Jiraiya was frustrated. First, he was unable to locate Orochimaru's new hideout, and now the new "Rogue Kunoichi" was proving to be even more elusive. The rumors of an unknown kunoichi who no one knew and who kept her true face hidden behind a genjutsu had peaked his interest and the promise of a new potential story for his Icha Icha series sent Jiraiya on a wild chase through several countries. He had caught glimpses of the girl but every attempt to make contact with her had been rebuffed. In short, he wasn't just frustrated, he was extremely frustrated! However, his encounters with her had allowed Jiraiya a chance to observe an interesting pattern in the kunoichi's movements. She was never in seen in an area where there were also rumors of either Orochimaru or the secretive Akatsuki being active and always left as soon as they were rumored to be close to her own location. Jiraiya had been unable to find out exactly why she was so cautious about those two groups, but he intended to use that information to his advantage.
Throughout his years of traveling Jiraiya had made a point to make friends with as many bar and tavern owners as he could. Not only did this give him access to their rich knowledge of the latest gossip, but it also allowed him to ask for the occasional favor. After learning that the Rogue Kunoichi was along the border between the lands of Fire and Waterfall, he asked owners in Waterfall to start a rumor that Akatsuki was in the area. Meanwhile, he would set his trap. At a crossroads right at the border Jiraiya summoned a Shop Toad from Mount Myoboku which he had transform into a respectable little tavern named Club Toad. Now all he had to do was wait for his target to arrive...
The Rogue Kunoichi was tired, wet, and frustrated. Not only had her target in Waterfall already been caught and turned in for the bounty, but that damned Akatsuki had arrived and was rumored to be patrolling everywhere! Like hell she was going to let herself be caught by those bastards. She already knew that Kakuzu desperately wanted wring all ryo he could out of her hide after she beat him to one too many bounties. What she needed was a place to lay low for a while and wait for the hunt for her to die down, maybe even start a rumor that she had died and start over with a new, permanent disguise. But to do that she would need to find a place to stay for several months and staying in one place required money which she did not have. The Rowdy Gang bounty hadn't lasted as long as she had hoped it would and she had been unable to bring in more funds. But all that could wait, for now she just wanted somewhere warm to spend the night and to get out of the pouring rain and avoid the cold that her sore throat was threatening.
Looking ahead the kunoichi saw a small tavern, warm light spilling from its windows. She stopped in front of it and considered her options. On the one hand it would provide shelter and had signs advertising cheap rooms for rent, on the other hand it positively reeked of toad and not just any toad scent but the scent that had seemed to cling to that white-haired freak that had been tailing her only a couple of weeks before. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't run into him since she caught the Rowdy Gang. She frowned at the tavern, its warmth seemed to mock her now, tempting her to step into what was clearly a trap. The whole building even looked like a toad and the name didn't help either. Club Toad hah! How stupid did that spiky haired buffoon think she was? With a small snort of derision, she turned to continue heading into Fire country before she was stopped by a sudden bout of coughing. It tore at her throat and seemed determined heave her lungs out of her chest. She fell to her knees, water soaking through her pants and chilling her to the bone. Is this how I die? Coughing my lungs out in the rain?
Before her thoughts could get much darker, warmth suddenly engulfed and the kunoichi could feel herself being lifted to her feet and guided towards the tavern. She tried to stop but the slick mud didn't give her much traction and whoever was guiding her was much stronger and larger than she was. Her helper guided her to a small table and helped her to sit. A hot drink was forced into the hand that wasn't covering her coughs and then the person backed away. Desperate for the coughs to stop and resigned to the fact that if this was a trap she was already caught, the kunoichi gulped down the drink, feeling it soothe the irritated tissues of her throat. Gulping in several breaths she turned her head towards whoever it was that had helped her. It was her spiky haired stalker, his hands already twisting into the signs to spring his trap.