064 Prophecies are vague and ambiguous; their meaning depends entirely on one's interpretation.
Orochimaru’s attitude was unmistakably clear. If he believed his actions were wrong or crossed a line of principle, there would be no need to mention the so-called “Will of Fire”—they might as well turn against each other outright. As long as Jiraiya, or the entirety of the Leaf Village, displayed enough deterrence to make him see that desecrating the corpses of fellow villagers wasn’t worth the risk, naturally, he would never proceed.
Otherwise, wouldn’t these morals and rules become nothing more than custom-forged chains, ineffective against wrongdoers yet binding the hands and feet of the virtuous? There was no logic in such a state of affairs. If such a thing existed, it would be twisted and unsustainable.
As night deepened, dark clouds rolled and spread, shrouding the moon and stars. Jiraiya’s expression grew dim. The war with the Hidden Cloud was already at an end. Once both sides signed a new peace treaty, he would once again leave the Leaf in search of the “Child of Destiny” spoken of by the Great Toad Sage.
Yet Orochimaru’s intentions were expressed with piercing clarity. For now, he would not act, simply because there was no need, but once his research into the Impure World Reincarnation reached maturity, he would do whatever he deemed necessary without hesitation.
If one wished to change Orochimaru’s intentions, empty words were useless; only genuine pressure would suffice.
Jiraiya’s face was marked by indecision, while Orochimaru’s lips curled upward in a smile laced with pride and mockery.
The “Child of Destiny” from the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy—Orochimaru had loathed this notion for a long time. He despised the very idea of destiny; to him, it negated all human effort. Wasn’t bloodline itself part of destiny?
Though this pursuit had long been Jiraiya’s goal, and Orochimaru had no right to interfere, if the path of effort was mistaken from the outset, then persistence itself was empty.
So Orochimaru deliberately provoked him with words.
Why search for some “Child of Destiny”? Wouldn’t it be far more promising to stay in the village, diligently study sage arts and breathing techniques, and serve as a precious reference sample?
After a long internal struggle, Jiraiya took a deep breath, about to speak, when a low chuckle interrupted him.
“By the way, all this time I’ve only heard you talk about finding this ‘Child of Destiny,’ but you’ve never shared the Great Toad Sage’s precise prophecy.”
Orochimaru smiled with inscrutable meaning. “Why not tell me about it? Perhaps I could offer some advice. Wandering the ninja world like a headless fly isn’t much of a plan, after all.”
“Well… all right.”
Jiraiya was uncertain why Orochimaru had suddenly taken an interest in this matter; in the past, he had always scoffed at any mention of it. But as Orochimaru said, another mind pondering the issue might help find the Child of Destiny sooner.
In any case, there was nothing to hide—prophecies, by their nature, were destined to happen. Jiraiya had great faith in the Great Toad Sage and, without reservation, recounted the conversation from that day.
A cold smile played at the corners of Orochimaru’s mouth. “So, the so-called ‘Child of Destiny’ is your future student, and his choice alone will bring either peace or destruction to the ninja world.”
“It sounds like an extremely powerful ninja… but isn’t that underestimating everyone else a bit?”
Orochimaru’s expression also grew colder. “Or are you saying, in front of this Child of Destiny, my own abilities amount to nothing?”
“That…” Jiraiya’s face stiffened, at a loss for words.
That did seem to be the implication of the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy—the “Child of Destiny” alone would bring about unprecedented change to the ninja world. What power could measure up to that? Not even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had ever received such an evaluation from the Great Toad Sage.
But no matter what he thought, there was no way he could say that aloud. Jiraiya knew all too well Orochimaru’s pride and temperament.
“So, it really is that way.”
Orochimaru’s lips stretched into a wide grin, but his golden eyes were devoid of any amusement. “Jiraiya, by all means, go and find him. Bring him before me—I would very much like to see just what someone of that caliber is capable of.”
…
As he watched Orochimaru vanish into the night, Jiraiya stood before the Hokage building, his face even more troubled.
He had not yet found the Child of Destiny, and now he had gained another adversary eager to test the boy—a troublesome opponent no less than Orochimaru himself.
After a long moment of contemplation, Jiraiya, finding no better solution, returned to the Hokage’s office, hoping to seek counsel from his teacher.
The Third Hokage had not yet left and was busy with administrative matters. Hearing Jiraiya’s purpose, he pondered for a while.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke. “Jiraiya, the Great Toad Sage said that one day you will be forced to make a major choice… Perhaps that time has already arrived.”
Jiraiya frowned. “Old man, what are you getting at…”
“Think it over,” Sarutobi said, taking a draw from his pipe and sighing. “Because of the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy, Orochimaru now bears ill will toward the Child of Destiny. If you cannot shield this child from that enmity, what do you think will happen?”
The thought made Jiraiya’s expression change instantly.
“Old man, do you want me to stay in the village and train?”
“But the Great Toad Sage also foresaw me traveling the world and writing books. I can’t just stay in the Leaf and expect the Child of Destiny to come knocking on my door, can I?”
“Why not?” Sarutobi exhaled two streams of smoke and shook his head. “Have you traveled the world yet? Have you written your book? Did the Great Toad Sage tell you exactly how you would meet the ‘Child of Destiny’?”
“Well…” Jiraiya was momentarily speechless. The Great Toad Sage had indeed not specified.
Logically, shouldn’t he encounter the Child of Destiny while traveling and gathering material for his books, take him as his student, and guide him toward changing the ninja world?
For the Child of Destiny to simply show up on his own… that was too far-fetched, even for one of his own “Make-Out Paradise” novels—it didn’t follow any pattern at all.
“If the prophecy is destined to be fulfilled, then the Child of Destiny will inevitably become your pupil. Finding him was never the real issue,” Sarutobi continued, his eyelids drooping. “The crucial thing is, when you meet him, will you have the ability to guide him?”
“Just like now—can you make the right choice?”
Turning these words over in his mind, Jiraiya left the Hokage’s office weighed down with concern, his steps heavier than before.
Watching Jiraiya’s retreating figure, Sarutobi set down his pipe with a heavy sigh.
…
At the same time, outside in the darkness near the Hokage building, others were also discussing Jiraiya and the prophecy.
Orochimaru couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really believe Jiraiya will be fooled so easily?”
As his companion for many years, Orochimaru understood Jiraiya’s intellect better than anyone and was reluctant to believe he would be so easily swayed by such transparent rhetoric.
“Of course not,” replied the Lamp Genie, shrugging. “Jiraiya trusts the Toad Sage’s prophecy, but the prophecy itself is vague and logically unsound. One could interpret it in a dozen different ways—the key is which version Jiraiya chooses to believe.”
“It’s not a question of intelligence, but rather the limitations of one’s own thinking.”
“In fact, it doesn’t matter if he believes or not. If Jiraiya can break out of his narrow perspective and question these futures, he’ll naturally begin to doubt the Toad Sage’s prophecy as well. That outcome would be just as acceptable.”
“Actually, you’d best consider what happens if the Third Hokage fails to handle the bait we’ve offered properly.”
At this, Orochimaru laughed. “That’s nothing to worry about. The old man doesn’t want Jiraiya to waste his life chasing after some illusory prophecy, either.”