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"Okay, if you think you can take me- " A crooked smile accompanied the words, and anyone who knew Jiraiya the Toad Sage would've scrambled for the hills, but as the backwater little village he'd found himself never even heard of the legendary three all remained unmoved. In fact, most of the gathering throng stared at the foreigner who'd brushed off a challenge from the strongest man in their region - - had only smiled actually, at the prospect of a fight.
Some of them whispered among themselves while others ran off to grab more people in the hopes of inciting further bets; one hundred to one it was their local warrior who succeeded. Obviously, some weirdo with red marks on his face and a rather eccentric demeanor (as the bar maids could attest) was in no way going to beat Tega. Even if the occasional whisper said the man was of a hidden village, said the man was a ninja.
Said the man would have his frog swallow you whole.
He was handsome and young, which, more than likely was the reason for the challenge in the first place and not some imagined slight to a local hero. A couple women giggled when he flashed a confident look their way, impressed by the strength in his body and anticipatory glint in his eye. Really, he mused, it was funny impressing the ignorant. Jiraiya had gotten so bored with his reputation as it made most shake uncontrollably when confronted with him that he was given to traveling the back roads. He was a man, after all, who liked a good conversation - - just as much as he liked a pretty girl and good booze and an open place to sleep at night - - so why shouldn't he avoid the weight of his name when he could?
Jiraiya was eighteen, young and stupid.
"-I'd be more than willing to fight."
It was a no brainer. He'd won and Tega ran off with his tail between his legs, a couple people in the crowds a few thousand dollars richer thanks to him. Those few people even treated him to drinks, a knowing look in their eyes as they slapped his shoulder and grinned smugly at the men who only had angry wives and empty wallets to look forward to. Jiraiya had been pleased because he rarely had that comradery in his hidden village or other hidden villages (barring the immense few) and determined to enjoy the rest of his night.
The next morning he left. Following the rumors of a woman more beautiful and stronger than any beast that stalked the woods of hidden mist.
Sometimes, when he didn't have the couching security of anonymity or the smiles of ignorant yet kind hearted villagers, Jiraiya wondered why he was always the one chasing (his teammate, that woman) and never being pursued or wanted in return. He was young and stupid and bitter with things he didn't like to talk about anymore, but it seemed, on top of everything, he'd always, always be that stupid kid tied to a stump that everyone just forgot about.
The one person who remembered a million miles away ruling his home like a distant father, and not The One he wanted to remember. It was funny when he thought about it, how when he was young he'd worked so damn hard to be the illustrious name he was now, and still it didn't make him happy. In fact he avoided it like the plague. It hadn't made him anymore friends, just reaffirmed the ones he already had.
Tsunade had told him to follow their teammate.
Jiraiya had always been contradictory when it came to her, because her voice, her mouth, her eyes, everything told him to be. So, he followed her instead.
Sometimes he didn't even understand his own head and the meandering way it pulled him along.
A/N - bleh. It started out so good too. Well, forgive me, I wanna start writing a real story with Jiraiya and Tsunade. I've missed them and these last couple episodes where Jiraiya makes that comment about asking her out or something once, and never again, made me want to like, cry.