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Chapter 550: Reunion
Chapter 550: Reunion
"Rikudou City."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up with interest as he gazed upon the large stone standing by the roadside.
Having learned that Nagato was now a member of the Ninja Sect, Jiraiya took the time to thoroughly research the organization and its leader, Sou Yuukei. The concept of a top-tier ninja setting aside prejudices and teaching all ninjas, as well as establishing a peace-keeping ninja organization, sparked his curiosity.
"It's a pleasant up-and-coming town." Jiraiya found himself wandering the streets of Rikudou City, intrigued by its atmosphere.
The city had returned to its usual pace after the excitement of the Youth Ninja Tournament, neither bustling nor desolate, simply ordinary.
Many had invested in property within the city due to the Ninja Sect's display of strength and the guidance of public opinion. Additionally, Rikudou City had opened its doors to refugees displaced by the wars, resulting in a steadily expanding population.
"I shouldn't waste too much time here." Jiraiya reminded himself, having explored only a third of the city. He refocused his attention on gathering information about Nagato.
While his schedule wasn't pressing enough to prevent him from touring the entire town, Jiraiya wanted to prioritize his time, investing it in interactions with Nagato and his companions, as well as learning more about the Ninja Sect.
His method for gathering information was straightforward—he approached a Rain Ninja and inquired directly. After all, he had arrived openly and saw no need for secrecy.
However, the Rain Ninja didn't immediately answer Jiraiya's question. It wouldn't do to divulge information about the Ninja Sect to just anyone who asked.
The ninja from the sect studied Jiraiya, feeling that he looked vaguely familiar.
"One of the Sannin of Konoha?" The ninja recalled something important.
"Hmm, indeed. I am the legendary Jiraiya of the Sannin, so handsome that even a crying child would be struck silent by my beauty!" Jiraiya introduced himself without an ounce of humility.
"Jiraiya-san, please wait a moment. I'm not sure about this, I'll have to ask," the Ninja Sect member said respectfully.
In the ninja world, strength was revered, and the Sannin were renowned as powerful figures. Even if they were from different factions, respect was warranted.
Jiraiya nodded, understanding the situation.
As a well-known strong ninja from Konoha, it was reasonable for his sudden unannounced arrival to prompt the Ninja Sect to seek clarification.
After a while, the ninja returned and escorted Jiraiya to the training grounds within the Ninja Sect's compound.
"Jiraiya-sensei? Am I dreaming?" Yahiko, who had been training, noticed Jiraiya's presence and was incredulous.
It had been a long time since he had last seen Jiraiya. In fact, aside from the three years when Jiraiya had taken care of them, Yahiko had never encountered Jiraiya at any other time.
The time spent with Jiraiya was cherished not only by Nagato but also by Yahiko.
After all, they had been war orphans, lonely and destitute. The three years they spent with Jiraiya, free from the hardships of wandering and stealing to survive, had been blissful.
"Hahaha, it's true that being too outstanding can be a bother. I'm flattered that you thought of me."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, patting Yahiko's shoulder as he walked over and carefully examined the trio who were in the midst of training.
Although Jiraiya didn't possess an appraisal technique, it had been a long time since he had last seen them, and their appearances, including their heights, had changed noticeably.
"So, it's not a dream." Yahiko's expression turned excited as he felt the force on his shoulder and the solid, large palm of Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I've missed you," Yahiko confessed sincerely.
"I've missed you too," Jiraiya laughed boisterously.
"Jiraiya-sensei, take this." Konan swiftly crafted a paper flower using her secret technique and presented it to Jiraiya.
As Konan smiled and handed him the paper flower, Jiraiya's mind wandered back to their first encounter.
At that time, Jiraiya and Orochimaru had just finished clashing with Hanzo, and during their rest, they happened upon the trio of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.
Jiraiya remembered clearly that Konan and Nagato had been afraid and hid in the shadows, while Yahiko, bolder than the others, had approached them directly to ask for food.
As a token of gratitude for the food, Konan had folded the wrapper of a biscuit into a flower and presented it to them.
"Konan, you've become even more beautiful, and your paper-folding technique has improved tremendously," Jiraiya praised without hesitation.
It was Konan's action that had touched Jiraiya's heart, leading him to stay behind in the Rain Country to care for the three war orphans instead of returning to Konoha with his teammates.
At the time, Jiraiya had been unaware that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan; he had simply regarded Nagato as an ordinary war orphan.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you're as handsome as ever," Konan smiled in response.
Despite the passage of time, Jiraiya seemed unchanged, appearing much the same as Konan remembered, only more mature.
"Of course!" Jiraiya struck a proud pose, his hands on his hips, basking in Konan's compliment.
"Jiraiya-sensei."
Unlike Yahiko's fiery enthusiasm and Konan's thoughtful gift, Nagato remained reserved. He simply walked up to Jiraiya's side and called out to him, just as he had in the past.
Jiraiya turned to Nagato, his eyes falling upon the legendary Rinnegan eyes, identical to those of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Nagato, you've surpassed my expectations and are well on your way to surpassing me," Jiraiya said with a proud smile, placing his hand on Nagato's shoulder.
Although Nagato lacked Yahiko's exuberance and Konan's attention to detail, Jiraiya understood that it wasn't due to a lack of emotion but rather Nagato's innate personality.
If Nagato were as outgoing and cheerful as Yahiko, Jiraiya would have suspected he was dealing with an imposter.
"I'm not as accomplished as you say. I'm just following in your footsteps," Nagato humbly shook his head.
"Don't sell yourself short. Many recognize you as the top genius in the ninja world, and excessive modesty isn't a good thing," Jiraiya encouraged Nagato to be more confident.
If he had possessed Nagato's reputation back then, Jiraiya wouldn't have had to endure Sarutobi Hiruzen's scolding three times a day.
"It's just an empty title. There's still much I need to improve upon," Nagato replied, surprised that Jiraiya was referring to the recent rumors circulating in the ninja world.
He had assumed that Jiraiya was referring to the path toward world peace.
On that path, Nagato was indeed a novice, diligently absorbing the knowledge imparted by Mu Yue.
"It's an achievement to come out on top. Take the compliment," Yahiko teased, feigning a sigh.
"Unlike Konan and me, I doubt Jiraiya-sensei even knew we participated in the tournament."
"Ahem, actually, I do know. Yahiko, you were eliminated in the first round of the knockout stage, and Konan made it to the second," Jiraiya explained slightly.
"After all, it was a Youth Ninja Tournament filled with geniuses. It's normal to be eliminated early if you don't have good luck. But the fact that you both made it to the knockout stage is still a commendable achievement worth celebrating. Today, I'll treat you to a feast!"
To make up for his long absence, Jiraiya decided to treat his three disciples to a hearty meal.
"Hehe, Teacher Jiraiya, I was just joking. Of course, I know you're not that kind of person. You don't have to treat us. Now that we can earn our own money, let us treat you instead," Yahiko said with a beaming smile.
Jiraiya had been his guide on the path of a ninja, and without him, Yahiko might have perished in some forgotten corner of the chaotic Rain Country long ago.
Even if he had survived, he would likely have been an ordinary person, unable to fulfill his ambitions.
Thus, Yahiko was deeply grateful to Jiraiya and didn't want his long-lost teacher to pay for their reunion meal.
"Let us treat Teacher Jiraiya this time," Konan agreed with Yahiko's proposal.
Jiraiya had once cared for them for three years, and now it was their turn to reciprocate.
"How about we cook ourselves?" Nagato suggested after some thought.
Although treating them to a meal was a good option, Nagato felt that cooking together would be even better.
It wasn't that Nagato was being frugal, but he thought that cooking together would recreate the atmosphere of the past.
"Nagato, you're truly a genius. Let's go fishing together, just like we used to!" Yahiko exclaimed as he put his arm around Nagato's neck excitedly.
After joining the Ninja Sect, Yahiko had been busy with his studies and various sect affairs.
As he thought about it, Yahiko realized that it had indeed been a long time since he had gone fishing and had a barbecue with Nagato and Konan.
With Jiraiya's arrival and the recent lull in Ninja Sect activities, Yahiko saw today as the perfect opportunity to go fishing.
Nagato nodded in agreement.
"Let me see if you've forgotten the fishing techniques I taught you," Jiraiya said, liking Yahiko's idea.
Konan watched Jiraiya laughing heartily and Yahiko quickly gathering their fishing gear. She felt that everything was back to how it used to be.
"Teacher Jiraiya, don't underestimate me. My fishing skills are top-notch now!" Yahiko boasted proudly.
And he wasn't exaggerating. During his time with Akatsuki, Yahiko's fishing skills had saved the organization a lot of money on food.
He had plenty of experience in fishing.
"Then let's have a competition and see who catches more fish," Jiraiya said, a strange sense of competitiveness rising within him.
So, the four of them found a nearby river and began fishing.
Whether it was because he hadn't fished in a long time or his luck wasn't as good as Yahiko's that day, Jiraiya could only watch as Yahiko caught fish after fish, filling his bucket to the brim.
"A truly excellent teacher is one who teaches disciples that surpass them," Jiraiya consoled himself, looking at the few small fish in his bucket.
However, when he saw what Nagato and Konan had "caught," he couldn't help but laugh.
At least he had caught some fish. Konan and Nagato had only managed to reel in strange objects, including a shoe!
"It's alright. It's still better than not catching anything at all," Jiraiya said, suppressing his amusement.
"Bansei Tenshin!"
Nagato focused his gaze on a fish in the river, using his left hand to release an attractive force that pulled the fish toward him. Then, with his right hand, he skillfully cast his line, hooking the fish in its mouth.
Finally, Nagato pulled the fish out of the water and calmly said, "I caught one too."
"Well done," Jiraiya said, giving Nagato a thumbs-up.
Of course, he wasn't praising Nagato's fishing skills but his control over his abilities.
"In that case, I've caught one too," Konan said. She folded a piece of paper into the shape of a fish, held it in her hand, and used chakra to disguise it, making it look like a real fish.
"Good job, Konan," Jiraiya praised her as well.
Although she wasn't as impressive as Nagato, both Konan and Yahiko were outstanding among their peers.
"Nagato and the others have changed quite a bit," Jiraiya thought to himself after spending some time with them.
Although Nagato was still quiet, he seemed much more cheerful than before.
If it had been the old Nagato, even if he hadn't caught any fish, he wouldn't have used his ninja abilities to force a fish onto his line and then joked about catching it.
Konan's change wasn't as obvious as Nagato's, but Jiraiya felt that she was more open and optimistic than before.
"I really want to know what they've been through during the time we were apart," Jiraiya said, feeling a bit regretful.
His disciples had become so excellent, yet he, as their teacher, didn't even know the reasons behind their changes.
In the end, Yahiko won the fishing competition by a landslide.
Nagato had only used Bansei Tenshin as a joke and didn't actually use his ability to catch a fish.
"I can only say that it's passable, but there aren't any big fish. I guess this river doesn't have any," Yahiko said with a disappointed expression, as if lamenting the fact that they couldn't eat large fish during their reunion.
Hearing Yahiko's words, Nagato scanned the river and then extended his hand toward a particular spot.
"Bansei Tenshin!"
A large fish, big enough to fill a bucket, was pulled to the shore by Nagato's ability.
Yahiko's eyes widened as he watched this scene, and he couldn't help but feel a little glum. Why did that pesky fish have to be so fat?
"A fish caught like this has no soul!" Yahiko declared.
After the whole-fish banquet...
"As I thought, the fish has to be big enough to be satisfying. Teacher Jiraiya, your cooking skills are still top-notch!" Yahiko said, taking one chopstick after another, unable to stop eating.
Jiraiya smiled.
He often traveled far and wide, and with his wealth, he had developed good cooking skills as he often had money but nowhere to spend it.
Of course, his cooking couldn't compare to Mu Yue's. After tasting her cuisine, as long as she was within sensing range, Jiraiya would lose all motivation to cook and would instead seek out her cooking.
"Can you tell me about your experiences after I left? Perhaps I can write a bestselling novel about it," Jiraiya said with a smile.
He was genuinely curious. What had Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato done after he left? How did they usually spend their days, and why did they join the Ninja Sect?
"Of course. You don't have to tell me everything. Just share what you're comfortable with," Jiraiya added.
After all, everyone had some things they weren't comfortable discussing.
(End of Chapter)
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