Reuniting with old friends you haven't seen in a long time, and this izakaya recommended by Jiraiya is truly remarkable for both the home-brewed sake and the taste of the dishes used to accompany it. So much so that the two of them, who were already bold by nature, suddenly opened their bellies and feasted between talking and laughing. And then as time passed minute by minute, I don't know how much wine was poured into the stomach by the two and fed to the wine worms.

It is precisely because of this, because this is like cold water, the intoxicating effect of the wine that is constantly poured into the stomachs of the two of them one after another, and the warm dissipation in the stomachs of the two people. Rao is usually because of his habit of drinking, and the two who drink quite a lot of alcohol are still inevitably red and red.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, there is no longer the serious appearance that is deliberately maintained on weekdays. The two of them leaned back in their chairs, lazily slumping on the soft sofa of the izaka. Each of them held a huge glass bottle that had lost two-thirds of its wine, and was desperately unwilling to let go. While his eyes narrowed slightly, under the drunken courage that surged into his heart, they opened up the conversation box one after another, jokingly teasing each other.

"Hmm...... Hiccup——! Belch...... Hey, drink! Keep drinking! Self-lai! ”

The growing sense of alcohol made Tsunade lazily collapse on the sofa while joking with him. The bright and beautiful eyes, which were originally full of anxiety and anxiety, also began to gradually lose their concentration and relax.

"Are you supposed to ...... Belch! I drank so little that I ...... Can't you? ”

Obviously, Tsunade, who was originally upset by the extremely rare abnormal vision he discovered in the process of gambling, has left all this matter behind. The delicate and fair-skinned beautiful face like a girl is already full of seductive blush at this moment. Driven by the warmth of the upsurge of alcohol, he unconsciously pulled the loose fabric of his neckline, exposing Tsunade's deep and full cleavage to the air, attracting Jiraiya's straight squinting eyes more and more.

"Hey, what's the ...... Belch...... Joke——! This...... This is just the beginning, and I can ...... more Again...... Let's drink two or three more bottles! ”

And Jiraiya, who is also drunk and causes slurred speech, seems to be a little drunk and does not mean to drink. While burping contentedly, he responded to Tsunade's teasing words intermittently. While pretending to bow his head and pour wine, so that the corner of his eye can easily glimpse the alluring spring light of the person in front of him under his own intentional control.

"Hey...... What a feast for the eyes...... It looks like I haven't seen it for so many years, but the scale has grown a lot...... Well, sure enough, the best woman in this world has to be the slug princess of Konoha Ninja Village......"

Of course, the small action of eating tofu with his eyes is not possible for Tsunade, who has already figured out his routine, without discovering it...... In other words, the reason why he can have a chance to feast his eyes is because Tsunade deliberately gave this old friend a long-lost benefit.

After all, with Tsunade's understanding of Jiraiya, lust is a little lustful, but Jiraiya is concerned about Tsunade's feelings of "cowardice" everywhere. Before getting Tsunade's personal permission, he will never have the "courage" to do anything out of the ordinary to Tsunade.

In other words, in Tsunade's opinion, compared to those hypocrites who are well-dressed on the surface, but dirty on the inside...... In the face of Jiraiya's undisguised squinting gaze, Tsunade was able to feel more at ease and relaxed.

What's more, I just heard from Jiraiya's mouth not long ago, the words that show your heart in disguise. Although Tsunade is on the bright side, he puts on a bold and straightforward appearance of not caring. But as a sensual woman, it is obviously impossible for Tsunade, who has been in her heart for many years, to know Tsunade, without the slightest wavering and feeling.

Because of this, even the two wounds that remain in his heart make Tsunade no longer have the courage to respond and accept any new relationship. But in the name of drinking, Tsunade doesn't mind turning a blind eye and giving Jiraiya some welfare compensation.

"Hmm...... Anyway, it's just a look, and there won't be a piece of meat missing...... It's just a little reward for this idiot who hasn't known his dead heart for so many years......"

Thinking of this, Tsunade took advantage of the drunkenness, the dizziness and unreality brought by the falling clouds, forcibly suppressed and endured his heart, and looked at his own self with a squint, after an instinctive reaction to a strange beating. While pretending not to notice Jiraiya's small movements, he watched Jiraiya's every move with "misty eyes". On the one hand, he was afraid that Tsunade would beat him, but he couldn't help but want to see welfare, and from time to time he showed a funny appearance of constant hesitation and struggle. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he secretly laughed and scolded in a low voice.

"What a fool...... When I used to peep at me in the shower, I didn't see you very much, but you were scared...... I deliberately let you see it now, but I was worried that I would beat you? I don't want to think about how I could get drunk just after drinking so much wine......"

That being said, but Jiraiya's color has hardly changed from his childhood. But it is the consciousness of Tsunade, which gradually diffuses and spreads in the body, and at the same time becomes in a trance, the figure of the person in front of him is gradually seen from a greasy uncle who has already entered middle age to a once high-spirited prime of life. To just become a ninja who can take charge of himself.,A young man who seems calm and reliable.。 and then just got the name of a ninja, and although his face and eyebrows, he faded a little bit of youth and immaturity. But he was still grinning and laughing, and he looked quite innocent and innocent......

In the end, in Tsunade's eyes, Jiraiya's figure and appearance were fixed on the appearance of the big grinning little child that the future Konoha Sannin, who had just come into contact with each other, was pulled by the three generations of Hokage and had just met each other.

And at that time, compared to the great change in temperament after the loss of his parents, he seemed to be a lot more taciturn. And because of his immature age, he retains a bit of a girl's introverted and shy personality, causing him to shrink and dare not speak...... Among the three of them, the first to speak out, breaking the silent and embarrassing atmosphere, is Jiraiya, who is not very eye-catching in terms of appearance and temperament.

"My name is Jiraiya...... Love letter or something, just give it to me later! ”

Before Tsunade could come back to his senses, Jiraiya, who was introducing himself by himself, stretched out his right hand in front of Tsunade, who was a little nervous and restrained. "Please advise me in the future...... Hee-hee! ”

And just after his voice fell behind, because he saw that there was no relaxation on Tsunade's face, but because of his abrupt accosting, Tsunade's emotions became more and more nervous. When Jiraiya introduced himself, the serious appearance that he tried to maintain dissipated into nothingness in an instant. Immediately squinting and grinning, the image of the whole person is extremely easy-going and easy to get along with.

Well, of course, although in retrospect, Tsunade can more or less imagine - the reason why Jiraiya did it back then. Except that, to some extent, it was really love at first sight for yourself. It was a deliberate move to ease the awkward atmosphere between the three of them......

But for just the first time they met, they were talked to by the strange boy in front of them. As if you think you must like him, you must have a crush on him, and you spoil your first impression by asking yourself for a love letter...... As a result, after Zilai also said these words, the ending he received can be described as quite "wonderful and spectacular......

"Poof...... Poofha...... Self-lai! I said you're so stupid and cute......"

"Poof——! cough cough cough ...... Ha?! I...... Where am I stupid! Feed! ”

"You're stupid, and it's all over the body, which ~ inside ~ all ~ stupid ~ that~ kind ~"

It is precisely because of the recollection of this childhood anecdote that the original frowning Tsunade not only completely stretched and relaxed. In the suspicious gaze of Zilai's heart, he couldn't help but bow his head and half-cover his mouth, and bent his eyes to let out bursts of pleasant laughter like silver bells. Then adjust your position a little to make yourself more comfortable on the sofa. While squirting out the wine that had just been eaten, the black question mark face that changed instantly. Hook your lips a little, revealing a nostalgic smile. And then like a girl who is coquettish and coquettish, she continues to talk to herself.

"However, all these years have passed...... Your stupidity really hasn't changed at all, which makes people nostalgic...... Of the three of us, you're probably the least changed...... That's nice......"

At the same time, because this past reappeared in his mind, Tsunade secretly chewed on the aftertaste, but suddenly realized it......

Just as the love and affection for oneself that is deeply hidden in the hearts of the people in front of him has never changed and shaken too much......

Grandpa Tsuruma, Grandpa Kazuma, Grandma Mito, Brother Rope Tree, Broken ......

The important people around him have left themselves one after another, and they have left ruthlessly one after another. In the end, the only person who can be said to have always been by his side and accompanied him through the first half of his life. But because when they first met, the first impression deteriorated due to their unscrupulous words, and they were quite disgusted by this "narcissistic stinky little ghost......

And in his own heart, when did he let go of his prejudice against Jiraiya and gradually accepted this teammate who seemed to have nothing to do. And then quietly, I gradually got used to the existence of self around me, and in my heart, a seedling of affection called good feelings sprouted...... Tsunade can't recall it anymore.

But there is one thing that the current Tsunade can affirm......

If it weren't for the death of his brother, who had been immersed in meetings for a long time, he would have tried to prove to the village how important it was to have a medical ninja in every ninja squad. And in the process, I got to know Kato's future lover, who was so close to me that he had the same interests, whether it was the idea of advocating a medical ninja or the experience of losing a blood relative...... Perhaps, he will really walk hand in hand with Jiraiya.

After all, just based on the soft grinding and hard bubbles of the past ten years, the relationship between the two people who have been in love for a long time is only a matter of time before the last layer of window paper is pierced. Not to mention that in the second ninja war, hand in hand to advance and retreat, on the edge of life and death, I witnessed several times what it means to see the truth in adversity. In order to protect Tsunade's safety, regardless of his own safety, he stood up for Tsunade several times. makes the relationship between the two no longer be able to be described as a simple partner.

The most obvious evidence of this was after hearing the news and witnessing the corpse of the rope tree soaked in the shroud...... In the face of Jiraiya, subconsciously, he grabbed Tsunade's shoulders and took Tsunade, who had lost the image of a heroic and vigorous woman in the past, and showed the posture of a helpless and desperate little woman, and hugged him into his arms and silently comforted him. Tsunade, who was in great grief, did not resist in the slightest. Just let Jiraiya also hold himself in his arms, so that with the help of Jiraiya's wide and thick arms to cover himself, he buried himself in Jiraiya's arms, and cried bitterly.

It's a pity that even the current Tsunade has thoroughly recalled the past...... But for the love that is still hot from the beginning, Tsunade sighs in his heart at the unpredictable nature of the fate of creation. Rao is Tsunade can use alcohol to strengthen his courage and take the initiative to give him welfare treatment. But he still failed to muster up the courage to come out of the shadow of the psychological trauma left in the past to respond to and accept this long-awaited relationship.

Because, after enduring the departure of so many important people in succession, it is completely unimaginable to see yourself as a woman who has brought an ominous fate to others......

If even Zilai, who has been silently accompanying him, also because he accepted this feeling, he lost his life and left by himself...... At that time, could I still withstand this violent and painful blow, so as to retain the last trace of clarity in my mind, and not be so desperate that I had a complete mental breakdown.

"Huh? Only...... Even if you say so...... The word stupid doesn't seem to be used to compliment people at all, huh?! ”

At the same time, Jiraiya, who seemed to be dissatisfied and complaining, after hearing Tsunade's pointful words, his eyes became more and more pampered and gentle, obviously he had already speculated. But from beginning to end, he didn't say anything, but naturally took the bottle away from Tsunade's hand. While flipping through the menu with his free other hand, before he finished speaking, he took care of himself to find the right decanting soup for Tsunade.

"Then again, suddenly becoming so sentimental, you're afraid you're really drunk...... What do you think? Do you need me to order a decanting soup for you? ”

"Decanting soup? No...... No...... I...... I'm not drunk...... I can still drink it~"

"I can't finish my speech, and I'm not drunk yet...... Be obedient, obedient, after sobering up, it's not too late to continue drinking......"

"Hmm...... Hmph, that's what you said...... Come on, let's ...... Hook! ”

"Huh? I said Tsunade, when you're drunk, how do you ...... like a child?"

"What's wrong with the kids? Do you pull the hook or not? ”

"Good, good, pull hook hook...... I'm pulling the hook to ......"

Just like Tsunade understands Jiraiya, just relying on the slight suspicions revealed by Tsunade, he can speculate about Tsunade's inner thoughts. Of course, I can guess what kind of ambiguity is contained in Tsunade's previous abrupt words.

But after only a short hesitation, Jiraiya, as usual, chose to avoid it rationally, and did not ask anyone anything.

After all, a long time ago, Zilai had secretly made up his mind. I want to use my life to protect the stubborn and distressing woman in front of me......

Even if this relationship is very likely to get no response, it is ...... for Zilai

As long as Tsunade can be happy......

That's enough.

(End of chapter)