Chapter 18. The Ladies of Each Clan Are Actually...
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"Are you back?"
"I came back as soon as I got the letter from the old man. Another war is starting?"
"The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has gone missing! Recently, Sunagakure has been acting frequently, and everyone was wondering what was going on. But now it's been exposed... war is inevitable."
"What a headache," Jiraiya sighed, seeing the similarly helpless expression on the old man's face. He then grinned mischievously and asked, "By the way, where's Tsunade?"
"Worried that something might happen, I sent her to guard the battlefield."
"Her hemophobia..."
"Don't worry." The Third Hokage removed the pipe from his mouth and looked at Jiraiya. "I placed her in the rear; nothing will happen to her." He sighed again, "I hope those kids grow up quickly."
"If there's nothing else, I'll go rest for now." Jiraiya, clearly uninterested in listening to the old man's worries, dug at his ear. "Just let me know when you need me for something."
Without waiting for a response from the Third Hokage, Jiraiya turned and walked away. However, as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. He pulled a piece of paper from his robe and tossed it behind him. "Oh, one more thing. I came across something interesting outside."
The paper fluttered gently onto the desk, landing open in front of the Third Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the paper and was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he furrowed his brows, set down his pipe, and murmured, "Shimura Danzo?"
Why hadn't he received such an important bounty notice until now?
What were his intelligence agents doing out there?
Or had it been intercepted?
The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, glancing down at the amount listed on the paper. Suddenly, a chuckle escaped his lips as he muttered, "That's quite a high sum!"
Three hundred and sixty million ryo.
But…
As the Third Hokage of Konoha, he wouldn't stoop so low as to cash in on his old friend.
A mere 360 million ryo?
As the leader of the most powerful village in the ninja world, that amount was nothing!
...
"Yuto Bubble Tea," Jiraiya muttered as he gazed at the milk tea shop in front of him. He shook his head with a hint of admiration. "I can't believe he really built this up in just a few short years."
He remembered that kid back then.
Cheerful, thoughtful, and not like the usual Uchiha with their constant scowls. This boy was always smiling.
Optimistic, full of energy, and brimming with the Will of Fire.
He had talent too, only slightly below Jiraiya himself. He could have become Jiraiya's apprentice, but on graduation day...
He ventured into business instead.
What a shame!
Still, for some reason, every time he passed by this milk tea shop, he couldn't help but stop and consider going in for a drink.
At first, he thought it might be some kind of Genjutsu, but it wasn't. He just genuinely wanted to try it.
Letting out a long sigh, Jiraiya was about to head inside when—
"Jiraiya-sensei."
A familiar voice sounded from behind.
Jiraiya let out a hearty laugh, turning around to see Minato. His eyes lit up. "You're in the village, Minato!" Then he looked at the red-haired woman standing beside Minato. "Whoa, Kushina's grown more beautiful too!"
"Hmph!" Kushina huffed in displeasure, raising her fist. "If you corrupt Minato, Pervy Sage, I'll beat you up!"
"You've got me all wrong, Kushina! I'm not that kind of guy!"
"Tsunade-sensei said she once broke your—"
"Kushina." Minato sighed helplessly, gently pulling her hand and then turning to Jiraiya with a wry smile. "Welcome back, Jiraiya-sensei. I'm leading my own team now. My squad is currently working on a mission here."
"Really? Already have your own squad? Time sure flies." Jiraiya nodded with nostalgia, then glanced behind Minato. "Doing a mission here? Selling milk tea?"
"No! Just running errands." Minato chuckled. "Thanks to Yuto, the village has plenty of D-rank missions now."
Newly graduated ninjas always needed to take on these tedious tasks to help develop teamwork and cultivate a serious, patient, and responsible attitude toward each mission.
During this period, Obito had learned a lot from delivering orders. At the very least, it helped him calm down and take things a bit more seriously.
Of course, they wouldn't stay here forever. In a few days, Minato planned to take on a C-rank escort or bandit elimination mission so Obito and Rin could see the harsher side of being a ninja. As for Kakashi… he'd already seen it.
Entering the milk tea shop with Kushina and Jiraiya, Minato ordered a drink for Kushina and himself, choosing a beverage called "QQ Nai Nai So Delicious It Makes You Meow Tea". The name was quite a mouthful. He had already suggested a better name to Yuto multiple times, proposing "Wave Bullet Series Bounce Milk Tea."
It was a great name!
When a new version came out, they'd only need to change "Series One" to "Series Two."
But…
Yuto had rejected it.
It was such a great name though!
Of course, it wasn't without gain. He got a flash of inspiration from those translucent pearls, which helped him break through the research bottleneck that had been stalling his ninjutsu for a while!
Why not shape it into a ball, like a pearl?
He thought of calling it the "Pearl Ball"... but no, that didn't sound quite right!
Minato had a feeling that the ninjutsu he had been working on for so long was about to succeed. Perhaps now that his teacher was back, he could even get some help?
After both Minato and Kushina placed their orders, Minato patted his chest and invited Jiraiya to order whatever he wanted—it was Minato's treat today.
"I'll have the taro balls, pudding, cheese and coconut nachos, thanks," Jiraiya casually ordered, clearly well-versed in the menu. After that, the three of them found a place to sit.
When Minato explained his idea, Jiraiya was stunned at first, then nodded seriously. "It might just work! A ninjutsu without hand signs... it's finally happening?" Jiraiya looked at Minato with excitement. "Minato, you're a genius!"
"No! It's all thanks to your teachings, sensei."
"Haha, no need to say that. I can't really help with this." Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, wouldn't dream of taking credit for his student's accomplishment. After thinking for a moment, he added, "For this, you'll probably need incredibly precise chakra control. If you could..." He glanced toward the milk tea shop's kitchen. "Maybe seeing how they make those round pearls could give you more inspiration?"
"I was thinking the same, but unfortunately, Yuto isn't back yet," Minato sighed. "I could ask Suzune, but I feel like something this important should be discussed directly with Yuto."
"True." Jiraiya nodded. "Where did Yuto go?"
"Because the atmosphere in the ninja world has been getting more tense, he's worried something might happen. So, he went to manage some affairs at one of his other stores, but he should be back soon."
The Yuto BBQ was also ready to open, likely within a few days, so Yuto should be returning by then.
"That kid really is something. When word got out that he wasn't going to be a ninja, a lot of people were mocking him, waiting for him to fail. But he actually succeeded." Jiraiya laughed heartily, picking up the milk tea that was ready. He then winked and lowered his voice, saying, "Tonight..."
Before he could finish, he noticed Kushina's disapproving look. Realizing he'd been caught, he quickly gave a sheepish smile and corrected himself, "Tonight, how about we head to the forest outside the village to practice new ninjutsu together?"
"No, no!" Minato laughed awkwardly, rubbing his waist. "You just got back, Jiraiya-sensei. You should get some proper rest tonight."
At this, Kushina seemed to remember something, and with a sly smile, she said, "Oh, and Pervy Sage, if you're thinking of practicing ninjutsu, don't go to that forest. It's where all the ladies from different clans go for dancing now. They wear tight outfits, and… well, it wouldn't be good if others saw you there!"
"?!?" Jiraiya's ears perked up. He immediately put on a serious face and asked, "When did this happen? How come I didn't know about it?"
What had he missed after being away from Konoha for so long?
Seeing the disdainful looks he was getting, Jiraiya quickly straightened up and said, "Come on, Kushina, tell me where it is. I promise I won't go!"
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
"Don't tell him, Minato! He'll definitely sneak over there!" Kushina shot a scornful look at Jiraiya. "Pervy Sage!"
At the same time, she stealthily pinched Minato's waist, instantly silencing him.
"I'm not like that!" Jiraiya shook his head. "I just want to know where it is so I can avoid it. I don't want anyone to misunderstand! The Toad Sage never lies!"
"Really?" Kushina eyed him suspiciously.
"Really!" Jiraiya nodded earnestly.
"Alright then, I'll tell you, but you have to swear you won't go!"
"I swear on my name as Toad Sage!"
"It's just that..."
As soon as Kushina mysteriously revealed the location, Jiraiya jumped to his feet, holding his milk tea, and said seriously, "I just remembered I haven't reported back to the old man yet. I need to leave for now."
With that, he vanished in a flash before either Minato or Kushina could respond.
"..." Minato paused for a moment, then quietly muttered, "Kushina, isn't this a bit much? Tricking Jiraiya-sensei like that..."
Before he could finish, Kushina giggled mischievously and winked. "Did I trick him?"
No, she hadn't.
Everything she said was true!
...
Meanwhile...
On the other side of the village...
Jiraiya, having dashed over with the Body Flicker Technique, arrived at the place Kushina had mentioned. He heard soft singing and the rhythmic sound of footsteps coming from the forest. His whole body shivered in anticipation. Fixing his hair and putting on his signature charming smile, he slowly approached the source of the song...