In the hotel room, Jiraiya lay on the floor in a depressed mood, resting his hands on his head and staring at the ceiling. Perhaps he was too absorbed in thinking about things. He didn't react until there was a knock on the door for a long time.
He walked to the door, opened the bedroom door, glanced at the visitor, and showed surprise.
"Please forgive me for this unexpected visit, Jiraiya-sama."
Shizune, who was standing outside the door, bowed apologetically to Jiraiya to express her abruptness.
"It's Shizune, it's okay, what do you want from me?"
Jiraiya asked, scratching his head.
He thought it was Naruto who came to him to ask about training, but he didn't expect that it was Shizune who came to him.
To be honest, although he knew Shizune and knew that she was the niece of the late Konoha Jonin Kato Dan, she was a very important relative to Tsunade... but he himself did not get along with Shizune for long and rarely communicated with her. . For a moment, I was also wondering what the other party's purpose was in coming to see me.
"I have something to tell you, and I brought you a dinner by the way."
Speaking of dinner, Jiraiya touched Kong Kong's belly, which was making a growling sound, and said with some embarrassment, "Is it already dinner time? I didn't expect that I would lie here all afternoon."
Immediately, Jiraiya turned sideways.
"Okay, come in."
At Jiraiya's invitation, Shizune walked into the room and placed the lunch box containing dinner on the table nearby.
Jiraiya sat down and glanced at Shizune, who seemed to be worried.
"Tell me, what do you want from me?"
After some hesitation, Shizune said to Jiraiya: "Actually, this has something to do with Tsunade-sama..."
"Tsunade?"
When Jiraiya heard this, his expression immediately became serious, and his sitting posture suddenly became serious and dignified.
"Yes. I think Jiraiya-sama should have discussed it with Tsunade-sama in private, but I think Tsunade-sama rejected your proposal, Jiraiya-sama."
Shizune stared at Jiraiya's face.
"You are right. No matter what methods I tried, I could not make Tsunade change her mind and return to the village to succeed the Fifth Hokage."
Jiraiya nodded.
Then he looked at Shizune with hopeful eyes.
Tsunade's stubbornness and stubbornness made it impossible for him to do anything at this moment.
But with the help of Shizune, the person around Tsunade, things might turn around.
"I actually guessed this result from the beginning."
Shizune said as expected.
"How to say?"
Jiraiya remained calm.
He knew that Tsunade was extremely hesitant about succeeding as the Fifth Hokage. It must be because of something that interfered with her decision-making and judgment.
Just because he lacked important information, he didn't know the reason for Tsunade's hesitation.
"About four years ago, not long after the Five Shadows Conference ended, that person specifically came to see Tsunade-sama once."
Shizune revealed this important information.
Jiraiya knew who 'that person' was referring to, it must be Chiba Shiraishi.
He just didn't expect that at that time, the other party would find Tsunade alone.
At this time, Jiraiya also recalled that he had looked for Tsunade once at that time... But at that time, Tsunade became very irritable, making him wonder what happened, making Tsunade feel irritable. .
Thinking about it now, it was probably because of Chiba Shiraishi that Tsunade had some wrong perceptions in her heart.
"Shizune, could you please reveal the content of their conversation at that time?"
Jiraiya asked seriously.
Shizune shook her head and said: "It's not that I don't want to reveal it, but I don't know what they talked about. In short, after that incident, Tsunade-sama's mood became erratic for a period of time. I I think Jiraiya-sama can investigate from this aspect."
Jiraiya said helplessly: "Even if you say so, now is not the time to investigate this kind of thing. The village is in urgent need of a new Hokage, but there is no time to mess around here."
"Is that so? That would be difficult... However, I believe that Tsunade-sama always loves Konoha. Please rest assured, Jiraiya-sama."
Shizune also knew that this seemed a bit embarrassing, but in order to reassure Jiraiya, she told him that Tsunade's position had not changed in any way.
"Of course I know this kind of thing..."
But Jiraiya was still worried about the original problem.
We can't waste time in this place now.
Normally, he would have had enough patience to wait here for Tsunade's reply, but now time did not allow him to take any steps.
The situation facing Konoha at this time is urgent.
The deadline he set for himself was one week.
If it exceeds this time, we can only take drastic measures to promote Tsunade to return to Konoha and succeed to the position of the Fifth Hokage.
However, Jiraiya was still confused as to how to act specifically and did not have a complete implementation plan.
"Anyway, I hope you can keep a close eye on Tsunade. It's best not to let her come into contact with Chiba Shiraishi alone. If there is any situation, report it to me immediately, and I can come to the rescue in time."
Jiraiya rubbed his forehead with a headache and ordered Shizune.
"Yes, I understand. Then Master Jiraiya, I'll take my leave now. You can rest early today."
Shizune bowed to Jiraiya and left the room.
Before leaving, she took a special look at the box lunch left for dinner.
In this way, Master Jiraiya will not be able to disturb Master Tsunade's actions tomorrow. Shizune thought to herself.
After all, this Sannin is watching personally, and once Tsunade takes action privately, she will definitely be blocked by him.
◎
The next morning, it was about ten o'clock.
Compared to the ice and snow outside, the fireplace inside the hotel filled the room and corridors with a warm atmosphere.
Samurai Satokaku patrolled the corridor, with a serious smile on his face, and a sharp light flashed from time to time in his eyes. He inadvertently swept towards the blind corners of the patrol area, not sparing any corner where he could hide, so as to prevent his protection target from being attacked by criminals. intrusion.
Although he didn't understand why, Shiraishi, as the Minister of Military Affairs of the Kingdom of Ghosts, suddenly came to the Kingdom of Iron, and he visited for personal reasons. But obviously this kind of thing is not something that he, a little samurai, can ask about. His mission is to protect the personal safety of Shiraishi, the Minister of Military Affairs of the Kingdom of Ghosts, during his stay in the Kingdom of Iron.
This is undoubtedly a hard job, and if you are not careful, you may be demoted by your superiors. Therefore, Rikou, who received this mission, took on the role of guard here with the belief that he would die.
Fortunately, Shiraishi is one of the few powerful ninjas in the ninja world. Under normal circumstances, there will be no unreasonable people coming to assassinate him. Even if the assassination is successful, it is difficult to succeed.
It would be great if he could get through it safely... Samurai Rikaku thought in his heart, he just hoped that the other party would not stay in the Kingdom of Iron for too long, and leave here as soon as possible after finishing things, so that he would not be so frightened.
Suddenly, his nose with a keen sense of smell moved, as if he smelled an unusual smell, causing Samurai Rikkaku to subconsciously raise his head and focus his eyes on the front of the corridor.
A woman strolled in from the other end of the corridor.
She has long light yellow hair and brown eyes. She is in her twenties, but has snow-white and smooth skin comparable to that of a girl. On the outermost part, she is wearing a tea-green gown.
This image seemed very familiar to Samurai Rikkaku, but for a while he couldn't figure out where or when he had seen the other person's portrait.
Judging from the opponent's walking posture that did not reveal any flaws, Samurai Rikkaku immediately felt the pressure doubled.
His intuition told him that this woman's strength was probably not weaker than Jiraiya who was rejected when he came here to visit yesterday.
Thinking of Jiraiya, a thought flashed through Samurai Rikkaku's mind, he stepped forward to intercept and asked, "Is this Tsunade-dono?"
Although there was a polite tone in his tone, Samurai Rikkaku still kept a certain distance from Tsunade, so that when the opponent suddenly made an attack, he would have enough space to retreat and counterattack.
Tsunade nodded and said, "I need to talk to the person inside. You can report it."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
Yesterday, Jiraiya, one of the three ninjas, came to visit. Today, another one of the three ninjas also appeared here for unknown reasons. Wouldn't these Konoha ninjas regard the Kingdom of Iron as their own backyard? Samurai Rikaku couldn't help but curse in his heart.
It seems that it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of reporting the entry and exit of outsiders.
Such uninvited behavior, if something goes wrong, may lead to diplomatic conflicts without the Iron Kingdom knowing anything about it.
Asking Shiraishi for instructions, Satokaku didn't take too long and returned quickly. True to Tsunade's prediction, after returning, Satokaku turned sideways, got out of the way, and made a respectful gesture of invitation.
"Please, Tsunade-dono, Shiraishi-dono has agreed to meet with you. It is your duty, so I won't send you there."
"Thank you, please."
Tsunade nodded, gave a deep breath, and stepped forward, her shoes making crisp sounds against the floor of the corridor.
After not walking too many steps, Tsunade stopped in front of a door.
The outstretched palm was stiff for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and stability and pushed open the door in front of him.
The room was empty, except for the fireplace used for heating. There was only a low table in the room, with a gray soft cushion for people to kneel on each side of the low table.
"You're here, Tsunade-sensei, please sit down."
Shiraishi sat on one of the cushions, picked up the kettle, and brewed the washed tea leaves in the cup with hot water. The room was filled with the rich fragrance of tea, which made Tsunade feel refreshed when she smelled the sound.
Tsunade came over and sat down quite simply without any embarrassment.
Shiraishi pushed the tea cup in front of Tsunade and said with a slight smile: "This is the new tea from the Kingdom of Ghosts that I brought here. I would like to ask Tsunade-sensei to taste it."
"I don't like drinking tea. It would be better if I had wine."
Having said that, Tsunade still picked up the tea cup and took a small sip.
Shiraishi also showed a look of serious consideration on his face, nodded and said: "As long as Mr. Tsunade is willing to join my camp, it doesn't matter what kind of wine you want to drink."
"It's a really tempting proposal, but it's just a drink, so there's no way you can buy me off."
Tsunade put down the tea cup and smiled at Shiraishi.
"So, what's the 'price' I have to offer?"
Shiraishi's inquiring eyes swept over Tsunade's face.
"You should know this. No matter how fanciful you say, I can't give up the village of Konoha. I will not agree to your proposal to join the Kingdom of Demons."
After saying these words, thousands of emotions surged into Tsunade's heart.
Konoha is not only the land where she was born and raised, it also contains her grandfather's expectations for her, the unfinished dreams of her younger brother Naoki, and her lover Kato... If she chooses to leave Konoha at this time, it will be tantamount to betraying everything in the past. , thinking that all past efforts are in vain.
How could it be possible to cruelly trample on the dreams of these people?
"With all due respect, given the situation Konoha is facing now, even if you go back now, it will probably not help. Konoha's rigidity is too deep-rooted, and to make fundamental changes, a stronger impact is needed. This world is about to usher in new changes. If you cannot keep up with this trend, you will be destined to be eliminated by the new era. I believe that Tsunade-sensei, who has traveled around the world, must have noticed that, whether it is a small country or a big country, recently Starting to become paranoid."
Tsunade could see this without Shiraishi explaining it.
She knew that behind the scenes, there must be a country of ghosts quietly pushing behind.
Start with small countries to influence the balance between big countries.
When the balance with the big powers is broken, war will inevitably break out.
When this balance will be broken, and to what extent the war will expand, Tsunade cannot accurately predict.
However, considering these at the moment is still a bit too far away.
The purpose of her coming here is to get Bai Shi's help.
"Konoha is not necessarily the enemy of the Kingdom of Demons. If I serve as the Fifth Hokage, Konoha can reach an alliance with the Kingdom of Demons. Do you feel satisfied with this answer?"
Tsunade looked at Shiraishi with firm eyes.
Superfluous discussion will only increase your psychological burden.
She must avoid this extremely heavy topic and win the help of Shiraishi and the Kingdom of Ghosts as quickly as possible.
Although this must be obstructed by the conservative forces in the village, Tsunade has full confidence that she can make this happen.
Seeing the firmness in Tsunade's eyes and the light of confidence, Shiraishi seemed to suddenly see Tsunade when she was young. At that time, she was much brighter than the decadent look she is now.
However, Shiraishi shook his head slightly and said: "It is not to join, but to give the answer of wanting to promote the alliance between Konoha and the Kingdom of Demons as the Fifth Hokage. It is indeed a bit beyond my expectation... But, Tsunade Teacher, do you think this is possible?"
"Of course! The alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure is the best example. You are no longer a rebellious ninja of Konoha and can appear internationally with a positive image. The hatred will gradually disappear under the wash of time. Therefore, Even if we were bitter enemies in the past, in the future we can talk to each other, put aside our prejudices, and move forward and retreat together."
"You're taking too idealistic a view of reality."
Although this kind of thing is indeed possible, it requires special circumstances and special time. From the current point of view, Shiraishi does not see any hope of such a thing happening.
"If you don't give it a try, how will you know you can't succeed?"
Tsunade spoke boldly, knowing how difficult it might be for her to do so.
But Tsunade believes that reaching an alliance with the Kingdom of Demons is a key step for Konoha to adapt to the new era.
Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, it is imperative to promote the alliance with the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Hearing what Tsunade said, Shiraishi was speechless.
However, as if he agreed with Tsunade's words, Shiraishi did not refute Tsunade's remarks.
Because he didn't have enough evidence to prove that Tsunade's path would never work.
Indeed, in this world, hostility and friendly relations between countries change and develop with different situations, rather than remaining static.
The identities of enemies and friends can be adjusted at any time.
Maybe this fact gave Tsunade a beautiful fantasy about the future.
"In other words, Tsunade-sensei, you plan to use the power of the Demon Country to consolidate your position as Hokage?"
After a long time, Bai Shi said these words.
If Tsunade succeeds in facilitating this matter, it can indeed be used as a powerful asset for the Hokage to take power.
"How can we say it is use? It is cooperation and win-win. I think the current ghost country also needs a big country that stands in its own camp as an ally. Although the Lone Ranger sounds good, it will be like the past. It’s the same as Konoha, surrounded by enemies on all sides. It’s not a pleasant feeling, it’s about saving face and suffering.”
Tsunade spoke with real cases from Konoha.
She has experienced the difficult times when Konoha was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and it was precisely because of this experience that she was able to see that the Kingdom of Demons now urgently needs a staunch ally of equal status in order to survive better internationally.
However, the Kingdom of Ghosts already has Kirigakure, an ally bound by destiny... Shiraishi still hasn't said this.
Because this secret is too important, it must not be revealed to anyone outside the camp.
Tsunade's proposal made Shiraishi waver and hesitate for a moment.
Tsunade was also more courageous and tougher than he imagined.
"I was also a Konoha ninja, and I know what it is like to be alone and helpless. Likewise, I do hope to find one or more reliable allies from the five traditional countries to support each other and move forward."
Shiraishi sighed and expressed his inner thoughts.
Tsunade had a smile on her face, but before she could speak, Shiraishi interrupted her and continued:
"However, the road to reaching an alliance with Konoha is full of thorns. The most important thing is not my attitude, but the attitude of Konoha and the nobles of the Fire Country. Sunagakure may also obstruct it... ...If Tsunade-sensei can solve these things, then it might not be a bad idea to form an alliance with Konoha and even the Fire Nation."
But Shiraishi understood that this hope was really slim.
It can even be said that the probability of success is infinitely close to zero.
After receiving Shiraishi's response, Tsunade finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the big stone in her heart was finally relieved.
In the past two days, she had thought seriously about how to reply to Shiraishi more than once.
She hopes to return to Konoha and use her experiences and growth over the years to change the village she loves so much. On the other hand, she also knew that if she refused Shiraishi's invitation, it might trigger subsequent retaliation from the Kingdom of Demons, once again putting Konoha into a difficult situation.
That's why she chose such an extremely difficult path.
As the fifth Hokage, he promotes cooperation between Konoha and the Kingdom of Demons. The two parties share their needs and advance together.
In this way, Konoha not only obtained the industrial technology of the Demon Kingdom, but also eliminated the hostility between the two sides. The country of ghosts can also get rid of the dilemma of isolation and helplessness internationally and can cope with the complex international environment more calmly.
The idea of having the best of both worlds is extremely beautiful, but Tsunade also understands that this is not something that can be achieved easily.
However, she was mentally prepared for this. At the moment, this was the only path she could take.
"Then, let's make an agreement. Give me three years... no, two years is enough!"
As Tsunade's words fell to the ground, Shiraishi's palm holding the tea cup paused in mid-air and nodded quietly.
