In Konoha Village, within the Uchiha District.
Beneath the sun, Mirai Uchiha lay on a reclining chair, leisurely stroking the summoning cat in his arms.
The cat had yellow, white, and black fur—a calico carefully chosen by Mirai himself.
Now, in the warm sunlight, the calico purred loudly as Mirai Uchiha gently caressed it.
*Purr…*
Hearing the cat purr, the corner of Mirai Uchiha's mouth lifted slightly.
"Xiaohua, if you're tired, just take a nap. This afternoon when you wake up, we'll begin cultivation of the martial arts technique."
As if understanding Mirai Uchiha's words, the cat named Xiaohua tilted its head and dozed off peacefully on his lap.
"Future!"
Not long after, a gentle voice sounded from behind.
Footsteps approached softly, and a pair of gentle hands settled on Mirai Uchiha's shoulders, beginning to massage them lightly.
"It's time to eat."
At the voice of the beautiful woman, Mirai Uchiha simply nodded, then carried the cat in his arms as he walked together with her into the room.
Inside the room, seeing Mirai Uchiha's appearance, Kurenai Yuhi curiously asked, "Future, since when did you become such a cat lover? I don't remember noticing you having this kind of hobby before?"
Hearing this, Rin Nohara and the others turned to look at Mirai Uchiha.
Calmly seated on the chair, Mirai Uchiha spoke solemnly, "Back then, I was young and reckless, choosing a ninja raven as my summoning beast just for style. Now I realize how childish I was back then."
"As a member of the Uchiha clan, forming a contract with a summoning cat is clearly the right choice."
"Thankfully, I've realized my mistake now—it shouldn't be too late."
After listening to Mirai Uchiha's explanation, a woman's intuition made Kurenai vaguely feel something wasn't quite right, though she couldn't exactly point out what.
So, instinctively, she questioned, "Is that so?"
Mirai Uchiha's expression darkened slightly as he frowned in displeasure. "What? Are you implying I might have some other hidden motive just because I keep a cat?"
Even if there was something behind it, it was just harmless curiosity!
Seeing that Mirai Uchiha looked somewhat upset, Kurenai quickly tried to appease him by acting coy. "Future, I'm just curious, okay? Don't get mad."
"Hmph! Go stand in the corner and reflect on your behavior."
"O-okay…"
Obediently, Kurenai went to the corner of the room, lowered her head, and began reflecting on her supposed mistake.
Neglect discipline for a day, and next thing you know, they're tearing up the roof tiles.
Men have their own reasons—should such things really be questioned endlessly?
After dealing with the overly-curious Kurenai, Mirai Uchiha casually asked, "Where's Tsunade?"
Rin immediately answered, "Tsunade-nee said she wanted to talk with Jiraiya."
Mirai Uchiha paused for a moment.
Talk with Jiraiya?
---
Hidden Leaf Village.
At the training ground not far from the Hokage Tower.
Jiraiya stood alone at the training ground's entrance.
Before him were four stone statues carved with lifelike detail.
From left to right: Homura Mitokado, Hiruzen, Danzo, and Koharu Utatane...
They knelt before the Hokage Rock, regretting their deeds for eternity.
Memories surged forth, and Jiraiya couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Even now, he still clearly remembered how happy he had felt when he first became a disciple of Hiruzen.
Back then, Hiruzen was young, powerful, confident, and sharp-edged.
He could effortlessly wield any of the Five Releases, and his battle intelligence was extraordinary, with practically no weaknesses.
With his signature [Five Release Great Combo Technique], he had carved out a reputation across the ninja world as the "Sage of Shinobi."
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and he had all deeply respected this teacher.
But later on, he began to fail to understand his teacher's actions.
The very same man who always preached about the Will of Fire committed one unforgivable act after another.
Until he eventually fell from grace—now kneeling here forever, scorned by history...
"Jiraiya!"
A voice from behind pulled him back to reality.
Tsunade and Orochimaru approached, standing beside him. They too fell silent looking at the statue of Hiruzen.
After a long silence, Tsunade spoke first.
"Why did you suddenly ask us to meet here?"
Jiraiya lifted his head and laughed loudly. "Hahahaha… I just thought we haven't eaten together in such a long time, so I simply felt like doing something spontaneous today."
"I've prepared lunchboxes. Let's eat together."
Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged glances, neither understanding what Jiraiya was thinking.
Urged by Jiraiya, they took the lunchboxes and sat down on the ground before the statue of Hiruzen.
"Today is the teacher's death anniversary."
Without warning, Jiraiya spoke up, placing a lunchbox before the statue of Hiruzen.
Orochimaru's hoarse voice carried a hint of coldness as he spoke. "Jiraiya, you're still the same as ever, always trying to do futile things."
In response to Orochimaru's comment, Jiraiya gave an expression of helpless amusement.
"Yeah, I really am somewhat foolish. So much so that my entire life has been filled with failures."
"I admired our teacher but failed to support him until the end. I hated him, yet couldn't bring myself to stop him from falling deeper into ruin."
"I'm neither a good person nor capable of becoming truly evil."
"While spouting words like eliminating darkness and achieving peace in the shinobi world, my actions have always avoided confronting real problems."
"The women you desire remain out of reach, and the tales of your life go largely untold..."
"What a failure..."
After Jiraiya spoke, he took out a gourd and drank deeply from it.
Seeing his expression, both Orochimaru and Tsunade frowned.
"Jiraiya..."
"I'm fine."
Jiraiya waved his hand and continued, "But failure filling one's life does not mean life itself is a failure."
"I've witnessed Konoha's rise, seen peace settle over the ninja world, and felt the joy of prosperity in every home... That is more than enough."
"A hero doesn't always need to be the central figure in the tale. Simply witnessing one's hopes become reality brings deep fulfillment."
Jiraiya poured a cup of wine for both Tsunade and Orochimaru, then placed another cup in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Only after doing all this did Jiraiya smile and speak again, "Tsunade, Orochimaru, I asked you here today because I am about to leave."
"Leave?"
"Where are you going?"
Both Tsunade and Orochimaru sensed something was wrong.
Based on Jiraiya's personality, even if he were leaving, there would normally be no reason to specially notify them, let alone arrange a meeting like this.
Jiraiya wiped the smile off his face, speaking solemnly, "One last duty remains—I will explore the ninja world once more and find a place that calls to me as my final resting place."
"This may be the last time we ever meet."
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