"Let's speed it up you two, we're almost at Otafaku Gai. It's not as big as Tanzaku Gai but it's got a significant amount of casinos, so Tsunade might be there." Jiraiya advised Satsuki and Naruto who were busy sightseeing while holding hands.
Naruto sweat dropped.
"I'm gonna say it again sensei, there's something seriously wrong with powerful shinobi. All the strong ones I've met have some weird fetish or habit. " Jiraiya raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms at Naruto's statement.
"I mean, you, Kakashi-sensei and the old man are perverts. Orochimaru has some weird pedophile obsession with me, Satsuki and just about anyone with a Kekkei Genkai really. "
"Tsunade is a gambling addict and sucks at it. Then there's Zabuza and Haku, Zabuza was completely insane and thankfully he isn't now and Haku likes calling herself a boy."
" And don't even get me started on Gaara, that guy is hands down the most disturbing person I've met. He almost makes Orochimaru look normal." Naruto complained while Satsuki just looked at him with a small smile on her face.
She would never ever admit it, but she liked hearing the blonde speak. It was like his voice takes away all of her problems and takes her away from reality for a short moment.
Jiraiya shrugged indifferently to Naruto's statement. "We all have to cope somehow. Some just don't cope as well as others and they go a little crazy. As for me...like many others in our profession, I cope with drinking and getting laid."
Naruto sighed. "Geez, I hope I don't become like you when I get older. And you should watch it, you're getting old too, you know. You don't want to break your hip while you're going in or something. " Naruto chuckled awkwardly while Satsuki couldn't resist smirking.
"The disrespect...." Jiraiya grumbled before shaking his head.
"How are you coming along with the second step?" Jiraiya asked Naruto who quickly unsealed two rubber balls.
*POP!!!*
A few seconds of holding one ball in each hand, the rubber balls popped out of existence. Jiraiya nodded.
"It's only been a few hours since we resumed our journey and you're a master at it already. When we arrive at Otafaku Gai, we'll start the third step."
"Roger that." Naruto mumbled before Jiraiya looked at Satsuki.
"Do you want some sparring with the Legendary Toad Sage? Maybe help you get used to your improved Sharingan? " Jiraiya asked Satsuki who nodded.
" Sure why not, I need tp catch up on my missed training anyways."
" Then it's decided."
.
.
A few hours of pure running later....
"Well looks like that was another dead end." Naruto stated. They were on the outskirts of Otafaku Gai, heading into the direction of Tanzaku Gai.
If there was one positive thing about this mission, aside from the fact he got to spend time with Jiraiya and Satsuki, learn new things and get A-ranked mission pay for it, it was that Naruto got to do a lot of sightseeing, something he hadn't been able to do for most of his missions outside the village.
The Sannin was holding a map of Hi no Kuni and a pen. He sighed as he crossed off Otafaku Gai as he had done with seven other cities Tsunade had been sighted at.
"My informants weren't wrong though. She was here, that completely wrecked bar was definitely her handiwork. She's probably headed to Tanzaku Gai, so we'll need to make sure to step on it before we miss her there too." Jiraiya mumbled before he looked at Satsuki and grinned.
"So, how bout some sparring?"
.
.
'Well, he isn't one of the sannin for nothing.' Satsuki thought as she was pushed back by Jiraiya's punch. They'd been sparring for minutes now, and Satsuki felt like Jiraiya was her toughest opponent yet.
Seeing that there was nothing she could think of to overpower or outsmart him, she instinctively tried activating the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Woah woah woahhh there!" Jiraiya suddenly appeared in front of her. Satsuki, surprised at the sudden burst of speed, took a few steps back.
" Look kid, I get that you're giddy about trying your new powers. But I gotta warn you, you'll go blind eventually for using it too much. I'm sure you know that already from Kakashi or your clan's library." Satsuki remained silent as Jiraiya continued.
"I hereby order you to only use your Mangekyo Sharingan only in emergency situations. I'd listen to it if I were you."
"But how am I supposed to master it?" The Toad Sage smiled sadly.
"Well that's the trade off I guess. You seem to have enough mastery of it during the fight with the your brother." He then shrugged. "Plus, it's either you don't use it or gradually lose your sight forever. I think you know which choice is the more logical one."
Satsuki looked at her hands. She felt a little frustrated, having such a treasure but understandably forbidden from using it.
"The only way for you to be able to freely use it is if you attain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. And to do that you have to—"
"Kill Itachi...." She whispered, finishing Jiraiya's sentence for him. She sighed, looking at the plains they've been fighting on. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, noticing her tired expression.
"What's wrong, Satsuki? You don't have that usual fire in you after mentioning Itachi's name." He wondered. Satsuki remained silent, the Sannin and the Uchiha have all but forgotten about the sparring.
"Is it worth it...." She asked, gathering Jiraiya's full attention. The raven haired kunoichi turned to look up at him.
"Is it worth having my revenge, Jiraiya sensei?" Jiraiya was stumped at the question. He couldn't believe the question coming out of her mouth. Could this mean that she's giving up on her quest for revenge?
"What do you mean by that, Satsuki?"
"When Orochimaru went rogue, you must've felt angry right? Surely he was like a brother to you, then suddenly he went ahead and did that. I'm wondering, now that he's dead, what do you feel?"
"Well, truth be told. I don't feel anything, Satsuki." He grinned at her. "Sure I do feel sad that he's deal considering we were once buddies. But all that's kind of been replaced when I found out what he did and all the stuff that led up to that invasion. In the end, when I sat down and thought to myself, all I feel is, emptiness."
"I thought I would get the feeling of achievement, like 'yay he's finally gone for good!' type of feeling. But nah, all I thought was 'what now?'. Because I know that in the future someone like Orochimaru, probably tons more crazier than he is, is gonna pop up out of nowhere."
"This cycle never ends, Satsuki. It's never ending. Lives will be destroyed, children traumatized, forcing them to do things no one should go through, and peace would seem like a far fetched dream."
"Heh, I don't even know what I'm yapping about anymore. But why the sudden question, Satsuki?"
"It's just...." She looked at Naruto who was leaning against a rock sleeping soundly. "I almost killed him back there. Itachi, that bastard was actually heartless enough to make me do that. If I go through with this path.... will I put more people that I care about in danger?" Jiraiya hummed.
"Can't say for sure, Satsuki. But take it from someone who's seen a lot, in the end, you'll feel unsatisfied, aimless, like an empty shell even. Have you ever thought about what you would do after you kill Itachi?" He asked Satsuki. Satsuki opened her mouth... before closing it.... Jiraiya smiled at her.
"There's your answer to your question."
"But... seriously you're not suggesting I should just let him go like that!? He killed my parents, my family, my whole clan!"
"Well...Geez...." Jiraiya sighed, running his hand through his messy white hair. "The Uchiha weren't exactly innocent people themselves, Satsuki!"
Satsuki froze. A very chilling silence followed through. "What do you mean by that?...." She whispered. Jiraiya looked down.
"Shit.... I said too much..." He looked at Satsuki. "Look kid, what you want to do in your future is yours to decide, but you gotta also think about your surroundings too. Don't get to the point where you actually hurt your loved ones instead of protecting them. End of discussion, I wanna take a break!" Jiraiya walked away before Satsuki could say anything else.
She stared at the Toad Sage, before she growled and walked away. "What kind of secrets are being kept from me now?" She grumbled, walking over to where the sleeping Naruto was before sitting next to him.
"You'd never be secretive like them, right Naruto?" She whispered, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. She quickly pulled back, blushing furiously.
"Eugh, I'm turning into a sap." She mumbled, feeling embarrassed. She stared at the plains before him, the view was amazing, serene was how she would describe it.
"Haa...." She sighed before leaning on Naruto's shoulder. It felt nice, she hadn't felt this warm since forever.
She fell asleep a few moments later.
Jiraiya watched from afar and chuckled a little. Shaking his head, he took out a pocket camera.
"Kakashi's gonna adore this..."
To be continued.....