Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 125: A Prophecy That Will Inevitably Come True

This was a failed conversation.

Jiraiya thought about his own failed life.

When his once-proud disciples died, he, their teacher, was never by their side. Fate had always mocked his incompetence.

It was as if...

His whole life had been one long failure.

Lying on the grass, Jiraiya reflected on how he had failed to protect his disciples, never truly pursued the Tsunade he loved, and never managed to bring back his wayward comrade, Orochimaru.

"Shigen!"

Just as Jiraiya was lost in his thoughts, a young voice interrupted him, making him instinctively turn his head.

A blond-haired boy wearing goggles ran toward Shigen with a bright, cheerful smile, his face covered in fresh bruises.

It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

In this village, no one else would dare call Shigen that.

"Slow down."

Shigen gestured for him to sit, his palm glowing with a gentle green chakra. Without asking where the wounds came from, he casually healed the bruises on Naruto's face.

"Arigato!"

Naruto grinned and turned to look at Jiraiya, who was lying nearby. Curiously, he asked, "Are you Shigen's friend too?"

"Uh..."

Jiraiya's expression froze.

That was a rather awkward question.

No one in Konoha would dare claim to be Shigen's friend. Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would humbly refer to himself as a junior in front of him.

"He's Tsunade's friend," Shigen replied, handing Naruto a tissue.

"That fierce woman..."

Naruto recalled an encounter with Tsunade, where she had effortlessly smashed a wall with a single punch. Just thinking about it made him shudder. "People actually dare to be friends with her?"

"Don't talk behind people's backs..."

Shigen ruffled Naruto's blond hair, defending his old friend. "Tsunade was well-behaved when she was little. She probably just made some bad friends as she grew up."

"That's way too biased in her favor..."

Jiraiya twitched.

Sure, he and Orochimaru weren't exactly great influences, but Tsunade had always been fierce. It wasn't fair to blame them for that!

Shigen, however, paid no attention to Jiraiya's protests. He simply listened to Naruto chat about school—Shikamaru getting scolded for sleeping in class, Choji getting reprimanded for sneaking snacks.

Trivial matters.

Anyone else would find these kids' stories dull. Even Jiraiya was starting to yawn. But Shigen listened carefully, occasionally responding to keep Naruto talking.

As evening fell, Naruto pulled out his small wallet and proudly announced, "Grandpa gave me my allowance again! I can treat Shigen to ramen tonight!"

"Hey, kid, how about treating one more person?"

Jiraiya, looking utterly shameless, chewed on a blade of grass as he sat up, hinting that he wanted a free meal.

"Huh?"

Naruto scratched his head, then suddenly broke into a big smile. "Sure!"

It was...

A little weird.

But...

This white-haired man was willing to talk to him and even eat with him. That made Naruto happy.

However...

The dinner ended with Naruto feeling guilty.

As he happily ate, Shigen once again gave him his own bowl of ramen, using the excuse that he wasn't feeling well to decline another. Meanwhile, the white-haired freeloader shamelessly ordered two extra bowls.

Late at night.

As Shigen bid Naruto farewell, Jiraiya stood beside him, chewing on a toothpick as they watched the boy disappear into the distance.

"Did you notice anything?"

Shigen suddenly asked.

"Hm?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brow, trying to recall anything unusual about Naruto.

From what he had observed, Naruto looked a lot like his father, Minato Namikaze.

His personality, though, wasn't like Minato's calm demeanor. Instead, he resembled his mother, Kushina Uzumaki—lively and fiery.

Was that a problem?

Not really.

At Ichiraku Ramen, Jiraiya had secretly observed Naruto. As Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, there had been no signs of the beast's chakra leaking out.

So...

What was the issue?

Jiraiya couldn't figure it out.

But since Shigen had brought it up, he couldn't ignore it. He spent the next week watching Naruto closely.

Naruto was always cheerful, despite the harsh environment he lived in.

Even when store owners scolded him or villagers whispered behind his back, telling other children to stay away from him, Naruto still smiled and carried on as if nothing was wrong.

There was...

No problem, right?

Jiraiya even found himself admiring Naruto's resilience. Despite having no parents, despite growing up alone, the boy remained optimistic.

And with Shigen's presence in his life...

Naruto slept soundly at night.

Although he sometimes felt lonely, he quickly adjusted and looked forward to a better tomorrow.

"Nothing seems wrong..."

Jiraiya stroked his chin, recalling his own childhood. "All orphans in the village grow up like this."

He had.

Kakashi had.

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Every orphan in Konoha endured hardship. Naruto's struggles were harsher because he was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, but still, he was getting by.

Winter arrived.

Konoha's streets were blanketed in snow.

Shigen wrapped Naruto in a thick coat, tied a bright red scarf around his neck, and put gloves on his tiny hands. The boy, face flushed from the cold, hugged Shigen's leg tightly, his eyes slightly red.

At that moment...

They weren't just friends.

Shigen had become a figure Naruto could rely on.

Having never known his parents, Naruto longed for affection. Deep down, he wished Shigen could be his family.

When Naruto finally left, Jiraiya appeared beside Shigen, eyeing him with curiosity. "Are you saying Naruto's upbringing is a problem just because he lacks parents? All orphans grow up like this."

"It's different."

Shigen shook his head, watching Naruto's small figure bouncing away. "Others always had more than him."

"At the very least..."

Shigen's gaze shifted to a shopkeeper still glaring in Naruto's direction with hatred. "Other children didn't have to endure this much malice."

"That boy..."

"He's walking an extreme path."

"How could that be?"

Jiraiya immediately denied it.

He had been observing Naruto closely and had seen nothing unusual.

Instead, he was proud of the boy's resilience. "Naruto is better at handling adversity than anyone. He'll grow into an outstanding ninja."

Maybe...

Even one like his father.

With that mindset, he'd never give up, no matter the challenges ahead!

Jiraiya felt inspired. He saw potential in Naruto and even considered taking him on as a student one day.

"Naruto won't fall into darkness."

Jiraiya was confident in his judgment.

As a seasoned ninja, he trusted his instincts and began to doubt Shigen's concerns.

"Then does absolute light not lead to extremes?"

Shigen turned to Jiraiya, his gaze calm. "You've been watching him, but have you realized one thing?"

"That child unconsciously clings to warmth, trying to protect everything he has."

"In the future..."

"That desire will manifest as an unyielding will to protect everything around him, making him endure all hardships and grow stronger."

Jiraiya frowned.

Wasn't that...

A good thing?

For a Konoha ninja, wasn't that the ideal mindset?

If Naruto grew strong to protect others, wasn't that exactly what a great ninja should do?

"This boy is strong."

Shigen's voice turned solemn. "He might even surpass Hashirama. His will is already more extreme than Hashirama's ever was."

Jiraiya hesitated.

Normally, he'd dismiss such a claim. But this was Shigen speaking.

Could Naruto really surpass the First Hokage?

"But..."

"Absolute power leads to absolute control."

Shigen's voice grew softer.

"That boy's will to protect... will one day turn into an overwhelming desire to control."

"Not just his loved ones..."

"One day, he will shape the entire world to match his ideals."

"This..."

"This is the Great Toad Sage's prophecy..."

Terror flickered in Jiraiya's eyes.

Jiraiya's heart was filled with unease.

Compared to the excitement of hearing Shigen personally identify Naruto as the prophesied child, he was far more disturbed by the unknown changes this prophecy would bring to the world.

The child in the prophecy...

Would bring an unpredictable transformation to the shinobi world.

And now...

Jiraiya realized Shigen was right.

Naruto cherished everything around him. Because he had so little, he valued every bit he had even more. But the boy himself hadn't yet realized how he would protect those things, nor did he understand that this would eventually turn into a form of control.

The child who wanted to protect everything...

Might one day impose his own ideals upon the entire world.

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Powerstones?

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