Coming out of Uchiha Fugaku's mansion, the afternoon sun passed through the sparse clouds, casting mottled light and shadow on the bluestone road.
Jiraiya followed Senju Chen without saying a word.
His previous conversation with Senju Chen was still echoing in his mind, as well as the two little guys sleeping soundly side by side in the nursery.
Senju Chen's arrangement seems to be deviant, but it is logically consistent. It only takes a newborn child to make Uchiha Clan feel trust, honor, checks and balances, comfort...
The most important thing is that it can also prevent the higher-ups in the village from raising any opinions. This is a superb political skill.
Is this really the child who had to follow Tsunade and timidly called himself "Lord Jiraiya"?
Jiraiya just doesn't want to get involved with these clumsy people in the village, but it's not like he really doesn't understand.
He suddenly felt that he seemed to have missed too many things in the years since he left the village. The waves of the times always inadvertently hit the previous waves on the beach and silently pushed new rocks to the surface.
The two walked through the orderly Uchiha Clan Compound, and when they stepped onto the main road, the scene around them suddenly changed. Houses under renovation could be seen everywhere, ninjas were busy carrying building materials, members of the medical team were in a hurry, and the depressive atmosphere in the air was in sharp contrast to the calm inside Uchiha Clan Compound.
Just around the corner of a street, Senju Chen's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Jiraiya followed his gaze and saw a familiar but lonely figure.
Kakashi Hatake.
The silver-haired young man was leaning against a broken wall alone, but his exposed eye was staring blankly at the ground, without any focus. The whole person was like a tree that had been struck by lightning, with only the shell left, and the inside was already withered.
Senju Chen walked over slowly, Jiraiya hesitated and followed.
"Kakashi." Senju Chen's voice was very soft.
Kakashi's body trembled slightly, and he slowly raised his head. The numbness and hollowness in his eyes made Jiraiya feel a stab in his heart.
"... Chen." His voice was hoarse as if he hadn't drank water for several days, "Jiraiya... Sir."
"How are you staying at the Uchiha Clan?" Senju Chen's tone was as calm as if he was saying that Tenten is having a good time today, "Have you been standing here these days?"
Kakashi didn't answer, but silently turned his eyes back to the ground. He didn't know where to go or what to do. Because everything that had supported him seemed to have collapsed that night.
"My mission is to protect the teacher's children." After a long time, Kakashi uttered such a meaningless sentence.
Senju Chen looked at him quietly without saying any words of comfort. For people like Kakashi, any cheap sympathy is an insult.
"That child, Clan Head Fugaku and Lady Mikoto will take good care of him, and you don't have to stay here every day." Senju Chen said.
"If you feel like you don't know what to do, you can read my new book. If you think it's good, help me promote it. Let me tell you, it's really interesting~"
Seeing Kakashi's lifeless look, as if he didn't care about the whole world, Jiraiya couldn't help but interject.
Kakashi, the child, was often seen at Minato's house when Jiraiya came back. Through Minato, he also knew about this child's past, and even more so, he knew how important the teacher Minato Namikaze was in Kakashi's heart.
In the past, Minato Namikaze and Kushina actually took the place of the child's father and mother. After Kakashi's father died, they made him feel the warmth of home again.
But even after his father died, now his teacher also died, his wife also died, and Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara in the same group also died.
This child is like a lone star in the sky. Anyone who is important in his life will leave him one after another.
"Okay, Lord Jiraiya." After hearing Jiraiya's words, Kakashi's expression did not fluctuate much and he answered mechanically.
Seeing Kakashi like this, Jiraiya glanced at Senju Chen. Senju Chen didn't say much, patted Kakashi on the shoulder, and left with Jiraiya.
I don't know what Kakashi's expression will be when he learns that his father is not really dead, that Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara are still alive, and that even his teachers Minato Namikaze and Sister Kushina have a chance to be resurrected...
The two walked for a while, passing through the noisy reconstruction area, and came to a relatively quiet river. Jiraiya finally couldn't help it and spoke.
"Little Chen, about Hokage..." His tone was a bit tentative and puzzled, "Why are you so sure that Tsunade will come back to take over this position? You even promised Council of Elders and other major families for her."
Jiraiya's brows furrowed. "I know her better than you. Back then, because of Nawaki and Duan's death, and because of the cold decisions made by the village's top management to you, she was completely disappointed with the word 'Hokage' and with the village's bureaucracy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been gone for so many years."
He sighed, with a hint of helplessness and self-mockery in his voice. "Actually, it's not just her. That guy Orochimaru also betrayed the village. And I... don't look at me carrying the name Sannin, in fact, he is just a vagabond who does not want to be restrained and wanders around to collect materials. Among the three of us, none of us can worry. We have suffered a lot from the teacher, and the disciples have been dying for a long time, escaping and running away, and now they are forced to come back to clean up this mess."
Senju Chen Listening to Jiraiya's emotion, there was no emotion in his heart, and he even wanted to laugh a little bit.
Isn't it? Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi taught three famous apprentices, Shinobi World. As a result, one was addicted to human body science and became an S-class rebellious ninja. One suffered from mental illness and was a part-time professional gambler who never returned home. There was also one who peeped around the world in the name of collecting materials and was homeless all year round.
The title of "pornography, gambling and drugs", looking at the entire education of Shinobi World, Hiruzen Sarutobi, can be regarded as the only "success".
"Lord Jiraiya, you are right." Senju Chen stopped and turned around to look at him, "But you ignored one of the most important things."
"What's the matter?"
"Sister, she is no longer what she used to be." A gentle smile appeared on Senju Chen's face, "First of all, sister, her fear of blood has been cured."
"What?!"
This news had an impact on Jiraiya no less than when he heard the news of the death of Minato and his wife before. His whole body froze, his eyes were as wide as copper bells, and his face was full of disbelief.
It was a nightmare that had troubled Tsunade for many years, making her unable to pick up a scalpel, keeping her away from the battlefield, and sinking her into alcohol and gambling tables! It was the deepest thorn in her heart!
Now, Senju Chen actually told him that his heart ailment was cured?
"This... is this true?" Jiraiya's voice was trembling.
"It's absolutely true." Senju Chen nodded, "Sister, she just has some personal matters outside that she has not yet finished. Once they are finished, she will come back naturally. It is precisely because I know this that I dare to make a promise for her at the meeting."
"Haha... hahahaha!" Jiraiya was stunned for a while, and then burst into heartfelt laughter. Tears oozed from the corners of his eyes as he smiled, "Okay... it's actually better! Great! That stubborn fool is finally willing to let himself go!"
He was sincerely happy for Tsunade. It was not only his companion, but also the figure he chased when he was young. She was the "princess" in his heart forever.
After getting excited, Jiraiya immediately said, "Then what are you waiting for? Little Chen, do you know where she is? I'll go with you! Let's get her back together! If she still loses her temper while I'm here, I... even if I tie her, I have to tie her back to Konoha!"