When the two Toad Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, heard Jiraiya's words, they too turned their gazes toward Naruto.
Right—hadn't the Great Toad Sage once foretold that the Child of Prophecy would be among Jiraiya's disciples?
Now that they saw Naruto up close, this boy seemed far more reliable than Nagato ever had.
With that realization, the two old toads' favorability toward Naruto shot up like a rocket.
Naruto knew perfectly well what the Child of Prophecy meant, but he only smiled faintly and didn't reply.
Ever since he'd rescued Jiraiya-sensei, he hadn't been able to stop looking at him—as if afraid this man's silhouette might vanish before his eyes again.
Jiraiya noticed and gave him a puzzled look.
"What's wrong? My Sage Mode's already dispelled—don't tell me I still have markings on my face?"
Naruto hastily wiped at the tears that had slipped down his cheeks and forced a grin.
"No, it's nothing. It's just… been a long time since I've seen you, sensei. I guess I missed you."
Jiraiya's heart trembled.
After facing an attack from his former student Nagato, to now see Naruto's pure and genuine concern—it struck a chord even in his usually carefree heart.
Without realizing it, his own eyes began to glisten.
To hide it, he tilted his head back and laughed.
"Come on now! What's with all the sappy talk? If you miss your teacher that much, show me one of your Transformation Jutsus! I could use a little… inspiration for my next novel."
Naruto couldn't help but laugh through his tears.
Shima said kindly, "Alright, the bandages are about done. You just need to rest a while, Jiraiya-boy. Dinner's ready too—Naruto, you should eat with us."
The moment he heard "dinner," Fukasaku's eyes lit up.
"What's for tonight, my dear?"
Naruto's heart skipped a beat.
He definitely hadn't forgotten about Lady Shima's… legendary dark cuisine from his previous training at Mount Myōboku—worms, beetles, and especially those wriggling earthworms she served as noodles.
He could still recall Fukasaku slurping them down with relish while he himself nearly threw up after the first bite.
Sure, it was nostalgic now—but eating that stuff again? No way.
Just as he was about to decline politely, Jiraiya spoke up first.
"Big Bro, Big Sis, I think we'd better head back to the village. I need to report everything about Pain to Tsunade—it's incredibly important."
He tried to stand, and Naruto quickly hurried over to help him.
"Stay for dinner, Jiraiya-boy," said Fukasaku. "My wife already cooked."
"Yeah," Shima added, "I even made fresh earthworm noodles!"
At that, both Jiraiya and Naruto swallowed hard in unison, their throats audibly clicking.
Shima blinked. "What's with those faces, you two?"
Jiraiya waved his hands, laughing awkwardly.
"No, no, nothing at all! Really appreciate the thought, Sis, but I do need to get back right away. Maybe next time."
Naruto quickly chimed in. "Yes! Next time for sure!"
Seeing they couldn't be persuaded, Fukasaku sighed.
"Alright then, go on back."
Shima muttered regretfully, "Honestly, two ungrateful brats, passing up such a fine meal."
Both Jiraiya and Naruto scratched their heads in embarrassment.
As Jiraiya pulled on his coat, he turned to Naruto.
"Can you teleport us straight back to the village? If not, I'll have Toad Gamaken reverse summon us."
Naruto thought for a moment and nodded.
"Yeah, I think I can."
He remembered his father's old house—in this timeline, he hadn't yet inherited it, but after the Fourth Shinobi World War, he had.
There should still be one of his father's marked blades left inside.
Hearing that, Jiraiya bowed deeply to the two Toad Sages.
"This time, I owe you both my life. Thank you."
Naruto followed his teacher's lead, bowing respectfully as well. Both of them had been a huge help—to him and to his master.
"Let's go, Naruto."
"Right!"
Naruto placed a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder—
Fwoosh!
—both vanished in a flash of light.
The next instant, they reappeared inside the Fourth Hokage's house.
The moment they landed, both started coughing violently.
"Cough! Cough! Naruto—where the hell did you teleport us? Why's it so damn dusty?!"
Naruto coughed too, waving the air.
When he looked around, he realized he'd accidentally brought them into an old storage room.
The thick layer of dust was inevitable—after all, no one had lived here in over a decade.
Jiraiya's eyes wandered to a blade hanging by a rope on the wall—Minato's marked kunai—and his brow furrowed curiously.
He stepped toward a wardrobe, pulled it open, and immediately stirred up a cloud of dust.
Covering his nose, he squinted through the haze—until his eyes caught sight of a cloak hanging inside.
He lifted it and turned it around.
On the back, embroidered in bold red kanji, were the words: "Fourth Hokage."
Jiraiya froze for a moment, realization dawning on his face.
"This place…?"
Naruto smiled faintly.
"Yeah. This was my home."
His eyes softened with nostalgia.
He'd once come here alone, cleaning this place bit by bit, sitting here for hours on end—remembering.
Standing before the hanging kunai, Naruto drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, willing away the sting in his eyes.
Jiraiya set the cloak back and closed the wardrobe, murmuring thoughtfully,
"So that's how it is… Naruto, you already know who you are, don't you?"
Naruto nodded, having already prepared his story.
"Yeah. When the Nine-Tails' chakra went out of control, I nearly lost myself. But my dad had left a fragment of his chakra inside me. That's how I found out."
Jiraiya nodded slowly. He knew Minato well—his foresight, his meticulous planning.
Leaving half of the Nine-Tails' Yang chakra inside Naruto—it was entirely like him.
Minato never did anything without a reason.
"Then your Flying Thunder God and Sage Mode… I guess that's connected to meeting him too, huh?"
Naruto nearly grinned; that question was exactly what he wanted.
He'd been planning to pin everything on his father anyway—after all, who was going to contradict him now?
So he nodded. "Yeah, Dad taught me both."
Jiraiya was astonished.
His student, even after death, had managed to bypass Mount Myōboku's barriers and pass down Sage Arts to his son… truly remarkable.
And this boy—what a monster of talent.
Flying Thunder God. Sage Mode.
Not only had he mastered both, but he wielded them flawlessly in battle.
The more Jiraiya looked at him, the more certain he became.
The more he thought about it, the more it fit.
Naruto Uzumaki… was the Child of Prophecy.
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