Jiraiya had been busy lately, shuttling back and forth between Mount Myōboku and Konoha.
At Mount Myōboku, he trained in senjutsu with the toads; in Konoha, he learned ninjutsu from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His appearance hadn't changed much, but Tsunade keenly noticed a few subtle differences.
For instance, he spoke more seriously now, his dirty jokes had all but vanished, and he was always polite to her.
When mocked or beaten during training, he no longer lashed back in humiliation and anger.
He simply brushed the dust off himself in silence and said, "Again," with a stubbornness in his eyes that Tsunade couldn't understand.
What on earth had happened to Jiraiya?
His two friends, Tsunade and Orochimaru, were worried. While Jiraiya was away studying at Mount Myōboku, they pestered Hiruzen Sarutobi for answers.
Worn down by their persistence, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave them a carefully edited account of what had happened.
After listening, the two exchanged a glance, each seeing understanding and helplessness in the other's eyes.
Only time could wear away something like this, allowing the person involved to make peace with himself.
Or perhaps the one who had caused it had to resolve it: the dead could come back to life and talk him through it.
But that was impossible, wasn't it?
Tsunade couldn't think of a good way to comfort him, so she could only spend more time chatting with him between training sessions. She also forced Orochimaru to study "The Complete Collection of One Hundred Thousand Corny Jokes" so he could cheer Jiraiya up whenever he had time.
The Cold Lord Orochimaru telling corny jokes with an icy expression was a joke in itself.
Though it was rather cruel to his image, Orochimaru himself took it well. He always showed a peculiar enthusiasm for learning new things in