After leaving the inn Tsunade ran, Jiraiya did not immediately set out.
He stopped in a secluded alley corner in Tanzaku Town and formed hand seals, a faint ripple of chakra rising over his body.
After a puff of white smoke, the tall, imposing figure with his unmistakable white hair had vanished.
In his place stood an average-sized, ordinary-looking middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of the Martial Pacification Office.
He even deliberately suppressed his immense chakra presence until he seemed like a genuine ordinary person.
With his disguise complete, Jiraiya reached into his clothing, felt around, and pulled out a palm-sized metal waist badge, solidly made and edged with dark gold patterns.
The character for "pacify" was engraved on its front in sharp, forceful strokes, while the back bore the character for "fire," along with intricate numbers and patterns. It was an official badge identifying its bearer as a member of the Land of Fire's Martial Pacification Office.
This badge did not belong to Jiraiya. Its original owner was Sasuke Uchiha.
Jiraiya weighed the badge in his hand, a meaningful smile curling his lips.
Back at the inn, he had intended to return the remaining money and the badge to Sasuke, but then he had given it some thought.
In certain situations, a Martial Pacification Office badge was far more useful than banknotes.
He carefully hung the badge from the belt of his transformed outfit. Against the gray cloth, its dark gold patterns conveyed an unmistakable air of official authority.
Once everything was ready, he wound his way deeper into Tanzaku Town with the ease of a regular and arrived outside a gambling house. Even this early in the morning, it was bustling with voices, and a huge lantern bearing the character for "gambling" hung over the entrance.
Without