Chapter 68: The Arrival of Uninvited Guests

Tsunade stormed up to Jiraiya, her rage trailing behind her like a dark cloud. The two young women at Jiraiya's side sensed the impending danger and, feeling inadequate compared to the imposing figure of Tsunade, quickly disentangled themselves and scurried away.

"Not bad, Jiraiya," Tsunade began sarcastically. "You claim to be traveling the world to find the Child of Prophecy, yet here you are, indulging yourself. Must be a tough job..."

Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly, pouring Tsunade a full cup of sake with a sheepish grin. "Cut me some slack, Tsunade. I've spent half my life searching. Can't a man have a little fun?"

Jiraiya gestured towards the unconscious Anbu members at the adjacent table, complaining, "If it weren't for the old man summoning me, I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. I just wanted to experience the local culture before heading back."

Tsunade scoffed, "Experiencing the local culture through young women? Nice excuse for your perversion."

At that moment, Shizune and the three Anbu members entered the bar. "Tsunade-sama, you walk too fast! You should wait for me..." Shizune panted as she sat next to Tsunade. When she noticed Jiraiya, she jumped up in surprise. "Jiraiya-sama! What are you doing here?"

Glancing at the unconscious Anbu, Shizune quickly pieced together the situation. Both Tsunade and Jiraiya had been summoned by the Third Hokage. If both Sannin were called back simultaneously, something serious must have happened in the village.

Jiraiya, seeing Shizune and the Anbu, turned to Tsunade. "I was wondering why you were here. Looks like we're in the same boat..."

Tsunade downed her drink in one gulp. "Hey, Jiraiya, there's no war right now. Do you know what the old man wants? Did he tell you anything?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No, but my information network spans the entire world. I have a pretty good guess."

Both Tsunade and Shizune leaned in, curious.

Jiraiya sighed deeply. "Danzo is dead."

Shizune interjected, "We heard about that. The news is all over the Land of Fire. They say he committed suicide in a mental hospital, confessing to all his crimes, including being the mastermind behind the Uchiha massacre."

Tsunade snarled, "I've always hated that old bastard. Good riddance. Jiraiya, is that all your intel? There must be more..."

Jiraiya sighed. "It's not as simple as the rumors. You should know, having dealt with the higher-ups, that what the public sees is rarely the full story..."

"Danzo's death is more complicated. You know the kind of person he was. Does he seem like the type to confess and commit suicide? According to my sources, an Uchiha was involved. His name is Uchiha Natsuhane, a notorious pervert even worse than me..."

"I ran into him a few times at the hot springs. Back then, he was barely a genin. In the past year and a half, his strength has skyrocketed, and he's even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. It was he who captured Danzo."

"Serves him right!" Tsunade spat. "I know all about Danzo's crimes: destroying the Uchiha clan, stealing their eyes, even experimenting with my grandfather's cells! If I'd known sooner, I wouldn't have needed Natsuhane to capture him!"

Jiraiya frowned, speaking quietly. "That's the point. Danzo's secrets were so well-guarded that even I didn't know them. How did Natsuhane find out? Isn't that curious?"

Tsunade nodded slowly, considering Jiraiya's words.

"There's another issue. Recently, someone has been causing trouble in the village," Jiraiya continued, refilling their drinks. "All the female members of the Konoha Council are pregnant, except for Koharu Utatane. According to my sources, this is Orochimaru's doing, and it only took him half a day."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, her chest heaving. "What on earth is he up to? I thought he wasn't interested in women! How could he do something so vile, and so efficiently?"

Jiraiya quickly explained, "No, no, you've got it wrong. He didn't do it in the usual way. I suspect he's developed a drug that can induce pregnancy..."

Shizune's eyes widened even further, her mind racing with strange new knowledge. "He made such a drug? What kind of formula? That's...impressive."

Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "I don't know the details. All I know is that those are the two major issues in Konoha right now. We'll get more answers from the old man when we return."

"Let's have a few drinks, Tsunade. It's been a while. Once we're back in the village, we won't get another chance like this. We'll have to start dealing with all this mess," Jiraiya said, raising his cup.

As Tsunade was about to toast with Jiraiya, several white-clad figures burst in, ignoring the Anbu's attempts to stop them.

"Tsunade, there you are!"

Seeing the intruders, Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions darkened, their eyes filled with icy determination.

"You guys are from the Hidden Cloud? What do you want with me?" Tsunade demanded.

Jiraiya placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder, whispering, "Be careful of the large man in black in the center. If I'm not mistaken, he's the current Raikage."

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