"Did the procedure fail?" Kaida asked in a gloomy voice. He had desperately tried to stay conscious during the whole ordeal, but he knew he had lost the battle at so point and succumbed to unconsciousness.
"Who do you think your sensei is? Sothing like this is child's play for ! You’ll see the effects of the procedure once you activate the seal," Jiraiya said proudly, a grin on his face.
"Really?" Kaida asked, his voice tinged with hope as he felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"Yes, you held on through the most important part. After that, it was easy." Jiraiya nodded, choosing not to ntion the test Kaida had unknowingly endured.
"Thank God, I thought I ruined everything," Kaida said, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Don't worry about it now. But since you've been asleep for so long, it's already night. We’ll continue the training tomorrow. For now, you’re free to do whatever you want," Jiraiya said, rising from his seat.
Kaida, realizing that Jiraiya had waited patiently for him to wake up, smiled in appreciation.
‘This world is so strange. There are people like Danzo, Hanzo, and Obito who treat life so cheaply, killing without hesitation. And then, there are people like Naruto and Jiraiya, who form deep bonds with people after only eting them a few tis. But, it’s not a bad thing,’ Kaida thought with a soft smile.
"Sensei, my family runs the first dicinal bathhouse in Konoha. Since we have so ti, would you like to visit it with ?" Kaida offered.
"Sure, why not?" Jiraiya grinned. The idea of relaxing his tired muscles in a premium bathhouse was too tempting to resist.
---
They arrived at the bathhouse and indulged in the luxurious baths one by one. While Jiraiya appreciated the bathhouse's quality, he had a love-hate relationship with it. There was no place in the entire bathhouse where he could do any “research” undetected. Hae had ensured that privacy and security were maintained to protect the bathhouse's reputation—and Jiraiya's own questionable tendencies were well-known.
The fact that Hae wasn’t there when they arrived spared Jiraiya the awkwardness of any interaction. When they finished, Jiraiya politely declined Kaida’s offer to visit his ho, claiming he had important matters to attend to.
Kaida, not pushing the matter, returned ho alone and was greeted warmly by his family. Hae, overjoyed to see him after a week, insisted he eat until he was nearly bursting before they settled down for hours of heartwarming conversation.
anwhile, Jiraiya used reverse summoning to return to Mount Myoboku. A toad had approached him while Kaida was unconscious, requesting his presence.
---
Poof
“Long ti no see, Jiraiya-boy,” Fukasaku, known as Pa, greeted him as soon as Jiraiya appeared atop Mount Myoboku.
“Sorry for the delay, Pa. I was busy with sothing,” Jiraiya said.
“Yes, I can vividly sll the dicinal and flowery scents on you. You must have been really busy.” Pa's tone was light, but Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh awkwardly.
“We don’t have ti to joke around. Gamamaru-sama is waiting,” Pa said, his expression becoming serious.
---
“Good evening, Gamamaru-sama,” Jiraiya greeted with a respectful bow before the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, a being that had lived for hundreds of years.
“Jiraiya, you always had a knack for taking interesting students, hahaha,” Gamamaru chuckled.
“Yes, my recent student is quite talented. I’m certain he’ll surpass in his pri,” Jiraiya replied with a satisfied smile.
“Yes, but he is also the reason for the change in the future I initially saw,” Gamamaru said, his tone becoming more solemn.
“The prophecy about the Child of Prophecy?” Jiraiya asked, his heart tightening at the ntion.
“Yes, but that prophecy is no longer one hundred percent true. Although that child will still be the pivot of the world, there are now two possible paths. One where the outco brings true peace for everyone, and another..." Gamamaru paused, his expression grave.
"What about the other one, Gamamaru-sama?" Jiraiya asked, tension evident in his voice.
“The other future is filled with so much carnage that even I, who have seen death in all its forms, was startled. And your new student, Kaida, is tied to both of these futures," Gamamaru said.
“What can I do to prevent the second future from happening?” Jiraiya asked urgently. He knew Gamamaru wasn’t joking. Sohow, Kaida had beco deeply intertwined with the fate of the entire world, and Jiraiya was determined to do whatever it took to guide things toward the peaceful path.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes, there’s nothing you can do. Just let things unfold naturally and observe. But after three months, bring that boy to . I will take my rest now, and when I wake up, I want to see him. There’s sothing peculiar about him that I need to understand.” Gamamaru closed his eyes and drifted into slumber.
Jiraiya, knowing the conversation was over, bowed again. “Understood, Gamamaru-sama.”
“So, are you heading back, or will you stay? Ma has just prepared a delicious al. You could join us if you want,” Pa said.
‘I don’t want to eat insect soup and salad, not at all,’ Jiraiya groaned internally. Out loud, he said, “After hearing all of this, I’ve lost my appetite, Pa. I’ll return for now and think about it.”
“Hmph, your loss,” Pa said, hopping away toward his ho for what Jiraiya was certain would be a feast he was glad to miss.
---
Unaware of any of this, Kaida was peacefully sleeping in his room, ntally preparing for the grueling training that awaited him the next day.
---
The next morning, Kaida woke up, had breakfast with his family, and returned to Training Area 2. Jiraiya was already there, sitting in deep thought. Unlike usual, he wasn’t working on his novel or reading.
Seeing Jiraiya in such deep contemplation, Kaida chose not to disturb him, silently standing at his side.
“You’re not my guard, Kaida. Besides, you don’t have the luxury to wait around. We only have three weeks left, and there’s much for you to learn. For the next two weeks, we’ll focus solely on stabilizing your progress,” Jiraiya said.
“Yes, Sensei,” Kaida replied, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiraiya had sothing more to say but had chosen not to.
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