Having barely seen each other for decades, Tsunade and Jiraiya talked for a long time. Some topics concerned Orochimaru, some their own lives, and some, Konoha.
Tsunade found that Jiraiya was still the same Jiraiya—boisterous and carefree, still deeply in love with Konoha. Like her, he was disillusioned with Konoha's higher-ups but still chose to silently protect the village. Over the years, Jiraiya had gathered countless pieces of intelligence from the outside world. Though a respected Kage-level shinobi, he was an incorrigible lecher, constantly frequenting establishments with women of pleasure.
Tsunade understood. This was a special kind of information network Jiraiya had cultivated. The intelligence gathered from women in such establishments was often no less comprehensive than that of formal intelligence organizations. However, Tsunade required both emotional and physical fidelity from a partner. She knew of Jiraiya's feelings for her but couldn't bring herself to accept them.
Jiraiya, perhaps knowing this, had never explicitly expressed his feelings. He would look at Tsunade with those lecherous eyes, putting on a roguish facade, but deep within those eyes lay an unspoken affection. They were destined never to be together, yet they both held feelings for each other.
"Hey, hey, Tsunade, I was saying, we're both practically halfway in the grave, and we're all still single. Why don't we, you know, just make do with each other? We can't very well die without any descendants, right?" Jiraiya joked, feigning nonchalance. Then, under Tsunade's rather complicated gaze, he scratched his head and burst into a hearty, somewhat foolish laugh. "Hahaha, I'm just kidding! But if you really wanted to marry me, that'd be fine too, hahaha!" Jiraiya laughed loudly, yet there was a hint of loneliness in it.
It seemed like a joke, but it was spoken from the heart. He knew that Kato Dan still held a place in Tsunade's heart.
The world knew the Toad Sage was a lecher, but few knew that all his deep affection was reserved for someone he could never have. Since childhood, Jiraiya had silently loved Tsunade. He had watched her grow up, watched her find a boyfriend, and had even personally offered his blessings. He had buried this love deep within his heart. Unknowingly, decades had passed.
"Tsunade, if… I mean, if…" By the moonlit lake, Jiraiya looked at the still-beautiful Tsunade, his lips trembling.
Tsunade quietly looked back at Jiraiya. Time had left its mark on both of them. The once-immature boy had, without her noticing, stepped into middle age.
Jiraiya gazed at Tsunade with a complex expression, then turned his head to look at the shimmering surface of the lake, which reflected both their faces.
"Never mind. It's nothing," Jiraiya's unspoken words finally dissolved into a sigh.
"Oh, right! When you get back to Konoha, I'll take you to meet Naruto. He's so much like Minato, you'll definitely be surprised," Jiraiya said, changing the subject.
"Uzumaki Naruto? I heard his upbringing wasn't very good." Although Tsunade spent most of her years drifting between gambling dens, she still paid some attention to news about Konoha. From some ninja, she had learned that Naruto's life was far from good, perhaps even terrible.
"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, his expression guilty.
"The Old Man's actions just get more disgusting. His retirement might actually be a good thing," Tsunade criticized bluntly.
"That's why Konoha needs you now."
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Tsunade pursed her lips noncommittally.
"How is Uzumaki Naruto doing now?" She had already accepted the role of Fifth Hokage in her heart and asked for an update.
"He joined Root," Jiraiya sighed, appearing to age ten years in that moment.
"Heh. He really has been exploited from childhood to adulthood, hasn't he?" Tsunade scoffed. "For Danzo to be able to snatch away the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… it seems the damage to Konoha this time was truly severe."
"Indeed," Jiraiya nodded. Recalling the details of his fight with the Hollows still sent a shiver down his spine. It was hard to imagine the terrifying pressure such monsters would exert if they grew to Kage-level. From what they knew, the number of these monsters was still relatively high. The good news, however, was that Konoha's ANBU had managed to capture two of them and were currently conducting various experiments. Unfortunately, Konoha's research department lacked the necessary strength, and progress was slow.
"I'm worried… whether Root is connected to these monsters," Jiraiya said pensively.
"It's possible. Danzo is completely rotten," Tsunade stated, her face impassive. "By the way, what about that Uchiha seedling?"
"You mean that kid Sasuke?" Jiraiya couldn't help but smile when Sasuke was mentioned, recalling their first meeting and the brief period he had guided him. "That kid has quite a bit of potential. He's pretty interesting."
"If I hadn't already taken Naruto as my disciple, I might have taken that kid under my wing."
"To get such an evaluation from you, I'm quite interested in that boy now," Tsunade smiled, the atmosphere suddenly lightening, losing its previous gravity. "Root probably doesn't have any designs on him, right?"
"For now, no."
Hearing Jiraiya's answer, Tsunade felt an immense pressure settle on her. Having been away from the village for so long, she had no real power base in Konoha and could, at best, inherit the remnants of the Third's influence. But the Third would undoubtedly be interfering from the sidelines. Adding Danzo, who was coveting the position, to the mix… one could imagine how stifling it would be to serve as Hokage.
"This position of Fifth Hokage won't be easy, Jiraiya. I need you to stay and help me," Tsunade said gravely.
"I understand," Jiraiya nodded seriously.
"Oh, and that Haruno Sakura girl has good talent for medical ninjutsu. I'm planning to take her as my apprentice," Tsunade said with a smile.
Everything was proceeding along its intended path.
Naruto and Haku later passed by the Royal Treasury of the Land of Snow, "politely" taking a portion of the money and leaving a note:
"This money is our payment for helping you deal with Kazahana Doto. No need to thank us. We wish you smooth development in the future and hope you become a great nation."
Naruto considered himself kind, so he didn't take everything, leaving half for them. He gave 10% of his share to Haku, so he could conveniently build his own faction in the future.
Afterward, they captured a few more Snow Ninja of decent strength—materials to hand over to Danzo.
Naruto then had a clone accompany Haku to the small town to pick up the two children, after which they headed towards Orochimaru's Village Hidden in Sound, Otogakure. His main body returned to Konoha.
The first phase of his dormancy was now over; the second phase of his strategic planning could begin.
Naruto's clone and Haku, each carrying a child, sped through the dense forest. The two children had never imagined that the gentle, seemingly harmless Haku possessed such terrifying strength; their eyes shone brightly.
"Big Bro Haku? (Big Sis Haku?), you're so amazing! Can you teach us ninjutsu?"
Hearing this, Haku looked at Naruto's clone, as if seeking his opinion.
"There is nothing wrong with desiring power," Naruto's clone said slowly. "But you must understand that obtaining power means shouldering greater responsibility."