Published at 16th of September 2024 1:12 am

Chapter 15 The Bonds We Forge

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The sun shone brightly over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a warm, golden glow over the rooftops and bustling streets. It was a day like any other, but for three young shinobi, this day was a crucial step on their journey to becoming legends. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—three of the most talented ninja of their generation—stood before their teacher, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was eyeing them with a mixture of pride and scrutiny.

They were still fresh-faced, not yet the legendary Sannin, but the potential they held was undeniable.

"Today’s mission will be a test of your teamwork," Sarutobi began, looking over the trio. "You will need to rely on each other if you hope to succeed."

Jiraiya, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, smirked. "Teamwork? With him?" he said, jerking his thumb at Orochimaru. "He barely speaks."

Tsunade shot Jiraiya a glare. "Maybe if you took things seriously for once, Jiraiya, you’d understand why he doesn’t waste time talking to you."

Orochimaru, his eyes cold and distant as ever, remained silent, but there was a faint, knowing smile on his lips. He never let their bickering get to him—it was beneath him.

Sarutobi sighed. "Enough. Jiraiya, Tsunade, focus. You’ll need every bit of your abilities today."

The three nodded, and with a puff of smoke, Sarutobi vanished, leaving them alone with their thoughts and the mission at hand.

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The mission was a simple one—or at least, it seemed that way. Their task was to retrieve a stolen scroll from a group of rogue shinobi who had been sighted near the outskirts of the Fire Country. What Sarutobi hadn’t told them was that this group was far more dangerous than they anticipated.

As they traveled through the dense forest, Jiraiya kept glancing at Tsunade, who was walking ahead of him. Even back then, he was captivated by her. She wasn’t just strong—she was brilliant, beautiful, and driven, and while Jiraiya played the fool most of the time, his feelings for her were anything but a joke.

"Hey, Tsunade," he started, attempting his usual casual tone. "When this is over, how about you and I—"

"No," Tsunade cut him off, not even bothering to turn around. "Focus on the mission, Jiraiya."

Orochimaru’s quiet chuckle drifted from behind them. "Still pining after her, Jiraiya? How pitiful."

"Shut it, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya snapped, though he couldn’t deny that his attempt had been, once again, a failure.

Tsunade, her fists clenched, took a deep breath. Jiraiya’s constant flirting was annoying, but beneath it all, she respected him. Even if he was a fool, he was her teammate, and she knew they’d need each other in the fight that was about to come.

As they reached the edge of the forest, Tsunade stopped, holding up a hand. "We’re close," she said, her tone sharp and professional. "There’s a clearing up ahead, and I can sense multiple chakra signatures. Get ready."

Jiraiya’s expression shifted, his usual goofy grin replaced with a rare look of seriousness. Orochimaru, always calm and calculating, nodded in silent agreement.

The three moved forward, slipping into the clearing where the rogue shinobi were gathered around a fire. There were six of them, all armed and clearly experienced, their faces hard and scarred from years of battle.

Tsunade scanned the group, her sharp eyes locking onto the leader, who was holding the stolen scroll. "There," she whispered. "That’s our target."

Before they could formulate a plan, one of the rogue shinobi glanced in their direction, his eyes narrowing. "We’ve got company!"

In an instant, the clearing erupted into chaos. The rogue shinobi leaped to their feet, drawing weapons and hurling kunai toward the trio.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, go left!" Tsunade barked, her voice carrying the authority of a leader. "I’ll take the right!"

Without hesitation, Jiraiya and Orochimaru split off, engaging the enemies on the left side of the clearing while Tsunade rushed forward, her fists glowing with chakra as she targeted the leader.

Jiraiya, always the flashy one, grinned as he formed hand seals. "Time to show off a little!" he shouted. "Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

With a loud rumble, the ground beneath the rogue shinobi’s feet turned to thick, sticky mud, trapping two of them in place. Orochimaru moved swiftly, his movements like a snake’s, striking down one of the immobilized shinobi with a well-placed kunai to the throat.

"Efficient as always," Orochimaru muttered, his golden eyes glinting with amusement as Jiraiya grinned.

Meanwhile, Tsunade had closed the distance between herself and the leader, her fist smashing into the ground with enough force to send shockwaves through the earth. The leader barely had time to react as the ground cracked beneath him, sending him tumbling backward.

"You’re not getting away!" Tsunade growled, her chakra flaring as she leaped toward him, her fist drawn back for a finishing blow.

But the leader, more skilled than he appeared, rolled to his feet and threw a handful of shuriken at Tsunade, forcing her to dodge. "You think you can take me down so easily, little girl?" he sneered.

Tsunade’s eyes flashed with fury. "You’ll regret underestimating me!"

With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between them, her fist colliding with the leader’s chest in a devastating blow that sent him flying into a nearby tree. The impact shattered the tree’s trunk, and the leader slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The battle was over in moments. Jiraiya and Orochimaru had swiftly dealt with the remaining rogue shinobi, and Tsunade retrieved the scroll from the fallen leader.

As they regrouped, Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his brow, grinning broadly. "Well, that wasn’t too bad. We make a pretty good team, huh?"

Tsunade shot him a look, her expression unreadable. "You were slacking off again, Jiraiya. If you had taken this seriously from the start, we could’ve avoided a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, his grin faltering slightly. "Come on, Tsunade, give me some credit. I saved your back out there."

Tsunade’s expression softened just a little, and she crossed her arms. "You did well… this time."

Orochimaru, ever the quiet observer, chuckled softly. "It’s amazing you two don’t kill each other. Perhaps Sarutobi-sensei has more faith in our teamwork than I thought."

Tsunade sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "We’ll have to work together if we want to get stronger. No more playing around, Jiraiya. Next time, I expect you to be focused from the start."

Jiraiya, despite himself, felt a warmth in his chest at Tsunade’s words. "You got it, Tsunade. I’ll be all business from now on."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I’ll believe it when I see it."

As they began their journey back to the village, Jiraiya found himself walking a little closer to Tsunade. She was strong—stronger than anyone he’d ever met. And even though she was hard on him, he knew it was because she believed in him, just like she believed in Orochimaru.

The three of them were more than just teammates. They were friends, bonded by the trials they faced together. And even though they didn’t know it yet, they would become legends—the Sannin of Konoha, each destined to forge their own path, but forever tied by the bonds they were building now.

As the sun began to set over the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest, Jiraiya couldn’t help but smile. Whatever the future held, he knew one thing for certain—he would always have Tsunade and Orochimaru by his side.

For now, that was enough.

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The End

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