While Kuragami Uchiha and Kakashi were leading a squad to hunt down rebel Kirigakure ninja near the border, Jiraiya's seven-day detention finally came to an end.
After being politely escorted out of the new prison by two Uchiha Clan members, Jiraiya wasted no time and headed straight to the Hokage's office.
When he arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi was buried in paperwork. The moment Jiraiya pushed open the door, Hiruzen looked up and, upon seeing Jiraiya's usual playful grin, immediately felt his blood pressure rise.
"Just look at yourself! One of the legendary Sannins, getting caught for peeping?!" Hiruzen snapped.
"Hey, old man, you think I wanted this?"
Jiraiya said with a smirk. "If only you'd given me that crystal ball of yours back then, this wouldn't have happened."
"The Crystal Ball Jutsu is not meant for peeping!" Hiruzen retorted, exasperated.
"Oh, come on, old man. Don't be a hypocrite; I know you've used it for the same thing plenty of times."
Hiruzen took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had long since realized that Jiraiya had a special talent for infuriating him in just a few words.
"Alright, enough nonsense. Tell me, why did you summon me back?" Jiraiya asked.
"Well, if you want to learn the Crystal Ball Jutsu, it's not impossible."
Hiruzen said.
Jiraiya's face immediately lit up with a mischievous grin. "I knew you'd come around! I've always said I was the rightful successor to your… Ahem, expertise."
Ignoring Jiraiya's antics, Hiruzen continued: "The Crystal Ball Jutsu was developed by the second Hokage to monitor any unusual activity within the village. It's a technique that only the Hokage can learn. If you—"
"Nope, I'm out!" Jiraiya interrupted, turning to leave without hesitation.
"Get back here!" Hiruzen slammed his palm on the desk.
Jiraiya sighed and stopped in his tracks, turning back. "Old man, you already know I'm not fit to be Hokage."
"Jiraiya, I'm getting old. I won't be able to protect the village for much longer." Hiruzen said with a heavy sigh.
"Sensei, I'm really not the right choice. Since when does a student become the fourth Hokage while his teacher becomes the fifth Hokage?" Jiraiya, sensing Hiruzen's serious tone, also dropped the playful act. But that didn't mean he was going to agree.
Hiruzen lit his pipe and took a deep drag.
"Old man, if you're really worried about that, maybe I should go find Tsunade for you."
Jiraiya suggested. "You know, get her to come back."
"Jiraiya, this isn't about passing the responsibility to someone else. The village needs you to step up."
Hiruzen said. "Do you know why I was in such a hurry to call you back?"
Jiraiya shook his head.
"You've spent the past few days in the Konoha Military Police Force's custody. You must have met the new clan head, Kuragami, by now." Hiruzen said.
"Of course."
Jiraiya nodded. "Clan Head Kuragami is quite the gentleman."
Despite being detained for a week, the Konoha Military Police Force treated him well. After that banquet, where he and Kuragami Uchiha had an enjoyable conversation over drinks, Jiraiya's impression of the young Clan Head was quite favorable.
"Actually…"
Jiraiya suddenly slapped his forehead. "Now that I think about it, Kuragami would make a great fifth Hokage. He became the Uchiha Clan Head at such a young age, so his strength is undeniable. Plus, his achievements in the Third Shinobi World War are well-documented. I'd say he's more than qualified to succeed you."
"If only it were that simple."
Hiruzen sighed. "He's not as straightforward as he seems. His Sharingan… It's the Mangekyo Sharingan, the same eyes Madara Uchiha once had."
Jiraiya's expression froze.
Hiruzen then recounted everything that had happened, how Kuragami had taken Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, every maneuver he had pulled, and the influence he had rapidly accumulated. Jiraiya's face grew more serious as he listened. He hadn't expected that the young man who had shared drinks and laughter with him could be so calculating.
"Jiraiya, both Shisui and Itachi have warned me about his ambitions."
Hiruzen continued. "I can't entrust the village to him. But at the same time, he's already built up an incredibly strong follower; even Kakashi has sided with him."
"Speaking of Kakashi… Old man, isn't that your own fault?" Jiraiya said, a smirk creeping onto his face.
"I won't deny it. When it comes to Kakashi, I bear undeniable responsibility."
Hiruzen admitted. "That's why I've decided to step down as Hokage. But Jiraiya, I need you to stand up and stop Kuragami Uchiha's ambitions."
There was even a hint of pleading in Hiruzen's voice.
Seeing his teacher in such a state, Jiraiya pressed his lips together. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to flat-out refuse.
"Let me think about it."
Jiraiya sighed. "Oh, and give me a photo of Kuragami."
Hiruzen handed him an official ID photo of Kuragami Uchiha. With the picture in hand, Jiraiya turned to leave, but just as he opened the office door, Hiruzen's voice called out behind him: "You're going to ask Mount Myoboku before deciding, aren't you?"
Jiraiya's steps faltered for a brief moment. Then, without another word, he quickened his pace and walked away.
As the Hokage's office door slowly swung shut, Hiruzen's gaze flickered. He wasn't sure if his decision had been the right one.
After leaving the office, a heavy-hearted Jiraiya checked into a random inn and summoned one of Mount Myoboku's messenger toads.
"Tell Fukasaku I need to see the Great Toad Sage."
The messenger toad nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke. Jiraiya sat patiently, waiting for the reverse summoning to take effect.
Before long, he felt the spatial distortion of the reverse Summoning Technique. After responding to it, he disappeared from the inn with a soft pop.
Upon arriving at Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya immediately met Fukasaku and Shima.
Seeing Jiraiya's troubled expression, Fukasaku asked: "Jiraiya-boy, something on your mind? What's got you wanting to see the Great Toad Sage all of a sudden?"
"There's something I need to ask him."
Jiraiya said.
"Not sure if he's awake, but follow us."
Fukasaku said, leading him toward the core of Mount Myoboku.
At the entrance of the Great Toad Sage's chamber, Fukasaku gestured for Jiraiya to wait before heading inside alone.
A few moments later, he emerged. "The Great Toad Sage is awake. He'll see you now."
Jiraiya stepped forward, but before he could speak, the old sage, as always, greeted him with the usual senile confusion: "Who are you again?"
Normally, Jiraiya would humor the old frog, but today, he wasn't in the mood.
Shima, noticing this, snapped: "Old geezer! I got serious business to discuss; cut the nonsense!"
"Oh, right, Jiraiya-boy." The Great Toad Sage muttered. "As it happens, I've been meaning to speak with you too."
"Has the prophecy changed?" Jiraiya asked urgently.
"Yes."
The old sage nodded slowly. "The once-clear vision of the future has turned to chaos. The prophecy is shifting into the unknown, something that has never happened before."
"The unknown?"
Jiraiya's brows furrowed. "What about the child of prophecy?"
"I don't know." The sage admitted. "I can no longer see through the chaos."
Jiraiya's expression darkened. The timing of this shift coincided almost exactly with Kuragami Uchiha's rise in the village. That couldn't be a coincidence.
If Kuragami had been responsible for this shift, then Jiraiya would have known what he had to do.
He had to stop him and restore the future to what it was meant to be.