When Arima stepped back into the room, he found that Tsunade was still lazing around in bed.
Quietly, he tiptoed over and reached out to pinch her delicate nose, planning to play a small prank on her.
But just as he reached down, Tsunade happened to wake up. Thinking quickly, Arima casually brushed a few strands of her hair aside and said with a smile.
"Lazy girl, time to get up! After lunch, we're heading out to Roran to meet up with Dodai and the others."
Tsunade sat up groggily, completely unaware that she had just narrowly avoided one of her beloved brother-figure's little tricks.
Stretching lazily and yawning, she asked curiously, "Arima-nii, why are we suddenly going to Roran?"
Arima then explained in detail how he had used the source of the Zero-Tails to reverse-sense its location.
Only then did Tsunade realize that the reason Arima had almost lost control yesterday was because of that same Zero-Tails creature, the one spreading chaos across the shinobi world.
Instantly, her righteous anger flared. She clenched her fists and threw a couple of punches into the air.
"So it was that damn Zero-Tails! I was scared out of my wits yesterday! This time, I'm going to beat it to a pulp! Arima-nii, you have to help me get revenge!"
Arima could only shake his head with a helpless smile. That tone of hers, why did it sound so much like Jiraiya?
Even Orochimaru had been getting chatty and nosy lately. Jiraiya's influence really was something else.
After a quick wash and a hasty bit of packing, the two of them set off together and returned to Uzushiogakure.
The day before, Tsunade had gone to report intel to Arima and didn't return all night. It wasn't until midday the next day that the two of them came back together.
That morning, a few of the Uzumaki clan elders had come looking for Arima, hoping to discuss Uzushiogakure's future dealings with Konoha.
Orochimaru had gone out early to train, so only Jiraiya had been left in the house.
Naturally, he spilled the beans about Arima and Tsunade not coming back all night.
The elders, old and experienced as they were, needed no further hints. They exchanged knowing chuckles, already reading between the lines.
Originally, they had been hoping to pair up some of the clan's promising young women with Arima.
If he were to marry into the Uzumaki clan, their people would have a solid foothold in Konoha. But after Jiraiya's big mouth, that hope had all but vanished.
They waited and waited, but there was still no sign of Arima.
Just as they were about to send someone to look for the couple, they hesitated, worried that they might disturb something intimate.
Orochimaru suggested they go back to handling the village's reconstruction and notify Arima when he returned in the afternoon.
Right then, everyone sensed the chakra of Arima and Tsunade approaching rapidly. Figuring they'd arrive soon, the elders chose to wait a little longer.
When Arima and Tsunade arrived at the estate, nearly all of the Uzumaki clan leadership was gathered. They sat solemnly in the hall, looking like a council preparing to interrogate suspects.
The moment Tsunade saw the lineup of elders, her heart tightened.
But then she reminded herself, she had merely confirmed her romantic relationship with Arima. It wasn't like they'd done anything shameful.
That thought gave her some backbone.
But the second she stepped inside and saw the knowing smiles on everyone's faces, a sudden wave of shyness overtook her.
She instinctively ducked slightly behind Arima, letting him take the lead in exchanging pleasantries with the elders while she tried to calm her nerves.
That was when Jiraiya's voice rang out, exposing her in front of everyone.
"Hey, Tsunade," he said helpfully in a low voice beside her.
"You should really read my book. It'll help you become more ladylike, and keep a firm grip on sensei's heart! I'm telling you, even Koharu has had her eyes on him for ages!"
Jiraiya might have tried to keep his voice down, but every word was perfectly audible to the entire room.
The hall fell utterly silent. You could've heard a pin drop.
Everyone turned to stare at Jiraiya, who was still rambling obliviously.
Tsunade, meanwhile, desperately wished she could sink into the floor. Being around this idiot always led to some kind of embarrassment.
Jiraiya kept going, unaware of the growing danger.
"And look at how you usually dress, zero taste. You think you can be my sensei's wife?
You've gotta step it up! Didn't Lady Mito teach you anything about being a proper woman? You walk around looking like a gambler half the time! I really don't get what sensei sees in you..."
That was it.
Veins popped on Tsunade's forehead. Her fists clenched, swelling to the size of cannonballs.
With a single punch, she launched the babbling idiot out of the house.
Jiraiya lay sprawled outside in a daze, completely bewildered.
Why had Tsunade suddenly attacked him? His chest throbbed. When he checked with chakra, he realized he'd broken three ribs!
Now more confused than ever, he had no clue what exactly he'd said that set her off.
Tsunade regretted hitting him that hard, but she wasn't about to apologize, not while she was still fuming.
She bit her thumb and summoned Katsuyu, tossing the slug onto Jiraiya's chest to begin healing him.
Glaring down at him, she said coldly, "What's wrong, Jiraiya? I'm not womanly enough? No taste? Not worthy of being your sensei's wife? You think he can't love me?"
Only now did Jiraiya realize what landmine he'd stepped on.
"I was just looking out for you, dammit!" he snapped. "When sensei brings home some hot new lady as your replacement, don't say I didn't warn you!"
Tsunade knew Arima's character like the back of her hand. Smirking, she raised her iron fists in front of Jiraiya's face.
"If your sensei does bring back some new 'wife,' he'll have to get past these first."
Arima sighed inwardly. Why do these two always manage to drag me into their nonsense? He signaled to Orochimaru to step in and stop the madness.
The elders, seeing Jiraiya go flying, had rushed to fetch medicine, only to stop when they heard Jiraiya himself muttering about his three broken ribs.
It turned out Tsunade had pulled her punch, showcasing her masterful chakra control.
As expected from one of the shinobi world's top medical-nin, it only took Tsunade a few minutes to fully heal Jiraiya's injuries.
Jiraiya, true to form, held no grudges. Moments later, he was back to his grinning, carefree self.
Tsunade watched this and quietly scolded herself, why did she let this idiot get under her skin again? So what if he ran his mouth a little? It wasn't like she lost anything.
Afterward, Arima resumed discussions with the elders about establishing a teleportation barrier for Uzushiogakure. By dinnertime, they had finalized the details.
Having already built one in the Hidden Cloud, Arima was simply repeating a process he knew well.
Privately, Arima was also planning ahead, after settling the conflict with the Sky Ninja, he intended to build Konoha outposts in the Land of Bears and the Land of Demons.
That would allow Konoha's allied network to fully connect into a united front, splitting the Lands of Earth and Wind clean down the middle.
After dinner, Arima addressed the gathered elders with a grave tone.
"The Sky Ninja forces have set their sights on Roran's Dragon Vein. I investigated that place once before, the chakra source there is vast.
If they succeed in exploiting it, they'll be even harder to stop next time. It might end up being just me left who can face Miyadera head-on."
The Uzumaki clan harbored deep hatred for the Sky Ninja as well. Several elders immediately volunteered to join the battle.
But Arima shook his head.
"I suspect Miyadera has secret backers. There's a good chance they'll try a surprise counterattack.
That's why we need someone guarding Uzushio. I promise you, I'll capture Miyadera with my own hands!"
Hearing that, the elders reluctantly agreed. His reasoning made sense, and his solemn vow gave them reassurance.
That night, Arima set out for Roran with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru in tow.
On the way, Arima suddenly received a transmission scroll from Dodai. He quickly opened it.
The rushed handwriting read:
"The major forces of Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and even Hanzo of Amegakure have secretly entered Roran!"
Arima passed the scroll around.
Once the others understood the situation, he said decisively, "I'll split off and go ahead. I need to get there as fast as possible and assess the situation.
With only Dodai and two others, I'm worried they might be in danger!"
He immediately entered Sage Mode, his entire form vanishing like a bolt of lightning, racing against time towards Roran.
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