"Alright, we're done walking for now. Out with it." Jiraiya looked at his student with a level gaze.
Naruto sat down and scratched his head in confusion. "Out with what? I don't think there's anything I did wrong. Well, unless you count jumping bail, and you made me do that." He looked at his teacher with a smirking grin.
"You have got to tell me how you convinced Tsunade to bail you out. But I'm wondering what's bothering you." He crossed his arms and gave him a level look. "You've been moping and half-assing your practice all day, it's not like you."
"Nah, there's nothing bothering me, I'm still recovering from the drain on my chakra is all. It's making me tired?" Naruto was looking off in the distance while he talked.
"Kid, you may fool others, but I'm the head of a spy network designed to find truth in lies. Also, you got released from jail last week, and I Know you recovered all your chakra in a few days. So just tell me what's on your mind."
The blonde ninja sighed. "It's nothing Jiraiya-sensei." The older man blinked at this. 'Sensei? He never calls me that.' Jiraiya crouched down beside where Naruto sat and looked closely at him. The young blonde looked at him in confusion. "What?" Jiraiya quickly raised a hand and flicked him in the forehead, knocking him onto his back and making him hold his head in pain. "OW! Goddammit! What is it with you geezers and flicking me in the forehead like that? That hurts you know! Is there like some class for old people on forehead flicking?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "There we go! Attitude fixed. Or at least not a moping one."
Naruto sat up and glared at him. "You suck old man. I said I'm fine."
"Oh? So you weren't moping and distant? Tell me boy. Just today, how many other travelers did we see that were going the other way?"
His face scrunched up in thought. "Fourteen."
"Wrong. Twenty-three. How many were shinobi?"
"Uh. Fourteen?"
"Nine. How many were on foot, and how many had pack mules?"
"Fourteen?"
"Wro-" Naruto glared at him. "Aw come on! Fourteen's gotta be the answer for one of these!"
Jiraiya raised his hand, ready to flick the boy in the head again. "So what's the matter? For being a ninja, you're massively failing at being aware of your surroundings."
He clapped both hands to his forhead in defense. "You're going to break my skull doing that! And it's nothing, I was just thinking about home is all."
"Oh hoh!" Jiraiya grinned widely. "You miss your girlfriend! I bet she's grown a lot! When are you going to show me a picture of her?"
Naruto blushed brightly. "Hinata-chan isn't my girlfriend. She's a good friend, and I like Sak-." Jiraiya held up a hand in a stop gesture and gave his student a knowing grin. "Uh-huh. She's the first one that came to mind at the word 'girlfriend', not the pink haired girl? And when did she become -chan?"
The blonde looked confused for a moment. 'Really, why did she come to mind?' He shook his head, not wanting to think about it at the moment. "I just miss well, everything I guess. We're always moving around, and it's great seeing new things and places, but what about, you know, home?"
The older man nodded. "It does get lonely on the road. If I didn't need to check up on my network so much we'd be able to stay in one place to train."
Naruto sadly nodded at this. "Yeah, I know. It just feels like we're missing out on so much out here."
"Boy. You want to protect them, right? Real strength requires hard work, shortcuts always come up short when it matters. Your Uchiha friend did exactly that, and will learn the hard way." Naruto sighed sadly at the mention of Sasuke, then set a sealed scroll on the ground and activated it. An already set up tent that was attached to several planks of wood appeared in a cloud of smoke. "I'm going to get some rest. Remember old man, it's your turn to cook in the morning."
He ducked inside the tent and sprawled out on his sleeping bag. 'But I failed. Sasuke might have used a shortcut, but he still beat me.'
Dear Hinata,
I owe you one for the other week! Like, a huge one! Jiraiya was going to let me sit in there for a month till the trial started, but you guys really saved me! And I was going to stay for trial, but Jiraiya insisted we needed to go, then dragged me off. While running from some ninja chasing us, he said that since I was guilty I might as well just run for it and let old lady Tsunade sort it out, then pay the fines later. I'm pretty sure that still counts as jumping bail, so if anyone strange asks, tell them you don't know anything about it?
After we left (ran all night to the border), Jiraiya started complaining about having to repay Tsunade for the bail. As if he didn't MAKE me run!
Lately I been thinking about Konoha a lot. Like, all the things going on that we're missing out on. Kinda makes me sad, having friends now but not being able to see them or just hang out with anyone. It's for a good reason though, I'm going to become strong enough to protect everyone.
So what plans do you have for the Summer Festival? I never had the money to do all the stuff there, so I kinda just walked around and watched everything. I know, it's a month away, but it's celebrated in the Land of XXXXX also, so we'll be celebrating it there.
How does he do that? I accidentally wrote where we were headed, and he yelled at me from outside my tent. I KNOW he wasn't reading over my shoulder this time, but he knew what I just wrote. Blah blah blah, could be tracked down, blah blah, don't write where we're going, blah blah. Old geezer is too paranoid. Just how he knows what I'm writing though is very suspicious. Going to look for spying seals later. Even when he's not watching, somehow the damn pervert is still reading my letters.
Anyway, we're going to be celebrating it where we're going, and I started wondering what you did during that? Do you get all dressed up like some people do, or just go in casual clothes like most people? What kinds of contests and games do you like to play there? I've never done it before and it's really exciting so I was hoping you could recommend stuff to try.
Missing everyone,
Naruto
P.S. It's funny, I was feeling sad when I started writing, but now I'm not. Well, I still am, but not as much any more. Writing you really cheers me up, even if it's not about anything serious going on.
"Father? C-c-c... Could I talk with you for a moment?" Hinata was fidgeting at the door to her father's study.
"Certainly. What do you need?" Hiashi didn't pause in reading the scroll he was holding.
"..." Hinata took a deep breath. "I was wondering if... say... a friend jumped bail after someone else paid it... wouldIbeArrestedinhisplace?"
"What?" He looked up in confusion. "Could you repeat that?"
"Well... Hypothetically speaking... If you paid for bail for someone, then that person was dragged away by their sensei before the trial happened, could you be arrested for it instead?" Hinata was now playing with her fingers nervously.
"Ah. If you had only paid your friend's bond, then you would have to pay the remainder, also the bond or bail would be forfeit. The simple version is this. Since you're a citizen of the Land of Fire and not one of Hot Water, they'll request compensation from the Hokage. Not entirely unlike how a diplomat is treated when they break a law in a foreign land. The Hokage in turn would discuss the matter with the clan head to decide compensation, and issue an appropriate punishment for you."
Hinata let out a sigh of relief at this. "So what happens after that?"
Her father smirked. "Since you paid the full bail, not much. They'll likely get upset, put a bounty on your friend, and send out several hunter-nin so they can hold a trial when he's captured and brought to them."
Hiashi went back to reading his scroll. "Consider yourself severely punished for your friend jumping bail and not showing up to trial. And you are forbidden from eating dango for a month."
She blinked at this. "No eating... Dango?" She almost never ate that, was her father making a joke?
Hiashi nodded. "A severe punishment indeed. And as clan head in training, you should go inform the Hokage about the situation, your punishment, and explain that we have done all we can to capture the person who jumped bail but we have been unable to locate him. Is there anything else you needed?"
"No father. And I'll do my best to adhere to my punishment." Hinata bowed and went to visit the Hokage.
Dear Naruto,
That was... odd. I explained your current situation first to my father, then Tsunade-sama, and they both seemed... amused? I was worried about being arrested and put in jail in your place (it happened in a book I read), and they both said that wouldn't happen, but you probably have a bounty on you now, so you should probably avoid the Land of Hot Water, and don't cause any more trouble!
Oh, and Tsunade-sama says that your punishment for jumping bail should match my punishment for paying it, so I'm supposed to inform you that you're forbidden from eating dango for a month. No exceptions.
Really? Dango? There's got to be a joke between father and Hokage-sama that I'm not understanding. Do you have any idea why they chose that? Now if it was cinnamon buns, or in your case ramen I'd understand and call it a horrible fate, but dango? Actually, if they'd chose cinnamon buns this letter would be very different, and you'd be in deep trouble Mister! I'm kidding, but that really would be horrible, I eat those almost every day.
And I love the Summer Festival! No, as a clan we don't dress up for it, and I usually just wear whatever I feel like. It's kind of overwhelming, with all the people around, but it's really fun, even just to look around!.
The best game there is the Blind Walk! If you've never tried it, you have got to try doing it at least once! It's a challenge designed for civilians or ninja! I don't know if they'll have it there or if they call it something different, but it's these balance beams you walk across, trying to get to the other side before the time runs out. Sounds simple? Being a ninja you'd think it would be easy, but they blindfold you and spin you around to make you dizzy, then direct you towards them.
So, you're dizzy and trying to find the beam with your feet, and trying to cross it while being unable to see. You have a time limit too, so you can't just wait till you're not dizzy. It's scary, you're trying to hurry and still be careful, then suddenly you miss a step and then you're falling into a net! It's scary, but exciting at the same time. Well, it's my favorite game, but Hanabi hates it. She tried to use her byakugan to cheat, and learned the hard way that the blindfolds block eye techniques. She then panicked and fell, and has hated it ever since. She refuses to even watch it! Says with our eyes, it's undignified for a Hyuga to walk around blindly. Between you and me, I think it scares her.
There's just so many things I like and could say about the Summer Festival, but I don't know if it'll be the same way where you're going. I guess you'll have to try everything and tell me about it?
Stay safe,
Hinata
"You promised old man. We're staying here till the festival is over right?" Naruto looked suspiciously at Jiraiya.
"Yeah, yeah. I promised we'd train in the Land of Sound before the festival. We're going to be here for a while, so remember, no headbands, and Low Profile! So ditch that orange suit, wear some civilian clothes, and listen carefully to everyone! We're not here to work on your 'blow things up and run away' skill! Eh, what's this?" Jiraya looked at the gatekeeper who was alternating looking at them, then the letters he held. "Your girlfriend's letter beat you here."
"Yeah, yeah, practice information gathering, no fighting. But you must suck at it too, I keep telling you Hinata-chan isn't my girlfriend, yet you can't even remember that!" He glared at the Sannin, then told the gatekeeper who he was. Naruto sat down in the middle of the path and started reading his letter.
"To the tall, white haired old man wearing a forehead protector that says 'oil'. This one must be for you."
"Really, why couldn't she just use my name?" Jiraiya sighed, then read the letter. Suddenly his face went pale and his eyes widened. "Change of plans boy. We need some distance fast, we're leaving Sound and going to Frost, now!"
"Eh? But you said-"
"Emergency! And they celebrate the festival there too so it's fine! We got a few weeks to get there, so Move! Don't walk, RUN dammit!" The toad sage tossed Naruto over one shoulder and started running."
The blonde boy started struggling but couldn't get free. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN DAMMIT! What's got you so worried anyway?"
Dearest Jiraya.
You left Naruto to sit in JAIL? And the Hyuga clan had to bail him out? Hinata told me what happened, and if I find out you were busy peeping while the kid was in there, you're going to need to discover a new continent to escape me. Of all the stupid, irresponsible things you could have done, you made him jump bail too? You better use your remaining time to come up with a very good reason for all this.
Tsunade
P.S. Pray this letter reaches you before I do. See you soon.
Author's note: Thanks guys, really appreciate the kind reviews!
Another one done! Kind of small-ish, but there's more on the way (at least one in the next couple days, hopefully on time this time!).
Thought about putting up a Kakashi style excuse, but the excuse is simply life, the universe, and everything. And I kept getting distracted by a couple omake chapters and a chapter about dango. (Yep, it'll be explained soon.)
Next chapter will be about the Summer Festival, it'll be explained what and when it is.
lancecomwar - Yeah, I considered having time stamps for a long time. One day I was certain they needed to be in there because you always put one in a letter, and then the next day I was certain time stamps would be a distraction and not important. I put them in (twice lol), and removed them the next day each time.
What I ended up deciding though, is they're on the road, and not having time stamps would leave more flexibility for writing. But because they're traveling a lot, time varies widely between the letters (weeks or more), so I can't help thinking it'd make the story flow more smoothly. Even after deciding to leave it up to readers to decide for themselves roughly how long between each letter, it still crosses my mind a lot.
BentShuriken - I never did find much on the 'can and can't' rules for summoning contracts, so I have my own list that would have been gradually explained as the story goes, but after your comment I kept thinking on it and ideas kept adding up so summons and their rules will be the focus for a chapter or two.