wasn't confidence—it was certainty. And it chilled him more than Akatsuki itself.
Finally, he growled, "Why are you acting like you want this war to come?"
The boys exchanged a glance, and in the next instant—
The world around Jiraiya blurred. The dango shop melted away, and he was standing in that familiar mental space again, surrounded by swirling chakra. Naruto and Sasuke faced him, their expressions serious.
"Because," Sasuke said flatly, "that war is necessary."
Jiraiya's fists clenched. "Necessary? Are you insane—"
Naruto cut in, his tone softer but heavier. "Listen, Jiraiya. What we told you about the Fourth Great Ninja War—that wasn't the end." His golden eyes gleamed faintly in the mental space. "After it… there was another war. The Fifth. And it wasn't against shinobi."
Sasuke stepped forward, his voice carrying the cold weight of memory. "It was against an army of Otsutsuki. Not one, not two—an entire force. Descending on our world to erase it."
Jiraiya's breath hitched. "An… army?"
Naruto nodded. "We survived that future once. But only because the Fourth War had already forced the Five Great Nations to fight together. We'd learned what it meant to face a single Otsutsuki. We had experience."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Without that preparation, without that unity, the Fifth War would have ended in annihilation."
Jiraiya staggered back a step, his mind spinning. He wanted to deny it. To shout that they were wrong. But the way they spoke… it was like they had lived it.
Naruto gave a small shrug, though his voice was heavy. "That's why we don't stop the Fourth War. We let it happen. Because in the long run… it's the only way this world has a chance."
The mental space fell silent. Only the weight of their words hung between them.
For the first time, Jiraiya couldn't find an immediate retort. His throat felt dry.
They're… they're shaping history itself.
---