Read extra Chapters on my Patre@n at patreon.com/JoshRichie2 for Vol 3... 100+ Chapters ahead. It's just $5. Also, I just began Volume 4. Which is Naruto Arc. In a couple chapters, I'll be finishing this FF. Stay tuned.
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Title: Prelude to the End.
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Tsunade POV
Huff. Huff. Huff.
Tsunade breathed heavily as she lay on the ground after another failed attempt at mastering the technique that her Ji-chan praised.
It had been three full months since she left Rōran and she had spent every single day trying to perfect this technique. Grandma had told me that if she could perfectly control her Chakra, she could be one step closer to mastering it, but that was the problem.
She had a huge pool of chakra that controling it was as difficult as to sail the sea in an eggshell.
It was times like this that she envied her two friends. According to Grandma, their dojutsu have them the ability to perfectly control Chakra.
Ji-chan had however told her that it only gave them around 70 percent accuracy in controlling chakra, yet, it was a huge headstart compared to her.
"Failing's how you grow and learn your lessons, kids. Take the worst and try to make the best of it." Ji-chan had told them. "Cause when you fail, just know that it's a test and if you can, learn to pick yourself back up again and train your brain to not be such a pessimist"
He'd always conclude speeches like this with. "It's okay to make mistakes, just don't forget that there's always a high road."
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to regulate her breath, she opened up her eyes with determination and stood up to continue only to notice something hard make contact with her feet.
"Hmm?" For some reason, she was attracted to it and bent to pick it up, only to find a weird shaped wooden plaque. "What's this?" She voiced but at that instant, her chakra was drawn into it and before she could so much as scream, she disappeared.
POV End.
...
Jiraiya had been having the worstest period of his life.
Everyday, he'd be summoned to this 'Weird Place' and forced to meditate while maintaining his consciousness. How they were able to Summon him, he didn't know, but when he went to his sensei for help, he beamed and encouraged him to train harder.
According to him. "Really!? Wonderful. Wonderful indeed. Jiraiya, if you can get them to sign a contract with you, you'd have made a great contribution to the Leave. As expected of my student."
Now there was no way a child wet behind his ears wouldn't be moved by such careless praise, and this fueled his drive in learning. But... Everyday he's summoned here, he'd regret ever listening to that praise.
He hadn't met the Toad Sage as he was promised, Instead, he was made to learn their arts first which was a milestone in and of itself.
Due to his constantly scattered thought, he'd always lose control of the little Natural Energy he'd managed to gather eliciting a slap from that little old toad's cane.
It had been approximately five months since he started his training, and although he had noticed his strength improving, it also seemed like Tsunade's was also improving. And to make matters worse, hers was doing so at a rapid state.
"Which destiny am I supposed to even have? I get it's my destiny to come here but what about the prophecy? It better be about my harem if not... Humph!" Jiraiya said causing him to lose balance from the wood he was sitting on and fell only to be caught by the little old toad's tongue.
"This should be the two hundred plus time Jiraiya, what's going on in that big head of your!" Fukasaku shouted as he pulled Jiraiya close to him.
"Hehe... It's nothing Ji-chan, it just some idle thoughts... Hehe." Jiraiya laughed pervertedly.
Looking at his face made the toad to sigh. "You said you wanted to become strong, Yes?"
Jiraiya turned serious and nodded his head. ""If you desire strength, then carry the yoke that is best suited to you. That is the state that will bring you to your potential."
"Well this isn't suited for me!" Jiraiya pouted and sat down.
"Sigh... Jiraiya-chan, why do you think you were reverse summoned here?" The toad asked.
"Destiny?" Jiraiya answered with his own question.
"Yes. Destiny. You were even lucky enough to meet on of the progenitors of chakra..."
"I don't believe that."
"... And yet, you still doubt yourself."
"I'm not.."
"If you don't doubt yourself, why do you think you fail continuously? Self confidence is the first step to becoming someone truly Strong. If you believe it, the world will do it for you... It's that simple." Fukasaku said. "That's one of the secrets of Natural Energy."
"One with the world?" Jiraiya asked shocking Fukasaku.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Well, I read a book written by one Otsustsuki Shun in the library here. It talked about Natural Energy and stuff that I couldn't understand." Jiraiya said nonchalantly.
"You see? That's destiny at play right there."
"How? I just picked a random book to check if there will be a shortcut or something."
"Exactly. Out of all the books in there, what was the chance that you'd pick the one book written by that man when he still went by that name?" Fukasaku asked
"That man? You don't mean...?"
"Of course I do... Centuries ago, before I was even born, he was the second person to gain access to Natural Energy, and the first to do so without any teachers." Fukasaku said in admiration.
"Really? Who was the first then?" Jiraiya asked.
"The famed Sage Of Six Paths." Fukasaku said seriously.
"Gasp*" Jiraiya gasped. "I thought he was a myth."
"Humph. He was as real as you and I. But the point here is, that book was specially written by that man and given to Gamamaru-sama in hopes that the destined one would find it..." Fukasaku said while looking at Jiraiya meaningfully.
"And I found it.." Jiraiya completed the sentence. "That means I'm awesome? He saw me from those time ago?" He asked in excitement.
"Yeah. Whatever makes you happy. But do you understand what this means now?" Fukasaku asked.
Jiraiya looked at the Toad seriously and then asked. "If I do this, would I be strong enough to have my own harem?"
"Certainly." Fukasaku answered immediately already expecting the question.
"Yosh! Then I'll put in three, no ten times more efforts in my training." Jiraiya said resolutely and attempted to jump back to his mediation plaque before a soft voice interuppted.
"Fukasaku-sama! Gamamaru-sama has woken up. He said I should inform you to bring the human to him at once." A female toad landed on their location and said.
How Jiraiya knew she was a female was something only be knew and understood.
"It seems like it's time for you to hear your prophecy." Fukasaku said and jumped, motioning for Jiraiya to follow.
.
.
.
Entering the obnoxiously spacious hall once more, Jiraiya walked towards the ginomous toad seating regally on a large chair.
Getting on one knee, he greeted. "I'm here!"
"Ah. Good. I'm glad you've come... Huh? Who are you again?" Gamamaru spoke slowly.
Fukasaku answered. "Great lord Elder. It's Jiraiya. This is Jiraiya." He emphasized.
"Oh! That's right! Right! My... How you've grown." Gamamaru said.
"Geh! You're the one that had him summoned ya great senile old geezer." Ma said unceremoniously.
"Senile old geezer!?" Fukasaku rebuked. "Ma, how dare you call the Great Elder a senile old geezer?"
"Now. Now, let's not fight. Spouses oughta get along..." Gamamaru said and fell silent again. "By the way, you... Who are you again?"
Jiraiya almost facepalmed this time aroaround but held himself.
Sigh. Fukasaku sighed. "Jiraiya-chan, the great lord Elder had a dream about you. Listen carefully."
Gamamaru finally stopped trolling the little Jiraiya and said. "I shall now tell you.... In my dream, you, who are solely perverted, will still manage to become a splendid Shinobi. And in time, you'll have your own disciple."
"Really!?" The young Jiraiya asked in excitement, rudely interrupting the Sage.
"That disciple will become a Shinobi who will bring about great change to the world." Gamamaru continued unaffected by the interruption.
"Great change?" Jiraiya asked in confusion. He didn't even understand the entire Leaf Village not to mention a change that will affect the whole world.
"Umu... Either great stability or great destruction. The like which the world has never seen before. One of the two..." Gamamaru said.
"One of the two? What does that mean?" Jiraiya asked but Gamamaru waved his hand. "Mah. Mah... That wasn't why I even called you here. You've yet to understand yourself not to talk about the world."
"Then why was I called here?" Jiraiya asked.
"For this." Gamamaru said as a tiny token appeared in his gigantic palm. "This is a key left behind by the strongest man I've ever known, take it. It will help you learn about yourself, Natural Energy and the world at large."
As he said this, the toeken floated to him to which he received. "Unlike the others, you'll be able to leave there and come here and I lynhere for the next three years. When your time there is finished everything will be explained."
"Eh? By strongest do you mean the man that was here some months ago?" Jiraiya asked.
"Oh? He allowed you to see him? As I thought... It really is your fate and destiny. Truly." Gamamaru said indirectly answering his question.
"O...kay... What does this key do? How do I use it?" Jiraiya asked but before Gamamaru could answer, he found his chakra running amok and moving towards his right hand.
Before he could attempt to stop it, he disappeared.
"Guess that's that." Gamamaru said and fell asleep immediately.
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Shun POV
The same thing happened to the destined people of this era... Well, the people Shun deemed important subconsciously and they well all teleported to the Yang plane of the Training Dimension.
Be it Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Keshiro, Yatsuyo, Sakumo, and finally Hiruko.
Surprisingly, these were the only decent people with potential. And that's saying a lot as the others were already old with their paths set.
Although individuals like Hiruzen,, Ay The third, Ebizo, Chiyo, Ohnoki, The Current Third Mizukage, whatever his name is, Yakushi, the Third Kazekage, and Konoha F3 are still young, they were already set for life.
This opportunity was made for those below twelve to temper them in a particular direction they will follow by the time they clocked fifteen.
Well, there were other guys with good potential but they were inconsequential to the general plot and final battle.
I didn't need quantity but quality by the time the Fourth Shinobi war begins.
These guys will be the ones that will further elevate the level of the Shinobi of the future. After all, it was the duty of the students to surpass their masters.
I expect a lot from them. As for Hiruko, he was merely misguided in the Canon which I won't be allowing to happen.
His Chimera Technique, although unethical, was still a marvelous technique that would put most Cultivation techniques to shame.
The only downside was his inadequate knowledge, making him take a twisted path.
I'll still make sure he suffers the same inferiority he suffered so that he'll go down that lane but I gotta put Jiraiya or Keshiro or even Yatsuyo in his path to bring him back.
Although, I won't let him go back to Konoha. With him there, a lot could go wrong so perhaps send him to the Myraid Islands on a vacation of sorts?
Mah... Thoughts for my future self.
Let's just see how it goes. Wonder how they'll be in three years time. Kukuku.
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A/N: If you think this is slow, you can always visit my Patreon page for more Chapters