The Profound Principles of Wood Release

At Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya, having arrived via the Reverse Summoning Technique, stood before the Great Toad Sage.

The Great Toad Sage, perched on his high dais, looked as if he had just woken from a slumber, blinking hazily as he asked, "And you are...?"

The old toad Fukasaku, standing nearby, hurriedly replied, "It's Jiraiya, little Jiraiya! You've forgotten again, Elder."

Gamamaru pondered for a long time, looking as though he might drift back to sleep at any moment.

Sage Shima, the mother toad at his side, spoke up sharply: "You saw him just a month ago! Don't you go falling asleep again, you senile old man!"

Fukasaku quickly interjected, "Mother, how can you speak to the Elder like that?"

Shima retorted, "Am I wrong? If he can't remember things from day to day, what else do you call him but a senile old man?"

The shouting roused Gamamaru, who reached out to grab a bottle of sake, downing it in one go with a series of gulps: "Alright, alright, stop bickering. A toad couple should live in harmony."

Once finished, Gamamaru squinted his eyes and looked at Jiraiya again: "Right, and you are... who was it again?"

After another reminder from Fukasaku and a roll of the eyes from Jiraiya, Gamamaru finally sighed, "So you've grown up, little Jiraiya."

"Regarding the person you came here to ask about, in the occasional dreams I've had over this past month, I seem to have seen a different future."

A different future?

Jiraiya froze. Had the prophecy changed? What about the future of the Child of Prophecy?

Gamamaru did not give Jiraiya time to ponder, continuing, "I see... many, many... many, many shinobi... farming."

"Farming?!"

The exclamation of confusion came from all of them simultaneously.

Whether it was the two toads, Fukasaku and Shima, or Jiraiya himself, none of them could grasp the meaning of those words. If taken literally, shinobi farming? How could that be possible?

Gamamaru continued, "After a great war, the vast majority of shinobi are farming. Earth Release to till the soil, Water Release to irrigate, Fire Release and taijutsu to forge tools, Lightning Release to provide power, and Wind Release to fell trees and cut through steel and boulders. So many, many of them, each shinobi performing their own duties..."

The sudden influx of information left Jiraiya stunned. Making shinobi engage in production? How could that be?

Just as he was about to ask more, Gamamaru said, "The future has become unpredictable; even the dreams of a toad have been interfered with. Little Jiraiya, that is all I can tell you."

As his voice trailed off, Gamamaru downed another bottle of sake and drifted back to sleep.

Yet the information he left behind kept Jiraiya in a state of long-lasting agitation. Had the future truly become unpredictable? What about the Child of Prophecy destined to lead the world toward peace?

A great war?

A massive number of shinobi farming?

A great war was certainly possible; the various Shinobi World Wars had proven that. But a massive number of shinobi farming? Just thinking about it felt completely impossible. Where would one find so many shinobi doing such a thing?

"Little Jiraiya, the Elder's senility has been quite severe lately. Don't take it to heart."

After offering comfort, Shima added, "Besides, if all the shinobi in the future really did go off to farm, that would be a good thing. At the very least, you humans wouldn't be killing each other anymore."

These words struck a chord in Jiraiya. Sage Shima was right; if all the shinobi were busy farming, war would naturally cease to exist.

In that light, it was actually a rather pleasant future.

Fukasaku hopped onto Jiraiya's shoulder: "It's already noon, little Jiraiya. If you aren't busy, why not stay and have a meal with us?"

For a split second, Jiraiya nearly jumped out of his skin. Eating at Mount Myoboku? That meant a table full of bugs!

He had to get out of there, fast.

Within the Land of Rain.

Sora froze when he saw the gaudily dressed figure ahead. Jiraiya? What was he doing in the Land of Rain at a time like this?

In his memories, this old pervert never seemed to know about the changes in Amegakure or the transformation of his three disciples until the very battle where he died.

So, at this point in time, he shouldn't be returning to the Land of Rain to gather intelligence, should he?

After arriving in the Land of Rain, Jiraiya first went to the old shack that once stood there, but aside from a pile of ruins, there was nothing of use left.

Later, an old ailment flared up, and he naturally headed toward the town, intending to "gather intelligence" at a brothel.

Uzumaki Sora, who had arrived via the Body Flicker Technique, hid in the shadows. He wanted to see how the situation would unfold.

With the flapping of the butterfly's wings, too many things had already been altered. If Jiraiya and the Six Paths of Pain ended up fighting, that wouldn't be a bad thing; at the very least, the chances of him being able to "borrow" an arm would increase significantly.

As night fell, a well-fed and tipsy Jiraiya began his nightly "field research."

Outside the women's bath, a lecherous old man with spiky white hair crouched down to peek, his backside wiggling obscenely as he peered through the gap.

In the shadows, Sora covered his forehead with one hand. He shouldn't have trusted this old man to do anything serious; he was probably just passing through the Land of Rain while doing his "research."

What an absolute idiot!

After a moment of thought, Sora smiled and pressed his hands together, forming the Snake Seal.

Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

In an instant, under Sora's control, a branch with a sharp, pointed tip sprouted from the soil.

Then, the tip aimed directly at the center of the target's two cheeks. Damn it, could he stop wiggling?!

"Swish!"

As the ability activated, a massive tree branch lunged forward with sudden violence.

"Pfft."

In an instant, a chrysanthemum bloomed.

"AHHH!!!"

Amidst the shrill scream, Jiraiya lunged forward, shattering the wooden door and tumbling directly into the hot spring bath.

"Ah...!"

"There's a man! A pervert!"

"Beat him up!"

"Where's my towel?"

"Why are you looking for a towel? Cover your face!"

Amidst the cacophony of screams, a puff of smoke erupted inside the wooden door.

Behind Uzumaki Sora appeared a guy clutching his backside, sporting a head of spiky white hair and paint markings under his eyes.

"Kid, do you know that all sensations are transmitted back to the original body when a Shadow Clone Technique dissipates? I..."

Jiraiya, still clutching his rear, wanted to say more but froze, asking in confusion, "Uzumaki Sora?"

Sora looked at the man's awkward posture with disdain: "Did the branch make a sound when it burst from the ground? You used that Shadow Clone Technique quite quickly; I didn't even notice. But if it weren't for the need to aim, I could have skewered you like a kebab the moment you appeared."

These words made Jiraiya tense up; that feeling from just a moment ago was truly...

"What are you doing in the Land of Rain?"

Both asked simultaneously.

Jiraiya chuckled and said, "I heard from Minato that you seem to be an all-knowing existence. So, could it be that you don't know the purpose of my visit to the Land of Rain?"

Sora replied, "No one can truly be all-knowing. Every variable leads to a branching of events, and I have merely glimpsed one possible outcome."

An outcome?

Jiraiya pondered for a moment and asked, "What kind of outcome have you seen?"

Yun looked Jiraiya up and down with eyes full of disdain: "You cannot afford the price for the answer to that question. Or to put it another way, you possess no chips that I find worthy."

"Since you have returned to Konoha, you should know that information here must be exchanged for chips. But unfortunately, you are worthless."

Begging for everything, my lords! It's the first round of recommendations!