"It looks like I really am getting old, Lord Fifth Hokage."
After wrestling with his thoughts for a long time, Jiraiya looked at Madara Uchiha's youthful face and gave a helpless smile.
Although Jiraiya always acted carefree and irreverent, laughing and cursing as he pleased, he actually held a deep affection for Konoha. Becoming the village's enemy was something he absolutely refused to face.
"Jiraiya, since you acknowledge me as Hokage, go carry out my mission."
Seeing that Jiraiya had submitted to him, Madara Uchiha immediately took out a Scroll, signed a mission order, and tossed it to him.
"Our Lord Hokage certainly knows how to put everyone to use."
Jiraiya had not expected Madara to assign him a mission the moment he acknowledged him as Hokage. But when he opened the Scroll, he froze.
Mission rank: S Mission details: Persuade Tsunade, one of the Sannin, to return to Konoha and serve as head of its medical department.
The ink on the Scroll had yet to dry, since Madara had just written it.
"Aren't you afraid Tsunade will threaten your position as Hokage once she returns?"
Jiraiya read the words on the Scroll again, then posed the question to Madara.
"I have faith in your abilities."
Winning people's loyalty required both kindness and authority. According to the intelligence, Tsunade had left Konoha after being devastated by her inability to save the person she loved most. To escape that pain, she numbed herself with gambling and alcohol every day. Jiraiya's desire to bring Tsunade back to Konoha likely also stemmed from his hope of helping his friend get back on her feet.
To Madara, although Tsunade fell short of Hashirama, she was still a talent worth recruiting. Ordering Jiraiya to bring her back served two purposes: it was a