„Uh Sensei...are you sure that's such a good idea...I mean you don't know for sure if...", I whispered uncertainly, but my counterpart waved it off laughing and stroked his raven black hair. „I mean I could make myself invisible and go around the corner..."
„Ha! Girl. My senses have never fooled me before and now they tell me...that the enemy is in there. Long live eternal youth!"
Then he was around the corner. I heard a loud crash and an angry grumbling. Curious, I looked around the corner. So, no enemy after all. If only he would listen to me. Even if I was only a Genin, they could believe me. Was it so difficult? Obviously yes. Because around the corner, an embarrassed Gai stood next to a furious Jiraya, who dabbed his bleeding nose with a tissue.
It took all the strength in the world not to laugh. Because this picture was just too funny. I would have liked to rub it in Gai's face, but for the time being I left it at that and carefully went around the corner.
How had it actually come so far? Well. When the Medic-Nin had found no injuries and only a little lack of chakra, I had been sent home after three hours in the hospital. However, I had not come far, because Gai had picked me up with the words that he needed me for a small mission.
Well, why I had actually come along, was not yet so clear to me. With advice and action, I should have stood to him aside, exactly as one expects it from the today's youth. Of course. And then, if you once have a different opinion, it was switched with him on the trigger. With Kakashi or Genma that wouldn't have happened to me. But Gai was Gai.
He was already quite okay, but nevertheless I was unbelievably glad about the fact that he was not my Sensei. Even just thinking about it... why was I even thinking about it?
„Tora! It is so good to see you. Believe it!"
Naruto came rushing up to me and hugged me. I laughed and grinned at him.
„Likewise."
Gai, meanwhile, had loaded the unconscious Sasuke onto his shoulders and turned to the, still, annoyed Jiraya.
„I'll take him to the hospital and leave Tora with you. That way, Force of Youth can give you a bit of a hand."
The white-haired man's face darkened several octaves.
„Did you just call me OLD?!" he asked dangerously softly. „You are so lucky I'm not Tsunade, otherwise your so youthful face would be destroyed now, I can promise you that my friend."
Guy just grinned incessantly. Very grown up.
„Don't fret my dear friend. Everyone gets old sometime ... except for me, of course."
Then he was gone. Great, ...and now?
Tired, I walked behind Naruto and Jiraya. The hot midday sun burned on my head and only incidentally I listened to the conversation of the two. After Gai had disappeared with Sasuke, I had asked the Sannin for the reason of their mission, whereupon I had been looked at first puzzled. Apparently, he had assumed that I already knew about everything. Nope...sorry. Until a few hours ago, I had no idea that Gai would suddenly drag me along to this "tiny" mission.
As far as I could find out, they were looking for a certain Tsunade, who is part of the legendary Sannin and thus a former teammate of Jiraya and...Orochimaru. It had literally knocked my socks off when I found out about it. My complete disenchantment extended to now. Until now, I hadn't known that Orochimaru was Jiraya's former friend and teammate. The two of them and Tsunade had been taught by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
„And you Tora were also the Hokage's student for a short time, if I remember correctly, right?" Jiraya had turned to me and I nodded curtly. He began to grin, and I frowned. What was going through his mind now?
„You know Naruto. That girl is the perfect balance to you. She's very quiet and you're too overactive."
He wasn't the first to notice that, though. The sentence earned him an indignant exclamation from Naruto, and I smiled slightly. Let's see, maybe this mission would be quite funny after all.
Silently, I sat on a nearby tree and looked down at the other two. Jiraya was trying to teach Naruto a new technique. It was called the Rasengan and was developed by the fourth Hokage. The Uzumaki was now to learn it as well, but to learn it fully he had to master four levels. I yawned and leaned back a little. Lucky that I didn't have to learn this. Much too stressful.
Whew. If Kakashi or Genma got wind of my current laziness, they'd punch me through the sun, moon, and stars. Good thing they weren't around. Wind stroked my face, and the sun tickled my nose. This was the way to live. I couldn't help but notice that Shikamarus laziness had rubbed off on me quite a bit.
Unfortunately for the Nara, the time for laziness was now over. As a budding chunin, he now had to do much more. Planning missions for example or other things ... which I didn't want to think of now. I grinned.
„Hey... Young lady? Can you join us sometime?"
A disappointed sigh escaped my lips. That was it with being lazy. Too bad, it had started so promisingly.
„I have a feeling you spend too much time with Shikamaru, Tora," Naruto teased, and I smiled. "Mind transfer."
With a clearing of his throat, Jiraya drew our attention back.
„While our friend Naruto is practicing his Rasengan, I was thinking that you could practice a completely different jutsu. Namely, the Third Hokage has revealed to me that you have an affinity for Raiton chakra. Is that correct?"
I nodded.
„That's why you were so incredibly fast against Dosu and were able to dodge his sound."
As my lips twisted into a thick grin, the Uzumaki cheered.
„I'm so good, believe it."
„But I'm afraid I haven't fully mastered it yet Naruto. It's quite hard to run at this speed without tripping over your own legs. You have no idea how many times it knocked me down in training."
Jiraya laughed.
„And that's exactly what you're going to practice now young lady. So that one day you will become intangible to your opponents. Would be a nice name, wouldn't it? The intangible. Wait ... that's the perfect food for thought for ..."
„She already has the name, so we can forget that right now," grinned a blond Uzumaki.
Warningly, I looked at him.
„Naruto," I hissed, and he looked guiltily in my direction. What a douche.
He knew perfectly well that I didn't want this. No. In fact, I hated it. Jiraya, meanwhile, looked back and forth between the two of us like a ping-pong game. Then he started scratching his head, laughing.
„The name rings a bell, but I can't think of it right now. Could someone give me some food for thought?"
Enthusiastically, Naruto opened his mouth, but faster than he could look, I had him on the ropes. Which I was a little sorry about afterwards since the poor guy was groaning and gasping for air.
„Nothing," he gasped. "Just slipped my mind. I don't know what you mean Pervy Sage, really now."
I paused.
„Pervy Sage? That's got to be the weirdest nickname you can give your sensei."
„Well," Naruto said, wriggling out of my grip so he could breathe freely again. "I could do a lot worse. I could be another oddball, crazy, ooooorrr..." his eyes began to gleam with anticipation. "A perv..." but Jiraya interrupted him.
„That's enough young friend. You don't say that in front of a young girl." I snorted. So please. I could take a lot, hence the fact that Naruto had meant the little word pervert. I had already thought something similar about that one. So, it was not a big surprise. I didn't care, as long as he didn't annoy me with it...
„And actually, the three of us wanted to train, didn't we? So honestly you two. Meanwhile, I'll go to the next village and ask about Tsunade," Jiraya deflected from the topic and Naruto began to grin.
„Or sneak into the bathrooms to watch girls," the Uzumaki added as the older man's complexion abruptly changed.
„Remember something young friend. I am your sensei. That means you have to show me respect, and I expect you to."
„When you act like that, it's clear that respect can take a while," I muttered softly.
In a flash, the white-haired man had wheeled around to face me.
„What?"
„Oh, nothing. I just meant that Naruto will definitely have respect for you soon."
My counterpart's eyebrows drew together slightly. I have to admit that sometimes it's really hard for me to lie...
With a last admonishing look at us, Jiraya fizzled out in front of our eyes and disappeared for an uncertain time.
Return uncertain.