Chapter 96: Child of Destruction? Impossible, You’re Wrong!

Mount Myōboku was a peaceful and tranquil place. Fukasaku and Shima gathered together, drawing a complex seal formula. Then— Reverse Summoning Jutsu! In an instant, Jiraiya appeared with a young boy. The boy was tall for his age, with clear and sharp eyes. After appearing, he didn’t show the slightest panic. Calmly, he scanned his surroundings. Mount Myōboku? Kyohiko couldn’t sense any special energy, nor did he feel anything unusual. It seemed...he wasn’t a natural genius for Sage Mode. A faint smile appeared on Kyohiko’s face. Jiraiya said: "Old man, ma’am, this is my other student, Kyohiko." "Hmm, this child looks as smart as Minato at first glance." Shima nodded repeatedly. Kyohiko thought to himself: "As expected." Namikaze Minato was indeed at Mount Myōboku—that explained why he couldn’t be found in Konoha. Had he also come to train in Sage Mode? One disciple or two made little difference to the toads, so they decided to let Kyohiko try as well. However. Sage Mode truly interested Kyohiko. Even if he couldn’t master it immediately, experiencing it and building relationships would still be valuable. Jiraiya smiled and introduced Fukasaku and Shima properly. Kyohiko greeted each of them respectfully. "Jiraiya, time is precious..." Just as Fukasaku was about to take Kyohiko to begin Sage Mode training, a loud voice suddenly came from above. One of their children was calling. It sounded like... "The Great Toad Sage has awakened!" The Great Toad Sage! Shima immediately became energetic. "Little Jiraiya, wait here first. We’ll go see the Great Toad Sage." "Understood." Jiraiya stayed with Kyohiko to wait. Since they had time, Kyohiko asked: "Minato is here too?" "How did you know?" Jiraiya looked surprised. Kyohiko shrugged: "I searched the whole village but couldn’t find him, so I had to settle for Kakashi. Oh, by the way...Kakashi has already mastered the Lightning Release: Rasengan." "What?" Jiraiya’s eyes widened so much they nearly popped out. He bent down in shock, momentarily forgetting about Fukasaku and Shima. "How did he do it?" "Following my suggestion, he incorporated vibrational nature transformation. It’s the right direction, but according to Kakashi himself, with his current chakra reserves, he can only use it twice a day in actual combat." Kyohiko explained. What Kakashi had been doing—forming and dispersing the technique—didn’t count as true mastery. For real combat, a Lightning Release: Rasengan needed to be maintained for extended periods, requiring massive chakra output every second. Given Kakashi’s condition... Truthfully, even two uses would be pushing his limits. Jiraiya took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and complicated emotions. When teaching the Rasengan before, he had mentioned that not even Minato had mastered nature transformation fusion in the technique. Yet now Kakashi had already achieved it. Truly remarkable! At this moment, he wanted to slap himself. For Kyohiko, Kakashi, and Yuuhi Kurenai’s growth, he had only provided initial guidance and occasional advice—far from fulfilling a teacher’s primary responsibilities. How was he any different from the Third Hokage? Damn it all! Jiraiya sighed, then patted Kyohiko’s shoulder. "Thank you...I really haven’t been a qualified teacher." "A teacher opens the door, but the student must walk through themselves." Kyohiko saw things clearly. The books aren’t meant for teachers to read... This was wisdom he’d carried through two lifetimes. A person’s ultimate path wasn’t determined by their teacher, but by themselves. Jiraiya sighed emotionally: "Yes, that’s true in principle, but in actual teaching, it’s extremely difficult to provide equal guidance to everyone..." He shook his head. "Let’s not dwell on this. Minato came here to train in Sage Mode too." Jiraiya’s expression turned serious as he explained his thoughts. "We can’t prevent war, but we can strive to become stronger and protect more comrades." "Can you use Sage Mode, sensei?" Kyohiko turned to look at him. A vein twitched on Jiraiya’s forehead: "Kyohiko, let’s...change the subject." "We can’t. Soon I’ll be attempting Sage Mode training myself. The more I understand beforehand, the better my chances." Kyohiko played the role of the "honest" student perfectly. Jiraiya was clearly philosophizing about peace and war again—subjects humanity hadn’t solved in thousands of years. As ordinary people, they hardly needed to lose sleep over it. As for the Great Toad Sage’s prophecies? To hell with them! ... "Who are these two?" "Great Lord, Jiraiya and his student have come to see you. There’s also Minato training in sage arts at the mountain’s base. It wasn’t appropriate to bring him along." "Jiraiya? Oh yes, Jiraiya has grown so old he has students now." The Great Toad Sage struggled to open its eyes. It looked at Jiraiya. "Little Jiraiya, your destiny has changed." "What?" Jiraiya was stunned, then overjoyed. "Does this mean I’ve found the Child of Prophecy?" "Oh? You have candidates?" The Great Toad Sage seemed surprised. Jiraiya smiled and stepped aside, presenting Kyohiko. "Great Lord, he’s the student I took in two years ago. I believe he, Minato, and another named Nagato might each be the Child of Prophecy." Three such individuals? The Great Toad Sage narrowed its eyes, peering intently at Kyohiko. Soon, its gaze lost focus, and its eyes slowly closed. Just as Jiraiya was about to speak, Fukasaku and Shima signaled him to wait. Did this mean... The Great Toad Sage had fallen asleep again? How could this happen? Jiraiya stood dumbfounded, looking helplessly between the two elder toads. Fukasaku frowned thoughtfully but couldn’t decipher the reason. "Ugh, that senile old fool is getting worse!" Shima complained quietly. Fukasaku immediately chastised her: "How can you address the Great Lord that way?" "It’s the truth!" Shima retorted. As Fukasaku prepared another rebuke, the Great Toad Sage’s voice came from above: "Enough bickering. Family should maintain harmony." "Yes!" The two immediately fell silent. The Great Toad Sage looked at Kyohiko, studying him for a long moment before speaking: "I saw you in my dream just now." Huh? Kyohiko looked up in surprise. No way! That brief moment of unconsciousness was because it saw him? This... The Great Toad Sage’s expression seemed dazed as it gazed into the distance, speaking in an ethereal voice: "I saw you become Hokage...only to bring war upon the shinobi world." What? Jiraiya turned to stare at Kyohiko in shock, his face full of disbelief. Then he looked back at the Great Toad Sage. "Impossible!" However. Fukasaku and Shima were already eyeing Kyohiko with wary expressions. Ribbit! They let out sharp, abrupt croaks. Outside, loud rumbling sounds erupted as numerous toads began moving. Kyohiko was inwardly alarmed, but showing panic now would be disastrous. His mind raced as he calmly asked: "Can you truly see the future?" "Only fragments of what may come." The Great Toad Sage leaned back on its seat. Its gaze remained unfocused, seeming to look right through him. Kyohiko countered: "Visions of the future don’t necessarily equate to predetermined outcomes. Isn’t misinterpretation possible?" "Kyohiko, don’t be rude!" Jiraiya immediately scolded—yet he remained firmly positioned between Kyohiko and the Great Toad Sage, physically shielding his student. Kyohiko was momentarily stunned, then a faint smile appeared. Fukasaku and Shima frowned. "Little Jiraiya..." As peace-loving creatures, they’d never imagined a day would come when one of Jiraiya’s students might instigate war—let alone having this foretold by the Great Toad Sage itself. After a long silence, the Great Toad Sage slowly nodded. "Other possibilities...do exist." "War itself doesn’t inherently symbolize evil—it can be waged in pursuit of peace." Kyohiko wasn’t speaking sophistry. He genuinely didn’t accept such prophecies. Take Jiraiya—a single vague vision and pronouncement had sent him wandering the shinobi world for decades. Yet in the end, even the Great Toad Sage couldn’t definitively identify the true Child of Prophecy, eventually claiming both Nagato and Naruto fit the role. Now... The same treatment befell him! Kyohiko stepped forward: "If—" "Kyohiko!" Jiraiya pulled him back, maintaining his protective stance before speaking solemnly: "Great Lord, didn’t you previously say the Child of Prophecy could bring either destruction or revolutionary change? This prophecy proves nothing conclusive." "Hmm, you speak wisely." The Great Toad Sage nodded. It smiled faintly. "Don’t be alarmed. I merely shared what I saw." These words were directed at Jiraiya, but also at Fukasaku and Shima. Gradually, the commotion outside subsided. The Great Toad Sage seemed to drift into thought before continuing: "Perhaps you possess the potential to be the Child of Prophecy, but—how peculiar—your path remains indistinct to me." Then it turned to Jiraiya. "You mentioned...two other students?" "Correct. One is Namikaze Minato, currently training here at Mount Myōboku. The other, Nagato, is..." Jiraiya hesitated, glancing at Fukasaku, Shima, and Kyohiko before deciding to trust them fully. "...that boy possesses the Rinnegan." "What?" The Great Toad Sage jerked upright, eyes widening comically. The Rinnegan! How could this be? It shifted agitatedly on its seat, making Fukasaku leap to its side in alarm: "Great Lord, stay calm! Don’t exert yourself!" "Jiraiya, you’re certain of this?" "Absolutely." Jiraiya nodded firmly. The Great Toad Sage sank back into its seat, remaining silent for a long while before finally saying: "When opportunity permits...bring him before me." "Of course. Even if you hadn’t asked, I intended to discuss this with you. I simply didn’t expect you to awaken this time." Jiraiya nodded respectfully. The Great Toad Sage murmured: "Very well, next time..." Mid-sentence, it fell asleep again. Fukasaku exhaled in relief. "Let’s take our leave." Once outside, Fukasaku and Shima regarded Kyohiko thoughtfully before turning complex expressions toward Jiraiya. "Little Jiraiya, we never imagined you’d find two candidates simultaneously." "When mentioning Minato earlier, the Great Lord showed no reaction..." Shima added quietly. Jiraiya nodded in understanding. Truthfully, in his heart, he now believed Kyohiko held greater likelihood. Kyohiko chose this moment to interject: "May I ask a question?" Jiraiya looked at his student, gently ruffling his hair. "That prophecy startled you, didn’t it? Don’t worry too much..." "Actually, I wanted to ask—what exactly is this ’Child of Prophecy’? And what are the Rinnegan?" Kyohiko knew the answers perfectly well, but maintaining his persona required playing ignorant. Jiraiya sighed heavily before recounting the entire history—from his first arrival at Mount Myōboku to discovering Nagato’s Rinnegan, sparing no detail. Kyohiko pretended to understand: "No wonder you risked punishment to teach those three from Amegakure." Jiraiya didn’t respond directly. Kyohiko glanced at Fukasaku and Shima, deliberately letting hesitation show. "Little Kyohiko, what’s on your mind?" Shima noticed immediately. This child, just as Jiraiya described, possessed remarkable intelligence with endlessly calculating thoughts. He undoubtedly had insights to share. "The Great Toad Sage only said that among your students, there would emerge individuals of tremendous power capable of changing the shinobi world," Kyohiko began carefully. "Why does everyone assume there’s only one Child of Prophecy?" "Could there possibly be multiple?" Shima found the notion amusing. Yet Jiraiya appeared lost in thought. Indeed! The prophecy never specified a single child. Perhaps multiple individuals could fulfill the criteria. The realization left Jiraiya mentally tangled. On one hand, Kyohiko’s argument made sense—the prophecy didn’t preclude multiple Children of Prophecy. Powerful figures capable of transforming the world might emerge simultaneously. But if so...how should he proceed? Furthermore, why stop at two? What if there were three, or four? Would he need to spend his life constantly searching? Jiraiya’s limited mental capacity struggled under the implications. He frowned deeply. "A person’s abilities might depend on heritage and talent, but their ultimate path is determined by lived experiences." Kyohiko’s voice carried firm conviction, informed by his deeper understanding of prophecies. "However, prophecies cannot dictate those experiences." "You mean to say...?" Jiraiya’s eyes gradually cleared. He grasped Kyohiko’s implication. "Guidance?" "Exactly." Kyohiko confirmed. Jiraiya began pacing excitedly. Prophecies didn’t control events—but proper teaching and mentorship could shape how power manifested! Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan’s ideals about peace stemmed directly from his teachings, later further influenced by Kyohiko toward developing in the Land of Birds to eventually reshape the shinobi world’s power structures. The more Jiraiya considered it, the more Kyohiko’s perspective resonated. Even a Child of Prophecy required proper nurturing. Take Orochimaru—was he lacking in talent? Yet after enduring life’s trials, he’d become utterly unlike his younger self. Jiraiya finally comprehended Kyohiko’s meaning completely. "People’s fundamental natures begin similarly. What they become depends on education and experiences—teaching provides the foundation, while life’s journey determines the eventual outcome." He now sounded like a seasoned philosopher. Fukasaku and Shima nodded approvingly. Little Jiraiya spoke such wisdom! Wait... Hadn’t these insights originated from little Kyohiko? They regarded the boy with newfound appreciation. "No wonder Jiraiya said you possessed world-changing capabilities." "Just personal observations—and I’d prefer not being labeled as some prophesied destroyer." Kyohiko mostly felt exasperated. Fortunately, he’d anticipated the Great Toad Sage potentially reacting strangely to his presence. This outcome remained within acceptable parameters. Changing topics, he inquired: "More importantly, I came to attempt Sage Mode training. How should I proceed?" "We’ll guide you." "Little—" "Let Jiraiya reflect here. I’ll accompany Kyohiko first—you stay here with him." Fukasaku prevented Shima from calling out further. Kyohiko glanced back. Jiraiya—who had shielded him moments earlier—now paced while intermittently clapping excitedly, the very image of sudden enlightenment. Were you achieving satori now? Whatever... He followed the two elder toads. "You’ve learned Sage Mode’s basic theory from Jiraiya, yes?" "Naturally." Kyohiko nodded. Fukasaku instructed: "For starters, we’ll apply the toad oil." "Understood." Kyohiko stepped into the prepared pool, coating himself lightly with the special oil before sitting cross-legged. Placing a hand over the treated area, he intensified his focus on internal chakra flows. Almost immediately, Kyohiko sensed foreign energy seeping through his skin—infusing from both air and earth—beginning to merge chaotically with his existing chakra reserves. Moments later, this alien energy started corroding his natural chakra, the unstable fusion rapidly multiplying like malignant cells. Failed sage chakra? Kyohiko opened his eyes to find his body exhibiting partial toad-like traits—much like Naruto’s initial attempts. "With the oil’s assistance, natural energy invades indiscriminately, automatically fusing with my physical and spiritual energies to produce this form." "Correct." Fukasaku confirmed. "Based on Jiraiya’s description, that boy Kurokawa from Konoha has excessive natural energy affinity—he absorbs it spontaneously but lacks control, hence the terrifying madness." The elder toad sighed heavily. "Madness is fortunate compared to those..." It pointed into the distance where numerous stone toad statues stood petrified mid-motion. "...failed practitioners." "Evidently quite dangerous. What about the ’Sage Clan Talent’ then?" Kyohiko described Chiriku’s techniques in detail. Fukasaku contemplated before explaining: "From your description, this method appears to fuse energies externally first. However, such chakra cannot truly integrate with the human body—its potency and effects remain inferior." "So that’s another valid approach?" "Indeed. Such techniques weren’t uncommon in ancient times, though now they’ve nearly vanished—not without their own perils." Fukasaku clarified. Kyohiko nodded—hardly surprised. Natural energy’s volatility guaranteed no completely safe training method existed. "Given this, do you still wish to proceed?" "Naturally." Kyohiko removed his outer layers, applying the toad oil more generously before sitting again in meditation. This time he attempted directing the invading energy—unsuccessfully, yet he sensed the underlying principles. Perhaps... It wasn’t impossibly difficult? Kyohiko paused thoughtfully before trying again. Fukasaku stood ready with a restraining staff, prepared to intervene—yet after multiple attempts, Kyohiko’s transformations remained mild, never approaching dangerous levels requiring interference. Watching this unprecedented stability, Fukasaku couldn’t suppress a startling realization— Could it be? Was this child actually a Sage Mode prodigy? Why else would he demonstrate such flawless natural energy control from the outset?