Tale of a setting sun

Chapter 29: "Man of the World"

Jiraiya called it 'gathering research' for his novel series. Naruto called it peeping on the women's bath.Once they had reached Snow country and took up residence at one of the inns, the older man had made himself comfortable in front of the wooden fence that separate gendered baths.

 It was not an unfamiliar sight for Naruto—though the last time he had seen Jiraiya in such a position, they had been strangers.Naruto paused beside him. "You're a pervert, aren't you?"The sage seemed to take offense to this. Tearing his eyes away from whatever vision he had been admiring, he shook a finger in Naruto's face. 

"Such mislaid accusdon't seem to realize the considerable following my books have. If these ladies understood how much of this is for the greater good, they'd be lining up for a chancJiraiya. And there's something you seem to be mistaken about." Drawing back and straightening his shoulders, he pointed at himself. "I'm not just a pervert... I'm apervert!" 

Naruto found himself at a loss for words. Without responding, he left Jiraiya to his own devices and returned to the outdoor springs. It was empty, and as he settled was pumped into the spring, filling the air with hissing steam.Snow drifted down from the sky. 

Several flakes landed on his skin, and the rest disappeared into the hot water.He knew he was alone. And yet there in the spring, he thought he could hear someone whispering beside him. Closing his eyes, he let his body sink into the water afell silent. 

The land was thick with forests and rivers that teemed with freshly spawned fish. In terms of terrain and climate, Grass country was the most similar to Fire countrother countries Naruto had visited thus far—which made sense, as they were neighboring countries.During the day, Naruto practiced incorporating his nature release into his Rasengan. 

At night, they sat around the glow of a campfire, eating the fish Naruto had canights passed in silence as Jiraiya wrote furiously in his notebooks. Other nights, they discussed Naruto's progress or planned where to head next.The matter still felt rather strange to Naruto. When Jiraiya had invited him along his journey, Naruto had accepted without putting too much thought into it. At the tonly wanted to get away from it all. But as time passed and everything started to take on the faded glaze of the past, Naruto was beginning to wonder more and mstood to earn from this.One night, as Jiraiya picked at his teeth with a fish bone, he asked Naruto about his parents.

 "I never knew them," was all Naruto had to say.Jiraiya wore a carefully guarded expression. "I knew them. Very well, in fact. You have Kushina's hair, but you look like the spitting image of Minato at your age. I cmore – ""No, that's okay," Naruto broke in.A pause. "Are you sure?""They're gone and knowing more about them won't help me," he stated simply. 

Once upon a time, Naruto would have jumped at the chance to learn more about his parents. He had used to haunt the Archives, pouncing on even the slightest poto his familial roots.

 But that yearning belonged to a past age; to a child longing for the possibility of what could have been. Now, the only thing Naruto was concerthe present and the reality that came with it: To survive in this world, he needed to grow stronger.That was what he kept telling himself, anyways.The fire between them crackled, its heat warming his face.Jiraiya lowered the fish bone from his mouth. 

"Alright then. Tomorrow, we'll work on getting you an animal summons.""A toad summons?""You can sign the toad contract if you want. Or you can try doing what I did to find the animal you have a natural affinity for."The next morning, as Jiraiya looked on, Naruto bit his finger for the blood offering. Molding his chakra with the appropriate hand seals, he planted his hand on the gNothing happened. Several seconds passed in silence.Stroking his chin, Jiraiya looked bemused.