Chapter 09: Mount Myōboku! The Toad Sage Has Always Been…
Senju Tsunade, the famous medical master of the ninja world —
her greatest specialty was detoxification,
making her the best person to deal with Sand Village!
"No problem!"
Tsunade agreed without hesitation.
Standing beside her, Aoyama Ryūun noticed Nawaki's worried look,
so he patted the boy's shoulder
and then turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, saying:
"Then add me in too!"
Hiruzen immediately nodded.
He had originally wanted Ryūun to go,
he just hadn't known how to say it.
Tsunade, standing beside him, tilted her head
and flashed him a bright smile.
"Thank you!"
"Thank me?
I just can't relax letting you go alone to the battlefield."
Besides, once he got to the battlefield,
he'd surely encounter strong opponents —
and that meant his template synchronization rate
would increase again.
"After all, this incident happened partly because of me!"
In fact, no one really blamed Hatake Sakumo for what happened.
After all — this was the fate of a ninja.
"Hmm!
With Sakumo assisting, I can rest easy."
Hiruzen didn't object.
He nodded in agreement, approving Sakumo's participation in the war.
"What's that supposed to mean?
You trust Hatake Sakumo,
but not me, huh?"
That kind of talk made Tsunade a little upset —
as if she didn't understand the situation.
Hiruzen gave her an exasperated look.
Even though the Rock and Cloud Villages had declared a ceasefire,
there was no guarantee they wouldn't go back on their word —
so he had to keep some powerful shinobi in Konoha.
Since they would soon head to the battlefield,
Hatake Sakumo went home to say goodbye to his family.
Compared to the cold, quiet Orochimaru,
Jiraiya was much more talkative.
"So annoying, Ryūun!
Aren't you going to break up with Tsunade?
I only rushed back because I heard that rumor!"
Seeing Ryūun standing beside Tsunade,
Jiraiya looked completely frustrated.
From the looks of it,
this didn't seem like a breakup at all!
Of course, Ryūun knew what Jiraiya meant —
but unlike Kato Dan,
Jiraiya was always open and straightforward,
never playing tricks behind the scenes.
Seeing his expression,
Ryūun burst into laughter and wrapped his arm around Tsunade's shoulder.
"Who knows, maybe I'm just too charming!"
That line — could Jiraiya tolerate it?
"If people knew what you were really like,
their dreams would shatter!"
"Slander! Absolute slander!"
Jiraiya was fuming.
"I only use women for research material!
Never for anything else!"
Watching Jiraiya slip into full-on drama mode,
Ryūun and Tsunade didn't even bother responding.
Off to the side, Orochimaru couldn't help glaring at him.
"Uuuuh, Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya whined.
He was about to cry —
even Orochimaru was starting to dislike him!
So sad!
Orochimaru completely ignored Jiraiya's pitiful look
and turned to Tsunade seriously.
"The battlefield is dangerous. Be careful."
At this stage, Orochimaru might have been cold and reserved,
but deep down, he truly cared about his teammates.
"Don't worry!"
Tsunade tilted her head slightly,
smiling brightly at Aoyama Ryūun beside her —
a stunning smile.
Across from them, Jiraiya's face darkened.
The goddess smiles so beautifully…
but unfortunately, not at me.
He knew all too well how strong Ryūun was.
After all, he'd been beaten up by him before.
"Bang!"
Ryūun smacked Jiraiya hard on the shoulder.
He always smiled that same way
whenever he hit Jiraiya —
and at this point, it was giving the poor guy trauma.
"Damn it!
I'm telling you, my wounds still haven't healed!
If you mess me up again,
you're paying for my recovery!"
"No problem — I'll even buy you some land."
"Land?"
Jiraiya froze,
looking at Ryūun with a glimmer of hope.
Could it be something good?
Houses in Konoha weren't outrageously expensive,
but they weren't cheap either.
That thought alone made Jiraiya fall silent.
"…Excuse me! I'll be going now!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
Jiraiya turned and left.
No way he was staying to get beaten again!