The Sannin were all there, so Kizaru couldn't very well keep practicing. After chatting with Tsunade for a few moments, he said his goodbyes and left the training ground.
Watching Kizaru walk away, Tsunade turned her gaze back and headed toward the spot where Jiraiya was sprawled on the ground.
When she reached Jiraiya, Tsunade crouched down just as Orochimaru had.
After Orochimaru's initial treatment, Jiraiya's injuries had eased somewhat, and he had regained much of his strength.
"You idiot..." Tsunade had meant to make a few sarcastic remarks, but seeing how miserable Jiraiya looked, she couldn't bring herself to finish.
Without a word, Tsunade took over the treatment from Orochimaru.
After treating him and stabilizing his injuries, Tsunade stopped and stood up.
"That should do it. Take him to the hospital, and a few days of rest should be enough." Then Tsunade gave Orochimaru a look, signaling for him to help Jiraiya up.
Orochimaru understood what she meant. He reached out and pulled Jiraiya up from the ground.
"Argh!" The sudden movement made Jiraiya feel another stab of pain, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Hey, hey! I'm injured here! Be a little gentler with me!"
Orochimaru said nothing. He simply slowed his movements and supported Jiraiya with his arm and shoulder.
"Shut up! You got beaten up by a six-year-old kid, and you still have the nerve to complain!" Tsunade said with disdain.
"I..." Jiraiya wanted to argue, but realized that everything Tsunade had said was true. He lowered his head and muttered indignantly, "Six years old? What kind of kid looks like that at six?"
Tsunade and Orochimaru both heard Jiraiya's quiet grumbling. They exchanged a knowing glance and smiled at each other, their laughter growing louder and louder.
"You're actually laughing? That's so unfair!" Jiraiya shouted indignantly when he looked up and saw his two friends laughing happily.
"Quiet. We're going back," Tsunade said, cutting off Jiraiya's complaints.
With that, Tsunade moved to Jiraiya's side. She and Orochimaru each supported one of his arms as they headed for the village hospital.
Jiraiya's injuries weren't serious, but they weren't exactly minor, either. Tsunade and Orochimaru helped him along at a careful pace, taking nearly half an hour to reach the hospital.
Once inside, Tsunade expertly arranged a room for Jiraiya and found him a doctor.
"Lie still and rest. We're leaving," Tsunade instructed him, standing beside the bed with her hands on her hips.
"Got it." Wrapped in bandages from the waist up, Jiraiya lay on the hospital bed and answered with a miserable look.
Orochimaru said nothing. He glanced at Jiraiya, then followed Tsunade out of the room.
After leaving the room and exiting the hospital, Tsunade and Orochimaru walked side by side.
As they walked, Tsunade considered how to bring up the matter of getting Kizaru to become her student.
While Tsunade was thinking it over, Orochimaru spoke first.
"I heard your conversation with Kizaru at the training ground. You want to take him on as your student."
Tsunade stopped and turned to look at Orochimaru beside her.
A little embarrassed, but as outgoing and frank as ever, Tsunade didn't beat around the bush. She admitted it openly.
"That's right. I admire that kid, and his physical talents are a great fit for my Strength of a Hundred."
At Tsunade's answer, Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. After seeing Jiraiya fight Kizaru, he, too, had come to admire the boy.
Kizaru was a true genius!
That was Orochimaru's assessment of him.
After witnessing the strength and talent Kizaru had displayed at just six years old, Orochimaru felt a great deal of pressure, but also a measure of delight.
Who wouldn't want to teach a top-tier genius?
Orochimaru certainly did, and he was eager to become Kizaru's teacher.
But after hearing Tsunade and Kizaru's conversation at the training ground, Orochimaru had hesitated.
On one side was his close friend of many years; on the other, a student he admired. After hesitating for a while, Orochimaru made a difficult decision.
"I'll go persuade Teacher Sarutobi," Orochimaru said.
"Orochimaru, thanks!" Tsunade said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Then I won't hold back. I'll go find the Old Man and settle this right away."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "You really are impatient, Tsunade!"
"It's not every day I meet such an outstanding kid. I have to take him on as my student."
As she spoke, Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru's arm and ran toward the Hokage Building.
In the Hokage's office inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just finished handling his paperwork. He was using his Crystal Ball to enjoy the lovely sights around the village, giving his tired body and mind a chance to relax.
Wow! This bathhouse is really something.
The captivating scenery held Hiruzen's attention, and he watched with keen interest.
Bang!
Just as Hiruzen was concentrating on the Crystal Ball, someone suddenly shoved open the office door.
Hiruzen knew who it was without looking. He calmly picked up some documents from the desk to cover the Crystal Ball, then looked toward the doorway.
The only person who would so rudely barge into the Hokage's office was Tsunade.
Tsunade entered the office with Orochimaru. Seeing the mess of documents on the desk, she could more or less guess what her teacher had been doing.
Normally, Tsunade would have given this shameless teacher a good scolding.
But she had a favor to ask the Old Man today, so she ignored the mess on the desk, walked up with Orochimaru, and casually pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Orochimaru, Tsunade. What brings you here?" Hiruzen asked, smiling warmly at his two students.
"Old Man, I want Kizaru. He's going to be my student from now on." Tsunade leaned forward with one hand on the desk as she spoke to Hiruzen.
At Tsunade's request, Hiruzen was puzzled. He looked toward Orochimaru beside her, hoping to understand why.
"Orochimaru and I have already discussed it. He's letting me take his student," Tsunade continued, noticing Hiruzen's movement.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He picked up the teacup on the desk and glanced back and forth between his two students before finally settling his gaze on Tsunade.
"Don't rush me. You have to let me know why first," Hiruzen said with a smile.
"Jiraiya sparred with that kid and ended up in the hospital. That kid's really strong, and I like him!" Tsunade explained.
"Cough, cough!" Hiruzen, who had been drinking tea, was so startled by Tsunade's words that his usually steady hand trembled. He choked and began coughing.
He hurriedly set the teacup back on the desk and patted the tea off his clothes. Then, wearing an incredulous expression, Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru, who had remained silent the whole time.
Hiruzen knew his students well. Jiraiya wasn't a widely recognized genius like Tsunade and Orochimaru, but he was still exceptionally talented. After years of training under Hiruzen, he had already begun to take shape as a powerful shinobi and could be considered half a Kage Level fighter.
For a young powerhouse like him to be defeated by Kizaru, who was only six, and even sent to the hospital—it was something Hiruzen simply couldn't accept.