Over the next three months, Katsura didn't teach the three kids any combat or assassination skills.
Instead, he played with them, subtly imparting survival techniques for living in a war-torn world.
Though his mind was often adrift, this long-haired man gave the three children a precious, joyful, and carefree childhood memory—one they would never forget.
Even if that memory lasted only three short months.
Yahiko, who had initially pestered Katsura to teach him ninjutsu, gradually succumbed to this dreamlike happiness—something he had never dared imagine before.
Of course, his tsukkomi also grew sharper.
The sudden change came one day, three months after they began living with Katsura…
Under the gloomy sky lay the corpses of slain shinobi.
A red-haired boy with ringed eyes, panting heavily, his hands stained with blood, stared wide-eyed.
A blue-haired girl seemed terrified by him, while an orange haired boy feigned composure.
Arriving late to the scene, Katsura took in the sight and realized with painful clarity: this country was nothing like his own.
The naive hope of letting them live happily as ordinary children was just that—naive.
"These eyes…" Katsura murmured, his pupils trembling slightly as he looked at Nagato's unnatural, exhausted gaze.
"He needs a major hospital, right? Right, Elizabeth?!"
Elizabeth: […]
Yahiko: …
Konan: …
It was from this day onward that Katsura truly began training the three of them.
Of course, when we say "training," the one who actually took on the task of instructing the three youngsters wasn't Katsura but Elizabeth.
As the ultimate all-purpose pet, Elizabeth had mastered everything Katsura had learned in this world—Fire Release, Water Release, even Cannon Release—all effortlessly handled!
And what Katsura taught remained much the same as before—superficially, it still seemed like a bunch of nonsensical, useless things.
But... without them realizing it, the three youngsters absorbed it all, subtly changing them in the process.
...
This country was always raining, as though the land itself had never stopped weeping.
Sometimes, Katsura would compare this country to a certain planet he had visited before.
Though he couldn't recall its name, that planet, too, was shrouded in rain most of the time.
Late at night, gazing at the red-haired, frail boy sitting under the eaves, hugging his knees as silent tears fell, Katsura looked up at the sky with a hint of nostalgia and said.
"That's right. Back then, no matter what you did, it couldn't have been wrong. I believed that with all my heart."
"K-Katsura... sensei..." Nagato hurriedly wiped his tears and turned to face Katsura, who had arrived unnoticed.
"Because all you wanted was to protect those two, wasn't it? Listen well, Nagato. No matter when, this desire to protect the people important to you is never wrong."
Nagato blinked in confusion, as if he didn't understand how Katsura had seen through the guilt that had been tormenting him.
This fear of his own power...
"Don't be afraid. That power is yours. One day, you'll master it, wield it, and use it to protect those most precious to you. Of course, saying that is easy—but before that, you must first temper your heart."
"My... heart?"
"Mhm. Power itself has no morality—what matters is how people use it. And that latter part is what we call the heart—your warrior's... no, your ninja way."
"My... ninja way?"
"There was once a man who stood at the center of a scale. On both sides were people he cherished most, yet the choice given to him was to save one side only by killing the other."
"That's... a cruel choice."
"Yeah, it is. I've often wondered—if I had been in his place, what would I have done? But even now, I still don't have an answer."
"What... did that man choose?"
Katsura didn't answer, only shook his head.
"That's not the point. What I'm trying to say, Nagato, is that unlike us back then, you have the power to protect both sides. As your guide, I don't ever want to see you face the same choice we did."
"Protect them... Can I... really do it?"
"Yes, absolutely. Because I believe in you."
...
Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and even Katsura felt it was time to part ways.
But before that, there was still one final exam the three of them had to take...
In a classroom that abruptly appeared due to plot convenience, Katsura stood at the front, tapping the blackboard with a pointer.
"Ahem! Since the world is different, the format of the exam must also change. The Jouishishi Grand Lecture: Amegakure Graduation Exam begins now. Pay attention—I'll only explain the test content once."
"First up was the written exam. Considering the word count, this time the written test would only have two questions. Answering one correctly would mean passing the first stage of the exam."
"Students, please pay attention to the answer boards and pens on your desks. After I pose the questions, write your answers on the boards. Also, be aware that proctors are watching from behind, so absolutely no cheating.
One final reminder: when answering, try to discern the true intent behind the questions. Now, everyone, do your best!"
Facing the white answer boards before them, Nagato and Konan exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to expect.
Only Yahiko remained confident, arms crossed and brimming with self-assurance.
"Now, the graduation exam officially begins. First question: Write the hiragana reading for the following kanji."
With that, Katsura posted a large placard on the blackboard, displaying the kanji: [The Rain Ninja forces led by Hanzo the Salamander].
At that moment, all three kids felt certain about this question—it was way too easy!
They had expected the graduation exam to be incredibly difficult, but this was a piece of cake!
Thinking this, the trio exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously before confidently writing their answers on the boards.
Two minutes later, as the three finished writing, Katsura nodded.
"Time's up. Now, the correct answer is: [Idiot]."
"NO WAY!!" Yahiko immediately protested.
"Now, now, calm down, Yahiko. Other acceptable answers include moron, good-for-nothing, useless glutton, incompetent fool, dimwit, and imbecile."
"They all mean the same thing, basically!"
"As the ruler of this country, even revered as a demigod in the Shinobi World, yet utterly indifferent and inactive in the face of this nation's suffering—don't you think these titles are fitting?"
Yahiko had no rebuttal.
Upon reflection, it actually made sense!
"Yesss! I guessed it right!"
"What the ??? How did you get it right, Konan?!" Yahiko questioned his very existence.
"Hehehe" Konan grinned, flashing a peace sign at Yahiko. "After being with Katsura-sensei for so long, I've got this figured out!"
At this, Nagato raised his board, which read "incompetent fool," and added, "Exactly, Yahiko. Sensei did remind us to discern the true intent behind the question—it's about thinking outside the box."
"Chuckles... Something's definitely wrong here..."
Yahiko could only laugh hollowly, sinking into an existential crisis.