If Mount Myoboku was a paradise for toads, then it was correspondingly a paradise for insects. Naruto stared at the feast of bugs before him, his stomach churning. He had lost count of how many meals he'd had here, and the food was still only insects.
"Hey, I'm telling you… isn't there any normal food? Gramps Sage!" Naruto leaped up, pointing at a bowl of insect ramen.
"Shh! Don't let Ma hear you say that," Fukasaku said, nervously glancing outside and wiping a cold sweat from his brow.
"Gramps Sage…" Naruto's mood suddenly dropped. "Who was Pervy Sage fighting to get injured so badly?"
"Well…" Fukasaku looked troubled. Before little Jiraiya left, he had repeatedly insisted that Naruto not be told what happened. He sighed. "In any case, it was a very powerful enemy. You just focus on your training here."
"Yeah…" Naruto didn't know how many times he had asked, but the answer was always the same. Pervy Sage was so seriously injured, yet he still insisted on returning to the village.
Anger, loss, guilt, confusion—these emotions were normally unrelated, but at this moment, Tsunade was forcibly melding them all together.
If the village weren't in a state of chaos, if she weren't the Hokage, if Jiraiya weren't covered in bandages, she swore she would beat him until his face was a bloody pulp.
"Jiraiya, if you don't think I'm fit to be Hokage, then I can recommend you for the position," Tsunade said, no longer knowing what mood to adopt when facing him.
"…I was serious, Tsunade," Jiraiya said after a moment of silence from his hospital bed.
"I can see that. You were indeed serious," Tsunade said sarcastically.
"You're being influenced by your feelings for that kid right now. She's gradually becoming more like Orochimaru," Jiraiya said in a low voice. "I just don't want something like that to happen again. Her talent is even greater than Orochimaru's. If one day she becomes like him, the damage to the village will be immeasurable."
Tsunade took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to beat Jiraiya to a pulp. "You're right… I am being influenced by my feelings. But you're wrong about one thing. It's precisely because of that that I want to try and change her, to keep her from walking Orochimaru's path."
"The other day, you asked me if all of this was worth it. As the Hokage, my answer is no, it's not worth it…" Tsunade paused, then continued, her tone leaving no room for doubt as she spoke each word clearly, "But as her master, all of this is worth it!"
Besides, in my heart, she stopped being just a student a long time ago, Tsunade added silently.
Jiraiya was silent. After a long moment, he stared at the floor and said in a muffled voice, "But I cannot sit by and watch a potential threat like Orochimaru hide within the village…"
"I see…" Tsunade interrupted him, her voice hollow. "Orochimaru has always been a sickness in your heart, so…"
"No! My actions are not because of Orochimaru…" Jiraiya looked up, staring at Tsunade as he tried to defend himself.
"Then why did you make the same choice as Danzo?! Answer me, Jiraiya!!!" Tsunade suddenly roared at him without any warning.
"I…" Jiraiya's pupils constricted. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
"Hah…" Tsunade said coldly to Jiraiya, "Think about it carefully. Who is the one really being controlled by their emotions?"
With that, Tsunade turned and walked out of the hospital room. Just as she reached the door, she stopped, her back to Jiraiya, and said slowly, "This morning, according to the guards' report, she was seen leaving the village with a scroll on her back. I will issue an order for a long-term mission abroad. I want you to deliver it to her."
The door closed with a heavy thud, and Tsunade was gone. Jiraiya sat on the bed, his eyes vacant, Tsunade's accusation echoing in his mind.
"Why did you make the same choice as Danzo?"… Heh… Jiraiya let out a self-deprecating laugh. "My life has been such a failure…"
Speaking of Tanzaku Town, Sakura was quite familiar with it. During the years she had lived with Tsunade, they had visited several times. The town, not particularly large, was filled with gambling dens, so Tsunade often came here to stay for a while.
After arriving, Sakura first went to a clothing store and changed into a casual outfit of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Then, she went to get her hair, which had grown almost to her hips, cut to shoulder length. She had been so busy for the past while that she had barely taken care of her appearance. Now that she was leaving the village, she would erase all traces of her time there.
Coming out of the salon, Sakura shook her head, feeling refreshed and invigorated. All that was left was to find Shuying.
Just as Sakura was about to use her Seijutsu to locate Shuying, a hand tapped her on the shoulder from behind, followed by a clear, bright voice.
"Yo! You change your look pretty fast. It took me a while to find you." Shuying's face, identical to Junko's, wore a teasing expression. She was no longer wearing a mask and was also dressed in casual clothes.
Ignoring Shuying's playful jab, Sakura said flatly, "Where to?"
"Where to?" Shuying tilted her head, looking at Sakura strangely. "It's so late, of course we're going to eat. I've been waiting for you all day."
The setting sun cast long shadows on the ground. The shops around them had already lit up their signs, and the streets were beginning to liven up. The nightlife of Tanzaku Town was just beginning.
"It's already evening…" Sakura murmured to herself. She hadn't realized how quickly time had passed. She hadn't eaten all day and was starting to feel hungry.
"Alright." Sakura nodded, agreeing to Shuying's suggestion.
She had no particular feelings about Shuying's attack on the village. The only reason she was still with her was to uncover her secrets. She wouldn't just let the matter of Shuying obstructing her capture of the Seven-Tails go. Even though she might not have succeeded without her interference, a debt was still a debt.
"Ooh, this place looks delicious! How about we go here?" Shuying was as lively as ever, a complete contrast to the terrorist who had just attacked Konoha the night before.
"Anywhere is fine," Sakura said, indifferent. She just wanted to learn Shuying's secrets as quickly as possible.
"Hey, that barbecue place over there looks good. Let's eat there!" Shuying said, then grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her toward the nearby restaurant.
"Ugh…" Sakura looked at Shuying, who was pulling her along by the hand, and a very strange feeling came over her. What… what is with her… She seems… kind of… childish…
"Hello, welcome!"
A girl in a traditional kimono at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant bowed to them.
"Two, two! Find us a quiet spot!" Shuying called out excitedly.
"Heh… heheh…" A corner of Sakura's mouth twitched. Seeing her act so innocent and naive, no one would ever guess she was a ruthless demon who killed without batting an eye.
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