"What would you rather be, a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
A man with white, long hair and red streak's down his cheeks giggled happily. He was on the northern side of the village, hiding behind potted plants and wall's to research the fine women on the classier side of town.
Originally he had come here with Minato to make sure his training and love life with an Uzumaki went to plan. But, he hadn't really seen his ward for around a week. He was too busy admiring the women, he had wanted to research to help his current adventure novel. But the women! They were like goddesses in disguise. Perhaps he should ditch his usual genre and go for something a little more risqué? It would definitely be more popular than his current books, which weren't popular at all.
Jiraiya's thoughts were dispelled instantly when a woman with a pixie haircut walked along the street. She had a low cut black dress on with a fish-net shirt underneath. Peeking out from under the short dress/shirt was white bandage-like shorts. Her shoes were extremely high heeled . The infamous pervert could hardly control himself as her hip's swayed in a rhythmical movement. The only thing preventing him from going up to 'woo' her was the man next to her. He was as skilled as a Konoha ANBU captain. He had no attire that suggested this, it was just the way he moved that gave it away.
Oh, how Jiraiya wished he would just hurry up and leave the woman alone! Finally they split way's with some good bye's. The blushing man went in for the kill as soon as the red-haired shinobi had gone out of sight.
"Why hello!" Jiraiya sprung up from nowhere. She was startled. "I couldn't help but notice such a fair maiden as you walking past my line of sight. It must be fate that we meet here!" The woman tried to brush him off by walking on. "Wouldn't you agree my darling!" Love heart's started springing up around the lecherous man as he floated after her.
She walked briskly looking behind her with panic written all over her face. She was headed for the river. Thankfully Jiraiya came before her on a giant toad. "I'm very powerful you know, me and you could be-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE PERVERT!" She shrieked like a banshee. Jiraiya's love heart's were homing in on her and so she moved backwards. As the pervert began saying sweet nothing's to her, her heel caught on a crack in pavement. The woman fell backwards with a splash into the freezing cold river. She splashed, flailed and screamed.
Jiraiya called out "Oh no! My dear lady, you've fallen into the river!" for nearby people to hear.
"I shall save you!" His red cheeks went even redder. He took his clothes and shoes off quick as a flash only leaving his trousers.
"Help! Help! I cant swim!" The girl screeched.
"You're hero is coming!" He dived in to the freezing water. As he got closer she splashed in an attempt to get away, her head going under the water every few seconds.
"HELP ME!" she screamed louder, but not for help from the water but from the love struck man trying to save her.
"I've got you!" As she went under water and lost her strength he got her and pulled her out of the water.
A crowd had formed. Different people came out of the crowd to see if she was okay and shouts could be heard.
"Tsuri-sama!"
"Uzumaki-sama!"
"Uzumaki-san are you okay?"
The girl pointed a finger at Jiraiya and everyone looked at him "I saved her!" he said while raising his hands in defence and backing up. But before she could say anything she fainted on the spot. Jiraiya used this opportunity to slyly escape and put his clothes back on.
000
000
Minato walked into the briefing room of Oba-san Fukurou, or rather, just her room. It had a bed, a table and some chairs. Oba-san, despite being called 'Aunt', was an old woman with grey hair, placed in a bun atop her head.
She was small and reminded Minato of a pet hamster he once had. She wore many robes and kimono's of various colours. Her head was large in proportion to her small body and her face was wrinkly like old leather. She sat in a highly cushioned chair, with drapery all around it, as though she were a prized bust or statue.
"Hello, Oba-san Fukurou." Minato semi-bowed in front of her to show respect for the elderly woman. Her eye's seemed closed from the loose skin covering them. She smiled at his courtesy.
"I'm Namikaze Minato, it's a pleasure to meet you." He kept his head down and had his hands behind his back. He stood despite their being a chair behind him.
"Minato." She tested the name on her tongue, sounding out each syllable. Her arm's were outstretched, resting on the armrest. Her palms were facing upwards like a fortune-teller about to make contact with the dead. Without turning her palm from it's upwards position, she lifted her hand and motioned towards the chair.
"Sit."
Minato did so, sitting up right. The elderly woman was looking over him, he could tell despite her eye's being hidden under wrinkles. When he had entered the room, he felt a great presence, this woman was more that just an old forgotten relic, locked away in this room. She was once a very powerful person. For no reason at all she smiled at him, as though done with her observations.
Minato waited a while for her to start the mission briefing but she just sat there, motionless. "Shall we begin?" Minato ruffled the back of his hair uncertainly.
"Tsuri, is late" She frowned "we will wait." Minato had forgotten about the 'Tsuri' woman that Kushina said he'd be spending a lot of time with. He recalled Kushina saying she was next in line for clan leader and that she was short. Short like him, she had said rather rudely.
"Tell me Minato" She stopped there and Minato leaned forward, intent on listening. "If you were boiled alive and happened to be food, what would you rather be? A carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
"What?" He blurted out. He couldn't tell if she was trying to make conversation, albeit an odd one. The old woman's face remained unchanged and motionless. How was he meant to answer that?
"Um well, I don't like carrot's, egg's are tedious things to prepare and coffee is alright, it changes the bland water." He looked around the room a bit, not quite sure if the woman was as sane as he had assumed.
"I guess I'm a coffee bean."
Suddenly a resounding clap echoed, her hands came together and she beamed at him.
"Very well."
"Why is that Oba-san Fukurou?" He asked genuinely curious. The apparently senile Oba-san explained that each of foods would face the same dilemma in life - boiling water - but each would react differently to the situation.
"The carrot goes in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softens and weakens. And the egg? It does the opposite. The egg goes in fragile but after sitting through the boiling water it becomes strong and hardens" She explained wisely, with her palms still facing upwards and her eye's closed off to the world. Minato took it in and waited for her explanation of the coffee bean, as it did neither.
"What about the coffee bean?"
"You tell me."
"I don't know."
"You've never made coffee before?" She said as though she was chiding him for not thinking.
Minato had to think about it, was this a trick question? The coffee was different to both.
"It changes the boiling water into coffee?" After a long pause Oba-san half smiled, half frowned and nodded.
"The ground coffee beans are unique, unlike the egg and carrot. After they are put in boiling water, they change the water - the dilemma - into something new and come out unchanged. They are consistent and strong."
Just then the door slammed open with a resounding thud. Oba-san and Minato looked to the open door startled. It was a medic from the hospital. "Fukurou-sama! My apologies." The young medic was an Uzumaki judging from her hair. She eyed Minato warily.
"Tsuri-sama fell into the river." she said gravely.
Oba-san's eyebrows rose, revealing her milky blue eyes. "Will she live?" Oba-san's voice was just as grave and her face had a hint of fear on it.
"I don't know. I came to tell you since no other main family members are in."
She frowned heavily. "Well there is nothing I can do for her. Thank you for telling me, update me on her status later tonight, Myra-chan." The young medic nodded and rushed out the door as quickly as she had come in.
Oba-san Fukurou looked downward, giving her a double chin. Her wrinkled face was stricken at the news of her family's misfortune. She sat more motionless than ever, not even the rise and fall of her chest could be seen.
Minato watched mutely. Tsuri, the woman they had been waiting for had fallen in a river. What didn't make sense was the fact Oba-san immediately asked if she would live. It wasn't that odd but the medic was just as serious. It was likely that the woman didn't know how to swim, though one would find that odd if you grew up on an island your whole life, wouldn't they? Minato had full reason to be curious but now was not the time.
He suddenly felt as if he was being intrusive and got up to leave. The chair he had been sitting on screeched as he got up, to which he flinched at. He said sorry in his head but didn't disturb the silence of Oba-san's grim thoughts.
A/N: "Falling into a river won't cause someone to die! That's sooo un-realistic" You shall find out the greatest kept secret of the Uzumaki clan. Why don't they ever leave the island of Whirlpool? And why were they so obsessed with fuinjutsu that they became master's of it? Stay tuned to find out! :D Still debating if I want Oba-san to explain it or wait a little longer... And should I let Minato know or not, I wonder?