Chapter 542 Answer

In the hotel room, Jilai also lay on the floor in a depressed mood, with his hands resting on his head and staring at the ceiling. Maybe he was too absorbed in thinking about things, and he didn't react until the knock on the door sounded for a long time.

He walked to the door, opened the door of the bedroom, and looked at the person with a look of surprise.

"Please forgive me for visiting rashly, Master Ziraiya."

Standing outside the door, Jing Yin bowed apologetically to Jilai, expressing his abruptness.

"It's mute you, it's okay, what do you want me to do?"

Zilai also scratched his head and asked.

He thought it was Naruto who came looking for him, asking about his cultivation, but he didn't expect Shizune to come looking for him.

To be honest, although he knew Shizune, and knew that she was the niece of the late Konoha Kami Shinobi Katobu, she was a very important relative to Tsunade...but he didn't get along with Shizune for a long time, and he rarely communicated with her. For a while, I wondered what the other party's purpose was to find me.

"There are some things I want to tell you, and I brought you a dinner by the way."

Speaking of dinner, Zilai also touched his empty stomach, and was making a cooing sound, and said with some embarrassment: "Is it already time for dinner? I didn't expect that I would lie here all afternoon."

Immediately, Ji Lai also turned sideways.

"Okay, come in."

Invited by Jiraiya, Shizune walked into the room and put the lunch box for dinner on the table beside him.

Zilai also sat down, and glanced at Jingyin who seemed to be worried.

"Tell me, what do you need from me?"

After Shizune hesitated for a while, he said to Jiraiya: "Actually, this is related to Tsunade-sama..."

"Tsunade?"

Ji Lai also heard this, his expression immediately became serious, and his sitting posture suddenly became serious and dignified.

"Yes. I think Jiraiysama should have discussed it with Tsunade-sama in private, but I think Tsunade-sama rejected your proposal."

Shizune stared at Jiraiya's face.

"You're right. No matter what method I used, I couldn't get Tsunade to change his mind and return to the village to succeed the Fifth Hokage."

Ji Lai also nodded.

Immediately looked at Shi Jing with hopeful eyes.

Tsunade's stubbornness and stubbornness made him unable to do anything at this moment.

But if there is Mute, the assistance of someone close to Tsunade might be able to turn things around.

"This result, I actually guessed it from the beginning."

Mute as expected.

"How to say?"

Self-contained and calm.

He knew that Tsunade seemed extremely hesitant about succeeding the Fifth Hokage, and it must be because of some things that interfered with her decision-making and judgment.

Just because of the lack of important information, he didn't know the reason for Tsunade's hesitation.

"About four years ago, shortly after the end of the Five Kages Conference, that person made a point of looking for Tsunade-sama once."

Mute revealed this important information.

I knew who 'that person' was referring to, and it must be Chiba Shiraishi.

He just didn't expect that at that time, the other party had approached Tsunade alone once.

At this time, Jiraiya also recalled that he had looked for Tsunade once at that time...but at that time, Tsunade's mood became very irritated, so that he didn't know what happened, which made Tsunade feel irritated.

Thinking about it now, it is very likely that it was because of Chiba Shiraishi that Tsunade had some misunderstandings in his heart.

"Mute, is it convenient for you to reveal the content of their conversation at that time?"

Zilai also asked solemnly.

Shizune shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't want to disclose, but I don't know what they talked about. In short, after that incident, Tsunade-sama's mood became erratic for a period of time. I think Ziraiysama can investigate from this aspect."

Zilai also said helplessly: "Even if you say so, now is not the time to investigate this kind of thing. The village urgently needs a new Hokage to appear, but there is no time to talk about it here."

"Is this the case, then it will be difficult... However, I believe that Tsunade-sama always has his heart for Konoha. Please rest assured, Jiraiysama."

Shizune also knew that this seemed a bit embarrassing, but in order to reassure Jiraiya, he told him that Tsunade's position had not changed in any way.

"Of course I know this kind of thing..."

But Jiraiya is also worried about the original problem.

Can't waste time in this kind of place now.

Normally, he still has enough patience to wait here for Tsunade's reply, but the current time does not allow him to take it easy.

The situation Konoha is facing at this time is urgent.

The deadline he set for himself was one week.

If this time is exceeded, we can only adopt a little more drastic means to promote Tsunade to return to Konoha and succeed the Fifth Hokage.

However, Jiraiya is still at a loss as to how to act specifically, and he does not have a complete implementation plan.

"In short, Tsunade, I hope you can keep an eye on her. It is best not to let her contact Chiba Shiraishi alone. If there is any situation, report to me immediately, and I can go to the rescue in time."

Ji Laiya rubbed his forehead with a headache, and said to Jing Yin.

"Yes, I understand. Then, Master Jiraiya, I will take my leave first, and you should rest early today."

Shizune bowed to Jiraiya and left the room.

Before she left, she took a special look at the lunch box left for dinner.

In this way, Tomorrow Jiraiysama will not be able to disturb Tsunade-sama's actions. Jing Yin thought to himself.

After all, there is this Sannin watching in person, once Tsunade starts to act privately, he will inevitably be obstructed by him.

The next morning, it was about ten o'clock.

Compared to the ice and snow outside, the interior of the hotel is equipped with a fireplace, which makes the interior and corridors filled with a warm atmosphere.

Samurai Lijiao is patrolling the corridors, with a serious face and sharp eyes flashing from time to time. He inadvertently sweeps to the dead corners of the patrolling area, not letting go of any corner where he can hide, lest his protected target be intruded by criminals.

Although he didn't understand why, Shiraishi, who was the Minister of Military Affairs of the Ghost Country, would suddenly visit the Iron Country, and it was for a personal reason. But obviously this kind of thing is not something that a little samurai can ask. His task is to protect the personal safety of Baishi, the Minister of Military Affairs of the Ghost Kingdom, during his stay in the Iron Kingdom.

This is undoubtedly a hard job, and even if you are not careful, you may be punished by your superiors. Therefore, Li Jiao, who received this task, took up the job of guard here with the belief that he must die.

Fortunately, Shiraishi is one of the few powerful ninjas in the ninja world. Under normal circumstances, no one who can't think about it will come to assassinate him. Even assassination is difficult to succeed.

It would be great if he could get through it safely... The samurai Lijiao thought in his heart, he only hoped that the other party would not stay in the Iron Country for too long, and leave here as soon as possible after finishing his business, so that he would not be so frightened.

Suddenly, the nose with a keen sense of smell moved, as if smelling an unusual smell, causing Samurai Rijiao to subconsciously raise his head and focus his sight on the front of the corridor.

A woman strolls down the hallway.

Long light yellow hair, brown eyes, in his twenties, but with white and smooth skin comparable to that of a girl, on the outermost side, he was wearing a tegreen gown.

This image was very familiar to Samurai Lijiao, but he couldn't figure out where he was and when he saw the portrait of the other party.

Judging from the opponent's walking posture that did not reveal any flaws, Samurai Rijiao immediately felt the pressure doubled.

Intuition told him that the strength of this woman might not be weaker than that of Ji Laiya who was rejected from visiting here yesterday.

Thinking of Jiraiya, a thought flashed in Samurai Rikaku's mind, he stepped forward to intercept it, and asked, "Excuse me, is this Tsunade-dono?"

Although there was a hint of politeness in his tone, the samurai Rika still kept a certain distance from Tsunade, so that he could have enough space to retreat and counterattack when the opponent made a sudden attack.

Tsunade nodded and said, "I need to talk to that person inside, so go and report."

"Yes, please wait a moment."

Yesterday, Jiraiya from the Sannin came to visit. Today, another member of the Sannin also appeared here for unknown reasons. This group of Konoha ninjas will not regard the Iron Country as their back garden, right? The warrior Li Jiao couldn't help but slander in his heart.

It seems that it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of entry and exit reporting for outsiders.

An uninvited behavior like this, once something goes wrong, may cause diplomatic conflicts without the Iron Country being completely unaware.

Asking Baishi for instructions, Lijiao didn't take too long and returned soon. As Tsunade predicted, when Rikaku came back, he turned sideways, out of the way, and made a respectful gesture of invitation.

"Please, Your Excellency Tsunade, Your Excellency Shiraishi has agreed to meet with you. I will not send you there because of my duty."

"Thank you, sorry for the trouble."

Tsunade nodded, let out a deep breath, and stepped forward, the shoes and the floor of the corridor made a crisp sound.

Before taking too many steps, Tsunade stopped in front of a door.

The outstretched palm froze for a moment, but quickly regained its composure and stability, and pushed open the door in front of it.

The room was empty, except for the fireplace used for heating. In the room, there was only a low table with gray soft cushions on both sides of the low table for people to kneel and sit on.

"You are here, Tsunade-sensei, please sit down."

Shiraishi sat on one of the soft cushions, picked up the kettle, and used hot water to brew the washed tea in the teacup. The room was filled with the rich tea fragrance, and Tsunade who smelled this sound couldn't help but feel refreshed.

Tsunade walked over and sat down quite simply, without any embarrassment.

Shiraishi pushed the cup of brewed tea to Tsunade, and said with a slight smile, "This is the new tea from the Oni Land that I brought over. I invite Teacher Tsunade to taste it."

"I don't like drinking tea, it would be better with wine."

Having said that, Tsunade still picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

Shiraishi also showed a serious consideration on his face, nodded and said: "As long as Tsunade-sensei is willing to join my camp, there is no problem with what kind of wine you want to drink."

"It's really a tempting proposal, but it's just a simple drink, you can't buy me off."

Tsunade put down his tea cup and smiled at Shiraishi.

"So, what kind of 'price' should I offer?"

Shiraishi's inquiring gaze swept across Tsunade's face.

"You should be clear about this. No matter how extravagant you say, I can't give up the village of Konoha. I will not agree to your proposal to let me join the kingdom of ghosts."

Saying these words, thousands of emotions rushed into Tsunade's heart.

Konoha is not only the land where she was born, but also contains her grandfather's expectations for her, her younger brother Nawaki, and her lover Kato's unfinished dreams... If she chooses to leave Konoha at this time, it is tantamount to betraying everything in the past, thinking that all past efforts are useless.

Cruelly trampled on the dreams of these people, how could such a thing be done?

"With all due respect, given the current situation Konoha is facing, even if you go back now, I'm afraid it won't help. Konoha's rigidity is too deep-rooted. If you want to make a fundamental change, you need a stronger impact. This world is about to usher in a new change. If you can't keep up with this trend, you are destined to be eliminated by the new era. I believe that Mr. Tsunade who has traveled around the world must have noticed it. Whether it is a small country or a big country, it has recently become suspicious. "

This kind of thing doesn't need to be explained by Shiraishi, Tsunade can also see it.

She knew that behind the scenes of these things, there must be a kingdom of ghosts behind them.

Start with small countries, so as to affect the balance between big countries.

Wait until the balance with the major powers is broken, then war will inevitably result.

And when this balance will be broken, and to what extent the scale of the war will expand, Tsunade cannot accurately predict.

However, it is still a bit too far away to consider these things right now.

The purpose of her coming here is to get Baishi's help.

"Konoha is not necessarily the enemy of the Oni Nation. If I take the role of the Fifth Hokage, Konoha can form an alliance with the Oni Nation. Does this answer satisfy you?"

Tsunade looked at Shiraishi with firm eyes.

Excessive discussion will only increase your psychological burden.

She had to avoid this extremely heavy topic and win the help of Shiraishi and the Kingdom of Ghosts as soon as possible.

Although this must be obstructed by the conservative forces in the village, Tsunade has full confidence that he can facilitate this matter.

Seeing the firmness and confidence in Tsunade's eyes, Shiraishi seemed to see Tsunade when she was young again. At that time, she was much brighter than the decadent look she is now.

However, Shiraishi shook his head lightly and said: "Not to join, but to give the answer that he wants to promote the alliance between Konoha and the Kingdom of Demons as the Fifth Hokage. It is indeed a bit beyond my expectation... But, Tsunade-sensei, do you think this is possible?"

"Of course you can! The alliance between Konoha and Sand Yin is the best example. You are no longer Konoha's rebellious ninja, and you can appear in the international arena with a positive image. The hatred will gradually disappear under the washing of time. Therefore, even if you were an enemy who gritted your teeth with hatred in the past, you can talk about it in the future, let go of your prejudices, and advance and retreat together."

"You've imagined reality too ideally."

Although this kind of thing is indeed possible, it requires a special environment and a special time. From the current point of view, Shiraishi does not see any hope that this kind of thing will promote.

"If you don't give it a try, how do you know you won't succeed?"

Tsunade spoke boldly, and she knew how difficult she might be if she did so.

But Tsunade believes that reaching an alliance with the Oni Nation is a key step for Konoha to adapt to the new era.

So, no matter how difficult it is, it is imperative to promote the alliance with the kingdom of ghosts.

Hearing what Tsunade said, Shiraishi was speechless instead.

However, as if agreeing with Tsunade's words, Shiraishi did not say anything to refute Tsunade's remarks.

Because he didn't have enough evidence to prove it, Tsunade's path would never work.

Indeed, in this world, the hostile and friendly relations between countries change and develop according to different situations, rather than remain static.

Enemy and friend, this identity can also be adjusted at any time.

Perhaps this fact gave Tsunade a beautiful fantasy about the future.

"That is to say, Tsunade-sensei, are you planning to use the power of the kingdom of ghosts to stabilize your position as Hokage?"

After a long time, Baishi said this sentence.

If Tsunade successfully facilitated this matter, it can indeed be regarded as a powerful capital for Hokage to take power.

"How can you say it's use? It's a win-win cooperation. I think the current ghost country also needs a big country that stands in its own camp as an ally. Although the Lone Ranger sounds good, it will be like Konoha in the past. Enemies are on all sides. That kind of feeling is uncomfortable, and you will suffer for your face."

Tsunade spoke from a real case of Konoha.

She has experienced the difficult times when Konoha was surrounded by enemies, and it is precisely because of this experience that she can see through that the kingdom of ghosts now urgently needs a firm ally of the same status in order to survive better in the international arena.

However, the kingdom of ghosts already has Wuyin Village, an ally who is bound to fate... Baishi still didn't say such words.

Because this secret is too important, it must not be revealed to people outside the camp.

Tsunade's proposal made Shiraishi waver and hesitate for a moment.

Tsunade's courage is bigger and tougher than he imagined.

"I was also a Konoha ninja, and I know what it's like to be alone and helpless. Similarly, I really hope to find one or more reliable allies from the traditional five major countries to support each other and move forward."

Shiraishi sighed and expressed his inner thoughts.

Tsunade smiled, and before she could speak, Shiraishi interrupted her and continued:

"However, the road to reach an alliance with Konoha is full of thorns. The most important thing is not my attitude, but the attitude of Konoha and the nobles of the Fire Nation. Sagakushi may also obstruct it... If Tsunade-sensei can solve these things, then it is not impossible to form an alliance with Konoha and even the Nation of Fire."

It's just that Baishi understands that this hope is really slim.

It can even be said that the probability of success is infinitely close to zero.

Receiving Shiraishi's response, Tsunade was finally relieved, and a big stone in his heart was finally let go.

In the past two days, she has seriously thought about how to answer Baishi more than once.

She hopes to return to Konoha and use the experience and growth of these years to change the village she loves so much. On the other hand, she also knows that if Shiraishi's invitation is rejected, it may trigger the kingdom of ghosts to retaliate afterwards, and once again put Konoha in a predicament where it is difficult to develop.

Therefore, she chose such an extremely difficult path.

As the Fifth Hokage, promote the cooperation between Konoha and the Kingdom of Oni.

In this way, Konoha not only obtained the industrial technology of the ghost country, but also eliminated the hostility between the two parties. The Kingdom of Ghosts can also get rid of the plight of isolation and helplessness in the international arena, and can deal with the complex international environment more calmly.

The imagination of having the best of both worlds is extremely beautiful, but Tsunade also understands that this is not something that can be easily achieved.

It's just that she is mentally prepared for this, and the only way she can go right now is this path.

"Well, we've settled it. Give me three years... no, two years is enough!"

As Tsunade's words fell to the ground, Shiraishi paused in mid-air with the palm holding the teacup, and nodded quietly.

(end of this chapter)