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A week slipped by.
As expected, Tsunade's call for a joint strike against Akatsuki was rejected by the other Great Nations.
Their answer, wrapped in diplomacy, was basically: "It's only Akatsuki. We are familiar with most of their rogue members. Don't overreact, Hokage."
In truth, both the Cloud and Stone were wary, not just of Akatsuki alone. They were wary of Konoha.
The brush-off left Tsunade seething. She burned off steam the only way she knew how: by dragging Neji into a few brutal sparring matches.
During that same stretch, Jiraiya returned to the village. He arrived just in time to witness one of those brawls Tsunade going full tilt against Neji.
His face went pale. His chest twinged. He was already planning a tactical retreat when he ran into Shizune and Kakashi in the street, who coaxed him back before he could "recover" out of town.
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They gathered at a cozy hot pot place Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Shizune, and Neji.
Tsunade ate and drank with carefree confidence, cheeks faintly flushed from warm sake. She propped her chin in her palm and eyed Jiraiya.
"You show up and try to bolt the same day? Please. The last time you took one of my punches, you lost half your ribs. Who exactly are you hoping to 'train' with, old man?"
Jiraiya's expression darkened. Once upon a time, he'd tried peeking at Tsunade at the baths and took a full-power love tap for his efforts several broken ribs and an extended hospital stay.
Tsunade patched him up; the lecture lasted longer than it took for the bones to mend.
He tossed back a cup, then switched topics. "Anyway, that's ancient history. Still… I didn't expect Neji to be this strong already."
Neji calmly lifted another slice of beef from the pot as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Kakashi and Shizune mirrored the act. When two living legends start swapping embarrassing war stories, it's best to keep your head down.
Neji finally set his chopsticks down. "You flatter me, Lord Jiraiya. I've still got a lot to learn."
"Save the modesty," Jiraiya waved him off. "I know your type."
Kakashi's single visible eye turned thoughtful. "You didn't come back just to visit, did you? You found something… about Akatsuki?"
Jiraiya savored a bite, nodded to Kakashi's insight, and let his tone turn serious.
"I'm here for a reason. I've been tracking them. Last time I reported in, I was close to their base of operations. Now I'm almost certain. I'm planning to infiltrate and confirm."
Tsunade's hand tightened around her cup. She looked up, eyes suddenly clear.
"You're not going."
"Tsunade—"
"I mean it."
He forced a laugh, puffing himself up. "Relax. Who am I? One of the Legendary Sannin. The gallant Jiraiya. Toad Sage extraordinaire."
He thumped his chest and grinned, selling the bravado a bit too hard.
But Tsunade wasn't drunk not really. A knot of dread had been sitting beneath her sternum all night.
She tilted back the cup and finished it in one swallow. The glass hit the table with a heavy clack that silenced even Jiraiya's swagger.
"Tsunade," he said quietly, smile fading, "you know I have to go. This is my duty as a Leaf shinobi."
She said nothing, just poured another. The facts were unbearable and simple: Akatsuki was powerful, and they already held seven Tailed Beasts.
Infiltrating their stronghold was walking into a lion's mouth.
Jiraiya tried to lighten the gloom. "Don't worry. I'm not planning to die before I have something worth reporting."
Even he didn't fully believe the joke. But he'd do the job anyway.
The table went still. Neji said nothing, but thought grimly: Don't jinx it, old man.
If Pain moved first, Neji would end it before Jiraiya ever set foot in Amegakure.
If Jiraiya moved first, Neji's timeline would have to change, accelerating everything.
Akatsuki's pace had quickened; exposure would follow. Jiraiya would find a trail, because there would be one to find.
In the end, Tsunade relented. Someone had to confirm Akatsuki's true plan. Without proof, the other nations would never agree to act.
Only Jiraiya had the skill set—and the guts to pull it off.
As Neji had said before, sending anyone else would just be sending bodies, and raising Akatsuki's guard for nothing.
They finished the meal under a quiet, heavy sky. Jiraiya laid out what he could, then left that very night.
At the gate he called back, breezy as ever:
"Tsunade place your bet. Bet I won't make it back. You never win anyway ha!"
His shadow stretched long in the sunset. Tsunade's lips parted, but no words came.
She just watched him go. People she loved always seemed to leave one by one and she alone stayed behind with a bottle and her memories.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked gently.
Kakashi edged closer to Neji. Neji glanced over, puzzled right up until a not-so-gentle shove pushed him into Tsunade's back.
Kakashi gave him a small, you 've-got-this nod. Few people could get through to Tsunade now: Shizune, half; Naruto, half; Neji, one whole.
Tsunade turned, grabbed Neji by the collar, and marched him toward the shop again.
"Neji. You're drinking with me tonight. We stop when the bottle does."
"Uh—sensei, I'm still technically underage—"
She kept walking as if she hadn't heard a word. He can sit, he can listen. He can keep me company. That was all she really needed.
Kakashi and Shizune watched them go, shared a weary, understanding nod, and split off into the night.
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