Orochimaru's stance was clear—if he felt something was wrong, if it crossed a line of principle, no amount of preaching about the "Will of Fire" would matter. He would turn against you without hesitation.
As far as he was concerned, unless Jiraiya—or Konoha itself—could show enough power to make desecrating the village's dead seem more trouble than it was worth, there was nothing stopping him from doing it.
Otherwise, all these rules and principles would be nothing more than carefully crafted chains: powerless to restrain the wicked, yet binding the good.
And there was no justice in that. Such warped ideals couldn't last.
The night deepened. Black clouds rolled in, blotting out the moon and stars. Jiraiya's face darkened with them.
The war with Kumogakure was finally ending. Once the new peace treaty was signed, Jiraiya would leave the village again—on a journey to find the "Child of Destiny" the Great Toad Sage had spoken of.
But Orochimaru's words were unmistakable. He wasn't refraining from using Edo Tensei out of morality. It simply wasn't ready yet. And once it was? He wouldn't hesitate.
Changing Orochimaru's mind wouldn't happen through lectures or ideals—it would take force. Real deterrence.
Jiraiya's expression wavered, caught between frustration and resignation. Orochimaru, meanwhile, smiled—cool, sharp, and mocking.
He had long despised the term "Child of Destiny." To him, fate itself was an insult. It erased the efforts of those not born lucky. Wasn't bloodline just another form of destiny?
Jiraiya believed in it—had staked his life's purpose on it—but Orochimaru refused to.
So he mocked it on purpose, twisting the knife.
Why chase after some vague prophecy, roaming the world blind, when he could train disciples in the village? Teach them breathing techniques, refine Sage Mode. Wouldn't that do more good?
Jiraiya remained silent for a long moment, then took a deep breath, ready to reply—
—but was cut off by a low chuckle.
"Come to think of it," Orochimaru said, lips curling into a smirk, "you've always gone on about this 'Child of Destiny,' but I don't believe you've ever told me the actual prophecy."
He looked at Jiraiya, amused. "Why don't you tell me now? Maybe I'll keep an eye out. It has to be better than running around like a headless chicken."
"...Alright," Jiraiya replied, a little unsure. He wasn't sure why Orochimaru had suddenly taken an interest—he had always scoffed at the idea before.
Still, it wasn't some secret to be protected. Prophecies, after all, were meant to come true. And he believed in the Great Toad Sage.
So Jiraiya shared the prophecy from that day.
Orochimaru chuckled again, colder this time.
"I see," he said. "So this 'Child of Destiny'—your future student—is the one whose decision will decide the fate of the entire ninja world. Peace or destruction, all resting on a single boy."
He narrowed his eyes, his smile faint and cutting.
"...That sounds powerful. But honestly? It also sounds incredibly small."
Orochimaru's expression gradually grew colder.
"So… am I so insignificant now? Is my strength nothing compared to this 'Child of Destiny'?"
"Uh…" Jiraiya froze, unsure of how to respond.
The prophecy of the Great Toad Sage certainly seemed to imply that. The "Child of Destiny" alone would shake the entire shinobi world. What kind of power would that even require?
Even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had never been described in such a way.
But of course, Jiraiya couldn't say that aloud—he knew full well how prideful Orochimaru was.
"So, it is true."
Orochimaru's grin spread across his face, though his golden eyes stayed ice-cold.
"Jiraiya, go find this child. Bring him to me. I'd like to see what makes him so special."
"…"
Jiraiya watched silently as Orochimaru vanished into the darkness. He stood in front of the Hokage Building, his mind a tangled mess.
Even before the 'Child of Destiny' had been found, yet another powerful figure had set his sights on him—Orochimaru, no less.
Jiraiya pondered the situation for a long time, but couldn't come up with a good solution. So, he turned back toward the Hokage's office to consult with his old teacher.
The Third Hokage was still there, busy with paperwork. When he heard Jiraiya out, he sat quietly for a moment.
Then Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Jiraiya… the Great Toad once told you that one day, you'd face a decision that would change everything. Maybe that time has finally come."
Jiraiya frowned.
"Old man, what are you getting at?"
"Think it through," Hiruzen said as he exhaled smoke from his pipe.
"Because of the prophecy, Orochimaru now sees the Child of Destiny as a threat. If you can't stop that hostility… what do you think will happen?"
The implication struck Jiraiya hard. His face darkened.
"…Wait, don't tell me you want me to stay in the village? To train?"
"But the Great Toad also said I'd travel the world and write a book. I can't stay in Konoha. The Child of Destiny is out there somewhere, right?"
"Why not?"
Hiruzen shook his head, puffing out two more clouds of smoke.
"You have traveled the world, haven't you? You have written your book. But did the Great Toad ever say how you'd meet the child?"
"Well…"
Jiraiya had no response. The prophecy hadn't mentioned the specifics.
Still, wasn't the whole point that he'd meet the child while wandering, writing, living his life? That's what he'd always assumed. The idea that the Child of Destiny might just come to him—that felt ridiculous. He wouldn't even write that into Icha Icha Paradise. It lacked all sense of narrative logic.
"If the prophecy is destined to come true," Hiruzen said quietly, eyes lowered, "then one way or another, the child will become your student. Finding him was never the hard part."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The real question is: when you meet him, will you be ready? Will you have the strength to guide him… and the clarity to choose the right path?"
Hiruzen's words echoed in Jiraiya's mind as he left the Hokage office. His steps were heavier than when he'd come.
Watching him go, Hiruzen gently placed his pipe down and let out a long, tired sigh.
---
At that same moment, outside in the darkness beyond the Hokage Building, a quiet conversation was taking place.
Orochimaru turned to his companion.
"You really think Jiraiya fell for that?"
As someone who had fought beside Jiraiya for years, he knew the man's intelligence well. He didn't want to believe he could be misled so easily.
"Of course," replied the Lamp Spirit, shrugging.
"Jiraiya believes in the Great Toad's prophecy. But that prophecy is vague, open to interpretation. There are countless possible futures it could refer to. The key lies in which one he chooses to believe."
"This isn't about intelligence—it's about perspective."
"Even if he doesn't believe it," the Lamp Spirit added, "if Jiraiya starts to question the prophecy itself, challenges the very idea of fate—that, too, is a kind of victory."
"Anyway," he continued, "you should ask yourself—what if the Third Hokage hadn't taken the bait we left?"
Orochimaru smirked.
"There's no need to worry about that. The old man wouldn't let me leave the village chasing a fantasy… not without trying to tie me down with another one."
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