Nighttime in Tanzaku Quarter, and Jiraiya was nursing a heartbreak straight out of Danzo Shimura's playbook.
He, the suave wanderer who'd charmed his way through every hot spring town in the Land of Fire, the legendary ladies' man—Jiraiya—had been played!
Was there no justice? No law?
All he did was step out for a night of drinks and revelry, only to find out his apprentice had gone and signed a summoning contract with the Shikkotsu Forest!
Tsunade! Didn't they agree she'd only teach medical ninjutsu?!
That woman was like a shady ex who swore she wouldn't record anything, only for the video to go viral across the internet!
Fuming with frustration but powerless to do anything about it, Jiraiya chose…
…to let it slide!
One was the woman he'd been secretly crushing on forever, and the other was his new apprentice. What was he supposed to do, pick a fight with them?
It was a lose-lose situation—either way, he'd be the one hurting.
"Wahhh, Sakura-chan, how could you do this to me?"
Drunk and sulking, Jiraiya hiccupped through his complaints to his apprentice.
Sakura, single-handedly dragging him to his inn room, flashed a wicked grin. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear:
"Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sensei's skills are amazing!"
"Arghhh!"
His anguished wail echoed through the inn, so pitiful it could bring tears to anyone's eyes.
Sakura, meanwhile, retreated to her room, plugged her ears, and drifted off into a blissful sleep.
Her days in Tanzaku Quarter were some of the busiest she'd ever had.
Every day, Tsunade showed up with stacks of notes, drilling Sakura on the foundations of medicine, pharmacology, and human anatomy while teaching her advanced medical ninjutsu.
On the other side, Jiraiya, sensing his apprentice slipping further from his grasp, refused to be outdone.
He pulled out all the stops, teaching her his signature sealing techniques, barrier jutsu, and Earth and Water-style ninjutsu. Every evening after Tsunade's lessons, he dragged Sakura to the riverbank for training.
With two of the legendary Sannin pouring their knowledge into her, Sakura's schedule was packed tighter than a high school senior's during exam season. It was exhausting but exhilarating.
Keep up or get left behind!
Time flew by in a whirlwind of medical ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and elemental jutsu training.
Before she knew it, three months had passed since Jiraiya brought her to this southwestern town in the Land of Fire.
"Ninja Art: Palm Sage Technique!"
Sakura's hands hovered over an injured fish, green chakra glowing from her palms.
The physical energy extracted from her chakra flowed into the wound, stimulating rapid cell growth in the surrounding tissue.
Moments later, when she dispersed the Yang chakra, the fish's wound had vanished. It twitched and flopped, searching for water.
"Not bad. You've officially mastered all the medical ninjutsu!"
Tsunade nodded with approval, giving her a passing grade.
"Thanks to your teaching, Tsunade-sensei!"
Sakura's Observation Haki picked up on Tsunade's genuine pride, and she bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Call me sister! 'Sensei' makes me sound old!"
Tsunade laughed heartily, pulling Sakura into a hug that smushed her face against her ample chest.
"Mmph… I… mmph!"
Watching the two, Jiraiya burned with jealousy, wishing he could trade places with Sakura. But Tsunade caught his stare, grabbed the fish from earlier, and chucked it at him, knocking him flat.
After some playful roughhousing, Jiraiya and Sakura packed their bags and headed to the town's edge.
"Lord Jiraiya, Sakura, you're leaving already?"
Shizune, who'd come to see them off, looked reluctant—especially when it came to Sakura.
After spending time together, she'd grown genuinely fond of her sweet-talking, hardworking junior.
Plus, with Sakura around, she'd managed to pay off a good chunk of Tsunade's gambling debts. It had been ages since Shizune enjoyed a life free from debt collectors chasing her down.
"What can I say? My charm's got Shizune all torn up!"
Jiraiya crossed his arms, smugly flicking his bangs.
"Hmph, it's not about you, Lord Jiraiya. Leave Sakura here, and you can go!"
Shizune hugged Tonton tightly, puffing out her cheeks in retort.
"What?!"
Jiraiya dramatically collapsed, unable to recover.
"Heh, you idiot, Jiraiya," Tsunade scoffed, brushing past him to stand beside Sakura.
Her slender fingers gently adjusted Sakura's appearance, smoothing out her messy hair.
"Following this fool around the world's gonna be tough. Why not stay with your big sis instead?"
A soft breeze brushed Tsunade's face, carrying her gentle words to Sakura's ears.
The girl felt a wave of emotion wash over her, and before she knew it, her true feelings spilled out.
"No need, Tsunade-nee!"
"I want to travel the world, broaden my horizons, and hone my spirit. That's my path to getting stronger!"
"I want to become really strong, strong enough to face the world's top fighters. That's… my ninja way!"
Watching Sakura raise her arms, passionately sharing her dreams, Tsunade gazed at her hopeful face and chuckled.
"Kid, what ninja way? You're too young for that nonsense!"
Then, she slowly raised a hand and gently tapped Sakura's forehead.
"Fly, kid. Fly as far as you can. And if you ever get tired, don't forget your big sis is right here."
"Got it!"
Sakura nodded firmly, adjusted her backpack, and ran toward Jiraiya.
The two set off toward the setting sun, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
---
A week later, at the border of the Land of Rain.
Rain blanketed the entire country, with stars faintly flickering through gaps in the clouds, signaling the time to those living beneath the overcast sky.
"The Land of Rain, huh?"
Revisiting this place stirred memories for Jiraiya. Years ago, he'd faced Hanzo here and earned the humiliating title of "Sannin."
Who would've thought that, after all these years, that title would become his most famous moniker?
As Jiraiya lifted his foot to step into the Land of Rain, a flash of red glinted in Sakura's eyes behind him.
She reached out, yanking him back so hard he stumbled.
"Sakura?"
"Jiraiya-sensei, try using a sensory ninjutsu on the rain around us."
Following her advice, Jiraiya summoned a toad and placed his hands on it, forming seals.
The toad let out a loud croak, sending out soundwaves laced with Jiraiya's chakra, expanding his sensory field.
"What the—!"
In the darkness of his closed eyes, Jiraiya saw countless chakra particles, each the size of a raindrop, weaving through the falling rain. They formed a massive web across the entire Land of Rain.
"It's like someone's cast a giant sensory ninjutsu over the whole country. Good call, Sakura."
Jiraiya instinctively stepped back, avoiding the rain.
"So, Jiraiya-sensei, care to tell me why you specifically brought me here?"
Sakura crossed her arms, eyeing him with suspicion.
Jiraiya sighed, pulling a mission scroll from his pocket.
"This is a request the old man had delivered. Listen to the intel, then decide if you want to take it."
"A few days ago—around the time you finished your medical ninjutsu training—someone in the Land of Rain… spotted an Uchiha."
---