Orochimaru proved good at enduring it. He buried his face in the blankets and managed to barely laugh, making his dull reaction rather unsatisfying.
Only Dan Katō, with his keen senses, found the tickling truly unbearable. Jiraiya and Tsunade singled him out, leaving him writhing and twisting as he clutched his stomach and collapsed with laughter.
In the end, he lay on the bed as though he had fallen apart, all the color drained from him, like a wilted little white flower that had been mercilessly trampled.
After their bout of horseplay, the invisible distance between them dissolved, and their warm hearts drew close once more.
The childhood friends easily found things to talk about again. Jiraiya's utterly normal behavior also put the others at ease, and they began talking about what they had been doing during their long separation.
Jiraiya had devoted himself to training at Mount Myōboku, so there was little more to say about that.
Tsunade had taken charge of the Medical Department, dedicating herself to simplifying Medical Ninjutsu and developing Medical Scrolls that anyone could use.
Orochimaru had practically made his home in the Konoha Laboratory. Had Jiraiya's situation not been so important, he would never have wanted to leave.
Dan Katō's experience had been somewhat more varied. He had first spent several years gaining experience in the various divisions of ANBU and Root, learning what different types of ninja needed and what kinds of support they required. Then he had studied Sealing Jutsu Formulas under Mito Uzumaki, and was now researching how to use them to improve his support capabilities.
Although they had gone their separate ways after Big Brother Leaf Dragon's resurrection and return, they had all been quietly working in the fields they enjoyed and excelled at, making steady progress.
Every one of