Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 197 A beast is nothing but a beast; it can't become an immortal.

"Disaster, child of calamity..."

Hearing the title uttered by the Great Toad Sage, the undisguised ominousness and malice within it caused Jiraiya's shimmering pupils to freeze slightly.

If the "Child of Prophecy" embodies "hope" or "war," then the "Child of Calamity" contains only "calamity" and "destruction."

If he could, Jiraiya would not want to believe this terrible news.

But it was the Great Toad Sage who uttered the prophecy.

Although the Great Toad Sage is forgetful and sleepy, and looks like a senile old man, he not only possesses powerful magic, but also the mysterious ability to accurately predict the future.

Since it can be called the "Child of Calamity," it means that the human will inevitably bring disaster to the ninja world, making the already chaotic ninja world even more devastated.

"Is the child of calamity truly beyond redemption?"

Jiraiya's mind was a bit of a mess. Clinging to the last glimmer of hope, he looked up at the Great Toad Sage: "If I find him and guide him towards good..."

"If possible, I also hope you can correct his distortion. After all, not only your five great nations and other countries, but even our three holy lands will be affected by the disasters he brings."

Before Jiraiya could finish speaking, the Great Toad Sage shook his head, interrupting him with a sigh, "Unfortunately, you can't do it, and nobody can. It's all too late."

"The reason why the prophesied child can be guided by you is because I see two possibilities for his future. They have the potential to change the world, and whether it is for good or bad, someone needs to guide him."

"And that 'Child of Calamity'... For some reason, in my dreams, anything involving him becomes extremely blurry. All I can see is a hand as vast as the sky reaching out to grab the ninja world."

Upon hearing this, both Shima and Fukasaku, whose expressions had been somewhat somber, changed their demeanor.

The calamity brought by the "Child of Calamity" has actually spread to the three holy lands?!

This was an unprecedented situation for the three holy lands, which had been peaceful for hundreds of years, hidden in the shadows of the ninja world, and shrouded in mystery.

This means that even with the abilities of the Grand Master and the other two great immortals of the holy land, they cannot completely protect their respective holy lands.

"Can the 'Child of Calamity' already interfere with the Lord's prophetic abilities?" Shima asked.

Although the Great Lord can only see fragments of the future through intermittent dreams, Mount Myōboku is able to enjoy a great reputation in the ninja world without showing its face, precisely because of its prophecies that have been infallible from a thousand years ago to the present.

Their process of selecting "psychic contractors" is actually also the process of selecting "representatives." Almost every generation has one "contractor," who is a human who appeared in the prophecy of the Great Lord.

"Perhaps it's because I'm getting old," the Great Toad Sage replied calmly, as if joking.

For a moment, Fukasaku and Shima looked at each other in silence, their eyes revealing a mixture of unease and coldness.

"Those who cannot be changed, like a vast, unyielding hand, can even affect the sacred land..."

Imagining the terrifying extent of the calamity, Jiraiya's expression became extremely solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "Great Toad Sage, could you tell me the specific details of the prophecy?"

The giant toad sage, with his eyes half-closed, remained silent for a moment before speaking in a tone neither joyful nor sorrowful: "Sage? Tell me, do you bleed...?"

"Those who are filled with trepidation, bow down and serve your Lord, and receive my teachings with reverence."

"I will grant you kingdoms and inheritances, and the ends of the earth will be yours. I will send the usurpers to their doom, and the life and death of all things will be in your hands."

"That's all I heard, but unfortunately, I can't tell who said it."

"..."

The Great Toad Immortal's tone was calm and composed, yet it exuded a domineering and oppressive aura, making the one man and two frogs feel uneasy and chilled, casting a shadow over their hearts.

"He really is an arrogant and cruel guy." Jiraiya frowned, his expression turning somber.

Jiraiya wanted to find the "Child of Prophecy" before he grew up, so that he could educate and guide him.

But for the incorrigible "Child of Calamity," it is clear that there is no other choice but to kill him.

The future that the Great Toad Immortal described to him was truly terrifying.

Compared to the complete "disappearance" of all ninjas, including those from Konoha, and the disaster and death that would sweep across the entire ninja world and even the sacred land, killing one person to save the world is undoubtedly a better choice.

Although killing someone outright goes against Jiraiya's long-held principles, he would never hesitate to kill an ambitious person.

"The key to stopping the sons of calamity is the prophetic sons who walk the right path."

The Great Toad Sage suddenly spoke up: "I've seen even more about the 'Child of Prophecy' this time."

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya instantly perked up, his eyes shining brightly as he said, "Please speak."

"There may be two children of prophecy," the Great Toad Sage said calmly. "One of them has eyes as blue as the sea."

Eyes as blue as the sea?

Jiraiya's eyes flickered slightly as he noted it down and continued, "Where is the other one?"

"..." The Great Toad Sage seemed to pause for a moment, then spoke, "The other one was born when Konoha was destroyed."

Shima and Fukasaku were stunned for a moment, then looked down at the same time.

A pensive expression froze on Jiraiya's face.

"Konoha...destroyed..." His lips twitched, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace.

In other words, according to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, Konoha was destined to be destroyed.

Can fate be changed?

Jiraiya opened his mouth as if to ask the question, but then slowly closed it.

Because the answer to this question is meaningless.

One of the prophesied children was born at the time of Konoha's destruction, which means that the two are inevitably connected.

The reason why the Child of Prophecy became the Child of Prophecy might be because of the fact that Konoha was destroyed, or perhaps it is because of the existence of the Child of Prophecy that Konoha will be destroyed by someone in the future.

One is the cause, and the other is the effect.

"……I see."

After a long silence, Jiraiya lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze becoming deep, and said, "Whether it is the child of prophecy or the child of calamity, I will do my best to find them."

The most likely culprit behind Konoha's destruction is that "Child of Calamity."

If a prophesied child can be guided onto the right path, could the threat posed by the Child of Calamity to Konoha and even the ninja world be resolved before Konoha is destroyed, without the need for a second prophesied child?

Even if the probability is small, he will still try it because it's a possibility.

Is he the prophesied son with blue eyes?

"Great Immortal, then..."

Jiraiya calmly raised his head, about to bid farewell to the Great Toad Sage, but the next second he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

Snore~ Snore~

On the stone platform, the Great Toad Sage had closed his eyes and was emitting sweet purring sounds. Fukasaku and Shima looked somewhat embarrassed.

Jiraiya scratched his head, looked helplessly at the two frogs, and said, "Then I'll be leaving now, time is of the essence."

The war is still raging and shows no signs of ending, and now there is another task: to find the Child of Calamity and the Child of Prophecy.

Fortunately, Orochimaru has become a mature commander after this battle, Tsunade has regained her fighting ability and gained even greater power, and Sakumo Hatake's actions in the Land of Rivers are progressing very smoothly.

If no other unforeseen circumstances occur, Konoha will continue to win until they completely defeat the Third Kazekage.

"Go ahead. If you have time, remember to come to the Holy Land a few times. Your progress in cultivating immortal arts has been very rapid recently. You should be able to use 'Sage Mode' soon with the help of me and your wife."

Fukasaku was also somewhat distressed. He sighed deeply and didn't forget to remind her, "You have a heavy burden now. If you encounter any unexpected situations, don't rush in directly. Remember to call me and the child's mother."

"Don't worry, I'm not the same person I used to be."

Jiraiya patted his chest, a smile returning to his face, and bowed slightly to the sleeping toad sage.

Bang!

With a burst of white smoke, Jiraiya's figure disappeared inside the hall.

After he left, the snoring in the hall suddenly stopped.

"Cough cough, is it a disaster...?"

The giant toad immortal coughed twice, looking even older. His wrinkled eyelids slowly opened, and a cold glint flashed in his cloudy, brownish-yellow frog eyes.

"Master! You..." Fukasaku and Shima, who were squatting on the stone platforms on both sides, hurriedly looked at the Great Toad Sage after hearing the cough, their faces full of unease and worry.

"Not dead yet," the Great Toad Sage said calmly. "Fukasaku, Shima."

Fukasaku let out a long sigh and said in a deep voice, "Sir, please speak."

The giant toad immortal said softly, "Go, go and bring out the 'Immortal Talisman'."

Upon hearing the order given by the Great Toad Sage, Fukasaku and Shima were both taken aback, but they quickly realized what was happening and their expressions turned extremely horrified.

"A talisman of immortals?!"

The Immortal's Talisman is the most precious treasure of Mount Myōboku.

This talisman is covered with Sage Chakra, representing the ultimate application of natural power, and can even bring the dead back to life to some extent.

The Great Toad Sage once used a "Sage Talisman" to revive the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths, Hamura Otsutsuki, which enabled Hamura and Hagoromo Otsutsuki to achieve final victory in their battle against Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Now that the master has asked him to prepare the talisman of immortality in advance, that means...

"What did you see?" Shima asked gravely. "Is someone important going to die?"

The last person to use the "Sage's Talisman" was none other than Otsutsuki Hamura.

Who is it that would make the lord take out the "Immortal's Talisman" again?

However, the Great Toad Master showed no intention of offering any answers to the questions that Fukasaku and Shima both had.

Because that cold voice seemed to still echo in its ears.

"You beast, you think you can become an 'immortal' just because you've learned to speak human language, to scheme, and to act like a ghost?"

"A beast, it's just a beast."

"I hang high in the sky, granting immortality and longevity, making everyone like an immortal or a dragon."

Recalling these words, the Great Toad Sage felt as if he had turned back into the "Toad Maru" he once was, the weak "Toad".

Whether it's a snake hunting a toad, a toad devouring a slug, or a slug sharing the carcass of a snake.

In the eyes of humans, they are nothing but "beasts".

Even if one masters the power of nature and learns "immortal arts," one is still just a "beast," a "beast" who calls himself an immortal.

What arrogant and presumptuous words!

Even the Sage of Six Paths wouldn't dare to offend it like this!

"Damn it!" The Great Toad Sage felt increasingly cold at this thought.

It was precisely because it realized the threat posed by the "Child of Calamity" to its sacred land that it had just used words to give Jiraiya some biased guidance.

"An immortal? Tell me, do you bleed?"

"Those who are filled with trepidation, bow down and serve your Lord, and receive my teachings with reverence."

"I will grant you kingdoms and inheritances, and the ends of the earth will be yours. I will send the usurpers to their doom, and the life and death of all things will be in your hands."

Of these three sentences, only the third one was spoken by the "son of calamity" to the other two.

However, the other two sentences, judging from the voice and tone, were not spoken by the "son of calamity".

The former laughed like a madman, while the latter laughed wildly like a believer.

It seems there's more than one ambitious and arrogant human...

"Master?"

Looking at the silent toad sage, Fukasaku took a few steps forward and tentatively asked in a low voice.

"When the time comes, you'll naturally see its usefulness."

Gamamaru came to his senses, his tone no longer calm, but he could not hide his exhaustion as he said one sentence before closing his eyes again.

"Ashura and Indra... Hagoromo Otsutsuki, I hope you can still do it..."

The moment the thought arose, Gamamaru's consciousness was completely overwhelmed by the overwhelming fatigue.

Immediately, it fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing that the master had fallen asleep again, he let out a deep, silent sigh.

The Great Lord has lived since the Land of Ancestors, and single-handedly created Mount Myōboku. Over a thousand years, he has made Mount Myōboku increasingly prosperous, becoming a renowned sacred place of immortal arts.

At the same time, they are secretly protecting the peace of the ninja world and maintaining its balance.

Both Fukasaku and Shima deeply revered the Great Toad Sage.

But sometimes, I find the old man's words and actions incomprehensible.

"Since we're going to use the Sage's Talisman, it means someone very important is going to die. Why couldn't we tell Jiraiya beforehand?"

"Is it to ensure that the future doesn't deviate from the original trajectory?"

"And, sir, you are indeed injured, aren't you?"

Amidst his doubts, Fukasaku grew increasingly uneasy. Gazing into the distance, as if he could see beyond Mount Myōboku, a hint of worry flashed in his frog-like eyes.

"No matter what, Jiraiya, you have to be careful."

If I could, I really wouldn't want this sage's talisman to be prepared for Jiraiya.

At this very moment, Jiraiya, whom Fukasaku had been longing for, had already returned to his camp in Konoha.

But at this moment, he didn't even have time to sort out his thoughts.

"Orochimaru, you mean...?"

Looking at Orochimaru, whose face was pale and calm as if he had expected this, Jiraiya, covered in blood, clenched his fists and said coldly, "Your Highness, you want us to cut off Hanzo's forces from the rear and assist the Land of Wind in defeating the Land of Rain?!"

(End of this chapter)