CHAPTER 81 - Prophecy

Mount Myoboku, one of the longest-standing Sage lands in the ninja world, is steeped in legend. It is said that any ninja who mistakenly enters one of the three great Sage lands and forms a contract with them will gain the land's support, learning powerful techniques, and earning the title of the Sage land's successor, becoming renowned throughout the ninja world. However, in all the centuries that have passed, very few have become the successor of the three great Sage lands. In modern times, the only known successors of the three great sacred lands are the legendary "Sannin" from Konoha.

"Big sister, how much longer does the Great Toad Sage need to sleep?" Jiraiya whispered, covering his mouth. He had been called here for quite a while, but after the Great Toad Sage briefly asked for his name, it fell asleep. At first, Jiraiya thought the sage was performing some kind of mysterious technique, but as the sage's snoring grew louder, Jiraiya's face darkened. 

"This old fool! I rushed over, leaving my cooking behind, only to watch him sleep!" Shima, holding a spatula in her hand, angrily crossed her arms. However, hearing Shima's comment about cooking made Jiraiya's face turn green, as memories of unpleasant experiences resurfaced.

"Well, maybe the Great Toad Sage is just really tired, that's why he fell asleep..." 

"Stop making excuses for him, old man!" The bickering between Shima and Fukasaku finally roused the Great Toad Sage from his slumber. The sage slowly opened his murky eyes and, after looking around, asked, "Fukasaku, Shima, what are you two doing here?"

Shima, already furious, raised the spatula and replied, "Old fool, didn't you ask us to bring little Jiraiya here?"

Fukasaku, standing to the side, interjected, "Wife, don't be so rude to the Great Toad Sage."

The Great Toad Sage wasn't bothered by Shima's remarks. He would forget them soon enough. "Ah, little Jiraiya… that's right..." The Great Toad Sage said, but then grew silent. After some time, just as Jiraiya thought the sage might say something important, the sage suddenly muttered, "Who is this human?"

…

After several rounds of explanation, the Great Toad Sage finally remembered why he had summoned Jiraiya. His tone grew a little more serious as he said, "Little Jiraiya, I had another dream... about a prophecy of the future."

At the mention of the prophecy, Jiraiya's expression became solemn, and he immediately asked, "What was the dream about, Great Toad Sage?"

"I've dreamed before of blue eyes that appeared in the future, but no matter how many times, they were always defeated by the Child of Destiny. This time, though... it feels a little different..." The Great Toad Sage paused for a moment before continuing, his voice heavy. Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima listened intently, growing anxious.

"This time, those blue eyes cut off the future. The entire ninja world… and even the ninjas themselves, were destroyed by an endless sea of people. Above the sea of people, the sky was dominated by those blue eyes, looking down on everything..."

Jiraiya's face showed shock as he processed the gravity of the prophecy. He had never heard such a serious prediction from the Great Toad Sage before. 

"Then what about the Child of Destiny?" Jiraiya asked, his voice trembling with concern.

"There is no Child of Destiny," the Great Toad Sage replied slowly. "Without a future, there can be no destiny. Under those blue eyes, all ninjas have no future."

"Is that so? Blue eyes..." Jiraiya thought deeply, remembering the ominous feature. Someone capable of overturning the Child of Destiny, destroying ninjas, and even the entire ninja world... This person was far too dangerous. They had to be found!

Jiraiya then asked, "Great Toad Sage, is there any other clue?"

"Other information..."

The Great Toad Sage strained to recall the prophetic dream, the images it contained still fresh in his mind. Perhaps the dream's contents had shocked him too much, for even after waking up for a while, he still clearly remembered the details. "A snake, a purple snake... though its form changed many times, I can tell for sure it was a winged, four-limbed purple snake..." The Great Toad Sage could confirm it was a snake based on his instinctual judgment. As a sage who had lived for thousands of years, he prided himself on being impartial toward all creatures, but he couldn't shake his deep aversion to snakes.

"A winged snake with four limbs? Lord Sage, are you sure it was a snake?" Jiraiya asked with a twitch of his lips. He had never heard of a snake with wings and four limbs. If it were a snake, Orochimaru would be the one who knew best, but if he were told to find such a creature, Orochimaru would probably kick him out!

"Alright, Lord Sage, I'll try my best to find it!" Jiraiya's earlier confidence had drained away as soon as he heard about the purple snake. A creature he had never heard of before—this task was no small feat, even for him.

---

"What's that idiot doing now?" Sakura Haruno thought, wishing she could punch Naruto Uzumaki in the head. His impulsiveness had caused trouble for the Fourth Hokage in this timeline.

Namikaze Minato was also feeling a bit troubled. He hadn't asked too much about the future, but from the memories he had retrieved, it was clear that Naruto was his son. Just moments ago, he had chased down three ninjas who had infiltrated the rear lines, engaging in battle with them. As the fight progressed, Minato's shock deepened, especially when he saw Wood Release and Rasengan in action. That moment made him pause and question the origins of these techniques, and he started to believe the story that Yamato had told him about the "person of the future."

The Sealing Jutsu was a technique Minato had personally set up, so naturally, he had a way to break it. The key to unlocking it was the Kunai used in the Flying Thunder God Technique, and after traveling there using the technique, Minato was reminded of the time when he, along with Naruto, Yamato, and others, had sealed the dragon vein.

However, Minato was currently serving as the overall commander at the Land of Rivers base and had to ensure the frontline was secured before he could leave to send Naruto and the others back. On his way back, an unexpected situation arose, leaving him puzzled about the conflict between Naruto and Hyuga Mirai. Why did they almost start fighting the moment they met?

"Ah... hehe... Mirai-kun, this is a misunderstanding. Besides switching the stationed ninjas, the Hokage didn't give any other orders," Minato explained awkwardly, hoping to smooth things over. He just wanted to defuse the situation for now, planning to ask Naruto about it later.

"Is that so? So it wasn't the Hokage's orders..." Hyuga Mirai glanced at the three ANBU ninjas standing behind Minato, particularly the one with the yellow-haired fox mask. The sight of them triggered a suspicion in his mind. However, in front of so many people, especially Minato, it wouldn't be appropriate to activate his Byakugan and reveal his thoughts. Besides, he didn't want to appear suspicious.

The actions of Naruto Uzumaki had upset many of the ninjas standing behind Mirai. In their eyes, Mirai had saved countless comrades and even made antidotes to save lives. Yet, here was an ANBU ninja who showed immediate hostility toward him. If no one had stopped him, they might have started a fight right there!

Sasaki stepped forward and asked, "Lord Minato, why does this ANBU have such clear hostility toward Mirai-kun? Is this an order from the Hokage?"

"That's right," many murmured, "What did Mirai, a Chunin, do wrong to deserve being targeted the moment he arrived? Even if they have a private grudge, starting a fight on the battlefield is too much, don't you think?"

Seeing that the group was beginning to rally behind Mirai, Minato raised his voice, "It's a misunderstanding, everyone, please believe me. The ANBU behind me has no ill intentions toward Mirai-kun."

After his explanation, Minato quickly turned the attention away from the confrontation. He was an influential figure, second only to the Hokage on the front lines, so his words were respected. As things calmed down, Mirai, understanding that he couldn't make the ANBU ninjas remove their masks to explain, also reassured those around him. The situation was finally settled.

As both groups parted ways, Mirai activated his Byakugan, instantly expanding his vision by nearly ten kilometers. his eyes landed on four people about two kilometers away.

"So it's really them... Why are these three here?" he wondered, suspicious. 

(End of Chapter)

=========================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE

SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS

PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).