Let's be clear.
Jiraiya had pursued Tsunade for decades, but had yet to make any progress. As for this guy standing before him... aside from both having flowing white hair, he fell far short in every other way.
Realizing this, Jiraiya relaxed slightly, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes as he wore a self-satisfied smile.
But barely a second later, Jiraiya witnessed something that left him speechless.
In response to Jiraiya's question, Tsunade didn't reply directly. Instead, she cast a glance at Heiyan and blushed faintly.
Taking the cue, Heiyan casually pulled Tsunade into his embrace, gave Jiraiya a warm smile, and said:
"Hello, I'm Heiyan. You must be Jiraiya-sama then? I've heard her speak of you often. Over these many years, thank you for looking after her."
Who was it that mentioned him?
Tsunade was momentarily stunned. During her time with Heiyan, she hadn't even once uttered Jiraiya's name—she had simply never brought him up at all.
She quickly realized though, that Heiyan was merely being polite—saving face for Jiraiya. Thus, she simply muttered under her breath.
Jiraiya twitched.
How could this be... His goddess Tsunade, actually together with this fellow?
At that moment, Jiraiya felt like he'd been plunged into ice-cold water, experiencing heartbreak firsthand.
Just as the atmosphere grew slightly awkward—
"Huh, are you that older brother from the alleyway that day?"
Naruto leaned in closely, wide-eyed as he stared at Heiyan, recalling their encounter when Team 7 returned from the Land of Waves to Konoha.
"You have quite a good memory, Naruto," Heiyan praised, giving him a thumbs-up.
"Hehe."
Naruto grinned proudly, then curiously eyed both Heiyan and Tsunade, asking further: "So, older brother, are you this old lady's boyfriend?"
"Who're you calling an old lady!"
Tsunade immediately flared up, like an angry cat puffing its fur. Without hesitation, she stood and slammed her fist onto Naruto's head.
"Ow!"
Naruto cried out in pain, his face smashing onto the table, both hands clutching the huge bump on top of his head, trembling helplessly.
"Tsunade, forget it. Kids don't know better."
Heiyan gently pulled Tsunade back down beside him. Knowing her discomfort over their age difference, he softly whispered into her ear:
"Actually, my age is similar to yours. We both just happen to look unusually young."
He truly wasn't lying.
Don't forget, Heiyan had trained within the Eternal Space for forty years. Technically speaking, his actual age was significantly older than hers.
However, for Immortal Sages like him, whether it was a few years, dozens of years, or even centuries, all were merely fleeting moments in an extremely long life—insignificant.
"Really?"
Tsunade looked at Heiyan, astonished.
Suddenly, she realized why she was so fascinated by this man—partly because of his enigmatic presence.
She felt like she was uncovering a hidden treasure trove every time she was with him—each moment bursting with astonishing surprises.
Seeing Heiyan and Tsunade flaunting their affection so openly left Jiraiya stunned.
Still, he quickly came to terms with it.
Truthfully, even without Heiyan's arrival, there was no way he could ever win Tsunade over.
They always say your real name might get mixed up, but your nickname? That's always spot on. Jiraiya was widely known and notoriously famous as the Perverted Sage. His entire life had revolved around indulging in sensual pleasures, surrounded by hundreds—no, thousands—of women. He was hopelessly fickle-minded.
Given that, there was absolutely no chance Tsunade would accept him.
"Phew~"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, regaining his composure and setting aside his romantic feelings temporarily before turning to Tsunade for serious matters.
"Tsunade, the reason I came looking for you today is actually because..."
His expression turned solemn as he formally made his request to her, only to be cut off by a wave of her hand.
"There's no need to explain, Jiraiya. I agree to return with you and take up the position of Fifth Hokage in Konoha."
Tsunade let out a soft sigh as she spoke.
It was clear she wasn't thrilled about it, but after Heiyan spent days practically begging her to reconsider, she finally caved in.
"How did you know..."
Jiraiya looked astonished. His mission was top secret—only a handful of people in Konoha were aware of it. There was no way Tsunade could have found out ahead of time.
"Don't panic, Jiraiya,"
Heiyan answered on Tsunade's behalf, explaining to Jiraiya, "Back when I was in Konoha, I just happened to overhear your conversation with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Although Tsunade is my lover, Konoha currently needs her more. So, I simply helped convince her beforehand."
Happened to overhear?
Jiraiya naturally didn't believe Heiyan's explanation. For someone to eavesdrop on his conversation with Koharu and Homura completely unnoticed left him deeply shocked.
But then again...
How could anyone who managed to become the man of Lady Tsunade—who tamed this fierce woman like a wild mare—possibly be ordinary?
In any case, things worked out well in the end.
Jiraiya had expected convincing Tsunade to be difficult, even mentally preparing for failure, yet found himself surprised that everything was already settled before he could even bring it up.
In front of this man, Tsunade practically acted like a well-behaved little kitten.
Jiraiya stared at Heiyan, lost in thought.
"Well then, we should set off within the next couple of days. Come on, Jiraiya, Naruto, join us for dinner. This place does some seriously amazing grilled meat."
Smiling, Heiyan cordially invited both of them to dine together.
"Great! Then I won't hold back! That perverted sage swindled all the money from my wallet for 'lady companions,' leaving me starving until now!"
Naruto, forgetting about the bump on his head, grabbed a drumstick and started devouring it hungrily.
Jiraiya chuckled, wordlessly lifting a bottle and taking a big gulp.
An hour later, the four of them departed the izakaya [a traditional Japanese drinking establishment] and headed back to their inn.
Heiyan walked ahead with Tsunade and Shizune, while Naruto struggled to support the drunken Jiraiya, staggering behind them.
"Hey, hey, that's a sewage ditch—don't step in it!"
Just as Naruto shouted, he was yanked forward by the drunken Jiraiya, sending both master and apprentice tumbling into the ditch.
"These two idiots."
Tsunade glanced back with an expression of resignation and could only ask Shizune to go help them up.
Finally, they returned to their lodging.
"Everyone, get some rest early."
After Heiyan said this, he and Tsunade went back to their room together.
With his interference, the legendary deadly clash between the Three Sannin from the original timeline had been prevented, though this plot point hadn't significantly impacted shinobi history anyway.
Late at night,
Jiraiya, now sobered up, still refused to give up and secretly sneaked to the door outside Tsunade's room to eavesdrop.
Even now, he still held onto the fantasy that perhaps Tsunade had just hired some man to pretend to be her lover, putting on an act just to make him lose hope.
However, soon enough, Jiraiya heard passionate moaning coming from inside the room—clearly a man and woman caught in intimate ecstasy.
His heart snapped like a brittle branch.
"Huh? Pervy Sage, what are you hiding here for? You're not trying to peep again, are you?"
Naruto suddenly appeared, curiously leaning over and looking through the window.
Startled, Jiraiya immediately covered Naruto's mouth and whisked him away back to their room at wind-like speed.
Inside the room,
"Have they gone?" Tsunade, curled in Heiyan's arms, raised her ears to carefully listen to the sounds outside the door.
If it weren't for Heiyan holding her back, she probably would've already rushed out and beaten Jiraiya like she used to.
"Tsunade, when Jiraiya was eavesdropping earlier, why did you seem strangely excited? Was it…just my imagination?"
As he ran his fingers through her soft hair, Heiyan asked with a sly grin.
"You naughty one!"
Instantly blushing, Tsunade punched Heiyan hard on the arm.
Late at night, after the passion had subsided,
"What? You won't come back to Konoha with me?"
Tsunade looked at Heiyan in surprise, completely caught off guard.
"Sorry, I need to leave for a while." He gently patted her head and said tenderly.
"Go where?"
She pressed him further, her mind already racing with anxious thoughts.
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere else—I just can't wait to meet you in the future."
Seeing her unease, Heiyan comforted her this way.
"Go to the future…to see me?" Her eyes clouded with confusion, Tsunade grew even more puzzled.
The moment had come.
Heiyan took a deep breath, deciding to reveal all the truth to Tsunade.
"You told me once—when you first saw me, you felt like we'd met before, didn't you? Well now, I can tell you—it wasn't your imagination."
Gazing deeply into her eyes, he truthfully confessed everything—the [Parallel Timelines], crossing through the river of time…everything.
For Tsunade, this would certainly become a long, sleepless night.
The next day,
At the entrance of the inn, Jiraiya saw Tsunade walk out alone, her expression seeming somewhat odd. Immediately frowning, he stepped forward and asked:
"Tsunade, where is Heiyan? Why isn't he with you?"
"He's gone."
Tsunade murmured, feeling dazed and out of sorts, as if she had just woken from a long, surreal dream. Everything felt so unreal.
"Did he abandon you? That bastard! I knew it all along—guys like him are never to be trusted!"
Jiraiya was furious, flames practically shooting from his eyes. Immediately, he took out a scroll, preparing to use a tracking ninjutsu to locate Heiyan's whereabouts—and then kill the guy.
Daring to toy with his goddess-like love interest and then discard her like trash? Absolutely unforgivable.
"Give it up, Jiraiya. You'll never find him. And besides..."
Tsunade reached out to stop Jiraiya and suddenly smiled. "He didn't abandon me. He's waiting for me in the future."
After saying this, she strode in the direction of Konoha, leaving behind Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune, who stared after her in confusion.
At the same time,
In a secluded mountain dwelling within the Land of Fire,
Heiyan reunited here with his three students—Izumi Uchiha, Haku, and Uzumaki Shinrin.
Before stepping out of this timeline and heading into the future, there was still one final thing he needed to do.
"Haku, are you ready?"
Inside the room, Heiyan asked solemnly.
"Sensei, I'm ready. Please," Haku replied respectfully, kneeling on the ground with equal seriousness. She gazed expectantly.
She had always identified as a girl, yet was born into a male body. Today, with Heiyan's help, the issue that had plagued her for so long would finally be resolved.
"Then let's proceed with the surgery."
...
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