Naruto: The Prince of Lust

"I am," the still toad answers.

"That makes less sense than usual Ōjiji-sama," Ma notes.

"All things make sense… under the right perspective," the elder sagely explains to them. He perplexes his young toad sages further when he reveals to Naruto, "in my dream, you will battle many eyes… blue eyes I've long since seen… but red eyes as well… all with the power capable… of destroying the world."

'Naru-nii wasn't kidding,' Naruto mentally remarks. Not that he felt he was, however, to hear it from this old sage just makes it feel real. Up to this moment, Zabuza, Sasuke, and Orochimaru have been the strongest opponents he's ever had to fight, and he couldn't even pin Orochimaru down. Naruto knows about Itachi, Obito, Pain and all of the Akatsuki, and Madara are still out there. He knows about the war to come and the lives that will be lost, and as anxious as that makes him, he can feel support in Naru-nii, in Jiraiya, in his senseis, his friends, and in himself. This is what being Hokage means and he's been preparing for this his entire life.

"Do you understand, Uzumaki Naruto," the elder great sage says, interrupting his thoughts.

Tilting stern and confident blue eyes on Gamamaru-sennin, Naruto firmly replies, "yeah."

"Do you really," Jiraiya spouts, bending at the waist to look up at Naruto sideways. "Care to explain that to us? You know far more than you should, you're summoning like a pro; there's far too much that's gone unexplained."

"Such is the uncertainty… of certainty," Gamamaru sagely orates.

Simply nodding at the revered toad, Jiraiya turns to Naruto and expresses, "I know I haven't been around like I should've. I can blame it on my destiny, on my writing, on my assignment for the village, but more than all of that, I blame my fear. I've messed up a lot, Naruto, and I don't have much of a right to ask this, but, will you tell how you went from Dead Last to holding your own against Orochimaru?"

Out of curiosity, Naruto asks, "Ji-chan tell you all that?" His Godfather nods. While he hates that he had to be horribly alone when he was younger, especially when he did have family who could've been in his life, he forcibly shoves those aching feelings to the side. They've never helped him before, and that hate won't help him now. Taking a deep calming breath, Naruto instead smiles as he's always done. He remembers the people currently in his life and the people that will one day be in his life, and Ero-sennin is someone he's been eager to meet since Naru-nii first mentioned him.

Jiraiya isn't sure what to make of the boy's smile before Naruto begins to explain, "I've been wanting to tell you since I first heard about you." Turning to his toad instructors, Naruto shares, "I don't mind telling you guys either, but you all have to swear you won't tell a soul about this. I mean it. This is probably the biggest secret you'll ever hear."

Standing up straight and nodding to Naruto like an equal, Jiraiya affirms, "I promise," as do the toad sages.

Naruto asks Pa, "is this place secure?"

Fukasaku hops over to the wall and activates one of the best Fūinjutsu privacy seals Naruto has ever seen. The alignment and distribution of tasks were incredibly efficient and multi-layered similarly to a double helix. He was so impressed with the glowing seals on the walls, Naruto nearly forgot what he was going to disclose. Jiraiya clears his throat before Naruto then explains the key points about Naru-nii, the future that was described to him, the villains that will cause it, and the training he needed to learn to defend the world from that outcome. Most of his story is simply the broad strokes, however, Naruto is more delicate when he reveals how Jiraiya dies and by whose hand.

"I know it's a lot," Naruto continues. "I've had months to get used to it, but so far, everything Naru-nii told me—everything I was able to change because of him—has been true."

"That's…" Ma utters to silence, followed by Pa's, "mmn," as they eye a shaken Jiraiya. The well-built man was eerily silent throughout, head down with furrowed brows and slumped shoulders. His eyes seemed vacant, as if searching the memories of his past for any sense of this future and how he contributed to it.

"Ho, ho, ho," Gamamaru slowly laughs. "Even at my age… I can still feel humbled."

"Don't be," Naruto tells the great toad. "It's not like I can actually predict the future or anything. I just got the best cheat array." Turning to Jiraiya as he processes the magnitude of everything Naruto confessed, the blond continues, "part of the reason why we wanted to tell you isn't just because you're family and we want to protect you. Naru-nii and I also want you to do something." It was part of their brainstorming sessions. Neither Narutos like it but they can't deny it makes a lot of sense.

When Jiraiya's eyes seem to return to the present, Naruto tells him, "we think you should talk to Nagato. I'll talk to him too, no doubt, but I can't right now. On top of that, Nagato doesn't know me, he hasn't killed you, and I haven't beat him. None of what happened before has happened yet, so I can't be sure I'll change his mind unless I tell him about Naru-nii."

Jiraiya's voice is strong, nearly desperate when he finally orders Naruto, "no one must know about this connection you have."

"Agreed," Pa seconds with Ma's firm nod.

"You must never tell anyone about your insight into the future," Jiraiya further adds. "And I'll see Nagato. I have to." At the deep concern on Naruto's face, the white-haired elder pats him on his blond head as he assures his Godson, "don't worry about me. Now that I know Pain's fighting capabilities, it's less likely he can defeat me-"

"Kill," Naruto interjects. "He killed you. I may not know you as well as my future self got to, but just like Haku, I already know I don't want to lose you. Believe me, I'd be on my way to Amegakure if it wouldn't cause a ruckus with everyone here."

Comprehending the dilemma, Jiraiya remarks, "you know more because of your Naru-nii, but you're also restricted by what can and can't reasonably explain." The stoically worried Naruto doesn't care about that though and Jiraiya huffs in amusement. "I promise you, Naruto, I'll come back. I'm done making mistakes, and, you need a reasonable line of intelligence you can blame the things you know on. Stay here, learn sage mode and protect Konoha during Suna's invasion."

"We'll teach ya right up," Ma declares with Pa's nodding hum.

"Gerotora," the great elder sage calls. Naruto didn't know who the giant toad was talking to until Jiraiya claps his hands together and summons a long black and orange toad with dark markings under its eyes and around its mouth. Its abdomen seems to be a scroll until the scroll-toad shrinks to a dog-sized amphibian. Gamamaru explains to the group, "I have foreseen… your transfer to Naruto as well."

"Ōjiji-sama," Pa respectfully bellows with concern. "Gerotora is the key to Tetragram's seal itself. Will it be alright to give it to Naruto-jo?"

"All is as it will be," the elder sagely sounds.

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