"Who would have thought Jiraiya actually believed Nagato was the Child of Prophecy!"
"By the way, what is the Child of Prophecy?"
"Jiraiya truly deserved to be called a hero at this moment! War hadn't driven him into darkness, and suffering hadn't made him cold!"
Inside Konoha's Hokage Office, the atmosphere had been fairly relaxed.
Watching the scenes of Jiraiya patiently teaching Nagato and the other two, teacher and students getting along harmoniously on the Sky Screen, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with relief. He turned to Jiraiya and praised him.
"Jiraiya, you taught them very well."
"Nagato is a good child at heart. He clearly accepted you as his teacher, and he accepted your ideals of peace, too."
"Good. Truly wonderful."
Praised to his face by the Hokage, Jiraiya instantly puffed up with pride, laughing smugly, his face brimming with confidence.
"Hahaha! Of course!"
"How could a student I chose possibly be anything less?"
"Nagato possesses the Rinnegan. He is kind, understands suffering, and yearns for the light. He is destined to become the savior of the entire Shinobi World!"
At that moment, Jiraiya was bursting with pride, utterly immersed in the joy of his student being the Child of Prophecy.
But just then, Tsunade, who had been quietly watching the Sky Screen beside him, suddenly gave a cold scoff. Her icy words doused his enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.
"Oh, really?"
"This savior of the Shinobi World you speak of later destroyed all of Konoha with his own hands."
That single, simple sentence instantly froze the atmosphere in the entire office.
The smug smile on Jiraiya's face stiffened, and he stood rooted to the spot.
His eyes widened, his face blank with bewilderment and disbelief. He stood dumbstruck for several seconds before instinctively scratching his head and speaking,