Jiraiya could hold his liquor well. Although he had drunk quite a bit with Tsunade earlier, his expression turned serious as they got down to business.
"What exactly happened? What did Orochimaru want with you?"
Hearing Jiraiya's question, Shizune was about to answer, but a glance from Tsunade immediately stopped her.
Tsunade took another sip of her drink, fell silent for a moment, then said:
"Nothing. He just came to say hello."
As she spoke, Tsunade pulled a deck of cards from her pocket and began shuffling.
Her movements were practiced and smooth. One look was enough to tell she was a seasoned gambler.
A dozen or so seconds later, the deck was neatly shuffled. She placed it facedown on the table before slowly asking:
"So what did you come to see me about?"
Jiraiya's expression grew even more serious. He knew Tsunade's personality very well. At a time like this, getting straight to the point was best.
"Tsunade, I'll be blunt. The village wants you to become the Fifth Hokage."
Tsunade, Shizune, and Naruto Uzumaki: "!!!"
All three looked utterly astonished. Naruto Uzumaki even spat out the food he had just put in his mouth.
Tsunade was supposed to return to Konohagakure and become the Fifth Hokage?
Only Lin Mu remained calm. He had known about this all along, so naturally, he was not surprised.
But the surprise soon faded from Tsunade's face, leaving her calm once more.
She picked up the cards on the table and began dealing them to herself and Jiraiya.
Once she finished dealing, Jiraiya picked up his hand, glanced over it, and said solemnly:
"The Third Hokage..."
He stopped halfway through, as though something had lodged in his throat.
Tsunade did not look at Jiraiya. Instead, she picked up her cards, glanced at them,