"Wait—what are you saying?! Nagato didn't die, but Yahiko did? And it was Danzo who orchestrated it with Hanzo?! What about Konan?"
Jiraiya's voice cracked with disbelief. He paced in small, anxious circles across Minato's living room, gripping his hair with one hand as if trying to wring the confusion out of his mind.
Kai remained calm as ever, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "Konan survived. But Yahiko… he died."
A heavy silence fell.
Kai continued, tone steady but sharp. "Danzo and Hanzo of the Salamander colluded to crush the resistance in Amegakure. They kidnapped Konan and forced Nagato to choose—either watch her die or kill Yahiko himself."
Jiraiya froze in place.
"Yahiko chose to die by Nagato's hand to save her," Kai said. "And from that moment, Nagato abandoned everything. Ideals, mercy—he drowned in vengeance."
"No…" Jiraiya whispered. "No, that's not possible…"
"They only had power," Kai said coldly, "not the resolve or wisdom to wield it."
Jiraiya stumbled back, as if physically struck.
He leaned against the wall, eyes wide, the weight of Kai's words sinking into him like a stone thrown into deep water.
"Nagato… he had the Rinnegan," Jiraiya said weakly. "He was special. He believed in peace. Yahiko too—they respected Hanzo! They wanted to change Amegakure without more war!"
"And how did that end?" Kai snapped. "You taught them peace, but you never taught them survival. In a world ruled by strength, kindness without fangs is suicide."
"Then I failed," Jiraiya muttered, bitter and low. "It's my fault…"
Minato glanced between the two, uncertain how to step into the emotional minefield.
Kai didn't hold back. "You had three years with them. Three years to prepare them for the real world. But instead, you let them cling to illusions."
In truth, Jiraiya knew this already.
He hadn't gone back to Amegakure not because he forgot—but because he was afraid.
Afraid of what he might find. Afraid that his teachings had broken something instead of fixing it.
"I wanted them to be better than us," Jiraiya whispered. "Not just more powerful. Better."
Kai looked down at him. "And that dream cost them their lives."
A pause.
"Not Konan," Jiraiya said, almost in a plea. "Please tell me she didn't change…"
"She did," Kai replied without hesitation. "She stands beside Nagato now. Loyal. Cold. Merciless."
Jiraiya's breath caught.
"People change," Kai added. "When everything they believe in is burned away."
For a moment, all was quiet.
The weight of lost dreams, failed students, and twisted destinies filled the room like smoke from a dying fire.
Then Jiraiya straightened.
His fists clenched. His voice returned, low but burning.
"Then I'll go. I'll go to Amegakure and face them. I have to—Nagato… he has the Rinnegan. If he's truly fallen, the damage he could do—"
"What do you plan to do?" Kai interrupted, voice cutting like a blade. "Talk him down? Change his heart? With what words?"
"I don't know!" Jiraiya snapped. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing!"
Kai narrowed his eyes. "And if he kills you?"
"I'll try anyway."
Silence.
Then Kai shook his head. "You still don't get it."
He stepped forward. "This isn't about atonement. It's not about saving one lost student. This is about stopping a man who now commands the most dangerous organization in the shinobi world."
Jiraiya stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"Akatsuki. Nagato leads it. And Madara stands behind him, whispering in the shadows."
"What?!"
"They're gathering the tailed beasts," Kai continued. "Every Jinchūriki is a target. Every village is in danger."
Jiraiya staggered. "No… Then this really is it. The prophecy—"
"Stop," Kai said. "You and your prophecy."
Minato frowned. "What prophecy?"
Jiraiya turned to him slowly, face drawn. "The Great Toad Sage gave me a vision. A child… one who would bring great change to the world. Either peace or destruction."
"For a long time," he continued, "I thought it was Nagato."
Minato's gaze dropped to the floor. "And now?"
"I don't know anymore…"
Kai clicked his tongue.
"Prophecies are for cowards," he said.
Jiraiya's head shot up. "What?"
"You heard me," Kai replied. "A prophecy is just a way to justify sitting back and doing nothing until fate shows up with a sign."
Jiraiya's fists trembled. "You're mocking the Great Toad Sage?"
"No," Kai said. "I'm mocking you."
Minato stepped in.
"Hold on, Kai—Jiraiya-sensei only believed what he was told."
"Exactly," Kai said. "He believed instead of acting. And now look where it got him."
Minato stayed quiet.
Jiraiya growled, "The Great Toad Sage is the most revered being in Mount Myōboku. His visions have never been wrong."
Kai chuckled. "And yet they change."
"What?"
"Do you know why the prophecy seems vague? Because the future isn't fixed. It shifts. Based on choices, not destiny."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Then who is the Child of Prophecy?"
Kai smiled slyly. "I'll tell you."
Minato tilted his head. "Is it Naruto?"
A long pause.
Kai sighed. "It was."
"Was?" Jiraiya's jaw dropped.
Kai nodded. "Originally, Naruto was chosen by the Six Paths Sage's spirit—fated to unify the world and bring peace after a long war."
"Then… that's good, isn't it?"
"Not anymore," Kai said flatly. "Circumstances changed. I changed them."
Minato blinked. "How?"
Kai grinned. "I picked someone better."
"What?!"
"You, Minato."
Minato: (☉д⊙)
Jiraiya: (」°ロ°)」
"You can't just do that!" Jiraiya exclaimed.
"Why not?" Kai replied. "Did the Sage of Six Paths fill out a form? Did the Great Toad Sage leave a contract?"
"That's not how it works!" Jiraiya barked.
"Of course it is," Kai said. "Fate isn't a fixed road. It's a torch passed to those who walk far enough to carry it."
Minato was still trying to catch up. "You… think I'm the one?"
Kai turned to him, completely serious.
"I don't think. I've decided."
The room stood still.
Jiraiya looked between them, stunned.
"You're… rewriting the prophecy."
Kai shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
"You can't just do that!"
Kai walked to the window, his tone suddenly sharp.
"The prophecy was never about a name. It was about a result. If Naruto brought peace, he'd be the one. If Nagato did, then him. But now, you're the one with the chance, Minato."
"You have strength. Wisdom. Position. And most of all—you're ready."
Minato whispered, "But I thought… Naruto—"
Kai shook his head. "You want him to grow up in peace, don't you?"
Minato clenched his fists. "Yes."
"Then fight now," Kai said. "So he never has to."
Jiraiya slowly sat back down.
"So… that's it?" he said, hollow. "Naruto was supposed to be the Child of Prophecy, and now he's not?"
Kai smirked. "If it makes you feel better, he still might be. Fate can shift again. But right now? He's just a baby."
Jiraiya let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down his face.
"I don't know if I should be insulted or relieved."
"You should be grateful," Kai said.
"Why?"
"Because you still get to help."
The room shifted again. The air grew heavier.
Kai looked at Jiraiya directly.
"You've made mistakes. But that doesn't mean you're finished."
Jiraiya raised his head.
"You're still one of the strongest shinobi alive. A Sannin. A Sage. It's time you stopped wandering and started preparing."
Jiraiya chuckled. "You gonna train me?"
Kai smiled. "No."
He stepped forward, tapping Jiraiya lightly on the forehead.
"I'm going to unlock your next stage."
A rush of chakra surged through Jiraiya's body.
His eyes widened. He could feel something bloom inside him—a deep, coiled power that he'd once touched during Sage Mode, but never fully tamed.
"W-What did you do?!"
"I gave you a push," Kai said. "Call it a shortcut. You've always had potential. But you've held yourself back. Not anymore."
Minato stepped forward, eyes wide.
"You enhanced him?"
Kai nodded. "He'll still need to train. But he can access his full Sage Mode now—without risking partial transformation."
Jiraiya stood there, stunned.
"I… I haven't felt this strong in decades…"
Kai gave a satisfied nod.
"The war is coming. You're going to need it."
Outside, the winds shifted over Konoha.
In distant lands, whispers of Akatsuki spread like fire across parchment maps.
Tailed Beasts trembled in their seals.
Nations stirred.
And within one humble house in the Leaf Village, the Child of Prophecy was no longer a child.
He was a man.
He had a name.
Minato Namikaze.