A Prophecy That Would Sooner or Later Come True

This was a failed exchange.

Jiraiya recalled his own failed life.

When his once proud disciples died, he, their teacher, was never by their side.

Fate had been mocking his incompetence.

Like·-·

His life has been a series of failures.

Jiraiya lay on the lawn, thinking about how he had failed to protect his disciple, had never truly pursued Tsunade whom he loved, and had not been able to save his comrade Orochimaru from going astray.

"Emiya!"

Jiraiya was still reminiscing about the past, the boy's loud voice interrupted his thoughts, causing him to subconsciously turn around and look over.

A blond-haired boy wearing goggles rushed towards Shirou Emiya with a grin, his face covered in fresh bruises.

It was Naruto Uzumaki.

No one else in this village would dare to call Shirou Emiya that anymore.

"Slow down."

Shirou Emiya gestured for him to sit down, his palm radiating a vibrant green Chakra. Without asking where the wound came from, he casually treated the bruises on Shihara's face.

"Arigato!"

Naruto Uzumaki smiled and thanked him, then turned to look at Jiraiya and asked curiously, "Are you also Emiya's friend?"

"Woolen cloth."

Jiraiya's expression immediately froze.

This is indeed a somewhat awkward question.

No one in the entire Konoha would dare to call themselves a friend of Shirou Emiya, right? Even the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, could only humbly refer to himself as a junior.

"He is Tsunade's friend."

Shirou Emiya picked up a banknote and handed it to Naruto Uzumaki.

"That fierce-looking woman"

Naruto Uzumaki recalled his chance encounter with Tsunade with Shirou Emiya, only to witness Tsunade casually smash a wall with a single punch, a scene that sent a chill down his spine. "How dare someone befriend her?"

"Don't talk badly about others behind their backs."

Shirou Emiya ruffled his blond hair and defended the child he had raised, saying, "Tsunade was very well-behaved when she was little. Maybe she made some bad friends as she grew up—"

"This accusation is far too biased towards Tsunade— "

Jiraiya's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Although she and Orochimaru did seem to be terrible friends, Tsunade was naturally fierce.

It wouldn't be right to say that he and Orochimaru corrupted Tsunade!

However, Shirou Emiya ignored Jiraiya's argument and simply chatted quietly with Naruto Uzumaki, listening to the child tell stories about what happened to him at school.

For example, his friend Shikamaru Nara got scolded again for sleeping in class.

For example, his friend Choji Akimichi got scolded again for secretly eating potato chips during class.

These are all trivial matters.

Anyone listening to these kids' stories would feel sleepy, even Jiraiya yawned, but Shirou Emiya listened very attentively, occasionally offering a comment or two to encourage the child to continue the conversation.

As dusk approached, Naruto Uzumaki pulled out his small wallet and announced the surprise he wanted to give to Shirou Emiya: "Grandpa gave me my allowance again! I can treat Emiya to ramen tonight!"

"Kid, should we hire another person?"

Jiraiya, somewhat bored, sat up straight with a blade of grass in his mouth and shamelessly asked if he could freeload a meal.

"Huh?"

Naruto Uzumaki scratched the back of his head, and after a moment of surprise, a big smile suddenly appeared on his face, "Okay!"

It looks a little strange.

But·

This white-haired man was willing to have a serious conversation with him, and even willing to eat with him.

This made Naruto Uzumaki a little happy.

However, something happened at this dinner that made Naruto Uzumaki feel guilty.

Because when he was happily eating his ramen, Shirou Emiya once again gave him his ramen.

She even used her physical condition as an excuse to decline the idea of having another bowl, but the white-haired man who was freeloading the meal shamelessly asked for two more bowls.

Late at night.

When Shirou Emiya said goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki, Jiraiya had a toothpick in his mouth, and the two of them watched the little brat's back as he went home.

"Have you noticed anything wrong?"

Shirou Emiya suddenly asked a question.

"Hmm?"

Jiraiya frowned and pondered, recalling the day he met Naruto Uzumaki, completely unable to imagine what the problem was.

Is there something wrong with this child?

On the surface, Naruto Uzumaki looks a lot like his father Minato Namikaze.

His personality, however, was not as gentle and quiet as Minato's; rather, he was more like his mother Kushina Uzumaki, lively and fiery.

Is there a problem with this?

There shouldn't be any problems, right?

Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Jiraiya secretly observed Naruto Uzumaki. He knew that Naruto Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha, but he did not sense any leakage of the Nine-Tails 'Chakra.

What could possibly be a problem?

Jiraiya really couldn't quite understand it.

However, Emiya Tsuchihara asked this question, and given his status, Jiraiya dared not ignore it, choosing to secretly observe Naruto Uzumaki for a whole day.

At the Ninja School, Naruto Uzumaki behaved quite normally. He had a lot of fun with his two friends, but he wasn't very attentive in class.

Although Naruto Uzumaki was scolded by the shopkeeper when he bought things at the village store, and was even pointed at and told off by the villagers to keep other children away, Naruto Uzumaki still wore a big smile.

He seemed to be in a good mood, and happily went to find Shirou Emiya and took him fishing by the river.

Like-.

There are still no problems.

Jiraiya had to observe Naruto Uzumaki for a whole week. He found that the boy had a very optimistic attitude. Even in a harsh living environment and without his parents' love, it did not stop Naruto Uzumaki from having a positive attitude.

Moreover, with Shirou Emiya by his side, Naruto Uzumaki always slept soundly after returning home.

Aside from the occasional sadness of being alone at home, I can quickly adjust my mindset and prepare for a brighter tomorrow.

"Is everything alright?"

Jiraiya stroked his chin, recalling his childhood. "That's how all orphans in the village got through it."

That's how he is.

Kakashi is the same.

Orphans in the village who have no parents to raise them all go through this, learning to endure unbearable environments from a young age. However, Naruto Uzumaki is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so the environment he faced during his childhood was probably even harsher.

Winter is here.

The streets of Konoha were covered in a blanket of snow.

Shirou Emiya helped Naruto Uzumaki put on a thick children's outfit, and then put a bright red scarf and gloves on him. The little guy, whose face was red from the cold, hugged his leg tightly, and his eyes were also a little red.

At this time...

It seems they're not friends anymore.

Shirou Emiya once again became a reliable elder.

Naruto Uzumaki grew up without parents and greatly envied his peers who were pampered. He began to secretly hope that Shirou Emiya his family.

Just as Naruto Uzumaki left, Jiraiya quietly appeared beside Shirou Emiya. He glanced at Shinobu with a strange expression, as if he had finally received an answer, "Does Lord Shirou believe that Naruto's upbringing was problematic because he grew up without parents? Orphans in the village all grew up like that—"

"They're different."

Shirou Emiya shook his head, watching Naruto Uzumaki skip around, trying to appear happy. "In the end, others get more than him."

"At least."

As Shirou Emiya said this, his gaze fell on the clothing store owner, whose face was still filled with resentment. "Other children don't experience so much malice when they're young."

"That child—"

"It's gradually moving towards extremes."

"How could that be?"

Jiraiya quickly shook his head. He had been observing Naruto Uzumaki during this time and had not found anything unusual about Naruto Uzumaki.

Jiraiya showed a hint of satisfaction on his face, satisfaction with Naruto Uzumaki's growth so far. "That little Naruto is better at facing dangerous environments than anyone else. He will definitely become an excellent ninja when he grows up—"

Maybe he'll be just like his father someday!

With this mindset, he will never give up in the face of any difficulty!

Jiraiya, felt a surge of excitement. He had discovered Naruto Uzumaki's strengths and wanted to personally teach the boy in the future.

"Naruto will not turn to darkness."

Jiraiya was very confident in his own judgment.

As a well-informed ninja, Jiraiya believed he had some discernment and began to suspect that Shirou Emiya's views might be wrong.

"Can't even the bright side be extreme?"

Shirou Emiya turned to look at Jiraiya, his gaze still calm. "You've been observing this child, but perhaps you've never realized something—"

"This child's heart unconsciously seeks warmth in every possible way, and he is gradually trying to protect everything he has received."

"Future"

"A true will to protect everything around him will awaken within this child, and this will will enable him to endure everything and thus become stronger."

Jiraiya didn't quite understand what Shirou Emiya meant.

Isn't this a good thing?

For a Konoha ninja, isn't this a good thing?

If Naruto Uzumaki becomes strong in the future to protect those around him, isn't that the mindset that an excellent ninja must possess?

"This child is very strong."

Shirou Emiya's expression turned subtly somber, as if he had seen through the truth of this world:

This child might even become stronger than the Hashirama I've ever seen, because his will has become more extreme than Hashirama's.

Jiraiya immediately began to ponder.

If anyone else had said that, Jiraiya would have had reservations. Even if Jiraiya believed that Naruto Uzumaki would become an excellent ninja in the future, there would still be a certain gap between them if he wanted to surpass the First Hokage.

But...

These words were spoken by Shirou Emiya.

Jiraiya believed that Shirou Emiya was more qualified to speak on this matter than he was. He did not think he was better at judgment than Shirou Emiya. Could Naruto Uzumaki really surpass Hashirama Senju?

"But-"

"Absolute power brings absolute control."

Shirou Emiya suddenly spoke again, calmly adding, "That child's will to protect everything around him will inevitably transform into a terrifying desire for control, forcing those around him to live according to his wishes."

To be precise...

"It's not just the people around you—."

Shirou Emiya turned his head slightly, gazing at Jiraiya, and said softly, "His will and his power will even be enough to support him, allowing him to eventually transform this world into the world of his ideal."

"This is-"

"The Prophecy of the Great Toad Sage— "

A hint of panic began to appear in Jiraiya's eyes.

Compared to the joy of Shirou Emiya personally identifying a Child of Prophecy, Jiraiya was more terrified of the unknown changes this Child of Prophecy would bring to the world.

The prophesied child will bring about an unknown transformation to the Shinobi World.

Even Jiraiya realized that Shirou Emiya was right.

Naruto Uzumaki truly cherishes everything around him, and even more so because he has received so little. However, this child hasn't yet realized how he should protect, or even control, those things.