Once the Root ninja left, Obito remained where he was, arms folded, brow slightly furrowed as he sank into thought.
Though Danzo was a scheming old fox with big ambitions and a ruthless streak, that very personality gave him huge "use value."
Right now, Obito's biggest concern was dealing with monsters like Senshi. Against such an opponent, he needed as many allies as possible to bolster his side's power.
Even if they did revive Uchiha Madara, relying on a single powerhouse might not be enough to guarantee victory.
Daylight was fading; as night descended, Obito set his plan in motion.
Forming hand seals, he activated Kamui, as if ripping a hole in the fabric of space. His figure vanished from his original spot and appeared near Konoha's hospital a moment later.
Upon arriving, Obito's sharp senses picked up that Konoha Hospital's security was several times stronger than before.
Around the building were layers of visible and hidden guards, carefully scanning their surroundings. It seemed impossible even for a fly to slip in.
Inside, patrolling ninjas bustled about – the whole place felt tense and oppressive.
Deep in the hospital, one particular area was guarded especially heavily, with watch posts every few steps, like a precious secret was hidden there.
Obito's lips curled in a faint sneer. "So that old geezer Danzo is in there."
His years of experience told him that the tight security actually made things easier; he wouldn't need to search carefully to figure out where Danzo was being kept.
Of course, for an ordinary ninja, that level of defense was a fortress, but for Obito with Kamui, it was nothing.
He closely observed the environment around him, then activated Kamui. Space rippled slightly, and his figure vanished again. Next instant, he was inside that heavily guarded ICU room.
Once inside, Obito's gaze immediately fell on the hospital bed.
But the moment he saw Danzo, his pupils shrank and his expression froze.
The Danzo on the bed was wrapped almost entirely in white bandages, looking like a mummy pulled out of an ancient tomb.
His body was hooked to all sorts of complex life-support machines, their screens showing weak vitals that looked near flat-lining.
Danzo lay there unmoving, his breathing so faint it was nearly imperceptible, as if he could stop at any second.
Obito's brow knotted.
Who the hell did this to him? The guy was practically destroyed!
Obito didn't step forward just yet, instead staying hidden in the shadows, quietly observing.
Apart from Danzo, there were no other guards in the ICU – obviously Konoha thought their external security would be enough to keep intruders out.
Just as Obito was about to step forward and talk, the room's door opened and a middle-aged doctor in a white coat entered.
He looked grave and worried, clearly troubled about Danzo's condition.
He carefully checked each machine displaying Danzo's vitals, and his expression turned even heavier.
Stepping up to the bedside, the doctor whispered, "Lord Danzo, are you feeling any better?"
But Danzo on the bed remained unresponsive, the only sound that of the monitors beeping.
He looked like he could pass away at any moment.
Once the doctor finished and left, Obito appeared by Danzo's bed like a ghost.
He stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring grimly at the old man wound tightly in bandages.
He'd seen how the doctor called to Danzo just now with no response, and he felt a twinge of doubt.
From the looks of it, Danzo seemed like some dying patient – how was he supposed to talk about collaborating?
But Obito didn't give up that easily.
He leaned forward slightly and spoke in a cold tone: "Danzo, time to talk about our deal."
He hadn't expected much – from the looks of him, Danzo seemed half-dead, maybe not even conscious.
But a moment later, Obito's eyes widened in shock.
Just a second earlier, Danzo had looked like a corpse on the verge of death. Suddenly, those murky old eyes snapped open.
No more dullness – now they glinted sharply as he slowly turned his head, staring straight at Obito by the bedside.
Though his movements were slow, his gaze was eager and agitated, as if he'd found his final lifeline.
It was like some "dying man sits bolt upright in bed, discovering he's his own miracle doctor."
He'd looked just about to breathe his last, yet Obito's mere words had "woken" him?
Obito was floored.
But Danzo didn't care what Obito might be thinking. He said bluntly, "Madara, I want to work with you!"
While speaking, Danzo's eyes kept flicking to Obito's hairstyle.
He didn't actually care if the man was really Madara.
Based on how he performed on the Uchiha massacre night and how he used advanced space-time ninjutsu, that was proof enough of his formidable power.
Obito stroked his chin with interest. "What do you want me for? And how'd you wind up like this?"
Danzo let out a cold snort, voice dripping with disdain. "How I got this way is unimportant. What matters is our collaboration!"
Obito shook his head slowly, with a meaningful tone. "As a partner, it'd be good for me to know your current condition. After all, if you can't even save yourself, how am I to trust you?"
But Danzo instantly shot that down, sounding resolute. "Madara, my situation doesn't affect our collaboration at all. This time, I want full, comprehensive cooperation."
Obito's eyes flickered curiously.
He could see Danzo was serious. Who in the world had beaten this old fox down so badly that he'd swallow his pride and seek help?
Still, Obito didn't pursue how Danzo was injured. He merely asked, "So, how do you plan on working with me?"
Danzo's eyes turned fierce, and he said through gritted teeth, "As long as you help me kill Hiruzen Sarutobi and assist me in becoming Hokage… Under my leadership, Konoha will be your most devoted ally. We can do any cooperation you like."
By now, Danzo had lost all composure. He'd even tossed aside his "Konoha's best interest" principle to form a full partnership with "Madara," all just to kill Hiruzen and become Hokage.
Obito knew Danzo's style well: he'd do anything it took to achieve his goals.
He quickly thought it through: if he helped Danzo deal with Hiruzen, he need only involve Danzo in the blame, and he'd have Danzo in his grip forever.
He could also use Danzo's influence in Konoha to capture Naruto and Sasuke.
If planned carefully, he could not only get the Nine-Tails but might snag the Rinnegan too.
At the idea, Obito's lips twisted in a slight smirk, his tone laced with amusement. "Danzo, I appreciate your attitude. If you're willing to sacrifice for that end, a few casualties don't matter, right? Don't worry. I'll help you get rid of Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Danzo's face twitched with excitement at Obito's promise.
If Sarutobi was out of the way, Konoha would lose its head. Danzo could seize that moment to become Hokage.
Sure, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura held senior positions, but he knew neither was cut out for Hokage.
He'd take advantage of the chaos to take the seat for himself.
But Danzo was celebrating too soon.
Obito only promised to deal with Hiruzen, never specifying when. Right now, he was busy plotting to snag Nagato's Rinnegan. Danzo's request was important, but not necessarily top priority.
…
Meanwhile, at the hot spring inn, the atmosphere felt lighthearted in contrast.
Senshi, Jiraiya, and Karin were sitting around a tabletop grill, the air filled with the scent of sizzling meat. The coals popped softly.
Karin wore a satisfied grin, holding a perfectly grilled skewer and eating happily.
Senshi picked up a cup of sake, took a light sip, then revisited an old topic: "Bro-iya, about that Child of Prophecy business—have you made up your mind yet?"
During the day, in the hot spring, Senshi had tried to talk Jiraiya into hiring him to find the Child of Prophecy.
Jiraiya seemed interested, but having been fleeced over Orochimaru last time, he was cautious now.
Hearing Senshi, Jiraiya paused in what he was doing, looking up at him.
He still had a bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth, and he wore a thoughtful expression.
After a few seconds, he sighed. "I guess I've got no choice but to agree. I've wandered the ninja world for so long and never found any clue about the Child of Prophecy. If this goes on, who knows how long it'll be before I track him down and train him."
Then his tone got more serious.
"But, Senshi, are you sure the ninja you mentioned is really the Child of Prophecy? Remember, this is about the safety of the entire ninja world—there's no room for mistakes."
Before Senshi could answer, Karin put down her skewer and slapped her chest, speaking confidently: "Don't worry! Whatever the mission, Senshi can do it! But, you know, this mission might be pretty much… impossible!"
Jiraiya: (O_O)???
Senshi: (O_O)???
Karin's contradictory statement had Jiraiya dumbfounded, blinking in confusion.
He mentally scrambled, trying to see the logic behind "guaranteed to finish" but "probably impossible to finish?"
Meanwhile, Senshi jumped in shock. Had Karin eaten something weird today?
He worriedly studied her, but her eyes were as clear as always, and her head looked normal, so he calmed down a bit.
Sure enough, Karin soon spoke again with a cheery grin. "Toad Sage, think about it: you've spent so many years looking, but found zero leads. So if Senshi can actually do this job, it's obviously tough, right? Therefore, you know…like, it's possible, but the difficulty's high!"
As soon as she finished, Jiraiya and Senshi exchanged a look, both realizing what she meant.
"Ah, I see!"
Jiraiya nodded in agreement, taking her words quite seriously.
She had a point: with all his intelligence gathering around the ninja world, if the Child of Prophecy were that easy to find, he'd have turned up some clue by now. But he was still completely stuck.
He mused, "I've spent so many years failing at this. Even if Senshi's stronger than me, it won't be a piece of cake."
Senshi, pleased, patted Karin on the head, praising her wholeheartedly. "Karin's grown so much—my best little assistant, indeed!"
Then, following her lead, he told Jiraiya,
"That's right, Bro-iya. It can be done, but it's gonna be tough. Still, we're bros, right? Even if it's hard, I'll do it for you!"
In his head, Senshi was sure it was a sure-win.
After all, Jiraiya had been searching fruitlessly for the Child of Prophecy for years… Meanwhile, Naruto was out there, mostly "free-range" even if a Wood Release clone was training him from time to time. He was obviously the Child of Prophecy, who needed a worthy teacher to bring out his potential.
And Senshi, of course, also wanted to unlock advanced draw features so he could draw an Infinity Stone or something, so he needed massive job points to do that. This gig was basically profit city!
From across the table, Jiraiya considered it briefly, then finally asked, "All right, Senshi. How much for hiring you to find the Child of Prophecy?"
Senshi instantly waved a hand, face full of righteous camaraderie. "Bro-iya, you heard Karin joking just now—no talk of a fee, we're pals! A little tip for labor is all we need."
Jiraiya just gave him a dubious look and tried, "All right, Senshi, how about I give you one hundred million ryō as a little tip? Can you find the Child of Prophecy?"
Hearing that, Senshi scowled and made a show of discontent. "Bro-iya, why don't we just eat? Let's skip the Child of Prophecy thing. Let's get real: these days capturing a tailed beast easily pays a hundred million for trouble. We're talking about the Child of Prophecy, who might decide the fate of the whole world—his value is immeasurable!"
He put on a solemn expression.
Karin bobbed her head quickly in agreement. "Yeah, Senshi's right—the Child of Prophecy is super important! His value must be—"
Karin had barely begun when Senshi cut in, "Karin, c'mon. We can't charge Bro-iya a billion. I have a conscience! We're friends, aren't we?"
Karin: (O_O)???
Jiraiya heard all this, feeling exasperated.
At length, he forced out, "Senshi, a billion for your 'trouble' is too high. Knock it down a bit. I'll raise mine, let's say two hundred million?"
Senshi: (O_O)???
So "he should drop his fee a little" and "Jiraiya would raise it a little"? This basically kills the fee entirely.
He inhaled and firmly refused: "Bro-iya, I'm not trying to charge you a fortune. It's just that this is truly not easy!"
Karin nodded, as if completely agreeing: "Yup, if Senshi thinks it's tough, it's seriously tough. At least—"
But Senshi again cut her off.
"Karin, I really can't ask for a billion from Bro-iya. I gotta keep my conscience intact!"
Karin: (O_O)???
Jiraiya's head was spinning.
After a moment of internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and made a final offer: "All right, Senshi: I'll pay you three hundred million ryō to help me find the Child of Prophecy!"
"Deal!" Senshi didn't hesitate, shaking Jiraiya's hand. He wore a smug grin as if Jiraiya had scored a bargain. "Bro-iya, you're making out like a bandit. You should thank me—if it weren't for our friendship, you'd never land this job for less than a billion!"
[Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Jiraiya]
[Goal: Help Jiraiya find the Child of Prophecy!]
[Reward: Three hundred million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 300,000 Employment Points!]
As soon as the request confirmed, the system's voice echoed in Senshi's mind.
He was absolutely thrilled, imagining those 300k points waving at him.
Jiraiya, however, looked miserable. "I'm paying three hundred million, and I'm supposed to thank you?"
Senshi feigned modesty, waving off. "Bro-iya, you don't really have to thank me."
Jiraiya decided to cut to the chase: "When do I meet this Child of Prophecy?"
For some reason, after sealing the deal with Senshi, Jiraiya felt a sense of déjà vu—as if he'd been scammed like this before.
"Yosh!"
While he was pondering, Senshi's grin grew even more triumphant.
He made a quick gesture, and a portal instantly opened.
The next second, a bewildered blonde kid was yanked out of the portal.
Senshi introduced him happily: "Bro-iya, I won't hide it any longer—this boy is the Child of Prophecy you've been looking for… Uzumaki Naruto!"
As Naruto, with a face full of question marks, got dumped out, Senshi casually announced he was the Child of Prophecy. Jiraiya practically jumped out of his seat, eyes bugging out.
"What the—!? How can this be?!"
All at once, Jiraiya realized that with a tiny piece of intel, a single jutsu, and less than a minute, Senshi had pocketed three hundred million.
It was even faster than outright robbery.
He might as well have robbed me—why bother with all this?
He felt a pang of regret.
For the moment, verifying whether Naruto truly was the Child of Prophecy took a back seat to his frustration at how easily he'd been relieved of his money.
Pointing an accusing finger, Jiraiya snapped, "Senshi, come on—tell me where exactly this job is so difficult that it cost three hundred million in 'fees'? Are you kidding me?!"
Naruto: (O_O)???
Hearing Jiraiya's rant, Naruto blinked in astonishment.
"Did Sensei really just complete a three hundred million ryō job? Three hundred million… that's how many scratch cards? Let's see… fifteen? No, that's not right, 150? That's 150 scratch cards!"
Naruto's head was spinning with the math.
Earning that many was unbelievably tough, and on top of that he himself couldn't help using them whenever he got them, so saving them was basically impossible.
He turned to Senshi with eyes brimming with admiration, swearing to himself: "One day, I'll be just like Sensei, completing crazy tasks like that!"
But Senshi was ignoring Naruto's starry-eyed look for now—he had to keep his client happy.
After all, Jiraiya was a big spender, capable of big earnings from writing. Senshi wasn't about to let that cash cow go.
Someday, if Jiraiya decided to churn out tens of thousands of words daily, who knew how much he could make? He'd been too hung up on searching for the Child of Prophecy all these years.
In response to Jiraiya's angry outburst, Senshi could have retorted: "Where's it difficult? The real difficulty was conning you into giving me a job!"
But of course, he didn't say that out loud.
Instead he put on a solemn face and earnestly explained, "Bro-iya, sure, it seems simple— but in reality…" He paused for effect. "In reality, it's extremely tough! Think: back in your younger days, didn't the Great Toad Sage only tell you that your student would bring major change to the ninja world and might bring either destruction or peace, and your choices would direct the world's future?"
Jiraiya froze, surprise flickering in his eyes.
That was indeed the gist of what the Great Toad Sage told him.
And for Senshi to know such a hidden detail was downright unsettling. If he'd gleaned intel to that extent, was there anything Senshi didn't know?
After a moment, Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what the Great Toad Sage told me."
Senshi let out a confident smile. "So you see? If that's all the intel you had to work with, of course you couldn't find the Child of Prophecy. That's the biggest problem: the limited clue from the Great Toad Sage."
Jiraiya: (O_O)???
He fell silent, unable to deny it. Indeed, those vague hints made it almost impossible to find the right child.
But then that raised another question: how was Senshi so sure?
He couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "Senshi, how can you be so certain Naruto's the Child of Prophecy?"
Senshi kept that confident grin and answered without hesitation: "Bro-iya, that's the challenge—the difficulty is how to accurately identify the Child of Prophecy. And I'm one hundred percent sure this 'Na-ru-to' is the one."
Where did his confidence come from?
Obviously, from "knowing the final answer and working backward." He had countless ways to provide "logical" proof to convince or, well, bamboozle Jiraiya.
Jiraiya nodded in thought. "Still, why are you so certain?"
Naruto, for his part, gaped at Senshi, looking bewildered. "Sensei, am I… am I really the one who'll bring destruction or peace to the ninja world?"
Karin stood by with arms folded, scanning Naruto up and down.
But beyond a certain cluelessness vibe from him, she couldn't see anything special.
She quietly mumbled, "He can't be the Child of Prophecy just 'cause he looks kinda dopey, can he?"
Senshi, however, nodded without hesitation, voice firm. "Naruto, there's no doubt—you are the Child of Prophecy!"
That hit Naruto like a bolt of lightning.
If Sensei said it, it must be true. In an instant, he felt the weight of that huge responsibility on his shoulders.
The question was, would the world's fate be ruin or peace, all hinging on him?
Jiraiya still wasn't completely sold, so he kept his eyes on Senshi, waiting for more proof.
Senshi patted Naruto on the shoulder, then turned to Jiraiya: "Bro-iya, don't you think this 'Naruto' has the looks of a Child of Prophecy?"
Jiraiya: (O_O)???
His fist clenched – "I paid three hundred million just to hear that?"
Before Jiraiya could blow up, Senshi laughed and waved him off. "Relax. I'm only joking around. Let's break it down, okay?"
"To start with, Naruto has a will that never gives up, plus he wants to protect everyone. His conviction is the real key to bringing peace to the ninja world."
Hearing that, Jiraiya's eyes lit a bit.
A shinobi with an unbreakable will and a heart to protect others sure did fit the profile of someone who'd transform the world. He looked at Naruto more favorably now.
"Any more evidence that proves he's the Child of Prophecy?" Jiraiya asked expectantly.
Senshi smirked. "Of course! I could name seven or eight more. For instance, you know that Naruto's the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki of Konoha, and he recently took first place in the Chūnin Exams that all Five Great Nations participated in. You're aware of that, right?"
Jiraiya nodded slightly.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki status shows Naruto's deep potential. Being top of the Chūnin Exams shows his talent and hard work. If he lacked natural gifts or perseverance, there's no way he'd crush other villages' geniuses and even other tailed-beast Jinchūriki, taking first. Right?"
Jiraiya felt a jolt – yes, it all made sense. This kid had strong potential, big success, a resilient personality, and a will to protect everyone. Perfect for the prophecy.
In his head, Jiraiya was impressed. Looking at Naruto, he saw the possibility. With Senshi's certification plus his own qualities, that was a double assurance.
"All right," Jiraiya thought, "Senshi's not going to risk his professional reputation for a mere three hundred million. He must have intangible intel that backs up his claim."
The next words sealed the deal.
Senshi smiled with a knowing look and said, "Bro-iya, you haven't forgotten, have you? Who was it that picked Naruto's name?"
That landed like a hammer blow.
Jiraiya's pupils shrank, memories flooding his mind from decades ago.
A sunny afternoon, his student Minato Namikaze, accompanied by his newly pregnant wife Kushina Uzumaki, brimming with hope, came to see Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sensei, we'd like you to name our baby," Minato said, eyes shining with excitement.
Jiraiya hesitated. "Really? You trust me to name your child?"
Kushina smiled, too. "Lord Jiraiya, you're famous throughout the ninja world. It'd be perfect if you named him."
Scratching his head and thinking, he finally said, "Let's call him Naruto. It's from the main character in my book, The Tale of a Determined Shinobi. I want him to have that unwavering will like the protagonist, to be the ninja world's future hope."
Minato and Kushina exchanged looks, each smiling.
"Naruto… that's a great name," Minato murmured, brimming with fatherly affection.
That warm scene now felt like it was just yesterday.
Emotion welled up in Jiraiya's heart as he eyed Naruto's youthful features, reminiscent of Minato and Kushina.
His golden hair, blue eyes, that grin – he looked so much like Minato.
"Minato, Kushina… your son has grown up…" Jiraiya thought, a tear glinting in his eye.
At that moment, all his doubts melted away. He was shocked Senshi even knew that.
Realizing it, he wiped his nearly watering eyes and solemnly pulled out three one-hundred-million-ryō checks, handing them to Senshi. "I have no further doubts. I trust that this boy is the one who can bring peace to the world."
Naruto just looked confused, seeing Jiraiya handing out those checks. "So I… am the Child of Prophecy? Then how come all these years I never knew?"
While Naruto was absorbed in the revelation, Senshi began introducing Jiraiya. "Naruto, let me introduce you: this man is the Third Hokage's prized student, one of the Legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage from Mt. Myōboku who's mastered Sage Mode, plus the best-selling author of the Icha Icha series, an esteemed intelligence gatherer, original mentor of Akatsuki's founder, known as 'Pervy Sage'—the unstoppable Jiraiya whom even the sea doesn't welcome!"
Naruto: (O_O)???
Now that Jiraiya was big-paying, of course he deserved a grand introduction. But once Senshi finished, Naruto just gaped, mind jam-packed, uncertain how to process all these titles.
After a long moment, Naruto asked quietly, "Sensei, say that again? I can't remember so many names…"
~~~
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