Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters as they are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. The author of the cover image is indy-riquez from DeviantArt. You can check the link for the original image in my profile.

Chapter 34: Comfort

Naruto steeled himself as he entered the Hokage's office along with Kakashi at his side. The Sharingan user had gone to get him and told him that the Godaime needed to see him. He wasn't a genius but the way his teacher carried himself it was obvious that whatever they needed him for was serious. Not to mention that for some reason Gamabunta and Gamakichi were stationed just outside the Hokage's building. Naruto's first thought was that they had found out about his relationship with Kurotsuchi and if that was the case he had to be ready for a reprimand. He had been thinking of good arguments all the way to meet the female Sannin but as soon as he opened the door everything he had come up with left his mind.

The atmosphere inside the office was heavy. Sai and Sakura were already waiting there for him and Kakashi. The pinkette had a look of sadness in her eyes and Sai looked somber, even more so than usual.

At the side of the Hokage's desk was a small toad with grey strands of hair and a small cloak. Naruto also spotted Shizune at the very end of the room and she was sporting a look of concern not unlike Sakura's. But what really caught Naruto's attention was Tsunade herself. The Hokage was sitting on her desk patiently waiting for Naruto as was expected but her expression tipped Naruto off. The Hokage tried to look serene but with her red puffy eyes, even Naruto could tell that she wasn't okay.

''W-What is going on here,?'' Asked Naruto tentatively as he slowly made his way towards his grandmother figure. Somehow, he had a feeling that this wasn't about Kurotsuchi.

''So, this is Naruto,'' Said the toad as he regarded the boy closely. ''Jiraiya-Chan's pupil''

''He is'' Answered Tsunade drily.

Naruto eyed the small toad with suspicion. Was the Ero-Sennin involved in this too?

''Tsunade-Baachan, what is happening here? And who does this old frog thinks he is to be talking like that to the Ero-Sennin?'' Said Naruto in annoyance. The nerve of the old toad to be calling the old man 'Chan'.

Fukasaku smiled in amusement at the nickname that Naruto had for Jiraiya. He was just like his master.

''Quiet, Naruto,'' Tsunade scolded the boy. ''Fukasaku is Jiraiya's teacher and a respected figure amongst the toads. Sow him more respect''

Naruto stared at the small toad in surprise. This was the Ero-Sennin's teacher?

''Anyway I'll go straight to the point,'' Said Fukasaku not wanting to prolong the bad news anymore. ''Jiraiya-Chan has been killed in combat''

Naruto felt as if someone had dropped a bucket of ice water over him. He could not do anything but stare silently at the toad and at Tsunade, waiting for someone to tell him this was a bad joke, but that never happened.

The rest of the people present in the room could only watch Naruto in pity waiting for a further reaction from the boy.

''How?'' Was the only thing that Naruto managed to mutter.

''He died on a mission fighting Pain, the leader of Akatsuki,'' Said Fukasaku before taking off his cloak and revealing what appeared to be numbers carved on his back. ''Jiraiya-Chan managed to write this message on my back just before he died. He wrote it in code so Pain didn't know what he was doing''

However, Naruto didn't seem to be the slightest bit interested in that code. His master was dead and that was all that mattered to him right now. ''Granny, did you send him on that mission?'' Naruto asked the Hokage.

''I did'' Responded Tsunade.

Naruto grimaced, holding back his impulse to lash out against the Sannin. ''Screw this!'' He turned around in anger, ready to leave the office but before he reached for the doorknob he glanced back at one last time at Tsunade. ''If the Ero-Sennin had been the Hokage he would never have let you go on that mission.'' And with that, Naruto left the office, ignoring a worried call from Sakura.

Naruto was glad that no one had come looking for him as soon as he left. He wasn't in the mood to see anyone right now. After leaving the Hokage Tower, Naruto found himself walking aimlessly through Konoha's marketplace.

He didn't know if he was looking for a way to occupy his mind or what but it was all in vain, he kept picturing all the times he spent with his late master; all the times he scolded him or called him a knuckleheaded idiot to all the times he was there for him when he needed him. Naruto cursed under his breath before he slammed his fist against a wall beside him. Why did Ero-Sennin have to die? What was the old idiot thinking when he went looking for a fight with the Akatsuki's leader? The blond's mind was in a turmoil and he continued to wander the streets without a clear goal as if to find answers that he knew he wasn't going to find...

-Kurotsuchi's Apartment-

''And then Himiko couldn't help her gasps of breath getting sharper as she felt Masato make his way inside of-'' Kurotsuchi's attention was diverted from her book when she heard a knock on her door. She sighed in frustration at being interrupted just when things were getting interesting. She proceeded to hide the Icha Icha book below the cushion of her sofa as she stood up to answer her door.

''Sakura?'' Said Kurotsuchi when she found the pink-haired medic jus outside her apartment.

''Hello, Kurotsuchi-San. Have you seen Naruto? He doesn't appear to be at his place'' Said Sakura with concern in her voice.

Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow at that. ''I haven't seen him all day,'' Replied the Iwa girl. She went looking for him at his apartment when she woke up this morning, but when she couldn't find him she decided to wait for him by killing time reading. ''Did you need him for something?''

Sakura shook her head gently. ''I just wanted to see if he was doing okay. With the issue with Jiraiya-Sama and all that''

That piqued Kurotsuchi's interest. What issue with Jiraiya?

''Wait, didn't you hear?'' Asked Sakura when she noticed the clueless look that Kurotsuchi was giving her.

''Hear what?'' Asked Kurotsuchi, now getting increasingly worried about what had Sakura this worked up.

''Jiraiya-Sama is dead,'' Said Sakura somberly. ''he was killed fighting the Akatsuki's leader''

Kurotsuchi couldn't hide her surprise. Jiraiya of the Sannin was dead?! The great toad sage Jiraiya? But that meant that...Naruto!

And with that, Kurotsuchi rushed out of her apartment, slamming the door behind her.

''Wait, Kurotsuchi-San where are you going?'' Said Sakura only to be ignored.

Kurotsuchi quickly made her way into the street. She had to find Naruto. Who knew what he could do after finding out that his master was dead. She wouldn't put it past him to go looking for the Akatsuki by himself or something of the sort. And even if he didn't he was hurting at the very least and she had to be there for him.

-Outskirts of Konoha-

Kurotsuchi was getting more frustrated by the minute. She had already checked all the places that Naruto would go to; from Ichiraku to the academy, or the training grounds and not one of them had yielded results. ''Were are you, Naruto?'' Thought the girl in worry until a thought occurred to her. ''That's it! I know where he is!''

Then, she changed her course towards the Hokage monument, rapidly traversing the oath of the steep hill towards the mountain until she finally spotted the familiar figure of Naruto sitting on top of the head of the Yondaime.

Once Naruto felt someone approaching him, he glanced back to see Kurotsuchi making her way up to him. ''Kurotsuchi, I didn't know you were there''He said as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his forearm, not wanting the girl to see him like this.

Kurotsuchi furrowed her brow when he noticed his red eyes. She really hated to see him suffer. ''I've been looking all over the place for you, you know?'' Said the girl as she took a seat beside Naruto.

''I'm sorry, I just...had to be alone'' Said Naruto dejectedly.

Kurotsuchi stared softly at him before she put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. ''I'm sorry Naruto. I heard about Jiraiya,'' Said Kurotsuchi, noticing how Naruto winced at the mention of his late master. ''I know how much you are hurting''

Naruto didn't say anything. He didn't feel comfortable worrying Kurotsuchi over him but he was thankful for her presence.

''You know,'' Said Kurotsuchi softly. ''My dad always used to tell me that the people we loved that have already passed away watch over us. For a long time I didn't know if I believed him or not. It certainly seemed like bullshit a lot of times. But one day I decided that I wanted to believe it, I really wanted to believe that my mother was looking over me and I needed to do my very best for her. Even if she really wasn't watching me I just had to do what would have made her proud in her memory''

Naruto pondered on what Kurotsuchi said for a moment. He understood her point. If the Ero-Sennin wasn't here to see him grow he should t least strive to live up to the expectations he had of him; still he couldn't help his sorrow. ''I hope you are right. I just wanted him to see me become Hokage, to see me be something else than just a failure''

Kurotsuchi gave Naruto a weak slap on the back of his head, which caused the boy to stare at her in surprise as he rubbed the pain away.

''You are not a failure, idiot,'' Said Kurotsuchi. ''And I don't think Jiraiya would have wasted his time with you if he thought so too. I never told you this but one time he came to pay me a visit in my apartment shortly after arriving in Konoha. This was before we were friends and I had just acted like a bitch to you and he came to give me a piece of his mind. It was scary seeing him so worked up and he did it for your sake''

Naruto hadn't known that his old master did that. It was nice to know that he cared. Still, he wished he hadn't been too hard on Kurotsuchi.

''I'm not mad about that anymore, I totally deserved it,'' Said Kurotsuchi almost as if reading Naruto's mind. ''And if he hadn't done that I probably would never have made up with you and we'd never have been friends. He did all that for you, so now you should honor his memory and stop moping around, it doesn't suit you. And I never want to hear you say that you are a failure again, got it?''

Naruto smiled for the first time in the day at hearing Kurotsuchi's encouraging words. Once again he wiped the tears from his eyes, but this time he had more resolution than before.

Kurotsuchi smiled with content, realizing that her words had an effect on the blond. Then, she was suddenly surprised when Naruto turned to her locked his lips with hers. Kurotsuchi's surprise didn't last long and she found herself returning his kiss, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the moment along with him.

After a few seconds, Naruto broke the kiss before glancing into her eyes in appreciation. ''Thank you Kuro-Chan. I really needed your words''

Kurotsuchi bit her lips as she too returned his gesture. That had been a quick kiss but she could feel Naruto's gratitude in the action. ''you know I'm here for you. In the future don't hesitate to find me if you are not feeling well, okay?''

Naruto nodded. ''Definitely''

Then, Kurotsuchi closed the distance between them and leaned her head against his shoulder as she stared at the village below. ''You were right. It really does look nice from up here''

''Yeah, it does'' Responded Naruto as he rested his head against hers and took her hand in his, letting a comfortable silence set in as they watched the village in the light of the twilight. Wherever the Ero-Sennin was, Naruto promised that he would make his master proud. And he knew that Kurotsuchi would be at his side, making sure that he continued to improve.

Author's notes:

This was a very short chapter, sorry about that. I didn't want to extend it with useless fluff uneccesary events so I just decided that it was best to stay short but focused. On the plus side it allowed me to finish it quicker.

However, I'm excited for the chapters to come! A lot of them are ones that I have had planned for a very long time and I can't wait to put them into words at least. Not to mention that they will be pretty eventful, probably the most eventful yet.

Hopefully this means that I will have them up soon...But don't hold me on to that. But you can all look forward to the next chapter, because something that has been building up for quite some time happens. It'll be fun, kinda. I'll let you guys predict what it is.