Chapter 167: The Stone Fountain and the Prophecy

Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 167: The Stone Fountain and the Prophecy

After leaving the Great Elder's cave, Jiraiya guided Naruto to a different part of the Toad Village, one that seemed to be covered in stone statues.

The towering carvings of toads, some weathered by time, loomed over them as they walked. The atmosphere felt heavier here, as if the statues themselves were silently watching.

During the walk, Naruto noticed Jiraiya glancing his way, his expression pensive. It was clear the older man had something on his mind.

"Go ahead," Naruto said, breaking the silence. "Say whatever's bothering you."

It wasn't surprising. Their bizarre encounter with the Great Sage had undoubtedly left Jiraiya with questions. Naruto had his own, though he didn't expect answers any time soon.

The ancient toad had somehow perceived that Naruto carried memories of past lives, or so it seemed. Even Naruto wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.

Was he a foreign soul that had inhabited the boy's body during a moment of weakness? Or... had his soul reincarnated naturally, with the memories of his past life sealed until recently?.

There was only one way to know for sure. If he could ascend to the 'Spirit Transformation Stage', he would regain all the memories his soul had accumulated across lifetimes.

But that meant surpassing his previous self...going past his failures and progressing further than ever before, so he had a very long and difficult path ahead of him before he could obtain all the answers he wanted.

Jiraiya suddenly stopped in his tracks, pulling Naruto from his thoughts.

"Naruto..." Jiraiya began, his tone unusually serious.

"Yes?" Naruto prompted, curious.

"There's something you should know."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's odd. I assumed you wanted to ask me something, not tell me something I don't already know."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head. "Let me ask you this then...do you believe in prophecies?"

"Prophecies?" Naruto made a face, his disgust evident. "Please don't start preaching about fate and destiny. Those are just chains created by those who want to control others."

"Well, whether you like them or not," Jiraiya said, "you might be the recipient of one. I figured you had the right to know."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Let me guess...the Great Elder is the one behind this so-called prophecy?"

"Yes," Jiraiya confirmed. "He's the only one in the Toad Clan with that ability. And before you dismiss it outright... the Great Elder is usually right about these things."

Naruto's mistrust didn't waver. "What does this prophecy say about me, then?". It wasn't as if he didn't believe in prophecies. It was more that he had a natural dislike for them.

As far as he was concerned, the manipulation of mortals' fates was something done by one of several entities from the Higher Realms in order to exert their influence over those they deemed as lesser.

Jiraiya hesitated as if the memory pained him. "To be honest, it was told to me so long ago that I'd almost forgotten about it. But during your conversation with the Elder, something triggered my memory. His wariness suddenly made sense."

"Oh?" Naruto's curiosity was piqued now.

"The Great Elder predicted that one day, I would mentor a child who would either save the world... or destroy it."

Naruto scoffed. "That's about as vague as a prophecy can get."

"I'm serious," Jiraiya insisted. "For a long time, I thought it referred to your father. But then..."

"He died," Naruto said flatly.

Jiraiya nodded grimly.

"So now you think it's me?" Naruto's voice carried a note of amusement. "And you think I'm either going to save the world or destroy it? Let me save you the trouble...I have no interest in doing either."

Jiraiya studied him carefully. Knowing Naruto as he did, he believed that statement. But that didn't make the prophecy any easier to dismiss. "If it's not you..." he trailed off, unable to imagine another candidate.

"Forget it," Naruto said firmly. "Don't waste your energy on things like prophecies. They'll only distract you from what's happening here and now."

Naruto's voice carried a conviction that surprised Jiraiya. Unknown to him, Naruto understood the reality of fate and karma all too well. But he also knew they weren't infallible. The closer one came to the realm of the Immortals, the more resistant they became to such forces.

That was Naruto's goal...to rise above the chains of fate and carve his own path.

For now, his focus was on the task at hand.

They arrived at their destination, and Naruto's eyes settled on an unusual structure, a small waterfall cascading into a fountain adorned with a toad statue.

"That's the fountain?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

The liquid flowing from the waterfall shimmered faintly, radiating an energy that was anything but ordinary.

'That feeling from before... this must be the source,' Naruto thought, stepping closer to examine it.

"Careful!" Jiraiya warned sharply. "Don't touch it."

Naruto paused, turning to him.

"That's the Toads' special oil," Jiraiya explained. "It's extremely dangerous."

Naruto frowned. "Dangerous? It feels... powerful. What is it?"

"It's natural energy," Jiraiya said. "The energy you'll need to master if you want to become a Sage."

"Natural energy..." Naruto murmured. So he was right...this was a source of power separate from the Yin and Yang that made up chakra.

"It's a type of energy that flows throughout the world, but it's usually imperceptible," Jiraiya continued. He didn't mention how unusual it was for Naruto to sense it so keenly before even beginning his training.

Naruto studied the oil carefully, reaching out with his senses to grasp the flow of natural energy around it. There was something faintly familiar about it, though he couldn't quite place why.

"Eager to start, huh?" a voice interrupted.

Naruto turned to see Elder Fukasaku leaping from the top of the waterfall to land on the fountain's edge.

"I am," Naruto said without hesitation, his eyes blazing with determination.

The elder blinked in surprise, taken aback by the intensity of Naruto's resolve.

Though Naruto was typically laid-back when something captured his interest, his focus and drive became unstoppable.

"Good," Fukasaku said with a nod. "Then let's begin."

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