Even if he could live forever, so what? In the end, he was still just a tiny person. Even the gradually receding Shinobi World seemed so small when viewed against the entire universe.
"What a magnificent sight."
Nagato smiled faintly. "Konan and I were just as shocked when we first came here. It went beyond everything we knew. We had never truly stopped to think about what lay beyond the Shinobi World."
Jiraiya sighed. "I used to wonder what kind of person could possess the power to change the entire Shinobi World, someone who could so easily bring peace to a place that had been plagued by war all year round."
"Now that I've seen this sight, I finally understand just how vast the gap between his strength and mine truly is."
"I call myself a sage, yet in the end, I'm still far too small."
Jiraiya felt somewhat defeated, but even more than that, he felt motivated. Having witnessed greater strength, who would not want to climb higher?
"Yes, Master Jiraiya. We're all too small, but small people only need to do small things well."
"For example, managing a country well or governing a village properly. That alone is already something tremendously great."
"If we pursue grandeur too obsessively, we'll only trap ourselves in a dead end."
Jiraiya looked at Nagato. "You've got a point, kid. Looks like you've grown quite a bit over the years. You're not that child from back then anymore."
Nagato felt deeply ashamed. He had only come to understand this recently. Before that, he had nearly embarked upon a road of no return.
"It was all thanks to your guidance, Master. Without you, there would be no Nagato today."
Jiraiya laughed, not especially modestly. "Hahaha, no need to put it that way. You all