The Frog at the Bottom of the Well Vanishes into the Sea
[Scene changes]
Jiraiya was sitting in Konoha writing when he heard a voice beside him.
Shinobi live in a world where how they die is more important than how they live.
Shinobi's value in life is not determined by how he survives, but by what he does before he dies.
Looking back now, my life has been nothing but a failure.
He was repeatedly rejected by Tsunade.
It also failed to prevent my friend from going astray.
Furthermore, they failed to protect their master and disciples.
Compared to the great achievements of the Hokage throughout history, what I have done is utterly worthless.
I originally wanted to die like the previous Hokage.
The most compelling ending to a story is determined by the essence of its epilogue.
Failure can also be a kind of fun.
I firmly believe that this trial has honed me to the point of survival. In return, I must accomplish a great feat that can offset all past failures, and die as a great Shinobi, which is how it should be.
Hehehe, but this is the ending, I'm actually going to die like this. The Great Toad Sage prophesied that I am the leader of the change, and the choices I make will determine the stability or destruction of the Shinobi world.
He wanted to defeat Pain, stop Akatsuki, and save the Shinobi world, but even that choice failed. What a disgrace! Who would have thought this would be the ending of Jiraiya’s Tale of the Gallant? What a shame!
"A boring story!"
At this moment, everyone in the Shinobi World watched Jiraiya's monologue in silence. In their minds, Mr. Jiraiya was the renowned Konoha Sannin, the Toad Sage resounded throughout the Shinobi World.
However, in Jiraiya's self-assessment, he was portrayed as a series of failures.
[Yahiko: That's not how my teacher is at all. In my heart Jiraiya- sensei will always be the person I respect most, and that will never change.]
[Nagato: Me too.]
[Rasa: I never expected that I would acknowledge Jiraiya, one of the Konoha Sannin.]
[Orochimaru: Jiraiya, is this your choice?]
[Jiraiya: Don't say that, Orochimaru. I never thought that in the end I still wouldn't be able to fulfill the Great Toad Sage's prophecy and find the legendary Child of Prophecy of prophecy.]
[Ōnoki: Isn't Nagato the legendary Child of Prophecy of prophecy?]
[Nagato: I... I'm not worthy. I've disappointed you, teacher.]
[Jiraiya: No, I don't feel that way. In my opinion, it's because I failed to lead you onto the right path.]
Yahiko desperately didn't want to accept this ending, but the facts were undeniable: he and Nagato had personally ended the life of their master.
Just when everyone thought the story was about to end, new scenes appeared on the screen.
Minato suddenly appears in the video, and at this moment, Minato has become the Fourth Hokage.
"No, that's not true at all. This story is great." Minato said, holding Jiraiya's "The Tales of a Gutsy Ninja."
"The stories inside are all adapted from various legends about Jiraiya, like an autobiographical novel. The protagonist's unwavering will to never give up until the very end is so cool, he really is like Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya was quite embarrassed, after all, this was his first novel, Jiraiya could only scratch his head repeatedly after being praised by Minato.
"Is that so?"
At this moment, Minato suddenly uttered an idea. "I wish my future child could become Shinobi like the protagonist, so could I use the protagonist's name from that novel?"
Jiraiya never expected Minato to ask such a question.
"Hey, is this really okay? Naruto was just a name I randomly came up with while eating ramen."
"Naruto, what a great name," Kushina replied.
[Jiraiya: Wait a minute, what's going on? Minato has a child?!]
[Orochimaru: It seems to be something from the future, but the name Naruto sounds familiar...]
[Kushina: No, didn't you guys notice?]
Just then, Kushina suddenly pointed at Minato Namikaze dressed as a Hokage. She was very excited and grabbed Minato Namikaze's arm tightly.
Minato, of course, saw himself as the Hokage. He never expected to become Hokage; he had always thought it would be Lady Tsunade or Jiraiya.
"Kakashi, doesn't the name Naruto sound familiar?" Obito asked excitedly.
Kakashi knew perfectly well that the few brats he'd encountered in the previous dungeon were actually Minato-sensei's children; they seemed completely unrelated.
Kushina also noticed Obito's words.
"Obito, you know Naruto?" Kushina asked curiously. She and Minato weren't even married yet, so how did Obito know her child?
Obito was equally puzzled. Logically, Minato-sensei and Kushina were both Elite Jonin of the village, so why was Naruto ranked last?
It seems Kakashi wasn't teaching properly. I knew Kakashi couldn't teach!
I'll whisper something in Kushina's ear and ask her to become Naruto's teacher. Then Naruto will never be a loser again.
When Kushina asked him about it, Obito recounted their encounter with Naruto in the dungeon. Of course, Naruto dared not mention that Obito was last in the rankings, as Kushina would surely scold Kakashi if she got angry.
Minato never expected that his student would actually meet his future son in the dungeon and even help Obito complete the mission. It seems that Naruto is a genius Shinobi just like him.
[Orochimaru: The Inventory System wouldn't release this clip for no reason, would it?]
[Jiraiya: You mean something about Naruto?]
[Mei Terumi: It's just giving someone a name, what's the big deal? Does Naruto think he's some kind of chosen one that Jiraiya sought?]
[Orochimaru: Maybe. I've seen this kid named Naruto, but he seems to be in a rather pitiful state.]
[Kushina: Orochimaru, what are you talking about? Don't think I won't hit you just because you're Tsunade's teammate.]
[Minato Namikaze: Kushina, calm down! Don't act yet. Let's hear what Orochimaru has to say.]
At this moment, Minato was pulling Kushina tightly to prevent Kushina from suddenly attacking.
Orochimaru looked at the furious "Red-Hot Habanero" and recounted the scene of his encounter with Naruto to Kushina, including his tattered clothes and malnutrition. He also casually mentioned that it was his master Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi done it.
It was truly unintentional. What wicked thoughts could Orochimaru, a dutiful disciple, possibly have? He simply wanted his master to retire and rest sooner.
"Kushina," Jiraiya laughed Jiraiya.
"Wouldn't that make me the family member who named him? Do I really deserve that?"
"It is precisely because you are a teacher that you are qualified. You are an outstanding Shinobi with true Shinobi talent; there is no Shinobi more outstanding than you," Minato replied.
"I see, Naruto, huh?" Jiraiya recalled images of Naruto in his mind.
Looking back, you were like the protagonist in that novel, inheriting the beliefs and desires of Minato and Kushina.
"Naruto, without a doubt, you are the Child of Prophecy!"
[The Jiraiya’s Tale of the Gallant, now that's more like it, right?]
Jiraiya slowly sank to the bottom of the sea, he looked at the shimmering light on the surface of the ocean above him.
Is this the final chapter, the volume where the frog in the well disappears into the ocean?
Haha, it's actually quite appropriate.
Alright, it's about time to put down my pen. By the way, what's a good title for the new piece?
Oh, right!
Jiraiya's figure gradually sank into the darkness.
Naruto Uzumaki's Tale, hmm, that's pretty good.
[Jiraiya: Naruto, the chosen one, seems like this will be a pretty good ending.]