SWDnovel Chapter 312 Jiraiya: I'll be a teacher of moral education?
Chapter 312 Jiraiya: I'll be a teacher of moral education?
He saw the three small figures huddled together under the eaves from afar.
Two of them were naturally Yahiko and Konan, whom he had brought back to Konoha. The red-haired boy next to him was, without a doubt, Nagato, whom his two disciples talked about every day.
Jiraiya slowed his pace, a mix of emotions welling up within him.
Yahiko and that equally quiet girl came here from the war-torn Land of Rain. In just a few months, they have already been nurtured by the peace and warmth of Konoha and have become somewhat different.
He saw the light in the children's eyes and the smiles on their faces.
This made Jiraiya feel that everything he had done was worthwhile. He smiled slightly, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction that he couldn't quite explain.
He walked to the eaves, put away his oil-paper umbrella, and the rainwater on the tip of the umbrella splashed down, wetting a small patch of the ground.
"Cough cough..."
"Yahiko, Konan... Nagato, I've come to pick you up."
Jiraiya's voice carried his usual boldness, but in front of the children, it also revealed a subtle tenderness.
Yahiko and Konan looked up, their faces beaming with delight.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" Yahiko immediately went to greet him.
"Lord Jiraiya."
Nagato also whispered a reply, clutching the origami crane tightly in her hand.
Jiraiya patted each of their heads, the warmth of his palm carrying a unique sense of reassurance.
He was about to ask them what interesting things they had learned at school that day when he suddenly felt a slight ripple behind him.
"Whoosh—"
A dark figure appeared beside him like a ghost.
It was a ninja wearing a black ANBU uniform and an animal mask on his face.
He made no sound, but stood there quietly, as if he had been there from the beginning.
Jiraiya's smile faded slightly. The Anbu usually don't show themselves easily, especially in public places like this.
This means that something important has happened.
He glanced at the three children and gently gestured for them to stand behind him.
The officer in the shadows didn't make any unnecessary movements; he simply took a scroll out of his pocket.
The scroll was as black as ink, without any decoration.
The ANBU member knelt on one knee, respectfully presented the scroll to Jiraiya, and whispered:
"Lord Jiraiya, this is an order from the Hokage."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and took the scroll.
The warrant felt cold to the touch and carried a heavy weight. He was a little puzzled. Did the Hokage send him a warrant at this time to send him on some secret mission?
He glanced at the three children under the eaves and couldn't help but sigh. He had originally planned to take the children to eat his favorite roasted dumplings.
Konan stood quietly beside Yahiko, her fingers gently caressing the origami crane in her hand.
Nagato gripped Yahiko's clothes tightly, his black eyes gleaming.
Jiraiya avoided the children's gaze and turned to slowly unroll the scroll.
The densely packed characters came into view, the ink full and powerful, each character revealing Hiruzen Sarutobi's unique brushstrokes.
His gaze swept quickly across the scroll.
"Given your unique talent in educating the next generation..."
Jiraiya silently read the beginning of the scroll in his mind, his eyebrows twitching involuntarily.
Unique talent? That doesn't sound like a compliment.
His gaze continued downwards.
"You are hereby appointed as a specially invited lecturer for the first-year course 'Moral Character and Peace Theory' at the Ninja Academy."
The words that followed blurred into a blur in his eyes.
Jiraiya's entire body seemed to have all its strength drained away by an invisible force.
His shoulders slumped down at a visible speed, and his chin drooped limply.
The expression on his face froze for a moment.
It was completely stiff, like a piece of wood that had been dried out by the wind.
Those eyes, which should have been bold and passionate, were now wide open, filled with disbelief, astonishment, and utter despair.
A specially appointed lecturer? Moral Education and Peace Theory? What the hell is this?!
Jiraiya, a renowned hero of the ninja world, is actually going to talk about morality and ethics?! And even about peace theories?!
The image of myself gesturing wildly in the classroom, telling a group of kids how to cherish peace, and then blushing at their innocent gazes, instantly flashed into my mind.
Jiraiya instantly felt that his name, like those glaring words on the scroll, had been mercilessly crushed to the ground.
My inner voice was practically screaming, "Is the teacher joking?"
No, this is absolutely no joke! That handwriting, that chakra fluctuation, it's all Hiruzen Sarutobi's!
He's really going to... become a teacher?! And with this kind of subject that sounds absolutely daunting!
Jiraiya's face gradually fell.
His lips twitched slightly as he gripped the scroll tightly in his hand, as if it were not an appointment letter but a hot iron.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato watched Jiraiya quietly. They couldn't understand why their teacher, who had been smiling just moments before, had changed so drastically after looking at the scroll.
His silhouette, for the first time in the children's small world, appeared somewhat... desolate.
"Jiraiya-sensei, what's wrong?"
It was Yahiko after all. Unable to contain his curiosity, he took a step forward, tilted his little face up, and asked with concern.
His voice was clear and crisp, standing out particularly well amidst the pattering rain.
Konan followed along, not saying a word, but gently tugging at Jiraiya's sleeve.
She could sense that the teacher's usual enthusiasm was now being replaced by an inexplicable emotion, an emotion as heavy as the continuous rain, making his figure droop slightly.
Jiraiya's breathing became somewhat labored.
Specially appointed lecturer? Moral character? Peace theory?
These words were like dull knives, carving away at him, one after another, the marks raw and unbearable.
He asked himself, "Have I spent my whole life pursuing power and fighting for peace in the ninja world?"
I never imagined that this kind of struggle would be presented in the form of a lecturer.
Jiraiya forced himself to draw his attention back to the scroll, at the end of which was an instructional syllabus. The syllabus listed detailed course content, from the inheritance of the Will of Fire to the way of peaceful coexistence within the framework of the Five Great Nations, and the correct use of chakra energy.
There were even articles on how to resolve conflicts through nonviolent means... Each title felt like a blunt object, hitting him hard on the head.
"Non-violent means?"
Jiraiya felt a throbbing pain in his temple. All he wanted now was to find a quiet place to think carefully about his teacher's intentions.
This isn't some specially appointed lecturer; it's clearly an S-level mental torture mission!
He silently rolled up the reel, tucked it into his pocket, and tried to force a normal smile, but the smile was as stiff as ice in winter, devoid of any warmth.