4 Farewell

"Are you writing a book, you silly teacher?"

Three years had passed in the blink of an eye, and the four of them no longer looked as youthful as before.

What surprised Satoru was that he looked very similar to his previous life in this one.

Today, Yahiko and the others went out to search for food. He quietly entered Jiraiya's room and found a long scroll on his desk.

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded slightly, looking at Satoru who suddenly appeared before him, with ripples in his heart.

This kid was extremely talented, and in just three years, he had created many powerful ninjutsu never seen before. At one point, he even blew up half the forest.

"Could there be two prophesied sons among my students?" Jiraiya sometimes wondered, but in an instant, he dismissed this unrealistic idea.

"[The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi]?" Satoru looked at the book's name and repeated it.

"Today, this book is finished." Jiraiya stretched.

"Really?" Satoru also had surprise in his eyes. He leaned closer and said, "In that case, can you show it to me, Jiraiya-sensei~"

Hearing Satoru's usual address, Jiraiya unconsciously shivered all over.

"Behave yourself, you naughty kid!"

"Naughty kid?" Satoru stood up and said condescendingly, "Look closely, silly teacher, I'm not a kid anymore."

At this moment, as Jiraiya took a closer look at him, he drifted off a bit.

Indeed, the former naughty kid was now almost as tall as him.

Time flew like an arrow, and a few years passed in the blink of an eye.

"You've really grown up." Jiraiya rubbed his chin and sighed with a smile, "And it's time for me to go."

Those words struck Satoru like a lightning bolt, momentarily freezing his body.

"Go?"

Yes, Jiraiya was not from this country.

He belonged to the strongest ninja village in the world, Konoha.

There were no endless parties.

Satoru's expression dimmed slightly.

"Don't worry, we'll meet again in the future."

Jiraiya stood up and put the book into his wooden box.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Satoru, we're back." Yahiko's voice, along with Konan's and Nagato's, sounded from a distance, breaking the silence.

"Just in time, Yahiko and the others are back. Let's see what delicious food they've brought." Jiraiya smiled and clapped his hands, then gently hugged the Satoru beside him and walked out together.

"What, Jiraiya-sensei is leaving?"

However, when the three of them learned that Jiraiya was leaving, they were all surprised.

Konan's sobbing was faintly heard, and the faces of Nagato and Yahiko also showed deep reluctance.

"I won't be able to see you off!"

As Jiraiya was still thinking about what to say goodbye, Satoru saw Jiraiya's hesitation. He immediately hugged them both and smiled, "Let's go quickly, silly teacher, just save this food for our next meeting."

"I hope your skills in stealing meat haven't deteriorated too much."

After a short pause, Jiraiya chuckled and muttered helplessly, "Really, this kid."

Then, he slowly turned around and walked out calmly.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya-sensei!"

Yahiko and the others shouted loudly, their eyes following from behind.

Facing their farewell, Jiraiya waved his hand gently and didn't look back.

The setting sun shone down, casting its quiet shadow, like a depiction of farewell.

At this moment, a crystal clear tear silently slid down Jiraiya's cheek.

"Is it raining?"

He looked up at the dark sky covered with clouds. He reached out his hand to the air, feeling the droplets of rain about to fall. "Strange, why did it suddenly disappear?"

"Haha, I knew you would cry." Satoru suddenly appeared in front of Jiraiya, startling him.

"You naughty kid!" Jiraiya pretended to be angry and assumed a defensive position.

"Let's go, it's going to rain!" Satoru dodged his attack agilely, looking very mischievous.

Seeing his antics, Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh.

"You really messed up my mood." He teased.

He understood that as a student...

This student didn't want to see him sad when they parted, so he deliberately did this.

However, this move was truly detrimental.

"There's no need to be sad." Satoru shrugged, seeming indifferent.

"May your journey be pleasant, Sensei."

"You too, Satoru, I'll be waiting for you to become the strongest."

＊＊＊

One night, four people sat together and enjoyed a simple dinner.

The glow of the setting sun illuminated them, adding a bit of warmth to this ordinary moment.

However, Yahiko's words immediately shattered the tranquility.

"Jiraiya-sensei has left."

This sentence fell softly like autumn leaves, but it made people's hearts tremble.

Nagato, Konan, and Satoru, the three friends who grew up with Yahiko, were stunned for a moment.

Yahiko's eyes shone with determination. He looked into the distance and said slowly, "I want to create a peaceful world as Sensei said. A world without war, without pain, just laughter and warmth."

This sentence was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

Nagato placed the bowl in his hand and stared at Yahiko with deep Rinnegan, as if he wanted to see into his heart, "What do you want to do?"

Konan also looked at Yahiko, her eyes full of doubt but more full of hope.

She knew that Yahiko was an idealistic person, and she was willing to trust him and follow him.

Yahiko took a deep breath and said firmly, "We have to find a way to take this world out of war. Perhaps this is a difficult path, and we may face countless difficulties and challenges. But as long as we have the will in our hearts. With conviction and desire for peace, we will be able to find the answer."

Satoru continued to eat his food absentmindedly, seemingly lost in thought.

"I hope to create an organization aimed at helping those in need." Yahiko said passionately, his right hand clenched and his eyes shining with hope.

"I want to protect innocent ordinary people so that they will no longer be disturbed and hurt by war." His words made Satoru stunned, he looked at Yahiko with eyes full of surprise.

Satoru's thoughts gradually faded, and Yahiko's figure slowly overlapped with a familiar shadow deep in his memory.

It was his former friend.

"Truly, wherever you are, there is your shadow." Satoru whispered, with traces of complicated emotions appearing in his eyes.