Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, kay?
4.
"Oi, young ladies shouldn't be hanging around by themselves at night! Don't you have someplace to be right now?"
The voice that spoke to him was deep and aged, not as though it were an old man but more of a man that was just hitting his prime. Turning his head only the slightest bit to the right, Gaara watched the blacked figure from the corner of his eye. He could just barely make out the stranger's hand heading straight for his shoulder. Responding without any conscious thought, his body spun him to face the unnamed assailant. Crouched down on his legs, the pink dress scrapping the ground underneath him, Gaara was tempted to let out a snarl. Grains of sand from earlier fluttered into the air awaiting his commands.
The man stopped and pulled back his arm before rubbing the bottom of his hairless chin. Behind him white hair was spiked out messily and most of it was gathered roughly in what seemed to be a ponytail. Red stripes began at this stranger's eyes and flowed down to the end of his face. The clothes he wore did not look like those of a shinobi but they were still functional.
Gaara's eyes narrowed at the man as he stared back at him. As though giving up on something, the newcomer let out sigh as he closed his eyes. The hand he had rubbed against his chin now moved to the back of his head and began scratching while he mumbled to himself.
"Just my luck, another brat. She hasn't even developed a good rack yet, geeze. A guy can't even get a break around here."
Wondering if he should crush this man and forget the unpleasant things he had just heard, Gaara watched as the man reopened his eyes.
"Alright now, young lady! I, the legendary Jiraiya-sama, one of the three great Sennins of the Leaf , a man whom no woman can resist, shall help you find your way! There's nothing to fear as I am now here!"
As the white haired man said these things, he struck a pose allowing both palms to face Gaara. A smirk curled around the edges of his mouth in a daring way that reminded the scarlet haired boy of someone else. Not that it mattered; this man was nothing like Naruto...in his perspective at least.
Now feeling slightly disturbed, Gaara slowly rose to the extent of his height and turned towards the way Naruto had gone. Surely this man would take the hint and leave him to his own devices. It wasn't as though he needed any help to find his beloved princess; after all, he was a Sand shinobi. Besides, how much help could that man be if his eyesight was so poor that he mistook Gaara for a girl?
Sending a quick glance back to check on the disturbed man, he was surprised to find nothing but an empty road left in his wake. Giving a mental shrug, his eyes returned to the front only to widen at the sight of the same man crossing his arms with annoyance. Some feet behind the stranger, a lamppost flickered on and illuminated the street. Winking brightly, Gaara's attention was drawn to the man's forehead protector.
The leaf symbol didn't look like that...
"Look brat, this area ain't safe. Now tell me your address and let's get going. I don't have all night."
Ignoring the man's comments, Gaara spoke steadily watching for any sudden movement.
"Why are you in the Leaf Village? You don't belong here."
The man frowned as his forehead crinkled.
"Weren't you listening earlier? 'Jiraiya-sama, legendary Leaf Sennin'."
Gaara stared.
"Don't they teach you kids anything these days!?" The man snapped. "That's it! Who's your instructor?! I want a word with them!"
Instructor?
Gaara paused. He couldn't very well tell this man that he didn't belong to the Leaf after questioning his loyalties...but he didn't know any names of the Leaf jounins either. Without really considering it a whole lot, a name popped out.
"Iruka-sensei."
"A HA! Now we're gettin' somewhere! Wouldn't surprise me if Naruto was taught by idiot! Not bothering to teach you brats about the important shit...I'm going to have to straighten him out..."
So this 'Jiraiya' knew his princess? Then that would make it easier to find Naruto, wouldn't it? In fact, the man might be able to take him to him right now...
"...then we'll see what's what! That idiot won't teach another class without mentioning my name-"
"You know Naruto?"
Gaara's voice broke through the other man's rant and forced him to halt the play acting he had been immersed in only second's before. Lifting one arm from the imaginary "Iruka's" throat, Jiraiya scratched his cheek.
"I guess I do, why?"
"I need you to take me to him."
The man's eyebrow rose a full inch and a frown crossed his features, before he waved his hand.
"No way, kid. I'm not tracking him down again. You want him, you find him. Try that Ramen stand he loves so much. If he ain't there, then you're out of luck. See ya arou-"
"He's with Iruka right now."
It wasn't that much of a lie, just a stretch of the truth. Naruto had said 'Iruka-sensei' only minutes beforehand...which implied that he saw him at the very least.
Casting a suspicious glance at him, Jiraiya's mouth curled into a smirk.
"Alright then, you got a deal. Let's find Naruto."
4.
"Oi, young ladies shouldn't be hanging around by themselves at night! Don't you have someplace to be right now?"
The voice that spoke to him was deep and aged, not as though it were an old man but more of a man that was just hitting his prime. Turning his head only the slightest bit to the right, Gaara watched the blacked figure from the corner of his eye. He could just barely make out the stranger's hand heading straight for his shoulder. Responding without any conscious thought, his body spun him to face the unnamed assailant. Crouched down on his legs, the pink dress scrapping the ground underneath him, Gaara was tempted to let out a snarl. Grains of sand from earlier fluttered into the air awaiting his commands.
The man stopped and pulled back his arm before rubbing the bottom of his hairless chin. Behind him white hair was spiked out messily and most of it was gathered roughly in what seemed to be a ponytail. Red stripes began at this stranger's eyes and flowed down to the end of his face. The clothes he wore did not look like those of a shinobi but they were still functional.
Gaara's eyes narrowed at the man as he stared back at him. As though giving up on something, the newcomer let out sigh as he closed his eyes. The hand he had rubbed against his chin now moved to the back of his head and began scratching while he mumbled to himself.
"Just my luck, another brat. She hasn't even developed a good rack yet, geeze. A guy can't even get a break around here."
Wondering if he should crush this man and forget the unpleasant things he had just heard, Gaara watched as the man reopened his eyes.
"Alright now, young lady! I, the legendary Jiraiya-sama, one of the three great Sennins of the Leaf , a man whom no woman can resist, shall help you find your way! There's nothing to fear as I am now here!"
As the white haired man said these things, he struck a pose allowing both palms to face Gaara. A smirk curled around the edges of his mouth in a daring way that reminded the scarlet haired boy of someone else. Not that it mattered; this man was nothing like Naruto...in his perspective at least.
Now feeling slightly disturbed, Gaara slowly rose to the extent of his height and turned towards the way Naruto had gone. Surely this man would take the hint and leave him to his own devices. It wasn't as though he needed any help to find his beloved princess; after all, he was a Sand shinobi. Besides, how much help could that man be if his eyesight was so poor that he mistook Gaara for a girl?
Sending a quick glance back to check on the disturbed man, he was surprised to find nothing but an empty road left in his wake. Giving a mental shrug, his eyes returned to the front only to widen at the sight of the same man crossing his arms with annoyance. Some feet behind the stranger, a lamppost flickered on and illuminated the street. Winking brightly, Gaara's attention was drawn to the man's forehead protector.
The leaf symbol didn't look like that...
"Look brat, this area ain't safe. Now tell me your address and let's get going. I don't have all night."
Ignoring the man's comments, Gaara spoke steadily watching for any sudden movement.
"Why are you in the Leaf Village? You don't belong here."
The man frowned as his forehead crinkled.
"Weren't you listening earlier? 'Jiraiya-sama, legendary Leaf Sennin'."
Gaara stared.
"Don't they teach you kids anything these days!?" The man snapped. "That's it! Who's your instructor?! I want a word with them!"
Instructor?
Gaara paused. He couldn't very well tell this man that he didn't belong to the Leaf after questioning his loyalties...but he didn't know any names of the Leaf jounins either. Without really considering it a whole lot, a name popped out.
"Iruka-sensei."
"A HA! Now we're gettin' somewhere! Wouldn't surprise me if Naruto was taught by idiot! Not bothering to teach you brats about the important shit...I'm going to have to straighten him out..."
So this 'Jiraiya' knew his princess? Then that would make it easier to find Naruto, wouldn't it? In fact, the man might be able to take him to him right now...
"...then we'll see what's what! That idiot won't teach another class without mentioning my name-"
"You know Naruto?"
Gaara's voice broke through the other man's rant and forced him to halt the play acting he had been immersed in only second's before. Lifting one arm from the imaginary "Iruka's" throat, Jiraiya scratched his cheek.
"I guess I do, why?"
"I need you to take me to him."
The man's eyebrow rose a full inch and a frown crossed his features, before he waved his hand.
"No way, kid. I'm not tracking him down again. You want him, you find him. Try that Ramen stand he loves so much. If he ain't there, then you're out of luck. See ya arou-"
"He's with Iruka right now."
It wasn't that much of a lie, just a stretch of the truth. Naruto had said 'Iruka-sensei' only minutes beforehand...which implied that he saw him at the very least.
Casting a suspicious glance at him, Jiraiya's mouth curled into a smirk.
"Alright then, you got a deal. Let's find Naruto."