"One by one, please."
Uchiha Hayato looked at the people who were coming in droves, and couldn't help but feel a headache. Becoming a popular hot commodity was indeed both pleasant and troublesome.
He turned to Tsunade and said with a smile, "Tsunade-nee, you can have that million ryo. You don't need to pay it back. However, I have a small request that I hope you can grant."
Hayato wore a smile, but his mind was calculating shrewdly. Tsunade was a key figure in promoting the reform of Konoha's medical system. The current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, did not support her reforms. Investing in such a future star in advance was a guaranteed profit.
Tsunade's mind raced. She didn't have to pay back the money, nor did he ask her to teach Ninjutsu. He just said he had one request.
Alarm bells rang in Tsunade's heart.
"Is he another pervert like Jiraiya?" Tsunade thought warily.
She agreed while taking the money: "As long as your request isn't too outrageous, I'll agree."
As soon as she finished speaking, she hugged the money bag and turned to leave, her steps light, her eyes filled with unconcealed gleam of money. Clearly, her only destination was the casino.
Just after Tsunade left, Orochimaru calmly stepped forward, his gaze cool yet with a hint of fervor: "Hayato-kun, it's my turn now, isn't it?"
Jiraiya's face darkened, but he didn't speak. Orochimaru completely ignored his displeasure and continued, "I'm very interested in your Pokémon."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, countless possibilities flashing through his mind. Jiraiya had painstakingly cultivated Sage Mode, and if he could master this ability through Hayato's Pokémon research, wouldn't he be able to break free from the constraints of the Ryuchi Cave Sages? Moreover, the world of Pokémon research itself was full of unknown temptations.
"I can exchange the Ninjutsu I've learned with you." Orochimaru's excitement grew, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. For the first time, he had a dream beyond learning all Ninjutsu.
If Uchiha Hayato could summon Pokémon, did that mean they could also go to the Pokémon world?
Hayato pondered for a moment, already having an answer in his heart. He didn't intend to stop the Rollout. Since the Pokémon era had already begun, cooperation was undoubtedly the best choice. Although Orochimaru was ambitious, he still retained his humanity at this stage, and the benefits of cooperating with him far outweighed the risks.
"Alright, when the opportunity arises, I will choose a suitable Pokémon for you. I hope you will take good care of it."
Orochimaru received a satisfactory answer, revealing a faint smile, and turned to leave.
Jiraiya's expression relaxed, his face clearing up. It was finally his turn.
Jiraiya showed a big, white-toothed grin: "Yo, kid. Do you want to become a powerful Ninja? Do you want all the girls at school to be infatuated with you?"
"Ahem, there's a great opportunity now. As long as you become my disciple, all these things can happen! Don't miss this rare chance!" Jiraiya coughed and struck what he thought was a cool pose.
Hayato's mouth twitched slightly, and he rubbed his forehead, speechless. He couldn't help but complain: Is that all? If he wanted to learn Ninjutsu, he could directly ask the Third Hokage, and he could also learn various Pokémon skills. Taking it a step further, if he firmly tied himself to the Uchiha Family, he didn't believe Uchiha Setsuna wouldn't teach him.
He didn't even care for Jiraiya's popularity with women, yet this man dared to boast.
"Big Brother Jiraiya, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now." Hayato was about to slip away, but Jiraiya stopped him.
"Wait," Jiraiya said in a low voice, his expression suddenly serious. "To be honest with you, I received a prophecy related to you."
"You will be the one to lead the change in the Ninja World."
Two days ago, he had just returned home to rest when a toad from Mount Myōboku told him that the Great Toad Sage had something to tell him about a prophecy concerning the future of the Ninja World.
"You will be the one to lead the change in the Ninja World. You will take on a disciple, and this disciple will bring about immense change in the Ninja World. He will either bring balance to the world or plunge it into destruction."
Before he could finish speaking, the Great Toad Sage fell into a deep slumber.
Back in the village, upon reflection, within his knowledge, wasn't Uchiha Hayato the most likely person to be the Child of Prophecy?
The mysterious summoned beasts from another world, his Uchiha Family identity, all highlighted this possibility.
"You mean, I'm the one in the prophecy?" Hayato was stunned.
Jiraiya truly had poor eyesight. Throughout his life, besides Naruto, he had also once believed Nagato to be the Child of Prophecy.
Wouldn't it be better to do something else with the time spent looking for the Child of Prophecy?
Looking at Jiraiya blocking his way, Hayato felt like he was stuck with a persistent nuisance. If he didn't agree, Jiraiya might keep observing him and repeatedly invite him.
"Alright, but I have a condition—you have to take two other people with you, like a squad leader."
Jiraiya hesitated a bit. Although this child was indeed unusual, was he really the Child of Prophecy? He didn't even show the respect a disciple should have for a teacher, and he also had a request for him to take two other children as disciples.
Jiraiya shook his head inwardly. Since he became a disciple, it should be correct, right? Seeing how much he cared for his companions, he should be someone with love in his heart.
Jiraiya's heart settled slightly: "Then without further ado, go call your friends over now. Normally, you would rest for a while after completing a mission, but there might be some unforeseen circumstances, so it's better to confirm it sooner. I'll be waiting for you at Training Ground Three."
"Lord Jiraiya wants to take us as disciples?" Minato Namikaze's eyes lit up with excitement when he heard the news. This meant he was one step closer to becoming Hokage.
As one of Hiruzen Sarutobi's three disciples, Jiraiya was not as popular as Orochimaru, but only slightly less so.
Becoming Jiraiya's disciple meant he could learn more Ninjutsu and be exposed to more things, and all of this was undoubtedly thanks to Hayato.
Hayato shrugged. This was just bringing forward what would happen to Minato a few years later. "Look at Dekai, he's much calmer than you."
"Lord Jiraiya?" Dekai's dark face showed a hint of fighting spirit. "His Taijutsu must be very strong. I wonder how many moves I could last against him with my Lightning Release now."
"Aren't you happy, Dekai?" Minato was surprised. Why did it seem like he was the only one acting so excited?
Hayato looked at their reactions, shaking his head helplessly, and urged, "Stop talking and let's go."
"Teacher Jiraiya, I am Minato Namikaze, and my dream is to become Hokage." Minato quickly stepped forward and introduced himself to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya quickly developed a good impression of the refreshing young man in front of him. It seemed he still had some popularity.
"I am Dekai. What I like is Taijutsu training, and what I dislike are people who bully others, like my old self." It was Dekai who spoke.
Seeing everyone's gaze turn to him, Uchiha Hayato said helplessly, "Uchiha Hayato. What I like is Pokémon, and my dream is to live happily with the people I care about. Becoming Hokage isn't out of the question either."
"Then, let's take the first group photo of Jiraiya's squad!" Jiraiya smiled, pulling out a camera. "I specifically prepared this for the occasion."
"Shadow Clone, I'll leave the photography to you. Look here."