I was extremely confused and conflicted once I was alone again in the park. It felt like what I had just experienced was a dream or a hallucination. I always thought of ROOT as brute force, darkness made real, but both times their pitch had sounded almost convincing. Honestly, if I did not know what ROOT was really like, I might have joined, just from how logical their reasons were. But I knew, and that mattered. For once, I was grateful to know something about this world that helped me directly. Still, with how vague my memories are, I might get myself killed someday because I forget something critical, just like I did with ROOT.
I sighed to myself, deciding there was no way I could get back into the mood for meditation. I headed home instead. Once there, I made two shadow clones and told them to finish the final packing and be ready to move the boxes with me. After some cursing and bargaining, I ended up with the task of carrying the heaviest box myself. I did not feel like ordering them around, so I just took it.
Before that, I decided to take a shower and change into my recently bought fancy clothes.
After the shower, my clones stood near me, each holding boxes. One of them muttered, "I will not miss this place. It stinks even though we cleaned it twice a day. It is falling apart, not to mention the constant thieves and annoying neighbors."
All three of us nodded. I said, "Still, it is better than the orphanage."
The clone shot back, "By a mile."
We all chuckled. "Let's hope the trend continues and the new place is much better than this one," I said. We nodded again, and before I picked up my heavy box, I closed my eyes and clasped my hands together like I was praying. I was not a Buddhist and I did not know any prayers. Most people in the park probably thought I was some monk trainee, but the motion brought me comfort, so I did it anyway.
Instead of words, I poured every good memory I had of this place into my hands, the nights I sat next to the small window and looked at the bright stars, the times I stared at the ceiling murals that brought me comfort, the deep sleep I found on this cheap bed, the meals I cooked and ate at that old table.
I opened my palms and my eyes slowly, letting those bright feelings drift between my fingers and sink into the room. At that moment, the sun shone a little brighter through the window, lighting up the flat in a warm, soft glow.
"Thank you," I said from the bottom of my heart. Then I closed the door behind me and carried my box.
After a quick transformation performed by my clones, since three identical kids walking together would freak people out, I gave the flat's key to the shady owner who eyed me suspiciously. I did not take offense, he did that to all the tenants, and I once caught him doing it to himself in the mirror. He was probably just an idiot.
Leaving my shady area behind, I walked the streets of Konoha, looking around at the awake village. The village's energy is always infectious. I looked around and saw the lively, colorful Konoha blooming with the sun's rays, people haggling and trade flowing well. The village's state looked a lot better than when I first arrived in this world. I was so intrigued by the sights that I did not notice the first clone in line suddenly stop and stare into a dark, narrow alley behind the bathhouse. The second clone was also distracted, so he bumped into the first one, muttering, "Oww, you idiot." I was just as distracted and walked straight into the second clone, snapping, "Oww, you idiot," right back. The first clone did not say anything. He kept staring into the alley. Me and the second clone turned our heads, and my eyes widened.
Half-hidden behind the bathhouse fence was a man crouched so casually you would think he owned the place. He was big and broad-shouldered, not young but not exactly ancient either. His wild white hair fell down his back in a mess of tangled strands. Red lines ran under his eyes, giving his weathered face the look of someone who had laughed too much and fought too hard for too many years.
But the way he was peeking through a crack in the fence gave it all away. There was only one person in the world who would do that with no shame at all.
"The Perverted Sage," I muttered. The second clone echoed it right after me, like we were cursing in sync. The first clone did not even look surprised. He just seemed offended on behalf of the entire village.
Jiraiya shifted, scratching his stubbled jaw with one hand, his eyes still glued to whatever he was spying on through that hole. From the dumb grin on his face, I did not really need to guess.
Honestly, I wanted to keep walking. But seeing him in person was too much. There he was, one of the Legendary Sannin, crouched behind a bathhouse fence like some back-alley creep. Two major names in one day. If that was not a sign, I did not know what was.
I muttered, mostly to myself, "So this is what a living legend looks like. One of the strongest shinobi ever, squatting behind a fence to peep at women. I am so glad the library books left this part out."
The first clone cleared his throat dramatically, but Jiraiya did not even flinch. It was like we were three ghosts passing through. The second clone leaned closer and asked, "Should we say something?"
I tilted my head, eyes narrowing. "Say what? That the Perverted Sage lives up to his name? He would probably just ask us to stand guard for him."
Jiraiya, for some reason, noticed me at that exact moment.
All of us narrowed our eyes at the same time. The first clone dropped his box on the spot and snapped, "I am going to report this to the bathhouse owner."
Before the clone could take a single step, Jiraiya was suddenly right there, one hand clamped over the clone's mouth. "There, there, young man. That is no way to treat someone as famous as me."
We had to mask our knowledge, so the second clone tilted his head and asked, "And who are you exactly?"
I crossed my arms and muttered, "You just seem like an old pervert to me."
Jiraiya looked deeply offended. He straightened up so fast the first clone almost toppled over. He threw his arms wide like he was greeting an invisible cheering crowd.
"Listen well, you clueless brats. Feast your eyes on the one and only!"
He spun around in place, one hand on his hip, the other pointing straight up to the sky. His wild white hair flipped over his shoulders like it was part of the act.
"I am Jiraiya, the gallant sage of Mount Myoboku. Master of Toad Summoning, unrivaled in Sage Mode, one of the Legendary Sannin whose name makes entire nations tremble."
He kicked one foot forward and struck a ridiculous stance like some actor caught mid-dance, then flashed a grin so wide my clones cringed all at once.
"Feared by men, adored by women, and the genius behind the world's most explosively romantic novels, the Icha Icha series."
He slapped a hand over his heart, chin lifted high like he expected a standing ovation.
I could not help myself and started clapping, honestly impressed by seeing the act in person. My clones stared at me with suspicious, cringing eyes, but I did not care. I was genuinely happy and impressed by his energy.