Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

"What does the old man's business have to do with me?" Orochimaru asked calmly.

"Of course... um..." Jiraiya's face turned red as he stumbled over his words.

What the hell! I can't believe this guy! Jiraiya thought. He doesn't even care about the old man's affairs and coldly asks what it has to do with him? Shameless! I despise you, Orochimaru!

Too lazy to engage with Jiraiya's indignation, Orochimaru replied, "How the Hokage handles this is his responsibility. He's the one caught between the Daimyo and the village. Can we really meddle in their disputes?"

Jiraiya sighed, defeated. He wanted to argue but had no grounds.

Instead, Orochimaru threw the ball into Tsunade's court. "Why don't you ask Tsunade if she's willing to handle these matters?"

Tsunade, enjoying her meal, paused mid-bite and glared. "Huh? Why pin this on me? I have no intention of handling any of it. If I did, the old man would be thrilled. Let's just eat and drink—don't bring up those headaches."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya, a sly smile on his face.

"You win," Jiraiya grumbled, throwing up his hands in frustration.

Changing the subject, Orochimaru asked, "Shinki, how are your two summoned beasts growing?"

Shinki, who had just finished eating, wiped his mouth and replied, "Very well. Their growth is impressive, but they eat a lot. Their potential surpasses Manda's, in my opinion. Your experiment was a great success, though it's a shame there weren't more test subjects."

"That's expected," Orochimaru replied with satisfaction.

Tsunade scoffed, "Orochimaru, your experiments are always such a waste of money."

"Agreed," Jiraiya chimed in. "You're reckless with resources. Maybe your experiments are successful, but the cost? Ridiculous."

Orochimaru remained unbothered. "What matters to me are the records and results. The rest is irrelevant."

The two could only sigh in exasperation. They knew there was no changing Orochimaru's focus on his research, no matter how extravagant or ruinous it seemed.

The conversation shifted to the village's workload.

"The war caused significant losses," Orochimaru began. "While regular commissions remain steady, high-level missions require attention. The Hokage's intent is clear—he expects us to take on more responsibilities."

"Not again," Jiraiya groaned, rubbing his temples. "The last two missions the old man gave me took over half a year. I just got back!"

"Brace yourself," Tsunade teased. "The old man probably won't let you rest long. You'll be sent out again soon enough."

Jiraiya slumped, resigned to his fate. "He's so unfair."

Tsunade sympathized but shrugged. "You've been avoiding the village for two years. Even if he gives you a pile of impossible tasks, you can't really complain."

"As for me," she continued, "I'll likely be stuck in the village for now. The old man will want me here to oversee things."

Orochimaru nodded. "And I'll also have to step up. Rest is a luxury with the backlog of missions we're facing. I'll clear what I can now and make up for it later."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya eyed Shinki, who was sipping tea calmly, clearly enjoying the chaos.

"Why does he get to relax?" Jiraiya muttered enviously.

"Who says he doesn't have missions?" Tsunade smirked, clearly relishing the moment.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya turned curious gazes toward Shinki, who set his tea down and explained, "I promised Kushina that once she became a perfect Jinchūriki, I'd take her out of the village for a mission. She's been training hard, and it's time to honor that promise."

"A mission, huh?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"An Anbu mission," Shinki clarified. "I'll determine the task, difficulty, and timeline. It's not the same as regular missions."

"An Anbu mission," Tsunade muttered, clearly skeptical.

Shinki nodded. "Recently, an Anbu task came up involving a rogue ninja. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take Kushina on a trip. She'll gain experience, and we'll gather intel on the ninja world while we're at it."

"A rogue ninja, huh?" Jiraiya asked, narrowing his eyes. "Sounds more like an excuse to travel than a real mission."

"Exactly," Shinki admitted with a grin. "If we find the ninja, great. If not, it just means they're good at hiding. We'll deal with them later once more intel is gathered. The main goal is to give Kushina experience."

Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged incredulous looks.

"This isn't a mission," Jiraiya declared, pointing an accusatory finger. "This is a vacation!"

Tsunade burst into laughter. "Just admit you're taking your student on a sightseeing tour, Shinki. Why bother dressing it up as a mission?"

Shinki simply smiled, finishing his tea. "Call it what you will. I'm still accomplishing my goals."

Jiraiya slumped back, grumbling in defeat, while Tsunade chuckled at his expense. Meanwhile, Shinki couldn't help but relish the envious looks of his companions.

>>>>>

200 Chapters ahead available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)

50% discount code (DDBFC)

Gimme power stonesssss

Also, leave a review please and check out my new story

[Naruto: Maelstrom Of the Uzumaki]