The Hokage's Office.
"What do you want with me this time? Don't you know I'm busy?"
Shinichi yawned in boredom, completely ignoring Tsunade's expression as she teetered on the edge of exploding.
He had wanted to spend a little more intimate time with Nonō, only for Tsunade to summon him here by force. He couldn't have been more exasperated.
"Shinichi, you're a Hokage Advisor, for crying out loud!"
Jiraiya looked utterly speechless. "Even if you don't normally come to work, you should at least show your face once in a while! When you disappear for ten days or half a month, we start wondering if you've died at home!"
Minato wore a wry smile. Though he said nothing, even he had to marvel at a certain someone's laziness.
Thinking of the miserable days they'd spent getting up before the roosters and going to bed later than the dogs, they couldn't help feeling bitter about the unfairness of it all.
"The three of you are enough to run Konoha. I'm only responsible for dealing with powerful enemies you can't handle. Didn't we agree on that from the start?"
Shinichi spoke as though it were perfectly reasonable.
He had a very clear understanding of his role: Konoha's strongest fighting force, the equivalent of a nuclear weapon.
He only served a purpose in a crisis. The rest of the time, his greatest contribution was being a mascot!
And he was perfectly happy with that role.
"No!"
Tsunade could no longer contain her anger. "I just can't stand watching you lounge around every day while the rest of us work ourselves to death! I called you here today because I'm giving you something to do!"
Well, damn!
So we're laying our cards on the table now? Not even pretending anymore?
Even from across the