A Boy's Passion Burns Eternal, the Road Ahead Is Boundless, but Wind Chime Made Him Panic
"You really are something else," Jiraiya chuckled, then took another swig from the sake bottle. "Sometimes I just can't figure out what you want." "I don't know. People don't necessarily want the same thing. They want different things at different times."
What do you want right now?
"Lie down." Naruto stretched his muscles in the water and took off the towel covering his eyes. "Go home and lie down peacefully. I'll rest for a month before making any plans."
"After that month of rest, I might want something else."
"That's something you would do. As for me," Jiraiya paused in his drinking motion, "I don't really know what I want."
"The Nagato incident made me reflect on whether there was a problem with my parenting methods. You have a completely different philosophy from mine, but now I think you're not bad."
"If one can live a peaceful and stable life, that would be a good ending."
"Pervy Sage, always sighing for no reason, that's when you're really old," Naruto said with a smile. "I'll go back to my village, you go on your way to find your Child of Prophecy."
He reached out and held the towel high, gazing up at the misty wooden roof, his eyes shining like stars.
"The path leads to the heavens, and everyone has their own choices. You seek a peaceful world of mutual understanding, while I go home and spend time with my friends—that's also a kind of happiness."
"Who can predict the future? No one's word matters; you have to find it for yourself and see it for yourself to know the truth."
Jiraiya took a swig of sake, smiled, and thought that these were words Naruto would say. The sun has its own splendor, and the moon its own character.
Everyone has their own destiny, some born into glory, others destined for obscurity. Walking through life, no one knows what the future holds.
Those who live in the limelight may live a precarious life, or they may live a life of unparalleled comfort. But those who have fallen on hard times and endured suffering may still find their own glory.
Jiraiya had taken in disciples like Minato, who was gentle and kind yet had a strong and proud spirit, as well as outstanding disciples like Yahiko, the gentle Konan, and the introverted Nagato.
He never defined his disciples' lives; he simply tried his best to teach them his philosophy. It was only natural for disciples to inherit their master's philosophy.
But after what happened to Nagato Yahiko, he hesitated and wavered. The worries that had been weighing on his mind for months could only be casually mentioned in casual conversation as a joke.
But Naruto's words made him realize that what he had been insisting on was not wrong.
If the sun goes out, do everything you can to light a fire. If mountains crumble and the world is destroyed, then dig yourself a comfortable grave.
There are always things worth striving for, and there are always aspects of life worth living. The future's glory always lies on the journey, and the passion and openness of youth are boundless.
Individuals may be insignificant, but they should always believe in hope.
This is Jiraiya's Ninja Way. A ninja is someone who can endure. In any case, more important than superb Ninjutsu is the perseverance to never give up.
Even when faced with setbacks, I will remain steadfast and move forward, and I will never break my vow.
Naruto inherited his ninja way and developed his own ideas.
The future is bright, no matter how messy things get, keep pushing yourself. Even if you're stuck in the mud, your heart is still like wild grass, a single spark can set it ablaze.
"Minato has a good son," Jiraiya muttered to Jiraiya, seemingly drunk.
Naruto was leaning to the side, actually heard it, but didn't take it to heart.
In the Land of Hot Water, the two parted ways.
Jiraiya continued his journey, and Naruto wasn't in a hurry to return. They went to the Land of Hot Water for a while, spending money and stockpiling goods everywhere. Afterwards, they went to the Land of Grass and had another long and lavish trip.
He didn't forget to replenish resources for the two guests in the Sealing Space along the way. Apart from the lack of personal freedom, it seemed that they hadn't been mistreated while in prison.
He had other uses for the Hydrangea, and imprisoning the Yugito Nii was to suppress Kumogakure. Sooner or later, they would clash with Kumogakure and Iwagakure, so keeping them would be of great use.
As the year drew to a close, he finally returned to the Land of Fire and rushed all the way to Tanzaku Town.
He remembered that Tayuya was still waiting for him, but he wasn't sure if she had gone back. The situation was urgent, and in those days, not having a communicator was really inconvenient.
The busiest area of Tanzaku Town is teeming with people, bathed in the bright winter sunshine.
Even during the day, the market was still packed with people, a bustling and jostling crowd. A thin layer of ice covered the exterior of the small building that belonged to him and Tayuya, and snow clung to the protruding eaves.
He tentatively took out the key from the Sealing Space to open the door, and the moment he pushed the door open, he saw that his slippers in the entryway were still there.
I bent down to measure them, and they were so small they didn't fit at all. But the shoes weren't dusty; they were old but very clean.
Time has left its mark on my memory; six years have passed in the blink of an eye. After this year, he'll be an adult, and his old shoes will be too small for him to wear anymore.
The old-fashioned television screen was lit in the living room, but no one was on the sofa. The white noise from the television echoed in the downstairs living room, and he was almost startled by his own loud footsteps as he went up the stairs.
He remembered that the staircase wasn't so noisy, and going up and down the stairs wouldn't make such a loud noise. Each step he took was met with a resounding echo of his footsteps.
In the empty house, the crisp sound of footsteps seemed jarring.
The two adjacent rooms on the second floor were tightly closed; one belonged to Tayuya, and the other to him. To be precise, he had only stayed there once, but traces of it had indeed been left behind.
He stood in front of the two doors, instinctively reaching out to open Tayuya's door. But as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, he pulled it back as if he had been burned.
"Perhaps she's gone out and hasn't come back yet; it's impolite to do this," he muttered.
So he reached out and pushed open the door that belonged to him.
The moment the lights came on, the room gave him a feeling that was both strange and familiar. The bed and the floor were spotless, practically immaculate.
On the table were his used towels, toothbrush, and spare clothes, all sealed in transparent boxes.
At that moment, Naruto finally understood what that familiar feeling he had felt in this unfamiliar room was. Looking at the clothes in the box that were too small to wear, he couldn't help but reach out and touch them.
I looked around the room and found a clean blanket. I opened the window, and blinding Nikko flooded in, while the wind chimes on the balcony tinkled.
The wind chime was almost identical to the one in his old house. Did he remember it after visiting once, so he just bought it on a whim?
He casually pulled the wind chime along the thin thread, held it and examined it for a while, his carefully maintained calm and composed demeanor instantly shattered.
A line of small characters is engraved around the wind chime: "Tayuya and Naruto's wind chime".
He released the wind chimes, letting them tinkle as they swayed. He subconsciously lowered his head, opened the transparent box, and began to examine the contents, but found no further writing.
Seemingly remembering something, he quickly left the room, forgetting to even close the door. His hurried footsteps echoed like a rapid drumbeat as he rushed downstairs.
He flipped open the plush toy on the sofa; a ribbon was tied to the back, with his and Tayuya's names written on it. The pillows, the television, the cups—the densely packed notes made him somewhat flustered.
How can someone believe everything they're told?