Positioning × Jiraiya

"In the current Ninja World, those who can truly cross blades with me and have a chance to drag me down with them are..."

"The complete Nine-Tails, Nagato who has mastered the Rinnegan,"

"Or perhaps a dying Madara Uchiha."

Nara Dan was very clear about his own standing; he was roughly on the level of Nagato, possessing the power to suppress ordinary Kage-level fighters.

But compared to those "cheaters" who could literally hold the Nine-Tails in their palms, he still lacked a certain accumulation of power.

However, Nara Dan did not panic, because he was still young (and could pay-to-win), which was his greatest asset.

"That is good."

Having received a satisfactory answer, the Third nodded.

"Then you may feel free to act as you wish on the battlefield in the Land of Wind."

"I will arrange for Tsunade, who has experience on the front lines, to assist you."

The Third spoke vaguely, not mentioning why Tsunade could not go to the front lines herself and could only assist others.

But even if Nara Dan had never seen the plot, he could guess a thing or two.

In fact, among the upper echelons of Konoha, this was an unspoken truth.

Where else would you find a top-tier medical ninja in the Ninja World who never goes on missions and never treats others?

Even Princess Tsunade could not waste resources like this; did they really think Konoha wasn't a military institution?

Nara Dan didn't say much more, roughly understanding the Third's arrangement.

Perhaps he even intended for Tsunade to keep his power or prestige in check.

Yet, the Third had no choice but to choose him.

Because only he could replace the position of the White Fang.

Konoha Tavern.

This tavern had a history as long as the Senju clan itself.

This was the reason Tsunade often came here. She walked with drunken steps, having just come from the Hokage Office, and headed straight for the tavern.

But what awaited her here today was not fine wine, but a white-haired ninja.

"Tsunade, long time no see."

Jiraiya smiled brightly. As soon as he returned to Konoha, he came to visit this friend he was most worried about.

"Yes."

"Long time no see."

Tsunade glanced at him indifferently, sat down, and filled her glass.

"Sigh."

Seeing this, Jiraiya let out a sigh.

"It would be better to drink less."

"The anesthesia of alcohol can only be temporary."

But Jiraiya also knew that such words were futile; for someone whose heart was dead, a moment of numbness was a great blessing.

Tsunade ignored him and continued to drink on her own.

Years of being a "simp" had already established Jiraiya's position, which was clearly very humble.

"War is coming soon."

"Do you have any plans?"

Jiraiya asked, concerned for Tsunade.

"Or perhaps the teacher has some arrangements for you?"

Although his personality was unrestrained, years of traveling the Ninja World had given Jiraiya the intelligence-gathering ability to see the big picture from small details.

The smell of gunpowder from the war was too strong, making Jiraiya feel somewhat uneasy.

"That old man arranged for me to be in logistics."

Tsunade downed a mouthful of alcohol and replied indifferently.

"For the Land of Wind."

"Is that so."

Jiraiya nodded, understanding the teacher's approach. Konoha was destined to be in danger this time; even if Tsunade had developed Hemophobia, she still had to contribute her remaining value.

A logistics role was appropriate—it kept Tsunade off the front lines while still making full use of a Kage's combat experience.

"In that case, the person in charge of the Land of Wind..."

"Must be that kid from the Nara House, right?"

Although Jiraiya was rarely in the village, mostly preoccupied with gathering inspiration or searching for the Child of Prophecy, he still maintained regular communication with the village, including his student Minato Namikaze and the Third.

He was also aware of a "unique" ninja in the village: a member of the Nara House who practiced only Taijutsu, yet possessed astonishing combat power.

Whether it was the Third or Minato Namikaze, both had mentioned Nara Dan in their letters, with evaluations that were mostly positive, calling him a one-of-a-kind Taijutsu genius, the successor to the White Fang, and so on.

Therefore, Jiraiya had a very deep impression of Nara Dan.

And the battlefield in the Land of Wind did indeed require a ninja with the compatibility of the White Fang to be dealt with effectively.

Moreover, Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade's flushed cheeks, knowing that there was a history between Nara Dan and Tsunade, and that they had nearly become master and apprentice.

Of course, whether from the perspective of Tsunade or Nara Dan, that "nearly" was far from the truth.

Seeing that Tsunade ignored him, Jiraiya paused, wanting to ease the atmosphere.

"They really are remarkably similar,"

"Both young, both outstanding, and if we speak of the name Dan."

If one were to ask where Jiraiya's status as a perennial simp came from, at this point, it could only be said he deserved it; he was just too good at saying the wrong thing.

He always touched on the most sensitive subjects.

"Tch."

Tsunade let out a cold snort, thinking once again of how she had always been the one at a disadvantage.

"They aren't alike at all, that wet-behind-the-ears brat."

"He is completely different from Dan."

"He has far too many dark thoughts hidden in his heart."

Dan Katō was an idol-like ninja as perfect as Minato Namikaze: handsome, young, gentle in nature, and powerful in strength.

If it weren't for staying behind to cover his teammates, Dan Katō might have lived to be a true rival to Minato Namikaze.

With Tsunade's support, his chances of becoming Hokage would have been quite high.

Unfortunately, the flaws in the techniques he practiced were too obvious, and as if having obvious flaws wasn't enough, he insisted on covering for his teammates.

It was no different from lighting a lamp in a latrine.

Nara Dan's evaluation of this was naturally that it was stupid—just another tool brainwashed by the Will of Fire.

But Tsunade had a second thought, If Dan could have had that brat's cunning mind,

perhaps he wouldn't have died.

Hearing this, Jiraiya knew he had said the wrong thing; he could never imagine the extent to which a woman could hold a grudge.

"Regardless,"

"Continuing to move forward is the most important thing."

"Drowning in the past is also a form of unfairness to those who have passed away."

Seeing that he couldn't offer normal words of comfort, Jiraiya could only resort to the chicken soup he was good at feeding Tsunade.

But alas, he was the one searching for the Child of Prophecy, not the Child of Prophecy himself; he possessed no Talk-no-Jutsu.

Consequently, such words only provoked more resentment.

"Enough!"

Tsunade waved her hand impatiently, spilling the wine from her glass all over the floor.

"If that's all you came back to say,"

"You might as well leave."

"Konoha has plenty of things that require your attention right now."

"There is no need to waste your time on a useless person like me."

"..."

With things having reached this point, Jiraiya would not make a fool of himself further, especially since returning to Konoha meant he needed to report to the Hokage first.

However, this kind of situation was not the first time it had happened.

He was quite accustomed to it, and before leaving, he even settled the tab for the drinks Tsunade had ordered.

"..."

After Jiraiya left, Tsunade drank in a wild, unrestrained manner for a while longer.

Finally, even a ninja's physical constitution had its limits, especially since Tsunade did not use Chakra to counteract the effects of the alcohol.

In the end, she lay drunkenly on the table, and the wine glass on the table fell to the ground.

In the hazy blur of Tsunade's vision, that gentle figure she could never forget day or night faintly overlapped with another tall figure of a completely different temperament.

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