They mull this over (they're not entirely sure yet on the details themselves). "You know I dislike lies, so I'll be entirely honest with you... I intend to end death. My research on immortality is close to a solution, and while my method of resurrection is imperfect, it only requires a few more breakthroughs to work as a solution for everyone, ever. In the short term, my resonant and I are improving the quality of life in Sound, the village I founded, and working to oppose the goals of an organization known as Akatsuki."

"That sounds entirely unlike you."

"Heh. The old Orochimaru never would have done such things, would he? My resonant was... A very strong person, though. Stubborn. And oddly moral, especially for a shinobi. Well, what of my offer? You don't have to decide now, I'm willing to give you time to think it over, but I would like at least an indication..."

(She finds the idea that Orochimaru would ever resonate with anyone moral less believable than that it would change him so much, but...)

"Tsunade-sama! You can't possibly be considering - " her apprentice Shizune starts. "Don't listen to these liars! They're a threat to the Leaf; would Uncle and your brother really want you to do this? Have you forgotten your dreams and wishes - their dreams and wishes? Yet - "

"Shut up, Shizune!" Tsunade yells, trying to tamp down on her emotions. "Orochimaru... I don't have an answer for you now... Especially since you've brought no proof of your good intentions."

"You may visit Sound if you wish, to see the progress I've made since resonating... I wouldn't try to hold you there. But I suspect even that you wouldn't count as proof; you may simply have to take me for my word. Have you ever known me as a liar? I may have been secretive for a time, but did I ever directly speak falsely to you?"

She can't recall a single incident; that doesn't make it true, and he's certainly deceived her in the past.

"Hmph. Shizune, let's get going. I'm tired of listening to this crap."

"I'll eagerly await your answer, then. Let's say... One week? And if you need to go somewhere else to think, don't worry, I'll be able to find you." A week will be excruciatingly long, but they sense that pushing her will not end well for them.

She gestures to Shizune, turns, and walks away.

Towards the nearest bar, of course. She recently won big; no point in spending it on anything other than alcohol.

She's rapidly approaching 'drunk off her ass' by nightfall, when she spots yet another familiar face entering through the door.

Just her luck; what is with today and her past catching up to her?

"Jiraiya..." she mutters, at the same time he shouts her name. He's clearly a bit surprised; at least this meeting wasn't as thoroughly planned as Orochimaru's approach.

"What the fuck are you doing in a place like this?" she asks, curling her fingers around her glass.

"Looking for you," he responds, heading for her table. She finally notices the redheaded girl he has in tow; short little thing, hadn't been visible over the booth.

She takes another long sip, then sets down her glass and makes no motion to either stop or encourage him and his tag-along as they make themselves comfortable across from her and Shizune.

Tsunade sighs, leaning forwards and clasping her hands. "Today I met someone who brings back bad memories... And now you."

"Orochimaru? Did anything happen?" Jiraiya asks, serious for once.

"Nothing much..." she responds, sending a quick quelling glare at Shizune. "He's resonated, did you know?"

"I'd heard..." Jiraiya starts.

"He did," the girl interrupts. "I was there when the resonation started... With my teammate, Rian. I've met her since, and I can feel Orochimaru in this town... Their chakra signatures are now basically the same, the only thing different is in the amount of yang chakra each has... Even their emotions feel similar, now."

And Orochimaru likely knows she and Jiraiya are here; she can feel Chihiro, too, for all that she only actually met the cat once.

"You can feel him? Why didn't you warn me, brat - "

"You didn't ask." And she doesn't particularly want Jiraiya starting a fight with kinda-sorta-Rian.

"Hm... And what was your teammate like?" Tsunade asks, overriding Jiraiya's spluttering.

"Rian was... Very moral. Disliked fighting, hated killing, unless she thought her target was evil. Even when she loathed her target, she was never cruel... She always tried to deescalate any fights our team got into. She's not particularly smart, she's more physically focused than mentally, but she's - good at figuring out techniques if you show them to her. She likes people, and hearing their stories, and learning about history. She can give me a run for my money on stubbornness."

"Doesn't sound much like Orochimaru at all. Usually resonants are at least somewhat similar."

Shrug. "It's so rare, there isn't much to say what needs to be similar. She's definitely different than she used to be, though I haven't talked to her enough to put my finger on exactly how."

She leans back, crossing her arms. That sounds a lot like her own experience with this new Orochimaru, too.

"So why were you looking for me? I'm disliking this latest trend."

"Truthfully? The Leaf Village has issued a request for you to become the Fifth Hokage." He notes everyone's clear surprise, then solemnly continues with, "The Third is..."

"Dead. Orochimaru's work. He told me. He's still bluntly honest, whatever he's become. The thing I don't know... Was that before or after he resonated?"

"After. By a good month," Mariko responds before Jiraiya can. "Rian was involved, too; she took on one of the elders, Danzo, while Orochimaru took on the Third. They - had the Sand as allies, but they didn't attack more than that. For an invasion... Barely anyone died. Just some of Danzo's pet sycophants, and a few ANBU. Apparently Danzo was running unauthorized black ops missions, brainwashing children, everything the Leaf supposedly stands against, and apparently the Third was allowing it. Their justification - sounded like a very Rian sort of thing to think, but it could've been influenced by Orochimaru." Team Seven had agreed not to tell anyone about Rian's additional reasoning, that the Third dying would clear the way for either Jiraiya or Tsunade. Those two would be the best candidates, anyways, no need to drop them out of paranoia. Mariko's still not sharing; she's not sure how the two loyal Sannin would react.

...Okay, yeah, she finds that believable. That it'd happen, not so much that Orochimaru would care, but who knows with resonants.

"Who is this girl, anyways, Jiraiya?" she asks.

"Uzumaki Mariko. My newest student," he says, smiling slightly.

'The Nine Tails girl, then...' she thinks.

"It doesn't matter," she responds after a few moments, thinking also of Orochimaru's words. "...I decline the village's offer."

"What? Why - there's no one else, I suspect Jiraiya's already refused, Konoha needs you!"

"Heh... She's not so bad as your previous apprentice... Worse in terms of temper, that last kid you had was properly polite, but... Even the Fourth died quickly." Everyone at the table goes quiet and serious, and she continues, losing herself in thought. "Life isn't like money, you can't just gamble it so easily. Whoever tries is a fool. Even my grandfather and the Second focused too much on bringing peace to the village, more than anything else... But as a result they just died in the middle of their dreams, like losers."

Jiraiya frowns. "You've changed a lot, Tsunade. I don't know what you've been thinking all this time, but if it's anything like that..."

"Well, I'm already in my fifties, and age changes people..." She smirks; she'd never say this if she wasn't drunk, but, eh, might as well. "It was the same for Sarutobi-sensei. It's no wonder he died; he was too old to live those dreams of peace." She lets the smirk slide off her face. "Being Hokage is a shit job. No one but a fool would do it."

(Rian had mused about being Hokage, about changing things for the better - )

(Sarutobi may not have been a good person. The First, Second, and Fourth may not even have been good people. But Rian's dreams - )

Mariko surges out of her seat, teeth clenched. "I won't forgive you for that. I don't care if you're old, I'm going to kick your ass!" She's been trying to be less confrontational lately, but Tsunade's face is asking to be rearranged, so.

Tsunade stands, too, leaning over into Mariko's space. "You've got some nerve saying that to me, girl. Let's take this outside."

She ignores Shizune's protests, and heads to the street outside the bar.

"As one of the Legendary Sannin," she says once she's across from Mariko. "I don't even need to be serious, to fight such a little girl... One finger should be enough."

Mariko scowls. "Don't underestimate me so easily..."

She's well aware she can't win this fight, no matter how drunk Tsunade is right now. But all she needs to do is make her point...

Solid chains burst from her back and the ground behind Tsunade, lashing for the woman, who deflects each with a single finger, as easily as if she was entirely sober.

Well, she doesn't deflect them far enough. 

Several of the chains explode -

And Tsunade comes darting out of the smoke to flick Mariko on the forehead.

She goes flying back, pain flaring, and slams into the ground, rolling a few feet before she manages to stop herself.