Jiraiya

Jiraiya's first few blinks were greeted by an overwhelming surge of light, causing him to squint against the brightness. The initial shock of reality gave way to disbelief as his eyes adjusted, revealing Tsunade staring at him, her expression etched with genuine concern.

"...Tsunade?" Jiraiya uttered slowly, his voice laced with bewilderment. The gravity of the situation dawned on him, and he couldn't help but question the surreal nature of the moment. "More importantly, a 'worried' Tsunade? Who is worried for 'me'?!"

His disbelief quickly transformed into a theatrical display of shock and outrage. "What kind of genjutsu is this?" he exclaimed, his voice rising in a series of incredulous shouts. 

The barrage of words abruptly ceased as he turned his attention back to Tsunade, his demeanor shifting seamlessly.

In an instant, Jiraiya's expression transformed into a charming smile, his charisma radiating so strongly that imaginary flowers bloomed behind him, and his teeth seemed to sparkle even whiter. "Tsunade, my lady. Is that you?" he cooed, his tone filled with exaggerated adoration.

Tsunade, mortified by Jiraiya's antics, felt her face flush with embarrassment. Beside her, Shizune couldn't bear the secondhand embarrassment and looked down, steam practically billowing from her head.

Observing Shizune's reaction, Tsunade's patience wore thin, and her anger boiled over. Without a moment's hesitation, she delivered a swift blow to Jiraiya's gut, causing him to double over and collapse to the ground, unconscious.

The last words Jiraiya heard were Shizune's concerned voice, "Lady Tsunade-!!" followed by her reassurance, "It's fine, Shizune. He will live," as she took charge of the situation, ensuring that Jiraiya would recover from his dramatic encounter with Tsunade's fury.

Waking up for the second time, under Shizune's guidance, Jiraiya exhibited a newfound sense of restraint. 

Gone were his lecherous glances and perverted laughter; instead, he behaved with an unexpected decorum, subduing Tsunade's wrath enough to facilitate a civil conversation between them.

They found themselves in Tsunade's living room, now transformed thanks to Shizune's efforts. The once gloomy atmosphere had lifted, replaced by a welcoming ambiance. 

Although the room was sparsely furnished, with shelves displaying an assortment of alcohol bottles and a single low table in the middle, it no longer reeked of heavy alcohol fumes. Instead, the air was infused with a pleasant aroma of herbs, and the space was illuminated, making a significant difference in its overall feel.

As Shizune served them matcha tea, Jiraiya observed the careful preparation, appreciating the rarity of the delicacy. He held the tea cup with proper Japanese etiquette, taking a small sip to savor the refreshing taste. "Hmm, this is truly healing," he remarked, feeling his body relax under the tea's influence.

However, their tranquil moment was soon interrupted by Tsunade's probing question. "Did you fight to the death with Orochimaru?" she inquired, her curiosity evident.

"Fighting to the death?" Jiraiya scoffed bitterly, a deep sigh escaping him. "It was nothing like that."

Tsunade, perplexed by Jiraiya's reaction, was about to voice her confusion when he uttered words that sent a chill down her spine. "He completely, utterly, overwhelmed me," Jiraiya said, his voice lowering to emphasize the gravity of his words.

"...What?" Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, her disbelief evident. 

The revelation that Orochimaru had so thoroughly dominated someone as formidable as Jiraiya left her visibly shaken. Her surprise quickly morphed into a deep frown as she demanded an explanation, "Tell me in details."

Jiraiya nodded solemnly, taking another sip of the tea before he began recounting the events that had led him to that point. "Sometime ago, I received an anonymous letter with black threads wrapped around it. The contents said—Orochimaru is in the Land of Sound.''

He continued, his gaze unwavering as he held Tsunade's attention. "Even though I was skeptical about the legitimacy of the information, it was the first lead I had on Orochimaru in Ages. I had to check it out myself."

"When I reached the Land of Sound, I started finding traces of Orochimaru there, and soon I began hearing disturbing rumors," Jiraiya said, his voice steady but filled with the undertone of dread.

"He has founded his own illegal village by controlling the Sound Daimyō," he revealed, watching as Tsunade's expression shifted from shock to apprehension.

"This 'village' is actually a collection of interconnected hidden facilities scattered throughout the Land of Sound," Jiraiya continued, his words sinking in with heavy significance.

"After weeks of searching, I managed to locate one of those facilities, and there I saw what Orochimaru has been doing all these years," he said, his tone turning grave.

"What was he doing?" Tsunade asked, her dread growing with every word.

"He has been experimenting and researching on live humans in his base," Jiraiya revealed, his voice low, filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Experiments? What for?" Tsunade's frown deepened, her mind racing to comprehend the horror of Orochimaru's actions.

"To attain immortality," Jiraiya replied, his eyes hardened with resolve.

Summoning a toad, Jiraiya had it spit out a storage scroll. From the scroll, he carefully extracted multiple books and documents, handing one of them to Tsunade.

As she read through the information, her brows furrowed in confusion. "The Cursed Seal?" she muttered.

Jiraiya nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. "It's a form of seal only Orochimaru can give. Despite its negative side effects, the power it grants is similar to having a perfect Sage Mode."

Tsunade, her curiosity piqued, tried to grab the other books from Jiraiya, but he swiftly halted her, gripping her outstretched hand firmly. "Don't," he warned, his voice serious. "Those contain a forbidden jutsu of Konoha, a very dangerous one."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Tsunade nodded, retracting her hand, her mind now directed towards the questions and concerns about the dangerous secrets Orochimaru had uncovered.

Unbeknownst to Tsunade, the other book within Jiraiya's grasp contained the Edo Tensei Jutsu—a forbidden technique that defied the natural order, allowing the dead to return to the realm of the living. 

Jiraiya shielded this particular jutsu from Tsunade's gaze, concealing the knowledge that could tempt even the strongest of wills. He trusted her, yes, but he dared not risk her sanity and stability, fearing the depths of desperation she might plunge into with the prospect of reviving her long-lost family.

"Then where is the rest of the cursed seal technique, Jiraiya?" Tsunade's voice was a soft melody, masking the storm of questions and uncertainties swirling within her.

Jiraiya's shoulders rose and fell in a resigned shrug, a gesture weighted with the burden of his failure. "By the time I was storing these, Orochimaru caught wind of me." His words hung in the air, heavy with the bitterness of the lost battle.

"...Then you guys fought, and you could retrieve the rest," Tsunade said, her eyes fixed on Jiraiya, searching for the truth hidden beneath his weary exterior.

"Yeah," Jiraiya admitted, his voice tinged with defeat. "Then he beat me." The admission hung in the air, a testament to Orochimaru's terrifying prowess.

Tsunade's gaze softened, her empathy radiating like a comforting embrace. 

She reached out, her hand finding Jiraiya's, offering solace in the face of his defeat. "Don't beat yourself up over your loss too much. At least, you're alive," she said, her voice gentle like a soothing melody.

Jiraiya met her gaze, his eyes reflecting the pain and regret of battles lost. "You don't get it, Tsunade. The fact that I managed to run away was at the cost of many of my Toad Summon's lives." His fists clenched, his knuckles turning white as the memories of their sacrifice flooded his mind. "Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and fuinjutsu. You name it, he has mastered it."

Tsunade sighed, her heart aching for her old friend's torment. She placed a comforting hand on his back, her touch offering silent reassurance. "It's fine, Jiraiya. It's okay to be weak. We are already old. It's not like we can do anything about it."

"No," Jiraiya protested, his voice carrying a fierce determination as his hands reached for her shoulders. "There is something that can be done."

His grip tightened on Tsunade's shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin as if to convey the urgency of his words. "The Cursed Seal, Tsunade. Even though it's incomplete, I want to complete it. I want to make an artificial perfect sage mode, like how Minato made an artificial Bijuu Dama."

Tsunade stammered, taken aback by the fiery determination burning in Jiraiya's eyes. 

She hesitated for a moment before removing Jiraiya's hands from her shoulders, her gaze avoiding his intense stare. "Sure, get healed properly, and then do that," she said, her voice unsteady, her thoughts a whirlwind of apprehension and curiosity.

Jiraiya's confusion lingered in the air like an unresolved puzzle, his furrowed brows searching Tsunade's eyes for answers. "Tsunade? Aren't I completely healed?" he inquired, his voice laced with bewilderment, a mixture of surprise and concern etched on his face.

"No, you're not completely healed. You would need to stay here for a few more weeks before you can get completely healed," Tsunade explained, her words carrying the weight of the unspoken struggles they faced.

"Hmm, is that so," Jiraiya mused, his expression shifting into one of seriousness. "Even his poison has reached a level where someone like you can't completely heal me," he stated, a note of realization coloring his voice, acknowledging the gravity of Orochimaru's deadly concoctions.

Tsunade shook her head in response, a mixture of frustration and determination flashing in her eyes. The silence that followed was broken by Shizune, who had been quietly observing the conversation. 

Her voice was soft, hesitant, as she interjected, "Lady Tsunade is still very capable of curing Orochimaru's poison. It's just that..." Shizune trailed off, her words hanging in the air like unfinished sentences, revealing the delicate intricacies of their situation.

Jiraiya's gaze shifted from Tsunade to Shizune, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "It's just what, Shizune?" he pressed, his curiosity piqued, sensing the weight of the unspoken words, each unuttered syllable echoing in the room.

"It's just that I still haven't completely overcome my fear of blood yet, and I had to stop operating on you before I could entirely cure you," Tsunade admitted in a single breath, her confession a testament to her internal struggle, a blend of embarrassment and frustration.

Jiraiya's eyes widened in realization, a mixture of disbelief and understanding dawning on his features. "What!?" he exclaimed, his voice a crescendo of shock. "You mean, You treated me instead of Shizune!?"

Jiraiya was taken aback, his surprise mirroring the shockwaves of Tsunade's bravery and Shizune's empathy. He had witnessed Tsunade's deepest wounds, understood her fears closely, and this act of courage was beyond anything he could have imagined from his dear friend.

"Quiet, you idiot!" Tsunade snapped, her patience wearing thin as Jiraiya's outburst grated on her nerves. She refused to let her vulnerabilities be a source of pity, her strength shining even in moments of raw honesty.

In a swift motion, she delivered another punch, her fist connecting with Jiraiya's jaw, rendering him unconscious once more. And just like that, Jiraiya succumbed to sleep for the third time that day, the room once again enveloped in silence, save for the soft rustling of leaves outside and the steady rhythm of their breaths.

—————

The room was bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun, casting a warm, golden hue on the walls as Jiraiya stirred awake. 

His eyes flickered open to find the familiar figure of Kōsuke, his frog summon, perched on his chest. The room felt oddly empty without the presence of Tsunade and Shizune, their absence leaving a palpable void in the air.

"Did you sleep well~?" Kōsuke's sarcastic remark hung in the air like a mischievous echo, his tone laced with playful mockery. 

Jiraiya managed a half-smile. "Yeah," Jiraiya replied, his voice slightly groggy from the remnants of sleep. "How long have I been asleep for anyway?"

"A few days," Kōsuke answered, his amphibian eyes observing Jiraiya with a mixture of concern and amusement.

"Damn," Jiraiya muttered, his hand absentmindedly scratching the back of his head, his fingers tangling in his unruly white hair. A wince flickered across his face, a testament to the memory of Tsunade's powerful punches. "Did Tsunade always hit that hard?"

As he sat up, Kōsuke gracefully leaped down from his chest, his movements fluid like a dance of shadows. The frog's eyes held a somber intensity, a reflection of the urgency in his message.

"The Leaf Village Shinobi are looking for you," Kōsuke informed, his throaty croak carrying a sense of urgency as he spat out a scroll, the parchment unfurling like a coiled serpent.

Jiraiya's calloused hands reached for the scroll, his fingers tracing the seal with a practiced touch. With each word he read, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier.

The weight of the information settling like a stone in his gut, the inked characters seemed to bleed with foreboding, painting a grim picture of Konoha's plight.

Just as he neared the end of the scroll, the door to his room slid open, revealing Tsunade, her expression a mix of concern and relief. 

"What does it say, Jiraiya?" she asked, her voice steady despite the undercurrent of worry not for Konoha but for her old friend.

Jiraiya met her gaze, his own eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. "I have to go back to Konoha right now," he said, his voice firm, yet laced with a touch of sorrow for the news he was about to deliver.

Tsunade's features contorted in shock, her disbelief evident. "Why? What happened?" she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Konoha was under an attacked by a very deadly organization called Akatsuki," Jiraiya revealed, his words heavy with the seriousness of the situation.

Tsunade's expression morphed into one of shock, her initial disbelief giving way to the harsh reality of the invasion. The room seemed to close in around them, the weight of the world pressing down on their shoulders.

"Hiruzen-Sensei's son was among the casualties of the invasion," Jiraiya continued, his voice weighted with sorrow, the memory of the fallen etched in his mind.

The mention of Hiruzen-Sensei, their hated, yet respected teacher, intensified the pain, creating a deep ache within their hearts.

Tsunade faltered, her shoulders slumping under the burden of the news. Her eyes, once filled with determination, now mirrored the pain of the past, the wounds of her history freshly reopened.

"Fine then, I suppose visiting Konoha is no longer a matter of choice anymore," Tsunade said, her voice laced with resignation. 

Jiraiya's heart ached for his dear friend, her strength shining through even in the face of her deepest fears. "You don't need to go to Konoha, Tsunade," he urged, his voice gentle, laced with concern for her well-being.

But Tsunade waved off his concern, her hand cutting through the air like a decisive blade. "Stop it, I can't run away from my past for the rest of my life," she said, her words carrying the weight of her resolve. "Besides, who will take care of you when you're like this?"

Jiraiya chuckled at her concern, his laughter echoing through the room. "Tsunade, even though I am slightly weakened, that doesn't mean I need a lady accompanying me as a bodyguard, Haha."

Tsunade, watching her old friend laugh, silently shook her head before leaving the room momentarily. When she returned, she carried with her a full-length mirror, her expression grave.

"Jiraiya, can you really not feel it? Try opening one of your bandages," she urged, her voice steady, guiding him toward the harsh reality he was about to face.

Jiraiya, his curiosity piqued, started unwrapping a bandage from his arm, his movements slow and deliberate. As the cloth fell away, he was met with a shocking sight. 

His hand bore black scar-like markings, snaking across his skin like sinister tattoos. In disbelief, he began unraveling all the bandages covering his body, only to find the same ominous markings marring his once unblemished skin.

Tsunade, her gaze steady, explained, "Orochimaru's Poison mainly targets the muscles and fat tissues in the body, before destroying them." Her words hung heavily in the air, the gruesome reality sinking in. "The destroyed tissues then start rotting inside of one's body. The rotten goo seeps out, stretching and folding the skin in a grotesque manner."

Jiraiya, his eyes widening in horror, looked at his reflection in the mirror, his heart pounding in his chest. The man he saw was a mere shadow of his former self, a thin figure with black markings covering every inch of his body.

"What the hell," Jiraiya muttered, his voice barely audible, his mind struggling to grasp the devastating transformation he had undergone.