"You know…"
Rasa looked at the man across from him—Jiraiya—with a mix of exasperation and disdain.
"You got beat up, and you're still smiling like that? Is that really something to be happy about?"
Especially with that black eye still visible. That grin was downright creepy.
"Heh heh, you don't understand… cough cough."
Jiraiya quickly faked a cough and then put on a façade of solemn righteousness, saying seriously, "Sigh… I never imagined, after all these years, the three Sannin would reunite in Sunagakure. This…" His eyes shimmered with a nostalgic haze. "Could this be… destiny?"
"…"
The hell are you talking about?
Rasa rolled his eyes and glared at him. "Orochimaru isn't here."
Ever since that beating from Nagato, Orochimaru had pretty much disappeared from the public eye. Likely off somewhere now… struggling to get his "startup" going.
"We've cross-checked the official participant list. Orochimaru's name isn't on it."
Not that he ruled out the possibility of Orochimaru showing up in disguise—Rasa knew that guy's tricks all too well.
But for something like a Mini 4WD tournament? Orochimaru probably couldn't be bothered.
Still… might be worth checking with Black Zetsu later. If someone really snuck in under a false identity, he'd definitely sniff them out.
"Huh? Orochimaru… right, right~."
Jiraiya blinked, as if just remembering, then quickly returned to his wistful expression.
"Sigh… if only Orochimaru were here too."
"…"
Wait—
Did this guy… actually forget his own best friend existed?
Wow. First man to forget his bro because of a girl.
Rasa stared at the still-sentimental Jiraiya, who looked like he was mourning a tragic reunion, and wordlessly poured him a cup of water.
"We've already investigated the situation. Technically, you weren't in a brawl. It was more like a one-sided beating."
"What do you mean 'one-sided'? I was just being a gentleman and not hitting a woman back."
"Sure, whatever you say. But if you're gonna act, at least save it for when Tsunade's in the room."
Rasa gave the "righteous sage" across from him a look of pure contempt.
This guy was the type to drive government cars by day but complain he couldn't afford his own ride by night. And always acting broke when it came time to pay.
According to the reports, what happened was more or less like this:
Jiraiya, true to form, spotted his dream girl and couldn't help but flirt.
Tsunade, also true to form, beat the crap out of him.
All very normal—just how those two interact.
But then, the ninja world's number-one rapper—Killer Bee—saw the commotion and immediately jumped in with a freestyle, chanting rhythmically, "Six-six-six!" while doing a full-on dance routine.
Naturally, once those three got going… well, none of them were known for being subtle.
Add some music, a dance, a crowd, and the nighttime vibe—
Before long, it turned into a full-on rave.
Rasa sipped his plain water and looked at the still-blissfully-swooning Jiraiya.
"So… damage report: three kiddie rides destroyed, and visible property damage to the street and nearby buildings. You paying, or should we bill Tsunade?"
"…I'll pay," Jiraiya muttered, snapping out of his fantasy. He sighed deeply, then frowned.
"But… doesn't Tsunade look kinda broke now? That's not like her."
Back when they were just learning jutsu together, Tsunade had always been generous.
"With the Senju Clan's wealth, that shouldn't be possible…"
"She spent most of it pulling gacha from the 'Gold Panner Gift Pack.'"
"…Huh?"
"Oh, nothing."
Rasa took another sip of water and waved it off.
"Anyway, we'll just deduct the damages from your commission. Now, as for the rest—ah, forget it."
He caught that hopeful, pervy look on Jiraiya's face.
"…Fine. I'll have them assign your room next to Tsunade's."
"Ah, it's a small thing. I leave it to the wise Kazekage to decide."
"Actually, that wing's kinda cramped—maybe we should pick a different building?"
"Cramped is good! Cramped is great! I mean—ahem—whatever works best, of course."
Jiraiya coughed and tried to act dignified again.
"Thank you, Lord Kazekage."
"…Shameless."
Rasa scoffed and opened up a small booklet—the same one Danzō had just reviewed earlier.
"Well, since you're here in Sunagakure, take a look at the latest products."
"New products?"
Jiraiya blinked, took the booklet, and began flipping through it.
Moments later—
"Just from the descriptions alone, I can already taste the flavor… divine!"
He looked up at Rasa with admiration.
"So the plan is to open restaurants and sell kiddie rides?"
"The main focus is the restaurants. The rides are just extra." Rasa nodded.
"We haven't finished building a proper production line yet, so supply is still limited."
"You're planning another trip soon, aren't you?"
Rasa knew this guy well. The man absolutely trusted the word of the Toad Sages and had been traveling the ninja world searching for the so-called Child of Destiny. He was basically the ninja world's legendary wandering frog.
"Yep. The ninja world's vast—I want to see it all."
Jiraiya's lips curled into a bright smile. His white teeth gleamed.
"And maybe find… Orochimaru, see what that guy's up to."
"Same process as before then."
Rasa nodded. With one of the Legendary Sannin helping promote the goods, it'd be much easier to break into new markets.
After all, in the ninja world, reputation means everything.
Just like last year—thanks to the prestige of "the great toad sage Jiraiya," Sunagakure had been able to get their products into smaller villages almost immediately.
"Even the Legendary Sannin use these!
So if you want to get stronger—how could you not buy them?"
He even heard that somewhere in the Land of Fire, there had been a certain "adult entertainment shop" using Hokage-themed branding to attract customers.
Business had been booming.
But then something unknown happened… and the shop suddenly shut down.
What a shame.
Rasa sighed, shook his head, and took another sip of water.
"So, about the upcoming 4WD Grand Prix. You planning to actually compete, or…"
"That's not really the point. Ahem… There's just something I wanted to ask."
Jiraiya's tone suddenly turned bashful.
"You don't need to ask. We don't have that kind of shop in Sunagakure."
"…Do you think I'm that kind of person?!"
Jiraiya jumped up, slamming the table. His face twisted in indignation.
"You're looking at me like I'm trash! I'm not that kind of man!"
"Anyway, I heard… you've finished writing Volume One of Little Liu Bei?"
"Wait, what? Little Liu Bei??"
"Never mind. Not important." Rasa waved it off.
"So, what did you want to ask?"
"Uh…"
Jiraiya, who had just been so confident, now fidgeted awkwardly. He rubbed his hands together, leaned forward, and lowered his voice:
"I heard there's… an stargazing platform outside Sunagakure…"