Parting

Back at the base, everyone changed out of their rain gear. Konan noticed that after Jiraiya returned, he sat on the tatami mats lost in thought, failing to assign them training tasks as he usually did after an assessment. Sensing something unusual, Konan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Teacher, what are we going to do next?"

"Ah... oh!" Interrupted from his thoughts, Jiraiya didn't seem annoyed; he just gave a dry laugh and scratched his head in embarrassment.

"I was thinking about some things and forgot to give you instructions. After today, I won't be assigning you any more training tasks..."

There was no hiding the melancholy in Jiraiya's voice.

"How can that be? Why, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Yahiko froze. He couldn't understand it, but Jiraiya's mood gave him a bad premonition.

"Tea... teacher, you aren't..." Nagato clenched his fists. Although he had prepared himself for this long ago, after spending so much time together, he had long since pushed that thought to the back of his mind. The man's strange behavior today made it impossible for him not to think of that possibility.

"That's right!" Jiraiya nodded slightly, confirming Nagato's suspicion, and sighed.

"I am returning to Konohagakure tomorrow. The village has sent me several recall orders over the years, but I stayed here because I wanted to look after you all."

"And today, through the test we just finished, I feel you have gained enough strength to protect yourselves."

"You must know that a true eagle cannot hide under the protection of others forever. If you want to soar through the skies, battle the winds, and realize your original dreams, you must face the storms yourselves."

"It has been three years. Regarding ninja training, I have taught you everything I should. Your future is for you to create, and for me, it is time to let go."

"How could it... be so sudden..." Konan stammered. By the end, her voice wavered, and as soon as she finished, she hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.

"But... but..." Nagato struggled for a long time but couldn't get a second word out. He truly didn't know what to say regarding Jiraiya's decision.

Although he wanted to ask him to stay, he knew it was impossible. Jiraiya was one of the Sannin of Konohagakure; he had his own village and his own responsibilities. The fact that he had stayed in Amegakure to look after orphans like them was already an act of great indulgence.

For their sake, Jiraiya had undoubtedly endured immense pressure.

Now that Jiraiya had decided to return to Konohagakure, they, as his disciples and citizens of the Land of Rivers, had the least right to demand he stay.

Moreover, Jiraiya was right. Flowers in a greenhouse could never withstand the wind and rain. They were no longer the war orphans they once were, living day to day. Now, they were trained ninjas, and they needed to step out and forge their own dreams and future paths.

Seeing the young boy and girl so heartbroken, Yuehua Ai hadn't wanted to make matters worse, but regarding his own decision, it was better to say it sooner than later, so they could at least have some mental preparation.

"I'm going to Konohagakure with Jiraiya-sensei this time!"

Yuehua Ai grinned and spoke up.

"What!?"

Konan exclaimed in surprise, and both Yahiko and Nagato were deeply astonished.

"Ai, why are you leaving too? Even if Jiraiya-sensei leaves, we will take good care of you!" Konan grabbed Yuehua Ai's arms, looking anxious.

Konan had always held complex feelings for Yuehua Ai. On one hand, she treated him like a younger brother, yet his mature thoughts and behavior often gave her the illusion of being looked after by an older brother. Ai was her friend and her confidant; she had no secrets from him. Even when she encountered confusion or setbacks in life, the first person she thought of to share them with was Ai, not Nagato or Yahiko.

She always felt an inexplicable sense of security around him, yet he was clearly still just a child. While she found safety in his presence, she simultaneously wanted to protect him forever. It was a contradictory feeling, but Konan was addicted to it and cherished it dearly.

Konan had never imagined being separated from Ai. Although they had only known each other for less than four years, Ai had become an indispensable part of her life. Her goal in training, like Nagato's, was to use her strength to protect those she cherished. Yahiko and Nagato were both stronger than her, so she rarely needed to protect them. Although Ai's strength was not inferior to hers, he was still a child, so he was the one she most wanted to protect and care for. Ai was not just a cherished family member; he was the driving force behind her training.

Yuehua Ai held an irreplaceable position in Konan's heart. She had intended to look after him for the rest of her life. She had even thought that even if she married and started a family later, she would always keep Yuehua Ai with her. But today, those thoughts had been aborted before they could even begin. Ai had actually decided to leave them and follow Jiraiya...

"It's not a question of taking care of me!"

Meeting Konan's pleading gaze, Yuehua Ai turned his head away and gave a forced smile.

"Do you remember when Jiraiya-sensei first took us as disciples and asked why we wanted to be ninjas?"

"Of course I remember..."

Konan bit her lip, her eyes momentarily unfocused. Three years had passed in a flash, yet the scene of them becoming his students felt like it had happened yesterday.

"Back then, I said that besides wanting to protect my bonds, what I wanted most was to go out and see the world. The world is so vast, and the Land of Rivers where we live is just too small. I want to see the wider world, experience more customs and cultures, and pursue my own interests... Besides, over these years, I've grown truly tired of the rain here. I want to see the brilliant sunshine and the magnificent rainbows. None of those things exist here..."

"..."

Ai's words made Konan's heart tremble. Although that was his pursuit, she really couldn't bear to see him leave, even if the person taking him was the Jiraiya-sensei she respected most.

She wanted to continue persuading him, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she could no longer hold back her tears. In the end, she gripped Yuehua Ai's small hand tightly and pleaded:

"But... but this is our home, and we are here!"

Konan's crying made Yuehua Ai's heart ache. Although he didn't want to be separated from Konan and the others either, he thought of the future trajectory; he had to have enough strength to protect everything he cherished. But to reach that level—at least beyond the Kage level—there was no one or nothing in Amegakure that could help him achieve it. To ensure that the tragedy would not befall him in the future, he had to seize this opportunity to leave and pursue the combat power that would lead him to the pinnacle of the Ninja World.

With a comforting expression, Yuehua Ai reached out and gently wiped away Konan's tears.

"I don't want to leave you either, Konan, but I feel my current strength isn't enough to protect you in the future, so I need to go learn more ninjutsu. Now that Yahiko and Nagato are here, I believe in their abilities. I know they will protect you well, so I want to take this opportunity to follow the teacher to Konohagakure to study. After all, there is no genjutsu here that suits my mental talent, and I can't learn the medical ninjutsu I'm interested in, so..."

Before he could finish, Yuehua Ai spread his hands, and Konan understood what he meant.

Although she still wanted to argue, she eventually just mumbled and fell silent.

"Then... Ai, when will you come back..."

"Uh... that, it will take at least a few years..."

Yuehua Ai replied uncertainly.

"Oh." Konan lowered her head and bit her lip. After a few seconds, she looked up and said to Ai earnestly:

"Since you've decided to continue training with Jiraiya-sensei, we will work twice as hard as well. You don't like the rain here... then... when you come back, I... I will definitely make sure you see the sunshine and rainbows here..."

Konan's earnest words made Yuehua Ai's heart tremble, and he couldn't help but feel a sting of sadness. He took a deep breath, finally managing to control his emotions, and forced a smile. He reached out and held up his hand.

"Then you have to keep your promise!"

"Mm!" Konan nodded firmly, then broke into a tearful smile. She reached out and slapped her palm against Yuehua Ai's. She understood the meaning behind his gesture; in Yuehua Ai's words, this was a high-five to seal their promise!

With Konan settled, dealing with Yahiko and Nagato was easy. As men, they couldn't be as emotionally expressive as Konan; they preferred to keep their feelings locked away inside.

Words were unnecessary between men. They understood Yuehua Ai's temper and knew that even if they tried to persuade him, he wouldn't change his mind. While he would offer comfort and explanations to Konan, he certainly wouldn't bother with them. Ever since they first met, they knew that scoundrel was the type to favor women over men and romance over friendship!

Seeing that Yuehua Ai had resolved the issue with Yahiko and the others without needing his intervention, Jiraiya nodded to himself. Thinking back to how Yuehua Ai had approached him a few days ago to ask if he could accompany him back to Konohagakure, he couldn't help but be amazed by the boy's sensitivity. He had deduced that Jiraiya would be leaving soon based on only a few unusual behaviors, and this comprehensive intuition and decisive judgment made Jiraiya feel that Yuehua Ai possessed a remarkable talent for espionage.

Taking Yuehua Ai back to Konohagakure was a decision Jiraiya had pondered deeply. Compared to Yahiko and the others, Yuehua Ai's circumstances were much better suited for development in Konohagakure. First, he was young and had met Jiraiya early on, unlike Yahiko and the others, who were older and already deeply marked by the influence of the Amegakure in the Land of Rivers.

Secondly, although Yuehua Ai was quite strong now, he would only be wasting his talent here. Because Jiraiya lacked knowledge in genjutsu and medical ninjutsu, Yuehua Ai hadn't touched upon those areas of training over the past three years. Only by bringing him back to Konohagakure would he have the opportunity to fully realize his talents and interests.

Jiraiya was very optimistic about Yuehua Ai's future. Among the four, his talent was second only to Nagato's. Jiraiya never doubted that Yuehua Ai would grow into a powerful ninja.

The impending departure was sometimes more sorrowful than the parting itself.

Once it was confirmed that Jiraiya and Yuehua Ai were leaving, everyone remained gloomy for the entire afternoon. Even the relief of having no training tasks couldn't lift their spirits.

Having gained some cooking experience, the preparation of the sand crabs this time was undoubtedly more meticulous than the last. Although the texture of the crabs far exceeded the previous attempt, everyone felt they tasted bland.

Throughout the evening, Jiraiya tried to share jokes and recount embarrassing experiences to distract them, but to little effect. The atmosphere in the night was heavy, and it wasn't until Jiraiya began talking about Konohagakure and joined Yuehua Ai in painting a picture of the future for Yahiko and the others that their moods finally improved slightly.

Although he had decided to leave, how could Jiraiya be as carefree as he appeared? He was just as worried about these youths.

That night, Jiraiya spoke with each of the youths individually, which could be considered his final lesson to them.

Jiraiya spent the longest time alone with Nagato. Given Jiraiya's personality, Yuehua Ai didn't need to guess to know he was giving Nagato another psychological lecture; he clearly cared deeply about the future growth of the boy from the prophecy.

The early morning at this time of year still held a biting chill. While the morning mist was still thick, five figures stood outside the wooden hut.

Just last night, Jiraiya and Yuehua Ai had packed their bags, and Yuehua Ai had spent the night giving the gifts he had prepared to the others.

Yuehua Ai gave Konan a scroll recording his analysis of ninjutsu. Konan's unique Paper Style required her to learn and integrate other techniques, and the principles and analyses Yuehua Ai had summarized during his own studies would undoubtedly be of great help to her.

Yahiko's taijutsu and ninjutsu were also quite good; in terms of taijutsu, he even surpassed Yuehua Ai. Yuehua Ai had nothing to say regarding taijutsu, as the only areas where he surpassed Yahiko were chakra control and creative application of ninjutsu. Therefore, he left Yahiko a scroll recording his concepts and modifications for Water Style, including techniques like the Water Curtain Veil he had used previously.

Nagato's talent was simply too immense. A Nagato who fully unleashed the potential of his Rinnegan would be exactly what he would later claim to be—a man destined to be like a god. Yuehua Ai really couldn't decide what to leave him. Finally, thinking of the experiences Nagato would face according to the plot, he had a flash of inspiration and gave him a scroll containing three sentences, reminding him to open it only during a special time.

The departure could not be avoided. Without further words of farewell, after high-fiving Yahiko and Nagato, Yuehua Ai seized the chance to kiss Konan on the cheek. He ran off before the young girl could react, waving his hand behind his back as he followed Jiraiya's tall figure into the morning mist.

In front of the once-lively wooden hut, only two boys and one girl remained, nursing their sorrow in silence.