The Immortal Has Long Lost the Ability to Predict
After obtaining the authorization of the Fire Daimyō, Jiraiya officially became the Fifth Hokage.
After assuming the title, he was burdened with more responsibilities than he had ever imagined. Even though he delegated internal affairs to Tsunade, high-level missions and military intelligence matters constantly occupied him, making it difficult to leave the Hokage Building and enjoy any leisure time.
Fortunately, with the assistance of the village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, Jiraiya was not entirely consumed by his duties in the Hokage's office.
After handling a mountain of official affairs, Jiraiya and Tsunade began discussing the future reforms of the village. Their reference point was the former Uzushiogakure, but they knew that every situation had to be analyzed individually.
Due to the economic prosperity of the Land of Fire and the large number of skilled shinobi in Konohagakure, immediate reforms in finance and education were unnecessary.
Instead, the two main departments that required urgent restructuring were the Anbu and Root. The former was essential for the village's security, but the latter—originally an Anbu subdivision—had long since become Danzō Shimura's private military force.
Root's secret practice of abducting war orphans, subjecting them to inhumane training, and forcing them to fight to the death directly contradicted the Will of Fire.
After some contemplation, Tsunade stated, "In my opinion, some aspects of Root's training methodology can be retained, but the practice of pitting recruits against each other in lethal combat must be abolished. Anbu shinobi are not mere tools; they are comrades who bear the burden of protecting the village from the shadows."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
The Anbu had originally been established as an elite unit for covert operations, embodying the village's unseen side. However, under Danzō's influence, Root had functioned more like a rogue faction, lowering ethical standards and treating its members as disposable assets.
Following their discussion, Jiraiya and Tsunade issued a directive for Anbu's restructuring.
Since Anbu was directly under the Hokage's command, its reform proceeded smoothly, and it wouldn't be long before it was transformed into a completely new force.
However, when it came to other aspects of village reform, Jiraiya and Tsunade faced significant resistance. They encountered the same opposition that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had struggled with—objections not only from the powerful shinobi clans but also from many common villagers.
Unlike Hiruzen, however, Jiraiya was willing to push forward with reforms despite the resistance.
After formulating Konoha's development strategy for the coming years, Tsunade presented a set of experimental projects previously overseen by Anbu. These projects had originated from Root's laboratories, and some had already reached an advanced stage.
Among the documents, Jiraiya noticed the Wood Release Experimentation Project at the top of the list.
This project had been initiated over a decade ago. Back then, aside from Tsunade—who considered it a desecration of the First Hokage's legacy—most high-ranking officials had endorsed the plan.
Had it succeeded, the experiment would have allowed the village to mass-produce shinobi with Wood Release and significantly bolster morale.
Because of this potential, countless volunteer test subjects had participated. However, none survived the transplantation of Hashirama Senju's cells. Every participant perished in the laboratory, ultimately leading to the experiment's prohibition.
Orochimaru's defection stemmed from his unauthorized continuation of such experiments, in which he abducted both shinobi and civilians from the Land of Fire—an act that violated Konoha's fundamental principles. As a result, he was exiled from the village.
At that moment, Tsunade solemnly declared, "Jiraiya, I intend to restart the Wood Release Experimentation Project."
Jiraiya frowned. Tsunade, the most vocal opponent of the project in the past, now wished to revive it? He struggled to understand her reasoning.
Tsunade's expression remained firm as she explained, "I don't intend to pursue Wood Release as a Kekkei Genkai. My goal is its extraordinary regenerative properties. Grandfather's cells have the potential to regenerate lost limbs, allowing injured shinobi to receive prosthetic replacements."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya sighed in relief but still cautioned, "If it's Wood Release research you're interested in, there's already a living shinobi in the village who possesses the ability. His name is Yamato, and he currently serves in Anbu."
He added, "But according to Kakashi, while Wood Release is a formidable ability, it's not as invincible as people assume."
"The First Hokage wasn't feared solely because of Wood Release," Jiraiya continued. "He was a legend in his own right. If you're expecting to replicate his strength through this research, you shouldn't get your hopes up."
Tsunade scoffed. "I have no intention of artificially recreating a Kekkei Genkai."
—
Enjoying their spirited debate, Jiraiya left the Hokage's office. He intended to slip away to a secluded room—far from Tsunade's watchful eyes—and use the Telescope Technique to gather 'material' for his next novel.
However, as soon as he stepped into his private chamber, he felt a sudden premonition. Without hesitation, he performed the Summoning Jutsu.
With a puff of white smoke, Fukasaku and Shima appeared on the floor. The two elder toads hopped onto the table, their gazes fixed on Jiraiya.
"Little Jiraiya, congratulations on becoming the Fifth Hokage," Fukasaku said.
Jiraiya smirked. "The position of Hokage is more trouble than it's worth—"
Before he could finish, a realization struck him. He turned his attention back to the two sages, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
He had been so occupied with his duties that he hadn't even informed Mount Myōboku of his new title. And yet, judging from Fukasaku's demeanor, it was clear that they had known for some time.
As if reading his thoughts, Shima smacked Fukasaku on the head. "Old man, you should apologize to Jiraiya."
Scratching his head, Fukasaku admitted, "Little Jiraiya, I actually knew you would become Hokage a year ago. The Great Toad Sage prophesied it, but I was debating whether to tell you."
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. "The Great Sage foresaw this a year ago?"
A deep unease settled within him. He had spent more than two decades placing unwavering faith in the Great Toad Sage's prophecies, believing that the Child of Prophecy would one day lead the ninja world toward lasting peace.
But reality had shattered his hopes. Time and again, the supposed Child of Prophecy had met a tragic fate.
When he met Naruto, the boy had rejected the notion of destiny. That encounter had changed Jiraiya's perspective—he had come to believe that prophecy was not bound to a single person. Instead, the Great Sage's message had always been about hope: that anyone had the potential to change the world.
Yet now, when he had finally abandoned fate and taken it upon himself to reshape the shinobi world, Fukasaku revealed that his path had already been foretold.
It felt as though unseen hands were guiding his life, robbing him of his agency.
And what unsettled him even more was the realization that, had he not come to accept his responsibilities, he might have dismissed the prophecy without a second thought.
Shaking off his growing unease, Jiraiya regained his usual carefree demeanor and grinned. "So, Sensei Fukasaku, does the Great Sage have any other prophecies?"
Fukasaku shook his head. "No. After prophesying that you would become Hokage, the Great Sage has not spoken of any further visions."
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