Yandere au. Jiraiya is obsessed with reader.

You wake up feeling peaceful. Last night went well. A man you have been dating casually for a few weeks had finally taken you to bed. It was good. He made you feel good. It's been so long since a man was able to take you out. He's a good enough man to show off to your team. He's not afraid like most men are. Most of them were put off by the problem you have...

A stalker. Not everyone has a stalker. It's rare to say the least. You get letters everyday. They are all handwritten. All of them are usually at the foot of your front door, meaning the person slides the letters through the gap of the door and the floor.

Yeah, they know where you live. You've moved four times and don't have the funds to do it again. You are always found. Sometimes the stalker will stop for a few weeks, giving you hope that you have finally lost him only to receive a note just as your anxieties were at ease. It was taxing on the emotions but you got through it.

Every time you try to date and bring this up, your date tends to back off. They didn't want to deal with crazy, even if the crazy wasn't your fault. A few who said were okay with it suddenly stop speaking to you. Tori was different. He cared about your safety. He knows it's not your fault. He didn't expect you to figure it out or be always on guard. You maybe a ninja but that doesn't mean you are immune to problems like stalkers. He was willing to protect you even if he was just a citizen. He was very sweet. He's a wonderful support to have. There's a future there. He could be yours for years and you'd be content.

You have your team as well. You maybe a chunin now, but your team will always have your back. Minato was the sweetest thing ever. A brother to you. He often came over whenever you didn't feel safe. Kushina usually joined him. She bonded with you and your fears. She would probably grab your pots and pans to bang them together asking for your stalker to come on out and face her.

"Sure be a shame if someone tried to take me right now!" She would bellow. Anything to taunt the man who leaves you letters. Just to convince them to emerge so she can kick their sorry ass into the next life. She had your back.

They were very sweet to watch be together. Their love was pure enough to be jealous of. It's why you want a partner. To have what they have would be wonderful. They already approve of Tori and they were happy you found someone. But at the same time, being more like sensei wasn't so bad either. He was a bit more cynical.

Jiraiya had always piqued your interest. He was a strange man, but quite charming and likeable. He always had good advice. He always treated you with kindness. He's a good teacher if a little perverse. The older you got, the more he seemed to flirt with you. It was all in good fun. He liked teasing you and you don't mind it when he does.

When you told him about your problem, he was empathetic. As your teacher, he was responsible for your safety. You've had this stalker since you were in your mid teens and he always kept an eye out on the horizon. He offered you his home if you ever needed. Sometimes you took him up on it. Spending those nights in his home were always nice. He was sweet and considerate. Happy to let you talk about your worries and assure you he had your back. He insisted you sleep in the same room as him, so he knows you're safe. It was a little weird, but you didn't mind all that much. Sensei knew what was best for you. You feel safe when close to him.

"You know I'll protect you from any weirdos." Jiraiya promised with a wink.

"Heh... yeah I know, sensei."

In a way, he's always been kinda fatherly to you. The idea of him meeting Tori was a little scary. Mostly because Jiraiya will harass the poor guy with questions and whatnot to test him. If he can't survive sensei, then he's no good. Or so sensei says. At the end of it all he's just a jokester who does care about you and his slightly weird way of showing it was all because he didn't want to see you get hurt.

Eventually you drag yourself out of bed and to the washroom. You shower, taking your time. The water was so nice and it only elevated your mood. You sigh happily as you wash off some of the fluids from the night before. Your floral soaps do well to refresh your senses and hydrate your skin.

Something catches your peripheral vision. Just the very edge of it. The hair on the back of your neck stand for a moment. You turn your head towards the curtain. It's semitransparent, so the best you can make out from the milky film was silhouettes. There's a tall dark shape in the centre of the room. Like a looming shadow of a man. Your heart began to pound.

Fuck. Shit.

You did lock the door last night, didn't you? Tori went home after having such a wonderful time together and that was that. You went to bed right after. But... maybe you forgot. It's not totally impossible. You were tired and satisfied. All you wanted was to go to bed with that high still intact. In your haste you could have forgotten.

You don't got no weapons in here. You're naked and soapy. They could have a weapon. You are fairly talented in jutsu but executing them in such a small space isn't the best idea. The blowback could harm you more than help. Hand to hand will be just as strange. It'll be difficult since you could slip from having little traction with your wet feet. The tile floor may look nice but they aren't friendly for brawling.

It's hard to breathe. The steam was less comforting and more of a hindrance. Slowly... you grab the edge of the curtain. The best plan of action was to take them by surprise before they take you down. You brace. You are ready. Even if you are at a disadvantage, you won't go down without a fight. You yank the curtain back and jump out of the shower.

Immediate embarrassment floods you.

Your menacing dark figure was just your house robe. You sigh. Maybe you are a little paranoid. More than you thought. You thought you had this stalker thing down. It bugs you more than you thought. Yes it's scary, but your home always felt safe. Maybe you do fear that this haven will be breached. Then nowhere would ever feel safe. Not even Minato's home or Jiraiya's. If your stalker can break into one home how hard is it for them to break into two or three?

After another sigh, you turn and shut the water off. Don't think about that. You are safe here. You're just overthinking things. You are clean now and it feels good. It was nice to hang out in the warm water. It's getting cold out. Your house is cold in the morning. Something you don't really notice until you get out of the warm embrace of the shower. The colder hug of the morning fall air in your home was less inviting than the nice toasty warm shower.

You towel off. You grab your not so scary robe. It's black and pattered with the happy full blooms of painted sunflowers. The pretty yellow flowers always held some admiration in your heart. Your mother always grew giant ones in the garden of your childhood home. They remind you of simpler times with your family. As a result they have become a favourite flower of yours. Any comfort, no matter how small, was welcome right now. It was the only thing you own that still has your favourite flower on it. A nice thing you bought for yourself.

The rest were gifts gained under... suspicious circumstances. Little gifts left on your doorstep with anonymous notes don't make you feel too good. You tossed them all away. It's hard to accept things from people now. It's better not to.

It's your day off. Which meant relaxing for a while and then maybe meeting up with Tori for dinner. A nice calm day after getting laid was exactly what you need. Especially if your house robe is triggering your paranoia. Having Tori here will make you feel better. Maybe ask him to stay the night tonight. If just to distract you from your worries.

You doctor up a tea and a simple breakfast. You lean against the countertop and nibble on your toast. From there you can see pretty much everything. The layout of your apartment was fairly open. From your small kitchen you can see your living room and entryway. In between was your bedroom which was closed off by walls and a door. Next to it was your bathroom, just as closed off. It was kinda comforting. It means you can almost always keep an eye on the whole of your dwelling. Your windows are always covered, shut and locked. You don't enjoy looking out of them, afraid someone will be looking back at you.

Your ear twitched to a sound. A flutter of paper. You turn your head and see a piece of paper sliding across your floor from your front door. It launched you into action. You book it to the door and yank it open. You've never seen it in action before. The answer felt close and you ain't afraid. Just angry. Who is this freak?! You need answers!

There's no one there. Just an empty space. You step out and look around. Jiraiya always said to be thorough. Don't drop your guard until you know you are safe. Those words echo in your head. He gave you that advice a long time ago. When you first began to notice you were being stalked. You check every nook and cranny now. Any dark area, no matter how small, could be hiding something.

After inspecting to your satisfaction, you turn to walk back inside. You triple check the lock and wiggle the knob to make sure it is locked. It is. Good. Just try to relax.

At this point, it makes the most sense that your stalker is probably a ninja as well. They are using their skills they learned to watch targets and gain information to instead watch one of their own. It's insane to think someone can gain such a fascination with another. Someone you have to trust to protect you on the battlefield could very well be someone who is obsessed with you. At least Lord Third tried to pair you on missions with people who have been ruled out. Still... you always have that doubt. You don't like strangers. Not even strangers who have been proven innocent. It's much easier to work alone or with your team.

You look down. The note is between your feet. Sitting there casually. As if it belongs there. What will it say today?...

The letters were always short and mysterious. To the point about your stalker's mindset towards you.

Your beauty is unmatched.

I think of your eyes when I close mine.

Sunflowers worship your smile, for it is as bright as the sun.

You like sunflowers. Don't you?

You've turned into a woman before my very eyes, sunflower.

That one... was the scariest one. It implies and confirms they've been watching you for a long time. They know what you like. They have a creepy nickname for you.

It's crappy that they've been watching you for so long. Maybe that's why Jiraiya comes around every now and then. He did it a few times when you were younger, making sure you got home safe. He does it now, making sure to check in on you and ask you how you are. He's not your teacher anymore but he's always been very protective over you. Perhaps he know more than he lets on.

You slowly pick up the note. You break the of tape piece holding the folds of the paper together. You read it with a growing anxiety.

I don't like your new friend, sunflower. I'm the only man good enough for you.

He's talking about Tori, isn't he?

Another paper touches your foot. You jump ever so slightly in surprise. That's not normal. It's usually just the one note.

You look down and see a smaller piece of folded paper nestled on your foot. It must have been folded in the first note and you didn't see. You grab it. Your curiosity is too strong. You're worried too.

I got rid of him for you.

The writing stalled your heart. It was scrawled darker and scratchy. Like the person writing it let their emotions get the better of them as they wrote.

You drop everything and turn back to the door. Tori! Oh god!

Please be a bluff! Or a mistake!

No one has been hurt before because of the obsessive person stalking you. They may have been in your life for years, but they left you notes! That's all they did. You got flowers on your doorstep once. A box of chocolates in your mailbox. A handprint on your window. It was always focused on you. Not your loved ones.

You open the door and jump. You didn't expect a person there.

"S-Sensei!" You stammer.

Jiraiya was standing in your doorway. His hand raised to knock on your door. His eyes widened and brows raised in surprise.

"Are you alright?" He asks. "You look scared."

"Tori! He's in trouble! I gotta-!" You try to run around him, but he blocks your path.

"Whoa! Hold on a second." He said as he held out his hands to stop you. "What's happening?"

"My boyfriend! I think my stalker hurt him! I have to go make sure he's okay!"

He exclaimed your name harshly, which made you pause. He rarely uses that tone with you. You stop and stare at Jiraiya with wide eyes.

"I think I can save you a trip." His expression dropped into sorrow. "I'm sorry. I received word that the boy you were seeing has gone missing."

"W-What?" You are confused and shocked.

"That's why I'm here. I wanted to break the news to you." Jiraiya's voice faded off. He looks over your face with sympathy. "The police think he went missing sometime in the early morning. Did you see him before that?"

"Y... Yeah. He left my place around that time."

His face was easy to read. The conclusion was a simple one to come to. Tori was met with your stalker. Jiraiya offered you his open arms.

"Come on. You need a hug."

You cry out and collapse into them. You always felt so comfortable in his arms. Jiraiya maybe a bit of an outlandish character, but he was always sweet to you. There was lots of times you turned to him for comfort. He was a good teacher. Supportive and understanding to your problems. He raised you up when no one else really did. Without Jiraiya, you probably wouldn't have made it as a ninja. He's a wonderful friend to rely on. He understood you in a way no one else really did. His more aged and sagely perspective was different from your other less wise friends. He can back you up. He'll know what to do.

"I have to find him!" You whisper. "M-My stalker left me a note. He said he hurt Tori."

"I'll let the police now. For now it's best you let them take care of it. You might get hurt."

"I'm a ninja! And I care about him. I can't just leave him to that crazy person!"

"No!"

He raised his voice. It surprised you. He didn't want you to go. His arms grip you harder.

"I won't let you go. I've had enough of those boys." He growls. "He wasn't good enough for you!"

The statement surprised you. Jiraiya spoke it with such venom and jealousy. It wasn't usually like him to get to worked up. Something is wrong here. You wiggle in his grasp and break free. It took some effort. He was holding on so strong. You pushed him away. You take a step back and look at him. His expression is cold and critical.

"What are you talking about?" You ask quietly.

"I'm tired of these lowlifes asking you out. You deserve a much better man than that."

"What do you mean? You don't even know Tori. He's a great guy."

"Oh I'm sure he was. But not good enough. No one is."

He took a step towards you. You take a step back. He's acting weird. He's approaching you now. A heavy step breaches the entry of your home and his eyes never leave you. They hold a fury in them you've never seen before.

"You know, I'm getting tired of always chasing away the men who dare touch you." He said with a sneer. "Did Tori touch you? You are far too good for anyone like that to be touching you."

He's being so aggressive. He speaks of Tori as if the other man had hurt or wronged you. There's a dull thunk when Jiraiya clasped his hand on the frame of the door. He leans in as he takes his first step inside of your home. It... feels wrong. He's not acting like himself.

"Sensei... you're scaring me."

"Am I?"

He stepped into your home and shut the door. Your once safe domain now felt like a trap. A small one. Your heart begins to pound as you feel cornered. All the precautions you made to make your home safe now feel like your undoing. Jiraiya had an intention in mind you don't like. A smirk pulls at the corner of his lip. It's more sinister. It lacks the mirthful sarcasm he usually projects. It was like he knows a great juicy secret that he's been keeping from you.

"My sunflower has been out for far too long."

Sunflower?...

The nickname made your heart jump into your throat. There's only one person who called you that. Only written in letters and you never repeated it to anyone.

No... no way.

All this time Jiraiya was...?

"It's time I snipped her from the garden and kept her inside where it's safe."

"Sensei..." You can barely speak. "You..."

"Yes." Jiraiya said with a nod. "Are you just figuring it out now? How perfect I am for you?"

You feel so small under his gaze. He's never felt so imposing to you. He is big and strong. His steps are large and heavy. He can easily overpower you and you know that. He was never intimidating like this before. He was never the type to use his stature to intimidate another. In fact he was usually pretty goofy to put others at ease and give them the vibe that he was more of the gentle giant type despite being built like a brick house. This was the first time you glanced at his hands and were afraid of what they were capable of. Can you even raise your hands to him? This man that helped raise you. He nurtured you and helped you become who you are. It's hard to believe he would do this.

Your back collided with the back of your chair. You backed right into your dining set. Jiraiya is still approaching, taking his time as he spoke.

"I hated making you sad, but all those boys were no good. They don't deserve you. Me... me I do. I am worth your love, aren't I? My beautiful sunflower turned into the woman she is because of me. She grew more and more marvellous under my care. Who better suited to be my wife than her? I know she loves me... she just doesn't know it yet."

What on earth is he talking about? He's crazy! You are scared. It's hard to believe he's standing over you saying these messed up things. Jiraiya wouldn't hurt you... yet here he is... admitting that he was the one harassing you all these years. He just told you he did bad things. He may have killed Tori... He hasn't directly admitted it, but that look in his eyes was that of a man unhinged. He holds no regrets. Simply joy as he spills the beans, like he expects you to fall into his arms as his gracious lover. As if you would be wooed by his crimes. How many did he hurt to get you alone?

Someone you trusted was the monster all along.

You can't beat him. Jiraiya is like a level above a regular jonin. You don't got a chance in hell. He's cunning. He taught you all you know. A strategist who knows your biggest weaknesses. He's not someone you can simply take on in a fight. He knows you too well. It would only prolong the outcome victory being in his favour.

The best thing to do is run. The door is the best way out. Just run and scream like hell. Minato. Kushina. They are the closest people to you. Just run! You can make it to their flat in no time if you don't stop.

Your leg already burn with the motivation. Adrenaline is coursing through your veins. The fight had left you and all your focus was on flight. You break right, swiftly booking it across the apartment.

"Oh no you don't!" Jiraiya yells after you.

His heavier steps follow, hitting the wood loudly. It only made you more terrified. They announced his approach. It was catching up far too quickly. Fear is crawling up your spine like an icy breeze shooting under the fabric of your robe. For a moment you swear you can feel his frantic and heavy breathing on your neck. All the hair on your body is standing on end from the feeling.

Don't think about it. Don't look back. Just get out! You grab the doorknob and pull it open. The warm sunshine felt like salvation. One more move and you are in public. The busy streets feel like a blessing. No one will ignore a woman screaming on the top of her lungs as a man chases her, would they? It's an alarming enough sight to rouse loads of suspicion.

You kick off from the ground, prepared to leap across the rooftops to your friends' house. Your eyes land on the nearest roof, your trajectory calculated to land upon it before running like a demon was on your heels.

A hand wrapped around your ankle. You gasp in surprise. You do look over your shoulder to see Jiraiya had caught up. His expression cruelly amused as his hand gripped your ankle and pulled you to the ground. You land face first halfway out of your home.

He began to pull you back. You grip the wood underneath you. It made a horrible scraping sound as your nails failed to find something to hold onto. You'd scream if you could. But the bellyflop took your breath away and winded you. The best you managed was a wheeze.

You kick at him and grab the doorframe. Anything to buy some time. You aren't going doing without some kind of struggle! You roll to the side, which allowed you to gulp in air. You open your mouth and inhale deeply. You are prepared to scream until your throat is bleeding.

"AA-!" You got out a note.

Then your head was slammed against the doorframe. Pain exploded across your head and stunned you. Jiraiya must have thrown you into it. In that moment of confusion you lost your iron grip on the door.

One final pull and you are forced back in. A heavy weight is placed on your back. It's followed with pain. Jiraiya has his knee and most of his weight pressed against you. In a last ditch effort, you form a seal to try and do something. Any kind of attack! You don't care if it is your teacher! This is not the same person squashed your self doubts and consoled you when you failed at something. This is a crazy stalker who has bad intentions!

He grabbed your left hand and forced it back. He yanked it behind your back at a painful angle. From this position you can't do anything to him. He is too far up to kick and your free hand can only weakly reach back to whack him in pathetically weak hits. When he leaned forward, it added more of his weight on you. His knee ground into your spine like a pestle grinding into the mortar, breaking down everything in its way.

"Let me go!" You strain to speak. It hurts to as he's restraining your lungs again with this uncomfortable pin.

"I can't... I won't let you out of my sight again." Jiraiya said, his voice calm and quiet.

From the corner of your eye, you see Jiraiya's hand. It's approaching your face. You turn your head away. It was a wasted effort. No matter how you tried to curl your face away from him, he simply maneuvered his hand around to try again. His hand clasped over your mouth after only a few moments of this pathetic attempt to get away. He pinched your nose at the same time. You claw at him with your free hand to no avail. His grip never wavered no matter if you made him bleed.

Your struggling began to weaken. Without a proper way to get air, you lose your strength. The more you lose the more you panic. You don't want to die. Not like this. By the hand of the very man who taught you... practically raised you. It's hard to digest. Jiraiya was capable of more than he lets on. He was capable of cold blooded acts. A monster that was deep under the surface of his skin. So deep that no one would ever know it was there until he decided it was time to show it.

"Don't worry, sunflower." His voice was a centimetre away. It was warm and you could feel his teeth against the back of your ear. "I'll keep you safe."

It's the last thing you hear... The last thing that your brain registered... Your vision goes black. There's a ringing in your ears. You pass out... unsure if you will ever wake up again.

...

..

The first thing your consciousness noticed was your ability to breath freely. No hands or body weight restrained you. The air is cold to breath in. It's dry. It's still. It's very quiet. You are on your back with a soft surface cushioning your body.

Why are you alive? The memories of what happened to you was still clear in your mind. Jiraiya was your stalker. He may have murdered your boyfriend. He suffocated you. Yet you live. He only did it to the point you passed out. But why would he do that? You know too much.

He can only want you alive for only a few select reasons.

Fear picked up your heartbeat again. Those reasons are not good ones. You know who he is and what he's done. His obsession with you means he wants to keep you, not kill you as some stalkers do. That feels more merciful. Whatever he has planned for you can't be a good time.

Opening your eyes took time. It wasn't the peaceful laze you felt earlier. Your head hurts. Your torso is sore. There's an ache in your wrist. Your ankle feels so... cold and heavy. Curiosity overtook the fear. You open your eyes.

It's a small room. Concrete and cold. Dark. There's nothing in it aside from a metal pole in the middle that must be helping support the weight of whatever was above this room. You look at it closer. It was the only thing to focus on. It's black and shiny. It didn't have any major damage like rust or dents. Your eyes look down the straight line to the base of the pole. Your toes came into view as a result.

Fuck...

Your ankle feels so heavy due to a metal shackle clasped around it. You sit up and reach for it. You pull on the chain that was attaching the shackle to the base of the pole. It clinked and jingled. It was loud. It cut the silence of the room.

Thunk!

You look up where the muffled sound came from. It sounded like a step or something being dropped. Crap! The noise alerted someone! You look around more frantically. Now you see the looming stairway across the room. It was just as shadowed as the rest of the room and hard to see. The occasional screams of the floorboards above you lead towards them.

He's coming!

Thankfully, a jutsu does exist for this. An escape jutsu that was basically a type of substitute. The point being to make a quick escape when bound. You learned it a long time ago. Jiraiya taught it to you. He said it would be useful to know. Because duh, there's a crazy man stalking you. It does make one wonder why he would teach you something that would cause his undoing. You'll break free and kick his ass. There's no point in being merciful now. He's insane!

You form the seals and state the name of the jutsu. You stare at the shackle with an expectation of it no longer being around your ankle...

Nothing happened. The steps are getting closer.

There's a creak and a flood of light as the door to this basement was opened. You hold in a whimper and try again. Maybe in your haste you didn't apply enough chakra. Yeah. That must be it.

Nothing.

Why?! You've done this long enough to know what to do! It should have worked! You should be free and preparing to jump the madman keeping you hostage. The soreness in your torso grows. It continues to at a steady rate until it almost feels like it's cramping. It's the same pain as a stomach ache.

You still have your house robe on. Which was the only comfort you have in this absolutely hellish situation. The yellow of the painted petals on them are brightest thing in this god forsaken hell hole. You pull it open to see if something was wrong. Bruises or maybe some more severe damage is messing up your flow and focus in your body.

"What?.." The words fall quietly from your mouth.

There's a black mark there. More than a mark. Seals... they're seals. It's the mark of a five prong seal. It's design to block access to a person's chakra. You probably couldn't even make a clone. Jiraiya had boasted that he was quite good at this particular seal and demonstrated how to preform it. Upon reflection, he never said how to break it. He most likely is the only one who can. Which means...

Dread. The cold grip of dread fills you as this only means one thing. You can't fight back. Even Taijutsu requires a certain amount of chakra to preform. They best you got in your arsenal is the natural strength you have without your chakra, which he had already proven to be much stronger than. You are at the mercy of your captor.

"Good evening, sunflower. How was your rest?"

A wave of sickness washes over you at the sound of his voice. You look up to see Jiraiya standing across the room. The sight of him only worsened your stomach pain. He's holding something. It's a tray.

"You gotta be hungry."

You don't reply. The thought of taking food from him is making you feel even sicker. He approaches with his spread of food anyways, setting it down within arms reach of you. He remains crouched in front of you after he did. As he observed you, you observe the tray. Meeting his eyes was hard. It's hard to believe he was really the madman behind your years of torment. On the platter was a glass of water and a bowl of your favourite food. It's usual enticing aroma was now tainted by him. No spoon or any other sort of utensils. He doesn't trust you with them. As cautious as ever, isn't he?

"Where am I?" You ask.

"My home. Where else would you be? You must remain close to me." His voice is so casual. Like he was talking about what he had for lunch rather than speaking of the dark subject of keeping you hostage.

Jiraiya reaches out his hand towards you. You flinch with his fingers graze your belly. He runs his fingers along the seal. Your skin feels like it's burning. Sizzling under his touch. It slowly grazed down dangerously close to areas you don't wish him to touch. You grab his wrist.

"Heh heh... Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of touching you without your permission." He promised with a smile. "I'm just admiring. You probably already figured out what that seal does."

"I can't access my chakra."

"Very good, sunflower. You always were very clever."

You grab your robe and pull it back close. His hand retracts, dragging along your thigh before returning it to his side. His eyes are looking you over slowly.

"You'll come to realize I'm doing this all to protect you." Jiraiya continues to speak. "I love you. I don't think I could live without you. If you got hurt, I won't forgive myself."

You watch him as he spoke. The range of emotions on his face ring genuine. The sorrow and fear. He is crazy, but only for you. It's clear that his unhealthy obsession with you and his fears of loss had made him come to this conclusion. He's lost a lot of people in his life and he wasn't about to lose you.

"C... Can I ask you something?" You ask.

"Anything."

You need confirmation. If just for closure.

"What did you do to Tori?"

His expression dropped. It fell into a cold frown. He stared at you for several seconds. Then a grin split his lips. His eyes sparkle with a pride and delight. The change in expression was so sudden it does come off as mad.

"Don't worry yourself with him anymore. He's long gone." Jiraiya answered with glee. "No one will ever get in the way of us!..." His smile faded a little and his eyes spoke of something angry and intense... but it's hard to place exactly what. "I won't let anyone get in the way anymore."

The shift in his voice was dark. It was a grim statement spoken as a twisted promise to you. He won't let anyone take you away. He'd probably kill anyone who tried. Even your teammate and friends. They're his friends too but if they ever found out then he wouldn't hesitate.

This was your life now... wasn't it? Tears flood your vision. They quickly break and fall down your cheeks. Your head tilts to face the ground as you cry. A life stuck in this dark hole. A prisoner to a man you thought would always protect you. The man you trusted so much was the person you feared. Now he had you and there's nothing you can do.

The once comforting presence of Jiraiya was now incredibly sinister. He continued to stay crouched in front of you. His hand now reached for your face. He wiped away your tears like he once had when you were a child.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now." Your teacher lovingly said. His hand continued to be gentle as he caressed your face. "But I know you'll come around to understand why I'm doing this."

You don't reply. Jiraiya let out a soft sigh. He leaned forward and his lips press against the top of your head. He stroked your hair a few times oh so lovingly. These gestures did at one point make you feel better. Now not so much. They feel strange and gross. It was more like a unknown pervert was touching you rather than the man you trusted for over ten years.

"I'll leave you to it. Please... eat. You'll feel better." He urged you. He stood up. "The bathroom is around the corner. The chain will reach, don't worry."

You raise your head. He's leaving. He walks across the room. He stopped at the first step to turn to you one last time. Your eyes connect with his. He smiles. In the past that smile would have comforted you. If sensei was confident and assuring, then there was nothing to fear. But that smile now was now a cold reminder of how delusional he is. Seeing it froze your heart rather than melt it.

"I'm happy you're finally mine, sunflower. I know you'll be happy here." He chirps jovially. "Once you do realize how much you love me... You can live freely with me. Because that is what you are meant to do."

You stare at him, face stuck in sorrow. Jiraiya didn't give much of a reaction. It was clear he thought he was right. You will have a change of heart in his opinion. He climbs the stairs and leaves you be.

You don't move for sometime. You are neither hungry or thirsty. The food in front of you will go cold and forgotten. Taking anything from him felt wrong. Even if it was for survival.

You lay back down on the cot, curling up into a tight ball. It's cold in this room. You don't have a blanket. Just a thin roll of fabric that made the ground less uncomfortable. You try to find warmth within your own body. But the chakra that once kept you warm and helped you survive was sealed away. It all felt so bleak.

For hours you cry. You screamed. But no one came. Not Tori. Not Kushina. Minato didn't even hear your wails of despair. Not even your captor came to check on you. It's only when your throat turns raw and your eyes burn do you stop. Exhaustion took over.

You fall asleep. No dreams come. There's only an empty cold void, like the concrete room around you. You know when you wake it's all you will see. Perhaps for the rest of your life these four walls will be your company.

For how can you bring yourself to love a madman?