The Academy classroom was packed. Students from all three classes were crammed into a single room, making it incredibly crowded.
Jin entered, looking utterly exhausted.
"Over here!" Kushina waved. Minato and Kiyoshi had already saved him a seat. Thanks to Kushina's intimidating presence, no one dared to take it.
Jin slumped onto the desk, burying his face in his arms.
"Why do you always look so tired at school?" Kushina asked, perplexed. Jin rarely attended classes, but when he did, he was always lethargic.
Jin looked up, his dark circles prominent. "I sparred with someone the day before yesterday, and I'm still recovering." Might Dai had opened the Fifth Gate; there was no way Jin could have won. He'd lasted a bit longer than before. But his body had taken a beating, leaving him unable to fully recover for two days. The constant shadow clone training and jutsu practice hadn't helped either.
"Who?!" Kushina asked, her voice bright with curiosity.
"None of your business," Jin retorted, rolling his eyes. He knew Kushina wasn't genuinely interested.
"Hmph. I don't care," Kushina said, pouting, though clearly she did.
As Jin drifted off to sleep, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked up to see Minato, a wry smile on his face, and Kushina looking away.
Jin buried his face again. If she didn't want to know, he wouldn't tell her. He would just annoy her.
Minato shrugged at Kushina, helpless.
Kushina clenched her fists, silently seething.
Minato glanced at Kiyoshi, seeking help. But Kiyoshi turned his head, ignoring him. Minato sighed.
Jin was oblivious to their silent drama. The classroom chatter acted as a lullaby, and he fell asleep. Perhaps it was the classroom's calming effect. Some people simply slept better in classrooms.
He vaguely heard students being called to leave the classroom until…
"Namikaze Minato… Uzumaki Kushina… Uchiha Jin! I'm your squad instructor."
"Huh?!" Jin woke with a start, looking towards the classroom door.
Jiraiya! He looked around; only the three of them remained.
Jiraiya grinned. "Surprised? Shocked?"
Jin rubbed his forehead, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Terrified, more like."
The Naruto timeline had changed, more drastically than he anticipated. He'd known his actions would eventually cause ripples, but he'd never expected this. Kushina would become Jiraiya's student. In the original timeline, Kushina hadn't been particularly strong, relying solely on Uzumaki sealing techniques and the Nine-Tails' power. She'd lacked good instructors after graduating from the Academy.
Becoming Jiraiya's student would change everything. But why?
"You all know who I am," Jiraiya said confidently from the lectern.
Kushina: "Peeping Tom."
Minato: "Unreliable Jonin."
Jin: "Heh."
Jiraiya stumbled, falling off the lectern. His image had been thoroughly tarnished.
He dusted himself off. "I think you have a major misunderstanding. Let me reintroduce myself."
Before anyone could respond, Jiraiya began, "I'm Jonin Jiraiya… I like… writing novels… I dislike… nothing much… my dream is world peace."
Minato, feeling awkward, continued the self-introductions. "…I like reading… I don't particularly dislike anything… My dream is… to become Hokage."
"I'll be Hokage!" Kushina fiercely protested, then launched into her own self-introduction.
All eyes turned to Jin. He was still lost in thought, contemplating the altered course of history and the usefulness of his precognitive abilities. Besides his cheat, that had been his primary advantage.
"Jin, it's your turn," Minato nudged him.
"Me?" Jin stroked his chin. "I'm Uchiha Jin. I like tsundere blondes, gentle black-haired beauties…"
"Wait!" Jiraiya covered Jin's mouth. He was supposed to be sharing his likes, not his fetishes! Kushina's hair was already standing on end!
"Give me a proper self-introduction!" Jiraiya punched Jin's head. The guy was completely off the rails.
Jin rubbed the bump on his head. Jiraiya hit hard.
"Fine, fine," Jin conceded, describing his preferences. "I like ninjutsu, all kinds of ninjutsu. I dislike anything uncontrollable. My dream… is to live a long life."
After all, his goal was immortality. A small goal, just a thousand years.
"Interesting," Jiraiya said, observing Jin carefully. Though Jin's personality and appearance differed from Orochimaru's, their core motivations were similar. But Jin couldn't use ninjutsu. A research type? Jiraiya suspected Jin had invented the four styles they'd learned. No wonder Orochimaru had begged him to take Jin as a disciple.
"You wouldn't have developed any strange hobbies, would you?" Jin asked, avoiding Jiraiya's gaze.
"Don't go there, brat!" Jiraiya rubbed Jin's head.
"Alright, alright," Jin said, finally breaking free. Jiraiya, an elite Jonin, was still beyond his reach.
"That's all for today. Training ground tomorrow at 5 am. Don't eat breakfast; you'll throw up," Jiraiya said with a malicious grin.
I'll bet. Jin looked up at the ceiling. Kakashi had used the same trick on Naruto.
…
Jin parted ways with Minato and Kushina. Walking home, he encountered someone unexpected.
A dark, windswept alleyway. A figure in a kimono stood before him—a man like a serpent. His cold face lacked the sinister aura of his future self, having a somewhat righteous quality. Time was truly a cruel mistress.
"This is the teacher I chose for you. What do you think?" Orochimaru said.
Jin sighed. He'd become a member of Jiraiya's squad thanks to Orochimaru. "It's… fine."
"You seem dissatisfied," Orochimaru commented, surprised. Jiraiya was an elite Jonin. Many would jump at the chance to become his student.
"I'm not dissatisfied," Jin said, adjusting his bangs. "But I feel a lack of synergy with him." He didn't want to be around a religious fanatic; he didn't want the Mount Myōboku toads calling him the Son of Darkness. Jiraiya would probably kill him. He was a major variable in the Great Toad Sage's prophecies.
"Is that so?" Orochimaru said noncommittally. In the past, Jiraiya had been his closest friend, their bond strong. But now… he felt they were fundamentally different.
Orochimaru's voice dropped to a low murmur. "Jin, how much do you know about the darkness within the village?"
Jin looked at Orochimaru, surprised. Was this something they could discuss openly? He scratched his head, forcing a naive smile.
"Konoha is full of light. There's no darkness."
Orochimaru stared at Jin, his eyes unwavering, then smiled. "It seems you know a great deal, Jin."
"Orochimaru-sama, what is the purpose of your visit?" Jin asked directly. He wouldn't engage in riddles.
"I want you to become my student after tomorrow."
"And Jiraiya-sensei?"
"He's agreed."
Jin looked at Orochimaru, his pale face oddly handsome. Why had he gone to all this trouble? Jin didn't understand, but he was stunned. Was this… a betrayal?
…
Jiraiya hid in a tree, watching two figures stroll by: a blonde woman and a blue-haired man – Tsunade and her boyfriend, Dan Katō.
"Too late," Jiraiya sighed, taking out a notebook and sketching. A picture of Tsunade appeared, then was quickly erased. "Tsunade, I'm glad you've moved on," he murmured, his smile grim. He looked at the stars, thinking about his three new students and the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
"Little Jiraiya, I had another dream. I dreamt of light and darkness intertwining. I saw two possible futures for the shinobi world."
"I don't understand."
"The prophesied child has vanished. Only the Child of Light and the Child of Darkness remain. They will bring about great change."
"And the future will depend on which one prevails."
"If the Child of Light wins, the shinobi world will know lasting peace."
"And if the Child of Darkness wins?"
"The world will be plunged into endless conflict and evolution. Ninjas will become gods. The stars will become the battlefield. But the conflict will never end."
"The Child of Light and the Child of Darkness will become your students. You must guide them, teach them, help them grow, and then… choose."
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