Before anyone realized it, two hours had slipped by.
Watching the sun dip toward the horizon, Kanon sat on a bench, taking in the scenery of Konoha. She felt the presence of the Anbu around her steadily increasing and understood the situation perfectly. She had sensed every single one of them; if she made even the slightest move, they would strike in an instant. The only reason they hadn't moved yet was because this was a bustling area of the village, and they feared the collateral damage to civilians.
Kanon stood up and stretched her limbs, preparing to leave. However, after walking just a few blocks, she spotted Jiraiya and Tsunade stepping out of an izakaya. Jiraiya was supporting a clearly drunken Tsunade as they made their way toward a distant park.
"That guy... he actually went drinking with the Hokage," Kanon's lip twitched. Her so-called master truly lacked any sense of propriety.
…
Two hours earlier.
After Tsunade and Jiraiya had left Kanon's side, Tsunade frowned. "I'm going to assign a few Anbu to keep an eye on her."
"Do as you wish, but don't alert the enemy," Jiraiya cautioned.
"Regardless, why couldn't we talk there? Why did we have to come back to the Hokage's office?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"It's intelligence regarding the Akatsuki."
"What?!" Tsunade gasped. She shot a wary glance back at Kanon, who sat pensively on the distant bench, and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Then let's hurry back."
Once inside the Hokage's office, the moment Tsunade sat down, Jiraiya spoke: "I've discovered the hiding place of the Akatsuki's leader."
Tsunade froze. Shizune, who had just entered to serve tea, stumbled, sending her teacup shattering to the floor.
"What?!"
Tsunade stood up abruptly. She hadn't expected the news to be about the leader himself. Currently, a member of the Akatsuki was right here in the village, but since Jiraiya had instructed her not to act rashly to avoid endangering the villagers, she had settled for surveillance.
"Tell me the details, quickly!" Tsunade demanded.
"Let's use this intel to draft a surprise attack plan!" Shizune added excitedly.
Jiraiya waved his hands dismissively. "Alright, alright, don't be in such a rush."
"This isn't a sequel to one of your novels! How can you be so nonchalant?" Tsunade hissed through gritted teeth.
"Being impatient is no good, especially when you're about to place a major bet." Jiraiya smiled. "How about it? For old time's sake, let's go out for a drink. We can talk while we share a jar."
"You idiot! I'm the Hokage! How can I drink in broad daylight?!"
"Don't you feel guilty toward the shinobi out on missions?! And Kanon Uchiha is still in the village! You moron!" Tsunade rolled her eyes and began a frantic tirade against him.
…
The scene shifted.
Inside the izakaya, Tsunade let out a loud burp.
"You... at least take some responsibility for what you say!" Jiraiya sighed. "And you downed the whole bottle! You're the Hokage, for heaven's sake!"
Tsunade set her glass on the table, a faint smile playing on her lips. "So, the Akatsuki leader is in the Hidden Rain Village, then?"
"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded.
"But their immigration screening and surveillance of visitors are incredibly strict. Even the procedures for the Chunin Exams were a nightmare every time. It's a very isolationist village. It doesn't seem like a place where the leader of the Akatsuki could move freely."
Jiraiya nodded, acknowledging her analysis. "However, precisely because it is so closed off, they can prevent other nations from knowing the truth and keep their shame hidden. That country has apparently been in a state of civil war for a long time, splitting the village in two. The leader of one faction is rumored to be the head of the Akatsuki."
Tsunade considered the geography of the Land of Rain. "That country is surrounded by three great nations, Earth, Wind, and Fire. Since ancient times, it's been a battlefield for the three. Because of that, the internal government is unstable, and refugees are constantly increasing."
Jiraiya understood her point. "Anyway, to confirm if the intel is true, I'll infiltrate and investigate first. We'll discuss combat plans later."
Tsunade was horrified. "It's too dangerous for you to go alone!"
"I am one of Konoha's Sannin. You, of all people, should know what that means."
Hearing the conviction in Jiraiya's voice, Tsunade's face flushed slightly from the alcohol, but her eyes trembled.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "Every time, you're the one who ends up with the short end of the stick."
Jiraiya burst into laughter. "Hahaha! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"The person who was supposed to become Hokage... it should have been you! Even the Third believed the next in line should have been—"
Jiraiya cut her off. "I'm not cut out to be Hokage. I'm better suited for a life of freedom."
Tsunade pierced through his facade with a single sentence. "You regret not being able to stop Orochimaru and Kanon Uchiha, don't you? That's why you've been tracking their every move."
Jiraiya looked down in silence, a wave of nostalgia for Orochimaru washing over him. As for Kanon, having just seen her, he felt somewhat better.
"There's no need for that anymore. This way, the sequel to my novel can be released sooner."
Tsunade sighed. "I never imagined... that guy would actually die. Back then, the three of us, always following the old man..."
Jiraiya's eyes began to wander, fixating on Tsunade's chest.
"The flat-chested Tsunade of back then has become a busty Hokage. Times change. Even the beautiful woman you were is now a middle-aged hag over fifty. Thinking about how much grief you carry for the dead... it's truly tragic. And yet, that grief is only going to increase from here."
He paused, his gaze turning serious. "But if you think about it calmly, it's a bit different. My mission is to be a model for the next generation and to help them. For that, I'll gladly put my life on the line with a smile. I suppose that's the cool part of being an elder."
…
Back to the present.
Kanon followed far behind Tsunade and Jiraiya, hoping to catch their conversation, but was interrupted by the Anbu nearby. However, Jiraiya and Tsunade had already noticed her; since the important matters had been discussed, they didn't care if she overheard the rest.
Jiraiya and Tsunade sat on a park bench, staring blankly at the setting sun.
"The Akatsuki... it's impossible to guess how powerful someone who commands those monsters must be," Tsunade murmured. "And yet, you're walking straight into the enemy's jaws as if you're looking to die."
Jiraiya gave a light chuckle and stood up, lifting the scroll beside him. "Well... it's about time I head out."
"Come back alive..." Tsunade watched his back, her voice choked with emotion, whether from the sake or a creeping sense of dread. "If even you die... I..."
Jiraiya turned and shouted with a grin, "Will you cry for me? I'd be honored! Though, I doubt you'll be as heartbroken as you were when Dan died."
"You idiot!" Tsunade snapped.
"Then let's place a bet with your favorite hobby. Bet that I'll die. After all, you lose every bet you make."
A light breeze blew, ruffling Jiraiya's white hair, which glowed gold in the sunset. He looked at Tsunade with eyes full of confidence. "But, when I come back alive..."
Tsunade froze, her cheeks flushing. Having known him since childhood, she knew exactly what he wanted to say. Seeing her expression, Jiraiya burst into laughter again.
"Just kidding! I'm just joking! I'm grateful to you. A man only becomes strong after being rejected. If you don't have the guts to turn a rejection into a joke over drinks, you aren't a real man."
Tsunade looked at him, bewildered. As a woman, she couldn't understand the need for such bravado. "Does a man have to be so tough?"
"Pretty much. Happiness isn't something a man should pursue." The smile never left Jiraiya's lips.
Tsunade nodded slightly. "Hmph, look at you acting all cool! You don't even have a woman, so you don't even have the right to be rejected."
Finally, Jiraiya prepared to depart.
"If anything happens, contact me immediately with a toad! I'll come at once!" Tsunade reminded him.
"Don't worry about it. You can't leave the village. What kind of Hokage goes out looking for a fight? Right now, the village revolves around you."
"There are plenty of candidates for Hokage," Tsunade retorted.
"If the village head keeps changing, the village will never be stable. There's no one better suited to be Hokage than you!"
"What about Kakashi?!" Tsunade said, exasperated. "And that Naruto will have his chance eventually."
Jiraiya smiled warmly. "You surprisingly think quite highly of Naruto. I suppose I understand; your brother and your lover were both men who chased the same dream as him. Kakashi aside, even though you gave Naruto the necklace, he's still got a long way to go. Currently, Kanon would kill him in an instant, it's only because she has no intent to kill that he's still breathing."
Tsunade nodded. "You've put a lot of effort into both of them, haven't you? Even if Kanon Uchiha went rogue. You even taught them both the Rasengan."
"I taught Naruto, that's true. But not Kanon. She just watched it once and learned it."
Tsunade was stunned. "She learned it just by seeing it once...?"
"Yeah. Looking at that little girl from the Uchiha clan reminds me of the time I taught Minato."
"Minato Namikaze?" Tsunade whispered. "They are similar."
"Minato was a genius that only appears once a decade. I doubt we'll see another like him, but Kanon is the only one who gives me that same feeling." Jiraiya's thoughts drifted back to the Fourth. "He was a kind man, but his will was incredibly tough. He became the Fourth Hokage in no time. I've never been a father, so I don't know for sure, but if he were my son, I'd be very proud."
Tsunade let out a sudden laugh. "If you put it that way, Naruto isn't like him at all. Rather than a son to be proud of, Naruto is more like a troublemaker who only causes headaches. If anything, he takes after his mother, Kushina Uzumaki."
Jiraiya grinned. "Right, that's the name! A redhead, a wild girl who never stopped talking! Kushina grew up to be a beauty. Naruto looks just like his father, which is why I see his shadow in both Naruto and Kanon. To me, those two feel like my own grandchildren."
"Then you should get your granddaughter to come back to her senses," Tsunade frowned, remembering that Kanon had clearly marked Konoha as a target for revenge.
"Alright, Tsunade. I have to go." Jiraiya fastened the scroll to his back and gave her one last look. "Oh, one last piece of advice. Watch out for the members of Root."
"I know," Tsunade nodded.
"Good. Goodbye."
Tsunade stood at a distance, silently watching Jiraiya's back. This man, who always laughed so recklessly and spoke so crudely, now walked with a heavy stride that seemed to press against her heart, making it hard to breathe.
His shadow stretched long across the ground in the setting sun, like the words left unsaid between them, lingering and distant. This time, he didn't look back. Tsunade's heart tightened, and her eyes welled with tears. Her fists, usually so powerful, hung weakly at her sides.
She wanted to call out, to tell him not to go, but she knew it was futile. All she could do was pray in silence, pray that this journey was just a scare, and that he would return to the village he loved, and to her side.
A gentle breeze blew, catching strands of her hair. Time was silent, yet in this moment, it felt impossibly heavy. Jiraiya's figure gradually blurred until it vanished past the horizon, leaving behind only a piercing longing and a dark, sinking premonition.