In the twenty-sixth year of the Konoha Village, Arima had already been in office for a full ten years.
The once youthful boy had now grown into a tall, broad-shouldered man with striking features and a powerful presence radiating masculinity.
Over the past decade, the Konoha–Kumogakure alliance had fully matured. Both villages were now thriving with vitality, a testament to the foresight of the leaders who had made this union possible.
It was summer again, Tsunade's favorite season. Having just completed an inspection tour in the Land of Fire, she rushed back to the village without a moment's delay.
Seated aboard the train jointly developed by the research departments of Konoha and Kumogakure, she gazed out at the white clouds drifting across the sky, her thoughts naturally wandering back to everything that had happened over the years.
Back when her Arima-nii had just become the Third Hokage, the Land of Fire was thrown into chaos.
All at once, various rebellious factions rose up and declared their secession from the country.
It was then that her granduncle, Tobirama Senju, displayed his political genius.
He split those factions apart, ruthlessly eliminated some, suppressed others, and eventually allied with a few. In less than six months, he had brought the internal turmoil under control.
The Land of Lightning faced a similar situation. However, the Third Raikage chose a path of total bloodshed and suppression, he didn't want the Third Hokage to waltz into his territory aboard a giant construct, flaunting his power.
Back in the village, there had also been many dissenting voices, the most frustrating of which, in Tsunade's eyes, came from the Uchiha clan.
Initially, the clan was in an uproar, demanding that Arima apologize and return the Sharingan.
When Tsunade heard those rumors, she was genuinely worried he might actually do it. She had only been seven years old then and could do nothing but watch helplessly as events unfolded.
She never found out what exactly transpired between Arima and the Uchiha afterward. All she knew was that the Uchihas suddenly stopped making trouble.
Some even dug up ancient records claiming Arima's father was a long-lost branch of the Uchiha bloodline.
Though Arima quickly clarified that absurd claim, the fact that he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and could freely activate and deactivate it, only seemed to support their story.
In the end, the Uchiha regained a partial voice in the village's upper echelon, and even had access to some of the Anbu's confidential operations.
What puzzled Tsunade the most was how the Uchiha clan had remained so well-behaved for the past ten years. She had no idea how Arima had managed that.
Her thoughts then drifted to the Senju clan, to her younger brother Nawaki.
A soft smile formed on her lips.
Spending time with Nawaki had helped her realize how mischievous and naughty she herself had been as a child. And back then, Arima had been so patient, so caring with her.
Beside her, Jiraiya noticed her silly grin, curled his lips, and couldn't resist sneaking a glance at her generous chest.
At seventeen, Jiraiya had grown into a sturdy young man. He now seemed far more composed than the snot-nosed kid who used to trail after Orochimaru causing mischief.
He had long held a question in his heart, how on earth did Tsunade end up so well-developed?
To cover his sneaky look, he deliberately raised his voice and turned to Orochimaru, "Hey, you stinkin' snake, what do you think the Third Hokage's up to right now?"
Orochimaru, who had grown more refined and composed over the years, had studied under the Third Hokage and made considerable strides in jutsu development.
To him, the Hokage was the most respected figure in his life. If not for the Third, his parents would have died on the battlefield.
They had told him all about their narrow escapes when they returned home from the war.
Now, thinking back to their experiences, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a chill. He knew his own nature well, if his parents had perished, he might've easily gone down a dark path.
Jiraiya, knowing Orochimaru's sensitivity around this topic, would often mention the Third Hokage just to get him talking.
Orochimaru smirked to himself at Jiraiya's clumsy way of making conversation but didn't call him out.
He simply replied, "Sensei must be having a lot of free time. Probably out helping people again. Reached the pinnacle of life at such a young age."
He deeply admired the Hokage's abilities, especially his creation of a space-time teleportation barrier, a truly groundbreaking feat.
With that thought, Orochimaru didn't wait for Jiraiya to respond. He continued, "You idiot, you've only just become a Jonin. That's a huge gap to close.
Still, don't go crying about life being unfair. You'll soon realize that those with talent can truly do whatever they want."
Jiraiya was used to this kind of mocking from Orochimaru. He'd usually find a way to fire back too. Their banter had become a kind of game, a back-and-forth with no clear winner.
Hearing Orochimaru's jab, Jiraiya scowled and shouted, "Who said I've got no talent?
Didn't I publish a book last year? I've got tons of fans in both the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning."
Tsunade overheard and gave him a look of disdain. "You've hit the pinnacle of sleaziness and depravity at such a young age."
Orochimaru chimed in, "At this level, Jiraiya's only way forward is to exit the stage permanently."
Jiraiya could handle one-on-one, but facing both of them at once left him overwhelmed.
Still, Jiraiya wasn't the type to back down easily. He knew Tsunade's weak spot and casually said, "Oh right, last month when the Hokage went to the capital, I heard the former daimyo wanted to marry off his daughter to him."
Orochimaru chuckled silently, Jiraiya really knew how to hit Tsunade where it hurt.
He was well aware of how much Tsunade cared about the Hokage. Now that Jiraiya had poked the lioness, he couldn't guarantee the guy's safety.
Still, even if she accidentally broke Jiraiya's ribs, she could just heal them. After all, Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was second to none in the shinobi world.
Tsunade's aura flared like a storm, cracks forming in the table in front of her.
Her fists clenched, back slightly hunched, eyes gleaming dangerously as she stared at Jiraiya and demanded, "Ji. Rai. Ya. Where did you hear that?."
Jiraiya felt a chill crawl up his spine. He gave a nervous laugh, "Ahaha, uh, I… I… Orochimaru. Tell her where I heard it from."
Desperate, he turned to his teammate for help. Tsunade's current aura was downright terrifying.
Orochimaru watched him with amused disdain, this idiot had just dug his own grave.
He smiled and said, "Relax, idiot. I won't just stand by and watch you walk into the fire."
Jiraiya lit up with hope, until Orochimaru added, "I'll close my eyes instead."
With that, Orochimaru leaned back and calmly closed his eyes, leaving Jiraiya to his fate.
Jiraiya grumbled, "You bastard, I knew you'd do this. Come on, Snake Bro, save me here."
Orochimaru muttered inwardly, 'Snake Bro? What nonsense is that…'
Sighing, he cracked one eye open and subtly gestured for Jiraiya to look at the necklace around Tsunade's neck.
Though Jiraiya had never been in love, his book Love Training Manual was a bestseller. He had spent a long time studying those tricks.
He immediately understood what Orochimaru was hinting at. "Hey, come on, Tsunade, don't get the wrong idea.Remember that necklace Arima gave you a long time ago? That was basically a love token."
He motioned toward her chest, where the necklace rested.
Tsunade's face turned a faint shade of red. Her overwhelming aura gradually faded. She muttered defensively, "That's not a… love token. That was from my grandfather, passed on through Arima."
Jiraiya made a show of shock. "So the First Hokage himself approved of this match? Now that's what I call vision. Right, stinkin' snake?"
Orochimaru turned his head away, refusing to dignify that idiocy with a response.
Tsunade, hearing Jiraiya's teasing, found herself wondering, 'Could that idiot actually be telling the truth? Maybe I should ask Grandma when I get back…'
She calmed down, realizing she might've overreacted to any mention of Arima. Sheepishly, she patted Jiraiya on the shoulder.
"Sorry, Jiraiya. I overreacted. When we get back, I'll treat you to an all-you-can-eat barbecue at your family's place. Eat and drink whatever you want, it's on me."
Jiraiya grinned awkwardly. "Well, if you insist… Can I get the full set of 5A-grade fatty beef?"
Tsunade was always generous with money.
Not only did she earn a fortune through her medical work, but Arima also gave her plenty of spending money every month. She'd saved up quite a stash.
Laughing boldly, she said, "Sure. Let's invite Arima too. His presence should bring your place some extra fame, and customers."
She turned back to the window, lost in sweet memories of the days she'd spent with Arima. The closer they got to the village, the more she longed to be back.
Jiraiya rubbed his sore shoulder with a wry smile. 'I survived… barely. Thanks to that damn snake.'
He looked at Orochimaru gratefully, but Orochimaru just said coldly, "If meeting you costs me all my luck, then please stay far away. I've got experiments waiting when I get back."
Jiraiya didn't take it personally. He stood up, left Tsunade's side, and flopped down next to Orochimaru, chattering away endlessly.
Orochimaru endured the noise. Eventually, Jiraiya tired out, fell silent, and summoned a small toad to entertain himself.
Ignoring him, Orochimaru turned his gaze to the speeding landscape outside, his thoughts drifting.
'What exactly is the ultimate secret of the shinobi world that sensei once mentioned…?'
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