The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the streets of Konoha.
Ever since that C-rank mission, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had returned to their daily routine of D-rank missions.
Now they were helping villages near Konoha plant crops and drive away Beasts.
For the three of them, this kind of mission was like using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken—so boring it made them want to doze off.
"Hey, Tsunade, those dark circles of yours are almost as bad as a panda's. Were you out thieving last night?"
Jiraiya strolled along with his hands behind his head and a blade of foxtail grass dangling from his mouth. He looked carefree, but his eyes kept sneaking glances at Tsunade.
Tsunade stopped and glared at Jiraiya's smug, grinning face.
She rubbed her eyes without thinking, trying to hide her weariness.
Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Orochimaru, who was walking ahead of them, still as calm and composed as ever.
"Nothing."
Tsunade answered vaguely, her voice carrying a hint of barely concealed resentment.
Nothing?
Hmph!
It was all because of a certain someone!
Some kind of special study method, my foot. It was devilish training!
Whenever Tsunade thought of that pile of Fundamentals of Immunology and Molecules and Cells exams, her head started to ache.
Orochimaru had done a good job summarizing the key points, and this way of studying was very efficient, but it took a lot of brainpower.
Jiraiya had only been teasing her offhandedly, but when he saw her reaction—especially the resentful little look she shot at Orochimaru—he froze.
In the next instant, countless risqué scenes flashed through his mind, and his face filled with disbelief.
Orochimaru... Tsunade... dark circles... secret lessons?!
Holy shit!
Jiraiya felt like he'd uncovered a world-shaking secret!
"Orochimaru! You sly dog!"
"Look at you! You always seem so cold, but I didn't know you'd make your move so fast! Nice one, bro! Teach me your ways, will you?"
He darted forward and clapped a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder, waggling his eyebrows. His tone was exaggerated, and his eyes gleamed with a lecherous light that seemed to say, "I get you, bro."
"?"
Orochimaru was taken aback by Jiraiya's sudden move and inexplicable words.
He frowned slightly as he looked at Jiraiya's leering grin, then at Tsunade's dark expression...
In a flash, Orochimaru understood.
Jiraiya was imagining some more filthy, perverted nonsense!
"You've got it all wrong. Even so, I wouldn't make a move on an underdeveloped little girl~"
Orochimaru calmly brushed Jiraiya's hand aside and offered a casual explanation.
The moment he said that, the air went completely still.
"Yikes~"
Jiraiya's grin froze when he heard that, and he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
To say something like that right in front of violent Tsunade—only Orochimaru could pull off something he never would have dared to try.
He turned to look at Tsunade and saw her face darkening, so he tactfully stepped out of the way.
Little girl?
Underdeveloped?!
Boom!
A surge of fury shot straight to Tsunade's head!
"You bastard, Jiraiya! Drop dead!"
With a furious roar, Tsunade unleashed all her pent-up resentment and embarrassment at having a sore spot hit. She swung her fist straight at Jiraiya.
Huh?! Wait, why are you hitting me?
Jiraiya froze, and before he could react—
The fist, imbued with Strength of a Hundred, slammed mercilessly into Jiraiya's still-bewildered face!
"Thud!"
The dull impact was followed by Jiraiya's scream as he flew through the air like a kite with its string cut, tracing a perfect arc before crashing hard into a pile of garbage cans in the distance.
Having dealt with the culprit, Tsunade was still seething. She turned sharply toward Orochimaru, whose expression was calm and even a little innocent, and gave a heavy snort!
"Hmph!"
Then she turned away, cheeks puffed with anger, and refused to look at him again.
"..."
Orochimaru was at a loss.
Hitting Jiraiya was one thing. That guy deserved it.
But why was she snorting at him?
He hadn't said anything wrong, had he?
Forget it...
Orochimaru quickly gave up on wasting brainpower over this. His experience in his previous life had taught him that women's thoughts were harder to understand than research papers and lab reports.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya crawled out of the pile of garbage cans, grimacing. A clear fist mark stood out on his face, and some unidentified liquid dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
"Cough, cough... Tsunade, you really hit way too hard..."
As he rubbed his face, Jiraiya shot Orochimaru a resentful look.
At that, Tsunade cracked her knuckles.
"Wait, wait! I'm sorry, okay? I said I'm sorry! Don't hit me! Anyway, on to something serious!
"You're in luck! Today, I'll show you the new jutsu I learned from the Old Man!"
Seeing that Tsunade looked ready to lash out again, Jiraiya's expression changed, and he hurriedly changed the subject.
As he spoke, he bit his finger and quickly formed Hand Seals!
Boar—Dog—Rooster—Monkey—Ram!
"Hm?"
Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly at the familiar sequence of Hand Seals and the blood on Jiraiya's fingertip.
Summoning Jutsu?
So Jiraiya had learned Summoning Jutsu from the Third Hokage?
If Orochimaru remembered correctly, Jiraiya's summoned creatures should be the Toads of Mount Myoboku.
This was the perfect chance to see them.
Tsunade temporarily forgot her earlier displeasure too, watching Jiraiya form Hand Seals with curiosity.
However, the next moment—
Just as Orochimaru expected Jiraiya to summon a Toad—
"Puff!"
With a soft pop and the white smoke of a jutsu being activated,
Jiraiya... simply vanished from the spot.
Where was he?
Had he summoned nothing?
Or... had he summoned himself away?
Staring at the vanished Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade fell into thought.
Meanwhile,
in a strange place they had never seen before, filled with enormous plants and a hazy, damp atmosphere,
Jiraiya stood frozen in confusion.
He stared at the mushroom-shaped plants, each larger than a house, and at the gigantic Toad crouching nearby, as big as a small mountain. Its huge eyes, with horizontal pupils, regarded him curiously.
Jiraiya fell into a long silence.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What the heck is that?
Konoha, the Hokage's office.
"What?!"
After hearing Orochimaru and Tsunade's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi shot up from his chair, his expression turning grave in an instant.
"Foolishness! This is sheer foolishness!
"How can anyone use Summoning Jutsu so recklessly?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face changed dramatically as he paced around the office.
Jiraiya's fundamentals were poor. The only way Hiruzen could think of to make him stronger in a short time was to find him a powerful summoned creature!
But powerful summon clans usually tested those who wanted to sign a contract with them!
The same was true of Enma, who had made a contract with the Sarutobi Clan...
That was why Hiruzen had been searching for a suitable summoned creature for Jiraiya all this time. He hadn't yet had the chance to let him formally sign a contract!
He never expected that idiot to use the jutsu outright...
"Yikes~ If someone uses Summoning Jutsu without having signed a contract, they'll be randomly transported to the habitat of a summoned creature whose Chakra nature is similar to the caster's..."
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath. His head was beginning to hurt.
The range of what counted as "similar" was far too broad. Who knew where Jiraiya might have been sent...
Before you continue