Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Confirmation Bias
People have a tendency to look for and accept information that supports their beliefs, values, and opinions. Likewise, people have a tendency to ignore and deny information that debunks their beliefs, values, and opinions. It's why important decisions should not be made based on emotional reasons. However, others would disagree.
Naruto was conflicted. I could see it playing out on his face. Blue eyes scrunched up in worry before starving longingly up at Jiraiya. He had been promised training. An ultra-special, super-strong new jutsu if he joined Jiraiya on this mission. But with new information, Naruto understood that finding Tsunade and bringing her back to the village as quickly as possible was best for Konoha. For Anzu… for me.
I almost stepped in as Naruto tussled with this moral dilemma. As we traveled by foot to the next village, it was almost painful to read the cognitive dissonance playing out through his expressions. "It's fine", I thought about telling him. We had time. I know (supposedly) how this would play out. Anzu was already distraught. A few more days wouldn't make a difference. And Danzo and Orochimaru wouldn't go away regardless if Tsunade became Hokage. So, it's not like there's a deadline or an expiration date stamped to my forehead.
But I needn't bother. "Look Naruto", Jiraiya sighed; stopping in the middle of the road and turning to face him. Naruto stopped too. A few feet between them. I entertained the idea of continuing without them. But ultimately decided it wasn't worth the noise Naruto would make if he had to chase after me. "I don't know where Tsunade is. And running around blindly searching isn't going to work. As the wind messed with Naruto's spikey hair, he scowled. Almost as if he didn't believe Jiraiya. And to be fair, Naruto's approach to life was to run head-first into things. "We need intel. And when I'm getting that, you might as well train".
Squinting, I stared up at the sky. There were only a few wisps of clouds. Otherwise, only endless bright blue could be seen. Despite being outdoors for hours at this point, my eyes were still adjusting to daylight; watering and threatening to shed some tears the longer I stared. It was the cost of spending days underground.
I could feel Naruto's eyes on me. Which I studiously ignored. What did he want from me? A demand for immediate action so I could run home to Anzu? Permission to take advantage of Jiraiya when he could? "Okay", Naruto caved a second later after getting no input from me.
Jiraiya turned and started forward once more. His arms hung relaxed at his sides. Rolling one of my shoulders, I followed; lowering my gaze from the sky. Hopefully, we will get to the next village soon. My stomach was running on ration bars and instant ramen so I was craving something more organic.
Naruto jogged past me; gripping the straps of his pack with both hands. "What's this new jutsu?" Naruto asked. Suddenly enthused as he grinned up at the sannin. "Last time it was summoning the chief toad. So, what's next?!"
We came to a river with an arched bridge stretched from bank to bank. That was another thing that sounded good right now. Even if the only options were cold river water. Bathing with more than just a washcloth and a sink made it desirable. A shame present company made that impossible.
"Come on, Pervy-Sage!" Naruto exclaimed; cutting off Jiraiya at the foot of the bridge by stepping in front of him. "I'm dying here. What are you going to teach me?"
"Will you knock it off with that Pervy-Sage stuff?" Jiraiya requested; looking down at Naruto as I halted behind them. "You have no idea how amazing I am".
Tuning them out as Jiraiya and Naruto bickered, I felt the splint protecting my broken wrist. How could I bathe with this? Removing it was the obvious answer. But due to the constant ache I felt and the lack of grip strength in my fingers, that felt like a bad idea. Maybe if I wrapped it in something.
Jiraiya scurried up the bridge with Naruto looking on. At the highest point, Jiraiya turned to face us; arm stretched out to hold our attention as he displayed his prowess. "The toad sage is only my cover". He started hopping around on one foot as if dancing. "Allow me to reveal my true identity". Then, as if participating in a head-banging rock concert, Jiraiya began to swing his hair around like a lasso. I yawned. "From the North to the South. To the East to the West! Not even the spirits can defeat this Sannin". Naruto stared with unfocused eyes; his enthusiasm dampened. "The white-maned Toad charmer! A red-hot ninja who strikes fear in the hearts of men. I am Master Jiraiya!" Cue maniacal laughter.
I moved first. The sound of my footsteps changed once I stepped foot on the bridge. "Fear in the hearts of men?" I questioned as I walked past the great Jiraiya striking a pose. "More like anyone who's afraid of clowns".
Jiraiya flinched but otherwise didn't move as a cloud of disappointment began to form over his head. "Oh, I know!" Naruto exchanged as he hurried after me. "Rion, teach me that weird shield thing you do with your chakra". He too passed an unmoving Jiraiya without paying him a second look.
"No", I said as Naruto and I reached the other side of the river shoulder to shoulder.
"Why not?" Naruto pressed.
"Because I can't teach you something I don't understand myself". Besides, Shibi and Shino both made it sound like they thought my chakra shields were somehow tied to the Aburame. Perhaps another Aburame would have discovered it first if they were also bugless. Neither Naruto nor I checked to see if Jiraiya was following us.
We stopped for lunch at a shrine. It wasn't a very long lunch. One ration bar each to be specific. But we lingered longer than was needed to eat. The shade was too enticing to leave in a hurry. Birds chirped as they fluttered about. The sound of them was often drowned out as Naruto played with bells hanging over the shrine. Lying on my back with my pace elevating my head and shoulders, I tried to rest since we'd been up all night. But my thoughts wouldn't let me. There was Anzu to worry about and fights to plan for.
The first one to contend with was the surprise attack from Itachi and Kisame. What to do? What to do? Naruto wasn't a match for either of them. And Jiraiya would be uninvolved until the very end. I didn't really want to count on Sasuke making a sudden appearance to buy Naruto and me much-needed time. Maybe I could bribe Itachi with Dango like I did with Anko.
"Keep it up", Jiraiya called over his shoulder; his back facing the shrine. "You'll be cursed". Naruto continued to ring the bells. Either not hearing or not caring. Around a mouthful of ration bar, Jiraiya dug through his pockets before withdrawing a crinkled piece of paper. "Here, kid", he held out the paper; offering it to me.
"What is it?" I asked as I made no move to take it.
Jiraiya waved the paper in my face. As if that would be enough to make me accept it. Naruto's laughter echoed in the background. "It's what you'll be working on during our travels".
Snorting, I gestured behind me. "Wrong genin, old man. Your student is the one currently offending whatever spirit protects this shrine. I'm just the poor sap along for the ride".
"Don't be like that", Jiraiya scolded; not retracting the offered paper. He didn't have Ibiki's authoritative tone or Shibi's no-nonsense attitude. Honestly, Jiraiya sounded more like an exasperated babysitter than a seasoned instructor. "There's no way of knowing how long this mission will take. We could be searching for weeks. Months. You can't waste all that time twiddling your thumbs. What would-"
I snatched the paper from him just to cut off the lecture. Holding it over my eyes, I stared up at a little sketch of a toad drawn in black ink. Why was Jiraiya carrying this around with him? "What do you want me to do with this?" I asked. Curiosity demanding it. Learning what Jiraiya wanted didn't mean I'd have to do it. Or so I told myself.
"Make the toad dance", Jiraiya answered. Together, we ignored the jingling of the bells and Naruto's amusement. "Once you've mastered that, we'll move on to the next step".
I raised an eyebrow. Make an inanimate drawing move as if it were a cartoon? My brain zoomed through different thoughts as it hypothesized how to do that. But I squashed it before any concrete plan could be formed. There was no need to learn from Jiraiya. I wasn't interested in fuinjutsu. It wasn't a needed skill for T&I. Besides, my biggest priority right now was staying under the radar until I was back in the village or asking Haku for asylum.
Shoving the toad drawing into my shorts' pocket, I stretched my arms over my head to be used as a pillow. "I'll get right on that", I lied.
Jiraiya scoffed with a slight shake of his head. "Just like me at that age", he muttered to himself. But I heard him anyway.
"I'm nothing like you", I stated forcefully; glaring.
Head turned towards me, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?" He challenged. "Stubborn. Oppositional. Following your own path. It's like looking in a mirror".
"You don't know anything about me", I insisted; nostrils flaring. My broken wrist started aching more than normal. Probably because I was itching to get my hands on a kunai.
Jiraiya's arms rested comfortably on his knees as he offered me an all-knowing smirk. It made me grind my teeth in response. "Like me, you started in class three and clawed your way to graduation. Coming from the Red District, it was the only way to prove yourself". I lost my glare as Jiraiya's words started sinking in. It was necessary as my face scrunched up in contemplation. Was he alluding to being a rat of the Red District himself? "And like me, you have smarts but don't know how to use them. Trust me, kid. There's nothing you can do that'll surprise me". Jiraiya seemed almost proud as he stared at me; eyes soft and smile confident.
Pushing into an upright position, it was tempting to pick up my pack and throw it into Jiraiya's face. Maybe I could gouge his eyeballs out or set his hair on fire. We were nothing alike. And I'd prove it if forced. "Hey, Pervy-Sage?" Naruto interrupted. The bells momentarily fell silent.
Broken out of our contest of wills, Jiraiya and I arched our necks to look in his direction. There were four of him now. So, he could more easily reach the bells. "What was the fourth Hokage like as a student?"
Naruto had been thrilled when Jiraiya told him he resembled the fourth. Now, every other question that came out of Naruto's mouth was about the fourth Hokage. Knowing more than I should, I couldn't fault him these few moments. Not when this may very well be the first Naruto has ever heard about his father outside of a history listen. Even if he didn't know it.
Letting Jiraiya's response pass through my ears unheard, I forced myself to take a long and deep inhale of air. He wasn't worth getting upset over, I told myself. Especially when this mission was just getting started. There was a long way to go until we found Tsunade. And I needed to stick it out. If only to make it home to Anzu sooner rather than later.
The town Jiraiya led us to felt like a tourist trap. There were vendors shouting about their wares everywhere. Street performers occupied corners as they tried to attract anyone's attention. The sound of traffic was louder here than in Konoha. And the air was pungent with the scents of different foods wafting out of different restaurants. Walking close to Naruto, I spotted more than one drunk stumbling on their feet. And the sun hadn't even set yet!
"What is this place?" I asked; glancing around with shifty eyes. It was like the Red District on steroids… if the Red District was affluent and had its own economy.
Naruto nodded in agreement; taking in all the sights with his own personal brand of amazement. "Yeah, this place is weird".
We followed Jiraiya into a hotel. With walls blocking us from the street, the noise was less. But there was no mistaking what awaited just outside the door. As Jiraiya talked to the person working the front desk and Naruto took in the lobby, I stared with apprehension at the door. Time to decide. What was I going to do when Itachi and Kisame came knocking?
"Naruto. Rion", Jiraiya called. In his hand, he held a key. "We're going to stay here tonight".
"Why?" Naruto complained as he approached. "We can still walk". Not to mention, there was still plenty of daylight left. But as Jiraiya said earlier, we needed intel. And we'd been going all night. It wasn't completely ridiculous to take an early respite under those conditions.
My mind was made up before the pretty lady appeared in the doorway. Long bare legs, heels strapped to her feet, and dressed in a short skirt; she was just Jiraiya's type. And Naruto's too by the sound of it. Standing off to the side, I let my disgust show as the two ogled and applauded the woman standing before them. She flicked her long black hair behind her shoulder and smiled. It made me wonder how she would've behaved if she wasn't under a genjutsu. Anzu would've blushed and looked down at her feet as she hurried away. I'd probably throw paper bombs at them if I were in this lady's shoes.
"Here, Naruto", Jiraiya said; shoving the room key into Naruto's hand. "I want you and Rion to go straight to the room. You can practice your chakra control for a little and then go to bed. Okay?" Jiraiya sounded so jovial. Like a kindergarten teacher who actually enjoyed their job.
"What!?" Naruto yelled as he stared at the key as if it had personally betrayed him. "Just what do you think you're going to do without me and Rion? You big perv!"
Sighing, I rubbed the spot between my eyes with my good hand. "Naruto", I called. One look at my extremely judgmental and unhappy face had him straightening up. Probably remembering exactly who I was and where Anzu and I came from. "Let's go. I'm tired".
While not intended for this purpose, Jiraiya latched onto intervention as if it were an assist. "Yeah, Naruto. A big, loud town like this. You should stay with your friend. Safety in numbers and all that".
"Fine", Naruto grumbled as he stomped in my direction. He threw a heated look in Jiraiya's direction. "But you better not forget our mission or my training, Pervy-Sage!" When Naruto's eyes landed on me, his expression changed. Becoming more empathetic and willing to bend to meet my needs. I tried not to focus on his goodwill.
The stairs were too narrow to climb side-by-side. So, I went first. Counting the number of doors as we passed by. "Rion, can you believe that guy?" Naruto complained; his footsteps shadowing mine. "How are we going to find the next Hokage if he keeps goofing off?"
Our room was at the very end of the hall. Stepping aside, I let Naruto unlock it and pocket the key. "Huh?" He said; moving further into the room and letting his pack slip off his shoulders. "Only two beds", Naruto observed.
Making a beeline for the bed closet to the door, I dropped my pack on top of it. "Looks like the great toad-sage will be sleeping on the floor".
Naruto snickered; grinning ear-to-ear he climbed onto the second bed. Kicking his sandals off in the process. "It's just what the perv deserves. Wasting time like this".
As Naruto rambled through different topics, ranging from Jiraiya to how he was going to train, I dug through the pack Shibi had sent me off with. Just as he said, there was food, weapons, first aid—basically, anything I'd need. One thing Shibi didn't mention, however; was the coin purse I found buried at the bottom. Made of silk and embroidered with dragonflies, it felt impractical to carry while on mission. Judging its mass in the palm of my hand, I frowned at its weight. What was Shibi playing at?
"I wonder what jutsu Pervy-Sage is going to teach me", Naruto continued; sitting crisscross on the bed as he started to build chakra. "It better be as cool as Sasuke's Chidori".
Opening the coin pouch, I took a peak inside and immediately flinched. There had to be about two months' worth of expenses in this pouch. Did Shibi think I wasn't coming back? Sighing, I decided that was neither here nor there. Pocketing the money, I headed for the door. It was time to get out of here.
"Or maybe it'll be something like Sasuke's Sharingan", Naruto kept going. My hand paused on the door knob. Sasuke's Sharingan? That was information to file away for later. "I want a powerful technique only I can- Rion! Where are you going?"
Turning the knob, I glanced over my shoulder at Naruto. "I'm hungry. I'm going to buy dinner".
"But Pervy-Sage told us to stay together!"
"I'm not going far", I promised; taking a step out of the room. "But all I've eaten in days are ration bars and instant ramen. If I don't get vegetables or real meat soon, I'm going to lose it. I'll bring you back something".
I closed the door behind me; muffling Naruto's sputtering protest. With a deep breath and heavy steps, I forced myself to walk away; feeling like the absolute worst. But there's no way I'd survive Kisame and Itachi. I wasn't Naruto whom they were sent to retrieve. Nor was I Sasuke whom Itachi would spare. I was nobody. And nobodies were easily disposed of. This was the only way. Or so I told myself.
