Tsunade's Troubles (Continued)

But at this point, that was clearly no longer possible.

Just then, Tsunade suddenly paused.

At that exact moment, Jiraiya's voice came from outside. "Tsunade."

Hearing him, Tsunade rose to her feet, walked to the window, and pushed it open. There, leaning against the eaves outside, was Jiraiya.

Tsunade frowned first, then said bluntly, "Jiraiya, come in."

Jiraiya immediately straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall, then leaped through the open window.

Shizune merely turned to glance at what was happening, then paid it no further attention and buried herself back in the mountain of documents.

Come to think of it, this really was a disaster out of the blue!

No one actually wanted to spend all their time thinking about doing missions when they had nothing better to do!

And clearly, neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya had any intention of paying attention to Shizune.

Tsunade sat back down in her chair while Jiraiya stood to one side.

Naturally, Tsunade was not about to start discussing work the moment Jiraiya appeared.

Instead, she asked, "Jiraiya, how have things been?"

Clearly, that question carried several meanings. First, she was asking how Jiraiya and Naruto had been over the past few years.

Second, she was asking what Jiraiya planned to do now that he had returned.

Third, she was asking whether Jiraiya could help with this incident.

Jiraiya naturally understood. He began sharing some of the intelligence he had gathered.

At the same time, he asked about what had happened here.

When he learned that it was all the work of the Sky Ninja, Jiraiya frowned deeply.

He had not expected it. After all, during the war that had destroyed the Sky Ninja Village, Jiraiya himself had personally led the forces.

He had never imagined that the Sky Ninja would