Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

"Mission assignments…" Jiraiya muttered, setting down his drink. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

The war had accumulated countless mission requests, and with the end of the war looming, ninjas returning to the village would be deployed to handle them.

For someone like him, who had been absent for two years, the workload would likely be overwhelming. Worse still, his missions wouldn't be low-level errands—they'd be high-stakes, high-risk, and endlessly exhausting.

"This is unfair! Why am I being treated like a workhorse?" Jiraiya grumbled, his frustration amplified by the wine he'd been drinking.

At that moment, just outside the door of the barbecue restaurant, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, froze mid-step. He had been waiting for Jiraiya to report to him in the Hokage's office but had grown impatient after hours of waiting.

He finally decided to track Jiraiya down, only to overhear his loud complaints.

The Hokage's expression darkened. This disciple of mine… not only did he avoid the office, but he caused trouble at the hot spring hotel, then went to eat barbecue instead of taking responsibility.

Inside, Shinki smirked. "You're being treated like a workhorse because most of the capable ninjas are on the battlefield while you've been on a two-year vacation. Is that reason enough?"

"But I was on the battlefield too!" Jiraiya protested. "Just… for a while…"

Shinki chuckled. "Not quite the same. For example, I don't have to take on those missions."

"You don't? Why not?"

Shinki pointed to himself with a grin. "Because I'm me. Tsunade and Orochimaru are in a similar position. Guess who's left to pick up the slack?"

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. "Why does it feel like I'm the only one getting bullied here?"

Unable to listen any longer, the Hokage opened the door and stepped inside. "Jiraiya, you're hardly the only one. The village is under strain, and everyone must contribute. Your time will come."

Jiraiya stiffened. "Uh… Hokage-sama, I didn't realize you were here…"

The Third Hokage ignored him for the moment, helping himself to some barbecue as he addressed Shinki. "What about you? Are you available for some of these missions?"

Shinki didn't hesitate. "Nope. Not until Kushina can safely leave the village. Thanks, but I'll pass."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Wait, you can just refuse missions? Isn't it a ninja's duty to follow orders?"

Shinki smirked. "I'm not short on money. Besides, who knows what kind of ridiculous missions the Hokage will assign me?"

The Hokage coughed, clearly irritated but maintaining his composure. "Performing missions is the duty of every ninja in the village."

Shinki raised an eyebrow. "Including you, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze. "Well… the Hokage has unique responsibilities that prevent him from leaving the village."

Jiraiya jumped in, trying to salvage the situation. "He's right. The Hokage can't just leave the village whenever he wants. It's not the same."

Shinki shrugged, his expression playful. "So ANBU is supposed to handle missions?"

Jiraiya wisely chose to stay silent this time, realizing Shinki's arguments were going nowhere.

The Hokage sighed. "Jiraiya, do you understand why I've been looking for you?"

"Yes! I understand, Hokage-sama. I've learned my lesson," Jiraiya said earnestly. "I promise nothing like this will happen again."

Sarutobi's brow furrowed. "I'm not talking about your absence during the war. I'm talking about the hot spring hotel incident."

Jiraiya's face went pale. "Oh… that…"

The Hokage's tone grew sharper. "Several women who were bathing came to the Hokage's office to complain. Do you know how much effort and money I had to spend to smooth things over?"

"I thought this was about the Rain Country…" Jiraiya mumbled, confused.

Shinki stifled a laugh, shaking his head. "Jiraiya, you're clueless. The Hokage didn't treat you as a traitor for your absence, so that's already settled. But peeping at the hot spring hotel? That's no small matter."

"Jiraiya!" The Hokage's voice boomed, silencing the room. "Your behavior has had serious consequences. The owners of the hot spring hotels have banded together to file a formal complaint. They say your repeated behavior has damaged their reputation, driving away customers."

"What?!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "But I've been doing that for years—no one complained before!"

Shinki snorted. "That doesn't make it better, Jiraiya. They've had enough of you."

The Hokage nodded grimly. "Their livelihoods are being affected. The owners demand compensation for the losses caused by your actions."

Jiraiya's shoulders slumped. "Compensation? How much are we talking about?"

"A lot," the Hokage said, his voice heavy with frustration. "And you'll pay for it."

Jiraiya's face fell as he realized the gravity of the situation. The Hokage continued eating his barbecue, his silence speaking volumes.

Meanwhile, Shinki leaned back, grinning. "Looks like you've got quite the workload ahead of you, Jiraiya. Better get used to it."