The skies above Mount Reimei had shifted.
What had once been the gentle blue of dawn now bore a crimson hue—bleeding across the heavens like a wound. Clouds swirled unnaturally, shaped by a rising chakra pressure that pulsed with malignant intent.
Jiraiya staggered to his feet, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. "The moon… it's started," he muttered.
Minato stood beside him, kunai in hand, eyes narrowed. "That wasn't a metaphor. The Spiral's prophecy is literal."
The host stood at the summit, body trembling. A black spiral seal had formed across his chest, glowing faintly with every heartbeat.
> "The moon turns red… and so begins the unraveling of time."
---
Flashback: Jiraiya's Premonition
Before the journey to Mount Reimei, Jiraiya had meditated using the Scroll of the Spiral—a forgotten artifact recovered from Uzushio. It allowed brief communion with temporal echoes—visions from the past and future, distorted and cryptic.
In his trance, Jiraiya had seen it: the red moon, a sea of shinobi clashing under the glow, friends fighting friends, time twisting like paper torn and folded.
He had dismissed it then as metaphor.
Now, he knew better.
---
Reality Bending
The ground under the host cracked in a circular pattern, each fracture glowing with seal script written in ancient Uzushio dialect.
Tsunade threw a weighted scroll that burst open midair—releasing a containment seal.
"Bind him before the Spiral consumes what's left of him!"
The seal wrapped around the boy like iron bands—but the Spiral's chakra pushed back. The mountain trembled.
Minato moved in a flash, placing Flying Thunder God markers around the summit to restrict teleportation and space-time distortion.
"Just like we planned. Jiraiya-sensei, now!"
Jiraiya formed hand seals, calling forth an ancient technique—Chakra Reversal Binding—a jutsu created to isolate chakra entities from their hosts without killing the vessel.
"I hope this works…"
But just before the technique connected, the Spiral reacted violently.
> "You are too late. He is mine."
The host's body was lifted off the ground, threads of chakra sprouting from his back, latching into the air, pulling open a tear in reality.
Inside the tear was not another dimension—but time itself.
---
Chrono Rift
Jiraiya's breath caught. He saw through the rift glimpses of past and future: Naruto training with Jiraiya in the original timeline, Kakashi cradling Obito, Boruto fighting a shadowy figure in a torn Konoha…
The Spiral whispered across time.
> "All moments are threads. All threads return to me."
But amid the visions, one stood out—Naruto, older, smiling at Jiraiya.
"You found another path, didn't you, Ero-Sennin?" the vision said.
Jiraiya's resolve hardened.
---
The Choice
They couldn't seal the Spiral now—not with the rift open. The host was no longer simply a boy possessed. He was a convergence point.
If they killed him, they might collapse the timeline. But if they did nothing, the Spiral would rewrite history.
Shizune stepped forward.
"There's a third option."
All eyes turned.
"I've been studying the Spiral's energy signature. It resonates like a sentient seal—it can be overwritten."
Minato's eyes widened. "You mean we rewrite the Spiral using a stronger chakra imprint?"
"Exactly. But we'll need someone spiritually anchored to this timeline—someone out of place—to be the anchor."
Everyone turned to Jiraiya.
He laughed. "Figures. I go from spy master to timeline janitor."
He stepped into the rift's pull, placing one hand on the host's forehead.
"I won't let the future drown in knots. Let's untangle this."
---
Rewriting the Spiral
The world faded into light.
Jiraiya found himself in a dreamscape—floating threads stretching endlessly in all directions. Each thread vibrated with emotion, memory, possibility.
The Spiral loomed above as a dark vortex.
"You cannot bind destiny, fool."
Jiraiya smirked. "Who said anything about binding? I'm rewriting it."
He unleashed his chakra—infused with every lesson, pain, joy, and bond from his life. From Naruto's laugh, Tsunade's slap, Minato's hope… to his final breath under Pain's hands.
The light engulfed the Spiral.
Threads unraveled, screams echoing into nothing.
And then… silence.
---
Back in Reality
The rift sealed shut with a thunderous snap.
The host collapsed, breathing hard. The Spiral's mark faded from his chest.
The red hue in the sky dissipated, and the moon returned to its natural pale glow.
Jiraiya lay still, eyes open, smiling faintly.
Minato knelt beside him. "Sensei?"
Jiraiya blinked, then coughed.
"I'm alive? That's rare."
Shizune laughed through tears. "Welcome back."
The host slowly sat up. "I… remember. My name is Kairo. I… I was born in the Outskirts. I wasn't anyone important."
Jiraiya placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"You are now."
---
Later That Night
A fire crackled at the base camp. Everyone sat in silence, exhaustion wrapping around them like a blanket.
Jiraiya stared into the flames.
"Maybe fate isn't fixed. Maybe… we really can change the story."
Tsunade looked over. "Do we tell anyone what happened?"
"No," Jiraiya said. "Not yet. Let history play out a little longer. When the time is right… we'll tell Naruto everything."
Minato nodded. "And until then?"
Jiraiya smirked.
"We train."