"Finally back. I wonder how Orochimaru's doing."
Jiraiya stretched, then turned a lecherous gaze toward the women's bathhouse.
"Jiraiya!"
Tsunade punched Jiraiya straight in the forehead, sending him flying backward and smashing right through the bathhouse door!
"Aaaaaah! A pervert!"
The women in the bathhouse covered themselves and screamed.
As Jiraiya took in the sight inside the women's bathhouse, blood slowly trickled from his nose.
Soon, the Anbu arrived and arrested Jiraiya, hauling him toward the Hokage's office.
Anyone else would certainly have been thrown in prison.
But who was this? He was one of the Sannin, and Lord Hokage's student at that. Which Anbu would have the gall to throw him in prison?
Given Jiraiya's personality, throwing him in prison would have been fine. He would not have complained about the Anbu doing their duty impartially, but the Hokage might be another matter.
So, after some thought, the Anbu decided to leave Jiraiya's punishment to Lord Hokage.
Seeing Jiraiya being taken toward the Hokage's office, Tsunade hurried after them.
She had only thrown a casual punch. Who could have known Jiraiya would happen to crash straight into the women's bathhouse?
She strongly suspected that Jiraiya had deliberately aimed himself at the women's bathhouse, because she had clearly seen him twist his body in midair to adjust his position.
The Hokage's office
"Jiraiya... what happened to you?"
The Third Hokage held his forehead, feeling a headache coming on as he questioned Jiraiya, who had been brought in by the Anbu.
"Uh... I..."
Jiraiya scratched his head, unsure what to say.
Was he supposed to say he had crashed into the women's bathhouse? That really was a little...
"It was because... because I'm writing a book, so I went there specifically to gather material!"
After racking his brains, Jiraiya offered an answer he considered reasonably plausible.
Behind his mask, the Anbu beside him could not help rolling his eyes. He had never seen anyone so shameless.
"You may leave. I'll have a proper talk with Jiraiya."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved the Anbu away.
The Anbu knelt on one knee, then swiftly left the Hokage's office.
Tsunade entered the Hokage's office just then.
"Tsunade, sit down."
Hiruzen Sarutobi motioned for Tsunade to sit, and Jiraiya plopped down as well.
"Jiraiya, did I tell you to sit?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi put on a stern face, trying to cow Jiraiya with his authority.
"Oh, don't fuss over the little details!"
Naturally, Jiraiya was not about to get up. He knew Hiruzen Sarutobi would not care about such trifles.
"You..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head helplessly.
"By the way, did something happen to Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya's expression suddenly changed, and he questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi with utmost seriousness.
He was no fool. Earlier, they had still been receiving updates on the Iwagakure front over on the Sunagakure side, but those had started becoming less frequent.
There had been nothing at all about what happened after Hatake Sakumo went to the front, with the excuse that the fighting was too deadlocked for anyone to write battle reports.
Jiraiya naturally scoffed at such words fit only to fool children.
How many minutes did it take to write a battle report? What, were they fighting nonstop, twenty-four hours a day?
So Jiraiya figured something had happened to Orochimaru, perhaps a serious injury or something similar, and they had kept it from them for fear of distracting them.
Jiraiya understood perfectly well, but said nothing. He knew they could not say such demoralizing things on the battlefield.
He had even taken the initiative to help cover it up, keeping Tsunade from finding out.
To keep Tsunade in the dark, he had forged some battle reports himself for her to read.
Although Tsunade was easygoing, she could not handle this sort of thing as well as Jiraiya could. He had put a great deal of thought into keeping her from being distracted.
And he had successfully fooled Tsunade. Even now, she had no idea that something had happened to Orochimaru.
"Something happened to Orochimaru?"
Tsunade's expression changed.
"Wasn't Orochimaru fine in the battle reports?"
The moment she finished speaking, Tsunade froze.
It was understandable that she had not caught on before, since she had never considered that possibility, but if she still failed to realize it now, she really would be a fool.
Tsunade remembered how Jiraiya had handed her the battle reports, claiming that only the two of them could read them, that only the two supreme commanders were allowed to see those reports, and there was no need for anyone else to read them.
Tsunade had actually believed him like a fool. After all, in her eyes, Jiraiya might lie to anyone, but never to her.
"I actually forged all those battle reports. If you want to hit me afterward, I won't complain, no matter how many times you do it. But right now, I still want to hear about Orochimaru's current condition from the old man himself."
Jiraiya spoke to Tsunade with a grave expression.
Tsunade had never seen Jiraiya look so serious. She pressed her lips together and said nothing more.
"Ah..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.
Alarm bells immediately rang in Jiraiya's head.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had sighed, which meant this was not good news.
"Could Orochimaru really be... badly injured? Is it that serious?"
Jiraiya believed that with Orochimaru's ability to stay alive, he could certainly have escaped, but whether he could have escaped in one piece was another matter.
"Jiraiya... Orochimaru... fell in battle!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke slowly.
Jiraiya's pupils instantly widened!
"What?! I don't believe it!"
Tsunade slammed a fist straight into Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk. The desk shattered with a crash, and documents scattered all over the floor.
"Lord Hokage!"
Hearing the loud crash inside, the Anbu immediately rushed in to protect the Hokage.
"It's nothing. Stand down."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on a stool, facing a desk broken in two and an utterly furious Tsunade.
"This..."
The Anbu looked at one another, unsure what to do.
After all, this was tantamount to a direct slap in the Hokage's face.
"I told you to leave!"
Seeing the Anbu remain where they were, Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted at them.
I can't lose my temper at Tsunade and Jiraiya, but can't I lose it at you?
The Anbu hurriedly bowed and withdrew from the Hokage's office.
"How did Orochimaru die... why haven't we received any word all this time?!"
Jiraiya took a deep breath and questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression utterly grim.
"Orochimaru died at the hands of Iwagakure's Didaze... as for the lack of battle reports, I was the one stopping them from being sent over. If you want to vent your anger, direct it at me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes.
Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his eyes closed, Tsunade threw a punch straight at his face.
But before it landed, Jiraiya caught her wrist.
"Tsunade!"
Jiraiya warned Tsunade with his eyes, signaling her not to do something as foolish as assaulting the Hokage in his office.
Even being the granddaughter of the First and Second would not help her. Those two had long since died, and the Senju Clan had disbanded and joined the villagers. The clan was gone too.
If Tsunade's punch pushed Hiruzen Sarutobi too far, who knew whether she might be targeted?
Although Jiraiya appeared simple and honest, he was certainly no less intelligent than Orochimaru. He simply did not concern himself with so much.