Chapter 238: Congratulations
Hokage Office.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the large windows, filling the room with a bright and warm glow.
The air was filled with the scent of old paper, ink, and wooden furniture.
Documents were piled high on the massive desk.
Jiraiya was buried in them, a slight frown on his face as his pen swiftly moved across the pages, leaving behind his directives.
He wasn't wearing the Hokage's Ceremonial Robe that symbolized his authority, but had casually thrown on his iconic brown undershirt and red sleeveless jacket, his long white hair tied simply at the back with a cord.
Even in this position, he still retained a touch of the carefree nature belonging to the 'Toad Sage'.
"Jiraiya-nii-san!"
A voice, clear, familiar, brimming with the vitality unique to youth and a hint of the excitement of a long-awaited reunion, pierced through the faint rustle of paper and the scratching of his pen, clearly reaching his ears.
Jiraiya's hand, which had been reviewing documents, jolted to a stop. The pen tip left an abrupt ink stain on the paper.
He kept his head lowered, but his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Had he... just imagined it?
Nawaki's voice?
That boy whose smile was always brilliant, whose eyes were full of dreams, yet who withered far too early on the cruel battlefield?
Jiraiya slowly raised his head, the annoyance on his face replaced by bewilderment and doubt.
He put down his pen, his tall frame rising from the wide chair, his gaze sweeping uncertainly across the empty office.
Sunlight cast bright patches on the polished floor, the bookshelves stood neat and solemn, and the five wooden relief portraits of the Hokages on the wall looked austere, as if silently witnessing every change in this room.
Other than that, there was no one.
Was it... just exhaustion after all?
Jiraiya rubbed the space between his eyebrows and gave a self-deprecating smile. Of course. Ever since taking on this mess, the endless paperwork for reconstruction, diplomacy, appeasement, and mediation had been relentless. Hearing things wasn't that strange.
However, just as he was about to sit back down and continue his struggle with that pile of'sacred texts'—
"Jiraiya-nii-san!"
The heavy wooden door of the office was suddenly pushed open from the outside, emitting a not-too-loud but distinct thud.
A figure, accompanied by a gust of wind, shot inside like a small cannonball.
The newcomer was a boy.
His short hair was slightly disheveled, a Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector tied around his brow. His face bore an almost overflowing excited smile, and his bright eyes sparkled with pure brilliance the moment they landed on Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's pupils dilated abruptly, his body instantly stiffening as if pinned in place by an invisible force.
"Na...waki?"
His voice was somewhat hoarse, trembling with disbelief.
How many years had it been since he last uttered that name in reality?
It existed only in the corners of memory, occasionally surfacing to bring a dull ache.
Nawaki scurried over to the desk in a few steps, looking up at the much taller Jiraiya, his smile as radiant as if it had never known shadows: "It's been a long time, hasn't it! Jiraiya-nii-san!"
His tone was lively, his eyes scanning Jiraiya's face before he said quite naturally, "You've gotten a lot older!"
That familiar, somewhat irreverently blunt tone... "Hahaha!" Jiraiya snapped back to reality, letting out a booming laugh that held a faint tremor, as if trying to use the laughter to dispel the surging storm in his heart, "It's not that I've gotten old, it's that you left us far too early, you brat!"
Laughing, he walked around the large desk and stood before Nawaki.
He extended his broad, strong right hand, just like many years ago, with a gentle, brotherly affection, and lightly placed it on top of Nawaki's head.
The sensation from his palm... warm, soft, the hair carrying the unique vitality of youth.
This was definitely not the cold, rough, gritty, false feeling of the Edo Tensei!
This was... living, elastic, vibrant reality!
Jiraiya's heart skipped several beats at that moment, then began to pound wildly.
An indescribable torrent, a mixture of immense joy, endless sorrow, and profound solace, instantly shattered all his Spiritual defenses.
The hand resting on Nawaki's head trembled almost imperceptibly.
He looked down at the vivid, young face full of vigorous vitality before him, his throat tightening. His voice involuntarily lowered, carrying a near-reverent, cautious plea as he softly said:
"This time... don't be in such a hurry to leave us..."
Nawaki seemed to sense the unusual weight and emotion in Jiraiya's words. His smile softened slightly as he nodded firmly: "Mm! This time, I'll become stronger! I definitely won't fall so easily again!"
Jiraiya gave his shoulder a firm pat. He didn't speak, just let his large hand rest there for a moment, as if reconfirming this reality.
After Nawaki rushed in, the office door hadn't actually closed completely, leaving a crack.
Outside, in the dim shadows of the corridor, a figure wearing a large white lab coat stood quietly.
Indeed, a hot-blooded idiot like Nawaki and a scatterbrain like Jiraiya were the most compatible as master and disciple.
After witnessing this scene through the crack in the door, Orochimaru, like a silent shadow, was about to merge into the dimness and head to his underground laboratory.
Just as he reached the staircase landing, he ran into two people.
Tsunade, her golden hair tied into a neat ponytail at the back, the distinctive diamond mark on her forehead. Her face now held a rare blush mixed with anticipation and a barely perceptible nervousness.
Beside her stood Kato Dan. He had changed into simple dark casual clothes, his eyes bright and gentle. At the moment, he was tightly holding Tsunade's hand, the atmosphere between them intimate and natural.
Seeing Orochimaru, Tsunade took the initiative to greet her.
"You're here too, Orochimaru."
Kato Dan also nodded to Orochimaru, his gaze carrying gratitude.
"Are you two here to see Jiraiya?" This wasn't a question, but a near-certain statement. At this time, in this place, the two of them appearing together made their objective all too obvious.
"Yes," Tsunade nodded, unusually not acting overly forceful. Her tone was even a bit awkward. "There's something we need to discuss with him."
Kato Dan beside her also wore a subtly uncomfortable expression.
Seeing the two of them like this, Orochimaru chuckled softly.
She didn't ask further. Instead, she very naturally reached into the inner pocket of her large white lab coat, fumbled for a moment, then pulled out two neatly folded sheets of paper.
Once unfolded, they were clearly the 'Hidden Leaf Village Resident Marriage Application Forms', already stamped and sealed.
"Is it about this?"
Orochimaru handed the forms over, her tone flat and unemotional, as if passing along two ordinary notes.
"That guy prepared them for you long ago. I think it's best you don't go and agitate him further."
Tsunade and Kato Dan exchanged a glance, then both let out a sigh of relief in unison.
"Thanks, Orochimaru."
It couldn't be helped. During the Third Hokage's era, the Hokage's power was too centralized, resulting in Ninjas even needing the Hokage's seal and congratulations to get married.
Recently, things had been too busy, and no major reforms had been implemented.
If they wanted to register their marriage, they still had to come to the Hokage Office to get the official seal.
"Well then, I won't disturb you."
Orochimaru stepped aside, clearing the path towards the Hokage Office, the hem of her white coat lightly brushing in the dim light.
"Congratulations."
This "congratulations" was uttered in an extremely flat tone, almost devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP