A/N: what's this? A chapter so soon after the last one? And it's longer then the last couple? Almost a thousand words? Whaaaaaaat?

Yes, I have returned so quickly. Surprisingly. I don't really have much to say other than enjoy.

Anyway, on with the story.

He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he remembered Inari's death. A death that was all his fault.

Naruto sighed and sat up from the tree branch he was trying to sleep in. 'But it's not your fault. You didn't tell him to do anything, he did it of his own choice.'

'Oh but didn't you? You were the one who always told him to stand up for what he believes in, no matter what.'

'Oh shut up Kyuubi. I don't need this from you right now.'

The caged animal grunted in reply. 'Oh fine. Be that way. I'll just go back to sleep.'

"God damn fox ruins everything." Naruto said out loud before yawning. He hadn't slept in a couple days and it showed. His hair was disheveled, bags had formed under his eyes, and he had a far away look in his eyes. Though that last one could be attributed to the death of the person he had started to consider a sort of younger brother. Someone he was supposed to protect. Someone he was supposed to...

'No! I can't keep blaming myself. I have to move on with my life and live for both of us.' Naruto thought with a serious look on his face.

A look that lasted all of three seconds before Naruto fell back in his slump. 'Who am I kidding? How am I supposed to live for him if I can't even live for myself?'

Naruto sighed and jumped down from his perch. There wasn't much use in just staying in the tree all day after all. There were places to go, people to see. Probably.

Though that train of thought brought Naruto to a sudden realization. 'Where am I even heading?'

"Well shoot. I didn't even think of that when I left." Naruto muttered out loud.

"You didn't think of what now, boy?" A voice spoke from in front of Naruto, startling him which caused Naruto to jump back to the safety of his tree.

A crackling laugh came from who ever asked him the question.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Naruto shouted to the mystery man, which only made the laughter increase on volume.

The laughter went on for a minute or two when the man finally choked out "W-who am I? Wh-why I'm only the single greatest man you'll ever meet kid. Come out and I'll show you."

"You tell me who you are and I'll come out." Naruto responded, still cautious of the man's intentions."

"What? And ruin my whole introduction? No way! You come out here."

"You tell me who you are and I'll come out."

You come out and I'll tell you who I am."

"If you don't come out I'm going over there."

Naruto tutted at the man."And who's to say I'll still be here when you finally get you're sorry ass over here?"

The man let out a bark of laughter. "Who's to say? Why I, the great toad sage am to say!"

Naruto squinted his eyes and stayed silent for a moment before he responded. "...who?"

You could hear the man's jaw drop when Naruto said that. "Wh-what?! You don't know the greatness of the great toad sage? The wooer of all women? The most handsome man you'll ever meet? The writer of the art known as the Icha Icha paradise series? Any of those names ring a bell?"

Naruto slowly shook his head before he remembered he was hiding behind the tree. "No. Should I?"

"Of course you should, kid! I'm only the most important man you'll ever meet in your life."

"...right. Well I'm gonna come out now because you don't seem dangerous."

"Tch. Don't seem dangerous my butt. I'll show you, you brat." The man muttered to himself.

Naruto slowly stepped away from the tree before looking at the man, and what he saw confused him. A lot. It was a man...on a giant frog. And he was riding the frog. Like a horse.

The weirdest part is what happened next though. Naruto was inspecting the frog, wondering how it got so big, the usual questions someone has upon encountering such a frog, when it spoke up.

"What, ne'er see a toad summon before?" It said with a slur in its words.

In his shock, Naruto fell on his butt, causing the old man to laugh at his clumsiness.

What Naruto didn't observe however, was the widening of the man's eyes as he came out from behind the tree.

'Its that kid.' He thought with slight melancholy. 'The kid that ran away.'

"Say kid." He spoke up after Naruto's little accident.

"T-the frog! It-it talks!"

The sage waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. The toad talks. No one cares. Listen, my name is Jiraiya. What's yours?"

"Wh-what? The giant talking frog doesn't concern you?"

Jiraiya gave Naruto a dry look. "You do realize I'm standing on aid toad right. And it's a toad. Not a frog."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Alright. I can see what you mean. I think. And my name's Naruto."

"No last name? Just Naruto?"

He nodded

"Well then, tell me Naruto 'no last name', what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"Well you see, I'm on a sort of run."