Chapter 53 (Patreon)

Naruto and Jiraiya found Tsunade in a local izakaya. Seated beside her were her apprentice, Shizune, and a small pink pig named Tonton.

Once the four of them had gathered around the same table, an awkward silence settled over the group. Tsunade drank one cup after another, while Jiraiya watched her with a somber expression and a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.

Naruto's gaze wandered from Tsunade's beautiful face to the enormous, truly enormous...

Then he glanced at Jiraiya and couldn't help thinking of his own team with Sakura and Sasuke.

In the original story, the three of them were known as the New Sannin. Sasuke mirrored Orochimaru, Sakura mirrored Tsunade, and Naruto had taken Jiraiya's place.

Fate truly had a strange sense of humor.

Jiraiya had spent his entire life pursuing Tsunade, only to die without ever winning her heart. In the original story, Naruto's pursuit of Sakura had ended much the same way.

At least Naruto had been luckier than Jiraiya. He still had Hinata, who had always loved him in silence.

Jiraiya really was pitiful.

With that thought, a trace of sympathy appeared in Naruto's eyes as he looked at the man beside him.

“I never expected to run into an old friend here today.”

Tsunade emptied another cup, and a faint flush gradually spread across her cheeks.

Jiraiya refilled it for her before asking in a grave voice, “Have you seen Orochimaru?”

Both Tsunade and Shizune stiffened.

“Can you tell me exactly what happened?” Jiraiya pressed.

“Nothing happened. I merely ran into him by chance, so we exchanged a few words.”

Tsunade shrugged and drained her cup. She then pulled a deck of cards from her robe and gestured for Jiraiya to play with her.

“Why were you looking for me?”

Jiraiya accepted the deck, shuffled it, and placed it on the table.

“Then I'll get straight to the point. Konoha wants you to return and become the Fifth Hokage.”

Tsunade and Shizune froze. Even Tonton lifted her head in surprise.

Naruto, however, acted as though he had heard nothing and continued enjoying the food spread across the table.

Ever since the Third Hokage's death, Naruto had gradually stopped restraining himself.

For one thing, he no longer had the patience to keep pretending. If Jiraiya ever questioned him, Naruto would simply invent a lie and be done with it. Whether Jiraiya chose to believe him was his own problem.

Tsunade's expression quickly returned to normal, and she continued playing cards with Jiraiya.

“The Third Hokage...”

Jiraiya's face clouded with grief as he let out a heavy sigh.

Tsunade's expression darkened as well. Scenes from the past surfaced in her mind.

“Orochimaru was responsible, wasn't he? I heard it from his own mouth.”

“So, what's your answer, Tsunade?” Jiraiya asked again.

Tsunade closed her eyes in pain, and her grip on the cards loosened.

She remembered the reward Orochimaru had promised her.

He would bring back the man she loved and her younger brother.

“Dan... Nawaki...” Tsunade murmured.

Then she threw her cards onto the table and stared resolutely at Jiraiya.

“I refuse! I won't become Hokage!”

“Ha...” Jiraiya wasn't offended. Instead, a smile appeared on his face. “That tone sounds exactly the same as when you rejected my confession all those years ago.”

The tension around the table abruptly broke, and the mood somehow became lighter.

“Pfft!”

Naruto, who had been eating with his head lowered, nearly spat out the food in his mouth.

Only then did Tsunade seem to take notice of him.

“Who's this?” she asked Jiraiya.

“His name is Uzumaki Naruto,” Jiraiya answered simply.

Realization dawned on Tsunade's face. That name alone told her that the boy was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

“Oh? This kid is nothing like your former student. He looks completely ordinary. There doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about him,” Tsunade said with a smile.

“Ha!” Jiraiya laughed. “He's got astonishing talent in certain areas, but he still falls short of the Fourth Hokage. No one in Konoha's history could match the Fourth's talent and all-around ability.”

He then added shamelessly, “Besides, the Fourth was every bit as handsome as I am!”

“Then the Fourth Hokage couldn't have been very handsome,” Naruto replied without the slightest hesitation.

“Hahaha!” Tsunade burst out laughing.

Jiraiya glared at Naruto.

“Still, what did any of that matter?” Tsunade's expression turned mocking. “In the end, the Fourth gambled his life away for the village.”

“Life isn't like money. One wrong bet, and it's over. Only an idiot would make a wager like that!”

The mood around the table turned heavy once more.

The corners of Naruto's mouth rose when he heard her words. For once, he found himself admiring Tsunade.

Exactly! Only an idiot would do something like that! And only an idiot would turn his own son into a jinchūriki, then abandon him!

“Even my grandfather and the Second Hokage wanted more than anything to bring an end to war,” Tsunade continued bitterly. “But didn't they both die before their dreams could truly be fulfilled?”

“Tsunade, you've changed.” Jiraiya's expression shifted. “I never thought I would hear you say something like that.”

“Hmph. I'm already over fifty. Time changes everything, doesn't it? Sarutobi-sensei was no different. He grew old and still chose to throw himself into a hopeless battle. Of course it killed him!”

Tsunade gave a disdainful snort.

“The title of Hokage is worthless. Only a fool would ever want it!”

“Mm-hm. Mm-hm.”

Naruto kept eating with his head lowered, nodding as he mumbled around a mouthful of food.

Both Tsunade and Jiraiya turned to stare at him.

Despite everything she had said, Tsunade didn't truly believe her own words. The original story had already shown that her love for Konoha had never disappeared.

She simply wanted to bring back her lover and her younger brother so desperately that she had agreed to heal Orochimaru's arms.

Everything she had said was meant to harden her own resolve and drive Jiraiya away.

She could say those things herself, but hearing Naruto genuinely agree with them was another matter entirely.

Bang!

Tsunade slammed her palm against the table and shot to her feet, fixing Naruto with a cold glare.

“Brat, this conversation has nothing to do with you. Get out!”

Jiraiya frowned at Naruto as well. He had never expected his new student to harbor such hatred toward Konoha and the Hokage.

Considering Naruto's identity as a jinchūriki, that was an extremely dangerous sign.

Naruto raised his head and gave Tsunade a knowing look.

“So you still care about Konoha after all, don't you?”

Naruto had seen straight through the feelings Tsunade was trying to hide. The coldness on her face vanished, and her embarrassment quickly flared into anger.

Jiraiya saw her reaction and felt both delighted and relieved.

Naruto had merely been provoking her, while Tsunade had never truly abandoned Konoha. In a single exchange, both of Jiraiya's concerns had been put to rest—one for his new student and the other for his old teammate.

“Brat, you've managed to anger me.” Tsunade glared at Naruto. “It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson today.”

“Heh. You're one of the legendary Sannin, yet you want to bully a mere genin? Aren't you ashamed?” Naruto snorted.

Then his tone changed.

“Fine. Let's make a wager. If I can last through three exchanges with you, I win. How about it? If you refuse, I'll take that to mean you already acknowledge my strength.”

“A wager?” Tsunade placed her hands on her hips and looked down at Naruto dismissively. “I, Tsunade, have never been afraid of a bet!”

Jiraiya hid a smile. He thought of the Rasengan Naruto had only recently mastered. Tsunade was certain to be surprised when she saw it.

“Now, let's decide the stakes.” Naruto's eyes lit up.

What Naruto wanted was Tsunade's medical ninjutsu and her Chakra Enhanced Strength.

Just as Naruto was about to state his terms, Jiraiya suddenly interrupted him.

“If Naruto wins, you will return to Konoha with us!”

“Fine!” Tsunade agreed without hesitation.

She did not believe for a moment that a child like Naruto could endure three exchanges against her.

Once she won, she could make Jiraiya stop interfering in her life, cast aside her remaining doubts, heal Orochimaru's arms, and have Dan and Nawaki brought back to life.

As for whether Orochimaru attacked Konoha again after recovering, that had nothing to do with her!

“You two...”

Naruto turned toward Jiraiya in protest. However, when he saw Jiraiya staring at Tsunade with a solemn expression, he could only let out a helpless sigh.