Orochimaru led them into a private room. The moment they entered, the overpowering smell of sake assaulted their senses. They quickly covered their noses and mouths, which offered some small relief from the stench.
The room was not crowded. Besides Tsunade, whom they had seen that morning, there was also a young man in his twenties with a wild mane of white hair and distinct red marks painted below his eyes. It had to be the legendary Jiraiya.
However, both renowned shinobi were already heavily intoxicated. It appeared that after Tsunade had departed that morning, she met up with her teammates and had been drinking ever since.
"Sis, why are you drinking so much again?" Nawaki asked, his voice filled with resignation. Judging by his weary expression, this was clearly not the first time he'd found his sister in such a state.
"Ah, it's Nawaki!" Tsunade slurred, fumbling with a sake cup to hand to him. "Come on, let's drink together!"
Before Nawaki could respond, Orochimaru snatched the cup from her hand. After downing the contents in a single gulp, he turned to Nawaki.
"I will arrange a table for you in the main hall. I'll take care of your sister, so don't worry."
Despite his aloof demeanor, Orochimaru was surprisingly thoughtful. After securing them a table, he returned to the private room.
"That was Orochimaru," Nawaki explained while they waited for their food. "And in the private room are my sister, Tsunade, and Lord Jiraiya."
"They are all students of the Third Hokage. They probably just finished a mission and are celebrating."
"I've met Lord Jiraiya before," Minato added. "He gave me some pointers on my technique."
Kushina nodded. He had noticed Minato's exceptional proficiency with shurikenjutsu and taijutsu, skills far beyond the level of a typical academy student. It made sense now that he had a connection to one of the Sannin.
"But they're a bit different from the ninjas I imagined," Kushina admitted, sticking out his tongue playfully.
"Haha," Nawaki scratched his head awkwardly, unable to argue the point. His sister's vices extended beyond drinking to a serious gambling addiction, and Jiraiya was a notorious pervert. Among the three, Orochimaru seemed the most composed at the moment.
"But they are all very reliable people," Nawaki finally concluded with conviction.
That was certainly true. Although the trio was infamously known by the monikers "Gambling, Perversion, and Research," their influence on future generations would be profound. Tsunade would go on to establish the medical ninja system and become the Fifth Hokage; Jiraiya would find the Child of Prophecy and guide him to save the world; and Orochimaru would become an expert in forbidden jutsu after the Second Hokage, eventually finding redemption despite his path of defection.
Currently, the three were Jonin, but not yet the legends they would become. The impending Second Great Ninja War would be the crucible where their reputations were forged.
As he pondered this, his thoughts drifted to the war itself. He remembered that Nawaki, the cheerful boy sitting right before him, was destined to die on a mission. He had been killed by a simple explosion tag—a shockingly mundane end for a shinobi, but an event that served as a major catalyst for Orochimaru's obsession with achieving immortality.
He wondered how much change a single butterfly like him could truly bring to the world of shinobi.
After they had eaten their fill, the group said their goodbyes to Orochimaru. An enthusiastic Nawaki declared he would conquer the tree-climbing exercise that very afternoon. The ever-competitive Kushina refused to be outdone, and even Minato remarked that he needed to consolidate his own skills.
And so, the group that had originally planned to spend the day sightseeing instead headed straight for the training grounds.
...
In the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage, ever diligent, had already dispatched a full day's worth of paperwork by mid-morning.
He stood up to stretch his tired limbs, then lit his pipe and took a long, satisfying puff before speaking to the air.
"I believe Orochimaru and the others are off duty today, correct?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage," an ANBU operative replied from the shadows.
"Go and call the three of them to my office," he commanded.
Some time later, after the Third Hokage had refilled his pipe several times, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade finally hurried into the office. Orochimaru appeared composed, but Jiraiya and Tsunade were flushed and swayed unsteadily, clearly still feeling the effects of their long drinking session.
Just as the Third Hokage's expression began to darken, Orochimaru presented a bento box.
"The ANBU mentioned you hadn't eaten, Sensei. We brought you some grilled meat."
A warm smile immediately spread across the Third Hokage's face. "Orochimaru, you are always so thoughtful."
Tsunade grumbled from the side, "Old man, why did you call us here? We were in the middle of drinking."
The Hokage's smile vanished, but out of consideration for Orochimaru, he restrained his temper. He opened the bento box and ate a few pieces of meat, giving Tsunade and Jiraiya a moment to sober up slightly before getting straight to the point.
"You are all now Jonin of the village, capable of standing on your own. Have you given any thought to taking on students?"
Orochimaru frowned slightly. This seemed like a trivial matter for the Hokage to personally summon them for, but he answered nonetheless.
"I have already promised Tsunade that I will take Nawaki once he graduates. With my current responsibilities, taking on another student would divide my focus, so I would prefer not to."
The Third Hokage nodded and turned his attention to Jiraiya. On the way over, Orochimaru had given his teammates hangover pills, and the medicine was beginning to take full effect.
Jiraiya reached into his robes to scratch his belly. Seeing the Hokage's expectant gaze, he chuckled, "I do want to take on a disciple. I think I'd be a great teacher, hahaha! But you know about the Child of Prophecy, Sensei. I need to be careful with my choice."
The Third Hokage tapped the ash from his pipe and nodded. "That's true, but you shouldn't let one concern prevent you from seeing other opportunities."
"I did meet a blond kid a while back who impressed me. Good personality, too. I don't know what he's up to now, but he's probably still in the academy."
"That's easily solved," the Third Hokage said, immediately pulling a large stack of files from his drawer. It was a list containing the basic information of every student currently enrolled in the Ninja Academy.
"Take these and find him," the Third Hokage instructed, handing the pile to Jiraiya.
"Huh?" Jiraiya looked dumbfounded at the mountain of files but reluctantly accepted them.
Finally, the Third Hokage's gaze settled on Tsunade. She was already impatient, preoccupied with her own worries, and had no desire to even consider taking on a student.
"I don't want a student! It sounds like too much trouble!"
"Tsunade, inheriting and passing on the Will of Fire is the duty of every Konoha ninja. As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, you should understand the weight of this responsibility more than anyone. This is the legacy inherited from your grandfather. You must ensure it is passed on to the next generation." The Third Hokage's tone was earnest and firm.
Seeing that his words had little effect on her, he directly stated his true purpose.
"I have heard that the young Uzumaki boy shows great potential. He is currently living with Lady Mito, so you must have met him. What are your thoughts on him?"
Tsunade remained silent.
The Hokage pressed on. "You wouldn't even have to worry about the bulk of the teaching. Lady Mito has been training him all along, so you would not have to divide your attention."
At that moment, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru finally understood. Everything up to this point—the questions, the files, the lecture—had all been a preamble for this one objective.
"If you think so highly of the boy," Tsunade said grumpily, "and Jiraiya is looking for a student, then why not just have Jiraiya take him on?"