Sen stood beside the abandoned water tower.
A large puddle of blackened water lay on the ground, with a few rotten vegetable leaves floating on its surface.
It gave off the foul stench of stagnant, spoiled water.
He looked at Jiraiya, who stood before him, watching him pleadingly.
His brows.
Furrowed slightly.
Although he really wasn't particularly afraid of this so-called "Konoha civil war."
The thought of slaughtering that old dog Danzo and plunging the entire village into chaos gave him pause.
Those rows of new houses he had just gone to enormous lengths to build with Wood Release.
Would probably end up smashed to pieces again.
Who would pay his two hundred million ryo construction bill then?
"This deal doesn't sound like a loss."
Sen did some mental calculations.
He slipped both hands back into his pockets.
"Let that big fat sucker named Tsunade come back and become Hokage. She can take the heat."
"Then that old man and those annoying higher-ups probably won't have time to bother me."
Sen patted his old, faded T-shirt and spat out the grass root in his mouth.
"All right."
"For the sake of the red bean cakes and watermelon."
Sen glanced sidelong at Jiraiya's hopeful face.
"I'll leave that dog Danzo's head on his neck for a few more days. Temporarily."
"But let's get one thing straight."
Sen held up three fingers and waved them in front of Jiraiya.
"You're covering all my expenses on the road, right down to food and bathroom breaks."
"No problem! No problem at all!"
Jiraiya was overjoyed to hear him relent.
He slapped his red armor hard with his mud-covered hand.
Old dust showered off it, making him choke and cough.
"I'm a bestselling author, after all. I can afford a little travel money!"
"Awesome! Big