Water bears at the beginning, wet bone forest eating old people

"Mr. Kozo, do you know Minato, the old guy who is known as the living fossil of Konoha?"

Jiraiya led Minato away while talking to him.

"Mr. Kozang? Mr. Shinzang mentioned him once."

Minato recalled.

"Newly hidden..."

Jiraiya nodded. As for Shinzo, he first heard this guy's name from Orochimaru. It seemed that Orochimaru was keeping an eye on him, but then he heard the news that Shinzo had died in battle.

With Shinzo's death, information about Shinzo also spread. From any point of view, he was a guy worthy of the ninja's recognition. Of course, the Sand Ninja might not recognize him.

"The one we're looking for is Mr. Gu Zang. He should... still be alive, right?"

Jiraiya was also a little unsure. When he was still a little boy, Kozou looked unwell, but there was no news of Kozou's death.

Dangdangdang——

"Tsunade~"

Dangdangdang——

Jiraiya knocked on the door of Senju's old house. After two hits, the door opened by itself. There was no lock?

Jiraiya walked into the yard with a confused Minato even more confused.

As soon as he entered the yard, Minato, who was standing behind Jiraiya, was shocked by the wine bottles scattered all over the floor.

Mr. Gu Zang...is he a drunkard?

Minato's mind automatically created an image of an old bug over sixty years old, staggering with a bottle of wine in one claw.

Dang rang rang.

Jiraiya frowned and kicked the wine bottle to the side, slowly making a path until he reached the front of the main room. Jiraiya looked into the room and saw Tsunade.

"Tsunade?"

"Ok?"

The drunk Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with drooping eyelids.

"Since...Come here? You're back."

Tsunade was drunken and bleary-eyed. After she finished speaking, she took another sip of wine and ignored Jiraiya.

"What's wrong with you, man?!"

Jiraiya suddenly felt a little angry. He didn't know whether it was anger or some other emotion. In short, he was very unhappy with Tsunade's appearance!

He rushed into the house, snatched Tsunade's bottle of wine without thinking, threw it aside and broke it, then kicked several bottles away and slammed them on the small table in front of Tsunade.

"Hey! Tsunade! I'm asking you a question!!"

"Ok?"

Tsunade was a little dazed when Jiraiya pulled away the bottle of wine, but after blinking, she pulled out a new can from the side.

Puff—gulp gulp gulp—ha~

Tsunade leaned over, held the can in her arms, and stared at Jiraiya with her eyelids drooping.

"Jiraiya, why are you here?"

bang——

Jiraiya slammed the table again, but Tsunade didn't react. Instead, Minato behind her was frightened and almost jumped up.

Minato thought, maybe today is not the right time to come? But he didn't dare to say anything.

"Look at you! That high-spirited Tsunade! That big sister! Are you still worthy of being called a ninja now?!"

"Ah..."

Tsunade rarely showed some emotion on that numb face.

"I can't be a ninja, Jiraiya, don't you know that I'm not worthy of being a ninja..."

"you!!!"

Jiraiya pointed at Tsunade in frustration, but he couldn't say anything after pointing for a long time.

He had known about hemophobia for a long time and didn't think it was a big deal. He thought a strong person like Tsunade should be able to get over it with just some time.

But he overlooked the fact that Tsunade suffered from hemophobia not only because of Kato Dan's death.

The successive deaths of Tobirama Senju, Nawaki, and Kato Dan made Tsunade feel that she was cursed, a curse on those close to her. So even though Gu Zang had not returned to the Senju mansion for a long time, Tsunade just felt relieved. She was afraid that Gu Zang would also be killed by her!

"Tsunade, your chakra is still there, your ninjutsu is still there, why did it become like this..."

Jiraiya sat down next to Tsunade bitterly, picked up a bottle of wine, opened it and drank with Tsunade.

Minato was like a thief who accidentally entered a house where someone was home. He carefully avoided the wine bottles on the ground, looked for a foothold, and moved step by step to the other side of Jiraiya, squatting quietly beside him, doing it with all his heart.

The two of them drank for a long time, and Tsunade suddenly started talking.

"Jiraiya, do you... like me?"

"what!!!"

Jiraiya jumped up on the spot as if someone had stepped on his tail.

"Tsunade... Tsunade, what are you talking about?! Those were just jokes we used to have when we were little, and I only think about them occasionally when I grow up. How could I possibly like a violent person like you?!"

Jiraiya's old face was red, but fortunately his skin was not white, so it was not very noticeable.

"Oh—gulp, gulp, gulp—"

Tsunade didn't care and raised the can to drink it all in one gulp, gulping it down like water.

Then he threw it aside and pulled out a new bottle.

"Alas... Tsunade, this isn't a solution..."

Jiraiya felt a little disappointed when he saw that Tsunade didn't react, but he still sat back and tried to persuade Tsunade earnestly.

"Even if you can't be a ninja, you should live well. You are the princess of Konoha, a famous beauty. You shouldn't be so depraved!"

Tsunade turned her head weakly and stared at Jiraiya, which made Jiraiya feel a little uncomfortable.

"I mean... I mean, by the way, Tsunade! Don't you want to travel around the ninja world? If that doesn't work, just go out and travel!"

Jiraiya hammered his palm and suddenly thought of something.

"I've also been out there for a long time. Life is pretty good out there! I remember there's a country called Soup Country in the northeast. Yes, Soup Country, life there is pretty good. Do you want me to go there with you?"

"No."

Jiraiya choked, but turned around and began to mutter to himself with his head down.

"What? I can go by myself. I don't have to accompany you. You can go by yourself..."

"But you're right."

Jiraiya suddenly raised his head and looked at Tsunade, Tsunade still had a drunken look on her face, but the dull look in her eyes was broken.

"you......"

"Thank you, Jiraiya. Although you can't enlighten me, I think you are right. Someone like me shouldn't stay in Konoha..."

Tsunade smiled self-deprecatingly, then struggled to stand up.

Jiraiya wanted to go up and help, but Tsunade's chest was too big, so there was no place for Jiraiya to reach out from the front.

The only thing he didn't want to do was to take advantage of Tsunade, as that would make him feel guilty of taking advantage of someone in distress.

"Ahem...it's time to go out for a walk."

Tsunade stood up, twisted her neck slightly, and threw the can aside.

"Jiraiya, please help me clean up the house. This house... holds a lot of memories..."

"Ah... yes!"

Jiraiya quietly kicked Minato, and Minato immediately stood at attention like Jiraiya.

How could Minato, who had known how to pick up girls since he was a child, not be aware of what his teacher was thinking?

He just wanted to ask Jiraiya.

Teacher, do you still remember what we were supposed to do when we first came here?

......