Chapter 157 Meeting
"Lu Nie? You're here to see me." Jiraiya was a little surprised to see Lu Nie appear in front of him.
"Teacher Orochimaru can't leave." Lu Ni replied.
The two met at Jiraiya's house. However, Jiraiya's house was obviously a bachelor's house, without any atmosphere of life.
"What is this? A mission?" Jiraiya curiously took the scroll handed over by Lu Nei, opened it and read it, then looked at Lu Nei with a strange expression.
"If I leave, what will happen to the Hidden Mist Village?"
"The Hidden Mist Village can be temporarily handed over to the two advisors and Patriarch Fugaku. What is your opinion, Senior?"
Facing Jiraiya's question, Lu Nie answered. This decision has also been approved by the Third Hokage, and Shisui, who has returned to the clan, will hand over the task of Hokage to the chief of the clan, Fugaku.
After Hongdou returned to the village and handed over the mission, she separated from Kane and Shisui and returned to her own tribe to see her family.
"I have no objection." Jiraiya pondered for a moment and nodded slowly. Although the situation in Konoha is somewhat critical now, it is precisely because of this that if Tsunade can be found back, it will be a great boost to the morale of the village.
Moreover, as the director of the medical department, Tsunade's role in wartime can greatly reduce the casualties of Konoha ninjas and ensure that their high-end combat power will not be greatly reduced.
Jiraiya was still surprised that Orochimaru could propose to find Tsunade. Because the relationship between the three of them was the deepest when the Second Ninja World War occurred, but after the end of World War II, they each changed.
At least when Jiraiya came back from teaching Nagato and the others in the Land of Rain after three years, he found that everything had changed. Tsunade had changed, Orochimaru had changed, and the relationship between the three of them had become distant and cold.
Perhaps the only one who still maintained his true self was Jiraiya himself. Even a carefree person like him could clearly feel the changes in the two people, so it is conceivable how strange they were to him when they first met.
One is obsessed with the dead.
One who is more indifferent to the withering of life.
Jiraiya also wanted to ease the situation and restore the relationship between the three to what it was before, but neither Tsunade nor Orochimaru could be persuaded by him.
"It's a good idea, but Tsunade isn't that easy to convince."
Jiraiya was delighted but also a little helpless. For him, it was not difficult to accept the mission and find Tsunade, but the difficult part was to make Tsunade change her mind and return to the village willingly.
"Fate is unpredictable. Everything depends on human effort. We have to try, right?"
"Yeah, we have to try."
Jiraiya echoed, vaguely feeling that Kane seemed to be implying something, but at this moment his mind was full of finding Tsunade and persuading her to come back.
"This is the first time I lead Orochimaru's team on a mission." Jiraiya smiled, looking at the now completely different Luna from the young boy he remembered, and then smiled and said, "I'll give you a day to rest. Meet outside the village at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning, okay?"
"I'm fine." Lu Ni nodded.
"Also, is Shisui going too?" Jiraiya asked suddenly. Shisui's eyes had been mentioned in the mission, and one of the purposes of looking for Tsunade was to see if Shisui's eyes could be cured.
"It's okay. Although Shisui's strength has been greatly affected, he will still have no problem protecting himself when a battle breaks out." Kane said for Shisui.
"It's okay to take her with you. If Tsunade doesn't want to come back, you can ask her to help check." Jiraiya also nodded.
……
Back home, the Nara clan's ninjas, including Nara Shikakichi, were all on missions outside the village. For Konoha now, most of the ninjas who could fight had already been sent out.
The ninjas were better off than the common people in that some of their underage children could stay in the village, and some important ninjas, such as those from the Hyuga clan, would not easily go to the battlefield.
After attacking a Hyuga head family member in the Hidden Mist Village and looting a Byakugan, even the two Hyuga brothers, who were active on the battlefield, were summoned back to the village and the rear.
The next day.
early morning.
When the three-member team led by Lu Nie arrived outside the village, they saw Jiraiya dressed in a wandering ninja outfit, with even the forehead protector replaced with oil-colored characters.
"Is everyone here? Let's go!" Jiraiya waved his hand, led the team, and quickly left the village.
"Any news about Lady Tsunade?"
Lu Nie and the other two asked as they quickly followed Jiraiya's footsteps.
Jiraiya deliberately slowed down his pace and waited for Lunae and the others. After hearing Lunae's question, he gave him a thumbs up.
"We only know a rough location. Konoha's Anbu have seen signs that she is active in the Land of Iron and the Land of Hot Springs. We can go there and investigate first."
"The Land of Iron and the Land of Soup?"
Lu Nie had no doubts about Jiraiya's information. After all, among the three ninjas, Jiraiya was the best at gathering intelligence.
As long as the approximate range can be determined, it will not be difficult to find her based on Jiraiya's understanding of Tsunade.
What's more, in this war-torn stage in the ninja world, there are not many places that can still have peace.
Apart from neutral countries, there are only some places located in remote areas.
As a neutral country recognized by the five major ninja villages, the Iron Country, which has a large number of samurai and a relatively harsh environment, is naturally one of them.
The Hot Spring Country, which has abundant hot spring resources, is keen on peace and is able to be self-sufficient to a certain extent, can also be considered one.
Considering that Tsunade, who is hemophobic, dislikes war and avoids it, it is very likely that she has been active in these two areas.
"Lady Tsunade? I haven't seen her in a long time."
Any female ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village would have respect and admiration for Tsunade, and Red Bean was no exception.
So beautiful and so powerful!
"Hahahaha, she is a woman with a very bad personality!" Jiraiya laughed heartily and spoke ill of Tsunade without any hesitation.
"But I think Lady Tsunade is very reliable!" Hongdou was somewhat dissatisfied with Jiraiya's words, but she didn't dare to argue with him, so she could only puff up her cheeks and said angrily.
"Hahahaha." Jiraiya laughed again. The initially strange atmosphere between the team members was instantly dispelled by his laughter.
The four of them crossed the border of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Iron. It was easy to get information about the Land of Iron. Ninjas operating here would be warned by the samurai of the Land of Iron. There were also few entertainment facilities in this country.
So after confirming that Tsunade was not here, the four of them made some supplies and immediately chartered a ship to go to the country in the ocean, the Land of Hot Springs. The journey was smooth and peaceful. After arriving at the port of the Land of Hot Springs, the four of them got off the ship and entered the Land of Hot Springs after being checked by the Hot Springs Ninja.
“This country is so peaceful!”
After browsing the red beans of this country along the way, I couldn't help but blurt out.
Although the people of this country live a life similar to that of other countries, they have a sense of relaxation.
Hongdou had only felt this feeling from the villagers of Konoha during the peaceful period. But after the war, the atmosphere in the village became tense and depressing.
If you feel it carefully, this country is different from the peaceful Konoha. Here people are more like muddling along. The rich resources and remote areas make the people of this country feel relaxed, as if they have been forgotten by the ninja world and abandoned by the war.
They are very welcoming to outsiders.
After telling Luna and the other two the meeting place, Jiraiya disappeared into the crowd, under the pretext of going to gather information about Tsunade.
At this time, Lu Ni brought Shisui and Red Bean to the agreed meeting place, a residence used to receive foreign guests.
After booking four rooms and having dinner, Jiraiya, who had disappeared outside for half a day, returned to the hotel drunk and with a strong smell of alcohol.
"Senior Jiraiya, did you really go to gather intelligence?"
Hongdou sniffed the air filled with the smell of alcohol and the rouge smell that only women have, with a look of suspicion on her face. She suspected that Jiraiya was going to do something bad.
"Of course! Don't look at me with that weird look, little Red Bean!" Jiraiya met Red Bean's suspicious gaze and stood up from the chair in embarrassment.
"So what did you find out?" Hongdou crossed her arms, the suspicion in her eyes not diminishing at all. Luna and Shisui sat quietly on the side, watching Hongdou and Jiraiya's routine quarrel.
"I got some information about the big fat sheep!" Jiraiya said proudly.
"Aren't we looking for Tsunade-senpai? Who is the big fat sheep?" Red Bean stared, feeling that Jiraiya was even more unreliable.
She even felt a little sorry for Minato Namikaze. Was such a handsome, gentle, and powerful ninja really trained by the seemingly unreliable senior Jiraiya in front of her?
I heard that Senior Jiraiya disappeared for three years and taught Nagato and the other two in the Land of Rain, and didn't pay much attention to Senior Minato. So Senior Minato's achievements today must be due to his own extraordinary talents, right?
Red Bean, whose Sannin filter of Jiraiya had been shattered along the way, thought subconsciously in her heart.
"Your gaze and tone offend me! And," Jiraiya slammed the table, "the big fat sheep is Tsunade! Now we can confirm that she is indeed here! At least in the past few days, she was active in the casino here!"
"That means we will be able to see Senior Tsunade soon?" Lu Nie was also very happy to hear the news. At least we don't have to run anymore.
"As long as she hasn't left! Tomorrow, I will be able to find out where she is, and then we can go directly to her house." Jiraiya promised, patting his chest.
Silent all night.
The next day, Jiraiya disappeared early in the morning and came back in the evening. This time he was not drunk, but the smell on his body made Hongdou frown.
"Get ready, I'm taking you to see Tsunade now! We have to be quick! If we're slow, she might run away!"
Jiraiya urged the three of them.
The four of them walked left and right on the street.
"Have you been discovered by Lady Tsunade? Why is she hiding from us?" Anko asked confused as she followed Jiraiya moving back and forth in the streets.
"She's not hiding from us, she's just hiding from her creditors." Jiraiya's tone was a little sad.
"Creditor?" Hongdou was a little confused. It was obvious that she still had a perfect filter for Tsunade.
"Wait a moment!"
The four of them came to a remote alley and saw two sneaky women, one tall and one short, trying to jump over the wall to escape. Jiraiya's eyes lit up and he shouted immediately.
Jiraiya's shout seemed to stimulate the two figures. In the blink of an eye, the other party disappeared on the other side of the wall as if they had used the technique of instant body movement.
Jiraiya hurriedly chased after him.
"Tsunade-sama, it looks like it's Jiraiya-sama!"
Suddenly, the tall woman in front said something, and she and the short blonde woman stopped in their tracks, and looked at Jiraiya, Kane and the others who were chasing them.
"Jiraiya?" The short blond loli turned around, crossed her arms and looked at Jiraiya standing in front of her, raised her head and said unceremoniously: "It's war time now, Jiraiya, why are you here?"
"Of course I came to see you." Jiraiya squatted down and subconsciously wanted to touch Tsunade's head with his hand, but he withdrew his hand awkwardly when he saw Tsunade's death glare with her clenched fists.
"Is there any trouble coming to me?" Tsunade thought about her normal luck and breathed a sigh of relief.
"The teacher wants you to return to the village."
"impossible!"
Before Jiraiya could finish his words, Tsunade rejected him outright.
"Give up, I can't possibly go back to the village!" Tsunade said, and added.
"Is this Lady Tsunade?" Anko looked at the blonde girl who was shorter than her and looked nothing like the heroic Tsunade in her memory, and was a little surprised: "Is it a transformation technique?"
"Is it Red Bean and Kane?" Tsunade shifted her gaze to Kane and the other two, pondered for a moment, and asked tentatively.
"It's really Lady Tsunade!" Anko came forward with stars in her eyes.
"This is not a place to talk. Let's go somewhere else to communicate." Jiraiya looked around and suggested.
Tsunade and Shizune had no objection to his proposal, and the group returned to Jiraiya and his group's base together.
In the room, after listening to Jiraiya's purpose, Tsunade walked forward silently and checked Shisui's eyes, then shook her head under everyone's gaze.
"There's nothing I can do about Shisui's eyes! This is the backlash of the technique, and it's not something that can be easily solved by medical ninjutsu."
"That……"
"I won't go back to the village with you!" Tsunade shook her head and interrupted Jiraiya.
In silence, Lu Nie stood up and said to Jiraiya: "Teacher Orochimaru wants me to convey something to Teacher Tsunade. Can I talk to Teacher Tsunade alone?"
(End of this chapter)