Uchiha Gate: From Konoha to One Piece

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"Is that so? We understand. Let's summon Little Jiraiya right away!"

Shima and Fukasaku listened intently, nodded solemnly, and immediately agreed.

Then, they performed a reverse summoning technique right there in the hall.

Boom!

In an instant, a cloud of smoke appeared and dispersed. Jiraiya materialized in the hall, holding a bowl of ramen.

"Ah!! What the—!"

Before Jiraiya could process what was happening, he shoved another bite of ramen into his mouth. But with no chair beneath him for support, he toppled backward, spilling the ramen broth all over himself.

Dazed, he sat on the ground, looking around with a blank expression.

Seeing Fukasaku, Shima, and the giant Great Toad Sage, he muttered in confusion, "Shima-sama? Fukasaku-sama? And Great Toad Sage? Did you guys summon me here?"

"Couldn't you have given me a heads-up? Is something important going on?"

"Don't tell me... the Great Toad Sage has a new prophecy?"

At the mention of a prophecy, Jiraiya quickly got up, brushed off the ramen broth and noodles on him, and stood with a serious expression.

"Exactly!"

Fukasaku and Shima nodded, wasting no time relaying the Great Toad Sage's latest prophecy to Jiraiya.

As he listened, Jiraiya's brow furrowed deeply. "The future has changed? The Child of Prophecy no longer exists? The shinobi world will be unified?"

"And it's Konoha doing the unification?"

"The future had changed?"

Each revelation hit Jiraiya like a hammer. His scalp tingled, and his heart filled with confusion.

He couldn't help but recall what Tsunade and Orochimaru had said to him just days before.

For the first time, Jiraiya began to doubt the Great Toad Sage's prophecies.

For years, he had dedicated himself to the pursuit of the Child of Prophecy, treating it as his life's mission.

And now, they were telling him that the Child of Prophecy no longer existed? That the future had completely changed and couldn't be seen anymore?

It felt like he had been played.

"So, you summoned me just to tell me all this? What exactly is your purpose?"

Jiraiya asked, his voice laced with frustration.

Unknowingly, his tone had shifted, reflecting his shaken faith and growing discontent.

Clearly, his long-standing trust in Mount Myoboku and its sages had been thoroughly shaken.

But Fukasaku and Shima were ancient, wise toads who had lived for centuries—some say millennia. They immediately noticed the subtle shift in Jiraiya's attitude.

The toads exchanged glances.

Finally, Shima spoke honestly to Jiraiya, explaining their earlier decision.

At that moment, the Great Toad Sage himself apologized, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, Little Jiraiya. My past prophecies caused you great distress and burdened you unnecessarily."

"I formally apologize to you here and now."

"From this day forward, you are free. There's no need to chase after the so-called Child of Prophecy or be bound by prophecies at all."

"Just stay in Konoha and help it grow. That is the right path."

"In addition, to express my apologies to you and Konoha, I will send Fukasaku and Shima to accompany you to meet your Hokage. They will apologize on my behalf."

"And as compensation, Mount Myoboku will hand over the summoning contract scroll to Konoha. Your village can choose the most suitable individuals to become contractors. That's all."

With that, the Great Toad Sage closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"This..."

Jiraiya was stunned. His resentment eased considerably, but now he felt at a loss for what to say. He looked at Fukasaku and Shima in confusion.

"Come with us," Fukasaku said, gesturing to Jiraiya. Together, the two toads and Jiraiya left the cave and stepped outside.

"Has something happened in Konoha recently? I overheard some news. They said the Third Hokage was deposed—is that true?"

Shima couldn't help but ask Jiraiya.

She had a feeling that this upheaval might be related to the variable the Great Toad Sage had mentioned.

"Uh… yeah," Jiraiya replied awkwardly, nodding. He then gave them a rough summary of the recent events in Konoha.

"So, that's how it is..."

Fukasaku and Shima exchanged knowing looks, their suspicions confirmed.

They were certain now—the variable must be the Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Kaito.

If not him, who else could it be?

At just ten years old, he had defeated Hanzo the Salamander and the Third Kazekage in an instant, effortlessly annihilating nearly ten thousand enemy ninjas. His talent was monstrous.

If given more time to grow, who knew how terrifyingly powerful he would become?

In that moment, they fully understood why the Great Toad Sage was so wary of this variable and why he chose to mend relations with Konoha, even at the cost of abandoning the Sage of Six Paths.

They had reasons to suspect that in the future, Kaito's strength and accomplishments might very well surpass those of the Sage of Six Paths.

After all, neither the Sage of Six Paths nor his mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya, had ever caused the Great Toad Sage's prophetic dreams to be ineffective.

"Since that's the case, there's no time to waste. Let's go to Konoha with you right away."

"We'll seek an audience with the Fourth Hokage, congratulate him on his appointment, and offer him our apologies and compensation from Mount Myoboku. We'll also clarify the misunderstanding and express our goodwill,"

Shima made her decision without hesitation and turned to Jiraiya.

"Huh?" Jiraiya was momentarily taken aback by their rush.

He wasn't clueless. By now, he fully understood why the Great Toad Sage and the other sages from Mount Myoboku were so eager to reconcile with Konoha and Kaito and even offer compensation.

Clearly, it was because of their previous manipulative actions—tricking Jiraiya into searching for the so-called "Child of Prophecy." They felt guilty about it.

Moreover, under Kaito's leadership, Konoha had an extremely high chance of uniting the entire shinobi world and becoming invincible.

If they didn't resolve this misunderstanding and make amends now, and Konoha eventually did unify the shinobi world, Kaito—given his personality—might very well retaliate against Mount Myoboku.

At that point, the sacred land of Mount Myoboku would likely face a bloody reckoning.

In fact, if Shima and the others hadn't come to Jiraiya today to explain everything and use a new prophecy to win him over, he might have ended up opposing Konoha and Kaito in the future.

If that happened, Mount Myoboku would undoubtedly be completely destroyed by Kaito.

Though Tsunade and Orochimaru's words had shaken Jiraiya's beliefs a little, it was only a temporary wavering.

If there had been a new prophecy to mislead him, he would likely have fallen for it—because that was just the kind of person he was.

Stubborn and idealistic, Jiraiya valued loyalty above all else.

Mount Myoboku had played a crucial role in his rise, allowing him to catch up to and even surpass Tsunade and Orochimaru for a time.

Not to mention, Shima and Fukasaku had always treated him like family, giving him a warmth he hadn't felt elsewhere.

"I don't have any objections!" Jiraiya finally said.

Taking everything into account, Jiraiya chose to forgive them—he forgave the Great Toad Sage for misleading him.

"Let's get going, then! I believe with your apologies and compensation, the misunderstandings should be resolved. I'll also help smooth things over," Jiraiya added.

"Additionally, I suggest offering Konoha access to the Sage Mode training methods of Mount Myoboku as a gesture of goodwill!" Jiraiya proposed.

"Although the training is extremely demanding, it's a sign of sincerity. I'm sure Kaito would be interested in this. With his talent, he'll undoubtedly master the complete Sage Mode," he added.

"Teaching Sage Mode, huh?" Fukasaku and Shima exchanged glances before nodding. "Alright, we'll include that."

"But keep in mind, Sage Mode isn't easy to master. When the time comes, remind your Hokage to heed our advice. Training at Mount Myoboku with our guidance and the toad oil would be much safer and more effective," they explained.

"Of course!" Jiraiya said with a smile, nodding. "Let's head out then?"

"Yes! I'll undo the Reverse Summoning now. Once you're back, summon us both," Shima instructed.

"Got it!" Jiraiya agreed.

In the next moment, Shima released the Reverse Summoning Jutsu, and Jiraiya disappeared from Mount Myoboku, reappearing in the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen shop in Konoha.

"Whoa! You're back, customer? I saw you disappear just now and thought something had happened, so I called the security team. Are you alright?" the young owner, still just a boy, asked in concern, pointing to a few security members at the door.

"Haha, I'm fine!" Jiraiya said with a laugh, scratching the back of his head. He pulled out his wallet, paid for his meal, and apologized, "Sorry, I kind of made the bowl disappear too. Here's money for the ramen and the bowl. I've got to run!"

With that, Jiraiya walked out of Ichiraku Ramen.

"Jiraiya-sama! We've reported your situation to the Hokage!" one of the security members—a Hyuga clan member—said with a slight bow. "The Hokage has instructed us to wait here and inform you to head to the Hokage's office immediately."

Ever since the suppression of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, significant changes had been made within the security forces.

The positions once occupied by members of the Uchiha clan were reassigned, and the Uchiha reopened recruitment for the security team.

High-paying, low-risk jobs like this naturally attracted applicants from all backgrounds, including prominent clans like the Hyuga.

This particular Hyuga was from a branch family—main family members wouldn't take such jobs.

"Oh?" Jiraiya blinked, then nodded. "Understood! I'll head to the Hokage's office right away. Thanks for your hard work!"

With that, Jiraiya disappeared, dashing toward the Hokage's building.

The security members wrapped up their tasks and departed.

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