Chapter 2 – Hidden Village

Morning sunlight crept in through the cracks in the snow door and the cave. Hiruzen finished sealing up all of the blankets into the storage scroll. After eating some breakfast and packing everything away, they resumed their trek. They were only a day away from the border to the Yamaguni. Boots crunched down on snow for most of the trip until they reached a point where it thinned out.

Three hours later, there wasn't any snow to be found along the trail. Shrubs and dried out trees sparsely covered the mountainside and then yielded to much greener foliage and warmer air. They stopped at a viewpoint which overlooked a valley below, nestled high up between the mountain they were on and three others. Even more spectacular was the river fed by glacial melt which cut through the middle of the valley and then dropped off at a steep cliff near one of the mountains. An unnaturally warm wind blew up from the valley, which puzzled everyone. They were all thinking, 'How could it be so warm so high up?'

"This is amazing!" Tsunade exclaimed with a gasp as she surveyed the panorama.

Jiraiya threw his pack down, tore off his fur jacket, and changed into his warm weather clothing. Before anyone could object, he yelled, "I want to see it! Come on, guys!"

"Hold on, Jiraiya!" Hiruzen yelled, switching his clothing too. It was no use trying to convince Jiraiya to wait. By the time he was dressed in lighter clothing, Jiraiya was too far to see clearly.

"Dammit, that baka." Tsunade cursed angrily. "He could have just waited for us."

A white goat moved down the mountainside onto the dirt trail farther up ahead. On the edge of the trail was a patch of juicy wild celery it hadn't seen before. The goat bleated with joy and began to graze on the luscious foliage. It had a truly wonderful morning full of frolicking and mating so far, and the joy of finding good food was even better. It grazed lazily on the celery until it heard a suspicious noise coming from around the corner. Suddenly, a large idiot barreled around the corner and tripped over it with a foot caught on its body. Jiraiya screamed and the goat bleated in panic as they both fell over the cliff. Jiraiya's head glanced a rock on the way down, rendering him unconscious. The goat angrily glared at Jiraiya's inert body in mid-air as it plummeted to its doom.

Some time later, Jiraiya opened his eyes and looked around. He felt stiff but relatively uninjured. A strange looking amphibian looked at him strangely and asked, "Are you okay?" It was a frog, and a very human-like one. It had a little white beard and was wearing robes, like a human.

Jiraiya couldn't believe his eyes. He was surrounded by giant leaves, mushrooms, and pond water. He felt his chest and body in confusion. He remembered falling to his death, but the rest was a blank. He asked the talking frog the obvious question out loud, "How did I survive the fall?"

"I intervened." The bearded frog said with a proud smile. Behind him was another frog in a kimono and what looked like some kind of wig.

Jiraiya blinked in even more confusion. He squinted at the frog and asked slowly, "Where am I?"

"You're at Myouboku Mountain," The frog with the wig explained in a feminine voice.

"What's your name, young'n?" The male frog asked.

"My name is Monogatari Jiraiya from Konohagakure. Who are you?"

"I'm Fukasaku. This is my wife, Shima." He answered, gesturing to the lady frog next to him. "Most of the youngsters around here just call us Ma and Pa."

"Uh, nice to meet you." Jiraiya said politely then couldn't help but stare at Ma and Pa. "I've never met talking frogs before."

Pa scowled and said, "I've never seen a talking monkey, either." He poked Jiraiya in the chest with his walking stick.

Ma scolded, "Pa, that's no way to treat a guest!"

"I'm sorry." Jiraiya said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just not used to all of this."

"Why don't you join us for supper, Jiraiya-chan?" Ma asked. "We can get to know each other better."

"You don't mind?" The young man asked doubtfully. He was surprised to be called on a first name basis right away by these creatures.

"Of course not." Ma replied.

"Okay. I could use something to eat. Thank you...thank you very much!" Jiraiya said enthusiastically. The two frogs started walking down a cobblestone walkway. There, only a few paces, was a charming little cottage. When they went inside, everything was in miniature.

Jiraiya was told to find a seat at the table. Ma set down chopsticks next to him and then came back in with a steaming pot. She set it down on the table and took a big sniff of the contents. She smiled happily and said, "Perfect!" Pa brought some bowls out and set one in front of Jiraiya, who by now was salivating in hunger.

Ma took a ladle and started heaping something into the bowl. Jiraiya nearly puked when he saw what it was. It was a mash of insect parts in some kind of green gruel. Summoning all of his strength, he ate it. The taste wasn't nearly so bad, but the sight was nasty.

After dinner, Pa and Jiraiya were sitting on a lily pad overlooking a big pond. Pa turned to the young man and asked, "What do you do in Konoha?"

"I'm a Shinobi. I help protect the village and my country from harm."

Pa scoffed, "You don't move like one."

Jiraiya crossed his arms defensively in indignation and said, "How would you know? You don't know me."

Pa looked at him up and down. "Okay. Show me something, then, Mr. Shinobi."

Jiraiya stood up, about to perform a jutsu and tripped, landing face-first in the pond. His clothes became soaked with a moist green film. He yelled out a curse.

Pa laughed hysterically, "Here, kid. Let me show you something." He leaped off the pad and landed on the water and started to walk around on top of it.

Jiraiya's mouth dropped, and he wiped his eyes to get a clearer view. He had seen ninjas use chakra to stick to trees before, but nothing dealing with water like this.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out before. Many frogs are able to do this shortly after developing their hind legs."

"Please teach me!" Jiraiya yelled, bowing and clapping his hands in a begging posture.

Pa helped Jiraiya out of the water with surprising strength. He sat down next to the very wet young man and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't accept a student who isn't a member of my clan."

Jiraiya looked puzzled, "You mean I have to be a frog?"

"No. There are other ways, but it involves a lifetime commitment. There is a contract you could sign as a sign of kinship to our kind. It is forever binding. Signing it also grants some of our power."

"Are there any downsides?" Jiraiya said, scratching his beardless chin.

Pa paced around Jiraiya then answered seriously, "As a clan member, you would be forever our servant if we should need you, and vice-versa."

Jiraiya smiled and yelled, "Cool! Can you do it now?"

Pa patted the boy's arm and said, "Patience, Jiraiya-chan. This is no small matter. Do you think we allow just anyone to join? In order to accept you, we must gain the approval of the Great Sage."

Jiraiya looked at Pa and sighed. "Okay, so when?"

"We can talk about it at our next meeting."

"Okay, when is that?"

Pa cracked Jiraiya over the head with his cane and said, "That's when. I'll come get you when it's time, monkey boy."

Jiraiya took a rock and skipped it across the pond. He hated waiting.

Not a sound was made outside, save the muffled wind blowing against the wooden roof. Floorboards creaked slightly as a shadowy figure crept towards Jiraiya's sleeping form. Jiraiya snored as he flipped over on his back on the goose-feather bed. He was soundly asleep; he didn't notice the movement from the floor to his chest and the subsequent weight there. Two flippered feet and a cane dug into his breast. The old frog that belonged to them shook his head and thought, 'What a lazy child.' He tapped his foot impatiently, smacking Jiraiya a few times on the chin. He hit Jiraiya's head hard with his webbed toes. Jiraiya blinked and looked around.

"It's about time you woke up." The venerable amphibian said, crossly.

"What time is it?" Jiraiya asked in confusion and scanned the room, "It's still dark out!"

"We're surrounded by high cliffs. There's hardly ever any real light here. Now get up! I have some chores for you."

Jiraiya sat up, rubbing his eyes and grumbled, "Okay, okay." He rubbed his bleary eyes, jumped out of bed and dressed himself. He banged his knee on the bedpost. The pain shot through his leg and he screamed, "Son of a bitch!"

"Don't curse!" Ma shouted from her bedroom.

"Sorry, Ma." Jiraiya said as his eyes watered from the pain. For some reason, he had a blind spot for beds. He preferred a simple mat with a pillow. After splashing some water on his face and toweling off, he put himself together and exited the front door. Pa was outside at the rocky path just outside, standing by a handcart with a casket on it and a large lamp on a post. He held a nozzle in his stubby webbed hand and moved it near a hole on the lamp. In his other hand was a pump attached to a casket where the hose was attached. He pushed the pump up and down and a viscous fluid squirted into the lamp's hole. He stopped, motioned to Jiraiya to come to him and set down the nozzle.

"Keeping oil in the lamps is one of the things you have to do every morning." Pa said. He showed Jiraiya how to work the nozzle and the pump, said, "Come see me after you finish," and hopped off.

Jiraiya sighed and went around the village filling oil lamps. Every now and then a frog would be curious about him and fuss over how different he looked. He even made a few friends in the village.

After a few days keeping the oil lamps filled and lit, Jiraiya was on a first name basis with a few frogs he met along the way. He enjoyed their company, but worry about the fate of his team kept its grip on him. He decided to ask Pa if he knew of a way to see them or find out how they were.

Pa chewed on his pipe, pondering the question. "Yamaguni, eh?" He asked, "The person you want to talk to would be the Great Sage."

"You mentioned this 'Great Sage' before, but I don't know where to find him. Weren't you going to talk to him about the contract?"

Ma came out of the cottage with a bucket. She pulled open a lid in the ground and poured the leftover soup into it.

"Oh, that's right. The contract. It slipped my mind." Pa laughed, slightly distracted by his wife.

Jiraiya's jaw clenched, "You mean to tell me I've been doing all of these odd jobs and you weren't going to ask the Great Sage about me?"

Pa smacked Jiraiya with his cane and said with an accusatory finger wagging, "You will learn respect, Jiraiya-chan. You're a guest here, but that doesn't mean I won't put you in your place."

Jiraiya rubbed the angry lump that started to form on his head and sighed, "Yes, Pa. Can you at least tell me who or what the Great Sage is?"

Pa explained, "Ma and I look after him. He's very old."

"What makes him 'Great'? Is he the leader of the village?"

Ma replied, "There are many reasons why is he 'Great'. Most of all, he is respected for being very wise, but he is quite senile. I don't know if he'll be able to help you."

"May I see him?" Jiraiya asked, politely.

Pa chewed on his unlit pipe and said, "You seem trustworthy, but I don't know."

Ma covered Pa's mouth and said, "Of course you can."

Everyone went back inside of the cottage. The frogs put on their little coats and Ma put on her hat. They led Jiraiya down the main road towards the village hub. Curious eyes watched their passing down the road. A few frogs waved at Jiraiya.

Eventually, they came to a large pond with a perimeter of pillars. Beyond it, stone monuments of ancient frogs in various poses surrounded a dais.

Pa paused and turned towards Jiraiya, "The Great Sage is a respected being. Don't say anythin' weird."

Jiraiya nodded carefully and approached a plain stone chair with a very ancient toad of considerable size and wrinkles. Ma and Pa walked ahead and bowed deeply in front of the toad. After some discussion Jiraiya couldn't hear, they came back.

Pa said, "Jiraiya-chan, the Great Sage will have an audience with you now."

Jiraiya was nervous but walked up to the throne and bowed his head reverently.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Jiraiya-chan." The Great Sage said.

Jiraiya kept his head bent, "I am glad to have met you also, Great Sage."

"Proceed."

"I was with a group in Yamaguni about a week ago. I lost my way and was separated from them. I was hoping you could tell me how my team is doing. They're headed towards Yamaguni."

The elongated and wrinkled lips of the old toad said, "I think I can help. Fetch me my crystal, Shima."

Ma hopped to the center of the dais. A stone carving of a frog arm jutted out of the stonework where she stood. Gripped inside the sculpture's webbed fingers was a blue crystalline ball. Ma clapped her hands with her eyes closed and the stone hand loosened its grip on the ball. She brought the orb to the Great Sage. As she moved, the patterns in the crystal swirled iridescently.

The crystal was placed on a blue pillow on the toad's lap. "Ah, yes. Thank you." The raspy voice of the ancient frog said, like a giant creaky door being opened slowly. The Great Sage manipulated his hands into seal gestures over the crystal and closed his eyes. His pupils moved rapidly under his eyelids. After opening them again, he said, "I think I've located them."

Jiraiya clapped his hands in excitement and asked, "Where are they?"

The old frog looked confused, "They?"

Jiraiya frowned as he realized the old creature really was senile. He sighed and explained, "My friends."

The Great Sage took a deep breath and touched his head with his webbed hand, as though trying to clear his thoughts. He looked at Jiraiya and asked, "Have we met?"

Pa shook his head.

Jiraiya felt blushed and said, "I'm Jiraiya, remember? You were going to tell me about my friends."

The old toad coughed and said, "Ah yes, I see them now." Blue swirls of lights danced from the crystal ball and lit up the giant frog's features. He studied the ball's mystic energies some more and then said, "Your friends are talking to someone in a castle."

Jiraiya stood up and asked, "Are they okay?"

"It's difficult to see." The Great Sage answered. He squinted harder then exclaimed softly, "Oh dear! I see restraints. I think they're being held prisoner."

Pa became very impatient and grumbled, "Let me see, you senile old toad." He leaned over and looked at the crystal. Sure enough, there were three people chained to the floor in a prison. Pa said, "It is Prince Reiki's castle, and they are definitely prisoners."

Jiraiya couldn't understand it. He said, more to himself than anyone else, "But we were on a peaceful mission. I don't understand."

Pa explained, "You don't get put in there unless you've broken some law."

The word "law" stuck in Jiraiya's mind. He recalled the conversation he had with Orochimaru about what he would do if Yamaguni didn't surrender their maps. Jiraiya gritted his teeth and growled, "Orochimaru!"

The three amphibians looked at Jiraiya in confusion.

Jiraiya pointed to the crystal ball and explained, "The pale one in the corner is Orochimaru. He thought stealing the maps was necessary if Yamaguni didn't give them up voluntarily." He paused then said, "I can't help but wonder if the prince was protecting the secret of your people by refusing to give the maps over. Orochimaru said he'd steal them if they didn't hand them over."

Pa shook his head. "I don't reckon any human alive knows us anymore, Jiraiya-chan. We're not on any map." A rumbling sound started emitting from the Great Sage's chest. Everyone looked up to see his head was slumped over and he was sleeping. Ma shrugged and put the crystal ball away.

Jiraiya paced around the marble dais. Ma and Pa looked on. Jiraiya said, "I need to save my team, but I can't possibly go up that high from here without a long journey. Do you know of a quicker way?"

Pa nodded and said, "Ma go fetch the contract."

"Are you sure?" Ma asked seriously, leaving Jiraiya in the dark about its purpose.

"This may be the last time I have a student." Pa said resolutely and began to poke at The Great Sage with his stick. "Wake up, ya old croaker."

The Great Sage woke up and said, "I'm sorry. Where was I?"

"Great Sage, I am formally requesting Jiraiya take the oath of the clan."

The old toad looked at Pa and then at Jiraiya. "Who are you?"

Jiraiya groaned and shook his head. Ma fetched a huge scroll and unraveled it. Pa turned to the Great Sage and said, "Jiraiya-chan has accepted the terms. Will ya yield and grant him the request?"

"Do you understand the terms of the contract, Jiraiya-chan?" The Great Sage asked seriously.

"No!" Jiraiya said, looking at Ma and Pa in confusion. "What is this contract?"

Pa replied, "Jiraiya-chan, by signing this contract, you will inherit powers that only our kind possesses and are effectively a member of the frog clan."

The ancient toad slammed his staff down ceremoniously and pointed it at Jiraiya. "You must prick your skin and write your name on this parchment in blood."

Jiraiya looked dubiously at the contract scroll. The signature line was blank. He looked up at the toads and asked, "Has anyone ever signed this before?"

"No." Pa replied for the others. "You are the first."

Jiraiya nervously bit his thumb. Swirls of red liquid came to the surface of the broken skin. He winced then wrote his name on the scroll. When he was done, he looked up at Pa.

Pa smiled, "Congratulations. You have not only been granted new powers, but you will also become my student."

"Hai, Sensei," Jiraiya said, bowing in recognition of his new place as a student, "but why did I have to sign this?"

"To solve your problem..." Pa said, concentrating his chakra energies. With a poof, the world disappeared and reappeared in front of them, only it wasn't the same place they had been. There was a huge castle with wrought iron gates and two guards standing in front of either side.

Jiraiya nearly fell over from astonishment and asked Pa, "What happened?"

Pa patted the dust from his robes. "I used a reverse summon on you and I. Only those who have signed the contract can use this technique. You should go inside and see how your friends are."

"Are you coming with me?"

"Nope." Pa smiled. "I'll summon you back in one week. Go help your friends and come back for your training." He made a seal and in another poof of smoke, was gone.