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"Shizune, notify Jiraiya for me. Tell him to come here—I need to speak with him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Shizune hurried out to inform the Anbu, instructing them to locate Jiraiya and bring him over.
When the Anbu found Jiraiya, he was in a dazed state, arms wrapped around a woman, his face covered in lipstick marks.
"...Yes, the Hokage said she has an important matter to discuss with you and requests your immediate presence in her office."
The Anbu member couldn't help but sweatdrop. Every time they were sent to find Jiraiya, they inevitably ended up searching for him in establishments unsuitable for children.
The frequency was absurdly high.
"Alright, hic—I'll be right there."
As much as Jiraiya loved his fun, he still had some sense of responsibility.
Hearing the summons, he immediately pushed the woman away, wiped the drool from his lips, and prepared to leave.
"Sir, you can't go just yet."
To Jiraiya's surprise, the woman clung to his arm, reluctant to let him leave.
The Anbu member: "..."
"Ahaha... Being too popular isn't always a good thing, huh?"
Jiraiya scratched his head and chuckled, then spoke to the woman in an exaggeratedly helpless tone:
"Sweetheart, I had a great time with you, but I've got urgent business to attend to. Can't keep the Hokage waiting, you know? Next time—next time, I'll definitely come back for you."
"But, sir, that's not the issue!"
The woman panicked and tightened her grip on his arm.
"You haven't paid yet."
Cough cough!!
The Anbu member, who had been waiting quietly, nearly choked.
Jiraiya's smile froze. His face, already flushed from alcohol, turned completely red:
"I... haven't paid?"
"Mhm, mhm!"
The woman nodded vigorously.
"Even though you're an important figure in the village, you still have to pay for services here. At most, I can give you a discount..."
"No, no, no discount!"
Jiraiya waved his hands dismissively.
Was she joking? Since when did the great Jiraiya need discounts for his fun?
He'd just forgotten to pay, that's all.
How could he accept a discount for something like this?
After all, she'd put in hard work—discounting her payment would be an insult!
After settling the bill, Jiraiya scratched his head in frustration, reeking of alcohol.
The reason? Ever since returning to the village, his expenses had skyrocketed.
Between investing in Naruto, not taking on missions for a long time, and neglecting his writing, his savings had taken a hit.
Thankfully, his reserves were substantial.
For now, at least, he didn't have to worry about running out of money—unless Tsunade decided to extort him.
"Guess I should take on some missions and earn some cash..."
It finally dawned on him that he might have been overindulging.
Shaking his still-groggy head, Jiraiya followed the Anbu to the Hokage's office.
The moment he stepped inside, Tsunade's disgusted glare hit him full force.
Did he even bother wiping off all that lipstick and drool? And that stench...
The mix of sweat and alcohol was so overpowering that Tsunade nearly kicked him out on the spot.
Oblivious to his own state, Jiraiya sauntered toward her with his usual carefree demeanor:
"Tsunade, what's up? You needed me for something?"
"Stop right there. Take one more step, and I'll beat you to a pulp."
Tsunade's eyes gleamed dangerously as she raised a clenched fist, threateningly waving it in front of his face.
"You reek. Go wash up. And clean that crap off your face—if Naruto sees you like this, he'll throw a fit."
Jiraiya had a habit of ditching Naruto whenever he went out to have fun.
After enough instances, Naruto had started resenting it.
"Ah... I'll go clean up in a bit."
Only then did Jiraiya realize just how bad he smelled.
Keeping him at arm's length, Tsunade got straight to the point:
"I called you here because there's a critical mission for you."
"What kind of mission?"
Jiraiya hadn't taken on any assignments since returning to the village.
Most missions didn't require his involvement, and ever since Tsunade became Hokage, the important ones were usually handled by Kazuki.
But investigating the Akatsuki—a long-term, high-risk mission with uncertain rewards—wasn't something Kazuki could take on alone.
With Kumogakure seeking cooperation, Jiraiya was the perfect candidate.
"Investigate the Akatsuki."
Tsunade's expression turned grave.
"You know what happened in the Land of Rain. Given your history with those three, I kept you out of it before. But the Akatsuki has gone underground, and their strength can't be ignored. They remain a major threat—not just to us, but to the entire shinobi world."
"Kumogakure has sent envoys proposing a joint operation between our villages. After discussing it with Kazuki, we agreed that you're the best person for this."
"When do I leave?"
The moment the mission was laid out—one of such importance to the village and the world—Jiraiya's drunken demeanor vanished, replaced by sharp focus.
'Finally acting like a proper shinobi.'
Tsunade nodded in approval before tossing him a pre-prepared scroll.
"Whenever you're ready. I'll assign an Anbu squad to assist you. Any updates on the collaboration with Kumogakure will be relayed to you directly."
"Got it."
Tucking the scroll into his robes, Jiraiya turned to leave.
It had been too long since his last mission—he needed to prepare.
Most importantly, he had to say goodbye to Naruto properly. He didn't want the kid remembering him as someone who disappeared without a word.
Later...
"Ero-Sennin, you went to that kind of place again, didn't you?"
When Jiraiya found Naruto, the boy's reaction was even more scathing than Tsunade's. Pinching his nose, Naruto grimaced.
"You stink!"
"..."
Brat, I ought to assign you extra homework!
Jiraiya was tempted to dump a stack of worksheets on Naruto, but considering the kid had already cried over the last batch, he held back.
"Listen up, kid. Your beloved Ero-Sennin's got an important mission. I'm leaving the village soon, so take care of yourself while I'm gone, got it?"
Thanks to his and Tsunade's efforts, the villagers' hostility toward Naruto had lessened.
Though people still avoided him and he wasn't exactly welcome, at least he no longer struggled to buy food like before.
Knowing Naruto could handle himself put Jiraiya at ease, allowing him to focus on the mission.
"Is it really that important?"
Naruto was reluctant to see him go. Under Jiraiya's guidance, he'd grown more cheerful and mature—far more so than in the original timeline.
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