"Yo, isn't that Asuma? Is the old man still in good health?"
A hearty and familiar voice called out from behind him. Asuma turned around to find a familiar face, his expression shifting to one of surprise.
The newcomer had iconic long white hair and wore a headband engraved with the character for 'Oil,' with traditional wooden sandals on his feet. This was none other than one of the legendary Sannin, his senior—Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya."
Asuma hesitated for a moment. "My old man's health is fine. Are you back this time for... research?"
"Research is just a side gig," Jiraiya laughed heartily, his tone filled with unabashed pride and anticipation. "The main reason is, of course, to attend my precious disciple's Hokage inauguration ceremony! How could I miss such an important occasion?"
However, Asuma's expression became somewhat strange. He scratched his head and spoke hesitantly: "Um... Lord Jiraiya, the Fourth Hokage's inauguration ceremony ended several months ago."
The smile on Jiraiya's face froze instantly.
"Huh? Several months ago?"
His voice rose an octave, his face full of disbelief. "You've got to be joking. I just received the news..."
He stopped mid-sentence, his face clouding with regret. He raised a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh. "Dammit... delayed by the intel provided by that guy Gamakon again. I spent months on the road dealing with those matters... I can't believe I missed Minato's most important moment."
Asuma began to tease him, but his gaze was inadvertently drawn to something perched on top of Jiraiya's head.
It was a toad, its entire body a strange, mystical purple. It wasn't large—only about the size of a palm—but its darting eyes revealed a level of shrewdness and... mischief that didn't match its size.
Just as Asuma was sizing it up, the purple toad suddenly spoke, its voice tinged with mockery: "Ho? I wondered who it was. If it isn't our very own 'Hokage' golden boy of the Leaf—Asuma Sarutobi?"
The toad's tone was sharp and sarcastic, emphasizing the word 'Hokage.' Under normal circumstances, the hot-tempered Asuma likely would have snapped. But right now, he seemed to think of something and didn't immediately argue back. In his view, this toad was clearly Lord Jiraiya's summoned beast; he couldn't afford to lose his composure.
Asuma's face turned red as he muttered, "Lord Jiraiya, your summon speaks in a... very unique way."
Jiraiya laughed and slapped Asuma on the shoulder with considerable force. "Don't mind him. This fellow's name is Gamakon. He's always had a bit of a wicked tongue."
"By the look of you, did you finally have a heart-to-heart with the old man?"
"No." Asuma shook his head. "I was just thinking about Kurenai."
"She said she likes mature men."
"And... I plan to express my feelings to her tomorrow." His gaze softened as the image of Kurenai surfaced in his mind.
"Excellent!" Jiraiya looked at him with approval. "The fact that you can take this step... the old man will surely be relieved."
Gamakon, the purple toad sitting on Jiraiya's head, swung his legs with boredom. Looking at the love-struck Asuma, he sighed inwardly. As a transmigrator, he knew the future fate of the man before him all too well. To die under the curse of the Akatsuki member Hidan—a tragic hero whose end left people mourning.
'The successor of the Will of Fire,' Gamakon spoke up again lazily. 'Since you're planning to confess to the one you love, you'd better be prepared to take on the responsibility of protecting her. Do you have that resolve?'
'Otherwise, when you're separated by life and death, it'll be a real tragedy.'
Asuma paused for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "Of course." His eyes were unwavering, reflecting the resolve of a shinobi.
Jiraiya frowned. Gamakon was being unusually talkative today, and every word carried an ominous weight. Even if the ultimate end for a shinobi was often such, this was still quite rude. He reached up and patted the top of his head, saying crossly, "That's enough from you. Don't go scaring the youngsters."
Gamakon curled his lip and whispered in a voice only Jiraiya could hear: "I'm not trying to scare him, Jiraiya. I'm giving you a warning. That guy's Star of Death is shining quite brightly."
Jiraiya's movements stiffened for a second, but he maintained the smile on his face, continuing to exchange pleasantries with Asuma about the village's recent affairs. He knew Gamakon never spoke without reason. Though the guy had a sharp tongue and acted like a total troll, his "intuitions"—much like those of the Great Toad Sage—were terrifyingly accurate.
Asuma chatted with Jiraiya for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to take his leave. "Lord Jiraiya, I have an appointment, so I'll be going now."
"Go on, go on. Don't keep Kurenai waiting," Jiraiya teased with a wink.
Asuma's face turned slightly red as he scratched his head and turned to leave.
"Wait." Jiraiya suddenly called out to him.
Asuma turned back, puzzled. Jiraiya reached into his robe and pulled something out, handing it over. It was a necklace strung with a black cord, the pendant a piece of dark green jade. It was old-fashioned in shape and seemed to be engraved with tiny runes. Under the sunlight, a faint flow of light moved within the jade.
"Take this." Jiraiya's expression became serious. "It's nothing special, just a protective charm. Remember, starting today, don't take it off even when bathing or sleeping. Keep it on you at all times."
Asuma took the necklace. It felt warm to the touch, and he could sense a strange energy flowing through it. Though he was confused, he understood the value of such an item. "Lord Jiraiya, this is too precious..."
"Cut the crap!" Jiraiya adopted the unquestionable air of an elder. "This is my homecoming gift to you. If I tell you to wear it, wear it. If you really want to thank me, then protect the village well, and protect the people you want to protect."
Since it was put that way, Asuma could no longer refuse. He put the necklace around his neck. As the jade touched his chest, a warm current instantly spread through his body, making him feel refreshed.
"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya." Asuma bowed.
"Alright, get going," Jiraiya waved him off dismissively.
Jiraiya watched Asuma walk away. It wasn't until he reached a street corner that the smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a look of gravity. Gamakon, sensing the change, leaned forward until his eyes met Jiraiya's.
The street was still busy with people, the hustle and bustle continuing as usual. Jiraiya's voice was extremely low, making the atmosphere much more serious.
"Gamakon, what you said just now... was it true?"
The setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red. Jiraiya stood in place, his tall figure casting a long shadow on the ground. His question was like a stone thrown into a still lake, breaking the surrounding silence.
Gamakon—the purple toad—hopped lightly from the top of Jiraiya's head to his shoulder, finding a comfortable position to lie down. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he scratched his chin with a front webbed foot in a leisurely manner.
"What? Has there ever been a time when my intel proved to be false?" Gamakon asked back, his voice carrying its usual laziness and confidence.
Jiraiya fell silent. Indeed, not once. It was precisely because every single piece of intel had been true that he had run himself ragged for it, even missing his own disciple's ceremony. But for those innocent lives, he didn't regret it.
His encounter with Gamakon was, in itself, a miraculous event that defied common sense. Back then, Jiraiya was still traveling the world looking for the 'Child of Prophecy,' occasionally returning to Mount Myoboku to seek new prophecies from the Great Toad Sage. And that was when Gamakon had barged into his world.
Thinking of this, Gamakon's thoughts drifted back to the past.
When he regained consciousness from a state of chaos, he found that he had turned into a toad—specifically, a purple toad spirit. He was surrounded by giant plants and the air was humid. At first, he thought he had transmigrated into the world of the Gourd Brothers and almost went to look for those two Snake Spirits to pay his respects.
It wasn't until he saw the stone statue engraved with the huge character for 'Toad' and those talking toads that Gamakon realized with a shock—this was the Naruto world, one of the three Great Sage regions, Mount Myoboku!
In that instant, he felt like he was going to die a miserable death. Although he looked like a toad on the outside, he was still human on the inside. More importantly, he didn't belong to this world!
In front of the Great Toad Sage, who could see the future, wouldn't his secret be like ice under the sun, completely exposed? He could almost imagine the next second: being discovered as an extra-dimensional soul and being snatched up by the tongues of the Two Great Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, to be turned into a dish of fried toad!
Talk about a truly desperate trial!