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Chapter 44 – The Sage, the Fox, and the Giant
🕑 Added 2025-06-28 01:41:54 +0000 UTCChapter 44 – The Sage, the Fox, and the Giant
The afternoon sun rolled lazily across the skies above Tanzaku Quarters, casting long golden beams across the wooden rooftops and bustling stone streets. The smell of sizzling meats, distant incense, and the tang of summer wind drifted through the crowds. Laughter and merchant cries mixed with sandals tapping across sun-warmed tiles.
Among the chatter, one figure limped awkwardly down the street—a merchant, middle-aged and sweating beneath his silken vest. His leg was swollen and wrapped in a poorly tied bandage, stained slightly red. He cursed under his breath with each step, grumbling about rice sacks and clumsy porters.
Then he caught sight of two figures rounding a corner: a white-haired man in red, tall and broad-shouldered, with an unmistakable mane of spiked hair… and beside him, a blond teen, holding a rubbery blue balloon with both hands, his face scrunched in focus.
“Damn this leg,” the merchant grumbled as he hobbled past them. “Need to find that Tsunade-sama’s clinic, heard she’s healing folks right here in Tanzaku…”
Jiraiya stopped in his tracks.
“…Tsunade? Clinic?” He turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
Naruto blinked, the balloon still wobbling in his grip. “Tsunade? She’s here?”
“Looks like it,” Jiraiya muttered, watching the merchant hobble toward the western street. “And she opened a clinic…? That woman? No way…”
He scratched the back of his head, frowning. “I was sure she’d be holed up in a gambling den, drinking away what little dignity she had left. But this…”
Naruto tilted his head. “Maybe she’s turning over a new leaf?”
Jiraiya snorted. “Maybe. Or maybe someone gave her a good enough reason.”
They followed the merchant through the winding streets until a small but sturdy building came into view, its windows polished, door open, and the clean scent of herbs wafting outward. A modest wooden sign swung lightly above the entrance.
Tsunade Medical Clinic
Inside, the merchant sat on a bench, already being treated.
By a giant.
Jiraiya’s brow arched high as he stared through the doorway.
The young man standing over the patient was enormous. Nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in plain clothes stretched taut over rippling muscle. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing dense forearms that moved with perfect precision. His hands glowed faintly with medical chakra as he examined the merchant’s leg, removing the crude bandage and gently wrapping a fresh one.
The man’s face, though youthful, carried a quiet maturity. No forehead protector. No clan markings. But there was something different about him. He looked like a statue carved from stone, calm, powerful, and out of place.
Even Naruto blinked. “That guy’s… huge.”
Jiraiya took a slow step inside.
The moment he did, the tall medic turned and met his eyes.
For a moment, the clinic was silent. No tension, just acknowledgment, two shinobi measuring each other in a glance.
Then the tall young man gave a polite nod.
“Welcome,” he said. His voice was smooth, low, and steady. “You’re injured?”
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, lips quirking into a grin. “Not quite. But thanks for the offer.”
“You’re here for Tsunade-sama, then.”
“You could say that.”
Hajime finished wrapping the merchant’s leg, pressing his palm against it with a final pulse of green chakra. The man groaned in relief, then bowed in thanks as he was helped to his feet.
“Rest it for two days,” Hajime instructed calmly. “No running.”
The merchant limped out, muttering blessings as he went.
Jiraiya stepped further inside, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. His eyes never left Hajime.
“You’re not a local,” he said casually. “And you’re no ordinary medic.”
“I’m not from here, no,” Hajime replied.
“Apprentice?”
“Yes.”
“To Tsunade?”
“Yes.”
Jiraiya scratched his chin. “You’ve got her control, I’ll give you that. But not her style.”
Hajime smiled faintly. “I study hard.”
Naruto, impatient and twitching from the awkward tension, stepped forward. “Hey, old man, are we just gonna talk or are we gonna see if she’s here?”
“She’s in the back,” Hajime said before Jiraiya could answer. “Sleeping off a headache.”
“Still drinking, huh?” Jiraiya muttered.
“Less than before,” Hajime replied. “She still works. Still saves lives.”
That silenced Jiraiya for a moment. Then he gave a short chuckle. “Guess she’s changing after all. About time.”
He studied Hajime once more, eyes narrowing. “What’s your name?”
“Hajime.”
“You from a clan?”
“No.”
“You always talk this calm?”
“Yes.”
Naruto grunted. “Man, you’re like a giant version of Sasuke but less dramatic.”
Hajime tilted his head slightly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Jiraiya cracked a small grin. “Well, Hajime, you’re interesting. And you’re not just muscle. You’re hiding something.”
“Everyone is,” Hajime replied.
The sound of footsteps broke the moment. Shizune entered from the back hallway, blinking when she saw the two visitors.
“Jiraiya-sama?” she said, surprised. “You’re here?”
He waved. “Hey, Shizune. Heard you’ve gone legitimate.”
She frowned. “We’ve always been legitimate.”
“Right, right. Just… didn’t expect the clinic.”
Her gaze flicked between him and Hajime. “You’ve met?”
“We’ve spoken,” Hajime said.
Shizune nodded, then smiled faintly. “Tsunade-sama should be awake soon.”
Jiraiya stepped back and folded his arms. “Good. I’ve got a proposal for her.”
As the group settled into the waiting area, Naruto started juggling his balloon again, grumbling about stage two of his training. Shizune fetched tea. And Hajime returned to sorting herbs at the side table, quietly listening, calmly waiting.
But Jiraiya still watched him.
There was something there.
End of Chapter 44 – The Sage, the Fox, and the Giant
