By the time Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived at the Hokage Office, the Third was fully armed.
In contrast, Jiraiya and Tsunade had flushed faces and reeked of alcohol. They were still holding gambling chips and a wine cup, clearly having rushed over from an izakaya or somewhere similar.
Glancing at his disappointing students, the Third tossed a scroll to Jiraiya and said, "Minato wants to see us. The meeting place is just outside the village..."
Jiraiya immediately sobered up considerably. "Has Minato changed his mind?"
The Third shook his head. "I'm not sure yet, but I think the invitation most likely came from whoever resurrected Minato and Kushina."
"Anyone who could solve a problem that even I found impossible to tackle must be far from an ordinary ninja."
With the help of chakra, Tsunade had already shaken off her drunkenness. For a medical ninja of her caliber, the difference between drunk and sober was no more than a thought.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, grew considerably more agitated after hearing the Third's words.
Two of his students had already gone astray. If even the student who had become Hokage was being used...
Seeing the conflict and unease on Jiraiya's face, the Third sighed softly. "I called you here so you could come with me and find out what they're really thinking. Ideally, we can persuade Minato to return."
Still, the Third knew the chances of Minato returning to the village to serve as Hokage were slim.
After all, Minato was being controlled. That was much better than certain students who shirked their responsibilities and refused to become Hokage.
Without further delay, the three finished their preparations and headed out of the village. They soon passed beyond the outer wall and raced through the forest outside the Konoha District.
The Third Hokage had brought