Chapter 402 The three ninjas gather together

Jiraiya used the reverse summoning technique to appear in the area designated by the new Konoha. As soon as he appeared, a look of dissatisfaction immediately appeared on his face. He looked around and found that he was surrounded by Shumagia. The cold mechanical faces and calm eyes made him feel particularly uncomfortable. Jiraiya curled his lips, crossed his arms, and muttered with dissatisfaction in his tone: "If I didn't want to see what Konoha would look like after the reconstruction, who would listen to the nonsense of you guys."

Just as he was about to continue complaining, he suddenly heard two familiar voices. The familiar tone immediately shocked Jiraiya's heart, and he immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

"Orochimaru." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a hint of surprise in his voice. And then, a heroic and majestic voice came: "Jiraiya, you pervert!"

Jiraiya's eyes were immediately drawn to Tsunade, who was standing not far away, walking towards him. She was dressed more boldly than usual, in a dark blue one-piece tight dress that perfectly outlined her proud curves. The design at the waist just showed off her slender waist, and the hem of the dress just reached her knees, revealing her slender and strong legs. On her feet were a pair of shiny black high-heeled sandals, with the laces wrapped around her ankles, adding a touch of sexiness. On her ears hung a pair of shining silver earrings, which swayed gently with her steps, reflecting the sunlight and looking particularly dazzling.

Seeing this scene, Jiraiya's eyes immediately widened and drooled. He smiled, with a lecherous look in his eyes, and kept muttering: "Tsunade! How come you are still so charming!" As he said that, he immediately took a step forward, rushed towards Tsunade with excitement, opened his arms and was about to hug her.

However, Tsunade just glanced at him indifferently, raised her hand, and firmly pressed Jiraiya's face with her palm, blocking him in front of her. Her expression was a little helpless, and her tone was full of impatience: "You old pervert, don't embarrass yourself here!" As she said that, she exerted force lightly, and Jiraiya suddenly felt a huge force pressing on his face. He involuntarily took a few steps back, and several blue veins immediately appeared on his forehead.

Tsunade then smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing in her tone, "It seems like you haven't learned your lesson. You don't know how to greet me?" After saying that, she raised her hand and gently patted Jiraiya on the head. Jiraiya immediately hugged his head, shouting "It hurts, it hurts", covering the place where he was hit and dared not get any closer.

Orochimaru, who was standing nearby, saw this scene and raised a half-smile at the corner of his mouth, with a hint of ridicule in his tone: "You are still the same, Jiraiya. Even in a place like this, you still can't change your bad habits."

Although Jiraiya's face was full of pain, he still raised his chin arrogantly, covering his head that had been punished by Tsunade, and glanced at Orochimaru with disdain, "Hmph, don't give me that, I just saw that Tsunade is here today, so I won't bother with you."

Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya's little thoughts and smiled slightly, obviously not taking his provocation seriously. He shook his head slightly and said calmly: "Since everyone is here, why don't we go to the izakaya and sit down? It's been a long time since we had a drink together."

When Tsunade heard this, her eyes lit up and she immediately responded, "Good idea! Let's go, I can't wait."

Inside the izakaya, the smoky air was filled with the aroma of barbecue, and the aroma of soju and meat intertwined, arousing everyone's appetite. The table was filled with various barbecues, and the golden beef slices made a "sizzling" sound on the iron plate, with a slight oily sheen on the surface, exuding an enticing aroma. There were also freshly grilled chicken wings, with crispy skin on the outside and tender and juicy inside, making people salivate. There were a few bottles of soju next to them, and the crystal liquor was shaking in the cup, reflecting the dim lights in the izakaya, which seemed particularly warm.

The three of them just raised their glasses to toast each other, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Tsunade put down her glass, sighed slightly, and looked at the glass on the table with heavy eyes, "I have something... about the teacher." Her voice was slightly heavy.

Jiraiya heard this and immediately stopped chewing. He slowly raised his head and turned his gaze towards Orochimaru. His eyes were filled with complex emotions, with a little nostalgia and a hint of unspeakable sadness. Orochimaru noticed Jiraiya's gaze, smiled slightly, and then turned his gaze towards Tsunade. His tone was calm, but with a hint of inquiry: "Jiraiya has forgiven me, Tsunade, what about you?"

Tsunade was silent for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. She looked down at the cup in front of her, as if thinking about how to respond. The darkness of the village once filled her with indelible pain and anger towards Orochimaru's betrayal. But now, after going through so much, she knew that those old things were a thing of the past, but the scars in her heart still existed.

"…Forget it, those things are in the past." Tsunade did not face Orochimaru's question directly, but waved her hand and passed the topic over. Jiraiya and Orochimaru saw her like this, and they understood in their hearts that although Tsunade did not express forgiveness explicitly, she at least stopped dwelling on the past.

After a moment of silence, Tsunade looked up at Jiraiya and changed the subject, "Jiraiya, what do you think of the new Konoha?"

Jiraiya sighed softly. Although he had many complaints about New Konoha, he could not deny some facts. He pondered for a moment, and finally said frankly: "To be honest, New Konoha has indeed changed a lot. Although I was unhappy about being captured and having my blood drawn, to be honest, their approach was much gentler than I thought. Although I didn't like their methods, they finally let me go and let me walk around in their New Konoha."

Tsunade frowned when she heard this, and suddenly became a little worried, "They took your blood? Are you... okay?"

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade's caring expression, and his heart warmed. Then he smiled foolishly, and instantly fell into his own world, with tenderness in his eyes. "Tsunade, you still care about me so much... You know, you look so beautiful now..."

Upon seeing this, Tsunade punched Jiraiya on the shoulder and cursed, "Idiot! I'm worried about you, not praising you!"

Jiraiya received this punch, but his heart was full of sweetness, and the smile on his mouth did not diminish at all, but became even stronger. He grinned and said: "Hehe, Tsunade, you are still so gentle."

Orochimaru looked at this scene with a relaxed smile on his face, and said with a hint of joking, "Tsunade, don't worry, Jiraiya is in better health than you think. Moreover, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is treated very well in the village. Even the One-Tails Jinchuriki of the Sand Ninja, Gaara, now regards New Konoha, or the 'umbrella' after the united front, as their new 'village'."

When Tsunade and Jiraiya heard this, they understood the deep meaning of "village" in this context. Tsunade sighed softly, a trace of emotion flashed in her eyes, and her thoughts drifted to her grandmother. Knowing that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was treated well, the worries in her heart were relieved.

Seeing this, Jiraiya immediately started to brag about himself with a smile, "Actually, Naruto could have learned from me, but seeing how motivated he is now, I'm too lazy to teach him anymore, hahaha."

When Orochimaru heard this, a teasing smile appeared on his face, and his tone was teasing, "Tsunade, don't listen to his nonsense. In fact, at the beginning, New Konoha did plan to let Jiraiya teach Naruto, but when this guy heard the news, he immediately refused, saying that he 'should enjoy his life too'."

When Jiraiya heard this, his face immediately turned ugly, and he quickly winked at Orochimaru, signaling him not to expose his shortcomings in front of Tsunade. However, Tsunade had already seen through his thoughts, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she joked: "Oh? Jiraiya, it turns out that you are afraid of being tired sometimes. It seems that you are really old."

Jiraiya immediately waved his hands, "No, it's not like that, Tsunade, I just... I just think Naruto is already very good, he doesn't need me to teach him anything more!"

Tsunade smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing in her eyes, "Okay, stop explaining. Don't I know what you're thinking?"

The three of them smiled at each other, and the atmosphere in the pub became relaxed and cheerful again.

After eating and drinking, the three of them leaned back on the chairs in the pub, with satisfied expressions on their faces, and closed their eyes slightly to enjoy a moment of tranquility. The aroma of barbecue still permeated the air, the aftertaste of shochu still lingered on the tip of the tongue, and the whole pub was filled with a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

Jiraiya burped softly and put down the wine glass in his hand, with a hint of tipsy satisfaction in his eyes, "Ah, this wine is really good, much better than what I drank at Toad's place."

Orochimaru also put down his chopsticks with a faint smile on his face, "It seems that you are more suitable for this leisurely life, Jiraiya."

Just when the atmosphere was relaxed and happy, Tsunade suddenly straightened up, her eyes became a little serious, and her voice became low, "Jiraiya, Orochimaru, there is something I have always wanted to ask you."

Jiraiya and Orochimaru both sensed the seriousness in Tsunade's tone and immediately stopped what they were doing, looking at her in unison. Jiraiya's smile slowly faded, and a hint of seriousness appeared on his face, "Tsunade, just say whatever you want to say."

Tsunade frowned slightly, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them, as if she was thinking about how to start. After a moment, she finally spoke: "Do you know who the real ruler of New Konoha, or Umbrella, is? And that big snake... who is he?"

Jiraiya's expression suddenly became solemn, and the drunkenness in his eyes seemed to disappear without a trace in an instant. He slowly put down the wine glass, crossed his hands in front of his chest, and said in a deep voice: "Tsunade, why do you suddenly ask this question?"

Orochimaru's expression also became serious, his eyes flickered slightly, as if he was thinking about something. He sighed softly, and then whispered: "I know what you are worried about, Tsunade. I have also been looking for the answer, but the origin of the 'Great Snake' is probably not so easy to figure out."