63 - Private Hypocrisy

At this moment, Jiraiya wished he could simply disappear. The ground beneath him might as well have been molten lava for how desperately he wanted it to swallow him whole.

But escape wasn't an option. With everyone's eyes boring into him, he had no choice but to face the consequences of his actions.

"Tsunade, Shin, I'm truly sorry. I swear it won't happen again. I didn't realize it was you two... And I promise I'll stop this behavior altogether."

"Words are cheap," Shin said. "How can anyone trust the promises of someone with your track record? This isn't your first offense, is it?"

"What do you want from me then?" Jiraiya asked. He'd never seen Shin this angry, and Tsunade's fury was a force he was already well acquainted with.

"It's simple," Shin stated flatly. "Would you be willing to swear on something you truly value? Perhaps by the name of the Great Toad Sage that if you ever engage in such violations of privacy again, you'll never find the Child of the Prophecy you seek, and you'll lose the ability to..." he paused meaningfully, "...continue your family line?"

Jiraiya froze, momentarily shocked by the specific nature of Shin's ultimatum. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

How did he know about the prophecy? That information wasn't widely shared.

But he quickly figured it out, it must have been Tsunade or Orochimaru who told him. After all, he had reported some non-classified aspects of the Toad Sage's prophecy to the Hokage, who might have discussed it with others.

"You are hesitating," Shin observed when Jiraiya remained silent. "If you can't commit to changing, why should anyone believe this won't happen again? If you refuse to make this commitment, then I promise you this, if I ever discover you've continued this behavior, I'll ask Orochimaru to develop a technique to summon an image of your mother to every public bathhouse in Konoha."

"That's too far!" Jiraiya's face flushed with anger. "Leave my mother out of this!"

"Is it?" Shin asked. "Yet you feel entitled to violate the privacy of other people's daughters, sisters, and mothers without a second thought."

He gestured to the gathered crowd. "These women you spy on are someone's family. They're kunoichi who risk their lives for this village, medical professionals who heal the wounded, civilians who support their families. They deserve basic dignity and respect. You speak of honor as a ninja, yet you dishonor half the village regularly. You're upset at the mere suggestion of your mother being disrespected, but how many mothers have you disrespected yourself?"

Shin's words resonated through the crowd, triggering murmurs of agreement that quickly swelled into vocal support.

Several villagers stepped forward with their own accounts and suspicions, the collective anger building as people realized the extent of Jiraiya's habitual violations. Many men in the crowd thought of their wives, daughters, and sisters.

Standing to the side, Hiruzen shifted uncomfortably. Shin's condemnation seemed to extend beyond Jiraiya, and he couldn't help but feel the weight of those words landing partially on his own shoulders.

He carefully maintained a stern expression directed at Jiraiya, but internally, doubt crept in. His own use of the Telescope Technique for "village security" suddenly seemed less defensible when framed in this light.

Was there really such a difference between what Jiraiya did and his own surveillance? He quickly pushed the uncomfortable thought aside. No, my actions serve the village. They're necessary for safety and security.

Still, he hoped this situation would resolve quickly. Better for Jiraiya to take the public condemnation than for anyone to question his own practices.

"I haven't done it that many times..." Jiraiya protested weakly, immediately realizing his mistake as the words left his mouth.

The crowd became more furious. Even Hiruzen winced at Jiraiya's poorly chosen defense, which essentially confirmed his guilt while attempting to minimize it.

"So you admit this is habitual," Shin pressed. "And you apparently see no reason to stop?"

"Jiraiya!" Hiruzen finally stepped forward, seizing the opportunity to distance himself from his student's behavior. "Will you make this commitment or not? Is this inappropriate behavior so important to you that you can't abandon it?"

Jiraiya turned to his teacher.

Weren't you the one who normalized this behavior? he thought, remembering all the times Hiruzen had given him a performative scolding while essentially letting the matter drop. Every time I got caught, you pretended to be disappointed but never enforced any real consequences.

The young man nearly called out his teacher's hypocrisy in front of everyone. The words formed in his mind: "You're the Hokage who uses the Telescope Technique to spy on villagers regularly!"

But Hiruzen's warning glare carried the full weight of his position, and Jiraiya reluctantly swallowed his accusation.

"Fine, I'll swear," he finally said, straightening his shoulders. "I swear by the name of the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku: if I ever violate anyone's privacy in this manner again, I will never locate the Child of the Prophecy, and I will lose all... reproductive capabilities for the remainder of my life."

He paused, then added pointedly, "And may this same fate befall anyone else in Konoha who engages in such behavior, regardless of their position or justification."

There, he thought, looking directly at Hiruzen. If I'm going down, I'm not going alone.

Hiruzen's expression tightened.

You've overstepped, Jiraiya, he thought, maintaining his public composure while inwardly seething. You were caught red-handed, and now you attempt to deflect?

He would address this insubordination later, away from public eyes. And he would need to have a conversation with Shin as well, whose handling of the situation had shown a concerning lack of deference to the Hokage's authority.

But even as these thoughts formed, he couldn't entirely suppress the uncomfortable memory of his wife being the target of such invasions of privacy. The thought alone made his blood run cold.

Perhaps, just this once, he could understand Shin's harsh approach. What husband or partner wouldn't be furious?

After Jiraiya's oath, Hiruzen stepped forward to address the crowd. He spoke firmly about the village's commitment to respecting privacy and the severe consequences that would follow violations. With his authority, he gradually dispersed the gathering, bringing the public spectacle to a close.

Shin and Tsunade departed shortly after, their planned day at the hot springs thoroughly ruined. The walk home passed mostly in silence, Shin's anger hadn't really subsided.

Tsunade glanced at him periodically. When they finally reached home, she hesitated before speaking, "Shin, I understand why you're angry. I am too. But I think Jiraiya has suffered significant consequences today."

She moved to stand in front of him, making sure he met her eyes. "I promise you, whenever I see him from now on, I'll personally remind him of today with my fists. And if he ever repeats this behavior, whatever punishment you think appropriate, I'll fully support."

"You realize that might actually kill him, right?"

"He should have thought of that before peeping on us," Tsunade replied. "I'll heal him enough to ensure he survives for the next beating."

Shin's mood visibly lightened. "You're not planning to go easy on him, then?"

"Absolutely not," she confirmed. "Every encounter will be as painful as today, just more contained."

"Alright," Shin conceded. "If he genuinely reforms, I suppose continuing to pursue the matter would be a waste of energy."

As his anger dissipated, Tsunade's own frustration remained, though for slightly different reasons.

Why was it that every time she tried to plan something sweet or romantic, it always got interrupted?

Last time too. And now again.