Although Haseo had always been without hesitation when using Kinjutsu, and seemed unconcerned about his physical condition, he actually harbored some worries—he buried them deep inside.
After all, nobody wants to face an "untimely death."
So now that the issue of his body's deterioration had been resolved by what could barely be called a solution, Haseo finally felt relieved of one burden. At last, he could sleep peacefully in solitude, free from worry.
Once Haseo returned to being an ordinary person, he finally understood what people meant by "simple happiness." In fact, during the few days following the sealing, he found himself immersed in a feeling where everything around him just seemed "pretty good."
This was probably what people referred to as being "in a good mood."
Especially when he sat by his window overlooking the Hot Spring River, admiring the scenery across the riverbank—the sensation became even more pronounced.
It must be noted that an essential standard for excellent ninja was possessing outstanding observation skills, and Haseo was exactly that kind of ninja. Though his vision couldn't rival dojutsu Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan or Byakugan, among regular ninja, his eyesight ranked at the very top.
Therefore, he was skilled at discovering beauty in daily life… as well as appreciating curves, long legs, and fair skin.
Unfortunately, daytime views were somewhat plain, nowhere near as lively or magnificent as the nighttime scenery—after all, those figures similar to oiran (Japanese courtesans) only emerged under the moonlight.
While Haseo was quietly lost in watching the view outside, someone approached from behind and stood on the eaves below, leaning silently against the windowsill for quite some time... Men generally appreciate the same sights, after all.
And it was certainly true that "Like teacher, like student." Back in the day, the Third Hokage also enjoyed viewing the opposite side of Hot Spring Town from such a spot.
"Haseo, today's weather is pretty nice—perfect for a picnic. How about it? Want to come along?"
Perhaps five minutes passed, maybe half an hour, before Jiraiya finally tore his gaze away, then turned to speak to Haseo.
Although he'd much rather engage in physically demanding activities than leisurely ones like picnics, considering social norms and public perception, suggesting a picnic was the most reasonable option available at this point.
Haseo glanced at him sideways before replying,
"You've got time on your hands lately? What about missions or training?
Seriously, your suggestion sounds even more ridiculous than the last one—taking two grown men on a picnic? Don't you think that's pushing it a bit too far?"
Such nonsensical plans sounded completely unreliable. Moreover, Haseo had long since passed the age when he enjoyed playing around with kids... To be precise, he had already passed that phase of life—even during his past life.
Lately, Haseo had been in a particularly good mood without any important tasks or grueling training to occupy him; the lightness in his body after controlling his illness added to this relaxed state... During moments like these, all he desired was to laze around at home like a contented homebody, living the cozy life of a comfortable shut-in.
Haseo sprawled halfway out the window, chin resting on one hand, radiating that classic NEET aura—laid-back and slightly gloomy.
As he spoke, his Black Cat padded lightly across the room, then nimbly leapt onto his lap. After curling its tail a few times, it flopped down and faked a nap… See? Even this cat knew how Haseo was feeling.
Though it usually preferred hanging out in Samehada's growth chamber at Kagenami Base, it still understood the importance of bonding with its owner.
So, except for not meeting body fat goals, Haseo was basically living like a noble NEET… especially since he'd joined the proud cat-owning elite—always good for some softness and warmth.
Cats are good for more than just cuddles—wait, there's that saying again? Oh yeah: owning a cat's great, but did you ever think about using it as a napkin?
"Who says we're only two people here? There's at least Orochimaru too," Jiraiya remarked.
"You both don't have missions? Well, that's not the main point. The real question is, can you even get Orochimaru to come out?"
Getting Orochimaru to actually leave his lair was ten times harder than convincing Haseo—especially when Jiraiya was the one planning the event.
"So I got Tsunade to handle calling Orochimaru while I came straight here for you," Jiraiya smiled.
He even pulled Tsunade in first by telling her "Haseo had agreed ages ago," then convinced Haseo by stressing that "everyone else had already signed up." After all, they used to be teammates with solid bonds, and since Haseo had nothing better to do anyway, surely he wouldn't refuse such a small favor.
Jiraiya was definitely a genius event planner.
But why the hell was this idiot grinning so much? He'd roped in both Haseo and Tsunade, playing middleman like a puppeteer—so who really got played? You didn't need a genius to figure it out.
Seeing that Haseo still wasn't paying attention and kept petting his cat, Jiraiya cleared his throat again and continued, "Ahem, speaking of ninja—we all carry self-evaluations inside us, but subjective judgment is always unreliable. A ninja's self-assessment often swings wildly between overconfidence and self-doubt.
Since those kinds of self-judgments are totally subjective, some mistakes are totally normal. But for ninja, even small mistakes can turn deadly.
So when things get messy, you gotta go back to basics and just chill out. Being a ninja is just one part of life. Sometimes, taking a break from stress helps you see where you really stand."
Classic Jiraiya move—a long, cliché-packed monologue.
Finally, Haseo raised his hand in surrender… simply to stop this guy from droning on forever, he decided to go to that picnic after all.
Purely because of that reason—and absolutely nothing to do with Tsunade.
Haseo tossed the Black Cat onto his shoulder, then made his way toward the door in his casual clothes, slipping on a pair of shoes without grabbing any gear—he just walked right out.
Jiraiya had circled around outside for a bit before meeting up with Haseo at the entrance. Together, they started heading down the stairs.
"That line back there? Didn't sound like something you'd actually say."
As they walked downstairs, Haseo casually commented on Jiraiya's earlier words. That kind of thing—definitely not something this current version of Jiraiya could have said.
Maybe thirty years from now, he'd actually be able to pull off lines like that—sounded smart, but totally useless.
"You caught on, huh? That was something Sarutobi-sensei told me once."
"The Third… yeah, that's classic Third Hokage style. Jiraiya, if you skip most of his long speeches, you'll probably live several extra years."
"…"
"Anyway, forget I said anything—just pretend you didn't hear it, and I'll pretend I never said it. By the way, did you actually prepare anything for this picnic, Jiraiya? Don't tell me we're showing up empty-handed."
"Don't worry, I've got everything ready."
Well, Jiraiya didn't seem bothered by Haseo's little jab about the Third Hokage—as though he were completely used to such things by now.
Jiraiya took the lead while Haseo followed closely behind. One after the other, they quickly reached the pre-selected picnic spot.
This place was another river running through the outer edge of Hidden Leaf Village. Not far from the riverside sat a forest, and along a clean stretch of riverbank, Haseo could already see a charcoal grill set up, fresh ingredients neatly arranged atop a large stone, and even a small tent pitched nearby.
Truth be told, this river was far more famous than the Hot Spring River just outside Haseo's house—it was called the Naha River.
"Jiraiya, why are you two so late?"
At that moment, Tsunade and Orochimaru had already arrived first. Seeing the two approach, Tsunade immediately started complaining—in short, these two were late.
Orochimaru came along too, not that he liked these kinds of things, but he hated the thought of his place getting wrecked even more—so here he was, picking the lesser evil.
Haseo and Jiraiya exchanged glances, perfectly understanding each other without a word.
"We stopped to enjoy the scenery for a bit," Haseo replied.
It made sense for him to answer because once he did, Tsunade would just let it go. If Jiraiya had answered instead, she'd definitely keep asking follow-up questions… Like exactly where they were or what scenery they saw—how was he supposed to respond?
The Black Cat perched on Haseo's shoulder hopped down the moment it spotted Tsunade and darted straight into her arms in a few quick leaps… It knew exactly where to go—the softest place around for miles.
"Now that everyone's here, let's get started."
Haseo approached the tent, peeked inside, and casually grabbed a fishing rod from within.
Now Haseo didn't have to babysit and cook for the kids like in previous years, so he chose fishing.
Fishing was the most relaxing task—he didn't even care whether he caught anything or not.
The charcoal grill lit up, soon followed by chaotic bustling and the sizzling sound of hot oil.
Haseo sat on a rock beside the riverbank, casting his line. Surprisingly, he actually had some luck. Baiting the hook, casting the line, then reeling it in—one fish after another, big and small, landed on the shore.
Could it be that even someone like Haseo was finally turning his luck around?
Tsunade helped deliver Haseo's catch into the hands of "head chef" Orochimaru, forcing him—who had been trying only to watch the commotion without lifting a finger—to finally start working too.
"Orochimaru… you're really overdoing it. Who could possibly eat this?"
Before long, startled cries came from Tsunade's direction.
Haseo glanced back and started laughing—Orochimaru clearly wasn't preparing ingredients; he was dissecting them.
He cleaned the fish incredibly thoroughly—removing eyes, gills, fins, scales, and even the spines—all meticulously separated.
He'd turned the dining area into a makeshift lab, where even the barbecue rack seemed to give off a faint chemical odor.
As expected, Orochimaru got chased away by Tsunade, leaving Haseo with a new fishing buddy.
Though initially somewhat reluctant about this activity, Haseo found himself actually enjoying it afterward.
Even Orochimaru's cold face showed the faintest hint of a smile.
Yet who knows how many times in one's lifetime can a person truly experience such quiet beauty?
The world of ninjas would always remain true to itself—unchanged, unyielding.
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