----
"Wait a second! That distance is way too short! We should at least run from here to the village walls and back to the bookstore!" Gai protested.
Kakashi waved him off. "No way, that would take too long."
Gai, determined to stir Kakashi's competitive spirit, smirked. "If you win, I'll pay for your book!"
"Alright, let's start!" Kakashi agreed instantly.
"?" Gai felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint it. Oh well.
He picked up a small stone and tossed it into the air. "We start when it hits the ground!"
Thud!
The moment the stone hit the dirt, both of them vanished.
Kakashi and Gai dashed forward, arms pumping in perfect form not the stereotypical ninja run with hands trailing behind.
By the time the stone finished bouncing, they were already gone.
That evening, beneath the setting sun, Jiraiya's book royalties were on the line.
---
At a Tavern…
The tavern door curtain fluttered briefly. The owner glanced up but saw no one. He did a quick headcount to confirm no one had dined and dashed, then went back to his ledger.
"Was that just the wind?"
Jiraiya put down his sake cup. "Was that Kakashi and Gai? What are those two up to?"
"Stop zoning out, Jiraiya! More sake!" Tsunade, already flushed from drinking, pounded the table impatiently.
"Got it, got it… Geez, haven't you had enough?" Jiraiya sighed, pouring her another cup.
"Shut up!" Tsunade downed it in one gulp.
She hated war.
But she knew this one was unavoidable.
So she dragged Jiraiya along to drink her frustrations away.
Maybe, when she sobered up tomorrow, she'd have the courage to face everything.
Jiraiya understood her well. That's why he let her do as she pleased.
Though Tsunade was a drunkard, a gambler, and had a violent temper, he still knew she was a good person.
He wasn't fond of war either. But this time… he felt a strange sense of anticipation.
"The Great Toad Sage once said, my disciple will bring great change to the shinobi world. Maybe… this war is the moment of that prophecy."
Tsunade gave him a drunken glare. "All you ever do is talk about prophecies. Instead of leaving everything to your students, why don't you try to change the world yourself?"
She took another sip and muttered, "That toad sage too… Who knows if the future turns out a certain way because it was meant to be, or if it's just because you and Minato were dumb enough to chase after those words?"
Jiraiya blinked. Whoa. That actually made a lot of sense.
Was she really drunk, or just pretending?
She even dared to badmouth the Great Toad Sage.
Yeah, she must be truly wasted.
Jiraiya let out a half-hearted laugh. "You're not wrong. I've spent my whole life chasing a prophecy… not even knowing if I'll ever see the result. My serious novels never sell, the woman I love rejects me every time… I guess I really am an idiot, huh?"
"Pfft." Tsunade scoffed. "Who'd love a man who's never home? That'd make them an idiot too."
Jiraiya smiled wryly. "Yeah… maybe a guy like me is destined to keep wandering without ever reaching a destination."
Tsunade, now half-asleep on the table, mumbled something.
"Who says there's no destination…?"
But Jiraiya didn't catch it. He figured she was just mumbling nonsense in her drunken state.
Shrugging, he finished his drink. "Boss, check please!"
The tavern owner eagerly ran over, holding out a copy of 'Make-Out Tactics' and a pen.
"Jiraiya-sama! Could I get your autograph?"
"Oh? You're a fan?" Jiraiya brightened. "Of course!"
Even in his forties, having a dedicated fanbase felt nice.
He signed his name with a flourish.
The owner beamed with gratitude and said, "Thank you so much! I've read every book in the series. How about an 80% discount for this round?"
"Now that's a deal." Jiraiya settled the bill, then slung one of Tsunade's arms over his shoulder and helped her stumble out of the tavern.
They couldn't count on Shizune this time.
She was stuck handling all the paperwork Tsunade dumped on her.
"Tsunade-sama is so irresponsible! Next time, I swear I won't cover for her!"
Shizune grumbled while scanning through document after document.
TonTon: "Oink~"
Sakura giggled. "TonTon's right, Shizune-senpai. You say that every time, yet here you are."
Shizune scowled. "Tch. You're one to talk to! You're stuck covering for her too!"
With an evil grin, she dropped a stack of paperwork onto Sakura's desk.
"Since you're so cheerful, why don't you handle these?"
"Shizune-senpai! Noooo—!"
---
As the war approached, everyone had their own way of preparing.
Rock Lee, Gen, Daiki, and Jiro trained through their usual insane workouts.
Neji and Hiashi sparred.
Tenten meticulously checked her weapon stockpile while dreaming of using Flying Thunder God and Rasengan on the battlefield.
Kiba and Akamaru ran laps through the forest.
Shino disappeared… doing whatever it is Shino does.
Yakumo inspected her painting supplies and pigments.
Each shinobi had their own method of coping.
---
At the Border of the Land of Rain…
Pain narrowed his eyes. "Where is Orochimaru?"
Facing the powerful members of the Akatsuki, Guren felt a cold sweat forming.
She forced herself to answer, "Orochimaru-sama's research is at a critical stage. He said he would appear when necessary. But—"
She lifted her chin slightly. "I have brought a powerful army in his place."
Deidara scoffed. "Tch. That snake is always scheming. No wonder Sasori hated him."
He clenched and unclenched his recently reattached arm, feeling it regain strength. His clay supply was also fully stocked—he was itching to blow up that little blond brat who had chased him all over before.
Kisame gave a toothy grin and asked, "A powerful army? You mean… just you?"
"No." Guren shook her head and gestured behind her. "They are."
A low rumbling noise filled the air.
A massive horde of creatures marched forward, their shapes grotesque and unnatural.
These were the twisted results of Orochimaru's experiments, built on Burial's research.
Guren raised her hand.
Instantly, the monstrous troops came to a synchronized halt.
She pointed at one. "Number One."
A wolf-sized creature stepped forward.
Then, with unnatural precision, it stood up on two legs.
Guren introduced it proudly:
"This is the weakest among them. It has the strength of a bear, the eyesight of a hawk, the speed of a leopard, and the hearing of a wolf…"
The Akatsuki members watched with various expressions.
Some intrigued.
Some sceptical.
And some already thinking of ways to test their new "allies" in battle.
----
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