Jiraiya's Prophecy

Kakashi strolled lazily down the street. As he walked, he suddenly took a few steps back and looked up at a furtive figure on the rooftop.

A tall middle-aged man with waist-length white hair and a red outer robe was crouched above the Konoha Hot Springs, peering downward with a lecherous expression.

"Hehehe, a little more to the left. Yes, just like that."

A satisfied smile hung at the man's lips, and his eyes narrowed obscenely.

"Lord Jiraiya, what are you looking at?" Kakashi crouched behind Jiraiya, unable to see anything.

"What?!"

Jiraiya jumped in fright and fell straight off the roof.

Kakashi helplessly leaped down after him and watched Jiraiya get up and dust off his clothes.

"Ahem, so it's Kakashi. I was merely gathering material for my new book."

Jiraiya cleared his throat and put on the air of an enlightened master.

"Lord Jiraiya, it's not that I want to say this, but what you were doing was really a bit..."

Before Kakashi could finish, Jiraiya cut him off.

"Here, this is for you. It's a hardcover edition with my personal autograph, consider it a belated coming-of-age gift." Jiraiya pulled a book from his robes and handed it to Kakashi.

"Even if you put it that way, what you were doing just now was still..."

Kakashi opened the book and flipped through it twice, then his eyes could no longer move away.

Damn it, I've clearly read it countless times already. Why can't I resist the temptation of Make-Out Paradise?!

"Lord Jiraiya, thank you for the gift!"

Kakashi spoke sincerely. He felt as though his life had found a new goal.

"Hahahaha, as long as you like it." Jiraiya laughed heartily.

"By the way, Lord Jiraiya, did you visit the Third Hokage after returning to the village?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya scratched his head. "Ah, if I go see the old man, he'll give me a whole lecture and tell me to stay. Better not to see him."

"Actually, I returned to the village this time for an important matter." Jiraiya's expression turned serious.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Yeah, right. You old pervert came back and immediately started peeping on girls. As if I'd believe you!

Jiraiya said solemnly, "The last time I went to Mount Myōboku, Bunta and the others told me that the Great Toad Sage had made a new prophecy, and it concerns you!"

"It concerns me?"

Kakashi was startled. Could the Great Toad Sage have sensed the changes that had happened to him?

Kakashi tried asking, "What does the prophecy say? That I'll save the world?"

"No." Jiraiya shook his head.

"Hiss... Don't tell me it prophesied that I'd destroy the world."

Kakashi began to panic. Would Jiraiya take advantage of a moment of inattention and secretly kill him?

"Not that either."

Jiraiya continued shaking his head. "The Great Toad Sage said that even he cannot decipher the prophecy's exact meaning."

(ÒωÓױ)?!

Kakashi did his best to make that expression with one eye.

"The Great Toad Sage said that you often appear in His dreams, but every time you appear, you undergo a different change."

"You always appear with a new identity and are always doing different things, as though you are many completely different people."

After hearing that, Kakashi could not help but shiver. Something within him seemed to struggle to surface, but in the end, it slowly subsided.

Jiraiya did not notice Kakashi's abnormality and continued, "This is how the Great Toad Sage described you."

"That young man's fate seems connected to countless worlds, and infinite possibilities are nurtured within him."

All sorts of thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind. The Great Toad Sage's prophecy seemed to echo the strange things that had happened to him before.

Seeing Kakashi deep in thought, Jiraiya stroked his chin. "It seems you have some understanding of your own uniqueness."

Jiraiya compared the two prophecies and realized that, compared with Kakashi, the previous Child of Prophecy seemed rather unimpressive.

Countless worlds, infinite possibilities—no matter how he heard it, that sounded more impressive than his own Child of Prophecy!

Besides, his Child of Prophecy was so mysterious that he still could not determine who it was. It would be better to come directly to Kakashi!

So Jiraiya had hurried back, even giving Kakashi a precious hardcover edition of Make-Out Paradise.

"So..." Jiraiya said, "is there anything you need my help with, Kakashi?"

Yes! Absolutely!

Kakashi immediately asked, "Can you teach me Senjutsu, Lord Jiraiya?"

"Senjutsu?"

Jiraiya was not surprised that Kakashi knew of Senjutsu. After all, Minato knew Senjutsu, so it was only natural that Kakashi would know as well.

Jiraiya pondered for a moment. "I don't want to discourage you, Kakashi, but Senjutsu has very high Chakra requirements, and you..."

In his memory, Kakashi's Chakra reserves had been pitifully low.

Kakashi was displeased. "Lord Jiraiya, one should look at a person with new eyes after three days apart. I'm no longer the person I once was."

Kakashi rolled up his sleeve and circulated his Chakra. The surging aura even surprised Jiraiya.

"I didn't expect your Chakra reserves to have increased so much. But you haven't signed a contract with Mount Myōboku, so I can't arbitrarily teach you Senjutsu."

Sigh...

Kakashi lifelessly touched his forehead protector. If Jiraiya could not make the decision, why had he said so much? Wasn't this just messing with his head?

"Then can you at least let me see Senjutsu Chakra?" Kakashi decided to settle for less.

"I can, but if you cannot sense Natural Energy, seeing it will not be of any help."

Jiraiya was somewhat puzzled. Since Kakashi knew about Senjutsu, there was no reason for him not to know some of its basic principles.

Tch, how am I supposed to explain this to Jiraiya? After thinking it over, Kakashi decided to use the prophecy as an excuse.

"I'm the man foretold to bear the fate of countless worlds. Perhaps I might gain something from it." Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya.

This kid probably had secrets of his own, Jiraiya silently guessed, but he did not ask.

Let alone with Minato between them, even between master and disciple, some cultivation secrets could not be questioned, lest they give rise to suspicion.

"Since that is the case, then as you wish."

Jiraiya pulled a scroll from his robes and handed it to Kakashi.

"To study Senjutsu more deeply before, I sealed some Senjutsu Chakra inside this scroll. It has come in handy now."

It actually worked!

Kakashi happily reached out to take the scroll, but Jiraiya did not let go.

"Kakashi, you may have secrets of your own, but do not try Senjutsu lightly. If something goes wrong, people die!" Jiraiya warned Kakashi.