Chapter 32: I Call This "Quietude and Non-Action"
At the Konoha Mission Assignment Desk, it wasn't just for handing in missions; Ninjas also had to report their departures from the village here.
"Although I didn't lose any limbs at the border, my young heart has suffered tremendous trauma! Facing so many Hidden Mist Ninjas, while also having to take care of the cooking for the entire station, I'm anxious, I have insomnia, and my endocrine system is out of whack!"
The clerk behind the counter looked at the lively Haruko in front of him with black lines on his face: "So this is your reason for insisting on applying to go to the Land of Hot Springs?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Haruko said righteously.
"Fine, I'll submit it like that. Go back and wait for the news."
That afternoon, the Third Hokage looked at Haruko's application to leave the village (for vacation) and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Forget it, he's just a child after all..."
The next day, instead of receiving permission to leave the village, Haruko received a specifically assigned mission: deliver a letter to the Fire Temple for Master Jiraiya.
A D-rank mission, entirely self-funded, with no mission reward, and a one-week time limit.
'Hmm... it's on the way anyway. I guess this counts as indirect approval."
...
Fire Temple.
As a famous temple for Ninja monks in the Land of Fire, it was built against the mountain and was magnificent.
When Haruko arrived, swaying leisurely, the setting sun had already dyed the ancient temple a golden red.
Haruko took the mission commission and the letter from his pocket.
"I am a Ninja from Konoha, and I have a letter to deliver to your temple."
At the temple gate, a young monk pressed his palms together: "Amitabha, benefactor, you have traveled far, thank you for your hard work."
The monk took it to check, then nodded: "Please follow me, the abbot is in the inner courtyard."
Passing through several courtyards, Haruko was led to a meditation room.
Sitting in the room was a middle-aged monk, who was none other than the abbot of the Fire Temple—Jiraiya.
The moment he saw Haruko, Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly.
In the blink of an eye, he returned to his calm, unruffled appearance, as if it had just been an illusion.
"I have received the letter. Thank you for making this trip."
"It's my duty. However, it's getting late, I wonder if I could stay the night at your temple?"
"Of course you can..."
"I don't want to chant sutras! I don't want to meditate! Stop trying to control me!"
A young voice suddenly drifted in.
"Please excuse the disturbance, it's just a child in the temple throwing a tantrum." Jiraiya shook his head with a wry smile, "The vegetarian meal is almost ready, please join us for dinner."
...
After dinner, feeling a bit stuffy in the guest room, Haruko used Earth Release to create a rocking chair and lay under the eaves to cool off.
A little boy of about six years old passed by him.
He was muttering to himself while kicking stones on the ground hard.
"What are you looking at!" The boy made eye contact with Haruko.
"My name is Haruko, I'm a Ninja." Haruko smiled, "You must be Sora, right?"
Sora stared at Haruko vigilantly: "Are you here to lecture me? Get lost!"
He kicked a stone at Haruko, but it was caught between Haruko's two fingers.
"You're certainly energetic. Do you want to play a game?"
Haruko raised his foot and drew a circle on the ground, then stepped inside.
"The rules are simple. If you can find a way to hit me, or force me out of this circle, you win."
Sora was stunned. In all his life, this was the first time someone had spoken to him in this tone.
It wasn't fear, it wasn't disgust, and it wasn't that high-and-mighty pity.
It was just... looking for fun?
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Sora's temper was instantly ignited.
"If you win, this is yours."
Like a magic trick, Haruko pulled out a bag of snacks—leftovers from his trip.
Sora's gaze shifted between the snacks and Haruko's punchable smiling face.
"Take this!"
Sora rushed over, waving his little fists, but was easily dodged by Haruko sidestepping.
Sora was unconvinced and launched another round of attacks.
Punching and kicking, even picking up small stones to throw, but Haruko was as slippery as an eel and couldn't be touched at all.
Ten minutes later, Sora was panting heavily from exhaustion.
'Hmm... that should be enough."
Even if he was the pseudo-Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed, he was still just a child of a few years old, and his stamina had limits.
Just as Sora threw a weak, soft straight punch, Haruko suddenly tripped over a stone on the ground.
Sora was quick-witted and grabbed the corner of Haruko's clothes.
"Ha! I caught you!"
"Indeed, you won." Haruko smiled and handed him the snacks.
Sora took the snacks, revealing a satisfied smile.
"Can we play again tomorrow?"
Haruko patted his head: "Unfortunately, I have to leave tomorrow."
"Oh..." Sora was a bit disappointed, but quickly cheered up again, "Then I'm going to sleep, I have to get up early to chant sutras tomorrow."
Watching Sora skip happily toward his room, the monks watching from the side looked at each other in confusion.
Jiraiya walked over, his eyes full of admiration: "Benefactor, your method is very special. Could we talk in the meditation room to clear up my confusion?"
...
The night was deep and quiet.
Inside the meditation room, the scent of tea curled in the air.
"Lord Haruko, thank you for today."
"What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything."
Haruko took a sip of tea, "Children, you know, throwing a tantrum is nothing more than excess energy combined with a need to vent emotions. Instead of reasoning with him, it's better to let him burn off that excess energy."
"Then why did you let him win on purpose at the end?"
As one of the former "Guardian Ninja Twelve", Jiraiya could naturally tell that Haruko had deliberately gone easy on him at the end.
"Too much frustration will make someone lose motivation. I decided from the beginning that as long as he persisted to the end, I would let him win."
'I won't tell you that I just wanted to tire the brat out. Talking trash, huh? Kicking stones at me, huh? He's worked to death and still has to thank me."
Haruko was solemnly being insincere; just thinking about how Sora would be tired out by the monks every day made him want to laugh.
Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully: "For someone so young, you have such insights, it is truly rare."
"Eh, what insights? It's just following nature."
"Following nature?"
"Yes."
Haruko put down his teacup and began to bullshit solemnly.
Talking about Daoist principles of nature, about "Quietude and Non-Action," he left Jiraiya completely bewildered.
He sensed that the unheard-of theory Haruko was talking about had internal logic that was seamless; it was clearly a vast, complete, and mature system tempered by time.
Furthermore, as a talented individual with senjutsu potential, from the first meeting, Jiraiya had felt the Natural Energy gathering on Haruko.
Could it be... that this lazy-looking young man is a member of some sect or a disciple of some reclusive master?
Jiraiya pressed his palms together: "Benefactor's insights have truly benefited me greatly. Although they are not exactly the same as our Buddhist philosophy, they are still a valid path of Training."
Haruko chuckled inwardly.
'Successfully bullshitted one person."
In reality, he didn't have any profound philosophy; he was just pure lazy.
But by packaging it with Daoist thoughts, it sounded much more high-end.
"Are you leaving tomorrow, benefactor?"
"Yes, I still have to go to the Land of Hot Springs."
Jiraiya nodded and didn't ask any more.
The next morning, after mooching a breakfast, Haruko left the Fire Temple, and Jiraiya personally saw him off to the mountain gate.
Watching the boy's receding figure, Jiraiya pressed his palms together, reflecting on last night's conversation.
Although the words were a bit hazy and obscure in many places, the aura he carried could not be faked.
That feeling of being integrated with nature was indeed a sign of success in Training; Jiraiya had seen similar phenomena in some enlightened high monks.
"Amitabha. Konoha... has really produced an incredible character."
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