"Hahaha, that makes sense. When I first saw this kid, I thought he was a thief. Didn't expect him to be Tsunade's cousin."
Jiraiya took another swig of sake and let out a long sigh.
Orochimaru drank in silence.
The war was over.
But...
The scars it left behind weren't so easily erased. Tsunade's trauma was one of the many tragedies born of the conflict.
"Hey, why so quiet? You're more unsettling when you don't speak. Don't scare our little cousin here. Come on, have a drink."
Jiraiya smiled broadly, cheerful as ever.
He was being his usual sociable self, but his words carried an unspoken message he didn't want Orochimaru dwelling too much on the past.
Orochimaru gave a faint smile and raised his cup toward the young man. "Jingyi, we meet again."
"You've met before?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.
"During my jōnin exam. Orochimaru was the examiner," Jingyi said plainly.
Jiraiya blinked, then laughed. "Ahh, I get it. Must've been a tough test."
He didn't ask for details. Knowing Orochimaru, the exam wouldn't have been easy.
Soon, the three fell into conversation, eventually turning to Tsunade.
"Tsunade is doing well," Jingyi reported. "The only issue is... well, she's constantly being chased down by debt collectors."
"Hahahahaha!" Jiraiya burst into laughter. "That's so like her!"
Tsunade lacked for nothing except money. She was a terrible gambler, after all.
"You lend her any?" he asked.
"Nope. I don't lend money to gamblers," Jingyi replied calmly.
"Smart. Better off investing that money in my research," Orochimaru added with a dry chuckle. "If I make progress, I could even teach you something."
The mood lightened. Talking about Tsunade had a way of bridging the gap between them. For a moment, Jingyi could see it clearly Orochimaru wasn't thinking about the Senju cells or experiments. He was just a man remembering his teammate.
"By the way," Jiraiya said, shifting topics, "I heard from the old man you're working on some kind of new technique? If you run into trouble, let us know. We're still in the village for now, but who knows when we'll be sent out again."
His tone was casual, but the worry behind it was clear.
Konoha was stretched thin. The other great villages were recovering fast, each one eager to take advantage of Konoha's weakened state.
"My technique's been giving me some trouble," Jingyi admitted. "It involves skin respiration, but it's coming along."
He had, in truth, already mastered basic skin respiration. But for now, it only served to reduce lung strain not nearly enough for his long-term goals.
"Skin... respiration?" Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru raised their eyebrows.
Orochimaru was immediately deep in thought, analyzing what kind of jutsu might require such a thing.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, looked intrigued. "Huh. Actually, that reminds me some of the toads at Mount Myōboku use that kind of breathing. I might be able to help."
"No rush," Jingyi said. "But you mentioned you might be heading out again?"
Jiraiya nodded. "It's been a few years since the Third Raikage died. Both Kumogakure and Iwagakure have bounced back. I'll be heading north soon."
"Mist might move too," Jingyi added. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen have gotten a lot of attention lately."
Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged a look.
"True," Orochimaru said. "Kirigakure's been quiet for too long."
Jingyi didn't press further. He wasn't going anywhere he had three genin to train. Strategic moves were better left to the higher-ups.
Konoha's leadership might be flawed, but it wasn't completely useless.
"Anyway, have a drink," Jiraiya said, lifting his cup. "You can drink this one for Tsunade. Don't say no."
"No need," Jingyi replied, smiling faintly.
He bit his thumb and performed a summoning.
A small slug appeared on the table, glistening with moisture.
"Slug... Katsuyu?" Jiraiya blinked.
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened slightly.
The Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract it was a Senju legacy. That Jingyi had signed it spoke volumes.
"Lady Katsuyu," Jingyi said, "please deliver this bottle of sake to Tsunade. Tell her it's from Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
"Of course," the slug replied politely, wrapping its body around the bottle and vanishing.
Jiraiya exhaled deeply, impressed.
So Jingyi really had gone and made a contract with Tsunade's summon. That confirmed his connection to the Senju something even Orochimaru took note of silently.
"Alright then," Jiraiya said, raising his glass again. "Drink first. We'll talk more about this breathing thing after."
They shared a few more drinks, slowly working through the food on the table.
Eventually, Orochimaru excused himself he was always busy and left.
Jiraiya and Jingyi strolled out of the tavern into the night, the street dim and quiet.
Jiraiya began sharing his insights about skin respiration. "When I trained in Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku, I had to adapt to the toads' way of breathing. Skin respiration plays a role in how they handle natural energy."
It was exactly the kind of perspective Jingyi had hoped for.
But just as they walked...
"Master Jiraiya," Jingyi said cautiously, "I appreciate the help, but... why are we heading toward the women's hot springs?"
The air was humid and filled with the sound of laughter and splashing.
Jingyi's danger senses were flaring.
"I—uh—wrong turn!" Jiraiya blushed. "Let's take a detour before someone gets the wrong idea!"
Jingyi stared at him. Everyone in Konoha already knew Jiraiya's reputation.
Still, he said nothing.
"So," Jiraiya coughed, trying to move on. "What exactly are you working on?"
"A technique to stimulate cellular activity," Jingyi explained. He formed a few hand seals, faster than normal, and gathered chakra in his hands.
"This version uses skin respiration to reduce strain on the lungs while triggering localized cell activation."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Like a partial version of the Strength of a Hundred Seal… but less chakra-intensive?"
"Something like that," Jingyi replied. "I call it the Seven-Day Breathing Method. The first three layers use normal breathing, but the fourth layer requires advanced skin respiration."
"It's brilliant," Jiraiya murmured. "You could adjust the technique depending on the injury. But it's not for just anyone."
"I'm willing to teach it if you're interested," Jingyi offered. "But it's a forbidden technique. Use it sparingly."
Jiraiya hesitated, then laughed. "Alright, I'll trade you. I'll teach you my hair techniques in exchange. Can't let Tsunade's little cousin just hand things over for free."