Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 96 Jiraiya's Laziness, Kakashi's Jealousy

Under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Originally, it was that "lazy" thing that wouldn't budge no matter how hard others tried and their faces turned red.

The moment Jiraiya gripped the hilt of the sword, it emitted a crisp, sharp sound.

hum!
At this moment, the will known as "sloth" examined his soul.

And it was approved.

Because the essence of the word "lazy" is not laziness.

Rather, it is "escapism" and "inaction".

To regard one's own lust as the romance unique to novelists, to use one's power to choose a vapid, prophetic child, and to regard one's escapism as the transcendence of an immortal...

He was running away, but he never realized he was running away; when others pointed it out to him, he said that reality was ugly and he was powerless to change it.

He was of mediocre intelligence, most skilled at writing erotic novels, yet he diligently pursued nobility and elegance.

He traveled to various countries and recorded all aspects of life, but never truly changed anything.

I will not look, I will not listen, I will not ask, I will not do.

He is an idealist who escapes reality.

Click.

He drew a broadsword without a sheath from its scabbard; it was unsharpened, and the edge of the blade had a blunt, thick, stone-like texture.

"..."

Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat. Even though he had drawn the sword, he felt a heavy, astringent feeling in his chest.

Laziness—this sword was telling him that this was the true nature of his soul.

This sword, through his feigned lust and heroic pride, truly saw through his true nature of "escapism."

"Lazy?"

Hinata Kumokawa calmly watched the scene unfold, already guessing why Jiraiya could draw the sword.

There is only one true heroism in the world: to love life and strive to change it even after recognizing the truth of reality.

It means knowing you're destined to lose, knowing you can't change anything, but still going ahead without hesitation.

Even Hashirama Senju, because he used his limited life and power to bring about change to the ninja world, can be called a hero.

Perhaps when Jiraiya faced Pain at the end of his life, he could be considered a "selfless" hero in Konoha's eyes.

However, if we look at his entire life, escapism has always been a consistent theme in his choices.

Tsunade, Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha, the Ninja World...

Was he truly unaware of Tsunade's thoughts? Did he really not notice Orochimaru's transformation? Was he truly unprepared for Akatsuki's future?

Did Hiruzen Sarutobi really not understand his repeated hints? Could he really not see the darkness hidden deep within Konoha?
impossible.

Knowing all this and believing that they are powerless to change it, they choose to escape everything and place their hopes on the prophesied child.

But does he really believe that the current state of the ninja world can be changed by one person?
"Jiraiya-senpai."

The Nara Jonin broke the oppressive silence and asked, "Is there anything special about that sword?"

Jiraiya snapped out of his daze, a smile tugging at his pale face: "This sword..."

He placed the bladeless "laziness" on the ground, as if pressing a slow-motion button for the area within five meters around him.

hum!
Fine dust particles floated in the air, along with the sounds of breathing and heartbeats, gradually slowing down and slowing down even more.

However, the people's thinking did not become sluggish; they were able to clearly perceive all the changes around them.

"What's this?!"

The words spoken by those who were surprised and doubtful became twice as slow within the area.

Jiraiya's initial gloom was replaced by a sense of awe at the power displayed by the sword.

At this moment, within a five-meter radius around him, only his speed is normal.

"Lasts for ten seconds, with a radius of five meters?"

Feeling his chakra rapidly draining away, Jiraiya drew his broadsword from the ground. The world before them returned to its normal flow of time, but everyone was plunged into an utterly shocked silence.

Time is slow.

This broadsword, which is harmless, possesses a strange and uncanny ability.

"This..." Akimichi Tsutomu's throat bobbed up and down, "This is something a sword can actually do?"

"The duration was rather short, and the area was not very large."

Nara Jonin forcibly suppressed his shock and calmly analyzed, "Slowing down the flow of time by half, the room for maneuver in combat is really limited."

“No.” Jiraiya pursed his dry lips. “I can feel that this sword can become even stronger.”

"..."

Everyone, including the Jonin Nara, fell silent again, turning their intense gazes to the other six swords.

If the other six swords also possess such powerful and bizarre abilities...

"Lord Jiraiya," someone couldn't help but ask, "how exactly did you pull it out?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their gaze to Jiraiya, with only a few who knew him showing a flicker in their eyes.

"I……"

Jiraiya opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything, and his face turned slightly pale.

This feeling was tantamount to exposing his self-deception all along and completely negating his choices.

"It's no use, everyone is different."

Knowing why Jiraiya was embarrassed and didn't speak, the Jonin Nara shook his head and explained, "If you can't pull it out, you can't pull it out, but you can try all of them."

Upon hearing this, although they still had some doubts, no one pressed them for more information.

Those who hadn't tried everything went forward and tried the rest.

However, basically nothing has changed.

Until Kakashi Hatake walked up to "Jealousy," his fingers gently touched the hilt of the sword.

hum!
The same scene as Jiraiya's was repeated. Kakashi subconsciously pulled out the "Jealousy" sword with force, and his stunned face turned pale.

In addition to the so-called "seven deadly sins," there are also the corresponding "seven virtues."

Lust, sloth, greed, pride, wrath, gluttony, and envy.

Chastity, diligence, generosity, humility, gentleness, temperance, and tolerance.

Yes, the opposite of jealousy is actually "tolerance".

Jealousy, to be precise, is resentment.

It was something I hoped to get, but I didn't.

Kakashi's object of jealousy was none other than himself.

It was himself, his former self.

Now, he has nothing, has failed Obito's expectations, and has Rin's blood on his hands.

He resented himself for having everything and then destroying it all.

This is his true nature.

Kaka.

Kakashi Hatake's hand trembled slightly as he looked at the wakizashi named Jealousy in his hand.

This knife exudes an extremely unsettling, chilling aura, like a leech clinging to a bone. The twisted patterns on the blade seem to reflect the ugliest corners of the human heart.

Just as he was about to drop the knife, a hand grabbed his wrist.

Kakashi subconsciously looked up and saw Jiraiya with a complicated expression, but Jiraiya just shook his head at him.

"Calm down," Jiraiya asked softly. "What ability?"

Kakashi suppressed the fear of being seen through and said in a dry voice, "Fake Mirror Image, copy the target's possible future image, and fight the target."

(End of this chapter)