"Dammit, why can't I do it?" demanded Naruto, as yet again he attempted the new jutsu, and failed. Jiraiya laughed to himself, knowing too well that this was one jutsu Naruto couldn't master in a week.
"Give it time, Naruto," he said, not even bothering to look up from his book.
"I have given it time. I've given it three hours already!" Naruto stamped his foot in frustration.
"Getting angry won't help. It will only waste your energy," said Jiraiya calmly.
"I'm not getting angry!" he punched the closest tree fiercely with his fist, making a neat hole through the trunk. Jiraiya looked up at last and raised his eyebrows.
"I think somebody needs a break. How about some Ramen?"
Naruto's face lit up. "Sounds good to me. Lets go!"
"So tell me about this jutsu. I don't understand it," asked Naruto through a mouthful of ramen. Jiraiya sighed and turned to him.
"The thing with this technique is…" he paused to swallow his mouthful, "you have to not be thinking about it when you do it."
"Huh? How can you not think about it? That's impossible."
Jiraiya shook his head. "Now that's where you're wrong. You see, this jutsu isn't like most. It doesn't come when you tell it to. It comes when it needs to."
Naruto stared blankly at him. "Urr?"
"You'll see," he ruffled Naruto's hair with his hand. "You'll know when it needs to come." Naruto shook him off.
"I still don't understand. How can a jutsu have a mind of its own?"
"It can't. You see it's still your mind controlling it. But your unconscious mind, rather than your conscious."
Naruto pulled a face and went back to eating his Ramen. "Sounds complicated."
Jiraiya laughed. "I guess you could say that." Suddenly a low grumbling noise arose from his stomach. He patted it and grinned at the pretty waitress that had served them. "Tummy bug," he said quickly. "Naruto, stay here, I'll be right back." And with that he ran from the Ramen shop in the direction of the toilets. Naruto sighed and stared into his empty Ramen bowl.
"Want another one?" asked the waitress, smiling down at him. Naruto shook his head.
"Better not. I need to get back to my training." He smiled back at her and left the shop.
"Naruto! Naruto!" he turned around to see Jiraiya rushing towards him.
"Per-"
"No time. No time. We have to get out of here, now!"
"What? Why?"
"No time to explain. Now RUN!" And with that he began running towards the woods. Naruto didn't need telling twice. He turned round and began running for his life after Jiraiya.