A New Beginning

"What the hell?"

Feeling the cool air wafting up from beneath his pants, Chiba couldn't help swearing inwardly.

If he hadn't been wearing underwear, wouldn't he have been exposed? In front of all these people, no less.

He stared at Tsunade in horror, silently calling out to her.

Sis, what are you trying to do? I'm still just a kid!

But Tsunade couldn't hear his inner cries. She easily picked him up with one hand and studied his lower body intently.

A moment later, Tsunade grabbed a spot on Chiba and pressed down gently. The pain made him cry out at once.

"Tsunade, what are you—"

Jiraiya couldn't sit still any longer. He stared at Tsunade in confusion.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, was completely bewildered.

"Could it be that you're that kind of person, Tsunade?"

Tsunade waved at the two of them. "Shoo, shoo. Can't you see the kid's leg is injured?"

As she spoke, Tsunade pressed down on Chiba's leg again, and he cried out even louder in pain.

Just as Konan and the others anxiously started toward them, Jiraiya stopped them.

"Don't worry. Tsunade's an expert in medical treatment. She's treating your friend's injury. I don't see why she'd lie to you."

After testing Chiba's leg a few times, Tsunade finally got a rough idea of what was wrong.

"It's nothing serious. It probably just got knocked out of place a little back then and wasn't set properly."

As she spoke, Tsunade suddenly swung her hand, bending Chiba's leg into a bizarre angle.

Before Chiba could cry out, she immediately pushed it back into place.

Then Tsunade gathered chakra in her hands, forming two balls of white light, and began healing Chiba's injury.

A moment later, Tsunade nodded with satisfaction. "You're fine now. The area I just treated with ninjutsu is still a little fragile where it's healed over. Don't move around too much for the next few days, and it should be completely healed in three days at most."

At the warning not to move around, Chiba's body stiffened.

Seeing how he wanted to move but didn't dare, Tsunade burst out laughing.

"Relax. As long as you don't do anything too strenuous, you'll be fine."

Chiba carefully moved his leg. The awkward, stiff feeling he used to get when walking was indeed gone.

He couldn't help feeling delighted. "Thank you. I really can't thank you enough."

Konan and the others were just as pleased, thanking Tsunade over and over.

Tsunade waved them off. "There's no need to thank me. It was nothing. I may not be as skilled as Jiraiya, but I can handle little things like this."

A bright smile appeared on Tsunade's lips. "Besides, no matter what, I'm not just a ninja. I'm a doctor, too. I learned medical ninjutsu in the first place to heal people."

Yahiko, Konan, and the others were deeply grateful.

Even Chiba couldn't help thinking that Tsunade looked incredibly cool just then.

Just then, Jiraiya, standing behind Tsunade, rubbed his chin and made an ill-timed remark.

"Huh? Tsunade, wasn't it because you heard medical ninjutsu could help you—"

"Pow!"

Jiraiya had no chance to fight back. Tsunade's punch sent him flying dozens of meters, straight into a wall.

Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Tsunade smiled warmly again. "It's fine. He'll get hurt at most. He won't die."

"He won't die?"

Chiba and the others stared speechlessly at Jiraiya, who was sprawled on the ground and couldn't even get up. They didn't know what to say.

It seemed this beautiful woman called Tsunade wasn't as gentle as she looked.

A moment later, Tsunade and Orochimaru continued on their way.

Suddenly, Tsunade looked back toward Jiraiya and smiled. "Jiraiya, remember to come back soon."

With that, Tsunade and Orochimaru vanished in a blur.

Only then did Jiraiya get up. He gazed in the direction Tsunade had gone, grinning foolishly.

Looking at Jiraiya still grinning, then remembering the expression Tsunade had worn as she left, Chiba suddenly felt there might be something between the two of them after all. Thinking back to how Jiraiya had repeatedly risked his life to save Tsunade during the battle with Hanzo, Chiba refused to believe she hadn't been moved at all.

They had grown up together and risked their lives for each other, taking blows meant for one another. Could there really be no feelings between them?

Chiba didn't think so.

Then why had Tsunade later become someone else's girlfriend, while Jiraiya had remained single all his life?

Chiba had a vague idea: Jiraiya had been outmaneuvered while he was away.

Even if there seemed to be a spark between them now, Jiraiya would spend three years in the Land of Rain.

After three years away, even the most promising spark would surely have gone out.

And thinking about how nobody supported Tsunade's later suggestion, with only Dan agreeing and thereby bringing the two of them together, it clearly didn't make sense. If Jiraiya had been around, how could he have let Dan get the chance to make a move?

Chiba fell silent for a while.

It seemed Jiraiya had truly sacrificed a lot for them. He'd taught them for three years and, in the process, lost half a lifetime's happiness.

Jiraiya had no idea what his future held. His face was still lit with a brilliant smile.

A little later, Jiraiya dusted himself off and got to his feet, then cheerfully called to the others.

"We'll probably be staying here for a while. Before that, the first thing we need to do is build a new home."

Soon, Jiraiya set to work with the four kids.

Ninjas really were incredibly efficient when it came to getting things done.

Using his hands like an axe, Jiraiya cut enough lumber to build a house in less than half a day. Then, combining Earth Style with his own strength, he built a lovely-looking little house in less than half a day more.

"All done! We're moving in today!"

"Wow! It's so pretty!"

Yahiko and the others were delighted with their new home. Compared with the crude cave they'd lived in before, it was like night and day.

And so, Chiba and the others began living with Jiraiya. Their new life had finally begun.