Tsunade looked at the two of them talking back and forth and couldn't help scratching her head.
"Hey, Chizan kid, you called the two of us over—don't tell me it was just to say all this?"
"Jiraiya's out on a mission, you go chat with him, but what about me? I've got nothing going on lately."
The three great holy lands—Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest.
The last of these holy lands currently has only one inheritor of its legacy, and that is Tsunade.
So the reason Gekko Chizan invited Tsunade was very simple—he wanted to secure some benefits for his daughter.
"Tsunade, we've known each other for so long now. I've always respected you, right?"
"I've given you free rides, treated you to good wine and good food. Right now, I really do have something I want to ask of you."
He smiled. Gekko Chizan smiled unconsciously—this was his usual style. You don't hit a smiling face, after all.
No matter what you do, smiling first is never wrong.
Hearing this, Tsunade put down her wine cup speechlessly. She really couldn't hold it in anymore—mainly because the way Gekko Chizan said all this sounded way too matter-of-fact.
Was that really how it was?
"You little bastard, are you even speaking like a human?"
"Free rides??? I was traveling outside with Shizune, and you flew over and dragged me back to Konoha!"
"You didn't even let me bring my damn luggage! I had to buy everything myself when I got back!"
"Good wine and good food? Every time you look for me, it's to treat patients! If I weren't skilled in medical ninjutsu, would you even bother with me?"
"You're the kind of guy who never gets up early unless there's profit involved. Wipe that sleazy grin off your face—I can't stand looking at it!"
Tsunade complained nonstop while eating barbecue, her face full of disdain for Gekko Chizan.
The latter burst out laughing, laughing freely and heartily.
Jiraiya at the side also couldn't hold back and laughed out loud. For a moment, the atmosphere at the table became lively.
"It's just that my daughter's talent is extraordinary. I want her to take you as her teacher!"
"Look, you're Princess Tsunade, my daughter is Gekko Senka. A princess plus a fairy—what a great combination!"
"What do you say?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were both stunned. So that's why he called them over—to find a teacher for his daughter???
What kind of nonsense was this?
"Wait, Chizan, how old is your daughter?"
"Even if she were to take a teacher, shouldn't it be your son?"
"By the way, how's that kid Gekko Dōnin doing? Want him to take me as his teacher?"
Jiraiya suddenly got fired up. He even planned to give a congratulatory gift.
He'd heard Gekko Dōnin had great talent. Such a good seed—yeah, he had to fight for it.
"Idiot, Jiraiya! Chizan kid asked me!"
"What are you butting in for?"
"But Chizan, Jiraiya's right. If anyone's taking a teacher, shouldn't it be that kid Dōnin?"
Hearing this, Gekko Chizan's expression stiffened. He shook his head helplessly.
Then he took a sip of wine and muttered,
"You can forget about that kid Dōnin."
"What?"
"Why?!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade were both confused. One had just returned from outside, and the other stayed in the hospital all day without caring about worldly matters.
They didn't understand what Gekko Chizan meant.
"That kid likes playing with blades. Now he follows Hatake Sakumo around every day. Sigh—those who know think he's my son."
"Those who don't would think he's a kid from the Hatake family!"
"Sigh, his talent's pretty good though. His Bloodline Limit is Pakura's Scorch Release, and he can already use it proficiently."
Hatake Sakumo?
Jiraiya and Tsunade widened their eyes. Neither of them had expected someone to get there first.
How good was Gekko Chizan's talent? That didn't even need explaining—the title of Konoha's Twin Stars said it all.
And Pakura was also a Bloodline Limit ninja, and an offensive one at that. The child of those two couldn't possibly have poor talent.
Not to mention that Gekko Dōnin could already skillfully use Scorch Release at such a young age.
"Chizan, in that case, let your daughter take me as her teacher."
"My name, Jiraiya, carries a lot of weight too. You know my strength."
Jiraiya started boasting, but he wasn't lying. After all, he was one of the Konoha Three Ninja, and his strength was plain to see.
More importantly, it was because of that prophecy. The person in the prophecy was definitely Gekko Chizan. Becoming his child's teacher was also a way of firmly standing by that prophecy.
"Jiraiya, get lost."
"You big brute want to teach a disciple? Look at how Minato turned out under you."
"Besides, Gekko Senka is a girl. How could she possibly take you as her teacher?"
"Chizan, I'm taking your daughter!"
"From now on, she's my disciple! When she gets a bit older, I'll start teaching her!"
Hearing Tsunade's words, Gekko Chizan laughed outright and neatly poured her another cup of wine.
"Aiya, Tsunade—oh no, looks like I'll have to call you my daughter's teacher from now on."
"Come, come, cheers!"
Gekko Chizan's goal had always been very clear—to build an extremely pressure-resistant team for himself.
The three great holy lands were part of that.
He himself was already the inheritor of Ryūchi Cave, and he had excellent relationships with the Three Snake Princesses.
As for Jiraiya, he was the inheritor of Mount Myōboku, and with Namikaze Minato around, their relationship didn't even need mentioning.
Once war broke out later, Mount Myōboku's power would also be power at his side.
Yes—namely that blond weirdo who claimed he wasn't very good at Sage Arts and then instantly entered Sage Mode.
Now there was only one holy land left—Shikkotsu Forest.
As the sole inheritor of Shikkotsu Forest in the current era, Tsunade was someone he absolutely had to win over.
He even wanted his daughter to join Shikkotsu Forest as well, to learn its Sage Arts. He was very curious about Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Arts.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's not fair!"
"No way—I've got to go talk to Hatake Sakumo and see if he'll hand Gekko Dōnin over to me."
"Such a good seed can't be wasted."
It wasn't that he didn't acknowledge Hatake Sakumo—it was just that Hatake Sakumo only knew blade techniques.
Could you really have a ninja with a Bloodline Limit and extraordinary talent just play with blades? How could that be acceptable!
"Forget it. It's not that Hatake Sakumo wants to take Dōnin—it's that kid Dōnin who chases after Hatake Sakumo every day."
"Sigh, forget it, forget it."
"Drink, drink. Tsunade, come eat at my place in a few days."
"We'll hold a disciple-acceptance banquet!"
"Don't forget to prepare the disciple-acceptance gift."
Gekko Chizan took another sip of wine, his tone already slipping into the old familiar cadence.
Accepting a disciple meant receiving gifts—this rule couldn't be forgotten.
Orochimaru: I know this one well! I know it way too well!
But Tsunade was completely dumbfounded. What the hell? You have to give gifts when accepting a disciple???