The sky over Mount Myōboku was as blue as ever.
Far from human settlements, the place was saturated with Nature Energy that ordinary humans could hardly endure.
Sage Fukasaku stared at Jiraiya for a long while before slowly asking, "Little Jiraiya, did you find the whereabouts of the Child of Prophecy during this trip? Otherwise, the Great Sage would not have awakened from his slumber."
Jiraiya froze for a moment, then said helplessly, "I found someone who might be the Child of Prophecy. He is my grandstudent, Minato's child, and the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Minato's child? That is truly good news..."
At that moment, Sage Fukasaku seemed to recall something and looked at Jiraiya in confusion. "Wait, the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? Is he no longer a Konoha ninja?"
Jiraiya nodded and said with a bitter smile, "For various reasons, Naruto left the village. And although I found him, he has no need for guidance from an old man like me."
"Little Jiraiya, if I remember correctly, Naruto should still be a child, shouldn't he?"
"He is a child, yes. But both his strength and status surpass mine. I even suspect that he has gained the Nine-Tails' recognition and become a perfect Jinchuriki."
After a pause, Jiraiya continued, "Perhaps that is what makes him the Child of Prophecy. He simply does not need anyone else's guidance."
Sage Fukasaku frowned. He thought of the Great Toad Sage's previous prophecy. It was nearly the most drastically altered prophecy he had ever seen, yet he could not imagine Little Jiraiya becoming the shadow of a village.
After chatting for a while, Sage Fukasaku brought Jiraiya to see the Great Toad Sage.
Wearing a doctoral cap and Buddhist beads around his neck, the Great Toad Sage was much more awake this time. After examining Jiraiya