Jiraiya stood in the doorway, wanting to speak but unable to. He had come armed with a bellyful of words—mockery, persuasion, bitter reproach—but Tsunade's youthful face lodged them all in his throat.
His gaze shifted from her face to the sheet of paper lying face down at the corner of the desk, then back again.
Tsunade frowned impatiently and spoke first.
"What is it? Make it quick. I'm busy. I have a mountain of work to deal with!"
Jiraiya's fingers clenched at his side. The bitterness he had forced down rose from his stomach, burned up his throat, and caught there.
"The mighty Hokage!"
"You only care about enjoying yourself, and you have the nerve to complain!"
"You spent half the day fooling around with that brat, but you won't lift a finger to help me!"
"You've turned me into a eunuch. How could you do this to me?"
Tsunade looked away from his face and glanced down. Her gaze stopped below his waist, lingered on his crotch for a beat, then rose again.
One corner of her mouth dipped into a sneer.
"It's completely ruined. There's nothing I can do for you."
She took her hands off the desk, folded them in her lap, and leaned back slightly.
"Besides, this is for the best. You're an even more perfect Jiraiya now."
"Your perverted antics were disgusting, and you were proud of them!"
Jiraiya's fist clenched. His knuckles stood out, and his nails dug into his palm, sending pain up to his wrist. He took half a step forward, his shoe landing on the wooden floor with a dull thud.
"Bullshit, more perfect!"
"What about you? Why don't you make yourself perfect? Instead, you spent half the day fooling around—in the Hokage Office!"
Tsunade leaned forward and planted her elbows