"Originally," Hoshiyomi began, "we were planning for you and Dan to go on separate dates. But seeing your current state… if you go alone, you'll probably lose control. So instead, we'll all go together—just make it a group date for the six of us."
He continued with a grin:
"Dan and Pakura, you and Nonō, me and Tsunade. The six of us will go out together. During the date, you can watch how Dan and I handle things."
"Besides," Hoshiyomi added, "there's another advantage—Tsunade can keep an eye on you the whole time. With her there, even if you want to do something pervy, you'll have to think twice first, right?"
Hearing that, Jiraiya—over thirty years old but suddenly looking like a flustered teenager—showed an embarrassed grin.
"Th–that doesn't sound… very proper," he muttered.
He looked embarrassed, but Hoshiyomi could tell at a glance—he was tempted.
While Jiraiya was still pacing around awkwardly inside, Hoshiyomi stepped out to find Tsunade and filled her in on Jiraiya's situation.
After listening, Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.
"Seriously? That's what Jiraiya's been thinking?"
When Hoshiyomi nodded, Tsunade's expression softened, and a small smile appeared on her lips.
"He should've said that ages ago," she said. "If he can open up like this, it means there's still hope for him. Hearing that honestly makes me feel relieved—entrusting Nonō to him doesn't sound like sending the poor girl into a fire pit anymore."
Hoshiyomi smiled. "So, what do you think of the plan?"
Tsunade thought for a moment, then nodded.
"It's a good idea. Having us there will definitely help Jiraiya a bit. As for Pakura and Dan, I don't think there's anything to worry about—they're both pretty open-minded people. It's not like they'll feel awkward about it.
"Actually," she added with a knowing smirk, "when we all had dinner the other night, I could already tell—those two have something going on. They'll probably make it official any day now. Having them there to help set the mood sounds perfect."
Then, looking back at Hoshiyomi, she teased,
"And besides, you and I can set an example for Jiraiya—show him what a proper date looks like."
After the couple finalized their "six-person date" plan, Jiraiya finally finished tidying himself up. Without wasting time, the three of them left Jiraiya's place and went to find Dan and Pakura.
Both of them readily agreed when they heard about the plan—no objections at all—so five of them quickly gathered together. The last stop was the Konoha Orphanage.
When they arrived, Nonō was already waiting at the orphanage gate, neatly dressed and ready to go. She was currently saying goodbye to a few children one by one.
While Tsunade went up to chat with her, Hoshiyomi took the chance to quietly observe Jiraiya.
He immediately noticed Jiraiya standing there, frozen in place, staring blankly at Nonō as she smiled warmly at the children.
From Jiraiya's perspective, Nonō looked almost angelic—pure, gentle, radiating warmth and maternal light. That image pierced straight into his heart.
Watching Jiraiya's dumbstruck expression, Hoshiyomi couldn't help but think that he and Tsunade's earlier guess had been spot on.
A woman like Nonō—soft, kind, nurturing—was the ultimate weakness for a free-spirited man like Jiraiya.
And it made sense—Jiraiya, having grown up an orphan himself, had always lacked maternal affection. Seeing a woman like Nonō now… how couldn't he fall for her?
Though he found the situation slightly amusing, Hoshiyomi still nudged Jiraiya discreetly, signaling him to go say something.
Snapping out of his daze, Jiraiya finally stepped forward.
But instead of cracking a joke or blurting out something lewd like usual, he simply gave Nonō a shy, almost boyish smile.
Nonō returned it with a soft nod and said warmly,
"Good morning, Lord Jiraiya."
"G–good morning," he stammered.
Watching Jiraiya fidget awkwardly, unsure of what to do with his hands, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade exchanged a glance, both smiling in quiet amusement.
It almost felt like their whole idea of a six-person date had become unnecessary. At this moment, Jiraiya didn't look the slightest bit like the shameless old pervert everyone knew him to be — instead, he looked exactly like a flustered teenager, clumsy and nervous, experiencing his first crush.
Just as they had suspected, Jiraiya was completely disarmed by Nonō.
As they walked to the restaurant, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade deliberately tried to create chances for him. They made sure Pakura and Dan walked ahead to lead the way — the two quickly caught on, shared a knowing smile, and moved up front. Then Hoshiyomi nudged Jiraiya and Nonō to walk in the middle, while he and Tsunade stayed behind.
So, with two couples on either side, Jiraiya and Nonō were naturally sandwiched between them. The six of them walking down the street looked, to any passerby, like three couples on a date.
And coincidentally, the three pairs represented three distinct "stages" of love.
Hoshiyomi and Tsunade were the classic long-term couple — no over-the-top affection, but simply radiating harmony with every glance.
Pakura and Dan were clearly in the early stages of love — at some point their hands had found each other's, and their bright smiles and easy laughter gave them away. You could tell they had either just started dating or were about to.
Then there was Jiraiya and Nonō — awkward, ambiguous, teetering on that line between friends and lovers. Jiraiya's gaze kept sneaking toward her, his posture so stiff it looked like he was carrying a five-hundred-pound weight on his back.
Nonō, though soft-spoken, helped him along. She gently brought up topics here and there, giving Jiraiya openings to keep the conversation going.
For Jiraiya, the emotions inside were indescribable. He had never imagined himself feeling this way — so quiet, so unsure. The man who always had a dirty joke ready suddenly found himself completely unable to "start the engine."
In front of a girl this pure, this warm, this good, even thinking about a lewd joke felt like blasphemy.
In that moment, Jiraiya understood.
It wasn't that he couldn't change his bad habits — it was just that he'd never met someone who truly made him want to.
All those other women — he'd never cared for them deeply enough. That's why he could act however he pleased.
But facing someone like Nonō — someone who perfectly matched his ideals, who radiated kindness and gentle beauty — he couldn't help but care. He wanted to show his best self. He wanted to be someone worthy of standing beside her.
He didn't need a six-person date. He didn't need Hoshiyomi or Dan to teach him how to behave.
Because in front of this girl — this one girl — he found the strength to become better all on his own.
Jiraiya… had found his true love.
With that thought, Jiraiya suddenly turned around and said firmly,
"Hoshiyomi, you two go on ahead."
Hoshiyomi and Tsunade blinked, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his voice.
"I just thought of a good place," Jiraiya said. "I want to take Nonō there first. We'll catch up with you guys for dinner later."
Then he turned to Nonō, his eyes bright with confidence.
"What do you say, Miss Nonō? Care to join me?"
As he spoke, he naturally extended his hand.
Nonō tilted her head slightly, smiling softly — then reached out and placed her hand in his.
Behind them, Tsunade and Hoshiyomi stood watching, momentarily stunned.
Something about this wasn't quite how they had imagined it…
But the result was good. And sometimes, that's all that matters.
The author's note:
In the end, I did end up writing Jiraiya's date — though not quite how I had imagined it. Originally, I thought it would be a light, funny chapter… but somehow it came out this way instead. Maybe, without meaning to, I ended up revealing a bit of my own view on love.
To all my single readers out there — don't force yourself to change just for the sake of finding love. When you meet someone who truly makes your heart move, you'll want to change naturally.
And when that happens, remember the most important thing: be confident, and take that first step bravely.
Only if you take the initiative… can your story begin.
...
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