Kapitel 5: Withdrawal
Tsunade's office was quiet, save for the measured voice of Jiraiya and the distant sounds of the village filtering through the window. Afternoon sunlight cast long shadows across the room, highlighting the subtle changes in her old teammate's appearance as he leaned against the wall.
"...and that's how I ended up growing taller," Jiraiya concluded with his characteristic grin, stretching to his full height—now notably more impressive than before. "Much more handsome too, if I might add."
Four centimeters in just over a month, Tsunade thought, her medical expertise setting off alarm bells. She rose from behind her desk, honey-colored eyes narrowing as she studied him.
The changes were subtle but undeniable—broader shoulders, more defined muscle mass, even his facial structure seemed slightly altered.
"This isn't something to joke about, you fool." Her hands began to glow with the soft green light of her diagnostic jutsu. "Stand still and let me examine you properly."
Jiraiya remained uncharacteristically quiet as Tsunade's chakra-infused hands moved methodically across his body, the diagnostic jutsu probing deep into his cellular structure. Her fingers traced the pathways of his chakra network, checking for blockages or irregularities.
The familiar sensation of her medical ninjutsu felt cool against his skin as she worked.
What she found puzzled her.
Despite the dramatic physical changes, his body showed none of the strain she would expect. No signs of cellular degradation, no chakra pathway inflammation, not even elevated stress markers. If anything, his systems appeared to be functioning better than they had in years.
This doesn't make sense, she thought, intensifying the diagnostic jutsu to probe deeper. Rapid physical enhancement like this should be showing some kind of adverse effect. She'd seen enough failed body modification jutsu to know the tell-tale signs, but Jiraiya's transformation seemed... natural.
As if his body had simply decided to turn back the clock.
The green glow faded from her hands as she completed her examination.
"So?" Jiraiya asked, watching her face. "Am I healthy or not?"
Tsunade stepped back, frowning slightly. "Everything appears... fine. Too fine, actually." She crossed her arms, studying him with professional scrutiny. "I want you to come back for another check before you leave the village. These changes might be stable now, but that doesn't mean they'll stay that way."
Jiraiya pushed himself off the wall with an exaggerated sigh. "See? Nothing to worry about. Though I must say, if you wanted to get your hands on me, you could've just asked." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Out!" Tsunade snapped, though a hint of fondness crept into her voice. "And don't forget about that follow-up. I mean it, Jiraiya."
"Yes, yes," he called over his shoulder, already halfway through the door. His familiar chuckle echoed down the hallway as he disappeared, leaving Tsunade to shake her head at her unruly teammate. She absently twirled a loose strand of hair between her fingers, her thoughts lingering on how different he seemed lately.
.
.
Descending the stairs of the Hokage Building, Jiraiya mulled over Tsunade's concerns about his physical changes.
Her letter requesting the intelligence report had arrived at the perfect time—he'd needed an excuse to return to Konoha anyway. While he could have sent the information about Land of Earth's borders through his toad summons as usual, the opportunity to make a personal appearance had suited his plans perfectly.
He stepped out into the afternoon sun, turning toward the financial district. The substantial withdrawal he needed to make couldn't be handled by proxy.
As fellow shinobi offered slight bows in passing, he kept his pace steady toward the imposing stone building of Konoha Bank ahead.
What he planned to withdraw would drain nearly all his savings—decades of accumulated mission payments, intelligence stipends, and royalties from his books. But that didn't matter. Time mattered, and he would buy 'time' with his resources.
.
.
The bank teller's eyes widened slightly at the withdrawal amount.
"Five million ryo, Jiraiya-sama?" She checked his balance, then nodded. "I'll process this right away."
Jiraiya waited patiently as the teller disappeared into the back office. The remaining twenty-five million would have to wait—withdrawing too much at once would raise unnecessary questions. Besides, he'd be staying in the village for a while anyway.
As he pocketed the sealed scrolls containing his money, his mind turned to his next task: mastering wind nature. The fastest way would be to learn as many wind techniques as possible, and for that, he needed someone proficient in wind-style jutsu to practice with.
His thoughts first went to Danzo.
A frown crossed his face—it had been over thirty years since he'd called that man 'Danzo-sensei.' These days, he simply referred to him as Elder Danzo, avoiding any interaction unless absolutely necessary. While Danzo would be the best choice to learn from given his mastery of wind techniques, Jiraiya had no intention of owing him any favors.
Asuma would have to do for now.
.
.
Stepping out of the bank into the late afternoon sun, Jiraiya mapped out his remaining stops for the day.
First, the Nara compound, then he'd track down Asuma.
With luck, the younger shinobi wouldn't be busy with his genin team.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
PDanac
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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