Author's Note: This is the first major battle chapter of the series (not counting the prologue). I hope you guys enjoy it, even if it isn't Naruto-centric.

Chapter 10: The Battle of the Baksho Forest

Jiraya, Iruka, and Choji jumped from branch to branch at a break-neck pace. Jiraya had insisted they leave in haste before the situation was inflamed further, and neither of the other two were going to argue. They'd left with Shio – or at least they thought they had. A while away from the village, Shio's Shadow Clone was dispelled, and that was when Jiraya decided to clue the others in on the true purpose of this mission.

"Tsunade sent us here not only to try to steer the Mizukage from war, but also to plant an ANBU spy in their ranks," he explained as they traveled. "I didn't ask how Shio planned to plant himself there, but it didn't matter. Our mission was to get him there and leave him there safely, and we've done that."

Iruka and Choji both understood. They weren't idiots. If the Mizukage would have Konohamaru killed, then he was a threat to anyone who he considered an enemy. He wouldn't hesitate to have them killed after every single shinobi in the Mist had seen them leave safely, and he wouldn't hesitate to bring war to the Land of Fire if he felt threatened by the Leaf. It was important to have intelligence on a potential enemy, and Konohamaru's murder made this even more necessary.

Iruka hadn't spoken at all as they began their journey home. Konohamaru was one of his old students, and he felt like it was partially his fault that Konohamaru was killed. He should have made sure that the younger ninja wasn't getting in over his head. They could have done recon together, or Iruka could have just kept Konohamaru back. He was there, and he let them kill Konohamaru under his nose.

They had already sent a hawk to the village explaining the situation surrounding Konohamaru's death, along with the intelligence that they had gleaned and the outcome of their mission. If something did happen to them en route, their deaths wouldn't be in vain. But still, Iruka was worried. How would Konohamaru's death effect the Leaf? He was one of Tsunade's favorite chunin, and he was one of Naruto's best friends.

A part of Iruka was grateful that Konohamaru had lived just long enough to be reunited with his "big brother." The two were thick as thieves before Naruto left the village, and Naruto's death had hit Konohamaru hard. He wondered how Konohamaru's death would affect Naruto. Iruka didn't see another reunion in their future.

And the other ramifications? How would the rest of the Konoha shinobi react to one of their own being murdered while guests in another village. When the Head Ninja from Cloud was killed in Konoha during the Hyuga Incident, the Cloud demanded Hiashi Hyuga's head. According to the Mizukage, Konohamaru's killer was imprisoned, and he claimed that the killer was a rogue. Not that anyone believed him.

With the political situation so inflamed already, would this act cause war, or will Tsunade decide that peace prevails? Iruka was glad Naruto had yet to be named Hokage, because he wasn't sure whether the death of his self-proclaimed brother would outweigh his desire to find peace. He just hoped this would be an isolated incident, and not the first death of many to come.

He felt a familiar chakra signature nearby, followed by another one. He jerked his head up, and his eyes matched Jiraya's. Choji seemed to also be well-aware.

"We're being followed," Jiraya said plainly. He closed his eyes. "It's those two kunoichi, the Mizukage's guards.

"There are more," Choji said. "I can sense four." It was quiet, save for the sound of their feet on branches as they continued. Jiraya was staring straight ahead, and Iruka knew there was indecision in his mind. Do they try to outrun them, or do they stand and fight? "Five," Choji added after a moment. Iruka also felt the presence of an additional person.

Suddenly, Jiraya stopped on a thick branch, and Iruka and Choji followed suit.

"I'll stay here," Jiraya decided. "If they've come to kill us, I'll stop them." Iruka opened his mouth to argue, but Jiraya gave him a look that invited no questioning, so he swallowed his objections. "Iruka, you head northwest. Choji, you head southwest. Leave traps. If I can't stop them, we have to make sure someone survives to tell Tsunade just how hostile the Mist is." Iruka nodded to his captain.

"You go ahead, Master Jiraya," Choji urged. "I'll stop them here. You're more important to the village."

"I'm an old man," Jiraya argued. "Besides, they'll probably keep more people back to fight me based on my reputation, giving you two better chances. If you stay, they'll send more people after me and Iruka. We'll meet up at the same port city we arrived in. Find the largest, most conspicuous inn and stay there. If no one else finds you after a week, assume we're dead and go home alone." He gave meaningful looks to both his subordinates.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Iruka asked.

"The Mizukage puts on a good show," Jiraya said. "I don't want Tsunade hearing the same rogue ninja garbage about us that we heard about Konohamaru. If they're going to try to kill us, everyone will know." Iruka nodded, and then Choji. "Good luck."

"Good luck," Iruka replied.

"Good luck," Choji parroted. The two jumped off in different directions, and Jiraya closed his eyes. As Choji and Iruka's chakra signature slowly faded away, he felt others grow closer. Choji was wrong, there were many more than five people here.

He bit his thumb and placed it on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu," he called, and Fukasaku and Shima – the two great sage toads – appeared on the ground in front of him.

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY COOKING, THEN DON'T EAT IT!" Shima croaked at Fukasaku, continuing an argument they were no doubt having at Mount Myoboku. Fukasaku was the first to notice their surroundings, looking around and then up at Jiraya.

"Jiraya?" he asked.

"We're too old for you to keep summoning," Shima complained. "I still have a backache from the last time you summoned us."

"That was thirteen years ago," Jiraya defended himself.

"And I still haven't recovered," Shima stated. She was about to continue, but her eyes went wide, as did her husband's. "What's going on?"

"You've felt them?" Jiraya asked. There were at least a score, as far as he could tell. He knew the toads could sense them as well. "I'm not sure what to expect from this battle, but if I need to go into Sage Mode, I'll need you two." Fukasaku and Shima obliged his request, and climbed up onto his shoulders. As they sat, helping him gather nature chakra, he clasped his hands together. Hopefully he could get to sage mode before the enemy showed up.

He was almost there when he saw the first person come into view, landing on a branch opposite him. It was Mika, the kunoichi who Lord Mizukage assigned to guarding Jiraya while in the village.

"Master Jiraya," she said with a bow of her head. She still had the long pole with an axehead on top, and Jiraya knew he'd be battling that weapon soon.

"I know the others are nearby," Jiraya told her. "Don't pretend you've come here alone." Her facial expression changed now that she wasn't going to fake friendship.

"Where are your friends?" she asked.

"Long gone," was Jiraya's reply. She placed a hand to her left ear, and Jiraya noticed she was wearing a communicator.

"Omigo, find them," she commanded one of the many people who had surrounded him. If she had a sensory-type with her, she'd know where they were in no time. Jiraya scowled as he felt his nose grow and his hands and feet become webbed. He knew he was entering sage mode, and he relished the look of mixed confusion and repulsion on Mika's face as he changed.

He was the first to move, jumping from his branch to hers with only the speed a sage could possess. Her reaction was quick enough, twirling the pole and then slashing it down towards Jiraya. "Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu," Jiraya said. His snow-white locks extended and moved in strands, each one wrapping around the pole until it stopped moving. With a whip of his head, the pole was pulled from her hands and thrown a ways away.

Before she had a chance to react, he whipped his head again so that the locks of hair shot out towards her. They wrapped around her quickly, stopping her from performing another technique. He smirked as his hair smothered her. She might be a good fighter, but he was just too fast for her.

As quickly as the satisfaction of success washed over him was as quickly as it went away. He felt his hair singe off, and looked up to see the other kunoichi guard, Yumi, standing wearing her usual arm guards. Jiraya's hair retracted into his head as the strands of hair that wrapped Mika fell to the ground. How did she do that? Jiraya wondered. He hadn't looked to see what she did.

"She uses the Lava Release," Fukasaku told him, as if reading his thoughts. "It singed your hair right in half." He was moderately surprised to see he was facing another powerful opponent at once, but he was sure he could handle it. Mika jumped off the branch to retrieve her weapon, while Yumi moved to cover her. Jiraya turned his focus to her, as she engaged him in a fist-fight.

He dodged one attack after the other, but at one point, one of the blades on the side of her arm guards sliced his shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain. He was able to dodge one more before landing a solid punch to her abdomen and throwing her back against the trunk of the tree. His strength, accentuated by the nature chakra he'd absorbed, was too much for an opponent who wasn't even wearing armor.

Fighting off Yumi had given Mika just enough time to retrieve her long pole and bring the fight back to him. He sighed as he jumped up to dodge her attack. In his old age, even with sage mode, fighting one person every time he knocked another down was too much for him to handle for long. He already felt the wound in his arm bleeding profusely, and he knew there was some sort of toxin on the blades of Yumi's arm guards. No wound should hurt that badly.

She jumped up to follow him and used the axe to chop the branch in half. He was able to stop falling and stick a landing on the branch below, but Fukasaku and Shima fell from his shoulders. He had no time to worry about that as he ducked the axe head attack she threw at him. He dropped down to the ground to get away from her, but he knew it was futile. If he couldn't stop those two, he had no chance of stopping all twenty enemies. And with poison moving through his system and a wound bleeing already, he might not have much time to stop them.

Mika and Yumi both dropped to the ground, surrounding him at opposite sides. He pulled out a kunai from his pouch as the two jumped at him. He moved towards Yumi, using his kunai to block her bladed arm guards. As she began to spit more lava at him, he swept his leg behind her, kicking the back of her legs.

Now that she was knocked off her balance, Jiraya shifted their positions so that he held her arm in his. As Mika's axe swung down at him, he lifted Yumi's arm guards to defend him, metal clashing with metal in a loud clang. He pushed Yumi's body into Mika's throwing them both to the ground. Even against two kunoichi powerful enough to be a kage's bodyguards, he was too strong.

Both kunoichi picked themselves up and prepared for an attack, but before they made their move, Jiraya heard a loud voice come through their communicators. Mika pressed a finger to her ear.

"Squad A, you will follow me northwest," she commanded. "Squad B, you will follow Yumi southwest. Squads C and D, you will kill Jiraya." Jiraya scowled, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop them all from pursuing Choji and Iruka. He would just have to kill his attackers and aid them, if he could.

Mika and Yumi both left him, but were quickly replaced by a dozen other people, all of different shapes and sizes, and many wielding different weapons. They quickly surrounded him so he wouldn't be able to pursue the others, and he felt another dozen chakra signatures begin to fade away.

"What is the name of this forest?" Jiraya asked the ninja who just happened to be standing right in front of him.

"The Baksho Forest," he replied with a throaty growl. "Why does that matter?"

"When I return home with my comrades, I will need a name for the first battle of the war to follow, in which we singlehandedly killed nearly ten times the amount of enemies," Jiraya said with a smirk. It was subtle, implying not only his victory, but also the repercussions they would face if they challenged him. "The Battle of Baksho Forest. It has a ring to it, doesn't it?"

One poor soul didn't wait for orders to charge at him with his sword. Jiraya quickly spun on his heel to face the adversary, grabbing his wrist and lifting it up before the sword could slice him. He squeezed the man's wrist and he winced, dropping his sword to the ground. "You shouldn't have done that," Jiraya said as he focused on concentrating chakra to his other hand. The chakra materialized and swirled in a nice, rotating ball, before he thrust it into the man's stomach. "Rasengan!" he called out as the man coughed blood and fell to the ground.

That was the spark that began the fight. Jiraya managed to pick up the man's sword and use it against his first attacker, but he wasn't so adept with it that he could kill him. He blocked the first attack, but had to dodge the second attack from a different man. As the ninja converged on him, he jumped straight up, standing straight down on the bottom of a branch with chakra pooled at his feet.

This was going to be fun.

Iruka cursed when he felt six chakra signatures begin to close in on him. So Master Jiraya failed. He had a short moment of silence for his fallen comrade as wondered how many enemies there were. Their early estimate of five had obviously been wrong. How many people did Jiraya take down before he was overwhelmed?

He'd already set a trap, which he hoped slowed down his pursuers. Unfortunately, he couldn't be too sure. The only thing he had left, if they got past his traps, was the element of surprise. Elsewise, he wouldn't be able to kill six people who were able to defeat a Sannin. He stopped at a tree and placed two paper bombs on the underside of a branch. If he couldn't stop them, he'd distract them.

He spent a good few minutes creating another trap with wires, kunai, and shuriken, hoping to at least take out one with the attack. He also created a clone to send further northwest and lure them away. He'd take them from the back if the trap didn't stop them. When he knew they were well past his other trap, he transformed himself into a bush to maintain the element of surprise. They'd go right past him, if he was lucky.

When he felt them on top of him, he closed his eyes and stopped breathing. He heard the first one land on a branch and the explosion immediately followed. Four more explosions followed at the base of the tree, and it began to fall down. The other five had stopped, and Iruka opened his eyes to see the fruits of his labor.

The first man was pinned beneath the tree, screaming in agony. He saw the woman with the long pole and axehead curse, and she moved to put the poor ninja out of his misery. Iruka was lucky she hadn't been paying close attention, because she tripped the wire trap. Her reaction time was quick enough that she avoided the kunai, but in her dodging, he tripped another trap which wrapped her around another tree trunk with wire and vines. It was an excellent trap for all that Iruka had put into it.

He abandoned his other plan. With two of the six unable to fight, he had the best odds now. He threw a kunai at the first shinobi to move to free her, and it pierced the skin in the back of his neck. He was a dead man, even if it would take him a few hours to die.

With his location revealed, Iruka dispelled the clone jutsu and the transformation jutsu, facing the three enemies. He'd have to kill. He moved to pick up the girl's long pole, but the weapon felt heavy and unfamiliar in his hands. When the first shinobi attacked, he threw the pole at him to stop his advance, knowing he couldn't use such a weapon efficiently anyway.

Two more converged on him, and he had to dodge two kunai in rapid succession. He jumped up and landed on the branch on the tree, a few dozen feet above the trapped kunoichi. He pulled out a kunai of his own with an exploding tag on the handle, and used it to block the enemy's kunai stab. Iruka managed to twist the man's arm and sunk the exploding kunai deep into his gut.

The man's face contorted in pain, and Iruka felt warm blood soak his hands. He pushed the man down, and watched him land on the second man moments before the tag exploded. Five down, one to go.

That one just happened to be setting the kunoichi free at the moment, throwing a wrench into Iruka's plans. He jumped down, just as she was freed from her confinements, and his foot met the skull of the man who freed her. He fell to the ground, but whether the blow killed him or merely left him unconscious, Iruka couldn't tell. It didn't matter, particularly. He just needed to get away. The girl picked up the pole and stood to face him.

"You're an impressive ninja," she said with her velvety voice. "Master Jiraya was all about his sage mode, but you seem to have a flair to your killing. You're quite skilled at it, to be honest." The battleground began to be shrouded in mist. "What is your name, Konoha ninja? I will tell stories of your courage and power to every ninja in the Mist."

"Iruka Umino," Iruka said absent-mindedly as the mist thickened. He knew what this was; he heard the stories. No one survived the Silent Killing Technique.

"Well, Iruka Umino," she said as the mist thickened to the point he couldn't see her anymore. As long as he could hear her, though, he was safe. "Your death will be quick and painless. Just know that your death came from Mika of the Blood Mist." Mika went silent, and Iruka wondered how he would get out of this. He couldn't see, let alone fight.

After a moment, he felt her behind him, and he knew his death was near. One second. Two seconds. Second after second passed, and he wondered if time had stood still. Finally, he felt a hand grab his right wrist, and he was yanked off his feet.

"Come" came a deep voice he didn't recognize, as he was pulled along him. He ended up stepping over a body, and a few feet away, a long pole.

Choji slowed from a run to a walk, taking off his Konoha headband as he strolled into the village. The thick forest had stopped abruptly before the village, and he wondered just how far southwest he'd gone, and just how far from the meet-up point he'd come.

With all these people, he wouldn't be able to tell when the enemy was here. But if he tried extra hard, he'd blend in, and he might not have to face them. He first made his way to an inn. He could get some much-needed rest while staying out of plain sight at the same time! Jiraya had carried all the funds they were allotted for the mission from Tsunade, but Choji had a few ryo of his own that he could spend. If it meant he could avoid a fight, it would be worth it coming out of his pocket.

The first inn he came across was shady, but Choji didn't have particularly high standards at the moment. He paid the front desk clerk, and made sure to slip him an extra few coins for discretion. He wasn't sure how much of a difference it would make when his pursuers caught up to him, but it couldn't hurt.

He settled on the mattress on the floor and allowed himself a few moments to sleep. He was a light sleeper anyway.

He was jolted awake by the feeling of an immense chakra source close by. He sat up straight and made sure he still had all his weapons and whatnot before putting his forehead protector back on his head. If he was going to face the enemy now, then he would do it as a Konoha shinobi. He looked at the clock and saw that hours had gone by.

The door opened, and before him stood the beautiful Mist woman who had been guarding the Mizukage. She had arm guards on each forearm, and each arm guard had blades sticking out. Behind her was a large, dark-skinned man, who was bald and had evil eyes. He was the immense chakra that Choji had felt.

The woman entered the room, followed by the man, and then four more people behind her. So a half a dozen managed to get by Master Jiraya and find me. Did that mean Jiraya was killed by them? He'd find the answer soon, he hoped, but he'd first have to fight his way out of this.

"We weren't sent to kill you," the woman spoke up, earning a look of surprise from Choji. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe her. "Lord Mizukage sent us after your allies to bring you back to the village so you might look upon your ally's murderer and demand retribution. Master Jiraya informed us that you would be here, and your other ally would be northwest of where we ran into him."

"How many people were needed to give us a message?" Choji asked, not believing her story. "Surely six is overkill."

"Lord Mizukage wanted to be sure we found you," was her simple reply. Choji looked from one face to another, studying each one. Only one of the six carried a weapon – another woman who was as far from the one who was just speaking. Her weapons were blades that were attached to cuffs around her wrists, extending a few feet past her hands. The others would all rely on ninjutsu or genjutsu, Choji figured.

He didn't have much of a choice. He had just woken up, and was unsure of how much of a chance he stood against six enemies. Especially if they'd already made it past Jiraya. He nodded.

"I have one request," he said, pulling out a box. The others reacted by preparing for battle, but the woman who had spoken was quiet with a satisfied smile. "You see, I just woke up from a nap when I felt your presence, and I'm supposed to take a pill at this time in the afternoon."

"He's going to eat a food pill," the dark-skinned mean-looking guy said with a growl.

"Relax, Chi," the first woman told him. She examined the pills. "They are no food pill that I am aware exists. And I do oversee the imports of things like food pills into the village. You may take them," she told Choji, who picked the red pill out of the box. He wasn't going to fool around. He quickly swallowed it. "My name is Yumi," she told him.

"Choji," he responded. He was going to have to feign amiability until they were clear of the village. Then he'd kill them all. Or take down as many as he could before he was defeated. Just in case, though, he had the remedy to the Chili Pill he'd taken in his weapon's pouch. Tsunade managed to create an antidote for the debilitating after effects that resulted in death, and she'd managed to convert it into an inoculation that he kept in a syringe.

He engaged two of the others in conversation about local foods, playing the fool for them. He wasn't sure when they were going to kill him, but he would try and put it off long enough for him to take them by surprise.

"My favorite food here was the curry in the Aishi Village," Choji said with a fond memory. "We only stopped for a few hours, but that curry was some of the best I've ever had."

"I was there once on a mission!" one of the men, Gamen, said excitedly. "It's definitely one of the best. If you've ever go to North Isle…" he trailed off for a moment, as if he forgot what he was about to say. "…Well, North Isle has the best curry I've ever tasted."

Choji didn't like the awkward silence that fell afterward. He'd picked up on what happened. He wasn't supposed to survive to go to the North Isle. In their discussion about food, Gamen had forgotten himself, and that fact was not lost on a single person there, least of all Choji.

"Well, if you ever make it to the Land of Fire, there's a shop called the 'Curry of Life.' I've personally never been there, but my friend Lee says it's the hottest, tastiest curry he'd ever eaten." He allowed the effects of the pill to kick in. "It's a shame you'll never get a chance to try it." There was no time for them to react before Choji's arm expanded into a giant's size, and it punched Gamen, pinning him to a tree and crushing his body. He was dead instantly.

The other five jumped away from Choji so they wouldn't get hit in the crossfire. Two more people dropped down – the other woman with the blades extending from her wrists and a man with an eye patch covering his right eye. The man came to punch him, and Choji could see that he concentrated chakra into his fist to increase the punch's attack.

"Expansion Jutsu!" Choji yelled as his body grew ten times as big. His stomach bloated enough that the punch rebounded, and he began to rotate until he was rolling around the battlefield. None of his opponents could stop him as long as he was moving. Another man rushed to stop him, and he was crushed underneath Choji's attack.

The man who tried to punch him had recovered, and just in time. Yumi jumped down from the tree and used her arm guards to stop Choji from rolling. While he was still, the man tried with another attack, so Choji rolled the other way before returning to his normal size. When the Mist ninja recovered, he came at Choji with another punch, but Choji extended his arm and grabbed him. Holding the man in his fist, Choji squeezed until it hurt, and then flung him a long way away. He wouldn't trouble Choji now.

There was now only the girl, the angry dark-skinned man, and Yumi, all of whom seemed to be the tough opponents out of the six.

Before he could fight them, Choji heard a loud voice yell "Rasengan." Yumi barely had time to turn her head towards the voice before Jiraya pressed a ball of swirling chakra into her back, knocking her to the ground and immobilizing her.

Jiraya set his sights next on the dark-skinned man, while Choji fought the woman. She sliced at him with her blades, but they were easy to dodge. Choji ducked underneath and then uppercut her, knocking her to the ground. He ran to help Jiraya fight the dark-skinned man, hopeful that they might win.

Jiraya was bleeding profusely out of a wound in his shoulder, and Choji could tell he was barely on his feet as the Mist ninja threw punch after punch. Unlike the other one who used his chakra to intensify his blows, this ninja was strong enough as is. His huge muscles rippled each time he gave a punch, and when he finally landed on in Jiraya's gut, Jiraya fell to the ground, immobilized in pain.

Choji was about to fight the man when he felt a searing pain go through his stomach. He looked down to see a blade sticking through him, and realized that he'd underestimated the kunoichi with blades attached to her hands. He watched in horror as the sword slowly moved further and further and she pushed, and then in was removed.

He fell to his knees, and blood poured out of his mouth. The last thing he felt before passing out was her kick to the back.

"He's waking up!"

"Quick, bring some water!"

"What about Choji?"

"He can wait."

When Jiraya opened his eyes, the world around him was blurry, and he had no recollection of where he was or why he hurt so badly from head to toe. Slowly, things came back to him. The Mizukage. Fighting Mika and Yumi. Fighting the other dozen Mist ninja. Running towards Choji. Fighting the dark-skinned ninja. The punch.

He groaned.

Someone pressed a glass of water to his lips, but he didn't recognize him. "Drink," the man told him, and Jiraya obliged. He was too weak to think of anything else. When he drained the glass, the man took it to refill it, and Jiraya was soon drinking another glass. After hydrating, Jiraya allowed himself to look at this man.

He wore a slashed Mist headband on his forehead, protecting his short, spiky, blue hair. His eyes were an odd amber color, and he had a plain face, with one exception. A long scar ran from underneath his chin, up to his left eye. The man wasn't young at all, but wasn't all that old either. If he had to guess, Jiraya would say the man was around Naruto's age.

Jiraya looked around the room, and saw that it was very small. A few feet behind the man stood Iruka, a relieved look on his face. Another man, much older, very short and pudgy, stood off to the side. Choji was lying across the room, a bandage around his midsection. He was asleep or unconscious, Jiraya couldn't tell.

"We're alive," he said with a sigh of relief. He had been so sure they would die there, but they prevailed. They won the Battle of the Baksho Forest. "Who are you?" he asked the man with blue hair.

"My name is Konicho Nakamura," he told Jiraya.

"Konicho saved me from Mika," Iruka told the Sannin. "He and I came across you and Choji right after that Mist kunoichi stabbed him in the back." This was news to Jiraya, who looked over at Choji, startled. "It's okay, he's fine. It was touch-and-go there for a while, but he's going to make it. He lost a lot of blood, though." Jiraya was quiet as he contemplated the situation.

"How many did you kill?" Jiraya asked him.

"All but Mika," he told Master Jiraya. "Five in total."

"And I killed another twelve," Jiraya said. "Thirteen if Yumi died." Iruka shook his head. "Twelve, then."

"Choji got another two," Iruka informed him. "Nineteen died."

"Twenty-four came after us," Jiraya said solemnly. "There might be more." He tried to sit up, but groaned at the pain.

"You have to rest," the old man said from across the room. "We just barely managed to get the poison out of your system." So I was right, Jiraya thought to himself as he settled back into a comfortable position. It was poison she used.

"Konicho has our answers," Iruka told Jiraya after a moment. Jiraya heard the excitement in his voice. "Konicho's cousin was the one who started the rebellion, the one who fled to the Land of Earth."

"That's a story for another time," Jiraya said quietly. "The man said I need to rest, and so I will rest for now." He closed his eyes and allowed himself to go to sleep.

When he woke, everyone was asleep, and he felt a chill. He turned his head to look out the window and saw it was the dead of night, nary a streetlight to illuminate anything. Jiraya sat up and was grateful that he had healed enough to move. It was probably the old man who used medical ninjutsu. Konicho seemed like the fighting type from what little Jiraya knew.

He groaned quietly as he reached out his arm to grab a nearby walking stick. He used it to help him stand up and then move to the door. Every movement was a dull pain, but he could persevere. He was the Toad Sage, after all. When they got back to the village, he'd have to make sure to tell Tsunade in no uncertain terms that this was his last mission. He didn't know if he had it in him to do this again.

He recalled being young and being able to battle anyone he wanted. As it often did these days, his mind returned to the Second Shinobi World War, to his battles with other Konoha ninja on his side. He remembered the way he felt when he saw Orochimaru becoming a village hero. He'd always thought he would become someone important, a Hokage or an elder. Instead, Orochimaru became one of the strongest rogue ninjas that the village produced.

He remembered his fight with Orochimaru when his teammate decided to leave the village. He'd put his all into that fight, resolving to drag him back if need be. But he wasn't strong enough, and in time, he accepted the fact that Orochimaru wasn't meant to be a Leaf shinobi. History almost repeated itself much later, but Naruto turned out to be much more stubborn than Jiraya was when it came time to bring Sasuke back to the Leaf.

Jiraya recalled training the Ame Orphans, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko. He recalled training genin as a sensei, and becoming especially close to Minato. He recalled training Naruto for years while the Akatsuki searched for them. He'd had more students than most people ever had, and he was lucky that most of them turned out to be wonderful shinobi.

His mind continued to drift, this time to his fight with Pain. That was the last time Jiraya had felt so drained. He'd managed to take out two of its bodies before they were restored, and he ended up giving enough information to help the ninja in Konoha fight Pain before he was killed. The coldness of sinking to the bottom of the lake would stay with him forever.

When he woke up, he was back on land. He was surprised at how much had happened. Pain and Konan attacked the Leaf, but Naruto proved himself to be exactly the opposite of what people feared he'd become. He saved the village, and he was able to convince Nagato to restore life to all those he killed. No one knew Jiraya was revived – not even Nagato himself. But when he found Konan again, she helped him recover, and apologized for what they'd done. She explained everything, and they had a nice time together as the nations geared up for war.

It was too short, though. Obito Uchiha came to the Rain and killed Konan, and Jiraya had to leave. He had to return to his home and help in the war, but when he got to the Leaf, no one was there, and the war was being waged. And before he could think of leaving, the war was over, just like that. He'd been unable to help the world when it needed him the most, but at least he'd be there for future crises.

There weren't any until now. The Mizukage seemed to want war more than anything, and Jiraya knew that nothing would prevent it at this point. They'd managed to come out of the battle despite the odds, and nearly all of their opponents were killed. Jiraya killed half of them all by himself, but it took a toll. Even if the old man was able to heal his wounds and find an antidote to the poison, the fighting had taken years off his life.

He threw open the door and slowly walked outside, the only sound piercing the silence being the wooden walking stick against the ground. He could smell the sea, and the fresh air seemed to breathe life into him, but he was still old, and he was still tired. He walked out further on the deck, and looked over the sea. It was beautiful at this time of night, the moon reflecting on the surface.

Not far to Jiraya's right was something that broke the beautiful, peaceful nature of the sea. Docked at harbor were what seemed to be hundreds of ships, all burning coal. Smoke rose to the heavens as they did whatever they were doing. Jiraya was too tired to care.

"They're warships," came a voice from behind him. Jiraya slowly turned his head to see Konicho standing in the doorway. He moved so that he was standing next to Jiraya. "They're going to bring the Mist ninja to the Land of Hot Water, and from there, they will cross the continent to the Land of Earth."

"Why are you helping us?" Jiraya asked him

"My family was massacred by the Mizukage," Konicho said simply.

"I can't thank you enough," Jiraya said with a bow of his head.

"I wasn't the one who healed you, I just helped you out of the battle," Konicho said with a shrug. "I've been attacking all the Mist ninja who I've come across that remained loyal to the Blood Mist, but that's not my goal."

"What's your goal?" Jiraya felt the need to ask.

"Safety," Konicho admitted. "A life. I had that here, and my cousin was the one who decided what we did. He lead us to death and destruction, and while I love my cousin, he ruined me." He was quiet for a moment. "Do you think I could have a life in the Leaf?"

"It's hard for villages to accept outsiders," Jiraya said simply. "Especially considering you were a ninja from the Mist."

"What about as a civilian?" he asked. He gave a sad smile and shook his head. "Nah, another ninja village isn't the place for me. I'll be better off with some peace and quiet well away from the coming war, probably in the Land of Lightning."

"You should come to Konoha," Jiraya decided, turning his head towards the ships. "Not only do I want my Hokage to hear your story, but I think you should be duly awarded for what you did for us. Had it not been for you, we would have all died, and our village would never know what kind of extremists the leaders of the Mist have devolved into."

"I'll be happy to travel back with you," Konicho said.

"Good," Jiraya said with a nod. "We'll find a ship and set sail for the Land of Fire tomorrow."

Author's Note: This brings the Land of Water/Mist Village section of our story to an end. All characters are about to converge in Konoha again. How will Naruto react to news of Konohamaru's death? How will Ino react to news of Shikamaru's new daughter? We'll get back to all our other stories in the next chapter.

Please review and let me know how you liked it! I really enjoy writing the action stuff (if you haven't guessed), but let me know which parts worked/didn't work for you, and what you'd like to see more/less of.