Chapter 82: Jiraiya Lost Fairly
While her Kazushi persona was busy in the Hidden Sand Village, Stelle's other identity was also raking in a steady stream of mood values. The only problem was the distinct lack of notable individuals in the Land of Wind; aside from Shamon, Ebizō, and Chiyo, everyone else was little more than a background character. There wasn't much to be done about it. She could only resort to fleecing the masses, stacking up points through sheer volume.
As for Black Zetsu, the little brat was still having a grand time bullying him, grinding out those small but consistent daily mood values.
With progress crawling at such a sluggish pace, Stelle had no choice but to put in some effort herself.
However, she'd discovered a new problem over the past few days: ever since she'd casually mentioned the concept of scientific research to Orochimaru, he had been hounding her.
And it was the obsessive, borderline-manic kind of hounding.
No matter how early or late she opened her apartment door, the first thing she saw was Orochimaru waiting at the entrance. He'd be standing there, a notebook clutched in his left hand and a pen in his right. The moment Stelle appeared, he would bombard her with a torrent of questions, like a walking, talking encyclopedia of '100,000 Whys.'
He wanted to discuss electrical circuits during missions, inquire about power generation during training, and even during meals, he insisted on debating these topics with her first. Given the technological level of this world, which was severely lacking in these fields, any advanced concept she mentioned was enough to send Orochimaru into a state of blissful excitement for the entire day.
If Stelle hadn't firmly refused, she was certain Orochimaru would have tried to pack her up and move her into his home for twenty-four-hour-a-day consultation.
This level of enthusiasm was almost more than she could handle.
'System, I swear I said just a couple of days ago that I wanted to keep my distance from Orochimaru, but now he's practically glued to me. It's terrifying. How am I supposed to create any space between us?'
[Has the Host forgotten? This alias is only twelve years old. How much could you possibly know? It would be stranger if you knew too much.]
'Oh, right!'
How could a twelve-year-old Root operative, raised as a living tool, possibly possess such a vast repository of knowledge?
Stelle began to make her explanations more brief, even claiming she didn't quite understand the principles herself. This finally managed to dampen Orochimaru's relentless urge to seek her out every single day.
Still, because they undertook missions together daily, her relationship with Orochimaru and the others had become surprisingly good.
One day, Hiruzen Sarutobi was swamped with work and didn't assign them a mission. Seizing the opportunity, Tsunade suggested they all go shopping. The moment she heard the word 'shopping,' Stelle turned to leave, only to be snagged by the hand and forcibly dragged back by Tsunade.
"Jia, let's go together! I saw a dress the other day that would be absolutely perfect for you. Let's go buy it."
"No!" Stelle tried to escape, but Tsunade jerked her chin at Jiraiya. The two of them immediately flanked her, lifting her off her feet and carrying her toward the commercial street.
Stelle shot Orochimaru an embarrassed, pleading look, hoping he would intervene.
Orochimaru offered a rare, genuine smile, his youthful, clear voice ringing out. "Tsunade is in high spirits today. You should just go with her, or she won't let this rest."
Ultimately, Stelle was hauled to the bustling commercial street. Tsunade returned with a light blue dress and wheedled her until, defeated, she finally agreed to put it on.
Although it was a ninja-style battle skirt, it was still a skirt. How could a Root ninja wear a skirt? They were issued black, combat-oriented uniforms, and that was all. Stelle's own wardrobe consisted of the same style of clothes; she would buy a dozen at a time and simply rotate through them.
After putting on the dress, she felt as if she had forgotten how to walk. Her limbs felt alien. She didn't know where to put her hands or feet, her movements becoming stiff and synchronized as she trailed awkwardly behind Tsunade. If Tsunade hadn't deviously hidden her original clothes, she would have already changed back into her short-sleeved shirt and long pants.
Tsunade led her out of the clothing store, pulled her out from behind her back, and presented her to their two teammates as if showing off a priceless treasure. "Look! Doesn't she look great?"
Orochimaru gave a slight nod, his compliment sincere. "Very beautiful."
'Of course,' he thought, 'it doesn't compare to the knowledge stored in her mind.'
Jiraiya's reaction was far more exaggerated. The moment he saw her, his eyes practically turned into stars, and a trail of drool started to leak from the corner of his mouth.
"So… so cute!"
A cross-shaped vein pulsed on Tsunade's forehead as she reflexively punched him to the ground. "Stop making such weird faces, you idiot Jiraiya! Can't you act normal for once?"
Seeing Jiraiya's ridiculous expression, Stelle immediately understood why he still hadn't managed to win Tsunade's heart, even decades later in the original timeline. He was always peeping at the women's bathhouse and would drool whenever he saw a pretty girl. Who would ever believe his affections for Tsunade were genuine? If she didn't already know what kind of person Jiraiya truly was, she wouldn't believe it either.
Just then, two boys about the same age as Tsunade and her team passed by. They were likely Tsunade's classmates; after a brief greeting, they struck up a conversation.
One of the boys had long, light blue hair, a handsome face, and a witty, charming way of speaking. Stelle took one look and recognized him instantly: this was Tsunade's future boyfriend, Dan Katō.
Then she glanced at the young Jiraiya, who was still lying on the ground with a steaming lump on his head.
Was there even a need for comparison?
Jiraiya had lost fairly.
The black-haired boy standing next to Dan turned his head and saw Stelle standing nearby. His cheeks instantly flushed a deep, tell-tale red.
A second later, the boy strode forward, planted himself in front of Stelle, and held out his hand. "Please be my girlfriend! I am willing to spend my whole life protecting you!"
Stelle froze. Three seconds passed. She then adopted an expression of complete and utter bewilderment, as if she had never encountered such a situation in her entire life.
She didn't know what to do with her hands or feet. After a moment of flustered panic, she even reached for the sword at her waist, but her hand froze on the hilt as she realized that wasn't the right response either.
Suddenly, with a soft swish, she scurried behind Tsunade to hide, moving like a startled rabbit.
Even Tsunade, seeing her like this, looked completely charmed. She cupped Stelle's face in her hands and began rubbing her cheek against it vigorously.
"Jia, you are just too cute!"
"Let go of me!"
"Just a little rub! I've wanted to do this for a long time!" Tsunade acted like a complete hooligan, nuzzling her face all over.
After the shopping ordeal, Tsunade suggested they go for barbecue. For the princess of the Senju clan, a single meal was a trivial expense.
This time, while they were eating, Tsunade noticed that Jia was making a conscious effort to slow down her eating pace. She even tried the sweet drinks the rest of them were enjoying.
Tsunade flashed a silent peace sign to Jiraiya and Orochimaru; this was a major step forward in their secret mission to socialize their new teammate.
Although the future Sannin would grow into incredibly powerful shinobi, right now they were just a group of ten-year-old kids, laughing and joking together as if they possessed an endless supply of happy things to talk about.
Watching their relaxed and comfortable camaraderie, the usual emotionless glaze in Stelle's eyes gradually softened.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her face.
Seeing her smile for the very first time, the others reacted with the excitement of explorers discovering a new continent.
"Jia, you've finally learned how to smile!"
Tsunade even tilted her chin up proudly. "Yes, keep it like that. That's a smile. You should smile more from now on."
Stelle was stunned. She touched her own face. 'Did I smile?'
"Then… are we comrades, right?" she asked, her voice hesitant.
"Of course! We're Sarutobi-sensei's four-man squad!"
Tsunade's squad was no ordinary team. They were already strong, and after a brief period of D-rank missions, they were now taking on C-rank missions as their baseline.
Their opponents began to vary, including rogue ninja, skilled samurai, and even bandits with shinobi in their ranks.
At this point, Jiraiya's weaknesses began to show. Having only recently made contact with Mount Myōboku, he hadn't learned much yet and was struggling to keep up with Tsunade and Orochimaru's pace.
A case in point: during a fight with a group of rogue ninja, Jiraiya triggered a trap and was nearly skewered by an enemy shinobi. Fortunately, Stelle reacted in a flash, her blade intercepting the ninja's and ending his life.
Jiraiya touched his shoulder, a lingering fear in his eyes. He then turned to her and said with a wide grin:
"Jia, you helped me just now not because of Sarutobi-sensei's orders, but because I'm your comrade, right?"
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