Chapter 9: A Symbol and a Summon
The system's task required obtaining a Konoha forehead protector as a prerequisite for completion.
But Jiraiya, due to his unique status as a Sage of Mount Myoboku, didn't possess a standard Konoha headband himself.
Listening to Liumu's pleading for a forehead protector, Jiraiya pondered in embarrassment. After a long moment, he finally said, "Your senior siblings… they should have a Konoha forehead protector. I remember that stinky snake left his headband in that little cabin before he departed."
"Oh? Stinky snake?" Liumu looked at Jiraiya with confusion.
"It's Orochimaru," Jiraiya explained with a distinct tone of disgust. "The one called one of the Konoha Sannin, along with me and Tsunade."
Seeing the clear revulsion in Jiraiya's eyes at the mention of Orochimaru, Liumu covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
A forehead protector was a symbol of a ninja's identity, akin to an ID card. With it, strangers could immediately tell which village a shinobi hailed from.
"Let's go." After resting for a while and disposing of the unconscious black-clad man deeper in the cave, Jiraiya looked at the rainy sky outside, an uncharacteristic urgency showing on his face.
...
...
...
Across the endless, flat wilderness of the Land of Rain, two figures, one large and one small, raced through the downpour toward a cabin at the foot of a distant mountain.
Squeeeak—
With a miserable groan from the long-neglected wooden door, Jiraiya pushed it open. Brushing aside the cobwebs that draped the entrance, his expression suddenly turned melancholic.
Liumu, following behind, took in the barren state of the house, and a wave of disappointment washed over him.
Reaching out to touch the thick layer of dust on the small dining table inside, Liumu said quietly, "It seems no one has been here for a very long time."
Five years ago, in Konoha Year 37 during the Second Great Ninja War, Jiraiya had first met the trio of Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan here. He hadn't expected that in just five years, the place would have fallen into such desolation.
Searching randomly, Liumu found a small, dark wooden box under one of the beds. Inside, nestled in the dust, was a Konoha forehead protector. Beside it lay an intricately folded paper crane, also covered in a fine grey layer.
"It really is here."
Liumu showed the forehead protector to Jiraiya.
"Where have they gone?" Jiraiya murmured, picking up the dusty paper crane, his brow deeply furrowed.
The trio were the Child of Prophecy he had envisioned. In the turbulent Land of Rain, and at only sixteen or seventeen years old… their safety was a constant worry.
"Perhaps… they're still somewhere in the Land of Rain," Liumu offered, pretending to guess. "After all, this is their homeland. They probably haven't gone too far. Should we try to find them?"
Jiraiya shook his head after a moment's thought.
He cast one last look around the room, sighed deeply, and said to Liumu, "Let's clean this place up. We'll stay for a few days before moving on."
Jiraiya's mind was as straightforward as his rough exterior. It seemed that besides Tsunade, who could never quite read him, no one could truly hide their intentions from him.
This was the place where Jiraiya had first met them. He guessed that Nagato and the others had left precisely to avoid being found by him. After all, as the most volatile war zone, this was likely where the original "Akatsuki" had been formed. They wanted to change this land, scarred by years of conflict, and to prevent other orphans from suffering the same tragic fate they had.
The wooden cabin was small and sparsely furnished. It took Liumu and Jiraiya only half a day to tidy it up, making it somewhat livable again.
Seeing the forehead protector still in Liumu's hand, Jiraiya smiled. He took it and carefully tied it around Liumu's forehead. As he did, a sense of solemn ceremony replaced the usual levity in his kind eyes.
"Once you wear the Konoha forehead protector, you officially become a shinobi of our village. If there ever comes a day when you dare to do anything that endangers Konoha… as your teacher, I will personally see to your end. Do you understand?"
[Ding. Congratulations, Host, on officially becoming a shinobi. The Timely Mission has been completed. Reward: Fate Roulette Lucky Draw Count +1. Please check promptly.]
Gone was the usual laziness, the bohemian air. Hearing the prompt in his mind, Liumu looked at the serious Jiraiya before him and gave a solemn nod.
"Don't worry, Teacher. I was born to be a good person."
"Born to be a good person?" Jiraiya chuckled at Liumu's words, but his smile was brief. "In peaceful times, a good person is respected by all. But now… the bones of countless 'good people' are buried on battlefields no one remembers."
"Remember this, Liumu. As a shinobi, you may have to do many things you don't wish to in the future. But even so, your teacher still hopes you won't forget one thing: before you are a shinobi, you are first and foremost a human being. And to be human, you must hold onto the most basic conscience of humanity."
...
The heavy rain continued, turning the barren landscape of the Land of Rain into a muddy quagmire. With no "inspiration" to seek in such weather, Jiraiya decided it was time to start teaching his newly-accepted disciple.
"You…" Watching Liumu's pitiful attempt to perform the basic Clone Technique, Jiraiya suddenly regretted his impulsive decision to take him on.
Who could have imagined that someone capable of pulverizing a stone statue dozens of meters tall with a single punch would struggle so profoundly with a fundamental ninjutsu like this?
After an unknown amount of time, Liumu, having failed the Clone Technique repeatedly and nearly exhausting his chakra, glanced over at Jiraiya, who had dozed off leaning against the wall. He sat down with a wry smile and turned his attention inward, checking the mission reward he had just received.
"Another lucky draw!"
Looking at the "+1" now displayed on the Fate Roulette, Liumu wondered what kind of template the system would grant him this time.
[Does the Host choose to draw immediately?]
"Yes!"
Liumu nodded. He watched as the Fate Roulette spun once more. A card of a deep, earthy brown hue shot out and materialized in his palm.
"This is…" Liumu stared blankly at the image on the card, then hurriedly read the text description below it.
[Taotie Template: The Embodiment of Gluttony. Appearance: Dragon's head, sheep's body, eyes under its armpits, tiger's teeth, human-like claws. Possesses a large head and an enormous mouth, known for its extreme greed. One of the Ten Prehistoric Mythical Beasts of ancient legend.]
"Taotie?!" Liumu looked at the name that existed only in the myths of his past life and nearly choked. Taotie is to be my summoning beast?
He rubbed his eyes vigorously, then pinched his own arm hard.
"Hiss…"
Looking at the red mark on his skin, Liumu finally confirmed he wasn't dreaming.
(End of Chapter)
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