Chapter 546: Two People (Part 2)
"Designate?" Tsunade's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze becoming sharp. "Don't make me sound so dictatorial... besides, aren't I discussing it with you right now?"
"Who ultimately becomes Hokage is a consensus reached by synthesizing my opinions, the old man's, yours, and the other Jonin's. It's not like I can just appoint anyone I want to be Hokage."
The woman's voice was unhurried, speaking eloquently.
Jiraiya remained calm and collected, quietly listening to her explanation.
Tsunade wasn't in a hurry either. Her slender fingers picked out a few roasted peanuts from the small dish beside her and ate them leisurely. After a good while, she stopped, licked her fingertips, and said slowly: "Of course, I don't deny that as the current Hokage, I have enormous influence on the issue of deciding the next Hokage, even to the point where my word can decide it, which is what you call 'designate'. But before making a decision, I still hope to persuade you all first... or, if you have better reasons, being persuaded by you is not out of the question either."
"After all, I am an open-minded leader!"
The woman chuckled like Wang Po selling melons (T/N: boasting about oneself), wanting to ease the overly serious atmosphere.
Jiraiya, however, was uncharacteristically serious and unsmiling. He said sternly, "I haven't prepared too many arguments to persuade you... I just want to remind you of one thing: Naruto's dream has always been to become Hokage, while Sakura has never expressed any longing for the Hokage position. I think, regardless of who you favor to be Hokage, the person's own thoughts are also very important, right?"
He paused slightly, looking into Tsunade's eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Tsunade, you should know better than me... does Sakura really want to be Hokage?"
The woman's action of drinking stopped.
She lowered her eyelids, her eyes flickering.
No one knows a son better than his father, and no one knows a disciple better than their master. Spending day and night together with her disciple, Tsunade understood Haruno Sakura very well. Overall, she was a girl with very contradictory traits: sometimes very easygoing, sometimes inexplicably arrogant; sometimes very profound on political issues, sometimes acting like a total novice; an excellent female ninja whose personality was full of boyish heroism but also very gentle. And for such a maverick person, she... really seemed to have no thoughts about the Hokage position.
Unlike many ninja in the village.
I need to have a good chat with her when she gets back. Tsunade thought to herself. This was indeed an oversight on her part.
However, this didn't mean Jiraiya's words could persuade her.
On the contrary, Tsunade had always believed that people with too pure a mind were not suitable to be Hokage. This reason alone was enough for her to firmly vote against Naruto. Of course, she didn't deny that the First Hokage was a great Hokage, although he was also quite single-minded... but her grand-uncle had Tobirama assisting him back then, and his own strength disdained the entire ninja world.
If one's strength exceeded a certain limit like the First's, then many rules wouldn't apply, but could Naruto possibly achieve that?
"I understand what you mean, Jiraiya." Tsunade took a deep breath and said, "But..."
"You should know that politics is the art of compromise."
Jiraiya nodded.
Tsunade continued: "To put it bluntly, the resources in the environment we live in are limited. If we want to live like decent human beings, want to obtain more resources, want to leave a broader living space for future generations, conflicts and contradictions of interests will inevitably arise, leading to mutual slaughter. This is called struggling."
"When there's too much struggling, it becomes war."
"Discovering that war and slaughter cannot solve the problem, we can only pinch our noses and live under the same blue sky with others. The various fights and compromises made for this are called politics."
Unlike Jiraiya, who didn't care about politics, Tsunade had sat in the Hokage seat for several years and had been influenced by Hokages like the First, Second, and Third for many years. She had her own unique set of understanding of so-called politics.
The Hokage position seemed to hold great power, with life, death, giving, and taking all within her control, able to do whatever she wanted. In reality, when Tsunade truly wanted to do something, she could rarely act arbitrarily and dictatorially; she had to consider all aspects and make various compromises. If it weren't so, why would the issue with Danzo and Root, who were clearly full of evil deeds, drag on until this year to be resolved? It wasn't until he was defeated by Sakura and Shisui's eye was taken that Danzo completely fell from power.
It was like this internally, not to mention externally.
"Jiraiya, the old man also once wanted you to be Hokage, but you refused." Tsunade said slowly.
"Because I am not suitable to be Hokage."
"Exactly. Your personality inherently has nothing to do with politics." Tsunade nodded. "Your ninja way is persistence and perseverance; once you decide on something, you won't turn back. But as Hokage, many times you cannot insist on anything. Politics requires you to compromise, otherwise you will end up badly battered and bruised because of your firmness..."
A politician must stick to the bottom line but also have flexible tactics. But Jiraiya only had the former, because he was a pure enough person. This pure fortitude allowed Jiraiya to grow to his current level, but it also made him unsuitable to be a Hokage.
Jiraiya remained silent.
He understood Tsunade, and Tsunade naturally understood him too. The woman's evaluation of him hit the nail on the head. He didn't feel it was wrong, so he had no way to retort.
"Naruto is the same." Tsunade put down her wine glass, her burning gaze falling on Jiraiya's face.
"His personality is too much like yours, Jiraiya. So... he is also not suitable to be Hokage."
"No, you are wrong, Tsunade." Jiraiya also put down his wine glass, looking back at Tsunade with resolute eyes, and said in a deep voice, "I'm not bickering with you... Naruto is very much like me, but there is one biggest difference."
"Naruto has always dreamed of becoming Hokage."
Whereas Jiraiya was just a salted fish (T/N: internet slang for someone who has no intention of doing anything) with no dreams.
Jiraiya was special to Naruto. Jiraiya had many excellent disciples in his life, including the Fourth Hokage, Father and Son. But the Fourth and Pain were too outstanding, so they embarked on their own paths.
Naruto, however, was particularly clumsy and particularly resilient, exactly like Jiraiya when he was a child. So he inherited Jiraiya's path, inherited his clumsiness and fortitude, and even inherited his lecherousness. Naruto was the only child among all of Jiraiya's disciples who inherited everything from him. The two of them, one having never had a child, the other having never had a father, during the two years of traveling outside the village, got along not as father and son, but better than father and son.
Naruto... in Jiraiya's heart, was probably more inclined to be an existence like a son or a grandson, right?
Regardless, Jiraiya had to fight for Naruto.
Even if facing Tsunade.
Tsunade stared at him fixedly. They say serious men are the most handsome; when locking eyes with such a resolute Jiraiya, Tsunade suddenly discovered that this man's eyes could become so clear.
When those usual dregs of lecherousness, cynicism, and so on disappeared from the man's eyes, when she saw through his eyes Jiraiya's diamond-like transparent and resolute will, Tsunade suddenly realized that Jiraiya could actually become full of charm and masculinity.
Perhaps she had drunk too much sake; a blush gradually rose on Tsunade's face, like blooming peach blossoms, making the woman's pretty face even more charming and moving.
She lowered her eyelids, smiling to break the long stare just now: "Hah! Jiraiya, you are still so stubborn!"
"Forget it, let's not talk about this, it's boring." Tsunade waved her hand, shaking her head and saying, "Let's leave future matters for the future! Anyway, it's still early!"
Jiraiya also laughed, clinking glasses with Tsunade: "True... cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Tsunade drank it all in one gulp, heroically wiping away the water marks at the corner of her mouth with her hand.
"Speaking of which, it's also my fault." She put down the wine glass and smiled faintly. "I originally called you back to the village wanting you to rest peacefully for a period of time, but I ended up making you worry about these boring things again."
Jiraiya gave Tsunade a somewhat surprised look.
"I thought the village was just worried about Naruto's safety..."
Tsunade shook her head: "Naruto is only one part of the reason..."
Jiraiya was the other part. Publicly, it was because the situation was becoming increasingly perilous, having Jiraiya return to protect the village; privately, it was Tsunade wanting Jiraiya to no longer wander outside, so he could come home and rest.
"The village and I owe you too much. Now that the younger generation is gradually growing up, you can also worry less about things and safely hand the burden on your shoulders over to them."
Jiraiya somewhat felt Tsunade's intentions. His heart warmed slightly, but he gave a heroic laugh on his face: "Haha! This is just my mission! I can risk my life for this mission at any time. This is exactly what makes an old man like me handsome!"
Handsome? Indeed, such a Jiraiya is quite handsome...
"Hmph, as long as you don't always try to act cool by forcing yourself!" Tsunade snorted disdainfully, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
The two expertly began to bicker.
Chatting about the past, chatting about disciples, chatting about memories...
Gradually, the sun sank below the western mountains, and night fell.
The colorful lanterns were just lit, and a full moon hung high.
The atmosphere became relaxed, and Jiraiya also became frivolous with his words again.
"Haha! Who could have imagined that the washboard princess from back then would now also become a busty Hokage?" Jiraiya slurred his words, speaking with a mouth full of alcohol breath, "Times change really fast!"
"You, who were very beautiful back then, have now also become an old woman over half a hundred years old, and you also have a disciple who is more beautiful, more powerful, and even flatter-chested than you. As for me, I also have a disciple who is very much like me in all aspects...! I'm really looking forward to the situation when they grow up!"
Tsunade also had hazy eyes, blushing cheeks, shaking her head and saying: "Idiot... there's probably no chance for Sakura and Naruto. Instead of looking forward to them, it's better to grasp the present...!"
"At least Sakura is somewhat gentle to Naruto, unlike you being so fierce..."
"Bastard... asking for a beating, aren't you?"
"Look at you... doing it again!"
Strange to say, even though it was a rooftop in late autumn with chilly winds blowing, Tsunade felt this sake tasted excellent. Drinking it into her stomach felt warm, and even carried some sweetness.
On the Konoha streets below the Hokage Rock, the streetlights were lit. The dim yellow lights shone up from below, reflecting the night scenery warm and ambiguous.
The moonlight is truly beautiful tonight.