During the time that followed, Jiraiya had Nagato, Yahiko, and the others focus on molding as much chakra as possible. The three of them had already started their training much later than other children in the village.
Naturally, they had to put in extra effort.
As for Shiratori, he was being trained in taijutsu by Jiraiya.
"..."
He hadn't even had the chance to express his excitement to Jiraiya before being trained into a pile of mush in just a single day.
On the way back to the cabin that evening, he was shivering all over.
Nagato and Yahiko had to help him back with great difficulty.
By the time they arrived, Jiraiya had already prepared a seafood feast and laid it out on the table.
"Let's eat!"
The little cabin, basked in the warm golden glow of the setting sun, was filled with laughter and chatter, creating a particularly cozy atmosphere.
After a whole day of grueling training, Shiratori devoured the food on the table.
"So delicious!"
His mouth was stuffed full. This seafood was unbelievably fresh.
Konan couldn't help but secretly giggle at him. While giggling, she still didn't forget to add another piece of fish to his bowl.
"Eat slower, don't choke," she reminded him gently.
She knew that he had worked even harder than the other three today. On the way back, his clothes had been completely soaked with sweat.
"You guys should eat more meat too."
Shiratori then picked out some more meat for Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
After dinner, they played games together in the living room for a while before going back to their rooms to rest.
Night fell.
The night was deep and still, with not a sound to be heard.
Occasionally, the croak of a frog broke the silence, making the night seem even quieter.
Planning his next move carefully, Shiratori tiptoed out of bed and silently left the bedroom. He went to sit outside on the veranda beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.
The bright moon rose over the sea, sprinkling silvery light everywhere, drifting gently with the waves.
He wore a solemn expression, as if weighed down by heavy thoughts.
After sitting in silence for nearly two hours, he finally got what he wanted, a voice behind him.
"Why are you still awake at this hour?"
Footsteps approached, and Jiraiya came to sit beside him. Looking down at the boy next to him, he asked curiously, "You seemed preoccupied even during dinner today. What's on your mind?"
"..."
Perfect. This was exactly the reaction Shiratori wanted.
"I couldn't sleep," he replied with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
"How old are you this year?" Jiraiya suddenly asked.
Shiratori recalled the age from his status and answered honestly:
"Eight."
He had already asked about Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan's ages. Among the three, Konan was the youngest at nine years old. So being eight gave him a clear advantage in the sympathy department.
Sure enough, Jiraiya exclaimed in surprise, "Eight years old?"
He hadn't expected Shiratori, who looked the most mature, to actually be the youngest among the kids. What's more, despite his young age, the boy acted more like the older one in the way he cared for Yahiko and the others.
He felt a surge of emotion.
"Why do you want to protect Yahiko and the others so much?"
He thought back to what had happened the day before and asked curiously. As far as he knew, Shiratori hadn't been with Yahiko and the others for very long.
"Because Yahiko and the others are my family," Shiratori replied with carefully measured sincerity:
"My real family all died in the war. Yahiko and the others were the ones who took me in and let me stay with them. In my heart, they are my family."
Jiraiya listened to the child's words, so pure and earnest, and felt both sorrow and warmth at the same time.
"And also…" Shiratori continued speaking. He pursed his lips, his big eyes shimmering in the moonlight.
"Even if I didn't know Yahiko and the others, I'd still want to protect them."
Jiraiya looked at Shiratori with growing interest. Then, he heard something that deeply impressed him.
"I want to protect everyone who's been hurt by war," Shiratori declared with firm conviction.
Jiraiya was speechless for a moment.
A long silence followed. Then he heard Shiratori ask a question.
"Why does war have to exist?"
"Why do people have to fight and kill each other?"
The questions came out with the confused innocence that only a child could manage. Faced with such profound questions from someone so young, Jiraiya's heart grew heavy.
"Yeah… Why does war have to exist?"
He sighed deeply, echoing Shiratori's sentiment. After a while, he said, "This world is full of battlefields, hatred everywhere… I want to change that. I don't even know what peace really is, but I want to find the answer."
He looked deeply at Shiratori, then gently ruffled the boy's hair with his warm hand.
"I believe you and Nagato can do it too. Maybe you'll find the answer to peace even sooner than I will."
Both Shiratori and Nagato possessed extraordinary potential, beyond what most people could imagine.
Maybe this was fate giving him a sign.
Maybe destiny had allowed him to stay and teach them as a way of giving the world a chance to end war.
He felt filled with hope. He was determined to teach them well.
Under Jiraiya's trusting gaze, Shiratori let his expression grow more resolute.
He nodded and made a promise, "I will definitely do it!"
Jiraiya smiled. He ruffled the boy's hair again and said, "Go get some rest."
Shiratori stood up and said, "Good night, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya watched his small figure walk away, his heart growing soft.
"Good night."
[Affection detected: Jiraiya +2000 points]
[Feed cursed spirit Rika?]
[Yes/No]
Shiratori selected [Yes].
[Energy transferred to Rika]
[Development progress: 38.002%]
[Rika's feedback: I want to sleep with Yuta~]
"..."
Her feedbacks are getting weirder...
He collapsed into bed from exhaustion, closed his eyes, and immediately fell asleep.
---
The next day, the group could be seen training on the stone beach.
Shiratori was doing push-ups nearby, while Jiraiya was testing Yahiko and the others for their chakra nature.
Jiraiya handed each of them a piece of paper.
Shiratori knew this was chakra paper. Of course, he didn't receive one. He didn't have any chakra at all, so naturally, no chakra nature to test.
The results came quickly.
As he did his push-ups, he listened to Jiraiya speak with the others.
"Yahiko, your chakra nature is water. I'll teach you water jutsu next."
"Yes!"
"Nagato, Konan, you two have special chakra types."
"Nagato has multiple chakra natures, so he can learn a variety of jutsu."
"Konan, your paper technique suits you best. You should focus on maximizing its potential."
"..."