His mind flashed back to the warehouse from years ago, where old odds and ends were piled up and classified items were sealed away.
Not daring to waste a moment, he turned and stumbled into a desperate sprint toward the Sarutobi Clan compound. His retreating figure was disheveled and frantic, without a trace of a former Hokage's composure or dignity.
"What a disgrace!" Tsunade watched him go and snorted through clenched teeth. "A lifetime of wisdom and valor, only to fall over something this sordid. He's dragged Konoha's reputation through the mud."
"Yeah. Who knows what people outside the village are saying now."
"Konoha really is going to be a laughingstock this time."
Jiraiya let out a long sigh, weighed down by exhaustion and heartache, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Once this is settled, let's do our best to comfort Naruto."
"That boy has suffered so much, endured so much injustice. From the day he was born, the world has never treated him kindly."
Tsunade drew a deep breath, forcing down the anger churning inside her, her tone utterly grave.
"Thank goodness the Sky Screen exposed everything ahead of time and gave us a chance to make amends."
"If Kushina knew from beyond the grave that the child she died protecting had been treated like this, that the gift she knitted for him with her own hands had been so casually mistreated, and that every last possession she left behind had been sealed away and erased..."
"With her temper, she'd unleash her nine-tails chakra on the spot and level all of Konoha with a Tailed Beast Bomb. She wouldn't spare anyone's feelings."
"Yeah. No one knows how far a mother's resolve can go." Jiraiya nodded with a bitter smile, his face full of helplessness.
"Even Minato, who was so gentle