After Jiraiya agreed to a long list of promises never to peek into bathhouses again, Uchiha Ran finally let him go. Of course, if he ever got caught peeping again, then it would be strictly by the book.
With the Chunin Exams approaching, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, felt the familiar itch of political and military intuition: war might not be far from Konoha's doorstep.
Though the source of the spark was uncertain, he had already warned Tsunade and Jiraiya, who were outside the village. So their sudden return to Konoha could hardly be called impulsive.
That evening, the three Legendary Sannin were gathered after a long while at an izakaya.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and their three disciples—Uchiha Ran, Shizune, and Minato Namikaze—sat around a low charcoal brazier.
The scene had a slightly… peculiar atmosphere.
Ran sat calmly beside Orochimaru in a wide, plush chair, holding a delicate teacup. Inside, the gyokuro tea released a gentle, floral fragrance. The liquid rippled lightly, like a miniature emerald pond.
Ran brought the cup to his lips, savoring the tea, eyes half-closed in contentment.
The Sannin were clearly wealthy and had excellent taste. The surrounding space was tranquil, cozy, filled with antique furniture that exuded history. The soft, warm light fell perfectly across Ran's calm profile.
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Jiraiya, having entered the private room, were completely fixated on Ran. Their eyes lingered so intently that Shizune and Minato, following their teachers, began to fidget nervously.
Finally, Orochimaru broke the tense silence.
"Long time no see!" he said to Tsunade and Jiraiya, a sly, inscrutable smile curling on his lips—a smile that made him look dangerously like a serpent.
"Indeed. It's been ages, Orochimaru. I didn't expect you to have taken on a disciple," Tsunade replied.
"It's just… your disciple here is utterly unreasonable. Doesn't act like you at all. Reminds me more of Jiraiya!" Tsunade added, a sly jab aimed at Ran.
"Ah, right, right! Orochimaru, your Uchiha disciple is far too rude to his elders!" Jiraiya chimed in, adding fuel to the playful teasing.
Ran shot Jiraiya a sidelong glance, calm as ever. "Peeping in a women's bathhouse is hardly the behavior of a proper gentleman."
Normally, Jiraiya wouldn't have batted an eye at that remark—but Tsunade, the object of his affection, was sitting directly across from him. That single comment immediately turned his face bright red.
"What? N‑no way! Who peeped into a women's bath? Stop saying nonsense!" Jiraiya stammered, trying to play it cool.
But his guilt was obvious to Tsunade and Orochimaru. Even Minato, Jiraiya's own disciple, noticed something off about his teacher.
"Sensei…" Minato whispered hesitantly.
"Hm?" Jiraiya glanced at him.
"Let's just keep drinking our tea," Minato suggested, tactfully steering the conversation away.
"Uh… oh! Yes, of course, everyone should just drink tea first… haha…" Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly, laughing nervously.
Never underestimate Jiraiya. He could play dumb to confuse others—but there were always true fools who assumed he was the fool.
"Wait… hold on a second!" Jiraiya suddenly realized something and looked to Tsunade. "What did you just mean, that Uchiha Ran was being unreasonable? Did he do something to you? Did you two awaken your Senju and Uchiha bloodlines at first sight? Did you… fight?"
At his words, Tsunade's face instantly flushed crimson.
Her mind involuntarily replayed the memory of that day in the water pool with Ran—the bare confrontation, the wind tossing his hair, the overwhelming presence… her cheeks turned the color of a ripe apple.
Thankfully, Tsunade, as one of the Sannin, had enough composure to suppress her embarrassment, masking her flushed expression almost immediately.
Seeing her shy reaction, Jiraiya sensed this wasn't so simple and pressed further. "Come on, tell me! What exactly did this Uchiha brat do? I'll help you get revenge!"
"Sensei wants to know what happened? Alright…" Ran began to explain.
He had initially intended only to clarify that Tsunade hadn't actually beaten him in the water pool.
But Tsunade, clearly misunderstanding the situation, shot Ran a sharp glare and then said, "Ah, it's nothing! This little brat was disrespectful, so I gave him a lesson—but I couldn't finish him off immediately. Seems Orochimaru's teaching is quite effective."
It was obvious she wanted to cover up the fact that she and Ran had been bare together in the pool. A mature older sister, after all, could handle herself—and handle the situation with discretion.
"Oh! I see!" Jiraiya exclaimed in understanding.
"Wow, I didn't expect a disciple of Orochimaru to be so talented. Not at all inferior to Minato!" Jiraiya praised, clearly impressed. He also began to grow curious about Ran's actual strength after hearing Tsunade's explanation.
"Ran's strength is incredible. At his age, I wouldn't stand a chance!" Minato seized the perfect moment to chime in.
"Oh?" Jiraiya looked at him, surprised. Minato had never spoken so frankly. The boy seemed competent in every way—and his words rang true.
Seeing Tsunade nod in agreement, Jiraiya realized Minato wasn't exaggerating. Tsunade hadn't been able to subdue Ran immediately. He would have to be careful in the future—definitely couldn't let Ran catch him peeping again.
Jiraiya's mind went on high alert—but he still couldn't understand why Tsunade had blushed. Strange…
"Ha ha ha… Ran has this level of skill thanks entirely to his own effort. As his teacher, I haven't helped much. He's naturally gifted in research and study," Orochimaru said, laughing in his slightly unpleasant way.
Ran thought to himself: So my current strength is purely my own. Without the system, I only have a Sharingan and my Zanpakutō.
Speaking of his Zanpakutō, Ran briefly recalled the adult who had helped him… "Wait for me, Spirit King!"
"Let's skip that topic. Rarely are the Sannin all together—let's have a proper drink," Jiraiya said, lifting his cup.
"The title 'Legendary Sannin' always makes me angry," Tsunade muttered, smacking the table lightly when the topic shifted.
BANG! Ran, holding his cup of gyokuro tea, accidentally spilled a bit onto the table.
Everyone else was listening to Tsunade, oblivious to the spill—except Tsunade, who raised an eyebrow at Ran.
"Exactly… I did it on purpose," she said with a sly smirk.