Naruto: Chronicles of a Fire Ninja - Chapter 461

Chapter 461: Chapter 456: In the Shadow of Prophecy
‘Fate? Really?’ A single thought was coming and going in Kaida’s mind. A single future prediction was enough for a lifetime for him, and now he got another one.

Something was telling him that the thing he was not taking into account till now was going to play a huge role in the future.

“Sensei, do you think fate is real?” Kaida asked. They were walking behind Ma and Pa on the path toward their house. Given the tense atmosphere, even Jiraiya wasn’t trying to escape—unusual, considering how he usually bolted whenever Ma called him in for food.

“Real? Of course it’s real,” Jiraiya said, his tone unusually serious. “When we go to war, there are hundreds of kunai, jutsu, explosive tags—chaos flying in every direction. Sometimes, you get hit by an attack that wasn’t even meant for you. Heck, it might even come from your own ally.”

He paused for a moment, gaze distant.

“You could call it bad reflexes, sure. But I’ve seen Uchiha—some of the best shinobi alive—fall that way. Was that weakness? No. That was fate. Sometimes, survival has nothing to do with strength or skill. Something bigger is always at play—on the battlefield, and in life too.”

Rather than explaining the doubt in Kaida’s mind, it just increased it.

‘There is no use thinking about such a thing which I can’t control. Let’s focus on what I can do for now,’ Kaida thought as they reached their destination.

A small cozy room, something different from what Kaida was expecting. Since they both were elder frogs of Mount Myoboku, in Kaida’s mind their house was a little bigger than what he was seeing, though when compared to their size, it was a massive house.

All four of them entered the house, and Ma went toward the kitchen to bring out the lunch.

“So Kaida, I don’t think there is much to discuss anymore. Even though we can’t understand most of the things Toad Sage says, he was almost always right for us when we follow his orders, so…”

“I understand, Pa. I’m a little sad that I will not have you guys as my partners, but there is nothing I can do about that. Though it would have been great if Toad Sage had told me which was my perfect partner, as he clearly knew. Maybe I should ask him when he wakes up again,” Kaida said, thinking to himself.

“Well, you can try, but you will just be wasting your time that way. If Lord Sage wanted to tell you that, he would have told that time. Even though he looks like that most of the time, in reality, he is stronger than any other sage in the mountain, even at that age,” Fukasaku said.

“Then what should I do? Should I try my luck with slugs?” Kaida asked.

“I am not sure. If that was the opportunity Lord Sage was talking about, he would have told you directly. I would suggest you go with this the old-fashioned way, as the world still has many secrets that need to be explored,” Pa said, looking toward the kitchen.

“Even if I can’t become your summoner, I would always be indebted to Mount Myoboku for all you guys did for me,” Kaida said, bowing toward Fukasaku.

“There’s no need to be indebted to us. It was Jiraiya’s request, and our choice to help you,” Ma said, setting down a steaming hot pot in the center of the room—one comically larger than her tiny frame.

“Still, I’m really grateful to you all…” Kaida began sincerely.

“Jiraiya, where do you think you’re going?” Pa asked, stopping the slowly retreating Sannin in his tracks.

“Ah, so much happened today… I just need a little walk to clear my head. You guys go ahead with lunch—I’ll join you in a bit,” Jiraiya said, already halfway to the door.

“Ohh, is that so?” Pa replied, eyeing him suspiciously. “I thought you were trying to escape because you didn’t want to eat my wife’s cooking.”

“What? No! How could I possibly do that?” Jiraiya laughed nervously. “I’ll definitely come back… after my walk.”

“No need. We’ll all go for a walk—after lunch,” Ma said sweetly, ladling soup into four bowls.

That was when Kaida realized what this was really about.

The soup was a dark green. Floating on the surface were things Kaida really hoped were vegetables—but one looked eerily like a dragonfly, and another like a caterpillar that had seen better days. He felt his soul retreat slightly just from looking at it.

Still, he couldn’t run. Not after all his gratitude.

Not when just moments ago he’d been singing praises about how much the toads had helped him.

With a heavy heart—and an even heavier stomach—Kaida accepted the bowl. The only comfort he had was that Jiraiya had failed to escape too, and now had to sit beside him, equally trapped.

“Let’s eat!” Fukasaku said cheerfully, hopping toward his bowl like it was gourmet cuisine.

‘Even with intelligence, they’re still frogs… it’s only natural we’re built different,’ Kaida thought grimly as he closed his eyes and took a sip.

Crunch.

It took all his willpower not to gag at the table. Somehow, through sheer mental fortitude, Kaida finished the bowl in a few large gulps.

“Since you like it so much, here—have mine too,” Jiraiya said, casually sliding his barely-touched bowl over.

“No need, sensei. I’m very full. In fact, I ate before coming here, so I’m more than full,” Kaida replied with a strained smile, shoving the bowl right back.

Yes. There was definitely a special kind of satisfaction in shared suffering.

After Jiraiya reluctantly finished his bowl, all of them except Ma, who stayed behind to clean the dishes, went for the walk.

“Don’t think too much about what Toad Sage said. You are a good kid, and I know you will do just fine in the future,” Pa said after some time.

Kaida nodded his head, understanding why Pa was saying that. According to Toad Sage, Kaida may either become a hero or a tyrant—something people like Madara and Pain wanted to become, or maybe something even they didn’t think to become.

Clearly not an optimal outcome, which Kaida sure had no plans on becoming.

“Pa, about the summon, how do you think I will find my perfect summon?” Kaida asked, changing the subject as well as asking the doubt going in his mind for some time.

“As Lord Sage has pointed out already: fate, Kaida… fate. It works in mysterious ways, like one time when a brat stubbornly used reverse summoning jutsu just to prove that he can become a ninja and came here.”

“Hahahaha,” Jiraiya laughed awkwardly at that.

“You will also find your partner when the time is right,” Pa said.

Kaida looked down at the ground as they walked, thoughtful for a moment.

‘Will I be able to learn sage mode if I don’t have frog summons?’ The worst outcome Kaida thought about all this was not having a direct route to sage mode, something he was planning to get very soon.

‘I don’t think it is the right time to ask for something like that, especially not after that prophecy Toad Sage made just now,’ Kaida thought.

“We should now take our leave, Pa. The situation at the village is a little dire at the moment,” Jiraiya said.

“As you wish, Jiraiya boy,” Pa said, and pricked his thumb a little. After a last bow from both Kaida and Jiraiya, he placed his hand on the ground, and poof—both Kaida and Jiraiya were now back in the village.