"It's really embarrassing to have teammates like you, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said lightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Jiraiya scowled, feeling the weight of Orochimaru's disapproval.
"Yes! Originally, your reputation isn't great. Add to that the accusation of harassing a kid, you'll become a rat, everyone will scream and beat you," Tsunade added jokingly, with a mocking smile on her lips.
Chen also crossed his arms and looked at Jiraiya with a bored expression.
Indeed, if he really fought Jiraiya, he would surely defeat him. Jiraiya's current strength is less than that of Orochimaru and Tsunade.
If Tsunade is at Jōnin strength, Orochimaru is near Kage strength, Jiraiya is just a Jōnin.
It's not about belittling Jiraiya. In the future, Jiraiya with Sage Mode might be the most powerful of the Sannin.
But the current Jiraiya has not yet gone to Mount Myōboku, and his aptitude is not as good as that of Orochimaru and Tsunade, so he is indeed a bit weak.
He has achieved Jōnin strength through a lot of effort. Compared to Orochimaru and Tsunade, Jiraiya has put in the most effort.
"By the way, cute kid, what's your name?" Tsunade turned to look at Chen and asked.
Chen looked up and, meeting her eyes, said with a charming smile, "My name is Hyuga Chen."
Tsunade was stunned, staring into Chen's beautiful lavender eyes. The intricate golden patterns that shimmered like stars mesmerized her. She remained captivated by those eyes for a while.
Chen felt the intensity of her gaze but maintained his composure, smiling gently.
"Your eyes... they're beautiful" Tsunade murmured, unable to look away.
Orochimaru also noticed Tsunade's reaction and fixed his gaze on Chen's eyes, intrigued by what he saw.
Jiraiya, still trying to salvage some dignity, commented with a twisted smile, "Wow, Tsunade, it seems you've finally found something that catches your eye."
Without taking her eyes off Chen, Tsunade replied, "These eyes... they're not normal. Chen, you are a truly special child."
Chen nodded humbly. "Thank you, sister. My eyes have been like this since I was born."
Orochimaru, increasingly interested, moved a bit closer.
"I wonder what secrets these eyes hold"he said in a soft voice, but loaded with intent.
Feeling the growing curiosity and potential danger of the situation, Chen prepared to leave.
Tsunade, finally breaking her gaze from his eyes, nodded.
"Now that you've introduced yourself, let us introduce ourselves too!" Tsunade said with a smile.
"There's no need, Tsunade. I think he already knows who we are," Orochimaru said, his vertical pupils never leaving Chen.
Ignoring Orochimaru's intense gaze, Chen smiled upon hearing these words, "Yes, I know you. After all, you are the disciples of the Hokage. There's no one in Konoha who doesn't know you! Especially Princess Tsunade."
Tsunade smiled, visibly flattered by the title. But before she could respond, Jiraiya, still infuriated, interjected:
"So you know us, kid! But despite that, you shame me. You're dead."
Chen looked at him with an expression of boredom.
"Jiraiya, you really should learn to calm down," Orochimaru said, enjoying the scene. "This child is not ordinary."
"Sister, don't you think it's a bit extreme to threaten a child? He was just being honest," said Chen, turning the attention back to Tsunade.
Jiraiya, still furious, clenched his fists, but Tsunade quickly intervened.
"Jiraiya, don't you realize how pathetic you're acting?" Tsunade said with disdain. "This child is only being honest. You should learn to accept the truth."
Orochimaru slightly nodded, still studying Chen.
Being insulted by his peers over a mere child, Jiraiya looked at Chen with disdain.
"From what I see, you're a waste," said Jiraiya, noticing that Chen didn't display the typical traits of a Hyuga.
"Jiraiya!!" Tsunade's voice was full of fury.
In that moment, Jiraiya reacted and hurried to apologize to Chen. He had always been outspoken, but he truly meant no harm.
"It's fine, but I'm surprised you'd say that being the Hokage's disciple," Chen replied calmly, showing no signs of anger.
Chen was well aware of his own situation and wasn't much bothered by what others said.
Tsunade, impressed by Chen's response, smiled.
"I didn't expect you to have such a good mentality. If someone had said that to me, I would have killed them with one punch," she said, threatening Jiraiya with a raised fist.
Chen smiled, finding the situation quite amusing.
"Good mentality, huh?" he commented, in a relaxed tone.
This is his conclusion: no one bothers Chen. And Chen is a good gentleman. As long as it doesn't affect his own interests, Chen will smile and agree. But once someone affects his interests, Chen will definitely explode.
Tsunade, wanting to relieve the tension and moved by Chen's maturity, made an invitation.
"It just so happens we're going to eat, so you better join us, my treat," Tsunade said with a kind smile.
She didn't know why, but she felt a lot of affection for Chen, who appeared to be about the same age as her brother, giving her a sense of familiarity.
"Alright!" Chen nodded with a smile.
He wouldn't say no to a meal, especially these days when he isn't exactly flush with cash, plus it was a chance to get to know the Sannin better.
-
The four of them headed to a small barbecue restaurant in the center of Konoha.
As they walked, Jiraiya couldn't help but shed a tear. Every time they went out to eat, he ended up paying the bill. Tsunade loved to eat, and Orochimaru was also a heavy drinker.
'Thank goodness it's just a kid,' Jiraiya consoled himself internally.
Upon arriving at the barbecue restaurant, the owner greeted them with a smile. "It turns out you're the Hokage's disciples! Since you come here often, I'll give you a 30% discount this time," the owner announced bravely.
"Thank you, boss!" Jiraiya expressed his immense gratitude.
"You're welcome, after all, you are regulars here," replied the owner with a smile.
However, the owner would soon lose his reason to smile.
After finding a place to sit, Jiraiya proudly said, "You can order whatever you want, kid, and I'll pay the bill."
Chen smiled and quickly responded, "You said it. Boss, serve up ten plates of meat first, and then we'll order more after eating."
Jiraiya, still confident, added, "Kid, ten plates of meat aren't enough for us."
Chen looked at him seriously and said, "I think you misunderstood. I ordered these ten grilled meats for myself. If you want to eat, order your own."
Jiraiya jumped up, "W-what?! You can eat ten plates of barbecue?!"
Tsunade also quickly intervened. "Little Chen, don't order so much if you can't finish it later."
Chen reassured Tsunade with a dazzling smile, "Don't worry, these are just appetizers."
As he spoke, Chen began grilling the meat.
"Little devil, if you can't finish it, you'll have to pay for it," Jiraiya said, nervous about the cost. "Although the barbecue here is delicious, it's very expensive. A plate costs a thousand ryo, and ten plates will cost ten thousand ryo."
"It's fine. After we eat, you'll see," replied Chen, smiling as he flipped the meat on the grill.
…
The food arrived, and everyone began to eat.
Chen took the opportunity to closely observe the Sannin. Tsunade ate heartily, enjoying the meal and always looking over with a smile.
Jiraiya, although still annoyed, seemed to relax a bit with each bite. Orochimaru, on the other hand, ate slowly, constantly watching Chen with his penetrating gaze.
As they ate, the conversation flowed more smoothly. Chen shared some anecdotes from his "childhood," making Tsunade laugh, who strangely took every opportunity to touch him, whether it was on the arm, shoulder, or chest, earning weird looks from Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
_______
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