A Farewell Among Lonely Souls
Under the crimson glow of Konoha's sunset, three figures sat together by the riverbank where they had endured two grueling months of training. Jiraiya poured sake into small cups, his boisterous laughter echoing through the quiet wilderness, though his eyes held a depth of unspoken thoughts.
"Hahaha! Look at you two! Just two months ago, you were nothing but a pair of clueless brats. And now... now you stand before me as true monsters."
Satoru and Eren exchanged glances before breaking into laughter.
Satoru leaned back, resting one hand behind his head, a carefree smirk on his lips. "You say that as if you aren't a monster yourself, Perverted Sage."
Jiraiya's eyes twitched. "Hey, hey! Show some respect! I am a great master! Don't just call me 'Perverted Sage' like it's my name!"
Eren remained silent, swirling the sake in his cup, watching the moon's reflection shimmer on the surface. He was never fond of alcohol, but tonight, he made an exception—to share a moment with these two.
After all, among these three souls—each burdened with their own loneliness—this was perhaps the closest thing they had to true peace.
"Maybe this... is something we've all been missing."
The sake burned as it went down, but it left behind an unexpected warmth.
Jiraiya exhaled slowly, gazing up at the sky.
"Remember, I only opened the door for you. The rest of the journey... you must walk on your own."
He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice steady and firm.
"The life of a shinobi isn't measured by how they live... but by what they achieve before they die."
Silence.
The words struck deep.
Jiraiya took another sip before smiling once more.
"And... people hurt each other because of the pain they carry. But understanding pain brings people closer together. It makes them grow."
He stood up, dusting off his robes.
"Satoru, Eren... I hereby declare—"
"The training is over!"
Before he could react, both Satoru and Eren had already thrown their arms around him.
An awkward yet sincere embrace.
They all knew…
After this, who could say what tomorrow would bring?
Life was fleeting, and for shinobi, even more so.
---
**The Next Morning – A New Day in Konoha**
As the first rays of sunlight bathed Konoha, the village came to life. Merchants bustled about, children played in the streets, blacksmiths hammered away at new weapons.
And amidst it all, two figures stood at the village entrance, watching as a lone man walked away towards the Hokage's office.
Jiraiya did not look back.
He simply raised one hand in a casual wave—his farewell.
Satoru and Eren watched until he disappeared from sight.
Then, they turned to each other.
"...Ramen?"
"Yeah."
---
**Five Minutes Later – Ichiraku Ramen**
Dignity? Pride? Self-restraint?
All of that was thrown out the window as Satoru and Eren devoured bowl after bowl of ramen, eating like starving wolves just released from hell.
Each steaming bowl barely lasted a few moments before they moved on to the next.
Satoru ate so fast his chopsticks seemed to blur.
Eren, having finished four bowls, finally set his chopsticks down and watched as Satoru continued his rampage.
A spark of suspicion flickered in his mind.
"He's almost 1.81 meters tall now... almost my height. Who's the real monster here?"
Around them, other customers were quietly inching away, sweating as they saw the towering stack of bowls piling up beside them.
Behind the counter, Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, wiped his brow nervously.
"These two… might just be the scariest customers I've ever served."
---
**At the Hokage's Office**
Their footsteps echoed through the long hallway of the Hokage's Tower.
Satoru, as usual, walked with his hands stuffed into his pockets, whistling a carefree tune.
But this time, something was different—the one walking beside him.
Eren no longer carried the weight of his past like a shroud. He had changed.
Not just in strength.
But in spirit.
---
**A Hokage Burdened by Worry**
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, cigarette burning low between his fingers, eyes scanning through stacks of mission reports.
The moment he looked up and saw them enter, he exhaled and gestured for them to sit.
"Come in."
No sooner had Satoru sat down than a heavy stack of documents was slammed onto his lap.
Eren raised an eyebrow.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his cigarette before speaking in a low voice.
"Jiraiya has departed for his mission."
A brief pause.
"Eren, I have heard about your awakening of Wood Release. Congratulations."
His gaze softened slightly.
"Konoha places great faith in your generation. Minato, Satoru, Eren… you are the future of this village."
He snapped his fingers.
A moment later, a masked shinobi appeared.
"Summon Minato."
Barely two minutes later—
Minato Namikaze arrived.
Satoru grinned, casually remarking, "As expected, Minato is always as fast as a flash! Maybe someday, they'll call you the Yellow Flash."
Minato chuckled humbly.
Hiruzen exhaled, his expression turning grim.
"Iwagakure has begun mobilizing. Onoki is making his move, and we've detected their scouts near our western borders."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Kirigakure has sent 'students' for shinobi exchange, but in reality, they are spies gathering intelligence on our forces."
There were also reports of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist being spotted near the border.
"Kumogakure is growing increasingly aggressive, testing both our defenses and those of Iwagakure. The Third Raikage has dispatched numerous reconnaissance teams to gather intel."
"Sunagakure remains neutral, but we cannot afford to be careless."
Hiruzen leaned forward, voice grave.
"But more importantly…"
He took a deep breath.
"In Uzushiogakure, the homeland of the Uzumaki Clan, a new force calling itself the 'Demon Brigade' has risen. They seek to break the ancient Uzumaki seals and unleash an ancient evil."
He rubbed his temples, visibly stressed.
"And in an isolated island between Kusagakure and Kirigakure… a force calling themselves 'Pirates' has appeared."
Satoru stiffened.
"Things just got a whole lot more complicated…"
---
**TO BE CONTINUED…**