Tsunade's apprenticeship celebration banquet lasted until very late. After a full meal with plenty of alcohol, it was finally time to wrap things up.
By the end of the feast, Tsunade, who had insisted on continuing to drink despite clearly having reached her limit, had fallen into a semi-intoxicated state.
Tsunade politely declined Jiraiya's offer to help her walk and let Shizune and Rin each take an arm as they guided her toward her home.
Minato said goodbye to Jiraiya as well, then headed back home together with his little family.
His departing steps seemed somewhat hurried, as if eager to return home quickly.
Eventually, Jiraiya found himself completely alone again.
What puzzled Jiraiya slightly was that none of the departing groups appeared to have any habit of settling the bill voluntarily.
Thinking for a moment, the great literary master Jiraiya took out his personal savings—the so-called "wife fund"—and paid the bill like an early investment, before heading outside.
He'd had quite a bit to drink tonight, but for him, it was no problem at all.
As he stepped out of the barbecue restaurant, the sky outside had already turned ink-black.
The streets were nearly empty, with only occasional Anbu ninjas or Uchiha members from the Security Force still patrolling.
Standing in the middle of the road, Jiraiya didn't hurry back home right away.
Instead, he stood quietly in the center of the street, gazing at the peaceful and tranquil Konoha Village, appreciating this hard-won peace, while breathing in the cool night air.
"How wonderful!"
After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and began walking forward, casting a long shadow under the dim glow of the streetlights.
At the final moment when his gaze shifted from the sky ahead, Jiraiya caught sight of something swiftly flying through the dark night sky, heading directly toward the Hokage Building.
"Probably just a homing pigeon..."
Without overthinking it, Jiraiya quickened his pace slightly and started humming an unfamiliar tune.
...
"As they walked home, Kushina asked Minato, 'I noticed both Tsunade-sama and you didn't pay your bills back there. Isn't leaving the bill for Jiraiya-sama kind of bad?'"
Naruto, having eaten so much, showed no signs of sleepiness at all—right now, he was already lying asleep in Minato's arms, resting his head against Minato's shoulder.
"Oh? Haha, don't worry about it..." Minato scratched his head, pretending not to understand, while gently patting Naruto's back, soothing him after the little boy had squirmed slightly.
"Jiraiya-sama has always been single. If he doesn't save some money now, life will be tough for him when he gets older! Promise me you'll settle the bill next time, okay?"
Kushina hooked one arm into Minato's, which cradled Naruto, leaning close against him affectionately.
"Yeah, understood."
Minato leaned his head closer toward Kushina, nuzzling her forehead gently, then replied with a smile on his face.
Hand in hand under the soft glow of the streetlights, this happy little family strolled along, wrapped in warmth and peace.
"Hey... Do you think there's still a chance between Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama? I always feel like Tsunade-sama is constantly avoiding Jiraiya-sama! Like just now..."
Snuggling up against Minato, Kushina suddenly grew curious about Jiraiya's love life, falling back into her old gossip-loving teen habits.
"Well… It's kind of hard to say! Sensei will handle things himself. Although I also hope Sensei and Tsunade-sama could be together, after all, it's something between the two of them!"
Minato held Naruto with one arm while using the other to wrap around Kushina.
The night streets of Konoha were still quite chilly.
A gust of wind would give someone goosebumps.
So he pulled Kushina closer to keep her warm and ward off the cold.
"I also wish for Sensei and Tsunade-sama to end up together, but Tsunade-sama just can't get past that inner obstacle."
"I believe Sensei will always wait, but who knows when Tsunade-sama will finally overcome her barrier?"
Minato continued speaking. He became Jiraiya's disciple at a very young age, so he was well-informed about many things.
But things like this were something only the two of them could really understand.
Do you think Tsunade doesn't know about Jiraiya's feelings? How could such things be hidden from the person directly involved? She simply refused to face it.
One willing to wait, one still hesitating—how things would turn out in the end, no one could tell.
"Phew, we're home. This kid's gotten heavier again. My arms are numb from carrying him all the way!"
Already at their doorstep, Minato whispered softly.
At the same time, he looked down at his silly son and found he'd already begun snoring loudly—deep asleep!
"Mm! This kid didn't even wash his face or brush his teeth today. No girl's gonna like him when he grows up!"
Kushina leaned closer, poking Naruto's face with her finger and showing a smile.
Of course, she was just teasing—how could her son possibly not be liked by girls?
"Let's go inside!"
Minato took a step forward onto the steps before the door.
But the next moment, he stopped, turning his gaze toward a rooftop on the side.
Swoosh! As he watched, a dark figure darted from afar and landed on that rooftop, then leapt down to stand before him.
Animal mask, pitch-black uniform—it was an Anbu operative from Konoha.
Kushina, who was opening the door, also paused and turned her head to look.
"Kushina, take Naruto back inside first. I'll come back soon!"
Minato glanced briefly at the Anbu member, immediately recognizing this was someone he'd left at the Hokage Building especially for handling emergencies.
"Oh, okay! Come back early!"
Kushina understood Minato's work. Taking small steps forward, she received the already sleeping Naruto, then spoke one last sentence to Minato before heading home.
"What happened?"
Walking up to the Anbu agent, Minato frowned. Someone coming at a time like this must mean nothing trivial!
"A top-priority intelligence report from Iwagakure, the Hidden Stone Village…"
The Anbu slightly lifted his head. Through the two holes in his mask, a pair of sharp, spirited eyes could be seen.
"Let's go back first!"
Having heard the Anbu's brief explanation, Minato realized the situation wasn't simple at all. Then both of them dashed toward a nearby rooftop.
The Anbu followed closely behind. After several flickers, they disappeared into the night.
Meanwhile, on the second floor of Minato's house, a light flickered on inside one of the rooms. A crimson-cloaked figure approached the window, staring at the brilliant golden light cutting through the pitch-black night.
...
"This is what I collected during this trip. Take a look."
Orochimaru and Saitama stood within an open training ground.
This was a small base belonging to Orochimaru, located within the Land of Fire.
It served only as a transit point, with very few personnel stationed here. Its main function was to collect and transfer various items of interest to Orochimaru's primary headquarters.
"There are the Third Raikage, the Second Tsuchikage, and the Second Mizukage, as specifically requested."
"And additionally, there are several other rather interesting ninjas… I'm sure you'll find them fascinating!"
Orochimaru smirked as he pulled a scroll from a snake's mouth and tossed it toward Saitama.
Saitama caught it without speaking, slowly unfurling it. He scanned the sealed items and the short notes attached.
"Keep in mind, I don't have any materials ready to perform Impure World techniques for you right now. There aren't suitable experimental bodies prepared to contain their power."
Watching the gleam in Saitama's eyes, Orochimaru licked his lips.
In some ways, Saitama was still very much like him.
His obsession with power mirrored Orochimaru's unyielding quest for truth and transformation—both burned with a brilliance no shadow could touch.
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