In the hotel room, Jiraiya was lying on the floor in a depressed mood, his hands resting on his head, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, perhaps thinking too much about things, until the knock on the door rang for a long time, and he didn't react.

He walked to the door, opened the bedroom door, and glanced at the visitor with a look of surprise.

"Please forgive me for coming rashly, and I will come too."

Standing outside the door, Mute bowed apologetically to Jiraiya, expressing his abruptness.

"It's muting you, it's okay, do you come to me for anything?"

Jiraiya asked, scratching his head.

He thought it was Naruto who came to him and asked about his cultivation, but he didn't expect Shizun to come to him.

To tell the truth, although he knew Shizune, he also knew that she was the niece of the late Konoha Kamishinobu Kato Tsuna, and she was a very important relative to Tsunade...... But he himself and Shizune haven't been together for a long time, and they rarely communicate. For a while, I was also wondering what the other party's purpose was for coming to me.

"There's something I'd like to tell you, and I've brought you dinner by the way."

Speaking of dinner, Jiraiya touched his empty stomach, was cooing, and said with some embarrassment: "Is it dinner time?" Unexpectedly, I lay here all afternoon. ”

Immediately, he turned sideways.

"Alright, come in."

At Jiraiya's invitation, Shizune walked into the room and placed the lunch box for dinner on the table next to him.

Jiraiya sat down and glanced at Mute with what seemed to be on his face.

"Tell me, what are you looking for me?"

After hesitating for a while, Shizune said to Jiraiya, "Actually, this has something to do with Tsunade-sama......"

"Tsunade?"

When he heard this, his expression immediately became serious, and his sitting posture suddenly became serious and dignified.

"Yes. I think Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama should have discussed it privately, but I think Tsunade-sama must have rejected your proposal. ”

stares at Jiraiya's face.

"You're right, no matter what method I use, I can't make Tsunade change his mind and return to the village to succeed him as the fifth Hokage."

Jiraiya nodded.

Then he looked at Shizune with a hopeful gaze.

Tsunade's stubbornness and stubbornness made him unable to do anything at the moment.

But if there is silence, the assistance of the people around Tsunade may be able to turn things around.

"I actually guessed this result from the beginning."

Mute is not surprising.

"How?"

Never moved.

He knew that Tsunade was extremely hesitant to succeed the fifth Hokage, and it must have been because of something that interfered with her decision-making and judgment.

It's just that he doesn't know what the reason for Tsunade's hesitation is because of the lack of important information.

"About four years ago, not long after the Five Shadows Conference, that person went out of his way to find Tsunade-sama once."

Mute reveals this important information.

I also know who 'that person' refers to, and there is no doubt that it must be Chiba Shiraishi.

He just didn't expect that at that time, the other party would find Tsunade alone once.

At this time, Jiraiya also remembered that he had also looked for Tsunade once at that time...... But at that time, Tsunade's mood became very irritable, so that he didn't know what was going on, which made Tsunade upset.

Now that I think about it, it's very likely that it's because of Chiba Shiraishi, which made Tsunade have some wrong perceptions in his heart.

"Mute, can you tell us about what they were talking about?"

Jiraiya asked solemnly.

Shizune shook her head and said, "It's not that I don't want to reveal it, it's that I don't know what they talked about." In short, after that incident, for a period of time, Tsunade-sama's emotions became capricious. I think that Jiraiya can investigate this aspect. ”

Jiraiya said helplessly: "Even if you say so, now is not the time to investigate this kind of thing, the village urgently needs a new Hokage to appear now, but there is no time to pull and pull here." ”

"Well, that's not going to be easy...... However, I believe that Tsunade-sama has always had Konoha in mind, so please rest assured that Jiraiya-sama will be able to do so. ”

Shizune also knew that this seemed a bit embarrassing, but in order to reassure Jiraiya, he told him that Tsunade's position had not shifted in any way.

"Of course I know about this kind of thing......"

But I was also worried about the original problem.

Time cannot be wasted in such places now.

In normal times, he still has enough patience to wait for Tsunade's reply here, but now the time does not allow him to take it step by step.

The situation that Konoha is facing at this time is urgent.

The deadline he set for himself was one week.

If this time is exceeded, it will only be necessary to take drastic measures to promote Tsunade's return to Konoha and succeed the fifth Hokage.

However, I am still confused about how to act, and there is no complete implementation plan.

"In short, Tsunade's side, I hope you can keep an eye on it, it's best not to let her contact with Chiba Shiraishi alone, if there is any situation, report to me immediately, and I can go to the rescue in time."

Jiraiya rubbed his head with a headache and commanded Shizun.

"Yes, I see. Then Jiraiya-sama, I'll take my leave first, and you can rest early today. ”

Shizune bowed to Jiraiya and left the room.

Before leaving, she deliberately glanced at the lunch box that she had left behind as dinner.

In this way, Jiraiya-sama will not be able to disturb Tsunade-sama's actions tomorrow. Mute said secretly in his heart.

After all, with this Sannin personally watching, once Tsunade launched his actions privately, he would inevitably be obstructed by him.

◎

The next morning, it was about ten o'clock.

Compared to the cold and snow outside, the interior of the hotel is filled with a warm atmosphere because of the fireplace.

Samurai Rikaku patrolled the corridors, his face unsmiling, his eyes flashing sharply from time to time, and he inadvertently swept to the corners of the patrol area, not letting go of any corner where he could hide, so as not to let go of his protection target from being harassed by outlaws.

Although he didn't understand why, Shiraishi, as the Minister of War of the Oni Country, suddenly came to the Iron Country, and he did so for private reasons. But obviously, this kind of thing is not something that he can ask about as a little samurai, and his task is to protect the personal safety of Shiraishi, the Minister of War of the Oni Country, during his stay in the Iron Country.

This is undoubtedly a chore, and even if you are not careful, you may be condemned by your superiors. Therefore, the inner corner who received this task was here to serve as a guard with the belief that he would die.

Fortunately, Shiraishi is one of the few powerful ninjas in the ninja world, and under normal circumstances, there will be no one who can't think of it to come and assassinate him. Even if it is assassinated, it is difficult to succeed.

If only I could get through it safely...... Samurai Rikaku thought to himself, only hoping that the other party would not stay too long in the Iron Country, and leave here as soon as possible after finishing his errands, so that he would not be so frightened.

Suddenly, his nose with a keen sense of smell moved, as if he had smelled an unusual smell, causing Samurai Rikaku to subconsciously raise his head and focus his gaze on the front of the hallway.

A woman strolled from the other end of the hallway.

Long light yellow hair, brown eyes, in his twenties, but with snow-white and smooth skin comparable to that of a girl, and on the outside, he is also wearing a tea-green gown.

This image made the samurai Lijiao feel very familiar, but for a while he couldn't think of where he was or when he had seen each other's portraits.

Judging from the opponent's walking posture that did not show any flaws, the samurai Rijiao immediately felt the pressure doubled.

His intuition told him that this woman's strength was probably not weaker than that of Jilaiya, who came here yesterday and was rejected.

Thinking of Jiraiya, a thought flashed through the samurai Rikaku's mind, stepped forward to intercept him, and asked, "Is it Tsunade?" ”

Although there was a polite tone in his tone, the samurai Rikaku still kept a certain distance from Tsunade, so that when the opponent suddenly attacked, he could have enough space to retreat and counterattack.

Tsunade nodded and said, "I need to talk to the person inside, you can report it." ”

"Yes, please wait."

Yesterday was the Jiraiya of the Three Ninja who came to visit, and today the other one of the Three Ninja also appeared here for unknown reasons, this group of Konoha ninjas won't regard the Land of Iron as their own back garden, right? Samurai Rikaku couldn't help but slander in his heart.

It seems that it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of reporting the entry and exit of outsiders.

If something goes wrong with such an unsolicited act, it could lead to a diplomatic conflict without the Iron Country's knowledge.

Asking Shiraishi for instructions, it didn't take too long to return to the inner corner. Not out of Tsunade's prediction, the inside corner came back and turned sideways, out of the way, and made a respectful gesture of invitation.

"Please, Your Excellency Tsunade, Your Excellency Shiraishi has promised to meet with you. I won't send you there. ”

"Thanks, sorry for the trouble."

Tsunade nodded, let out a deep breath, and stepped forward, his shoes making a crisp sound from the floor of the hallway.

He didn't take many steps before Tsunade stopped in front of a door.

The outstretched palm stiffened for a moment, but quickly regained its composure and steady, and pushed the door open in front of it.

The room was empty, except for the fireplace for heating, and in the room there was only a low table, on each side of which there was a gray cushion for people to kneel and sit on.

"You're here, Tsunade-sensei, please take a seat."

Shiraishi sat on one of the cushions, picked up the kettle, and brewed the tea leaves in the teacup with hot water, and the room was filled with the rich fragrance of tea, which made the smell of Tsunade feel refreshed.

Tsunade walked over and sat down quite simply, not the slightest bit embarrassed.

Shiraishi pushed the teacup in front of Tsunade and said with a slight smile: "This is the new tea of the Oni no Kuni that I brought here, and I ask Tsunade to taste one or two." ”

"I don't like tea, it's better to have wine."

With that said, Tsunade still picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

Shiraishi also made a serious look on his face, nodded and said, "As long as Tsunade-sensei is willing to join my camp, there will be no problem with what kind of alcohol you want to drink." ”

"It's a very tempting proposition, but it's just a simple drink, and you can't buy me."

Tsunade put down the teacup and smiled at Shiraishi.

"So, what kind of 'price' do I have to offer?"

Shiraishi's inquiring gaze swept over Tsunade's face.

"You should know this, no matter how fanciful you say, I can't give up the village of Konoha. I won't agree to your offer to let me join the Oni Country. ”

When he said this, a thousand emotions surged into Tsunade's heart.

Konoha is not only the land where she was born and raised, but also contains her grandfather's expectations for her, and the unfulfilled dreams of her younger brother Rope Tree and lover Kato...... If she chooses to leave Konoha at such a time, it will be tantamount to betraying everything in the past, believing that all the efforts in the past are equivalent to uselessness.

How could such a thing be possible to trample on the dreams of these people in such a cold manner?

"With all due respect, with the situation that Konoha is facing now, even if you go back now, I'm afraid it won't help. Konoha's stiff things are too ingrained, and if you want to make a radical change, you need a stronger impact. The world is about to usher in new changes, and if you can't keep up with this trend, you are destined to be eliminated by the new era. I'm sure Tsunade-sensei, who has traveled around the world, must have noticed that both small and large countries have recently become suspicious. ”

This kind of thing doesn't need to be explained by Shiraishi, and Tsunade can see it.

She knew that behind the scenes of these things, there would definitely be a country of ghosts quietly pushing behind.

Start with small countries to influence the balance between large countries.

When the balance with the great powers is broken, then it will inevitably lead to the outbreak of war.

And when this balance will be upset, and to what scale the scale of the war will be, Tsunade cannot accurately predict.

However, it is still a bit too far to think about it at the moment.

The purpose of her coming here was to get Shiraishi's help.

"Konoha doesn't have to be an enemy of the Oni Country, if I were to serve as the fifth Hokage, Konoha could form an alliance with the Oni Country. Are you satisfied with this answer? ”

Tsunade looked at Shiraishi with a determined gaze.

Superfluous discussions will only increase your own psychological burden.

She must get around this heavy topic and win the help of Shiraishi and the Oni Country as soon as possible.

Although there must be a hindrance from the conservative forces in the village, Tsunade is confident that he can make this happen.

Seeing the firmness in Tsunade's eyes, as well as the light of confidence, Shiraishi seemed to see Tsunade when he was young again, and at that time, she was much brighter than her decadent appearance now.

It's just that Shiraishi shook his head lightly and said, "It's not to join, but to give the answer that you want to promote the alliance between Konoha and the Oni Country as the fifth Hokage, which is indeed a bit unexpected to me...... But, Tsunade-sensei, do you think this is possible? ”

"Absolutely! The alliance between Konoha and Sand Hide is the best example, you are no longer Konoha's traitor, you can appear internationally with a positive image, and the hatred will gradually disappear under the washing of time. Therefore, even if you are an enemy who hates you so much in the past, you can talk happily in the future, put aside your prejudices, and advance and retreat together. ”

"You're idealizing reality."

Although this kind of thing can happen, it will take a special environment and a special time. As it stands, Shiraishi doesn't see any hope for such a thing.

"If you don't give it a try, how do you know if you won't succeed?"

Tsunade spoke boldly, and she knew how difficult it might be for her to do so.

However, Tsunade believes that reaching an alliance with the country of demons is a key step for Konoha to adapt to the new era.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, it is imperative to promote the alliance with the country of ghosts.

Hearing Tsunade say this, Shiraishi was speechless.

However, as if agreeing with Tsunade's words, Shiraishi did not refute Tsunade's remarks again.

Because he didn't have enough evidence to prove that Tsunade's path would definitely not work.

Indeed, in this world, hostile and friendly relations between countries change and develop according to different situations, rather than being immutable.

Friends and foes, such identities can also be adjusted at any time.

Perhaps this fact gave Tsunade a beautiful fantasy of the future.

"In other words, Tsunade-sensei, you plan to use the power of the Oni Country to stabilize your position as Hokage?"

After a long time, Shiraishi said this.

If Tsunade succeeds in facilitating this, it can indeed be used as a powerful capital for the Hokage to take power.

"How can it be said to be exploiting? It's a win-win cooperation. I think that the current country of demons also needs a big country that stands in its own camp as an ally. Although the Lone Ranger sounds good, he will also be like Konoha in the past, facing enemies on all sides. That kind of taste is not pleasant, it is to die to save face and suffer sin. ”

Tsunade speaks with a real case of Konoha.

She had experienced a difficult time when Konoha was surrounded by enemies, and it was because of this experience that she was able to see through that the country of ghosts was now in dire need of a firm ally of equal status in order to survive better internationally.

However, the country of ghosts already has the Fog Hidden Village, an ally bound to fate...... Shiraishi still didn't say this.

Because this secret is too important to reveal to anyone outside the camp.

Tsunade's proposal made Shiraishi waver and hesitate for a moment.

Tsunade's courage is also greater than he imagined, and it is also more tenacious.

"I've also been a Konoha ninja, and I know what it's like to be alone. In the same way, I do hope to find one or more reliable allies from the traditional five powers to support each other. ”

Shiraishi sighed and spoke his inner thoughts.

Tsunade had a smile on her face, and before she could speak, Shiraishi interrupted her and continued:

"However, the road to an alliance with Konoha is full of thorns, and the most important thing is not the attitude of my side, but the attitude of Konoha and the nobles of the Fire Country, and the Sand Hidden side may also obstruct it...... If Tsunade-sensei can solve these things, then it is not impossible to form an alliance with Konoha and even the Land of Fire. ”

It's just that Shiraishi understands that this hope is really slim.

It can even be said that the probability of success is infinitely close to zero.

Getting Shiraishi's response, Tsunade finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a boulder in his heart was finally put down.

In the past two days, she has seriously thought more than once about how to reply to Shiraishi.

She hopes to return to Konoha and use her experiences and growth over the years to transform the village she loves so much. On the other hand, she also knew that if she refused Shiraishi's invitation, it might trigger revenge from the Oni Country after the fact, and once again put Konoha in a difficult predicament.

That's why she chose such an unusually difficult path.

As the fifth generation of Hokage, promote the cooperation between Konoha and the country of ghosts, and the two parties communicate with each other and advance and retreat together.

In this way, Konoha not only gained access to the industrial technology of the Oni Country, but also eliminated the hostility between the two sides. The country of ghosts can also get rid of the dilemma of isolation and helplessness in the international community, and can deal with the complex international environment more calmly.

The best of both worlds is wonderful, but Tsunade also understands that this is not something that can be easily achieved.

It's just that she is mentally prepared for this, and the only way she can take at the moment is this path.

"Well, then, we're done. Give me three years...... No, two years is enough! ”

As Tsunade's words landed, Shiraishi's palm holding the teacup paused in mid-air and nodded quietly.