Kana and Nana each pulled a side, holding a white Furisode with pink floral patterns, and helped Ino put it on. On her feet, she wore a pair of thin, soft-soled cloth shoes—forgive Ino for not being able to love Ninja shoes or clogs; she was young and used to running barefoot, so she had a sudden inspiration and "invented" this pair of shoes.
She pinned up her long hair, added a flower accessory, and put on a sun hat, completing her outfit change. Ino waved her hand—
"Let's go!"
She was going out shopping—and she was full of anticipation.
Because in a while, Jiraiya was going to read his Letter of Repentance in public at Konoha Square... such a famous figure, such a socially mortifying event—especially since she was the one who personally orchestrated it behind the scenes. If she didn't see it with her own eyes, it would truly be a "pearl cast before swine." However, after she and her two secretaries finished their stroll and arrived, she realized she had truly underestimated Jiraiya.
The resentment the women of Konoha felt toward this "Toad Sage" had reached such a level that the place was packed!
The news of Jiraiya being sentenced to read a Letter of Repentance at the square was posted yesterday, and once it spread, today's Konoha Square was so crowded it seemed like it couldn't hold any more people. Civilians and Ninjas were packed densely; almost every woman in the Village who was free had come.
Ino shaded her eyes with her hand and clicked her tongue: "This scene is truly spectacular... I should have charged for tickets if I'd known..."
Of course, "charging for tickets" couldn't be called "charging for tickets"; it should be called "to maintain order at Konoha Square." How much would such a rare opportunity be worth?
"So many people..."
Nana and Kana were equally surprised by Jiraiya's "charm." The fact that this man had lived to this day and had been wandering outside all this time was likely because these women were a factor that could not be ignored—pointed at by a thousand accusing fingers yet still alive, he had managed to offend every female in Konoha, from ninety-nine-year-olds down to those who had just learned to walk.
Otherwise, why would there be so many people?
Some clever street vendors had prepared cola, peanuts, popcorn, as well as ice cream, sweet dango, and small cakes early on... sporadic cries of hawkers were endless... Having used Transformation Jutsu to turn into an old woman, the Sandaime, hidden in the crowd, personally experienced the bustling Stall Economy brought about by his beloved disciple and suddenly had an idea... "Should I catch this bastard a few more times in the future? An event like this is definitely worth half a Summer Festival."
Money! This was all money! The Sandaime's eyes were almost blinded by the sight of silver taels.
"This model can be promoted—in the future, when encountering heinous crimes that cause great public indignation, they should be handled this way..."
Jiraiya... or more accurately, Jiraiya's Shadow Clone, was leisurely escorted all the way up to the perimeter wall of the Hot Springs.
Standing on the wall of the Hot Springs, Jiraiya's heart couldn't help but flutter:
Looking out, there were women of all sizes—large, small, and in-between—chattering away, giving him the feeling of being in a harem. His nostrils visibly flared and contracted, and an involuntary blush of fantasy crept onto his face... Before he even spoke, this immediately incited the fury of the crowd of women below:
What's the meaning of this? With that look on your face, what indecent things are you thinking? In broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of the public... Seeing his disciple's pathetic state, the Sandaime lowered his head as much as possible, only to see a little girl looking at him curiously.
Thus, the old woman transformed from the Sandaime approached the little girl; he knew from her hair color that she was from the Yamanaka Clan.
"Little girl, where are your parents? Why are you out here alone?" The Sandaime's attitude was kind and amiable, his wrinkled face radiating a sense of approachability. Ino thought to herself: "I only glanced at you, why did you come over?"
Ino had looked at the Sandaime because he was using Transformation Jutsu; in Ino's perception, these Ninjutsu were all "obvious fakes," sticking out in the crowd as brightly as a lightbulb, far too eye-catching.
Ino didn't know the identity of the person using the Transformation Jutsu, so she casually brushed him off— "My dad went to buy things, and this is my mom!"
Ino casually pulled Nana.
Nana: I've become Princess Ino's mother?
This thought flashed by and she immediately understood Princess Ino's intent. She then casually asked, "Your legs and feet aren't very mobile anymore, and yet you've still come to watch the excitement?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless... Did she think he was blind? The little girl was clearly a virgin, her 'melon' hadn't been broken yet, so where did a daughter come from? And this little brat, only four or five years old and already full of lies—who was she trying to fool?
But truth be told, this young woman's tight-fitting outfit was truly beautiful, curving in all the right places... He guessed to himself: "Could this be Inoichi's daughter? Her little mouth tells lies without even blinking. If I hadn't seen countless women and could tell the difference, I really would have been fooled." Yet he also marveled at Ino's vigilance. "To have such shrewdness and caution at such a young age, she's truly a formidable youngster... Calculating her age, she should be entering the Ninja Academy next year, right?"
There were only so many Ninjas in Konoha; even if he wasn't very familiar with them, he could call them by name and knew their basic situations.
And as the "Ino" of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the head of the Intelligence Analysis Squad, Hiruzen Sarutobi was naturally familiar with Inoichi Yamanaka.
Nevertheless, Hiruzen Sarutobi played along, nodding and agreeing while deliberately fabricating a reason:
"That damned Jiraiya... years ago when I was soaking in the Hot Springs, he was the one peeking. I was so scared I didn't dare go to the baths afterward. Who would have thought he'd have his day... I just came to take a look and vent some frustration!"
Nana and Kana were stunned; he was actually an elderly victim. Lord Jiraiya's tastes were truly extraordinary.
"L-Ladies..." Jiraiya finally snapped out of it, though his lecherous expression wouldn't fade, "I was wrong."
"Through this incident, I have deeply realized my mistake and conducted profound self-reflection. I am simply not human to have done such beastly things. I sincerely apologize to everyone here..."
...The seemingly sincere but actually nonsensical Letter of Repentance was finished in a few sentences. The Sandaime heard Ino muttering beside him... "This isn't a reflection at all—where's the profound reflection? I didn't even hear a single punctuation mark's worth of it!"
"What happened to the reflection? Say it! Is that all?"
Sandaime:...He was the one who helped write Jiraiya's Letter of Repentance!
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!