Jiraiya naturally recognized Tsunade since he had known her since childhood.
He knew the shape of her eyes, the color of her hair, and the way she held herself.
But the "Little Tsunade" in front of him was currently trembling while clutching Makoto's leg, suppressing her fury with all her might.
She was completely hidden behind Makoto's, only revealing her familiar blonde hair and ponytail.
Hearing Jiraiya's question 'And this is?', Tsunade knew she couldn't avoid this any longer.
'Calm down,' Tsunade. 'You're a legendary Sannin, you can bluff your way out of this.'
"A-actually," Little Tsunade peeked out with half her head, speaking in a timid, high-pitched voice.
"I'm Lady Tsunade's daughter! I'm here at Konoha to find my family~"
"..."
"D-daughter?!"
"She... she really does look just like Tsunade..."
Jiraiya staggered back two steps as if struck by lightning.
His hands trembled.
Today had been too much for him!
Out of the legendary Sanin...
First, Orochimaru had become a woman and had a child and it might have been with the Second Hokage.
And now... Tsunade had a secret child too?!
'Were they having some kind of baby-making competition behind my back?!'
Meanwhile, he, Jiraiya the Gallant, remained a lonely virgin.
The only "children" he had were still in liquid form.
"Eh?" Temari frowned, interrupting Jiraiya's existential crisis. "Didn't you just say you were from Amegakure?"
Temari exposed the lie instantly.
She could understand why Makoto hadn't exposed the girl earlier—perhaps he thought the child was scared.
But this was different.
She was lying right to their faces.
"Yes!" Little Tsunade squeaked, thinking fast. "I came from Amegakure! I'm here with my parents to find Lady Tsunade. Since she doesn't seem to be in the village, I should probably leave now..."
Tsunade mentally gave herself a thumbs up.
Perfect plan!
First, she gambled on the Amegakure identity. Now she gambled again, betting that these people wouldn't verify her story with the real Ame delegation.
Especially Jiraiya—he'd be too shocked to think straight.
With this excuse, she could slip away.
"But the Amegakure delegation only has two people this time," Temari narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious.
"One man and one woman."
Temari glanced at Makoto.
'What?!' Tsunade's heart jumped.
But wait... she said one man and one woman?
'This.... is kinda thrilling! This is exactly why I love gambling! The thrill of turning things around at the last moment!'
"Mhm, yes!" Little Tsunade nodded timidly. "That's them!"
"NANI?!"
Jiraiya was completely stunned.
Tsunade didn't know, but Jiraiya did.
The "man and woman" from Amegakure... weren't they Makoto and Konan?
If this had happened yesterday, Jiraiya would have suspected Makoto of robbing the cradle.
Or Konan of having a secret past.
But after today... Jiraiya hesitated.
Orochimaru was a mother.
Hashirama and Madara were "vigorous friends."
This Shinobi World felt unfamiliar to him and his worldview had been washed away by the madness.
Jiraiya's mind raced with horrifying possibilities.
'Did Konan transplant a penis and made Tsunade... a mother? Or did Tsunade transplant a penis and made Konan... a mother?'
It seemed more likely to be Tsunade's the one doing the transpant.
She was a medical genius!
If Orochimaru could do it, why not her?
"Tsunade..." Jiraiya looked at the little girl with haunted eyes. "Is she your father... or your mother?"
"?"
Little Tsunade slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
'Wait.'
'Did Jiraiya damage his brain while training with the toads? Is this a question a human being would even ask?'
"Hey! What weird things is this strange old man saying?" Kankuro stepped in front of Jiraiya, annoyed.
"You're scaring the little girl!"
Little Tsunade hid deeper behind Makoto, staring blankly as if frightened out of her wits.
"She's timid and gentle," Jiraiya sighed with emotion, ignoring Kankuro. "Aside from looking somewhat similar, this child is completely unlike that violent old hag Tsunade."
"..."
Crack.
A vein popped on Little Tsunade's forehead.
Thanks to Makoto's earlier comment about "hanging her picture on the wall for warding off evil," Tsunade's tolerance had improved significantly.
Faced with Jiraiya's remark, she barely held back.
Not even an "aftershock" of the earthquake appeared.
"Never mind," Jiraiya shook his head. "Let this child come with us. Since Tsunade isn't here, the old man and I count as this child's elders. We must protect her."
Jiraiya made what he thought was a kindly, grandfatherly expression.
"No!" Little Tsunade decisively shook her head and clung tighter to Makoto's leg.
"Big brother! This strange old man has lecherous eyes—he clearly isn't a good person!"
Jiraiya clutched his chest.
He felt his heart break!
Not being able to win Tsunade over was one thing... but even her "daughter" rejected him?
Had he been peeping at the bathhouse so much that his gaze had become permanently twisted?
Can children smell the perversion these days?
"Heh, 'big brother'?" Temari scoffed from the sidelines. "Shouldn't you be calling him 'Dad'?"
"Eh?" Little Tsunade froze.
She didn't understand what she mean.
"Oh, right," Kankuro realized too. "He's one of the two people from Amegakure you mentioned came to Konoha. The male representative."
"Ah?" Tsunade was bewildered.
Was her gambling luck really this bad?
She bet on Amegakure... but the Ame representative was literally the guy she was clinging to? The guy who insulted her?
And the other party seemed to have just reached adulthood. Subtracting the age of the child she was currently transformed into... that would mean .....
'That would mean I got a ten-year-old boy drunk eight years ago?! That's a crime!'
'Could she really abandon all sense of propriety and insist on that story? Even she had limits!'
"Don't pressure her anymore," Makoto said softly, placing a hand on Little Tsunade's head.
"In this Shinobi World full of deception and lies, it's normal for her not to want to tell the truth to strangers like us. This is just a means of self-protection."
"After all," Makoto smiled kindly. "She hasn't done anything bad, nor does she pose any threat to us. Let's pretend to be ignorant for once and stop questioning her further."
Tsunade looked up at him, surprised.
He's helping me?
"Is that so?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin.
He was too mentally shaken to think clearly. He still felt the girl resembled Tsunade, but Makoto's logic was sound.
"Fine," Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "If that's the case, then you two come with me to see the Old Man quickly. As for this kid... let her go wherever she wants. Just stay safe."
Jiraiya turned to lead the way toward the Hokage Building, muttering about DNA tests.
Was she safe?
Tsunade watched Jiraiya's retreating back and breathed a sigh of relief.
She never expected that in such a desperate moment, there would still be good people who could help her turn the tide.
She suddenly began to believe that genuine kindness still existed in the ninja world.
Maybe this Makoto guy aint that bad.
"That area over there is where refugees from other villages are taking shelter," Makoto said helpfuly. He patted Little Tsunade on the back and pointed down a side street.
"Go find your companions there."
"Oh," Little Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts. "Goodbye then."
She ran toward the direction Makoto had indicated and planned to slip out of Konoha immediately.
BOOM!
Suddenly, an explosion sounded nearby, capturing everyone's attention.
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