Warning for minor injury to reader.
It wasn't so bad. The life of a fugitive was a pretty relaxed one. For three years you lived in the small rotting house in the Land of Rain. You got to live it with Jiraiya. Being with him all the time was amazing! Everyday you got to do things with him. You got to hold and kiss him anytime you wished. You stayed up late with him to talk and get frisky. Where you would fall asleep in his embrace every night and wake up to his kisses. You would rest your head on his leg as he wrote. His hand would pet your hair and he occasionally asked you questions. But it was mostly just enjoying every little moment with him in a comfortable quiet.
You helped him train the trio of children he took in. They were interested little things. All three you got along with. You learned how to fold paper flowers with Konan. You played games with Yahiko. You would sit and listen to the shy Nagato. He was the hardest to bond with. He was so quiet. But the more you bonded with his friends, the more he trusted you to open up.
Now... how did this happen? Why are you a rogue? A deserter... Sigh. The situation was so messy. A month after Jiraiya had given you the necklace, you sent a letter to him through one of his summons. In it was a love note and pictures. Yeah... you may have sent him nudes. Just a few polaroids of your naked body no big deal! God bless you for being his perfect woman with the perfect gift. He took them with him on a mission in the raining territory. He just had to. He felt like an old fashioned man! Fighting for his girl and looking at pictures of her for morale while he was stuck in the middle of a rainy war torn field. He was admiring your gorgeous pictured body when misfortune struck him late at night. He got jumped and bested by a team belonging to your nation. They actually summoned you down.
"This pervert has pictures of you!" Your teammate tossed a knife to you and it landed blade first into the ground between your feet. "We figure you deserve the kill. He was probably planning to do the same to you. Or worse."
All you remember was looking at Jiraiya. He was roughed up and tied. Blood ran down his chin from a nasty split on his lip. He was scuffed and bruised by the hands of your colleagues. Yet, he simply smiled in understanding. He wouldn't blame you if you chose your people. But... is it unreasonable to pick love over war? You picked up the knife. Your free hand held the small heart charm of your necklace. Your mind was long made up. You cut his bonds and admitted to your friends that this was the man you love. They all lost their minds. They put together who J was from the necklace and couldn't believe you were betraying them. They pestered you for weeks about the little thing. They harassed anyone with names who started with J. They joked and laughed whenever you got flustered over their prying questions.
Then within a few minutes, you were no longer a ninja hidden in the stone. These were no long your friends. No more did you have brothers and sisters in arms. But you had your love. It's a love your believe in deeply. Nothing shall sever it. No wars, nor alliances, kin, kith, or natural disasters will break it.
"You're sure about this?" Jiraiya whispered the question.
"Yes. I don't want to be in a world without you." You answer with a smile.
He smiled. He grabbed your hand tightly. "Then let's get out of here!"
He made an escape and took you away back to the house you and him always meet. But this time it was occupied by three new people. And that was that. You tossed away your forehead protector to officially renounce your village. And everything has been peachy keen ever since. You don't leave the house often to avoid anyone from your old village seeing you. You tend to prepare meals or secretly read over Jiraiya's notes when he was out training his team. He's a good writer! But he was shy about letting people read his stuff. Sometimes you joined when the area was completely void of life. But half the time you kept an eye on your back and Jiraiya would be worried the whole time you were out in the open. Time was running out here, but no one knows for how long.
Jiraiya was still associated with the Leaf. He was a welcomed friendly whenever he was at the border. He often went into the forest to hunt or deliver a quick message to his comrades. He was off on one of these escapades when fate played her hand again.
He was late. He was supposed to be home hours ago. Worried and urged by the worried children as well, you chanced leaving to find him. Nagato actually stopped you. He grabbed your hand and his curtain of red hair split to reveal a concerned purple eye.
"Please! You can't go too!" He was dreadfully worried.
You offered a smile to comfort him. You've become close to him over the years. "I won't be long, I swear it. If I don't find Jiraiya in an hour, I'll come back. Okay?"
"Are you sure? I-I don't want you to get hurt."
You steal your hand back from him and you pat his head. "I promise. Everything will be just fine."
Nagato nodded. You try to make him feel better. You comb his hair away from his face. He has a nice face. It's a shame that he's so shy he hides it.
"Keep a look out. I'm counting on you." You tell him before leaving.
He was more assured and determined as he nodded furiously. You took off running. Back to the border of the Land of Fire. You dance around it for a few moments. But it was quiet. You don't see Jiraiya anywhere. It felt wrong. You step over the invisible line and walk into the territory. Your curiosity and drive was stronger than your concern for safety.
After only a few moments, you ran into trouble. You ran right on top of a Leaf team. You tried to run. To make it to the border. But a poison needle struck your leg and numbed all the muscles. You hit the ground just only an arms length away from the neutral territory you call home.
"What a foolish girl. Just what were you planning to do?"
You turn your head back to get a good look at your attackers. Oh. Oh shit. What are the chances? You recognize these people just from Jiraiya's description of them. His teammates. Orochimaru and Tsunade. It was Orochimaru who had spoken to you. He was approaching you with slow intimidating steps. His companion followed with caution. You can't move. The poison on the needle had turned you almost completely numb. Something caught his eye. You cringe when he reached for you. There's a tug on your neck as the chain on your necklace was challenged.
"Don't touch that!" You yell at him.
The chain broke. Your beloved necklace was in his hand. He looked angry about it as he inspected the charm. He showed it to Tsunade, who recognized it. Her eyes going big. She looked at you with accusation.
"Where did you get this?" She demanded.
You don't answer. You look away. Why can't the ground just swallow you whole? Anything to get out of this situation. She grabbed the collar of your shirt and lifted you up so that your face was next to hers.
"Tell me!" She yelled at you. "Do you know anything about that necklace? Do you know how important it is?!" She was irate. At least Jiraiya's teammates had his back. They must have known he bought a necklace for a girl. Maybe even asked their opinions on it.
She was suddenly pulled back. She turned around to yell, but paused. It was Jiraiya. His expression was a mix of pain and fury. He looked at you then back to his friends. He was processing his choices.
"This girl has your necklace." Tsunade said slowly. It seems she wasn't sure why Jiraiya was behaving oddly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to your girlfriend..."
An ironic smile flickered on his lips. Oh how wrong they were. Jiraiya walked to your side and knelt down. He pulled the needle out of your leg and pinched the wound. You flinched as he squeezed the wound.
"It's not deadly. You'll live." He assured you with a smile. It dropped. He sighed and it's easy to tell he's being torn apart. This is a choice he didn't want to make.
"Jiraiya... it's okay. I understand." You whisper. You gently put your hand over his. You offer the same understanding smile he gave you those years ago.
"No... no it's not like that." Jiraiya shook his head. A more genuine smile took his face. "I choose you. I just wish I didn't have to do this."
In an ideal world, he would have wanted to take you home once this was all over. Without a war, there's no need to hide. He would face and fight all the criticism to be with you. He would lie if he must. Anything to get you accepted. But this... this could work too. He picked you up. Your heavy arm draped over his shoulders as he supported you against his side.
"Jiraiya? What are you doing? She's the enemy!" Orochimaru was outraged. He doesn't understand this!
"She's not. She's..." Jiraiya trailed off and grimaced. He's had years of imagining this conversation, yet he doesn't know how to form his words.
"She's your girlfriend." Tsunade finished. She bowed her head as he realized what the meant. "She's not one of us, is she?"
He shook his head. "Stone." He laughed a little when he looked at you. "Not anymore though. She left. She chose me over her village." Jiraiya paused to take in a deep breath. "And I'm doing the same. I don't want to fight anymore."
"You can't come back if you do this, Jiraiya. Are you sure this is what you want?"
He nods. It's all so bittersweet. "I don't want to leave the woman I love..." he pauses and struggles to keep his voice steady. "And I can't live with myself if she died. I'm sorry it has to be this way."
Tsunade can't find the words. This was so surreal. Jiraiya was... serious about this. She glances at you. You must really mean something. You're the woman he always talks about. The one he often gets lost in thought daydreaming about. The way he smiles, blushes and laughs whenever anyone asked who his mystery girl is. It's strange. She never pictured Jiraiya would ever fall so deeply in love. She would wonder about it. Who this woman was that made him act so strangely. He was drunk in love. The hours she spent trying to picture you as he droned on and on about how you look and how deeply he missed you. She often fell asleep to the sound of his tired voice while on missions.
"I'm happy you found someone. It's about time." Tsunade would tell him with a smirk.
"I'm happy too." Jiraiya would always respond. He would grip his chest and chuckle oh so softly. "It hurts when I'm away from her... It's the strangest thing."
That's love. It's weird to see Jiraiya in love. But good. Very good. Why did you have to be an enemy? He had to go. He's leaving because he chose you. Tsunade would never see him again. Not as a friend. Everything is changing. And oddly enough...
"What!" Orochimaru looked at Tsunade like she was crazy. "You aren't just going to let him go, are you? This is treason!" This is insane! How could someone throw away their future for a girl?
"I... I guess I am." She felt like laughing. But it's not really funny. It's all so backwards and overwhelming she's not sure what emotion to show. "You know we can't change Jiraiya's mind when it's made."
Jiraiya smiles. He shared a look of mutual understanding with her. Out of all the people in the world, Tsunade would understand. However... His look shared with Orochimaru was more tense and furious. How could Jiraiya do this? All of this! For you? A woman from a different village? Insanity. Orochimaru glares at you in a smouldering rage. The moment he has the opportunity, you just might die.
"I... I'm sorry." Jiraiya found himself apologizing to them.
He hates to leave on bad terms. But what choice does he have? There's a high chance he'll meet his friends on the battlefield, as a rogue. An outcast and criminal. Things he never thought he would ever become.
He chooses you. He wants you over everything. Love breeds sacrifice. He never understood that until now. Jiraiya stared at his childhood friends. His team. His family. He'll sacrifice it all if it meant he could be with you.
"Thank you." He could barely find his voice. Goodbyes are always hard.
Jiraiya scooped your legs out from under you and ran at full speed back into the rain. He didn't want to linger. He had to get out with you as quickly as possible. You cling onto him. You look over his shoulder to see his teammates standing there. They are still and somber. Their silhouettes fade and blend into the rain the farther you are carried.
For the whole trip back to the house, Jiraiya didn't speak. He looked tired. He barely uttered a word of apology to the kids before laying down. It didn't comfort them much and they looked at you for an explanation. You simply waved them off and told them later. Nagato headed your words and herded his friends outside. He's a good kid. The man you love needs comfort. Jiraiya inhaled deeply before shutting his eyes. You can barely move from the poison in your system. But you manage to curl up beside him. You rest your head under his and wrap your arms around him. His face burrowed against you hair and he stayed silent. He's upset, but he's dealing.
It was the right choice. Practically every year, Jiraiya was told by his teacher that it was wise to choose happiness over power. It was that 'time to be a man' talk. Basically Hiruzen calls him childish for about an hour or so while he just blankly stares and zones out. It was silly and funny now. The last time it happened, Jiraiya had to smile from that irony again. He was with someone. He had someone he loved and it made him grow up a little. He never got the chance to tell his teacher about you. Now he probably won't ever be able to.
"They took my necklace." You muttered against his shirt.
"Don't worry about it. Your teammates burned my pictures."
You sigh and rub his back. "I guess we're even. I just wished I could have kept it. It meant so much to me." You angle your head up to kiss his chin. "It always cheered me up to feel the engraving. It always felt like I had a part of you with me."
"That's sweet! I love that it meant so much." Jiraiya laughed. You cheered him up a little. His hand moved down and squeezed your butt. It's still a little numb but you could still feel it beyond the tingles of the numbing agent in the poison. "I often jacked it to your photos!"
"Glad to be of service!"
His laugh was louder and he scooted you up by your butt to give you proper kisses. You giggle and return every kiss he gives you. You smooch and over exaggerate the noises to help him cheer up. He eventually rolls over to squish you in a big old hug and keeps you there to smother you in affection. He held you tightly all night.
The next day, you found Jiraiya standing outside clutching his forehead protector. He debated with himself for a long time. But he relented. He loved his village. He loved his people. But he loves you more. He reeled his arm back and chucked the thing away. It landed far away into some murky mud. It was liberating. His home is with you now. It has been for so long. His world was so small now. Yet so big now that it was just you and his team. You hugged him tightly. He accepted it, he needed the comfort.
"We won't ever be apart again." Jiraiya said quietly.
"No. We won't." You agree.
You don't need anyone else so long as you have him. This was the start of a new adventure. A hard path was ahead. It was mostly unknown as well. Who will hunt you? How long did you have here? Even if it was only a day, or many more years. Surely it will be fine. You could do it so long as you had Jiraiya.
You catch his attention by placing your hand on his cheek and guiding his face towards you. His eyes finally casted away from the gloomy horizon to look at you. You offer a smile and play with his hair. You rise on your toes to give him a kiss.
"I love you." You say quietly.
"I love you too." Jiraiya returned with a smile.
He was still gloomy. But he's happy. He's relieved. He didn't have to participate in a war anymore. He could be with you and wander the world with you as he was meant to. No responsibility aside from protecting the ones he loves. What else could Jiraiya want? Perhaps he should write something like this. What could make for a better story?
No more villages. No more wars. Only the deep love felt for one another that survived every obstacle it faced. The star crossed lovers who gave up everything to be together.