Chapter 31

"It's so nice to finally have some time with you, beautiful." Jiraiya stated, grinning widely.

Keiko sat across from him, arms crossed as she smiled in return. It had been nearly a week since Jiraiya had started training Naruto and she had finally ran out of excuses to go out with him. He had tried to call it a date, but she refused to call it anything like that. They were seated in the Dango Shop that Keiko frequented with her colleagues on multiple occasions. Even if this was a date, and it wasn't, she would think a different spot would be suitable. Jiraiya insisted this be the place they get together for their rendezvous, and judging by the way he seemed to savor the dango she had a hunch why that was.

"Of course," she brought the tea to her lips and took a sip as she attempted to make conversation. "I'm sorry I have been so busy, Lord Jiraiya."

Jiraiya shook his head from side to side, waving the dango stick in the air as he did so. "Now now, none of that. I don't do the whole Lord thing. I'm a sage for crying out loud, not some guy in a fancy robe."

She blinked, thinking over his words for a moment. True, it did seem like a bit much. Especially for how he was dressed. "Okay, Master Jiraiya."

He shrugged, "I can accept that one."

A small smile tugged at her lips and she took a bite of her own dango, "It's what Naruto calls you. When he doesn't call you Pervy Sage that is."

The large man crossed his arms over his chest and sighed heavily. She could tell that there were many things going through his head right now. Most likely what he was going to do with Naruto. She was aware of the summoning jutsu he was trying to teach Naruto and she wouldn't lie, it seemed a bit unorthodox for the situation. But, she couldn't change Naruto's mind. He was determined and nothing was going to sway him from this now that he had made up his mind.

"How long have you known Naruto?"

Her head perked up at the question and the seriousness in his gaze was so out of character from the man she had heard of and interacted with so far. Jiraiya was a goofy pervert who seemed to valued his research over most other activities. But, now, there was not a single trace of that goofy or flirtatious man. He was firm in his question and he watched her steadily as he waited for her response.

"About six years. He's like a little brother to me, why?"

A sudden pulse was felt in the air and the hair on her neck stood on end. Her eyes zeroed in on the simple hand sign Jiraiya made in front of his chest and she recognized it nearly instantly. It was a low level genjutsu, meant to keep private conversations private. If he had used that jutsu, she had to wonder just what he needed to talk about that was so important.

"You know what he is then."

It was a simple sentence that she had heard from many people over the years. Many shinobi who had knowledge of what Naruto was would often ask that same question. Her smile didn't falter, "I know what is inside of him, yes."

"Then you must know the dangers Naruto will face in the future as well."

She fixed him with a curious gaze, silently willing him to continue.

"Naruto is the nine-tails Jinchuriki." He paused, letting the statement hang in the air for a moment. He took a sip from his own tea, "Tell me, what do you know about the nine-tails?"

Keiko felt her head tilt to the side slightly, "Are you referring to what it has done, or just in general?" When he didn't answer, she sighed, tapping her cup with her fingers, "I'm aware that it nearly destroyed Konoha nearly thirteen years ago. That the Fourth Hokage sealed it within Naruto. Because of that, most people treat Naruto as if he's the demon fox and not a boy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Jiraiya was silent as he listened to her words. He nodded slowly, closing his eyes in thought "Hmm, I can see how you've come to that conclusion but you're not entirely correct."

"And what would be correct?" A brow raised in question.

"I've looked into you." He said simply, changing the subject. "I know you were born and raised in the Land of Iron, so it doesn't surprise me that you don't know much about the tailed beasts. Most civilians don't know either, and knowledge of the beasts and their hosts isn't exactly something that is talked about lightly. It's important to know that Naruto isn't the only one like him. There are others."

She sat up straighter, leaning forward as she listened closely. "You mean, others who have a monster inside of them?"

He nodded, "Long ago, well before the founding of the villages, the tailed beasts roamed the world free to do as they pleased. The different clans would try to hunt them down. Either to take their power and use it as their own, or to hunt them down for sport. To prove their power. Many battles were fought over them. Because, you see, the tailed beasts aren't demons like many people believe. They are merely huge masses of chakra given physical form. That's why they're able to be placed within a person to begin with. It was believed that by sealing one of them within a person they would be able to harness the power of the beast."

By this point, Keiko's eyes were wide in astonishment. This was certainly something that you didn't learn at the academy. So, the other Jinchuriki like Naruto were seen as tools for their village and not as people. Why was she not surprised?

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, "Even now, there are people who covet the power that the beasts contain. That's why it has always been imperative to keep Naruto's identity as the Jinchuriki a secret. If word were to get out about his identity, there's no telling who would come after him." There was a heavy silence as he lifted the cup of tea to his lips and finished off what was left. The cup clacked against the table and Jiraiya looked at it thoughtfully as he recalled another thing Keiko has said. "If it means anything to you, Naruto wasn't just picked at random."

Keiko blinked, not sure what he was going on about. "So, you're saying that Naruto was specially chosen to be a host to a chakra entity?"

A small laugh shook his shoulders and he smiled as if remembering something from long ago, "I happen to know for a fact, that the Fourth Hokage wouldn't have sealed the nine-tails within someone who couldn't handle it. Even though Naruto was only a newborn, the Fourth believed in him."

"I see." She leaned back, crossing her arms in thought. A smile playing on her lips, "I'm sure Naruto will live up to the Fourth's expectations. There is one thing though," she paused and waited for Jiraiya to look her in the eye. "Why are you telling me about all of this? You could have simply left me in the dark."

"There is a reason." He began, "Naruto looks up to you. You've been in his life far longer than Kakashi and I would have to say without a doubt that the two of you are the Jonin closest to him."

Keiko nodded, agreeing with the statement.

"I spoke with Kakashi about all of this the other day when he decided to pay me a visit. He insisted that I loop you in so you wouldn't worry about Naruto so much."

"Oh, he said that, huh?" The corners of her lips tilted up slightly at the thought. Without realizing it, her eyes softened as she lost herself in her own world for a moment. It had been several days since she had last seen him. Since they had nearly kissed. She could feel the pitter-patter of her heart on her chest at the thought. They needed to talk about what happened. But, when would they get the time?

A coy smile found its way onto the Sages face and he leaned forward. The overly serious demeanor forgotten as he leaned his head in his hand. He watched her closely, seeing the way her cheeks flushed and her fingers twitched as they held the tea cup. "So, the rumors are true."

She blinked, her eyes snapping up to meet his. "Rumors?"

Jiraiya waited until she had taken a sip to speak. Adding a wink, "You and Kakashi."

Choking on her tea, Keiko fought to breath properly for a moment. "What about me and Kakashi?" She tried to hide her own surprise but knew she was failing miserably. Her hand reached up and fiddled with her hair. Slender fingers caressing the pendant Kakashi had given her. She had worn it everyday since receiving it.

"Oh, nothing much. It was more of a hunch I had. Thank you for confirming."

Keiko fixed him with a strained smile, feeling the irritation simmer in the back of her mind. After a few calming breathes she finally spoke, "I really don't see how it is any of your business. What happens between Kakashi and I is between us. No one else."

Jiraiya leaned back, sitting straighter in his chair. Oh, to be young and in love. He remembered the feeling well, but it would seem that Kakashi's feelings were reciprocated. Unlike his romantic interest who would rather ground his face into the dirt for looking at her wrong.

He had known Kakashi for years. While they had never been particularly close, Kakashi was the student of his student and he had known him since the man's Chunin days. Back then, he had been all about rules and protocol. Never allowing anyone to become close to him, or pushing away anyone who tried. Things had looked up for him while he was under Minato's tutelage. Since the death of Minato, he had lost track of Kakashi, having much bigger fish to fry outside the walls of the village. He had always had a hunch that all the progress he had made in connecting with others had been halted. But now, it would seem things were picking up yet again.

He thought back to his most recent conversation with Kakashi. It had started pleasant. Greetings and pleasantries before jumping right into business. Of course, Naruto and Sasuke had taken up most of their conversation. He could still remember their conversation.

"I heard you met Keiko as well when you agreed to train Naruto."

"Oh, did I?" A mischievous chuckle escaped his lips at the thought of the woman. "We were introduced, though I'm going to have to get to know her a bit more, Kakashi."

Jiraiya could see Kakashi's shoulders tense as he spoke. At first, he had assumed Kakashi was merely uncomfortable with what he was implying. That thought quickly left him when Kakashi turned. A dark aura seemed to cling around him as his eye crinkled in a smile, "Master Jiraiya. Would it be too much to ask for you to fill her in when you meet with her next? I would hate for her to worry unnecessarily." He paused for a moment, catching himself before he spoke more.

It it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have noticed Kakashi's hesitation. Jiraiya noticed the subtle pause and tilted his head forward with an inquisitive look, "Hmm? Gonna say something?"

Kakashi turned and began to walk away as he spoke, "Be sure to treat her with respect, or else," He turned, that same ominous eye smile accompanying him, "you won't be able to conduct any research for the remainder of your time in Konoha."

The threat had been surprising. Kakashi knew that on his own he wouldn't stand a chance against Jiraiya in combat so he had to threaten something else. If Jiraiya was being honest with himself, the threat was more worrisome than any against his physical being. He had just released his second book and had to gather all the research he could for the next instalment. But, why had Kakashi made such a threat? The thought had been on his mind for a while before it clicked.

Blue eyes connected with his dark ones and it was all too clear.

Jiraiya smirked, "I suppose it is." He finished off his tea, "Though it is nice to see him finally taking an interest in someone."

Keiko kept silent, her eyes peering into her tea that was beginning to grow cold. Too much had happened for her to deny that Kakashi had an interest. She only wished that she knew how much of an interest he had... Did she make his heart hammer away as he did for her? Was she on his thoughts as often as he was on hers? She sighed heavily, shoulders slumping.

Now wasn't the time to think about this. She needed to speak to Kakashi when all of this was past them. There was too much going on for her to sit around like a school girl and think about what was happening between them. Kakashi was focused on Sasuke as the threat of Orochimaru was still ever present. She had to focus on Naruto and Sakura and the Finals. While she was not training them directly she had to look out for them and ensure that their training was progressing as planned. Now, with Jiraiya's added information she realized that Naruto may soon be in danger as well. The way he had spoken made it clear that there were people out there who would track Naruto down if they knew what he was.

She took solace in the fact that no one outside of the village knew his identity as the nine-tails Jinchuriki. For now, at least.

~0~

Red eyes watched over the students diligently as their training session was wrapping up for the day. Kiba and Shino walked over to Sakura and helped her up where she had been thrown to after a rather strong assault of Shino's bugs. He had proven to be a rather difficult adversary for her. His insects were immune to her budding Genjutsu abilities as they lacked the complex anatomy that humans did. Her eyes drifted to Kiba as he smiled widely, giving constructive criticism over Sakura's performance. Dogs, on the other hand, were not immune and could be fooled just as well as any human. Kiba proved to be a different kind of challenge. His advanced senses meant that Sakura needed to focus even harder at crafting complex illusions.

She smiled at the three Genin. Their relationship seemed to be developing well. When Sakura had first entered their midst she had been a bit awkward, not sure how to engage the two boys. Shino was a potential in the finals and she assumed his affinity for insects made the girl uncomfortable. Kiba on the other hand had been defeated by Naruto, her teammate. While Kiba was certainly sour about his loss he claimed to have no ill will toward her and used it as fuel to better himself. Since that first day, she had certainly come into her own.

"Kurenai!"

The woman turned toward the familiar voice and gave a small smile, "Well, come to see how we are doing, Keiko?"

Keiko smiled widely, standing beside her fellow Jonin as they watched the three talk amongst themselves. "I was on my way to the hospital and thought I would check in. How is she doing?" Sakura was smiling with the two boys out of earshot. It was good to see her getting along with them.

"Better than I expected." Kurenai stated honestly. "She's read all of the material I've given her and truly devoted herself to learning the art. While she has a grasp of the basics she comprehends how understanding the body and its functions equals effective illusions."

"Good, but will she be able to utilize it effectively?"

"In time, yes. She's already been able to fool Kiba's nose." Kurenai gave a short laugh at the memory, "It was a surprise to see. She had created several clones and usually Kiba can sniff out the real one easily. He had to stop and rub his nose because he was so confused."

Keiko laughed at the thought, "I do hope Kiba isn't sour about that."

"Not at all," her eyes drifted to Kiba and she saw him link his fingers behind his head. An action Kiba did when he was playing off some embarrassment. Her keen eyes happened to catch the subtle tinge of pink on his cheeks. "Quite the opposite actually."

Keiko blinked and opened her mouth to ask Kurenai to elaborate but was interrupted by a loud and boisterous shout, "Kurenai Sensei!" Both women turned their heads over to the Genin and saw Kiba waving his arm in the air, "We're gonna grab Hinata and grab a bite to eat, wanna join?"

Sakura spotted Keiko and she lit up, "Keiko Sensei! Did you wanna come too?"

Keiko smiled warmly but shook her head, "I should get going. I'll join you another time." She turned and began walking away but not before saying a quick thank you to her friend. While having a nice outing with them sounded pleasant, she had someone else who she needed to visit.

Making her way through the village and to the hospital she had to wonder how Guy and Lee were holding up. Lee had woken up only a few days after the preliminaries and Guy didn't seem to have the heart to face the boy, at least not for very long. It was obvious to everyone that he blamed himself for what happened to Lee. Even when everyone assured him it was not, there was no changing his mind. She had known Guy long enough to know what it wasn't so simple.

She drew closer to Lee's room and noticed that the door was open. Curious, she peaked through the doorway before entering. All she could see at first was Guy's large frame leaning against the wall, face firm and lacking its usual vigor. She took another few steps to see further and was surprised to see the scene in front of her. Lee was asleep on his bed as he rested. He was looking better than he had last time she had seen him, more color in his face as he wasn't as weak.

It wasn't Lee that surprised her though, it was the girl asleep next to him. Sandy blond hair strewn messily, and her dark glasses lopsided as she slept. She was sitting on a stool at his bedside, her head resting on one of her arms. Her other arm was outstretched, loosely holding a pen. It looked as though she fell asleep in the middle of writing. Keiko could see that Lee's arm cast was now littered with small doodles and writings and she had to guess that this girl was the one who made them.

"I was surprised too." Keiko stepped closer into the room and stood next to Guy who looked at the two. He continued, "A few days ago Lee had snuck out of the hospital again. Since then, she's been a regular visitor."

She sighed, Lee needed to stop being so reckless. He had to realize pushing himself so far would only cause more injury. Her blue eyes focused on the girl. She looked to be only a little younger than Lee, "Looks like he made a friend."

Guy nodded, pushing himself off of the wall and walking over to Lees bedside table. His hands grasped at a small stack of papers as he rifled through them, "A talented little miss." He handed Keiko a few of the papers as she stepped closer.

Keiko gasped at the beautiful detail in the drawings. While some were simple, others were majestic in their design. She flipped through the papers. Some of them looked old and worn as though they had been taken from storage. While others were clear and pristine as though they had just been done hours ago. One made her stop, it was a picture of Lee. He was smiling.

"It's good to know he has had visitors."

Her eyes drifted up from the drawings and she was met with a sight she greatly disliked. Guy's gaze was locked on Lee's face. It was clear in his gaze and posture that even looking at the boy was enough to cause him pain. Her hand reached out and grasped his shoulder, "Come, we should leave them to rest."

Guy gave a solemn nod and left. Keiko placed the papers back and cast one last glance at the two before leaving. Neither Guy or Keiko said much as they made their way outside away from the faculty of the hospital.

Finally they were outside, Guy having made his way to the roof of the building. The setting sun dimming the area around them and casting a warm hue upon the village. Guy stood straighter, eyes cast up toward the sky and the few clouds that littered it. "I should have listened."

Keiko stood next to him, her hand came to rest on his back, "Guy..." She caught herself, unsure if comforting words would make him feel better. In all the time she had known Guy, he had never faced anything quite like this.

His voice was hollow, a shell of his former self. There were no tears. Any tears he had had were already shed. "I didn't listen. I was too proud. If not for me, Lee would..."

Shifting her weight she moved to stand in front of him. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, the action forced Guys gaze to meet hers. He had expected to see disappointment or some kind of anger in her eyes. Instead, he was taken aback by a firm yet compassionate expression. "If not for you, Lee would never know what he could do." She paused, loosening her grip, "I remember Lee's academy days as well as you do. He wanted to so much. He wanted to show everyone what a great ninja he could be."

He shook his head, "Keiko, I-"

She cut him off, "If not for you, Lee would still be that same shy, reserved and meek boy that he was. It's because of you that he is who he is. And I can say with certainty that not even he regrets having you as a Sensei. So, don't you start pushing him away now. Not when he needs you."

Guy could feel his lip tremble from her words. She was far kinder than he deserved. Overcome with emotion he reached forward and enveloped her in a tight embrace. His arms around her shoulders and his face buried in her hair.

In his minds eye he could see Lee as he was when he first saw him. Fumbling over himself in the academy. So eager to prove himself but lacking any confidence or knowledge to do so. He had given Lee everything he could. Given anything and everything he could to help Lee achieve that dream, and now it had all crumbled apart. He had failed Lee. And here was Keiko offering her support when he didn't deserve it. Since the beginning he knew she was too kind for her own good.

His grip tightened and he felt her arms wrap around him. "Thank you."

Keiko sighed, her heart clenching at the break in his voice. Her hold on him tightened reassuringly. She could feel the tears drip and she didn't know what else she could say. "What are friends for?"

Sorry abut the delay! I've been distracted by work recently. My apologies dear readers.

On another note, who was that at Lee's bedside? Well, you'll have to check out my story Bonds: Blooming Lotus to find out! I had this planned since the beginning and was going to include it in this story, but decided it might be a bit much. This is my main story and my main focus, Bonds is meant to accompany this one but it is up to you if you would like to read it. Highly recommend! As the events in Bonds happen in Where Loyalties Lie, just "off screen."

When the time is right, there will be a separate installment for Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Sakura. If I included everything in one story, it would get to be a bit much and I know some of you are only here for Kakashi.

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Posted - 9/12/2021