You can't quit until you try…
You can't live until you die…

The rain fell in a steady beat around the dark shape lying on the muddy ground. Water made trails through the blood and mud, slowly uncovering the pale face and the leaf symbol in the muddy ground beside the form. A deep ragged breath broke the stillness that surrounded the dark form and disturbed the muddy ground further as the figure clawed a hand free of the mud to try to draw itself out of the grave. A muttered curse drew the muddy figures attention from the ground to the battle scarred landscape around it. There was a guttural cry as the mud-covered figure finally drew itself from the shallow grave and staggered to its feet. The rain pounded down on an upturned face washing away clumps of mud to reveal the narrow feminine face beneath.

The body slowly drew itself up out of the mud and staggered to the shallow stream beyond. Dropping to her knees in the water and swore as the icy water invaded every wound. Jiraiya heard the muttered swear words and covered the distance between them, hoping that for the moment it was Naromi in that water and not someone else.

"Naromi?" His voice drew her from the staring contest she was having with her reflection.

"Kill me while I am still here, do it before I fail completely." Jiraiya ignored the pleading woman and knelt in the water before her.

"I cannot do that, we've all ready lost too much, I refuse to loose you as well." The blue eyes that met him were brimming with tears.

"Please, let me die." Jiraiya looked down at the bloody water and nodded, not trusting his voice.

Naromi saw the grief that bowed the Sannin's shoulders and struggled to contain the emotions that raged in her mind. The screaming voices in the background were making it harder to concentrate.

"If you won't kill me, then seal me away." She begged her voice cracking under the strain. Jiraiya raised his eyes and nodded slowly.

"I'll do it."

I know some things that you don't…
I've done things that you won't…

It was two months after that blood soaked day that Jiraiya realized he was witnessing the true depth of evil. The kyuubi's form writhed in the sky above the army of ninja's seeking to destroy the demon. His student's blonde hair stood out in the sea of darkness. Jiraiya dropped his gaze to his blood stained hands, his gut clenched in pain, there was a terrible shriek and then silence. The complete silence that bears down and smothers all in its path; however, in that silence the shriek of a small baby brought back a sense of reality. Jiraiya turned and watched the third hokage pick up the small blonde haired baby.

"Naruto." Jiraiya muttered the name, agony mixing with his voice. He moved away, turning his back on this village and the reminders of the blood on his hands.

Nothing like a trail of blood,

to find your way back home…

~*~

Author's Note: Song Lyrics from Sixx AM's "Life is Beautiful"