The Academy classroom was packed—three classes crammed into one. The air felt suffocating, desks squeezed shoulder to shoulder.
Dragging his feet, Uchiha Jinzō slipped inside, exhaustion written all over his face.
"Over here!" Kushina waved like she was flagging down a lost child.
Minato and Hinata Kiyoshi were already seated, and, as always, a spot was left open beside them. Honestly, he had to thank Kushina for that. Nobody dared challenge the "Red-Hot Habanero" for territory.
Jinzō collapsed into his seat, arms folded on the desk, head buried.
"You're always tired when you come to class," Kushina muttered, clearly baffled.
Not wrong. He rarely showed up, but whenever he did, he looked like a zombie.
Dark circles under his eyes, Jinzō mumbled, "Sparring match the day before yesterday. Still recovering."
Matt Duy's Eight Gates had nearly turned him into paste. Sure, he lasted longer this time—dozens of seconds more. Small victory. Big injuries. Two days flat on his back. His shadow clones hadn't even trained, which meant double the recovery time.
"Who!?" Kushina leaned forward, nosey as always.
"None of your business." Jinzō rolled his eyes. With that gleam in her eye, nothing good would come from telling her.
"Pfft. Like I care," she muttered, pouting.
A tug on his sleeve made him glance sideways. Minato gave him an apologetic smile, while Kushina turned her head sharply away. Jinzō just laid back down. If she "didn't care," then he wouldn't bother telling her. Let her stew.
Minato shrugged helplessly. Kushina clenched her fists, teeth grinding. Stuck in the middle, Minato shot a pleading look at Kiyoshi. The Hyūga boy promptly turned away. Minato sighed.
Unbothered, Jinzō drifted off to sleep. The noise of the classroom was almost like a lullaby. Some people just slept best at school.
He vaguely registered someone calling students out of the room. Then—
"Minato Namikaze. Kushina Uzumaki. Uchiha Jinzō. I'll be your new squad leader."
Jinzō jolted awake, eyes locking on the man at the door.
Jiraiya.
The room was empty but for the three of them.
"Surprised? Didn't see this coming?" Jiraiya smirked.
"More like panicked," Jinzō muttered, wiping his forehead. He'd always known his "butterfly effect" would eventually change history—but this fast? Kushina, of all people, ending up Jiraiya's disciple? That wasn't in the script. With a teacher like him, her entire future strength would skyrocket.
Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "You should all know who I am."
"Peeping Tom," Kushina deadpanned."Unreliable jōnin," Minato added."…Ha," Jinzō chuckled.
Jiraiya faceplanted. So much for his image. He popped back up, dusting himself off. "You've got the wrong idea. Let me reintroduce myself."
He didn't wait for them. "Name: Jiraiya. Likes: writing. Dislikes: not much. Dream: peace in the ninja world."
Minato scratched his head. "…I like reading. No big dislikes. Dream: I want to be Hokage."
"I will be Hokage!" Kushina cut in, puffing out her cheeks as if daring anyone to disagree.
All eyes turned to Jinzō, who was spacing out again. He was still thinking about the timeline, and whether his foreknowledge even mattered anymore.
"Jinzō, your turn," Minato prompted, shaking him.
"…Right." Jinzō rubbed his chin. "Name's Uchiha Jinzō. I like confident blonde girls, long-haired beauties with—"
"HEY!" Jiraiya lunged, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Not that kind of introduction!" Didn't this brat see Kushina's hair starting to flare?
"Fine, fine." Jinzō rubbed the lump on his head after Jiraiya's fist landed. "I like ninjutsu. Hate things I can't control. Dream… well, for now, to live a long life. Maybe a thousand years."
Jiraiya studied him closely, unnerved. Personality and looks aside, the kid's essence reminded him of Orochimaru. Was he looking at another "researcher type"?
"Don't look at me like that," Jinzō snapped, crossing his arms. "Feels like you're about to drag me into your weird hobbies."
"Quit twisting things, brat!" Jiraiya ground his knuckles into Jinzō's scalp.
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Jinzō squirmed away.
Jiraiya grinned wickedly. "Meet at the training field tomorrow, five a.m. Don't eat breakfast—or you'll puke."
Jinzō's face went blank. That exact line? Straight from Kakashi's playbook years later.
…
On his way home, he ran into someone unexpected.
The path was dark, wind whistling. Standing ahead was a pale man in a kimono. Younger. Less monstrous. Almost… noble.
"Orochimaru," Jinzō muttered.
"How's the teacher I picked for you?" the snake-like man asked first.
So it was him. Figures.
"Well enough."
"You don't sound satisfied." Orochimaru tilted his head.
"Not dissatisfied," Jinzō said, blowing his bangs aside. "But he and I don't match. Too risky." The Great Toad's prophecy could one day tag him as the "Son of Darkness." Jiraiya might just kill him for it.
Orochimaru's golden eyes sharpened. "…Jinzō. How much do you know about the darkness in this village?"
The question caught him off guard. Could they just talk like this? He smiled innocently. "What darkness? The village is full of light."
Orochimaru studied him, then chuckled. "Seems you know plenty."
"…What do you want, Orochimaru-sama?" Jinzō asked directly.
"I'll be teaching you too, starting tomorrow. Jiraiya agreed."
Jinzō blinked. "…Wait. You're serious?"
Orochimaru's pale smile was almost handsome.
Was… was this a teacher love triangle?
…
Up in a tree, Jiraiya was spying. His gaze wasn't on Jinzō, though, but on two figures walking below—Tsunade and her boyfriend, Kato Dan.
He sighed. "Too late again."
Pulling out a notebook, he sketched her face, then scribbled over it in black.
"Be happy, Tsunade," he whispered, a sad smile tugging at his lips. His eyes lifted to the stars, mind wandering to his three new disciples… and the prophecy.
The Great Toad Sage's voice echoed in memory:
"The Child of Prophecy is gone. Now only the Sons of Light and Darkness remain. Their clash will shape the future. If Light wins, peace will last. If Darkness wins… endless war, evolution, and even gods. Both will be your disciples, Jiraiya. Teach them well—and be ready to choose."