"Stop talking. I've got a headache," Jiraiya groaned, pouring himself a glass of sake and downing it in one gulp. The second glass quickly followed, and after the third, he slumped over the table, lamenting bitterly.
"I admit, I messed up with Nawaki. But kids his age are impossible to handle! They may seem calm and mature, but once they're angry, it's like trying to calm a raging storm."
"Exactly," Shinki replied lazily, turning a piece of meat on the grill. "The only way forward is to take it step by step. Make up for the lost time, show him you care, and put in the effort to rebuild the bond. It won't happen overnight, but with enough time and consistency, it'll work out."
"But there is some good news," Shinki added, smirking.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Good news? For me? What could that possibly be?"
Shinki chuckled. "You're lucky that Nawaki has a straightforward personality and isn't the type to hold grudges forever. If you treat him well, he'll remember it. Imagine if he were the type to hold grudges… you'd be hated for life."
Jiraiya grimaced. He couldn't argue with that. In the ninja world, holding a grudge could lead to catastrophic consequences—vengeful people with access to dangerous ninjutsu were not to be underestimated. The examples were endless: Sasori, Orochimaru, and many others had let their resentments fester until they became calamities for others.
"So, what's been happening in the past two years?" Jiraiya asked, eager to change the topic. "I've been so busy with the Akatsuki trio, I barely kept up with what's going on in the village."
Shinki smirked. "You missed quite a bit. After the Rain Country conflict ended, a full-scale war broke out with Suna. By the way, the Daimyo rewarded Sakumo-senpai with Hokage half-sleeves for his achievements. And this—" he gestured to his Hokage-style battle robe— "was a reward from the Daimyo as well."
Jiraiya blinked. "Wait, hold on! What's all this about Hokage half-sleeves? And that robe looks better than what the old man wears!"
Shinki shrugged. "Sakumo-senpai deserved it. As for this," he glanced down at his own attire, "it was a personal gift from the Daimyo. You don't like it?"
"It's not that, but… why did you get the Hokage robe when Sakumo-senpai got half-sleeves? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Because my contributions were greater," Shinki said with a grin, clearly enjoying the teasing.
Jiraiya groaned. "That joke's not funny."
Shinki continued, "Orochimaru could've gotten one too, but he opted for a monetary reward instead. The Daimyo gave him several thousand ryo."
Suddenly, Shinki's eyes lit up as he remembered something. "Speaking of rewards… Jiraiya, where's my share of the royalties from your book? You said you'd give me a cut after it was published. Where's the money?"
Jiraiya froze. Oh no, he remembers.
"Uh, well… about that—"
"Don't stall. Yes or no. Do you have it or not?" Shinki leaned in, cutting straight to the point.
Jiraiya sighed, pulling out a scroll. "Fine, fine. I didn't forget. Here's the list of earnings and your share. Happy?"
Shinki smirked, taking the scroll. "See? That wasn't so hard."
As they continued eating, Jiraiya tried steering the conversation toward the war's progress. "So, the war with Suna… is it ending soon?"
Shinki nodded. "Suna is at its limit. They can't hold out much longer. The village wants to negotiate from a position of strength, though, so it's taking a bit longer. I'd give them three months tops before they surrender."
"The war has cost Konoha too much," Jiraiya sighed. "Ending it sooner would be better for everyone."
Shinki raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want the war to end quickly? If it does, your life might get a lot harder."
Jiraiya looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Why would my life get harder after the war?"
Shinki chuckled darkly. "Let me ask you this: during a war, what's the one thing the village accumulates in abundance?"
>>>>>
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