Tsunade's hand froze as she reached for a piece of meat with her chopsticks. Her eyes instantly shifted from the hazy glaze of a slight buzz to the sharp, piercing gaze of a shinobi, locking onto the kunai.
"That's Minato's Flying Thunder God formula."
She set down her chopsticks, her voice dropping an octave. The suffocating pressure of a legendary Sannin filled the private room, making the very air feel thick and heavy. "What happened?"
The playful grin vanished from Jiraiya's face in an instant.
He snatched up the kunai, his brow furrowing at the heat radiating from his palm.
This kunai had been a gift from Minato, intended to be activated only if the village faced a crisis or if something truly dire occurred.
"I don't know."
Jiraiya shook his head, his thumb tracing the deep engravings of the formula on the handle. His expression was as grim as iron. "Minato is usually easygoing, but he never messes around when it comes to business. For him to use this emergency signal, I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish the thought, but in a room occupied by veterans of countless wars, everyone understood the implication.
The Nine-Tails Incident had only just been quelled; Danzo's Root had just been uprooted; the shadow of the mysterious attacker had only recently faded.
At this stage, Konoha was like a patient who had just had their wounds stitched—any sudden disturbance could cause them to tear wide open again.
"Let's go."
Tsunade bolted upright, her green 'Gamble' coat billowing in the sudden draft.
Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the sake bottle, downed the remaining half in one go, and slammed the empty bottle onto the table.
"Shizune! Grab Tonton! We're leaving now!"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune frantically scooped up the piglet—who hadn't even finished eating—and stuffed the pile of winnings into her shinobi pouch.
"Back to the village?" Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He had expected to need a lot more persuasion; he hadn't anticipated she would agree so readily.
"Don't be stupid!"
Tsunade strode toward the exit without looking back. "That's the village the old man left behind. It's the place Nawaki and Dan wanted to protect. Since I already agreed to go back and be the director of that medical center or whatever, I can't just sit by while the village is in trouble, can I?"
Jiraiya watched her bold, retreating figure, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Alright then! Let the Sannin join forces once more!"
He let out a boisterous laugh and slapped a thick stack of cash—the 'funding' Nagato had provided—onto the table. Grabbing Gamakon, who was still gnawing on a bone, he tucked the toad into his robe and dashed out of the BBQ restaurant.
...
The night was deep, and the forests of the Land of Fire were like a black ocean surging in the gale.
Four figures streaked through the canopy, each footfall causing the branches to sway violently.
Normally, the fastest way back would be for Jiraiya to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to reach Mount Myoboku, then have Minato summon him back to Konoha via the contract.
But Jiraiya didn't do that.
He simply adjusted his breathing and maintained his pace right alongside Tsunade as they sprinted through the dark forest.
The wind howled in their ears, biting at their cheeks.
Gamakon poked his head out from Jiraiya's collar, squinting against the wind.
He glanced at the tense Tsunade, then at Jiraiya, who kept his eyes fixed forward but remained exactly half a meter away from her. Gamakon sighed inwardly.
*This pervy toad. He claims to be worried about the village, but he's probably more worried about the woman next to him.*
Reverse Summoning would be faster, but it would mean leaving Tsunade to travel alone.
On a night full of unknowns, Jiraiya clearly wasn't comfortable letting her face potential enemies in the shadows by herself, even if she was the legendary Tsunade Senju.
"Hey, Tsunade."
Jiraiya spoke, his voice breaking slightly in the wind. "Don't keep your face so tense; you'll get wrinkles. That kid Minato has the luck of the devil. He'll be fine."
Tsunade ignored him. The chakra exploding from her feet intensified, and her speed surged once more.
She clutched the necklace at her chest—the relic of the First Hokage, the cursed necklace of death.
Only a few hours ago, she had actually won a hand at the gambling den in Tanzaku Quarters.
While Shizune cheered and the surrounding gamblers marveled, her heart had plummeted into an ice cellar.
Losing every bet was the fate of the Legendary Sucker.
Winning meant she would have to pay an even more precious price in return.
The last time she won big, Nawaki stepped on an explosive tag the very next day.
The time before that, her luck had surged, only for Dan to have his internal organs torn out during a mission.
And this time?
What was being taken this time?
Was it the village?
The new brat Hokage?
Or... this white-haired idiot who wouldn't stop chattering in her ear?
Fear, like a cold viper, slithered up her spine to the back of her head, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Her mind flashed with images of bloody carnage, and her ears seemed to ring with agonizing screams.
"Dammit... dammit..."
Tsunade cursed under her breath, cold sweat beading on her forehead as her breathing grew ragged and shallow.
"Ow!"
An exaggerated cry of pain suddenly erupted beside her.
Tsunade instinctively looked over to see Jiraiya slip. In an incredibly clumsy display, he tumbled off the branch and crashed into the bushes below like a giant meatball.
"Ribbit?!" Even Gamakon was stunned by this sudden turn of events. *This is a legendary Sannin—how can he trip while traveling? This acting is way too hammy!*
After a brief moment of suspension in mid-air, Gamakon landed back on top of Jiraiya's head.
"Ow, ow, ow... Why is this tree growing so crooked?"
Jiraiya crawled out of the bushes looking like a mess, dry leaves stuck in his hair and mud on his face as he rubbed his backside. "Tsunade, you didn't even try to catch me! Where's the loyalty?"
Tsunade stopped, looking down at the pathetic figure from above.
The bloody images that had filled her mind were forcefully interrupted by this bumbling idiot.
"Are you an idiot?"
Tsunade took a deep breath, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. "A legendary Sannin falling into a ditch while traveling? You'll be the laughingstock of the world if word gets out."
"Is it my fault? It's because the way you were looking at me was too intense! It distracted me!"
Jiraiya leaped back onto the branch and leaned in close to Tsunade. A truly punchable grin appeared on his mud-stained face. "Just admit it, Tsunade. You're captivated by my heroic grace."
"I think you're just looking for a beating!"
The veins on Tsunade's temples throbbed. That familiar sense of irritation instantly dispelled her internal fear.
She instinctively swung her right fist, the punch whistling through the air as it aimed for his annoying face.
*Thud!*
A dull impact.
Although Jiraiya made a move to dodge, his face still collided with Tsunade's fist. He spun twice in the air like a top before slamming hard into a large tree.
The tree shook violently, sending a shower of yellow leaves raining down.
"Hiss... You hit hard."
Jiraiya nursed his swollen cheek. Despite the stinging pain, a successful smirk flickered in his eyes.
He looked at Tsunade.
The woman stood in the moonlight, pulling back her fist and lightly shaking her wrist.
Though her face still bore an expression of rage, that sense of despair—as if she were being swallowed by darkness—had vanished.
That was more like it.
Anger was always better than anxiety.
"Serves you right."
Tsunade snorted, glancing at Jiraiya's comically swollen face. Her lips twitched upward for a fraction of a second before she quickly regained her stern expression. "Stop playing around and move. If we're late, I'll bruise the other side of your face too."
With that, she turned again, her feet kicking off with enough force to launch her forward like a bolt of lightning.
Only this time, her back was no longer so stiff. The suffocating weight that had been crushing her seemed to have dissipated.
"Alright, as you command, Lady Tsunade!"
Jiraiya rubbed his face, gave a low chuckle, and immediately followed.
Behind them, Shizune stood on a branch holding Tonton, looking at the scene with a blank expression.
"Lord Jiraiya... he did that on purpose, didn't he?" Shizune whispered.
"Obviously."
This time, Gamakon had been prepared. He had hopped away before Jiraiya was hit and wasn't caught in the crossfire.
He landed next to Shizune, watching the two figures ahead with wonder. "The old man usually acts like a fool, but he really knows how to handle women when it counts. Is this the legendary 'Meat-shield' flirting method? Taking a punch to the face just to make a lady smile?"
"Ribbit!" ('What an idiot.')
"However..."
Gamakon's tone shifted, his horizontal pupils flashing with wisdom. "The knot in Tsunade's heart can't be untied just by acting like a fool. That anxiety from winning is like a time bomb. Jiraiya is only helping her delay the explosion."
"Then what should we do?" Shizune asked worriedly.
"Nothing we can do."
Gamakon yawned and hopped back onto the shoulder of the speeding Jiraiya. "A disease of the heart requires medicine for the heart. Once we get to Konoha and see Minato, she'll probably be halfway cured."
Gamakon wasn't worried about the village's safety because he knew how terrifying Minato truly was.
The deepest darkness of the shinobi world—the intel on Black Zetsu—was no longer a secret.
Not only that, but Minato had mastered Sage Mode and had a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki by his side.
With a lineup like that, he didn't believe there was a single shinobi left in this world who could put up a fight.
...
They sprinted through the night.
As the eastern sky began to turn the color of a fish's belly and the first light of dawn pierced the clouds, the iconic gates of Konoha finally appeared at the edge of the horizon.
The massive green gates stood tall, the character for 'Peace' looking exceptionally prominent in the morning light.
Tsunade came to a halt a hundred meters from the gate.
She was panting heavily, her chest heaving.
The prolonged high-speed travel had exhausted her physically, but what had worn her down more was the constant state of suspense.
Did something really happen?
Was it going to be that scene again?
Broken walls, bodies everywhere, the sky filled with the sound of wailing...
She instinctively clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. She didn't even dare to look up at the gate.
She was afraid of seeing ruins behind it. Afraid of seeing that golden-haired brat who always wore a sunny smile turned into a cold corpse.
That 'premonition of doom' after winning money reached its peak at this moment.
"We're here."
Jiraiya landed beside her and gently patted her shoulder.
His voice was calm, devoid of his previous playfulness, carrying a reassuring strength. "Look up, Tsunade."
Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing herself to raise her head.
Her gaze moved past the high walls and through the morning mist.
There was no smoke or fire.
The air did not smell of blood.
Konoha Village sat quietly bathed in the morning glow. Early birds chirped in the branches, and in the distance, she could even hear the calls of breakfast shops opening for business.
And right in the center of the open gate stood a person.
Dazzling golden hair shimmered in the sun, and a white Hokage cloak billowed gently in the breeze, the words 'Fourth Hokage' on the back looking exceptionally sharp.
Minato Namikaze.
He just stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the gatepost with that signature, sun-like smile on his face.
Seeing them appear, he straightened up and gave a light wave.
"Jiraiya-sensei, Lady Tsunade."
His clear voice carried through the morning mist. "You made better time than I expected. Care to join me for a bowl of ramen?"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Tsunade stared blankly at the unharmed, smiling figure. Her mind went blank for a moment.
No enemies?
No crisis?
No bodies?
Then what was the point of that frantic, life-or-death rush they just made?
"Phew..."
A long exhale came from beside her.
Jiraiya seemed to lose all the bones in his body, slumping instantly.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression shifting from tension to total relief, even tinged with a bit of celebration.
"I knew it..."
Jiraiya muttered. Though he complained, the smile at the corners of his eyes couldn't be hidden. "That kid is tough as nails. Looks like it was a false alarm."
Behind them, Shizune's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. She hugged Tonton, weeping with joy. "Thank goodness... everyone is still here... thank goodness..."
Gamakon sat on Jiraiya's shoulder, watching the scene and shaking his head.
*This is what they call 'worrying yourself sick', I suppose.*
He looked at Minato, who was standing at the gate with a brilliant smile, and thought to himself: *This kid definitely timed this to intercept them.*
He suspected Minato had known Tsunade's location for a while. By sensing the Flying Thunder God mark on Jiraiya, it was easy for him to guess what Jiraiya was thinking.
*Is he an airhead? No, he's definitely a natural-born schemer.*
Tsunade finally snapped out of it.
She looked at the smiling Minato, then at the 'I told you so' look on Jiraiya's face, and a nameless fire suddenly surged from her heart.
It was the feeling you get when you prepare yourself for death, only to find out you were just going to a surprise party.
The massive drop in emotional tension made her dizzy, followed immediately by sheer embarrassment and rage.
"MINATO NAMIKAZE!!!"
A roar echoed through the heavens, startling a forest full of birds.
The ground beneath Tsunade's feet instantly shattered. She appeared in front of Minato as if teleporting, grabbing the Fourth Hokage by the collar and hoisting him into the air.
"You brat! Why the hell are you sending out signals for no reason?! Do you have any idea how much you just scared me?! Do you think being Hokage is too easy and you want to retire early?!"
Facing the wrath of a Sannin, Minato didn't panic at all.
He maintained his gentle smile, allowing Tsunade to shake him by the collar, and even gave a polite, slight bow.
"My apologies, Lady Tsunade. I didn't mean to startle you."
Minato's voice was as smooth as jade, his azure eyes filled with sincerity. "But if I hadn't done that, you might have hesitated out there for a long time, wouldn't you? The village really needs you right now... and besides..."
Minato paused, his gaze moving past Tsunade to Jiraiya and the awakening village of Konoha.
"We all need you."
Tsunade's movements froze.
She looked at the young Hokage, seeing the pure trust and acceptance in his eyes.
The boulder that had been crushing her heart shattered completely in that instant.
The so-called curse, the so-called ill-fortune, appeared pale and powerless under this sunlight.
"Hmph..."
Tsunade let go of his collar and turned her head away awkwardly, wiping a suspicious bit of moisture from the corner of her eye. "Stop with the pretty words. Since you've tricked me into coming back, we're going to settle the score. If the benefits you offer aren't to my satisfaction, I'll tear down your Hokage Building at any time!"
"Of course."
Minato straightened his crumpled collar, his smile growing even wider. "As long as you're willing to stay, you can tear down the Hokage Rock to entertain yourself for all I care."
"Hey! You can't tear that down!"
Jiraiya chimed in, walking over with a sleazy grin and draping an arm over Minato's shoulder. "Since everyone is safe and sound, shouldn't we celebrate? Tsunade won big this time, so she should treat us to a nice meal, right? I heard Ichiraku Ramen has some new items..."
"Scram!"
Tsunade kicked Jiraiya's shin, but this time, she didn't use much force.
She looked at the two men, then at the streets gradually becoming lively in the distance, and the smoke rising from morning kitchens.
A long-lost sense of belonging flooded her heart like a tide.
"Let's go."
Tsunade took a deep breath and took the first step into the village, her green coat fluttering in the morning breeze.
"Shizune! Keep up! Don't dawdle!"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"
Under the sun, the figures of the Sannin overlapped once more, as if they had never been apart.
Gamakon leaned on Jiraiya's shoulder, watching the scene with a slight curve to his lips.
Finally, he could go see the legendary Otsutsuki Ichiraku.
During the six months spent preparing for Obito and Black Zetsu, he had been stuck at Mount Myoboku with Jiraiya almost the entire time without a moment to spare.