Jiraiya stood on the patio and stared out at the Sand Village. With a big breath he let out a sigh and a smile crept onto his face. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been here, but to think a place could change like this in such a short time.”
“Thank you, Lord Jiraiya.” I bowed respectfully, taking the compliment to heart.
Jiraiya looked at me with his grin getting even wider. “Lord now? What’s with the change of heart.”
“Well I mean you just said you came here for a progress report. I have played enough of the political game to know when to kiss up during performance reviews.”
Jiraiya was shocked into silence before erupting into laughter. “To think the number one rebellious ninja would ever say something like that. I’m telling Orochimaru you said that when I get back.”
“I’ll deny it till my last breath,” I responded which earned another burst of laughter from the toad sage. “Speaking of, how is the snake charmer doing? Still cooped up in his lab.”
“Last I heard he was. From what I understand, much like you, he’s trying to come up with a way to regrow limbs. He pestered Minato for access to the first’s blood but was denied. Since then he has been taking every free mission to the capital he can get his hands on.”
“Ahh, I see. Well if anything the man is persistent.” I shrugged. Noticing Jiraiya’s eyes wandering to one of the streets below I looked over the railing and discovered what had stolen the man’s attention. A trio of civilian women wearing bathing suits and a few towels were making their way down the street.
“You know I’ve been cooped up in here myself. Perhaps we should catch up while walking about the town? The lake has a beach that seems to be popular.”
“Hmm, yes, yes. I always knew you had a good head on your shoulders. A splendid ideal.” With that, Jiraiya leaped over the railing and made his way towards the beach with myself following along.
Subconsciously I began trailing behind Jiraiya the same way I would follow a guard escort back in the war. Just far enough away that if he triggered an ambush I would have time to take up a defense and decide my action, while not so far that we could be separated easily if we wanted to stick together.
Once again I chastised myself for falling into old habits. As an ambassador, it’s embarrassing acting the way I do. How can I preach for peace and prosperity while I’m acting like I’m expecting a fight any second? If I can notice my actions, then other shinobi can too.
“Hatake!”I had to end my chastising short as Jiraiya was ambushed and I had to take my time and decide how I was going to act. Out of the shadows, a blur rushed out and pounced on Jiraiya. Leaping into the air the attacker delivered a rapid rain of kicks at the man who blocked them with one of his arms while reaching for a kunai with the other. One of the kicks was pushed back by Jiraiya and the assailant was flung away.
Before she even touched the ground, the woman sent out half a dozen senbon towards the toad sage. Using his Kunai, Jiraiya deflected all of the needles towards the ground in between the two. I had placed myself nine feet behind and three feet to the right of the man. I thought about attempting to defuse the situation but the chakra source I recognized rushing to the side of the old lady told me that the effort would be unnecessary.
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“Elder Chiyo! That's enough, he isn’t even Hatake.” A young woman said making herself known. Chiyo herself was wearing her usual robes along with a scowl in Jiraiya’s direction.
The young woman with a toddler in each hand and a backpack with beach supplies sticking out of it came from around the corner. I decided it was best to skip past the awkward stare-down between Jiraiya and Chiyo and just greet the young mother. “Good afternoon Karura. You look as beautiful as always.”
“Oh quit it you flirt. I look awful.” Karura said with her short hair a mess and mysterious stains on her blouse. “Here, hold.” The wife of the Kazekage said as she thrusted the prince and princess of the sand village into my arms while she reached into the backpack she was holding and pulled out a brush.
“Karura! Don’t just hand them over to the leaf ninja!” Chiyo barked in outrage.
“Oh relax, It’s only Amon.” Karura spat back as she quickly brushed her hair with practiced ease.
“The “Only” part was not necessary to say,” I muttered under my breath. Everyone heard but ignored my comment as they focused on their own actions. Karura tried to scrub the stain from her shirt to no avail and huffed. Turning to me she pointed to the stain and I resolved myself to my fait. With both of my hands full I uncoiled one of the bandages I had wrapped around my body, controlling it to reach into my side pack and brought out one of the Cleaning Tags I had stored inside. Placing it on Karura I activated it and watched as a small wave of water flowed from the tag and down and across her shirt taking all the stains and dirt along with it.
“Oh, thank you, Amon, You are a lifesaver.” Karura turned to Chiyo with a look that can only be described as unimpressed. “Why can’t you do anything like that?”
“I would never waste my time working on something as pointless as that.”
“No, you waste your time jumping out of windows and attacking people like a crazed banshee. Flinging poisoned needles in the middle of the street at an esteemed guest, and a war hero from an allied village. Yes, I see that your schedule is packed. Speaking of poison needles.” Karura looked at the senbon still sticking out of the ground and then back at Chiyo, then back at the senbon, then back at the old woman whose scowl was getting deeper by the second.
Picking up on the not-subtle hint, Chiyo clicked her tongue and used chakra strings to retrieve the needles from the ground and hid them up her sleeves. Karura turned to Jiraiya and bowed her head politely. “Lord Jiraiya, it is a pleasure and an honor to have someone as great as you visit our village. I apologize for the actions of Grany Chiyo. With her outrageous old age and the fumes of her subpar poisons she peddles, her mind has left her many decades ago.” Karura said with false sincerity. Chiyo on the other hand looked like she was using all of her willpower to bite back a response, thankfully Karura moved on, “If I might ask, what brought someone as great and well respected as you to our village?”
Jiraiya puffed up his chest “Weeelllll as a Lord of the land of fire, I wanted to make sure you were treaty my poor friend Amon here well and make sure he wasn’t slacking off.”
“Oh no, We love Amon. He and Chiyo work on boring stuff all the time. If Amon wasn’t around, I would be stuck with the old hag.”
“…” Chiyo with a cold look of death continued to stare daggers at the back of Karura’s head while the woman herself pretended not to notice the puppet slash poison master radiating killing intent behind her.
“Now forgive me if this is embarrassing but your name is the same as the author of a book I have been reading. Is it true that you wrote Make-out Paradise?”
“Yes, it’s true. During my many travels, inspiration struck and I knew I needed to write. In a way, the story wrote itself and I was just the vessel used to bring it into the world.”
“I knew it. My girlfriends and I love your book.”
“You do…they do?”
“Oh yes, Because of the war many of are villages' gallant and young husbands were lost. All the time I constantly hear from poor and lonely young widows that your book is the only thing that brings them comfort at night.”
“Really now? I am happy to know that I can bring some joy to those who most need it.”
“Me and sadly Chiyo as well, were going to the beach. I’m sure the other girls would squeal in delight at the chance to meet you.”
“Ah, what a coincidence Jiraiya and I were going to the beach to stare at women like two creeps.”
Jiraiya turned to me with hate and panic in his eyes but Karura quickly relieved his fears. “Oh research for your next book? Please allow me to be your guide. I know the best places to kick back and enjoy the sights.” Karura wrapped her arms around Jiraiya’s and started walking with him towards where I new a lot of the single moms hanged out at. “Ever since Amon and my husband installed the lake, the women can hardly keep their clothes on in this village. I would suspect that was half the reason they did it if they weren’t always in their office working on who knows what.”
Jiraiya was pulled by Karura towards the beach with the biggest grin on his face while Karura looked proud of herself. As the two walked I and Chiyo were left holding the literal bag and two toddlers in the middle of the street. Both of us looked at each other and with a sigh of resignation followed the two.