Why was there a nine-year delay in explaining the origin of the Sai portrait?

The nine-year delay in explaining the portrait's origin was due to a series of circumstances and the simple passage of time. As recounted in Chapter 41, the person presenting the portrait had made a pact with a priest named Ismu years earlier. When the moment of presentation finally arrived, the presenter saw that the recipient's meal was ready and decided it was not the right time for a long story. They returned quickly, intending to share the details 'later at leisure.' However, as Chapter 41 poignantly notes, the intention of telling the story 'today or tomorrow' stretched into a full nine years before an unexpected meeting between the two individuals finally allowed for the past history to be remembered and shared.