Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 372: Jiraiya’s Dilemma

"It better not be," Tsunade warned, her tone sharp despite the slight smirk on her lips. "If it is, beating you up will be the least of my worries."

Tsunade fixed Jiraiya with a smile that teetered on the edge of becoming a scowl—a look he knew all too well. It was moments like these that had earned him more than his fair share of beatings from her in the past.

"It really isn't," Jiraiya muttered, feeling a wave of grievance. I've been out of the so-called 'martial arts world' for years now.

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"Are you sure?" Orochimaru's calm, clipped words shattered Jiraiya's already shaky defenses.

It wasn't surprising, though. As a child, Jiraiya had once roped Orochimaru into his schemes, convincing him to accompany him to the women's bathhouse for a little peeping. Predictably, Orochimaru had walked away, unimpressed, leaving Jiraiya to face the wrath of an elderly woman armed with a basin of scalding hot water. As the saying went, "It's easy to change the landscape but difficult to change one's nature." Orochimaru, who had seen Jiraiya's antics firsthand, found it hard to believe he'd truly reformed.

"I really didn't do it. You can believe it or not," Jiraiya grumbled, draining an entire glass of wine in silence. Why is it that these days, even when I'm telling the truth, no one believes me?

"Jiraiya, I believe you," Kawakaze declared with sincerity. To Jiraiya, those words were nothing short of salvation. His gaze turned fervent as he looked at Kawakaze, seeing him as the very embodiment of justice.

"Good brother!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his voice overflowing with emotion. The sheer intensity of his declaration made everyone present flinch. If someone had walked in at that moment, they might've mistaken Kawakaze for Jiraiya's long-lost sibling.

"So, why did Maki have a conflict with you?" Kawakaze asked innocently, though his tone betrayed a distinct thirst for gossip. The way he phrased it—calling Jiraiya's clear defeat at his wife's hands a "conflict"—made Jiraiya's mouth twitch.

"I..." Jiraiya found himself at a loss. The look in Kawakaze's eyes, fueled by pure curiosity, made it clear that he wasn't buying the story completely either.

"Tell us, tell us!" Duy and Shinku chimed in, their voices half-joking but fully intrigued. The children, sensing the tension, kept their heads down, sneaking cautious glances out of the corners of their eyes.

"I can see right through you guys." Jiraiya sighed, waving his hand in mock disappointment. At this point, he no longer had the energy to keep the truth under wraps. Pausing dramatically, he pointed a finger at his so-called friends around the table.

"Maki is from the Village of Nadeshiko, as you all know," he began. Kawakaze and the others nodded quickly—they were well aware of her origins.

"Nadeshiko is... a strange place," Jiraiya continued, his voice growing distant as his eyes began to wander. Memories of his first visit to Nadeshiko floated to the surface.

"Their village is a matriarchal society, and the men there are all outsiders who were defeated and subsequently forced to marry in."

"Maki was the Village Head of her generation, but I defeated her and brought her back to Konoha. Now her younger sister has taken over that position."

"As you know, it's very difficult for a kunoichi to excel over a man. Their village is on the verge of extinction, with no way to bring in new male villagers," he continued, his expression turning serious.

"A few years ago, Maki's younger sister wrote her a letter. She wanted Maki to see if she could convince Konoha to send some ninja to their village. They promised not to force anyone to stay. Only those who were defeated and sincerely wished to remain would be accepted."

"Maki told me about it, and I refused," Jiraiya declared with righteous conviction. His refusal was based on the principle of preventing the loss of Konoha's talent—at least, that's what he told himself. Deep down, as a man, he couldn't ignore how attractive a country full of women sounded.

"Isn't there a lot of beautiful women in Nadeshiko Village?" Duy's eyes began to sparkle, betraying his curiosity. If fewer people had been around, his wife might've already decked him.

"Most of them are quite nice," Jiraiya said thoughtfully, recalling his own experiences there. His tone was almost scholarly, as though evaluating a delicate matter.

"Save a place for Kai and Guy," Duy suggested earnestly. "When they're older and can't find wives, send them there. At least bring me back a daughter-in-law!" His foresight, born from the heart of a worried parent, was touching yet amusing.

"Ahem..." Kai didn't grasp the full meaning, but Guy nearly choked on his drink. He was only saved when Kakashi handed him some water.

"Dad, I'm only seven years old," Guy protested, full of indignation. Why do you have so little faith in me? Just because I'm not popular with girls now doesn't mean there won't be some blind ones in the future!

"So what if you're seven?" his father retorted. "The earlier you make plans, the more options you'll have."

Before Duy could elaborate further, Guy's mother chimed in to back him up. "Your father's right. If you don't plan ahead, you'll regret it later." She cast a disapproving glance at her husband, her tone heavy with the weight of her own regrets. How had she ended up marrying this man with his absurd ideas and equally absurd hairstyle? To make matters worse, she'd gone on to give birth to two more clones of him.

"What Auntie said isn't without reason," Kakashi interjected, giving Guy a consoling pat on the shoulder. The remark felt like a dagger.

"How can you say that?" Guy shot back, glaring at Kakashi. "I just prefer to hang out with my male classmates! Isn't my relationship with Asuma and Obito good?"

Kurenai, trying to be helpful, chimed in. "He's right. Guy just likes playing with boys more. There's nothing wrong with that."

Her attempt at reassurance only made things worse. Both Duy and Guy's mother exchanged nervous glances. If he can't win over girls, he'd better not win over boys!

"I thank you for that," Guy said flatly, staring at Kurenai. It's not my fault the girls don't like me. What am I supposed to do about it?

"I'm afraid the village of Nadeshiko won't last until Guy grows up," Jiraiya remarked, shaking his head at Duy's wild train of thought.

"That would be a real shame," Duy sighed, as though mourning a missed opportunity.

"If you refused, won't this just blow over?" Fugaku asked, his curiosity piqued by Mikoto's subtle interest in the topic.