After Naruto and Jiraya found an inn tucked between two buildings, the two of them booked a room without much fuss. The clerk's bored eyes barely lingered on them as the key was slid across the counter with a dull clack. They went upstairs, placed most of their luggage inside the room, and only stayed long enough to make sure everything was secure.
They didn't rest in the room at all.
Almost immediately, the two of them stepped back out into the streets of Tanzaku Town.
Fzzzt! Fzzzt...
The lights of the lanterns flickered to life as dusk deepened into evening, casting colorful reflections across the stone roads. The air was thick with the smell of grilled meat, alcohol, sweat, and greed. Laughter echoed from taverns, while the sharp clatter-clatter of gambling halls spilled endlessly into the streets.
Jiraya stretched his arms as they walked.
"Ahhh… this place never changes," He said nostalgically. "Still as lively as ever."
Naruto hummed in response, appearing relaxed on the surface, but inwardly, he was anything but idle.
Without changing his expression, Naruto quietly spread his Observation Haki across the town. It expanded like an invisible tide, flowing through alleyways, bars, casinos, rooftops, and crowded halls. Every presence registered faintly in his senses.
And then, Naruto's mental focus sharpened.
'There she is...'
Among the chaotic noise of countless auras, one stood out clearly. It was strong, familiar, carrying a sharp edge beneath a haze of recklessness and exhaustion.
A presence he had felt once before and deliberately marked.
It belonged to Tsunade.
Naruto's lips curved ever so slightly.
When he had met her in the past, he had subtly memorized her aura, not through chakra alone, but through his shadow soldiers.
No matter how crowded the place, no matter how well she tried to blend in, he could find her if he wished.
And now, she was very close.
Beside him, Jiraya was talking animatedly, completely unaware.
"You know," He said, hands gesturing wildly, "Tsunade was always like that. She is strong, proud, and stubborn to the bone. Even back then, she could drink most men under the table. And her medical skills? Hah! It is truly unmatched."
Naruto nodded along, eyes forward, posture attentive.
On the outside, he looked like a respectful student listening carefully.
On the inside, his attention was locked onto a single point several streets away.
'She's in a bar,' Naruto thought calmly. 'Of course she is...'
He slowed his steps and suddenly reached out, grabbing the sleeve of Jiraya's clothes.
"Hm?" Jiraya blinked his eyes in surprise.
Naruto pointed casually down a street glowing with red lanterns and loud music.
"Let's start our search from there," He said. "You said she loves to gamble, right? That place suits her a lot."
He smirked faintly. "Who knows, we might even find her crying over her losses in some bar."
Jiraya snorted, though his eyes sharpened slightly as he followed Naruto's gaze. "Hah! She and crying? Don't be ridiculous. She's not the type to cry over losing money."
Then, after a brief pause, he chuckled. "But you're right about one thing. She does love to drink. A lot."
He rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Let's check the bars first."
Naruto didn't argue.
The two of them walked down the street, the noise growing louder with every step. The faint music thumped from behind wooden doors, and drunken laughter spilled freely into the night.
The lanterns swayed gently overhead, casting shadows that danced along the walls.
They stopped in front of a particularly lively bar. The wooden sign creaked softly as it swayed in the breeze.
Jiraya placed a hand on the door.
For just a split second, he hesitated before he pushed it open.
BANG—!
The noise exploded outward, and the smell of strong sake hit them instantly.
The voices overlapped in chaotic harmony, cups slammed onto tables, and somewhere in the background, someone was arguing loudly over a bet.
Jiraya's eyes scanned the room, and then they lit up.
"There she is," He said quietly, awe and relief mixing in his voice.
Naruto followed his line of sight and saw at a corner table sat Tsunade.
She was leaning back slightly, one elbow resting on the table, fingers loosely holding a small sake cup. Her blonde hair framed her flushed face, and her eyes were hazy, unfocused, but unmistakably sharp beneath the alcohol. Another empty bottle sat nearby, and a second one was already half-finished.
Beside her sat Shizune, her brows knit together in worry, hands clasped tightly in her lap. She was leaning toward Tsunade, clearly trying to say something serious.
"…Tsunade-sama, please," Shizune said softly. "You've had enough for tonight."
Tsunade ignored her completely. She tilted her head back and gulped the sake down in one go. She slammed the cup onto the table with a satisfied thud and let out a long sigh.
"Haaah… that hit the spot."
Naruto watched quietly, his expression unreadable.
"…Tsunade," Jiraya took a slow breath, and he muttered under his breath.
Naruto stood just inside the doorway, half-hidden by Jiraya's broad frame, and quietly observed Tsunade's reaction.
The moment her eyes flicked toward the entrance, something dark churned beneath the haze of alcohol.
It was subtle and fleeting, but Naruto caught it immediately.
There was a tremor in her pupils, a tightening of her jaw, and the way her fingers curled around the sake cup just a little too tightly, knuckles paling for a brief second.
Clink!
The ceramic cup touched the table again, sharper than before.
Naruto's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
'So that's it…' He thought calmly. 'He really did go through with it.'
Her emotions were a little messy right now, filled with regret, anger, and hope she didn't want to acknowledge.
And beneath it all, there was pain.
Her old wounds were torn open, scars that had never truly healed.
To anyone else, Tsunade might have just looked like a legendary drunk drowning herself in sake. But Naruto could see and feel the storm raging behind her eyes.
And the name attached to that storm was obvious.
'Orochimaru did a good job…' Naruto mused inwardly.
He had known from the beginning that dragging Tsunade back to Konoha wouldn't be simple. She wasn't someone who could be convinced with duty or persuasion alone. Her heart was chained to the past by blood and loss and fear she refused to confront.
That was why Naruto had prepared in advance.
Right on that day in the hotel room, he had sent a message to Orochimaru to locate Tsunade.
It was neither to fight her nor to threaten her.
But to offer her something she could never ignore.
It was a deal wrapped in poison and temptation.
Step… step…
Jiraya took a step forward, unaware of the layers unfolding around him.
Naruto remained still, letting the moment stretch.
The sounds of the bar continued around them, filled with drunken laughter, dice hitting a table, and the low hum of conversation, but for Naruto, the world narrowed.
'This is why I took my time,' He reflected quietly.
Every unnecessary detour... Every training stop... Every moment, he deliberately dragged the journey out, much to Jiraya's irritation.
The Pervy Sage had complained, groaned, lectured, but Naruto had simply smiled and gone along with it.
All of it had been intentional because timing mattered.
Had they arrived too early, Orochimaru's words wouldn't have had time to sink in. Had they arrived too late, Tsunade might have already made her choice.
But now, the timing was perfect.
Naruto watched Tsunade lift another bottle, only for Shizune to grab her wrist hurriedly.
"Tsunade-sama—!"
"Let go," Tsunade muttered, her voice rough. "Just… let me drink."
Her hand shook just a little.
'Haa…' Naruto exhaled softly through his nose. 'She's wavering right on the edge.'
Orochimaru had done his job.
Whether Tsunade wanted to admit it or not, the seed had been planted.
The dead no longer felt so distant to her. The impossible no longer felt completely out of reach.
Naruto's smile deepened, but his eyes remained calm, cold, and calculating.
'Now it's my turn.'
Bringing Tsunade to Konoha wasn't just about making her Hokage.
That was Jiraya's goal, not his.
Naruto was different. He needed her brilliance, her medical genius, but more than that, he needed her decision. If she came willingly, if she chose to stand on his side, then it would be another step forward.
Another piece would be set on the board.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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