The Two of Them (1)

While the Land of Water was experiencing torrential rain, the Land of Fire enjoyed excellent weather.

The sun shines brightly; it's a clear, sunny day in late autumn.

Konoha, Hokage Rock.

The scenery here is superb. Looking down, you can see the entire Konoha. The neat houses at your feet are arranged in a fan shape, spreading out orderly and extending beyond the horizon until the view is blocked by the towering Konoha walls.

As the sun began to set, a couple, their relationship ambiguous and seemingly distant, escaped their official duties and slipped onto the platform of the Hokage Rock, leisurely enjoying the rare warmth of the sunlight.

Of course, a bottle of sake and two dishes of appetizers are also indispensable, serving as dinner.

After a few sips of sake, the man's eyes became unfocused.

"I... Tsunade," the burly man mumbled, his Adam's apple bobbing, "Is it alright for us to be this relaxed?"

He sat on the edge of the stage, his body swaying precariously in the wind, making one worry that he might fall.

"Hmm?" Tsunade and glanced at him.

A faint, intoxicating blush appeared on her fair and smooth face, which resembled that of a young girl; in the instant she turned her head to look back, she exuded charm and allure, completely devoid of the majesty of the Fifth Hokage.

"Okay, let's not talk about business, Jiraiya?" She gave the man a reproachful look, but her lips curved into a soft smile. "Alright, I know you're worried about Naruto... Don't worry, with Sakura and Sasuke around, everything will be fine."

Tsunade shifted her gaze from the man's face, looking down at the buildings of Konoha stretching almost to the horizon, her expression becoming serene.

"I have my reasons for sending the three of them on such high-level missions independently," the woman said leisurely. "Don't think that only Naruto has grown in the past two years!"

Jiraiya turned his head to gaze at the beauty beside him, and saw a familiar, confident smile on her delicate red lips.

"Um?"

Tsunade nodded slightly and said, "Especially, Sakura."

Sakura Haruno. Her second disciple.

She was Tsunade to send the three members of Team 7, including the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Sharingan orphan, on dangerous missions.

"If," Tsunade suddenly turned around and smiled with amusement, "Sakura Haruno has completely surpassed me... and even undoubtedly surpassed you, would you believe me, Jiraiya?"

"Oh?"

Jiraiya's first reaction was that Tsunade was joking with him.

"Hehe." He shook his head and chuckled, then bent down to fill Tsunade's and his own cups.

"Drink."

"Dry."

The wine glasses clinked lightly, producing a delicate tinkling sound, Jiraiya downed his drink in one gulp.

When the third cup was served, Jiraiya carefully examined Tsunade before realizing that she wasn't joking.

Are you real?

Do I look like I'm joking with you?

"..."

The man frowned slightly.

She genuinely believed that.

That's why Jiraiya found it unbelievable.

"I don't believe it." Jiraiya was very confident in himself. He knew very well that he had reached his current level not because of luck or the protection of his ancestors' bloodline, but because of his great perseverance and courage in overcoming countless difficulties and obstacles. It was impossible to reach that level by being clever and taking shortcuts, let alone surpass him in just two or three years. Orochimaru was the best example; he wanted to take the shortcut to immortality, but was surpassed by Jiraiya.

Sakura Haruno has surpassed him at such a young age? That's simply unbelievable.

However, after taking a sip of his sake, Jiraiya turned and exchanged a glance with Tsunade, his eyes shining, and said, "But now I believe you."

Tsunade stared at him intently for two seconds.

Jiraiya believed in himself, but at this moment he chose to trust her judgment.

"You might find it unbelievable, right? Sometimes I find it hard to believe too. But it's true. Sakura Haruno, she..." Tsunade paused, as if organizing her thoughts, a hint of melancholy in her expression, "She has perfectly mastered Senjutsu, and from who knows where she developed so many Secret Techniques... Heh heh, really, even I, her teacher, can no longer fathom her depths."

"Her limits... are probably far beyond yours and mine."

"Witnessing my disciples' growth firsthand, and gradually realizing that I've been surpassed by younger people... this feeling constantly reminds me that I'm no longer young. I'm getting old."

Jiraiya pursed his lips and remained silent.

He listened quietly to Tsunade, as he had many times before, acting as a dutiful listener.

At this moment, Tsunade doesn't need rebuttal or agreement, she just needs quiet listening.

Having mastered various Secret Technique, Tsunade maintains her youthful appearance at its most beautiful, never aging. At least from Jiraiya's perspective, at such a close distance, the woman's face remains as smooth and flawless as ever, retaining the astonishing elasticity and beauty of a young girl. As long as Tsunade has Chakra, she can maintain this appearance forever, forever young, never aging.

However, changes in mindset and the aging of psychological age cannot be suppressed by Chakra and Secret Technique.

Discovering that she had been surpassed by her juniors, realizing that her disciples no longer needed her protection, and that she herself sometimes needed to rely on Sakura Haruno's strength... these facts silently told Tsunade that she was indeed getting old.

"Haha, that's not true at all." After a moment of silence, Jiraiya tried to comfort her, chuckling awkwardly, "You're still quite young! Unlike me, wrinkles are already starting to show."

Zero points.

That's as straightforward as "drink more hot water," a typical straight-laced male response.

Perhaps being bolder and taking the opportunity to pull Tsunade into his arms would be the right answer—who knows, maybe she's secretly hoping for this development? Otherwise, why would she repeatedly reveal her most vulnerable side to men in private?

But all he got was Jiraiya's clumsy response, as if the soul of that always-talkative middle-aged man had suddenly vanished without a trace from his body.

This is driving me crazy!

Tsunade bit her lip; her soft, red lips still looked incredibly alluring to Jiraiya. A thought flickered in his heart, and he was about to speak when the woman laughed first, saying, "Ha! That's why I felt safe sending those three out. With Sakura around, I'm sure even if they encounter Pain, the leader of Pain, or Nagato or something, they'll be able to escape unscathed!"

"Hmm..." Jiraiya replied instinctively. "It shouldn't be a big problem."

Stealing a glance, he saw a bright smile return to the woman's face; her previous weakness and dejection seemed to be Jiraiya a dream.

"Hey," Tsunade Jiraiya, a hint of smugness in her smile, "You always beat me before, but this time, in terms of training disciples, I've finally won a round back!"

"Hey, don't declare victory so easily! Naruto still has a lot of untapped potential! The outcome is still uncertain... Okay, okay, you win first, but don't look at me like that!"

"Hmph. You're smart to know what's good for you. Let's get this."

"Dry."

Tsunade downed the remaining wine in her cup in one gulp, Tsunade eyes gleaming, and changed the subject. "Seriously, Jiraiya. We're both getting on in years. No matter how much we resist the urge to grow old, we need to seriously consider the issue of succession. Get up... what are your thoughts on the Hokage?"

"Hokage..." Jiraiya paused slightly, then glanced at Tsunade meaningfully, "You're thinking about the next Hokage?"

Tsunade nodded. "Kakashi, Asuma, how about it?"

"Don't joke around, Tsunade." Jiraiya chuckled and waved his hand. "Kakashi lacks drive, and Asuma... the old man would be the first to disagree."

Kakashi is good in every way, and his strength is so-so, but his personal image is terrible: he's too lazy, often late, and brazenly carries pornographic books around the streets. If this guy became Hokage, Konoha's image would become strange...! As for Asuma, even Jiraiya, who isn't very politically astute, knew it was impossible to choose him as Hokage. Asuma's strength is too weak, at most at the Elite Jonin; making him Hokage would be tantamount to killing him.

However, this also means that no one in this generation seems capable of shouldering great responsibilities. Most of the others lack the strength to be of any real use, let alone the prestige they possess. Konoha has suffered a complete talent drain of a generation!

"So let's consider—" Jiraiya paused abruptly, turning to look at Tsunade, who smiled at him but said nothing.

"--Consider the next generation of Naruto and Sakura."

Jiraiya subconsciously finished his sentence.

After saying that, Jiraiya was startled by his own words.

A teenage Hokage? Are you kidding me!

However, Tsunade still wore a nonchalant smile, as if she not only didn't find the suggestion shocking, but actually agreed with him.

The white-haired immortal was momentarily taken aback.

"They're only fifteen! And—"

Moreover, the last time Orochimaru attempted to pass on his position to a grand-disciple instead of a disciple, it caused a major disaster. This is why Orochimaru became estranged from Konoha.

"I know what you're worried about." Tsunade's smile faded, and she held up a finger to explain, "But the situation is different now, so there's no need to shy away from it. First, Kakashi isn't as ambitious as Orochimaru. Second..."

She paused for a moment, then took a small sip of sake.

"Secondly," the woman continued, "I'm not passing the position to a new person right now... I'm not so old that I can't move!"

She rolled her Byakugan at the man with a seductive look.

We still have to get there.

Jiraiya looked her over suspiciously a few times, staring intently into her eyes, trying to see through her beautiful gaze to understand her thoughts.

"So... you want to designate Sakura as the First Hokage, Tsunade?"

He raised his glass and spoke calmly and composedly.

Although Jiraiya didn't understand politics very well, he understood Tsunade. Putting aside her sentimental words and preludes, he could always unravel the key points Tsunade truly wanted to express with just a little thought, and pinpoint them incisively.

The woman's thoughts were guessed.

The extraneous expression on Tsunade's face quickly faded, and her expression became serious.