After the meeting ended, Takeshi immediately searched for Tsunade after saying goodbye to the other three, including Choza.
Soon enough, he spotted Tsunade at the doorway, with Jiraiya following behind her.
Tsunade looked visibly upset.
Perhaps it was due to the alcohol, but she was loudly complaining to Jiraiya about Orochimaru's disrespectful behavior just moments ago.
"That bastard Orochimaru actually dared to ignore me. Damn it, he's still the same as ever!"
She threw a punch as if to vent her anger, making Jiraiya shudder as unpleasant memories surfaced.
"That's pretty normal, isn't it? Orochimaru's been really busy lately. The old man just approved his request to establish a Research Bureau—"
Jiraiya reflexively tried to smooth things over, but a sharp look from Tsunade made him shrink his neck in terror.
"Re-search-bureau?"
Tsunade's tone was like that of a demon, and with that furious expression on her face.
"Y-Yeah..."
Forcing himself to explain, Jiraiya only wanted to run away at this point.
[Damn it, if I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have invited Tsunade out.]
He'd just wanted to grab a drink with her—now he deeply regretted it.
Seeing the tension between the two, Takeshi wisely stopped walking and observed them from a distance.
Only after Tsunade stormed off did Takeshi finally walk over to Jiraiya and ask curiously,
"What did you do to upset Tsunade again, Jiraiya-san?"
"Jeez, you scared me." Still shaken from Tsunade's wrath, Jiraiya jumped when Takeshi suddenly appeared beside him. He patted his chest to steady his breathing.
"You little brat, what do you mean again?!"
Jiraiya crouched down, planted a hand on Takeshi's head, and began vigorously rubbing it.
But before he could even get a good grip, Takeshi vanished in an instant.
"Flying Thunder God Technique, huh? What a boring kid," Jiraiya muttered in frustration, looking around and finding no sign of him. With a sigh, he stood up and headed to the tavern as originally planned.
...
Inside the Hokage's office—
After the meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the room, gazing nostalgically at the space he'd occupied for who knew how many years.
As he stared, his hand unconsciously reached toward the spot where the crystal ball was kept.
Thinking about how he'd no longer be able to observe the village once he returned home to live with Biwako, his cheeks flushed slightly. He decided to inspect Konoha's current state one last time.
However, given how many times he'd been interrupted before, Hiruzen didn't act immediately. He listened carefully for any sounds outside the door. Only after confirming no one was about to disturb him did he excitedly lift the red cloth covering the crystal ball.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. Before Hiruzen could inject chakra into the crystal ball, the door was violently shoved open.
"Yo, old man. Peeping with your crystal ball again?"
With a hand on the door, Tsunade prevented it from bouncing back. Her gaze toward Hiruzen was anything but friendly.
"Tsunade, have you been drinking?"
Seeing his disciple's behavior, Hiruzen, already accustomed to their antics, sighed and held his forehead.
Why did none of these brats like knocking?
Especially that Jiraiya—after being scolded a few times, he'd actually developed a window-climbing technique and completely gave up on using the door.
Takeshi really was the only one who remained cute and well-behaved.
Though he thought that inwardly, Hiruzen, feeling slightly guilty toward Tsunade, still tolerated her rudeness and asked,
"Did you come to see me for something?"
At his question, Tsunade narrowed her eyes and studied her teacher closely.
Only after a long moment did she speak with a trace of melancholy,
"Nothing really. Just noticed you haven't changed. Back then, you rejected my proposal with the excuse that the village lacked the funds. Yet when it comes to your favorite student, you approve his Research Bureau without hesitation."
"You're way too biased toward Orochimaru."
Tsunade had never forgotten that jonin meeting. It was also when she met Kato Dan.
"Tsunade, I won't deny it. I do have a bias toward Orochimaru. No matter the era, teachers tend to favor geniuses a bit more," Hiruzen didn't refute her accusation. Instead, he took out his pipe and held it between his lips.
"But that doesn't mean I rejected your proposal because I didn't like you. If Orochimaru had made that same proposal back then, I would've rejected his too."
"At that time, Konoha really didn't have the financial capacity to train medical-nin."
Hearing his explanation, Tsunade's expression softened slightly.
Silence fell between them.
Eventually, Tsunade spoke quietly, "You've changed, old man. The old you would never explain things like this to us."
"I've gotten old, Tsunade."
Touching the wrinkles on his face, Hiruzen offered a self-deprecating smile.
"And back then, I was speaking to you as the Hokage. Now, I'm just your teacher."
"You're only in your fifties."
"Fifties may not sound old, but in the era I grew up in—with the First Hokage and all—people in their fifties were already elderly." Hiruzen wasn't wrong. Back in the constant war years, the average life expectancy for shinobi was very low.
"That's why Grandpa wanted to establish Konoha..." The alcohol had worn off somewhat after her earlier outburst, and Tsunade's tone was no longer as sharp. "The war's over now. I want to go out and see the world."
"Go. Seeing the outside world might do you some good." Knowing that the knots in his disciple's heart wouldn't be untied so easily, Hiruzen agreed readily.
"Um..."
A soft voice interrupted them, drawing both their gazes.
Takeshi peeked his head in from the side of the doorframe, wearing an awkward smile.
"Can I come too?"
...
"You want to study in the Shikkotsu Forest?"
Tsunade was sitting on the Hokage's desk, an incredibly disrespectful move—yet the old man didn't scold her at all.
Seeing that Hiruzen had already gotten up and was standing before the previous Hokages' portraits, pretending not to notice, Takeshi nodded obediently.
"Yeah, Tsunade-senpai."
"Hey, old man, if I take the Three-Tails' jinchūriki with me, I'm not breaking any village rules, right?" Tsunade turned toward Hiruzen's direction.
"Do as you like. Takeshi's identity is top secret. Very few people know he's a jinchūriki," Hiruzen replied without turning around.
Just as he'd said before, every teacher favors gifted students. For someone like Takeshi, he was even willing to bend a few principles.
"Well, since you've said that..." Tsunade rolled her shoulders and hopped off the desk.
"Then I'll take little junior with me!" She reached out, grabbed Takeshi by the back of his collar, and hauled him straight out the door.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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