Jiraiya, Content with a Simple Life

"Ah... My head hurts..."

The sun was already high in the sky when Jiraiya slowly sat up amid countless empty bottles. He clutched his aching head, hoping to ease the pain of his hangover.

After returning to Konoha yesterday, everyone had been far too enthusiastic, and a grand drinking party had begun.

After all, people had come from all over, from every front and every walk of life. Many old friends had not seen each other for years, even decades, and never had a chance to interact whenever they returned to the village. This time, they finally did.

Although the higher-ups had plenty of complaints about abandoning the defensive lines, to the many lower- and middle-ranking Ninja—and those who had never reached that level—this had instead become a time to praise the Third Hokage. Konoha truly had not been this lively in a long time.

Countless Ninja embraced one another. All kinds of acrobatics and street performances appeared, while some Ninja finally could no longer suppress their feelings and began confessing their hearts to each other. No one knew how many lovers had ended up together on that chaotic, noisy night—or how many lovers had ended up becoming sworn siblings. But from the looks of it, no one was particularly dissatisfied with the arrangement.

When Jiraiya finally struggled free from the pain of his hangover and swayed to his feet, a fair hand suddenly extended beside him, holding several pills.

"Here. Hangover medicine and painkillers. You'll feel better after taking them."

"Ah... Tsunade... Thanks..."

Hearing that familiar voice, Jiraiya grabbed the pills from Tsunade's hand and stuffed them into his mouth. Then he slumped back onto the tatami, tilting his head up as he waited for the medicine to take effect.

The medicine Tsunade made would not restore him instantly. Instead, it slowly yet steadily repaired the damage within his body, gradually clearing his mind.

Jiraiya's brain, which had felt like a pot of paste, was gradually sorted into clarity by the medicine. Yet he still looked somewhat drunk as he watched Tsunade, who stood beside him in silence, seeming calm and serene.

Looking at Tsunade in her White Haori, Jiraiya fell silent for a while. He stroked his chin, then cautiously asked, "Are you planning to mourn for the rest of your—"

"If you dare say that last word, I'll put you in the hospital myself."

Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, who immediately shuddered and fell quiet. Wearing a Pure White Haori, she sighed and sat down beside him.

Normally, Tsunade would never have voluntarily sat this close to him. For all these years, she and Jiraiya had maintained a subtle distance, never intruding too deeply into each other's personal space.

Tsunade knew exactly what Jiraiya thought, and Jiraiya knew exactly what Tsunade thought. They had always maintained that tacit sense of distance. But this time, Tsunade had taken the initiative to break it—and it did not make Jiraiya happy in the slightest.

Because that white haori over its black underlayer was exactly like the one Dan Katō had worn.

The girl he loved had ultimately made her choice.

"Dan wore clothes like this, so I wanted to try wearing them too. That's all."

"So he was number two and you're number four because you actually think you're on top of him—ugh!"

"No one will mistake you for mute if you keep quiet."

Rubbing her fist, Tsunade ignored Jiraiya, whose head was practically smoking, and impatiently looked over the mess around them with her hands on her hips.

"So? Where's Orochimaru? I didn't see him when I arrived. Don't tell me he collapsed here like you did? With his habits, he should be in some laboratory or library right now."

"...I merely found some information after returning to Konoha and began considering it."

Orochimaru emerged from some unknown shadow. The somewhat gloomy man looked at Tsunade and Jiraiya, whose head was smoking, then shook his head and spoke softly.

"Life and death may have been a deception from the very beginning. The dead do not truly die. They merely change into another state and move to another world at the moment of death."

"If I awaken within another body while carrying my memories, has Orochimaru died, or is he still alive? I was only considering such questions and attempting to answer them."

"Tsunade, you are the strongest among Medical Ninja. Do you think this question truly has an answer? Whether Self Will and the soul, whether the end of one's life, is determined by the body or by the mind?"

"...You're asking me?"

Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, who seemed to be implying something. Wearing that haori marked with the number four, she met his vertical pupils without hesitation.

"As long as you believe that person is someone familiar to you, and as long as you yourself believe you are still alive, then you are alive. The definition of the body can only apply to the body itself. Once the soul can truly affect matter, clinging to current ethics and morality becomes meaningless."

"Oh? So that's how you see it, Tsunade. If you think there's no problem, then there's no problem... What a remarkably self-centered way of putting it. The boundary between life and death should have been very clear."

"If it were truly that clear, the Second Hokage would not have created that forbidden technique. We both know that. From our perspective, life and death are crystal clear, but that may not be so from the perspective of the dead."

"How interesting, Tsunade. Then from the perspective of a Medical Ninja, what do you believe the most likely model would be? What view of life and death do you think is the most complete?"

"From my perspective..."

"..."

"..."

As expected, I don't understand any of this at all.

Watching his two companions talk endlessly, Jiraiya picked up a bowl of fine wine and poured it down his throat.

Jiraiya knew his mission.

The Great Toad Sage had already told him his fate: to find the Child of Prophecy who would save this world.

In truth, Jiraiya also knew that things between him and Tsunade would most likely never work out. Compared to Dan Katō, Jiraiya did not love Tsunade with all his heart. More than that, he lived for his mission.

In a sense, he had always seemed to be the dead last everyone pushed aside. Even though he was now one of the Sannin, even though they had faced countless crises together, Jiraiya could still feel the distance and loneliness between himself and them.

But he also knew that it was not their fault. It was his own.

"Yeah, this is good too!"

"Jiraiya, what nonsense are you shouting now?! I was just about to figure it out!"

"...Sigh."

Watching Tsunade complain and Orochimaru sigh beside her, Jiraiya laughed heartily, feeling as though his life was complete.

The person he loved had found her place, and his own fate had found its answer. If nothing unexpected happened, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—the three of them—would become the Children of Prophecy foretold by the prophecy. Could there be a better future than that?

He had never been someone with ambition or determination, nor had he ever believed himself to be some Legendary Hero. Everyone called him Jiraiya the Legendary Hero, but the real Jiraiya was just someone who liked teaching children, writing some entertaining books, and bringing a little benefit to everyone.

He could even say that he did not actually like conflict or war. If he could choose, he might have been a farmer working the fields at home, enjoying an ordinary, boring life. But he was not. He was one of the Sannin, the woman he loved was also one of the Sannin, and he carried the ultimate mission of this world.

Jiraiya had not never considered why the Great Toad Sage had chosen him. But after thinking about it for a long time, he still could not find an answer.

Perhaps it was because once he promised someone something, he would absolutely keep that promise.

Other than that, Jiraiya could find no reason why it had to be him.

He had proudly declared that he would find the Child of Prophecy, yet in the end, he taught children in the Land of Rain, returned and taught children here, and might teach children again in the future.

Perhaps his entire life would drift along within promises and commitments. But so what? Jiraiya had a premonition of his fate, yet for some reason, he found himself willing to accept it.

If he abandoned his fate, he might have gained more. He might have won the woman he loved, perhaps walked the path toward becoming Hokage, perhaps lived a more perfect life. But after thinking it over and over, Jiraiya still decided to bear it all himself.

Jiraiya thought it was better not to make a stranger bear such a lonely, solitary task. If someone had to be sacrificed, then let it be a hopeless case like him.

If his efforts and sacrifice could make this world just a little better, then that would be wonderful.

That way, useless Jiraiya could be said to have accomplished something.

Dead-last Jiraiya could be said to have been useful.

Jiraiya the Legendary Hero could stand beside them.

Even if they had already changed after just one night back in Konoha, he would still smile.

Because that was the path they wanted to take. All he needed to do was raise his cup.

Looking at his two radiant teammates, Jiraiya continued smiling boldly and raised his cup high.

"Alright! Let's celebrate finally returning to the village today. Come on, let's have a drink together! Orochimaru, don't just stand there like an idiot. Stop looking so gloomy and have a drink!"

"You just woke up! What are you drinking for?!"

"Jiraiya, don't make things too difficult for Tsunade."

Just as the Sannin bickered with one another, as though they had returned to their old days in Konoha, a Ninja dressed entirely in black quietly arrived and knelt on one knee before the three of them.

"By order of the Third Hokage: Blut Arterie has been preliminarily developed by Kakashi Hatake and Sosuke Aizen. They are gathering jonin to prepare for testing and promotion. The three of you are requested to witness and test it."