Ali: Okay, here's the next chappie! ^-^
Danzo: Hm...
Ali: *stiffens* c-creepy Danzo... HEY!
Danzo: Just say the disclaimer.
Ali: Okay. I own nothing but the plot... *eyes Danzo and then mouths 'help me'*
The week went by fast with his mind coming up with negative effects such as: being a zombie, evil, easily influenced by anyone, or completely different person, but the positive idea of his mentor coming back clouded his mind. When the end of the week had come they came, their eyes looking around his (now) neat apartment. He sighed.
"I gathered you all here thinking of a way of bringing Jiraiya back," he said.
"Was that why you asked me?" Hinata asked.
He nodded. "It was to prove my hypothesis correct."
"Look at you, using big words," Sakura teased.
Naruto looked at her, his face serious. "Sit on my bed."
They did as he told and he brought out Jiraiya's body from his walk-in closet after resetting the floor boards. The girls backed away, repulsed. He made a gesture with his head and they moved to stand on the other side of the room as he dropped the body on its back on his bed. He breathed heavily for a second and looked at the girls.
"I want you to try and use the technique you used on the fish in the beginning of your training to bring him back," he said.
"Will it work?" Kurenai asked.
He shrugged. "All I know is it worked on a squirrel, and I'm betting my money that it might work on Jiraiya."
"We might need more people," Ino noted.
"No! I don't want anyone else to know yet. Just… please try."
They had a collective sigh and crowded around the body and placed their hands on his chest and soon their hands were covered with green chakra. He watched in the corner and waited, hoping for some sign of life from the body, and hoped it would no longer be that. He hoped it would no longer be just a body.
After almost an hour straight of work the body jerked. He stood straight and the body breathed and jerked again. Naruto pushed the girls behind him with his arms and had a kunai in his hand. The body opened its eyes and looked around, a look of confusion when it focused on the yellow haired chunin.
"Naruto?" Jiraiya's voice normal, wounds healed already.
"P-pervy Sage?"
"What happened? I was fighting Pein and I was sinking in the ocean and…." The sage's eyes narrowed as if he was trying to remember something important. "I don't remember."
"How do you feel?" Shizune asked.
Naruto turned away, tears in his eyes as he walked into a corner. Please don't let this be a dream.
"I'm fine. I feel better than ever," Jiraiya said, looking around. "Where's Tsunade?"
Kurenai nudged Naruto and he looked up. "Tell him something."
"But I-"
"Naruto," Hinata glared at him. "You have to be the one to tell him."
"Tell me what?" Jiraiya asked. "Is something wrong with Tsunade? Did something happen to her."
"Nothing's wrong per say but…"
"What happened?" Jiraiya asked in a hard voice.
"She's not physically ill or wounded, but she's been at Tanzaku town after the fight with Pein. She drinks your favorite drink and she's winning her gambling."
"Really," his eyes widened. "Anything else?"
Naruto looked at the girls, silently asking if there was and he suddenly remembered. "She's giving all the Hokage work to Shizune. She's really depressed."
"Over me?"
Naruto nodded, seeing a flicker in the toad sage's eyes. Jiraiya rose, towering over everyone in the room and walked towards the door. Naruto grabbed his sensei's arm and turned him so he faced him.
"Where are you going?" Jiraiya lifted his eyebrow like it should be obvious, and it was to Naruto. He let the perverted old man go and glanced at Sakura, and grinned at the man. "Have fun old man."
Jiraiya grinned back and walked out the door. Sakura was in front of Naruto as soon as the door closed. And glared at Naruto, who stood straight as her eyes met his.
"What did you mean by have fun?"
Naruto grinned, looking at the door. "He's finally going to do what he should have done a long time ago."
"And what was that?"
Naruto looked back at Sakura and his grin widened. "Follow his heart."
Sakura looked out the window then shared a look with the other. "Follow his heart?"
Naruto leaned against the window pain and looked at the receding speck of white that was Jiraiya. "He's gonna help the woman he loves even if he doesn't tell her how he really feels."
"That's so sweet," Ino said.
Ali: OKAY! Sorry it took so long, had forgotten about this story for a second... hehe...
Danzo: Can I go home?
Ali: After.
Danzo: *sighs* Review.
Ali: Thank you.