Word count: 500.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"You know I'm leaving in a few days, right?"
Jiraiya's voice cut in to Konan's thoughts as she stirred the rice over the stove.
"I wish you'd stay," Konan replied, earnestly and honestly. The lights flickered overhead as thunder roared outside and lightning cracked the sky. Some of the cabinets actually shook.
Jiraiya rolled his eyes and smiled. "You know I can't. I've got a village to be getting back to. I'd feel more comfortable if the three of you would come back to Konoha, to be honest."
Konan managed a half-smile. "I wouldn't mind that, but Nagato and Yahiko would never agree to come."
The truth hung in the air. While Konan held no grudge against Konoha, even with the violent end her family met, and even though none of them held any grudges against Jiraiya, not by any means, Nagato and Yahiko would never agree to set foot in the village responsible for their orphaning.
"What?" Konan asked, stirring the rice to make sure it didn't burn. "Are you worried about us?"
He tilted his head back and forth. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Let's sit down at the table."
Konan took the rice off of the stove and dished out two bowls. Wherever Nagato and Yahiko were, the rice would still be hot when they came back.
Once they got to the table and started eating, Jiraiya looked her dead in the eye and put down the chopsticks. "Listen, Konan, promise me something."
"Anything," she smiled between mouthfuls of rice.
"You look after those two. Nagato and Yahiko."
Konan frowned, swallowing down another bite of rice, then took a drink of water. "What do you mean, sensei?"
Jiraiya gave her a frown of his own. "Don't play dumb with me. You're way too smart for that. Those boys are reckless; they leap into things headfirst. But you…you're the only one who thinks first; you're the only who looks before you leap. You're a hell of a lot more sensible than them. You're levelheaded." He rolled his eyes again. "And God knows those boys are not."
"Okay, okay," Konan soothed, smiling as she sipped from her glass. "Where are they now, anyway?"
"They're training." Jiraiya paused.
"Okay…"
"Outside."
Konan gaped at him.
"On the roof of the shed," he finished, a little gingerly.
"Oh, my…" Konan nearly knocked over the chair running to the window. She wiped away the steam and looked outside. Sure enough, Nagato and Yahiko were on the tin roof of the shed. "Doesn't anyone worry about getting hit by lightning anymore?" she muttered.
"See what I mean?" Jiraiya came to stand beside her, propping his large hand on the window and grinning. "You're gonna have to look after those two lunatics for the rest of your life. Or until they get married, whatever comes first."
Konan actually managed to laugh as Nagato and Yahiko saw them and Yahiko laughed and Nagato waved shyly at Konan.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."