115 I am Jiraiya's friend
Fugaku sighed and gave a bitter smile. Of all the places and times, he had to run into them here and now.
He had often pondered what would happen if he crossed paths with these three teenagers in the Land of Rain and how he would handle the situation.
However, after a month of scouring the rain village, he had found no trace of them, and he had assumed they were somewhere else.
He had no idea that the fate of the entire ninja world depended on the actions of three young Shinobi who were nearby. He only noticed them when he saw a flash of red hair under a raincoat, belonging to Nagato, the future leader of the Akatsuki.
"Why don't you say something?" Yahiko queried, positioning himself protectively in front of his two companions while scrutinizing Fugaku with suspicion.
Caught off guard, Fugaku struggled to find the right words to explain his connection to them.
Swiftly conjuring a fabricated tale, he offered a sheepish smile. "Well, this is a bit awkward, but Jiraiya mentioned you to me.
He told me about his three students in the Rain Village—easy to remember, he said, with red, orange, and purple hair.
So, if I ever found myself in the Land of Rain, he asked me to watch over you."
Fugaku silently applauded his quick thinking, fully aware of the pivotal role these three teens played in ninja history.
Though his memory might be hazy on other details, he distinctly recalled Jiraiya taking them under his wing during the Second World War—a fact well-known to the public.
As he expected, the three of them relaxed their guard when they As anticipated, the trio eased their guard upon hearing his explanation.
Cautiously, Yahiko inquired, "Jiraiya-sensei? Are you a friend of Jiraiya-sensei?"
Their reverence for Jiraiya, their former teacher, lingered, at least for the moment.
Affirming with a nod, Fugaku introduced himself: "Yes, I am. My name is Yasuo, and he often spoke of you to me. I remember you well."
Yahiko, still cautious, responded, "Yasuo? Our teacher never mentioned you. But no matter.
Our teacher is still concerned about us."The three teens broke into smiles, with Yahiko being the spokesperson.
"My lord, you're a samurai, aren't you? Jiraiya-sensei is a ninja; how can he have a samurai friend?" Konan questioned, her voice tinged with doubt, a reflection of her innate caution and alertness.
Momentarily taken aback, Fugaku chuckled. "Don't you know that sometimes you have to fight to become friends? I still vividly remember the three-day and three-night battle between me and your teacher."
Crafting his narrative on the fly, Fugaku initially hoped to capture their attention.
As Fugaku shared this, the trio relaxed their guard further. His strength left little room for mistrust.
"Come on, my friend's students are my students too. I'll take you to the nearby town and treat you to a meal."
Fugaku noticed their lingering distance and, resorting to his most potent means of communication, which, through food and drink—these are the weapons of communication.
The mention of food was a bridge—a common ground that could connect even the most distant relationships. Fugaku knew the power of shared meals and camaraderie.
The three were weary from their daily missions and, after finding a potential master friend, were willing to ease up.
Fugaku led the way, listening to their chatter and laughter, his attention drawn particularly to the quiet, red-haired Nagato. The thought crossed his mind—the Uzumaki clan's body combined with the Rinnegan. Could he, by acting now, prevent the Fourth Ninja War?
Yet, after contemplation, he dismissed the idea. The root cause lay not in the Rinnegan but in the Black Zetsu.
Even if he obtained the Rinnegan and thwarted Kaguya, the other Otsutsuki members would still come. Killing Obito wouldn't alter the outcome.
Fugaku, seeing himself as a human, rejected the idea of killing without reason. He sighed, putting aside these musings for now.
Observing the trio's respect for Jiraiya, Fugaku pondered the perplexing question: Why did Nagato, upon awakening the Rinnegan, promptly kill Jiraiya?
Did he believe Jiraiya's teachings on "peace" were misguided, indirectly leading to Yahiko's death? The answers eluded him, leaving room for the complex web of motivations and loyalties to unravel in due time.
As Fugaku lost himself in contemplation, the group found themselves at a quaint grilled fish restaurant in the Rain Village town.
Removing their raincoats, the trio revealed familiar faces to Fugaku—the red-haired Nagato, the orange-haired Yahiko, and the purple-haired Konan. Though they were almost fifteen, their youthful innocence still lingered.
Seated and salivating over plates of fresh grilled fish, the atmosphere lightened. It had been a while since Fugaku had indulged in such a meal, and he eagerly rolled up his sleeves to join in.
As the three chatted happily, Fugaku couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.
Their carefree conversations, reminiscent of innocent dreams and a happy childhood, mirrored his own past.
Could he alter their fates and prevent future tragedies? The daunting question lingered.
Interrupting his thoughts, a voice called out, "Yasuo-sama?"
Fugaku turned to find Komeko, the girl from the hotel, standing before him.
Perplexed, he inquired, "Komeko? What are you doing here?"
He had not paid much attention to this woman since he came to the hotel next to the restaurant by himself, but he was curious when he saw her now.
With a cheerful demeanor, Komeko explained, "We have no money, and we can't keep using yours, so I came here to work!"
Fugaku looked at her waitress's outfit, and then he understood. She was not a spoiled princess, but a self-reliant one.
"Money is not a problem. You go back; we'll leave tomorrow and take you home!"
"Really? Thank you, Yasuo-sama!" Komeko expressed her gratitude, bowed, and hurried back to the hotel.
Yahiko and his companions, catching on, saw Yasuo as a kindred spirit to Jiraiya-sensei.
With Komeko gone, Fugaku turned to the trio and, after a moment's contemplation, posed the question, "Do you three have any dreams?"
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