Not too long after he left the village, he was was greeted by the darkness of the night sky. He continued to walk beneath the stars until he could go no longer. Exhaustion started to set in so he decided to set up his camp for the night. It would have been wise to set up camp before nightfall, but that was one thing that didn't cross his mind. He whipped out his flashlight and began to put up his small tent. When the tent was up he created a small fire by gathering some twigs and dried leaves and setting them ablaze. He sat before the fire that provided him with warmth and thought about the journey he had ahead of him. It would probably take him a few years to find his destiny. That would be the longest he would ever be away from the village. Solitude was in the near future for him. No familiar faces, no family, no friends, and nobody to love. It would be just him.

He was lonely yes, but leaving the village was not something that he regretted. It was time for him to leave the past in the past along with all the hurt he experienced. He had to find a new life for himself and obtain the happiness that he so deserved. His true destiny was out there waiting on him. It was only for him to find it now.

Jiraiya sat there until the fire burnt out and he was left in complete darkness. The chill air caused cold bumps to emerge on his flesh, and forced him to seek out warmth in the comfort of his tent. Once in the tent he slipped off his clothing and dressed himself in comfortable pajama pants and a simple white, cotton shirt. He buried himself down in his warm sleeping bag and laid there waiting for sleep to claim him.

Hours passed and he was still wide awake listening to the chirping sounds of crickets and the rustling of leaves on the tree above his tent. The deafening silence was getting to him so much that he found himself longing for the noises he would hear around the village. The laughter of children, barking of dogs, and the chatter of village folk would ever be present in the village, but out in the wilderness he only had the thoughts in his head.

The morning sun rose and he still had not slept at all. Usually he would feel exhausted after not being able to sleep for the entire night, but surprisingly he was not tired at all. He hopped out of his sleeping bag and gathered his clothes in his arms before heading down to the nearby river to have himself a refreshing soak. The river was beautiful with it's cool, sparkling water. He felt a sense of tranquility as he discarded his clothes and lowered his body into the refreshing water. He stayed submerged from the neck down in the water until his flesh started to prune. He was in no rush to get out anytime soon, for he really had no place else to go. The cool water soaked into his core and left him completely at peace. An hour passed so he decided to emerge from the river and continue on his lengthy journey. His destination was not determined. He was would go wherever the wind would take him.

He returned to his campsite and packed up his belongings. He covered his tracks to avoid being found and within a few minutes, he was back on the dirt road walking into oblivion. He walked and walked until his feet became sore. He was hoping that he would end up in a small town soon, but all he could see around him was vegetation and zero signs of civilization. His heart sank every time he came across more bushes and trees on both sides of the road. He felt as if he would never come across a town or a village but eventually he did. It was a small, almost deserted town by the name of Tottori Town. It had a rustic, olden day appearance to it so Jiraiya knew right away that this was an old town. He walked through the deserted streets trying to find some place where he could stay for the night.

A two story building sat in the corner of a dead end road and had a flickering sign resting on the roof that said 'motel' although one could mistaken it for 'mote' since the 'l' was not functioning as it should. Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief and entered the building. He was greeted by an unpleasant looking, skinny lady with wild blue hair and an 'I don't care' expression written all over her face. The lobby of the motel wasn't much to look at either. It was very unkept with it's dusty floors, furniture that looked like it was torn up by a cat, and flickering light structures. It was a mess. No wonder why Jiraiya was literally the only customer they had. If he wasn't so tired, he would have never stayed there.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want?" The lady a at the front desk asked while filing her rather long nails.

"I need a room for a couple of days." Jiraiya said.

The lady didn't even look up at him. She just continued to file her nails, "I hope you have some cash on ya. Sometimes broke ass people come in here asking me for a room with no intentions on paying. So cash first then we can talk about giving you a room."

Her rude behavior caused Jiraiya to slam his fist down on her desk which made her stop filing her nails to look up at the sage, "What the fuck man?!" She shouted.

"I'm your damn customer and your behavior isn't going to get you any business. Now give me a damn room key or I'll take my money elsewhere!" Jiraiya shouted with zero tolerance for her behavior. He was exhausted and therefore had no time for foolishness. He just wanted a place to rest for a couple of days so that he could determine where he would go from there.

"Fine!" She said while digging around in her draw for a key, "Here." She slammed the key on the desk before Jiraiya and held out her hand for her payment, "You got room three."

Jiraiya reached into his pocket and pulled out some dollars before slamming the cash in her hand and picking up his room key. Without another word he walked down the dark hall to his room. When he entered the room he was appalled. It was small, the bed wasn't made and the only lighting was a small lamp that sat on the bedside table. It was by far the worst motel he had ever stayed in, but he couldn't complain for it was better than sleeping out in the cold. He threw his bag in the corner of the room and retrieved a notebook and a pen before sitting down at the small wooden desk. He was about to start writing his first book but stumbled across writer's block. He had no idea what to write about. No ideas popped into his mind or anything. How was he supposed to travel the world and write books if he had nothing to write about?

He grumbled and tried to write something, but every time he tried to come up with an idea, he would just end up crumpling the paper and throwing it in the corner of the room. Soon the crumpled papers formed a small mountain in the corner and Jiraiya could not have been crankier. He was supposed to be an author and yet nothing worth writing could come to his mind. The entire purpose of him leaving the village was to write and find his destiny, but so far he wasn't off to a great start. He threw his pen down and grabbed his coat before storming out of his room in search of a bar of some sort. He needed to drown himself in alcohol. Perhaps that would help him to come up with an idea for his first novel.

Jiraiya was walking over to the only bar in town when he heard the shrill screams of a female. He moved closer and closer to the screams until he saw three men harassing a woman who was about the same age as Jiraiya.

"Just leave me alone!" She shouted with tears forming in her eyes.

"Come on don't be like that." One of the men said, "Three is better than one you know."

"I don't want any of you!" She declared.

"She's being difficult boys." Another one of the men said, "Maybe we have to force her to have some fun with us." He said in a seductive tone while he stepped closer to the girl.

The men were obviously drunk and trying to take advantage of the innocent girl. Jiraiya knew that it wasn't any of his business, but what kind of person would he be if he just simply allowed those men to take advantage of that girl's body? He was more than capable of stopping them so without any hesitation, he stepped before the men.

"Leave that girl alone." Jiraiya demanded.

"Who the hell are you?" The third man asked while looking Jiraiya up and down as if he was an insignificant speck. The rest of the men looked at Jiraiya as if he was crazy to actually have the gall to try and stop them, "Stay out of this. It isn't any of your business."

"It doesn't matter who I am or if it's my business of not, but I'm not going to allow you to hurt this innocent girl."

"Oh yeah?" The first man said condescendingly, "And just what are you gonna do about it?"

"Stop you." Jiraiya simply said, "Even if I have to use force, I won't let you touch her."

"This asshole just wants that fine piece of ass to himself!" The third man said, "Let's beat him to a bloody pulp guys!"

"No!" The girl screamed.

"Wait!" The second man said and stopped the other two, "This guy looks familiar." He said and then tried to determine exactly who Jiraiya was before realization dawned on him, "He-He's one of the Legendary Sannin. He helped to end the war. We don't wanna mess with the likes of him. He-He'll kill us!" He said and suddenly became very frightened just to be in Jiraiya's presence.

"Are you kidding me? He's one of the Sannin?!"

"Forget this! Let's get the hell out of here!"

The men ran away like frightened puppies and left the girl unharmed. The girl ran into Jiraiya's arms and hugged him so tight that he swore that his circulation was being cut off.

"Thank you so much!" She said through tears, "If you didn't come when you did I don't know what would have happened to me. How can I ever repay you?"

"No repayment is necessary." Jiraiya said. He wanted nothing from the girl. He didn't even want her thanks. He saved her because it was only the right thing to do.

"Are you sure?" She asked, "I don't have much but whatever it is that you want, I'll try my best to get it for you." She assured him while pulling away from him.

Jiraiya shook his head, "No, you don't have to get me anything. But promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Don't walk around at night by yourself. Especially not in a town like this. A beautiful lady such as yourself is a target for scum like them."

She blushed a bit for she was clearly flattered by Jiraiya, "What's your name?" She asked, "I would like to know of the name of the man who saved me."

"Jiraiya."

"Jiraiya." She repeated, tasting it on her tongue, "That name suits you."

"And you? What's your name?"

"Ayame." She replied with a smile.

"Well Ayame, I was just about to get a drink. Would you like to join me or do you want me to walk you home?" Jiraiya asked. Initially he wasn't in the mood for company, but there was something about Ayame that made him want to spend time with her. She was beautiful. She had emerald green eyes that one could get lost in, shoulder length auburn hair that was kept down, and ivory skin. She wasn't very chesty, but regardless she was stunning. It was no wonder why those men wanted to take advantage of her. Jiraiya however, would never do that.

Ayame's eyes lit up with joy, "I would love to have a drink with you Jiraiya, the man who saved me."

"Great." He smiled and took hold of her hand, "Let's go then."

The pair went into the bar together. He didn't understand why, but he felt a spark of happiness ignite within him when he held Ayame's soft hand. Perhaps it was fate that led him to her. Maybe just maybe, Ayame was a key element in finding his destiny.

Five days passed and Jiraiya was still in Tottori Town. He became fast friends with Ayame and she was the one and only reason why he was still situated in that small town. They hung out together often and learned more about each other with each and every passing moment. Jiraiya learned that Ayame was born and raised in Tottori Town to poor parents. Her mother worked as a maid in a rich person's home that was two hours away from the town, while her father was a carpenter. They worked so hard everyday just to be able to provide for Ayame, and because of that she grew up to be a very appreciative, kind, gentle person. Her parents died not too long after her thirteenth birthday from influenza and ever since then she has been on her own. She was now twenty three years old and working as a waitress in a small diner on the other side of town. She obviously had a rough life and because of that Jiraiya felt sorry for her. She had every reason in the world to be bitter and hate life itself and yet, she was grateful for every breath of air she took. She was a person who came along every once in a lifetime. She was a gem. He wanted to be there for her and help her in whatever way he could. Furthermore, he felt attracted to her not just because of her looks, but because of her gentle nature.

Ayame felt a special connection to Jiraiya ever since that day when fate brought them together. She called him her hero because really and truly, she would have been raped and or killed without him. She was so grateful to him and wanted nothing more than to get to know him. On her day off of work, she invited Jiraiya out for a picnic. To her excitement, he agreed so she packed a picnic basket of cheese sandwiches and some fruit. It wasn't much but it was all she could afford so it had to do.

Jiraiya met Ayame in a grassy field just outside of town. She was wearing a short, floral dress and looked absolutely beautiful.

"Hi Jiraiya." She smiled and gave him a hug before she sat on the blanket that she set out for the two of them.

"Hello Ayame." He said and then noticed the area she set up for them, "You really didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." She assured him, "Please sit." She patted the space beside her and he sat down.

"You look very pretty Ayame." He complimented her while noticing how the sun lit up her emerald green eyes and auburn hair. She looked radiant and Jiraiya couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Thank you." She blushed and then dug into the basket to get him a cheese sandwich, "Here you go. I made it myself."

"You shouldn't have."

She shook her head, "This is my way of thanking you for saving me that night. Please accept it."

He nodded his head and took the sandwich. They ate in silence for a while before curiosity got the better of Ayame.

"May I ask you a question Jiraiya?"

"Sure."

"That night when I was attacked, one of the men said that you were one of the Legendary Sannin. Then they became afraid and ran away from you. Why?"

Jiraiya was hoping that she wouldn't ask that question, but there was no way that he could keep anything from her. After all, she was so sweet and the reason why Jiraiya has no left the town.

"I'm from the Village Hidden in the Leaves." He started, "I'm a ninja who fought in the Great War with my team and because we managed to survive and played a significant role in our victory in the war, we were named the Legendary Sannin. I don't mean to brag, but those scum bags were afraid of me because I'm one of the strongest ninja alive."

"You're a ninja?"

"Precisely"

"Then why aren't you in your village?"

There was no way that he would get into details with her no matter how much he felt like he could trust her. Why would he bring up his old crush to his new crush? No, he wouldn't tell him about Tsunade. As far as he was concerned, she was wiped off the face of the planet from the moment she left him again.

"I-I left to find my destiny."

"Your destiny?"

"Yes. It's just something that I need to do."

There was a silent pause. Ayame was obviously trying to allow the information she just received to sink in. She had no idea why he felt the need to find his destiny away from his village, but she was still interested in him.

"I would like to help you with that."

"R-Really?"

"Yes." She nodded her head and smiled, "You saved me. I'm forever indebted to you. It's the least I can do. Furthermore..." She moved closer to him and placed her palm on his cheek and stared into his obsidian orbs, "In your eyes I see sadness. I want to erase that and replace it with happiness. You're a good man and therefore you deserve to be happy. I feel safe around you. If you let me, I will make you happy because in that moment when you saved me from those men, you didn't just save me from rape. You saved me from my solitude."

"Ayame..."

Before he could utter another word, she pressed her lips to his. It was just a small peck on the lips but it allowed Jiraiya's heart to soar. He felt love and happiness in that small kiss. It wasn't brought on by alcohol nor pent up tension. It came from an honest place in his heart and because of that, tears emerged in his eyes.

"You're my hero." She smiled and wiped away his tears, "I don't know what happened in your life, but I'll make it all better if you want me to."

"Oh Ayame." He said and hugged her close to his heart, "I would love if you could try."

"Then I'll try." She whispered in his ear and they broke away from each other once again. His lips crashed onto hers and they continued to kiss each other until she was laying on the blanket with him on top of her. They didn't dare to go any further than that. They were willing to take things slow and see where there relationship would take them.

Finally, Jiraiya didn't think about Tsunade. His mind was filled with thoughts of Ayame and the fact that she came into the picture when he was in one of the lowest points in his life. He would be forever grateful to her because of that. Fate brought them together, and he hoped with all his heart that fate would keep them together.

Don't kill me.

It's time for Jiraiya to be happy don't you think?

Expect some twists and turns and surprises from here on out!

Thanks for reading and remember to review.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo