CHAPTER 220: THE SANNIN'S RETURN
After their meeting with Hatake Sakumo, Jiraiya and Orochimaru walked together toward their quarters.
Jiraiya slung a familiar arm around Orochimaru's neck, casual as could be. "You know, Orochimaru, I actually understood everything the Captain said back there. I was just pretending not to know."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru's voice dripped with scorn. "If you truly understood, you'd have been bursting to show off before Lord Hatake finished speaking. Face it, Jiraiya. You're an ordinary man. Mediocre. Don't force what isn't there. Simply do what you're suited for."
Jiraiya's face reddened. "What did you say?!"
He tightened his arm around Orochimaru's neck.
Caught off guard, Orochimaru nearly had his neck broken by the idiot's enthusiasm. His face paled. Silently, he cursed the oaf.
I'll need to develop countermeasures for close-range attacks like this. A substitute technique. Something with edge. Maybe a full-body skin-peeling jutsu, exclusively for this bastard.
"Idiot!"
A furious voice cut through the air.
Before Jiraiya could react, an iron fist connected solidly with his skull. He launched through the air like a cannonball.
CRASH!
Ninja scattered from his impact zone like startled birds. They recognized the source of that punch and wanted nothing to do with it.
Tsunade stood with her forehead wrinkled in fury, fists still clenched.
Orochimaru took two unconscious steps backward. "Tsunade... what are you doing? Why hit Jiraiya?"
"Yeah!" Jiraiya's muffled voice rose from the dirt, half his body still buried. "What did I do?!"
"Nothing." Tsunade's chin lifted. "I was just unhappy. And I wanted to hit you."
"..."
Orochimaru and Jiraiya shared a moment of perfect, mutual speechlessness.
In the distance, Minato Namikaze—who had come to greet his teacher—stood frozen among a cluster of other ninja. His jaw hung slightly open.
Jiraiya-sensei is still so... eye-catching. A true center of attention.
He quietly melted back into the crowd. Tsunade-sama looks furious. Anyone approaching right now would definitely get hit too. Best to avoid trouble.
"What are you all staring at?!" Tsunade's glare swept in all directions. "Scram!"
Ninja scattered instantly.
When the Senju princess spoke, sensible people listened.
"This isn't about Jiraiya, is it?" Orochimaru's tone was measured.
"Him?" Tsunade's laugh was dismissive. "Of course not. I just felt like punching something. He was there. Subconscious reflex."
Jiraiya, finally extracting himself from the ground, felt another invisible arrow pierce his heart. She said that without the slightest hesitation. Was this how you treated people you knew well?
Orochimaru offered three seconds of silent tribute to his teammate. Not that the idiot deserved sympathy.
Jiraiya limped over, accustomed to Tsunade's violence. Small injuries like this were nothing.
"What's got you so worked up?" he asked.
Tsunade studied him. "Are you hurt? Want me to treat you?"
"No need!" Jiraiya waved off the offer with practiced nonchalance, desperate to appear masculine. "No need to stand on ceremony between us."
"Good. You're a jonin, after all. One punch shouldn't affect you."
Another arrow. Right through the heart.
Orochimaru suppressed his smirk with immense effort, maintaining a perfectly calm exterior. "Tsunade. Where did you go earlier?"
"To see Ragnar." She saw no reason to hide it. Orochimaru and Jiraiya were trusted friends.
As expected. A smile flickered across Orochimaru's features, something gleaming in his eyes.
"You knew?" Jiraiya rubbed his aching head. "I thought you went to see your brother. Why didn't you visit Nawaki?"
"Nawaki isn't a child anymore. I can't hover over him every day. A man of the Senju clan shouldn't be so fragile."
"Then why Ragnar?"
"Because I wanted to see him. Got a problem with that?"
Orochimaru watched the exchange with quiet amusement. "Tsunade, you likely had other reasons. Given your anger earlier, something must have happened."
Tsunade sighed. "Can't hide anything from you. Not like Jiraiya."
Another arrow. Jiraiya was becoming a pincushion.
"It's not a big deal, really." Tsunade's voice softened. "It's about Ragnar. He's not that young anymore. Prime years. His strength isn't lacking."
"Not lacking?" Jiraiya's laugh was incredulous. "He's terrifyingly strong! Compared to him, I'm a joke. He tears Jinchuriki apart bare-handed. Arm-wrestles Kage. It'll take me ten years to reach that level!"
"That's precisely the problem."
Tsunade's hands clenched.
"Despite being that strong, Ragnar said he'll keep training without distraction. Keep striving to reach the pinnacle of the ninja world—like my grandfather. Doesn't that infuriate you?"
"It shows great ambition," Orochimaru observed.
"Exactly!" Jiraiya nodded vigorously. "Worth encouraging. Nothing infuriating about dedication."
Tsunade stared at them, incredulous. "Do men only care about training? Even ninja need lives! Ragnar is young. Living such a monotonous existence... so boring. So empty."
She waved her arms for emphasis.
"People choose their own paths." Jiraiya shrugged. "Like me. I'll train, travel the world, write novels. My life's already mapped out. What about you, Orochimaru?"
"Train. Research ninjutsu. Train. Research ninjutsu. Train." Orochimaru's voice was perfectly flat.
Tsunade saw now how utterly hopeless men were.
"So what's the problem with Ragnar?" Jiraiya asked carefully. "Or... what's the problem with you?"
"You're the problem! Idiot!"
Backhand slap. Jiraiya hit the ground again.
Tsunade waved dismissively and stormed off, quickly disappearing into the camp.
Jiraiya sat up, face throbbing, utterly bewildered. "Is this bullying an honest man? Tsunade is completely unreasonable! Is it easy being me? She's going to kill me someday!"
"Don't you find something strange about Tsunade?" Orochimaru asked, voice low and mysterious.
"What's strange?" Jiraiya leaned closer.
Orochimaru lifted his gaze to the grey sky.
"Spring has arrived."
He walked away.
Jiraiya blinked. Looked around. Clouds. Rain. Grey everywhere.
"Spring? Where's spring?!"
(End of Chapter)
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