Chapter 151: The Third Hokage Gets Dragged Through the Mud Again

This whole mess was also a problem on the ninja village's side, and no matter what, Jiraiya couldn't escape blame. 

But this was just how things worked in this era. And the mission itself hadn't even been a critical one for the village. Escort missions like this were cooperative efforts between the five great nations, not something the village directly controlled. 

You could tell just by looking at how personnel were assigned—there weren't just ninjas involved, but also regular soldiers. 

So holding Jiraiya accountable was really just a formality.

Rules are necessary for order, and Jiraiya had to go through this process. 

"Alright, I'll head to the Fire Capital today." 

Jiraiya nodded without any complaints. He understood that he had to take responsibility and apologize as an example for others. 

After all, among the group, he was the most suitable to take the blame. Well, Killer Bee could also do it, but still. 

"Jiraiya-sama, wait a moment. If you go like this…" 

Nara Shikaku stepped forward to stop Jiraiya. Even if it was just a formality, they couldn't be careless about it. 

"Shikaku, what is it now?" 

Tsunade looked at Shikaku, not sure what he was up to this time. There was already too much to deal with. 

Ever since the pirate era began, Konohagakure had been growing bigger and busier, with countless people coming and going every day. The village was constantly dealing with new issues. 

Compared to matters involving the Daimyos of the Five Great Nations, Tsunade still felt the affairs of the village were more important. 

"Jiraiya-sama, you just went through a tough battle. If you show up looking too clean, it won't be convincing to the Daimyos." 

Shikaku reminded him, and Tsunade immediately realized he was right. 

Why didn't she think of that? 

She had been back in Konohagakure for a while now, and though she didn't directly handle village affairs, she had picked up a lot over time. 

For example, even though she had been scolded earlier, she still managed to shamelessly get more money from the Daimyos. 

What? You're saying they didn't give it to her willingly? 

If the Daimyos gave money willingly, it was for Konohagakure. But the money Tsunade got—well, that was her personal gain. 

Of course, that 300 million was already spent on the way back. 

Still, you couldn't deny Tsunade's sharp instincts when it came to money. 

Jiraiya had been through a brutal fight—it wouldn't be right if he didn't get something out of it. 

Before long, Jiraiya changed into a set of ragged clothes and left the village under Tsunade's watchful eye. 

After sending Jiraiya off, Tsunade stood atop the Hokage building, looking down at Konohagakure. 

The village was more prosperous than ever—bustling streets, endless streams of people, and the lively sounds of laughter filling the air. 

A small smile appeared on Tsunade's face. 

"Sigh… Konohagakure keeps getting better and better. I haven't really done anything, but I still deserve some credit, right?" 

She sighed with satisfaction. 

She never expected that in such a short time, her popularity among the people had already surpassed all previous Hokages. 

Well… maybe that was a bit too arrogant. 

But she knew exactly how the Third Hokage had been treated in the past. 

And her own treatment now? 

Every day after work, as she walked home, people would give her gifts as thanks. 

Whether they were ninjas or civilians, they all held her in high regard. 

At this point, Tsunade had basically reached the level where she didn't need money to live in Konohagakure. 

It wasn't that she didn't want to pay—it was that people refused to take her money. 

With the village sheltering so many people and implementing various policies, the common folk were beyond grateful to her. 

Hearing Tsunade's words, Shikaku's face darkened. 

"Tsunade-sama… so you do know you haven't done anything?" 

The proud expression on Tsunade's face froze for a moment when she heard Shikaku behind her. 

Then, she turned around and casually gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. 

"Hahaha! The fact that I don't have to do anything just proves how capable you are, Shikaku!" 

"Hehehe!!" 

Tsunade grinned and took off running. Work? No way she was going to work. 

Back when Hashirama was around, he didn't do much work either, and yet he was still a Hokage loved by everyone in Konohagakure. 

Watching Tsunade disappear, Shikaku could only sigh helplessly. Left with no choice, he went back to the Hokage's office alone. 

By then, Chiriku had already returned with a stack of documents. He sat down at his desk and started handling official duties. 

Seeing Shikaku return, Chiriku didn't even look up. 

"Tsunade-sama ran off again?" 

"Yeah. Konohagakure is doing better and better these days, but having the Hokage running around outside all the time isn't exactly ideal." 

Shikaku was no fool—his sharp eye for people was one of his greatest strengths. 

Tsunade wasn't incompetent. In fact, she had everything it took to be a great Hokage. 

"I actually think Tsunade-sama is the best Hokage we've ever had." 

Chiriku spoke casually as he poured a cup of tea for Shikaku. 

"This was brought in from overseas. They say it's been infused with the power of the Dragon Vein. The taste isn't bad." 

Shikaku took a sip. It was indeed quite good—strong and bitter, but refreshing. He instantly felt more awake, like he could handle another three days of work. 

"Even though Tsunade-sama doesn't really do anything and just wanders around the village all day, both the civilians and the shinobi admire her far more than the Third Hokage." 

"Even the Daimyo are quite fond of her." 

Chiriku chuckled. Tsunade had a fiery temper, but that didn't mean she didn't have weaknesses. Who knew how much debt she had racked up out there? 

From what Chiriku and Shikaku could tell, it wasn't just money—she probably owed plenty of favors too. 

And for the Daimyo, this was the best kind of Hokage they could ask for. As long as they kept the money flowing, they could push their limits without facing consequences. Everyone was happy to have a Hokage who seemed simple-minded and only cared about money. 

As for the shinobi clans? Well, their situation had changed too. 

Back when the Third Hokage was in charge, they had to tread carefully, constantly fearing that one wrong move could spell disaster for their entire clan. 

But with Tsunade? 

Shikaku had given her full authority, but she wasn't interested in power at all. She just wanted to relax and enjoy life. 

Because of that, much of the Hokage's power had been delegated to the various clans, allowing them to handle things on their own. So whenever Tsunade went around eating and drinking at the different clan-owned businesses, she was actually spending money at places that technically belonged to her in the first place. 

The funny part was, she had no idea. She just wandered the village every day, happily enjoying herself. 

As far as Tsunade was concerned, returning to the village to become Hokage was the best decision she had ever made. 

And the civilians? They couldn't be happier. 

Konohagakure was now the safest place in the entire Land of Fire. Just living here was enough for them to feel grateful to Tsunade. 

"When you think about it, Tsunade-sama does absolutely nothing, yet everyone loves her," Shikaku mused. 

He gave a small nod of agreement. 

Shikaku and Chiriku exchanged a glance and fell silent. 

The Third Hokage had his flaws—he could be downright foolish at times—but neither Shikaku nor Chiriku could deny that he and Danzo had once possessed an unshakable drive to strengthen the village. 

They had been willing to sacrifice everything for it. 

But the irony of it all? 

If the Third Hokage and Danzo could see Konohagakure now, they'd probably cry. 

Tsunade did nothing, and yet the village had become more prosperous and peaceful than ever. Just by sitting in the Hokage's seat and not interfering, she had won the support of the entire village. 

Tsunade was lucky—the timing of her becoming Hokage was perfect. 

But honestly, even back in the Third Hokage's era, if they had put Akamaru in charge instead and kicked the Third out, Akamaru would've done a better job. 

Who's Akamaru? He's the dog that follows Inuzuka Kiba around. 

The way things were in Konohagakure, doing nothing was actually better than interfering with everything. Even if you put a dog in charge, things wouldn't have turned out as bad as they did later. 

As time went on… 

The ninjas of Konohagakure started to see things more clearly. 

Even though they had their beliefs, their so-called Will of Fire… 

And even though the Third still had some respect among ordinary ninjas… 

When they compared life under the Third to life under the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, they might not have understood everything. 

But one thing was clear—now, they no longer had to take on such dangerous missions, and their quality of life had improved a lot. 

They even got to spend more time with their families. 

This was everything they had hoped for. 

The entire village of Konohagakure had become peaceful and stable. 

This change made the ordinary ninjas start wondering—how did Konohagakure end up in such a mess in the past? 

Was the Third just incompetent, or was the Fifth Hokage simply that much better? 

Even Tsunade herself didn't quite understand it. 

She walked through the streets, carrying a bottle of sake from a bar, and made her way to the village's cemetery alone. 

She stopped in front of her younger brother's grave. 

Just as she was about to pour herself a drink, something crossed her mind, and she put the bottle away. 

"Minors shouldn't be drinking, after all." 

A rare softness appeared on Tsunade's face as she gently ran her fingers over her brother's tombstone. 

In the end, she said nothing. 

She continued walking in silence. The cemetery was empty—just her, alone among countless gravestones. 

"Dan, have a drink." 

Tsunade squatted down in front of a tombstone, resting one hand on her knee while holding the sake bottle in the other, pouring two cups. 

Dan Katō, Tsunade's lover from her youth, had died in a past war. It had been a long time, but the memory was still fresh. 

Even so, Tsunade didn't want to dwell on those painful memories. 

After drinking for a while, she got up and kept walking. 

Eventually, she stopped at another grave. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and her eyes were unfocused as she stared at the tombstone. 

As if unsure of what she was seeing, she leaned in closer to take a better look. 

"The grave of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen." 

"Oh… So this is Sensei's grave. 

The Third Hokage, huh? Not bad, not bad… Heh." 

A silly grin spread across Tsunade's face as she let go of the tombstone, her laughter carrying an emotion no one could quite understand. 

She had been the Third's student. 

And the Third had been the student of her own grandfather, Senju Tobirama. 

Her feelings toward him were more complicated than she could ever explain. 

She also understood the Third Hokage better now. But still… there was a sense of sadness. 

As the sun slowly set, the sound of Tsunade's stomach growling echoed through the cemetery. 

It seemed like the temperature had dropped after sunset. Instinctively, Tsunade hugged the warm tombstone beside her. 

With a bit too much force, she snapped the entire tombstone off. Still feeling a little cold, she turned over and pulled down another tombstone next to her, hugging it tightly. 

One tombstone read "Senju Hashirama," and the other "Senju Tobirama." Tsunade didn't leave either of them behind. 

"Hehehe… Grandpa, Tsunade has become a great Hokage now." 

"But… just that alone…" 

"It's still… not enough. In the end, I could never quit gambling. I even passed that bad habit on to that idiot Jiraiya." 

"Mmhh…" 

Mumbling in her sleep, Tsunade dozed off again. 

There was no way she hadn't noticed the changes in Jiraiya. 

Tsunade might not have learned the Sage Mode from the Shikkotsu Forest, but she knew Jiraiya too well. She also understood life energy better than most. 

Jiraiya had died. What was standing here now was just him being brought back through some secret technique. 

But Tsunade knew that techniques on that level always came at a huge cost or carried extreme danger. 

She also understood that Jiraiya had already placed his bet in this era. But as an experienced gambler, Tsunade knew all too well—other than the dealer, who could keep winning forever? 

And in this case, the dealer was Shanks, the strongest man in the ninja world. 

On the other side, Jiraiya had his own worries. 

His trip to the Capital of Fire wasn't just to meet the daimyo of the Land of Fire. He also needed to uncover some things about the ancient nobles and their connection to the Sage of Six Paths. 

"How much does that guy Shanks actually know? There haven't been any major problems yet, but no matter how you look at it, this is a huge ticking time bomb." 

Right now, all Jiraiya could do was feel anxious. 

The more he learned, the more he realized how much he didn't know. Even as a top-tier sage, Jiraiya felt powerless. 

He was already at the forefront of this era. 

And yet, because of that, he understood—the real turning point of this era hadn't arrived yet. 

Shanks had lifted the curtain on a new age, but for now, this was just the opening act. 

As the morning sun rose, Jiraiya followed the sunlight and stepped into the Capital of Fire. 

Finally, he stopped outside the daimyo's residence. 

Sunlight passed over him, illuminating the entire daimyo's estate. His once white hair now seemed to burn like white flames, and a faint red glow appeared beneath his eyes. 

Jiraiya looked up at the towering residence, shining brilliantly in the morning light. 

At the highest tower, a small figure stood at the very top, staring at Jiraiya with shock and disbelief. 

"A sage!!" 

Jiraiya saw them too. 

"Hehehe!" 

Grinning, Jiraiya stepped forward, his worn wooden sandals clacking as he entered the daimyo's residence. 

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