Orochimaru's tone was as calm as ever, the faintest curl of a smile on his lips. "There's no need to say such things again, Jiraiya. My goal has always been to uncover the truth of this world. The Leaf would only chain me down."
He didn't hesitate for a moment, cutting straight through Jiraiya's words with quiet certainty.
Konoha could never give him what he sought.
Jiraiya, however, wasn't one to lose heart. He laughed heartily, his voice booming through the small tavern. "Heh, maybe so, but I still believe that someday, you'll change your mind, Orochimaru."
He raised his cup in a carefree toast, his grin broad and unbothered.
"Come on then! Another drink!"
Orochimaru and Tsunade both lifted their cups, the three glasses clinking softly together. Warm sunlight filtered through the open window, casting golden hues over their faces. For just a heartbeat, it felt like time itself had slipped backward back to the days when the three of them were young, standing proudly side by side on the battlefield, the Legendary Sannin of the ninja world.
They had grown up together, fought together, survived together. They were more than comrades they had once been family. Yet fate had twisted their paths apart, scattering them across decades of war and sorrow.
No one could have imagined that after more than twenty years, they'd be sitting at the same table again, sharing a drink.
It was almost poetic.
After a few rounds, the silence between them began to stretch thin. Finally, Tsunade broke it. "Jiraiya," she said, her voice faintly slurred by sake but her eyes sharp, "what are you really doing here?"
Jiraiya didn't beat around the bush. "I came to find you, Tsunade. The village wants you to return and take up the mantle of Hokage."
"Hokage…" Tsunade repeated under her breath.
Her hand tightened around her cup. The sound of her knuckles whitening was almost audible. The warmth that had filled the tavern moments ago vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling stillness.
Jiraiya's gaze softened. He didn't miss the flicker of pain that crossed her face.
"Tsunade…" he began, but she interrupted him with a bitter laugh.
"Do you know what Nawaki said to me before he died?" she asked, her voice trembling but clear. Before Jiraiya could answer, she slammed her cup against the table, the sound sharp and heavy.
"He said, 'Sister, when I become Hokage, I'll protect everyone!' And what happened? His body was blown apart there wasn't even enough left to bury properly!"
Her voice cracked. "Dan wanted to become Hokage too. And he died the same way!"
Shizune paled, clutching the small pig Ton-Ton tighter in her arms.
Across from them, Orochimaru's golden eyes flickered knowingly. He said nothing, only sipped his drink with a faint, detached smile, as though he had expected this.
Jiraiya leaned forward urgently. "Tsunade, that was the past! You can't let old wounds rule your life forever. The Leaf needs you now! The Third Hokage is growing old someone has to lead!"
"Enough!" Tsunade's voice cut through his plea like a blade. Her golden hair seemed to shimmer in the light, an aura of sheer will radiating from her. "You think dragging up ghosts from my past can wash away decades of blood and tears?"
She turned sharply to Orochimaru. "You used that accursed jutsu to rip open my scars again! And you," her gaze snapped back to Jiraiya, "you're just as bad! Every Hokage I've ever known my brother, my lover, my grandfather, my granduncle they were all fools!"
Her words hung in the air like thunder.
Naruto, sitting quietly in the corner, didn't move. His golden eyes, calm and watchful, took in every flicker of emotion. Through the steady focus of Sage Mode, he could sense the heaviness inside Tsunade the grief that even time couldn't erode.
You couldn't heal pain by showing the dead their faces again. Edo Tensei could summon the body, not the soul. The dead would never truly return.
Jiraiya fell silent, guilt written across his face.
Tsunade drew in a deep breath, forcing her voice to steady. "If you're here to play messenger, then deliver this back to the village: I'm not interested. Not even a little."
She stood abruptly, grabbed her coat, and strode for the door. Shizune hurried after her, cradling Ton-Ton tightly as she bowed slightly to the two men before following her master out.
Sunlight spilled through the doorway, outlining Tsunade's back in a halo of light before she vanished into the noisy streets outside.
The tavern fell silent again.
Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head in frustration. Orochimaru, unbothered, took another leisurely sip of sake. "See, Jiraiya," he murmured, "time can change many things but not everything fades. Some wounds stay buried so deep, even death can't reach them."
He turned toward Naruto. "Looks like your mission failed, didn't it, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto rose slowly, his expression calm but resolute. "No. Tsunade-sensei just needs a little time."
He glanced toward the door, thoughtful. "She likes gambling, doesn't she?"
Jiraiya blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah. Tsunade's got a real thing for it. Though, honestly, her luck is legendarily bad."
Naruto grinned. "Then I'll gamble with her." He turned to Orochimaru. "But I'll need your help for this one."
Orochimaru tilted his head, amused. "Oh? Let's hear it."
"If the person about to undergo surgery weren't Kimimaro but Dan instead what do you think Tsunade would do?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened. Orochimaru's narrowed in realization.
"But there's a problem," Jiraiya said quickly. "None of us are illusion experts. With her experience, ordinary genjutsu won't work on her."
Naruto's grin didn't fade. "Don't worry. I'll find someone who can help."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed faintly, his tongue flicking across his lips in thought. "Oh… you're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you? A certain Sharingan might make that work."
That night, Naruto found Tsunade again. She was sitting alone, nursing a half-empty bottle.
"Tsunade-sensei," he greeted, taking the seat across from her.
"Mm? What do you want, kid?" she said, hiccupping faintly, cheeks flushed from drink.
"You don't want to return to the village and become Hokage," Naruto said evenly, "because deep down, you think you're not strong enough anymore, right?" His gaze swept across the table littered with bottles. "Even a Sannin can't stay sharp if she's drowning herself in sake every night."
Tsunade's eyes snapped open, her expression cold. "Careful, brat. Don't think I won't hit you just because you're the Fourth's son."
"Then how about this?" Naruto smiled. "Let's make a bet. If I can beat you in a fight, you'll come back with us and take the Hokage's seat."
Tsunade stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled. "A ridiculous challenge. Why should I agree to a bet I can just refuse? If I don't gamble, I can't lose. Simple as that."
Naruto sighed softly. No wonder she's called the Legendary Sucker… but she's sharp even drunk.
He stood, dusting himself off. "Alright then, Tsunade-sensei. But remember this you just turned down my challenge. Don't forget it when the time comes."
Tsunade clicked her tongue, dismissing him with a wave as she reached for another bottle.
The next morning, she and Shizune followed Orochimaru toward the supposed surgical site.
As they passed through the woods, a faint mist began to gather, curling low to the ground. Orochimaru's silhouette ahead of them slowly faded into the haze.
The air grew damp and heavy, thick with the scent of wet earth and something faintly metallic like blood. Ancient trees loomed around them, their gnarled roots twisting beneath the fog.
Something was about to begin.
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