Renya was lying on the recliner sunbathing as usual, and unknowingly drifted into a dream.
At some point, two people appeared in front of him, blocking the sunlight.
Renya opened his eyes and saw Orochimaru in a white lab coat and Jiraiya with a face full of sorrow.
"Mm… why are you two here?"
He sat up and subconsciously yawned, his gaze falling on the gloomy-looking Jiraiya.
What's with this guy's depressed face?
Could it be that the way he taught him to chase girls had a problem?
"Sensei." The two greeted him respectfully.
"Speak. What did you come looking for me for?" Renya asked.
As the saying goes, no one comes to the Three Treasure Hall for no reason. They definitely had something.
Orochimaru merely smiled without explaining.
Renya understood the one who had business with him wasn't him.
"Jiraiya, what happened?"
"Sensei… Tsunade seems to be about to have a boyfriend." Jiraiya looked dejected.
Some time ago, following Renya's advice, he secretly observed Tsunade, wanting to find a chance to be a hero saving the beauty.
So he squatted at the casino entrance for several days.
But the longer he watched, the more wrong it felt.
A long-haired man frequently appeared beside Tsunade. The two would enter the casino chatting and laughing.
And Jiraiya happened to know that man.
—Kato Dan.
Every time Tsunade lost all her money and left the casino hanging her head in disappointment…
Kato Dan would comfort her by her side.
After a bit of comforting, Tsunade's smile would bloom again.
Watching from the shadows, Jiraiya felt like the sky was falling.
The relationship between Tsunade and Kato Dan absolutely exceeded normal friendship…
It was faintly developing toward a couple's stance.
Then Jiraiya's heart was shattered. He went to a tavern and drowned his sorrows in alcohol.
Orochimaru learned of this matter and would occasionally accompany Jiraiya to drink.
But after some time, Jiraiya was still listless. Unable to persuade him, Orochimaru could only drag Jiraiya to find Renya.
He hoped sensei could advise Jiraiya.
He didn't want to watch his friend sink because of such a thing.
Facing Renya-sensei's question, Jiraiya sighed.
He recounted the entire incident.
Renya couldn't help showing sympathy after hearing it.
Jiraiya was really miserable!
He hadn't even gotten a chance to be the hero saving the beauty before Kato Dan stole the show.
No wonder he'd drown his sorrows in liquor.
But this was normal. If Tsunade had feelings for Jiraiya…
They would have been together long ago.
He could only say Tsunade viewed him merely as a teammate and never considered him as boyfriend material.
Jiraiya and Tsunade simply had no fate.
"Jiraiya, give up on Tsunade. There's no fate between you."
Renya patted Jiraiya's shoulder, comforting him.
Though it was hurtful, it was undoubtedly the most effective.
Better than giving him hope and then despair.
When something must be cut off, cut it cleanly.
Better to quickly sever the entanglement.
Suffer for a while, and later he would gradually let go.
Jiraiya stayed silent, and Orochimaru felt somewhat helpless about it.
Orochimaru curiously looked at Renya, who was still comforting Jiraiya, his face full of desire for knowledge.
He must find a proper opportunity to ask sensei.
As one of the top scientific talents in the ninja world, a strong thirst for knowledge was perfectly normal.
"At your age, don't focus your energy on romance. Learn from Orochimaru and find something meaningful to do."
"I understand, Renya-sensei." Jiraiya said in a low voice.
He knew sensei was right, but he still felt stifled inside.
"All right, have a meal here before leaving. We haven't sat down to eat together for a long time."
Renya checked the time and said to the two.
Naturally, they had no reason to refuse, and just like before, they went to the kitchen to help.
Jiraiya kept thinking about what Renya had just said.
Find something to do.
Other than missions, he indeed had nothing to do when he returned to the village.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been squatting at the casino entrance all this time.
But what could he do?
At the table—
Jiraiya, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
"Renya-sensei, I want to write a book and become a novelist."
After thinking for a long time, he decided to write books to pass the time.
Renya and Orochimaru, who were eating, were stunned.
Orochimaru showed suspicion. Jiraiya wanted to become a novelist?
Was he dreaming?
He didn't feel Jiraiya had the talent for writing.
But he didn't ridicule him.
After all, Jiraiya had just suffered emotional trauma.
It was better not to provoke him.
Renya, however, was also surprised.
He didn't expect Jiraiya to already be thinking of becoming a smut writer.
In the future he would definitely rely on "Make-Out Paradise" to earn buckets of money.
Back then, Renya himself also had thoughts of writing novels…
But he'd been busy training and with other trivial matters, so he delayed it.
Now he had plenty of free time every day; writing a book would indeed be good to kill time.
It could even fulfill his old dream.
As for what genre to write…
Renya had countless ideas in his mind.
For example: "The Overbearing Hokage Fell in Love With Me," "Forbidden Love Between Uchiha and Senju," "From Nobody to Hokage: The Road of Counterattack," and so on.
...
Such topics definitely would not lose to Jiraiya's smut novels.
Although he wasn't short of money now, who would want to have more money?
He was idle anyway.
Jiraiya didn't know that his casual sentence…
Actually created a future great novelist of the ninja world!
Of course, he himself wouldn't be any less impressive either…
"I think your suggestion is good. You've made me want to be a novelist too."
"Sensei, we can become novelists together!"
"Haha, sure!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya swept away his gloom and discussed writing with Renya.
Orochimaru: "???"
He looked dumbfounded at Renya and Jiraiya.
These two wanted to become novelists?
He must have inhaled toxic gas from experiments earlier…
And was hallucinating.
The words he heard were so absurd it felt like he'd fallen under a genjutsu.
Orochimaru didn't speak, keeping his head down, quietly eating.
His good professional quality allowed him to hold back his laughter.
Unless he really couldn't endure it.
"Renya-sensei, I feel extremely inspired now! I will definitely write a bestselling novel in the future!"
"Haha, I think so too!"
"Pfft—"
"Cough cough cough… Sorry, I choked just now."
Even with excellent professional discipline, Orochimaru finally couldn't help laughing.
Fortunately, he covered it with a cough.
The two only glanced at him before continuing to discuss becoming novelists.
Orochimaru: "…"