Reincarnated in Naruto World with a System

Jiraiya, his face a patchwork of gauze and bandages, limped into the classroom. His gaze, usually mischievous, was clouded with pain as it settled on Uchiha Tatsumi. Tatsumi felt a shiver crawl down his spine; those eyes spoke of suffering. Big brother, I was wrong, okay? he thought, shrinking under the intensity of the look.

"Well, Jiraiya big brother," Nawaki stammered, "I won't really peep into the women's bath again. I learned my lesson. I mean, look at you!" Nawaki was taken aback. Jiraiya looked terrifying. He now understood his sister trully took pitty on him. Although he knew his elder sister had been responsible for Jiraiya's injuries, he hadn't witnessed an aftermath this severe. He would try and treasure his life from now on!

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Jiraiya said quickly, a forced chuckle escaping his lips. "This… this is the result of a mission I undertook for the Third Hokage. A super S-rank mission, I tell you! Super S-rank! Orochimaru can vouch for me." He needed a plausible excuse, and fast. He couldn't have his students knowing Tsunade had inflicted this level of damage. His reputation as one of the Legendary Sannin was at stake!

"Jiraiya big brother," Nawaki asked innocently, "did you also investigate the shop with the woman in the… skirt?"

Huh? Tatsumi thought, inwardly praising Nawaki's quick thinking. Anyone who called Nawaki a fool was clearly mistaken. He'd obviously seen Jiraiya's condition and was cleverly trying to gauge the danger – and maybe get some intel in the process. He was pretending to have accidentally let slip some information, hoping Jiraiya would take the bait.

"Ah, you mean that shop?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "It's possible they're enemy spies. For the village's safety, we must investigate thoroughly."

Worthy of being Nawaki's teacher, Tatsumi thought. Jiraiya, despite his injuries, was still sharp. He was clearly suspicious.

"Nawaki," Jiraiya asked, his gaze shifting to Tatsumi, "where did you hear about this? Is the information reliable?" He was still wary, and rightly so. He'd been tricked once already.

"Oh, I just… saw it when I walked past this morning," Nawaki mumbled, avoiding eye contact. He couldn't risk provoking yet another tigress, especially one that had placed top 3 in the special assesment. His big sis was enough.

Hearing that the information hadn't come from Tatsumi directly, Jiraiya visibly relaxed. A sly grin spread across his bandaged face. "Excellent, Nawaki. I'll look into it. I'm sure the Third Hokage will be interested as well."

So, he's dragging the Hokage into this too, Tatsumi thought, amused.

After their brief exchange, Jiraiya called Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Minato aside. Tatsumi wisely refrained from asking about Jiraiya's tardiness. It was obvious the Sannin was looking for someone to take his frustrations out on, and Tatsumi was a prime candidate.

The sun beat down, dappling the ground with patches of light filtering through the dense leaves. Orochimaru stood under the shade of a large tree, clad in a Jonin's flak jacket. Just Tsunade? Tatsumi wondered, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He could only imagine what had transpired.

"For the next week," Jiraiya announced, gesturing to Orochimaru and the empty space beside him, "the three of us will be your guides." He paused, his bandaged face creased in a painful smile. "Time is precious, so I suggest you make the most of it."

"Minato," Jiraiya said, "you're with me." He'd originally intended to mentor Tatsumi personally, to show him the true meaning of… well, something. But a prior conversation with Minato, combined with his genuine fondness for the blonde-haired boy (they were both commoners, after all), had changed his mind. And, more importantly, he knew Tsunade had already claimed Tatsumi as her own.

"Mikoto," Orochimaru hissed, his voice low and gravelly, "you're with me." Mikoto offered no objection. Medical-ninjutsu wasn't her forte; her Sharingan offered no particular advantage in that field. Besides, she was a Ninjutsu specialist, not a Taijutsu expert, so Tsunade's training wouldn't be ideal for her. Everyone knew Tsunade had marked Tatsumi for special… attention.

"So," Tatsumi asked, looking around for the missing Sannin, "what do I do?"

Jiraiya gave Tatsumi a knowing look, patting him on the shoulder with a wince. "Tatsumi, my boy, Tsunade is waiting for you at the Senju compound. And," he added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "don't forget your wallet. Tsunade doesn't heal for free, you know."

Tatsumi's mind reeled. So, the scenario was this: Tsunade would beat him to a pulp, then he'd have to pay her to fix him, then she'd probably beat him up again? This was a new level of crazy. These weren't the spoils of victory he'd hoped for.

"Can I… maybe opt out of this particular training regime?" Tatsumi asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Of course you can. Then you won't need to spend money on medical bills…" He paused, his smile widening. "You can just use it to buy a nice plot in the cemetery."

"…Right," Tatsumi said weakly.

"Don't worry, Tatsumi," Minato offered, a nervous smile on his face. "Just apologise to Lady Tsunade, and I'm sure she'll forgive you."

If apologies worked, why would Tsunade exist? Jiraiya thought, glancing ruefully at his bandages.

"Minato, let's go!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with mock anger. "I'll teach you the ultimate Ninjutsu! You'll use it to avenge me against that… that Uchiha brat!"

"…Ah ha ha," Minato replied, following Jiraiya with a look of mingled amusement and sympathy for Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi," Orochimaru said, his snake-like eyes narrowing slightly, "as I mentioned before the Chunin exams, I'm always interested in talented students. After your… session with Tsunade, feel free to come to me for further guidance. My offer still stands." He was disappointed that Tsunade had claimed Tatsumi, but he wouldn't interfere. There would be other opportunities.

Tatsumi nodded, resigning himself to his fate. He knew what this meant: future collaborations in morally questionable scientific endeavours, potentially becoming an involuntary organ donor, and definitely spending some time in some rather unpleasant labs. After all, he might end up being Orochimaru's student after graduation.

"Come along, Mikoto," Orochimaru said, his gaze flicking over her. He turned and vanished into the trees.

"Well, Tatsumi," Mikoto said, offering a small, sympathetic smile. "Good luck." She then followed Orochimaru, leaving Tatsumi alone in the clearing.

So, the question was: face Tsunade and probably die a slow, painful death, or… well, face Tsunade and probably die a slow, painful death. It was a tough choice.