The Way of Endurance (Part 2)

"You handled the disposal of those bandits excellently, yet there was a grave oversight!"

Jiraiya sat up straight, his playful demeanor gone, his gaze fixed directly on the youths.

"Ah!? What is it?"

The group had not expected that the matter they were so deeply worried and anxious about would be dismissed so lightly by Jiraiya. Contrary to their expectations, he didn't care at all that they had killed those bandits; instead, he claimed their handling of the situation had a major flaw.

After returning, the youths had only been thinking about how to explain themselves to Jiraiya, never giving much thought to what they had actually done.

"While slaughter is difficult to accept, as long as one grasps the essence of it, then slaughter is not a bad thing!"

Jiraiya was well aware of the internal struggle the youths were facing. He remembered his own first time killing—how he had been plagued by hesitation and regret. Looking back now, he only felt he had been too naive.

It was never good to let the confusion of killing fester in one's heart. Rather than slowly explaining and guiding them, it was better to adopt an indifferent attitude from the start. After all, they had long lives ahead of them; as they grew, everything would naturally resolve itself.

"How can slaughter be a good thing? To arbitrarily deprive others of their lives—that is clearly the most despicable, unforgivable act!"

Yahiko trembled with agitation. Thinking of everything they had experienced since the war broke out, thinking of his father and mother falling helplessly under the butcher's blade, he felt that slaughter had clearly destroyed everything beautiful. Yet, Jiraiya was calling it a good thing! This was something Yahiko could not accept.

"Calm down, Yahiko. Listen to what Master Jiraiya has to say first!" Konan grabbed the impulsive Yahiko.

"Yahiko," Jiraiya scolded sternly as he watched the boy roar in agitation. "Konan is right. You haven't listened carefully to the meaning behind my words. Pay attention: the slaughter I speak of is not wanton, indiscriminate killing, but killing that is purposeful, principled, and follows one's own heart."

"Killing that follows one's own heart!?"

Stopped by Konan and scolded by Jiraiya, Yahiko gradually calmed down.

"Yes," Jiraiya nodded earnestly.

"Just like how you decided to kill those bandits—recall the motives behind your decision."

"Think about whether you regret it now, whether you regret the decision you made earlier."

Before the youths could react to Jiraiya's words, Yuehua Ai, who was picking his teeth with a wooden toothpick on the side, interjected nonchalantly.

"Of course there's no regret. Scum like that only pollute the environment while alive. Killed is killed, what's there to regret?"

The youths couldn't help but want to cover their faces at Yuehua Ai's words. If anyone hadn't taken killing seriously from the start, it was this little guy. He treated that group of bandits like mere cabbages—he cut them down without even blinking.

The others couldn't understand Yuehua Ai's reaction, mainly because his age was so deceptive. If it had been Jiraiya acting the same way, the youths wouldn't have felt much of anything.

In Yuehua Ai's eyes, the youths' reactions were like elementary school students from his past life breaking a window at school; the students themselves would be worried to death, but to an adult, it was simply no big deal.

"Er..." Yuehua Ai's blunt answer left Jiraiya speechless. However, while the boy's words were crude, upon closer reflection, they were quite logical.

Looking at Yuehua Ai's youthful face, Jiraiya felt a headache coming on. To be honest, among all his disciples, the one he understood the least was this youngest child.

When Yuehua Ai handled matters, he often gave Jiraiya the feeling that his reactions were beyond his age group; his way of conducting himself was more like someone of his own generation.

"Master Jiraiya, you said we had a major oversight. What was it?"

Just as Jiraiya was pondering, Yuehua Ai spoke up again.

After thinking it over and finding no clear explanation, Jiraiya couldn't be bothered to dwell on it; he wasn't the type to split hairs.

"The oversight..." Jiraiya repeated, then cast his gaze toward Yahiko and the others.

"The biggest oversight is that there were fish that slipped through the net. Two of the bandits feigned death, and after you left, they escaped!"

"What?!" The youths stared at each other in shock. Truth be told, they hadn't paid any attention at all. Driven by a surge of rage, they had carried out the slaughter, and once the others fell, they had been in such a state of mental turmoil that they couldn't possibly have thought of such things.

Hearing Jiraiya's words, Yuehua Ai secretly cursed his own carelessness. He had left the cave after leaving the remaining bandits to the youths, and had paid no attention to the aftermath.

"Alright, come over and sit down. It seems I need to give you a proper lesson!"

Jiraiya beckoned the group, then sat down facing them. Yuehua Ai obediently stood up, lined up with Yahiko and the others, and sat down opposite Jiraiya.

Once everyone was settled, Jiraiya began: "You have been learning and training as ninjas under me for a long time, but there is one thing I have neglected: while teaching you the techniques, I forgot to tell you what a ninja is!"

"Now, tell me what a ninja is in your hearts, and why a ninja is called a ninja?"

"A ninja..." The youths pondered. Previously, they had only yearned to become ninjas, never once considering what a ninja actually was.

After a moment of thought, recalling everything he knew, Yahiko spoke up: "A ninja is someone who can use ninjutsu, right? Through arduous training, a ninja can possess power that ordinary people cannot reach, and then rely on that power to realize their wishes!"

Nagato and Konan nodded secretly; their experience was the same as Yahiko's, and their understanding of ninjas was identical.

"A ninja is someone who can protect everything they cherish." Feeling Yahiko's answer was too simple, Nagato added.

Jiraiya nodded without offering immediate judgment, though he knew in his heart that the youths' perception of ninjas was still superficial.

Just as he gathered his thoughts to speak, he noticed Yuehua Ai, who was looking down slightly as if lost in thought. He suddenly became curious. Yuehua Ai was the type who never answered unless asked, but if you took the initiative to inquire, he often had surprising things to say.

"Ai, what is your understanding of a ninja?"

"I..." Yuehua Ai blinked.

"Yes!" Jiraiya nodded, and Yahiko and the others turned their eyes toward him.

"A ninja is just a ninja..." Yuehua Ai grinned. Why ask such a headache-inducing question? Could he say that ninjas were strategic weapons? That didn't fit his current persona! Sigh, he didn't like lying, so it was better to play dumb and act innocent!

"A ninja is a ninja. What other understanding is needed?!"

"Er..." Jiraiya felt a toothache. "I am asking about the essence of a ninja."

"Essence? Isn't the essence just a human being!" Yuehua Ai looked over with an innocent, 'clueless' expression.

"Ah—haha, that's not wrong either." With a dry laugh, Jiraiya shook his head. He truly wasn't sure if the boy had failed to grasp his meaning or not.

Looking into Yuehua Ai's bright, clear eyes, Jiraiya ruminated for a moment, feeling that the boy's words carried profound meaning.

Indeed, isn't the essence of a ninja simply humanity itself?

Jiraiya couldn't help but think of his teacher, the Third Hokage. Was the Will of Fire he passed down not a legacy rooted in people? The most fundamental aspect of a ninja's existence is, indeed, the human element.

Although he felt Yuehua Ai's words were deep, that wasn't what he wanted to discuss. Jiraiya clapped his hands, signaling for everyone to focus their attention.

"Your understanding of ninjas is not bad, but it is ultimately too shallow. I will now explain the most essential and important thing about being a ninja."

"Yuehua Ai's words moved me; he is quite right. The essence of a ninja is humanity, yet a ninja is different from an ordinary person."

"Ninjas are not weapons for others to wield, nor does their existence serve the purpose of slaughter and conflict. A ninja is not a common profession; on the contrary, it is the most noble profession in this world!"

"Thinking of the current state of the Ninja World, you might doubt my words, but before you question them, let me tell you about the origins of the ninja."

"The profession of a ninja appeared in ancient times, though back then, they were known as the Ninjutsu Sect. The Ninjutsu Sect was founded by the legendary Sage of Six Paths, who once brought about an era of peace. Legend says the Sage of Six Paths created all things, founded the Ninjutsu Sect, and spread the special energy known as chakra."

"The purpose of founding the Ninjutsu Sect was not for ninjutsu and power to exist as military force, but as teachings leading to peace. As time passed, the Ninjutsu Sect of those days evolved into what we now call ninjas."

"Although the name has changed slightly, the core character 'Nin' (忍) has remained the same. The character 'Nin' is composed of a blade above and a heart below. The blade represents weapons and force, while the heart represents the human spirit and one's true nature."

"Although ninjas have existed as weapons for much of history, now, ninjas have finally rediscovered their essence. The 'Nin' of a ninja does not mean using force to extinguish the human heart, but using one's true heart as a foundation to govern that force."

"A ninja is one who exercises power in accordance with their own heart. Therefore, upon learning the circumstances behind how you handled those bandits, I was not disappointed; rather, I was very gratified."

"A ninja should be someone who distinguishes good from evil, who is not bound by rigid rules, and who acts according to their heart. A ninja capable of acting upon the principles of their own heart possesses their own Ninja Way. Only a ninja who has established their Ninja Way can be called a true ninja, and only then are they truly distinguished from ordinary people."

"I originally intended for the previous mission to be a mere test for you, but the decisiveness and firmness you displayed exceeded my expectations. It seems you are more mature than I imagined."

"Although you have not yet fully defined your own Ninja Way, I know you are very close to it. You are growing into true ninjas."

"Therefore, I believe it is time for you to begin the next stage of your training. I hope that in the days to come, you will clarify your true hearts, carry out your own Ninja Ways on the path of the ninja, and practice them with unwavering resolve!"

"Carry out one's own heart... Ninja Way..." Jiraiya's words were nothing short of a spiritual baptism for the youths. Their understanding of ninjas deepened, and they gradually began to grasp the nature of their own hearts.

As the turbulence in his heart calmed, Yahiko recalled Jiraiya's final sentence: the next stage of training!?

"Teacher, what is the next stage of our training?"

"Haha, what you will be training next is exactly what you have been looking forward to!"

Jiraiya stood up and smiled, giving them a look that suggested they understood.

Seeing Jiraiya's expression, the youths immediately grew excited, even Yuehua Ai could not avoid it.

What they had all been waiting for...

Jiraiya walked toward the outdoors, and the youths stood up one after another, following behind him.

As the group walked outside, Konan suddenly thought of something. After a moment of hesitation, she asked Jiraiya, who was walking in front:

"Ji... Jiraiya-sensei, you mentioned the oversight when we dealt with the bandits... what happened to... those two bandits who escaped?"

Jiraiya chuckled, and without looking back, he laughed, "Those two? I have already used them to carry out my own Ninja Way!"