The Changing Wheel of Fate

"I'm fifty meters to the southeast. In position!"

"Received. I'm at my assigned point and can begin at any time!"

"Good. Orochimaru, follow my command, then charge in together!

3...

2...

1

Go!"

As Kagura shouted the final word, two black shadows suddenly sprang down from the trees and rushed toward their target not far away.

"Meow~~~~~~~"

With a miserable feline cry, a massive black cat appeared in Kagura's arms.

The cat continued struggling desperately, trying to break free from Kagura's grip.

Grabbing the cat by the scruff with his Right Hand, Kagura held it dangling in Mid-air.

As if some sort of switch had been flipped, the cat that had been struggling nonstop suddenly went still.

Carefully, Kagura placed the target in the cage they had prepared beforehand.

The four members of Team 7 all let out a sigh of relief.

That was right, they were carrying out a mission.

Three weeks had passed since that test.

As Genin, they could now begin taking on missions.

However, for rookies like them, the only jobs they could receive at this stage were D-rank missions such as helping people find lost cats.

During This Period, Hiruzen Sarutobi occasionally came to lead them on missions.

But most of the time, it was just the four of them.

And whenever that happened, The Other Three tacitly treated Kagura as the team leader, letting him direct the mission plan.

Glancing at the restless cat in the cage, Kagura stared blankly at the communicator in his hand.

Come to think of it, this world was truly strange.

If you said its technology was backward, it still had short-range communicators like this.

At least within a range of one thousand meters, its effectiveness was beyond reproach.

But if you said its technology was advanced, forget cars—this place did not even have bicycles.

No wonder the Ninja here all ran so fast. They had basically been forced into it...

Just as Kagura was lost in his thoughts, Tsunade spoke up and interrupted him.

"Alright, the target has been captured.

Let's hurry back and turn in the mission."

They had long grown accustomed to Kagura occasionally spacing out like this back at the Ninja Academy.

That was also why Tsunade always called him idiot.

After returning to the mission office, the mission was finally considered complete once the owner confirmed that they had indeed caught her lost Pet.

Watching the old woman, whose face was caked in powder as thick as a white wall, constantly rub against the poor cat in her arms...

The four of them could not help feeling a little pity.

No wonder the cat had run away...

Tsunade raised both hands and stretched lazily.

Kagura stole a glance from beside her.

Hmm!

Still flat as a washboard.

Unaware of Kagura's thoughts, Tsunade looked at the three of them and said:

"Today's mission is finished, so none of us have anything else to do, right?

How about...

We hold a party at Kagura's home tonight!"

Ever since they had sampled Kagura's cooking at his home, The Other Three had all shown remarkable enthusiasm whenever it came to eating at his place.

It could not be helped. In a world where even a bowl of ramen counted as a rare delicacy...

Kagura's cooking, inherited from ancient Huaxia traditions, had undoubtedly opened the door to a whole new world for them.

Hearing Tsunade's suggestion, Orochimaru silently nodded in agreement.

Seeing that, Tsunade waved her little hand and prepared to lead everyone to the Vegetable market.

Hey...

You really were not planning to ask the person involved for his opinion at all, were you?

Kagura looked helplessly at the two of them and thought.

Unexpectedly, Jiraiya, who was usually especially proactive at times like this, said to everyone:

"Ah, I won't be going this time.

I have something to take care of later, so I'll be leaving first."

After saying that, he waved and left without waiting for anyone else to react.

Watching Jiraiya's retreating Back View, Tsunade said strangely:

"What's been up with Jiraiya lately?

Every time he finishes a mission, he rushes off. It feels like he's been really busy recently."

As if she had thought of something, she clenched her fists, narrowed her eyes maliciously, and said in an odd tone:

"Don't tell me he went to peep at the bathhouse again..."

Sensing the dangerous aura Emitting from Tsunade, Kagura and Orochimaru could not help taking a step back.

Back when they were still at the Ninja Academy, Jiraiya had once dragged Orochimaru along and tried to get him to peep into the women's bathhouse.

Unfortunately, Tsunade had been inside that bathhouse at the time.

Kagura only knew that Tsunade had broken six of Jiraiya's ribs, fractured both his wrists, and ruptured several of his internal organs that time.

That severe injury had forced him to recuperate at home for nearly Two Months before recovering.

Just as Tsunade lifted her leg to go after him, Kagura hurriedly Spoke Again to explain on Jiraiya's behalf:

"I know what he's going to do.

I heard that after that day, he asked Teacher Sarutobi about Summoning Jutsu.

But when he tried using the Summoning Jutsu himself, he was summoned in reverse to a strange place.

Recently, he's been going there every day to learn new ninjutsu and techniques."

Kagura, who knew the circumstances well, naturally knew that the So-called strange place was Mount Myōboku.

It could be said that it was the crucial turning point that would allow Jiraiya to grow into one of the future Sannin.

Hearing Kagura's explanation, Tsunade stopped and turned back to look at him doubtfully.

"You're saying Jiraiya has been busy training lately?"

Kagura nodded repeatedly.

Come to think of it, it was strange. Perhaps because Kagura was familiar with all three of their personalities, or perhaps because he truly possessed a certain natural charm...

After Team 7 was formed, Kagura had somehow become the person closest to each of them.

Even Jiraiya had taken the initiative to tell Kagura about his recent experiences.

Hearing that Jiraiya was working hard at his training, Tsunade looked blankly in the direction he had long since disappeared.

A strange glimmer also flashed through Orochimaru's eyes.

Within Mount Myōboku, a somewhat stern voice rang out:

"Jiraiya, are you an idiot?

You can't even learn such a basic ninjutsu as Fire Release: Flame Bullet."

Jiraiya stood on a Flat Ground, puffing out his cheeks with all his might. But after all that preparation, he only spat out a stream of black liquid resembling petroleum.

"Idiot, when you refine Chakra into oil and spit it out, use Fire Release to ignite it!

Do you even understand what Fire Release means?!"

An exasperated voice came from a huge boulder nearby. The speaker was actually a Toad hopping up and down.

Hearing this, Jiraiya scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Fortunately, another Toad hopped over at that moment.

The newly arrived Toad looked up at Jiraiya, then said:

"Jiraiya, come with me.

Our Great Toad Sage wants to see you."

Great Toad Sage?

Hearing that title, Jiraiya froze for a moment.

However, he did not say anything else and silently followed behind the Toad.

Ever since he had stumbled into this place Two Weeks ago and helped Bunta drive away a giant snake...

These Toads had offered to help him train as repayment.

Although he had been scolded rather badly throughout the process, Jiraiya had indeed felt his strength grow during This Period.

Therefore, he followed without any hesitation when faced with this sudden invitation.

As the scenery around him kept changing, he soon arrived inside a palace.

At the very highest seat of that magnificent palace sat an especially enormous and ancient-looking Toad.

After respectfully bowing toward the top, the Toad that had led him there said:

"Great Toad Sage, this is Jiraiya."

After saying that, it withdrew on its own.

While Jiraiya was still observing the Great Toad Sage seated above, the enormous Toad took the initiative to speak.

"You are the human who accidentally entered Mount Myōboku not long ago?"

Not knowing what it meant, Jiraiya could only nod blankly.

The Toad Sage looked him over from head to toe, then Spoke Again:

"Hmm... You truly are the same as the human I saw in my dream.

You are the person chosen by fate."

A dream? Chosen by fate?

Hearing those words, Jiraiya Only Feel utterly confused.

Seeing this, the Toad Sage explained:

"As the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, I possess the ability to see prophecies.

A Long Time ago, I glimpsed that a human Youth would come to Mount Myōboku.

And that person is you.

You will become an outstanding Ninja. Once you are capable of standing on your own, you will begin traveling everywhere to write books, and during that time, you will take on a disciple.

This disciple will bring change to the world. Don't Know whether this change will bring stability to the world...

What the hell!"

At this point, the Toad Sage, who had kept his eyes narrowed all along, suddenly Opened them wide.

Jiraiya, who had been listening with great interest and immersed in the future being described, was startled by the sudden exclamation.

Without paying attention to Jiraiya's strange expression below, the Toad Sage muttered in disbelief:

"Why...

I can feel it...

This is impossible!

The Wheel of Fate has actually changed!"