Tsunade, Jiraiya

With the serious business concluded, the atmosphere relaxed somewhat. Nangō Kumoi revealed his concern at the right moment.

"Ma'am, is Tsunade... all right? I want to go see her."

A flash of sorrow crossed Mito's eyes, and she sighed softly.

"That child... has locked herself in her room and refuses to see anyone. Her grandfather died early, and Tobirama was more like her real grandfather.

"This blow... was too much for her. It would be good if you went to see her. Perhaps she'll listen to some of what you say."

Led by a servant, Nangō Kumoi arrived outside Tsunade's room. He gestured for the servant to leave, then knocked gently on the door.

"Tsunade, it's me. Uncle Kumoi."

There was no response from inside.

He waited patiently for a while, then knocked again. "Tsunade, I know you're hurting.

"Second Grandpa... when Teacher Tobirama left, besides Konoha, the one he worried about most was you. He definitely wouldn't want to see you like this."

Perhaps the words "Second Grandpa" touched something in her, or perhaps the steady, gentle voice outside had its effect. After a while, the door opened a crack.

A little girl with swollen red eyes, a pale face, and slightly disheveled golden hair poked half her body out. She bit her lip as she looked at Nangō Kumoi, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Nangō Kumoi's heart ached. He crouched down to meet Tsunade's gaze, his voice becoming even gentler.

"Tsunade, if you want to cry, then cry. It's all right. Second Grandpa was a hero. To protect everyone, he made the bravest choice.

"But what he surely wanted even more was for his beloved little Tsunade to live bravely and well, to grow up happily carrying his share with her."

At last, Tsunade's tears fell in large drops. But she did not burst into loud sobs; she only sniffled quietly.

Nangō Kumoi did not try to hug her or offer too much comfort. He simply stayed quietly at her side and handed her a clean handkerchief. Only after her sobs eased did he continue.

"Teacher Tobirama is gone, but many people still care about you. Grandma Mito, me, and... Uncle Hiruzen.

"You know, Uncle Hiruzen—your Uncle Monkey—is one of Second Grandpa's most accomplished disciples. He knows all sorts of ninjutsu, and he's especially reliable.

"I want to ask him to come teach you more often from now on, practice with you, and tell you stories about Second Grandpa. All right? Just think of it as having another amazing teacher who cares for you very much."

Tsunade raised her tearful eyes and looked at him with some confusion.

"Of course, Uncle Kumoi will always be Uncle Kumoi." Nangō Kumoi smiled.

"If you run into any trouble, or want to learn something strange and unusual, you can come to me too. But for everyday training, Uncle Hiruzen is the expert.

"We'll be like... well, like we're taking care of a little sapling together. He'll water and fertilize it every day, while I'll come check on it now and then and chase away the bad bugs. How does that sound?"

That metaphor seemed to help Tsunade understand a little. She fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently. Though she said nothing, her resistance and withdrawal had clearly eased.

"Good girl," Nangō Kumoi said warmly. "Then it's settled. Get some rest first. I'll have Uncle Hiruzen come see you later.

"Remember, Second Grandpa's love and hopes will always be with you. And Konoha, along with all of us, will always protect you as you grow up."

After leaving Tsunade's room, a weight in Nangō Kumoi's heart eased slightly.

A child's grief needed time, but at least the door to communication had been opened, and a reliable guide had been arranged for her going forward.

Back in the tea room, he spoke briefly with Mito again, mainly about how to let Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally form a master-disciple relationship with Tsunade. Mito approved and supported the idea, believing it was best for Tsunade.

By the time he bid farewell and left the Senju Ancestral Home, the sun was already sinking westward. As Nangō Kumoi walked home, he felt that the afternoon had been both fulfilling and necessary. He had gained valuable experience from the political probing, and taken the first step toward fulfilling his emotional responsibilities.

Next, he needed to speak with Hiruzen Sarutobi about taking on a disciple and ideological guidance. Konoha's construction was beginning to unfold in detailed plans on every front.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long behind him. Nangō Kumoi was pondering whether ideological education or industrial planning would be harder to handle.

As he passed the back alley of the hot spring district, his sharp ears caught a suspicious rustling sound, mixed with a hushed, idiotic "hehe" laugh.

He stopped short and drifted over without a sound to take a look—well, well!

A little white-haired, hedgehog-headed brat was sticking his rear out, practically wedged into the ventilation gap in the outer wall of the women's bathhouse. He was utterly absorbed, so focused that his drool was nearly dripping onto the base of the wall.

Nangō Kumoi's mouth twitched. That signature hair color, that utterly natural sleazy aura... who else could it be but the young Jiraiya?

He silently walked up behind the brat, bent down beside his round little ear, and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Is it good?"

"Hehe, of course it is... Waaah!!!" Jiraiya answered automatically before suddenly realizing what was happening. Scared out of his wits, he sprang backward—only to trip over his own feet and land hard on his backside.

He looked up in terror and met Nangō Kumoi's faintly smiling face.

"L-Lord Hokage?! I-I was... I was observing the building's structure! That's right! I was studying the seismic resistance of the ventilation system!"

Little Jiraiya's face turned redder than an autumn persimmon as he frantically gestured, trying to prove the academic nature of his motives.

Nangō Kumoi folded his arms and drawled, "Oh? Studying the ventilation system required you to press your face that close and make comments like... 'What a wonderful structure'?"

Jiraiya was instantly speechless. His head drooped, and he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"Such lofty aspirations at such a young age." Nangō Kumoi shook his head and extended a finger. A strand of chakra thread darted out nimbly, winding around Jiraiya from head to toe several times as though alive, before lifting him gently—

"Ow!" Jiraiya cried out as he discovered he had been tied into a little white dumpling, with only his head and feet exposed. He dangled in midair, swaying back and forth in an utterly ridiculous pose.

"Lord Hokage! I was wrong, I was wrong! Please put me down!" The little dumpling twisted uselessly in the air.

"I can put you down," Nangō Kumoi said unhurriedly, "but to help direct your excess energy somewhere 'proper'... copy the Konoha Ninja Academy Basic Code of Conduct one hundred times. Put it on my desk before tomorrow."

"One hundred times?!" Jiraiya wailed. That notebook was thick enough to use as a brick! "That'll kill me!"

"Too much?" Nangō Kumoi raised an eyebrow. "Then how about another task? Go help the bathhouse cleaning ladies scrub floors for a month—especially on the women's side. You seem pretty familiar with the layout."

"No, no, no! One hundred times! I'll copy it! I'll go home and start copying right now!" Jiraiya instantly changed his tune. Scrubbing the women's bathhouse for a month? He would be laughed at for the rest of his life!