Jiraiya was taken aback by Qingguang's answer.
Whether it was his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, or his two teammates, Jiraiya and Tsunade, none of them had been willing to believe him or the prophecy.
But Qingguang's first response had been to ask whether he wanted help finding the Child of Prophecy...
Jiraiya couldn't see the slightest hint of teasing or doubt on Qingguang's face. There was only sincerity and focus.
In that moment, his eyes began to well up despite himself.
"Qingguang, thank you. But I can handle this myself."
Jiraiya told Qingguang what had happened between him and Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Hokage Office.
As he watched Qingguang furrow his brow, Jiraiya's heart climbed into his throat. If even Qingguang couldn't help...
"I can't do anything about this either."
"I knew it..." Jiraiya lowered his head in disappointment.
"But I do have a way to make up for it."
"What way!?" Jiraiya immediately grabbed Qingguang by the shoulders, his eyes brightening again.
"The Shinobi World is vast. Even if you went looking for the Child of Prophecy, you wouldn't know where to start. Begin with the Land of Rain."
"While searching for the Child of Prophecy, gather information from the Land of Rain as well. Have a Summoning Beast deliver it to me every so often, and I'll pass it on to Uncle Hiruzen."
Jiraiya understood Qingguang's general idea, but still had one question. "Why not have a toad deliver the information straight to Teacher Sarutobi? Wouldn't that be easier?"
Jiraiya was a little slow on the uptake when it came to this sort of thing, so Qingguang had to explain further.
"You need Uncle Hiruzen to see where you stand. You're leaving the village because of Mount Myōboku's prophecy. He isn't just your teacher—he's the Hokage of Konoha. As