Bab 34: **Chapter 34: Testing Trust**
Upon hearing Tsunade's nickname as "Legendary Sucker," Jiraiya burst into laughter, wrapping his arm around Hattori with amusement.
"Haha, kid, I like you! But if Tsunade finds out you shared that nickname with me, she won't let you off easy. Speaking of which, isn't there a girl named Shizuko with her?"
"It's Shizune, her late boyfriend Dan's niece," Hattori corrected, his face expressionless as he shot Jiraiya a sidelong look.
"Did Jiraiya-sama's heartbreak lead him to forget everything? Or are you testing me? Just be straightforward if so; I'm just a kid—I don't think as much as you adults."
"Uh...well…"
Being called out on his thoughts, Jiraiya looked flustered as he stammered. "I just misspoke, actually...no, wait, I'm Jiraiya! Why am I explaining myself to you? You're the one with the sneaky mind! What are you even doing here?"
"Heh, well…"
Facing Jiraiya's question, Hattori looked slightly embarrassed. He rubbed his hands awkwardly before motioning Jiraiya to lean in. "Bring your ear closer—I'll whisper it to you!"
"Hmm?"
Seeing Hattori's sneaky behavior, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow but crouched down to listen, curious about what Hattori might say.
Hattori looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before leaning close and whispering, "So, the other day, Shizune-nee was taking a bath. Out of curiosity, I peeked in, and there I saw...the teacher!"
"Gasp…"
Jiraiya sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. "You...you're saying Tsunade was also in there? What did you see?"
"Nothing!"
Hattori spread his hands in exasperation. "I only caught a glimpse of Shizune-nee's back before the teacher spotted me."
"Oh...so what happened after that?" Jiraiya pressed.
"She got mad!"
Hattori's expression grew even more helpless as he continued. "She said I reminded her of a pervert she once knew, who peeked on her in the bath and nearly died when she beat him up—internal injuries, broken ribs, the works. Hey, Jiraiya-sama, do you know that pervert?"
Jiraiya: "Σ(°△°|||)︴"
Wait a second—that was me!
The memory made Jiraiya shudder, but when he caught Hattori's innocent expression, he nodded solemnly. "Yes, I know that pervert. It was Orochimaru! If you ever meet him, be careful. Anyway, let's talk about you now. Did you sneak out? Trying to avoid punishment?"
"Yep!"
Hattori nodded seriously. "So, I figured I'd hide out for a few days until she cools down. I got lost and ended up on the other side, but luckily I ran into a few Leaf ANBU, so I just tagged along with them."
"You ran into ANBU? On the other side?" Jiraiya's eyebrows shot up. "They didn't attack you?"
"Hehe, they were about to!"
Hattori's face took on a hint of pride. "But I acted first and summoned Katsuyu, and they ran off after that."
"Katsuyu? Tsunade's slug?" Jiraiya's eyes widened again. "You can actually summon her?"
Hattori nodded with a grin. "My chakra's limited, but I can summon part of her, like this!"
Hattori bit his finger, formed seals quickly, and then released the jutsu.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, a blue and white slug appeared on the ground.
As soon as it arrived, it greeted Jiraiya. "It's been a while, Jiraiya-sama!"
"Huh, it's really you?" Jiraiya's eyes sparkled. "Is Tsunade here too? Where is she?"
This time, before the slug could answer, Hattori quickly spoke up. "You can't tell him! Sensei doesn't want anyone knowing her whereabouts. And don't tell anyone about me either—I'd rather people didn't know. You can go back now!"
"Understood, Hattori-sama!" The slug nodded, looked back at Jiraiya, and said, "Goodbye, Jiraiya-sama!" before disappearing in a puff.
Jiraiya opened his mouth as if to say something but settled for a sigh.
"Oh well, I'll bring it up next time we meet," he said, turning back to Hattori. "I'm heading back to the Leaf Village. Want to come with me? This place isn't safe."
Hattori knew Jiraiya was showing trust by inviting him along. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such an offer.
"Too bad I'm only an impostor. The Leaf isn't any safer for me than this place."
Resolving himself, he shook his head firmly. "Thanks, Jiraiya-sama, but I'll wait here until the teacher cools down. Besides, I know some healing jutsu that might help a few comrades out!"
"Oh, well, fair enough!"
Jiraiya nodded. "All right, in that case, stay here for now. You can use my tent until I'm back in the village. Let's go—I'll help you get settled before I leave."
"Yes, thank you, Jiraiya-sama!"
"Haha, don't mention it. Come on!"
With that, Jiraiya led Hattori to his tent, quickly packed up his things, and left on his journey back to the Leaf.
He left decisively, without hesitation or fuss, not even arranging for anyone to watch over Hattori.
Hattori appreciated this even more.
"He didn't treat me like a kid but as a fellow ninja. This kind of trust feels great. Having a friend like Jiraiya really is something else—I just hope we don't end up on opposite sides someday."
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*(End of Chapter)*
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Belamy_2024
Belamy_2024 Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone