Naruto One Shots

Attachment (Jiraiya)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to kokodraws01]

Requested by: Myself

Keys:
- Y/N: Your Name

Word Count: 4.517

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:
- Non-romantic one-shot; more fatherly one-shot vibes
- This is 100% word vomit so I'm sorry

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     I can feel my fingers going numb as I cling to the vest of the Anbu that's been babysitting me the past couple of days. They hate when I call it babysitting but it's what they've been doing. "Kid, loosen your grip," my makeshift nanny says, trying to force my grip loose. I do as I'm told, loosening my hold a bit so my knuckles are no longer white.
I keep a hold on them though, following behind them blindly as we weave around the Hokage's palace. I don't know why I'm here. All I've been told is Lord Third wants me to meet someone. It's probably another shabby attempt at adoption.
Ever since Lord Fourth died, I along with his baby have been left alone in the world. I've seen the baby a few times. He's the cutest little bean in the world. Chucks of blonde hair on his head, cute little whiskers imprinted on his face, and the chubbiest cheeks I've ever seen. I think his name is Naruto but I'm not too sure about that either. I'm not too sure about anything.
I can't tell if I'm looking into it too much or not but I'm pretty sure Lord Third has been purposely keeping me away for Minato's and Kushina's baby. I think the Lord is worried I'll get too attached to the baby. After all, Kushina and her husband took me in after my father's death during the war. That technically makes me the bean's family I suppose.
     Maybe the Lord is right for keeping Naruto and me apart. He has to have his reasonings for it. I know the little bean has the Nine-Tail locked up in him, just like his mother did. Maybe that's why the Kage is so worried about Naruto getting attached to me, or me to him.
     From my thoughts consuming my attention, I don't notice Mr - or Ms - Nanny has stopped, which causes me to bump into them. "I'm sorry," I murmur, getting sharp eyes cast down at me. Not the best reaction but better than a lecture.
     "Remember your manners," Nanny says, glaring at me for another second before opening the door in front of us.
The command is a mix of my mouth with the Hokage and said attitude scaring off the people who were 'considering taking me in'. I have a bad - ego-humbling - habit of reminding Lord Third that he's not Minato, among other things. I think Kushina would be proud of me. Maybe that's why the Kage doesn't want me around her son.
     "Y/N," Nanny's voice husks out, a warning in their tone as they tug the door half open, eyes peering down at me again. Maybe Nanny is a mister.
"Yes, Nanny," I mumble, pushing past them and walking through the doorway.
"I am not your nanny!" They call a bit huffy as they follow behind. "I am a high-ranked Shinobi of our village! I am not a nanny!"
     I let my eyes roll at their tantrum, a bit of a smile tugging at my lips. Who knew it would be so easy to break the ego of an anbu?
     "Y/N!" Lord Third calls, his fake chirp to it.
     "Third," I mumble, doing a half curtsey. It might make me a bad person but I can't stop wishing Lord Third died instead of Minato. Maybe he knows that and that's why he doesn't want me near the baby.
"Jiraiya, this is the girl I was telling you about," the Lord says, turning his attention away from me.
I perk up a bit from the name. I've heard a bit about the frog-themed sage; most notably from Minato. Kushina talked about him a bit but most of the time she just called him a pervert.
     The old man looks exactly as Minato described him; red strips down his face and fluffy wolf-like white hair. He's a weird-looking man.
     "Is this another attempt of you pushing off your responsibilities?" I ask before I can stop myself. I can feel the anbu's glare from here. So much for watching my manners.
     A string of coughs comes from the Kage before he clears his throat. "No, no, no. Of course not. I'm just-"
     "Sick of me? You know, when Minato couldn't handle my attitude he'd go for a walk. He didn't pawn me off to the nearest person." Maybe I am just being difficult.
     The room goes silent as a lovely staring contest starts. Anbu glaring at me. I try not to let the regret of my words sit on my face as I look at the Hokage. Lord Third looking at me with wide eyes and a fish mouth as he struggles with his words. Lastly, Frog Man flipping between Third and me.
     "As I was saying," the Lord finally pushes out, his attention turning away from me again. "Minato's student has seemed to inherit his wife's... personality." The word is painfully obvious to be a cover-up. It makes a happy smirk sit on my face. Kushina would be proud... I think. "On the plus side, it seems she did inherit Minato's drive for service too."
     "Ya, no," I cut off, my previous smirk falling off my face. "I'm not willing to die for this village, much less you." I take it back, I'm not being difficult. Lord Third is a jerk and I just happen to treat him as one.
     Once again silence falls over the room with stares filling it up. "So..." the white-haired man starts, "your S.O.S message was for this brat?" He asks, thumb pointed at me.
"I'm not a brat!" I bark back, arms crossing over my chest as I glare at the frog.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"Well, I've never met a not-brat that so openly insults the Hokage."
"Well I've never met a Hokage that pushes off his responsibilities to the point that his co-worker dies," I hiss out, teeth clenched hard enough that ripples of pain circle around my jaw.
A gasp falls from the anbu posted up at the door. The gasp is quickly followed by a deep, exhausted sigh from the old man behind the desk. "Y/N," Kage says slowly, eyes snapping closed and another sigh spilling from him. "I... please wait outside."
"And if I don't?"
"Out-" Lord Third yells before softening his tone, "-side, please."
I let my eyes slit, nails digging into my arms as I stare at the sorry excuse for a leader. "Don't be mad at me because Minato was a better Hokage in his short rein than you've been for the past handful of decades."
Lord Third's face scrunches up, his knuckles bumping against his desk a couple of times before he opens his eyes. "Please wait outside," he repeats, tone even and cold. I hit a nerve with that insult. Good, he deserves it. If Lord Third has no haters left, just know I'm buried six feet under.
I glare at the village leader for another beat before turning away. I waste no time weaseling out the door, anbu glare hot on heels.
I hate my nanny, I hate Lord Third, I hate the frog man, and I hate Minato for dying. How could he die? How could he leave Naruto with so much responsibility at the very start of his life? How could he leave his son alone in this world? How could he leave me all alone?
The tile of the floor is cold as I sink to it. My knees bump against my chest as I curl myself up into a small, hatred-filled ball. How much trouble would I get into for swinging on Lord Third?
The thought scares me a bit. I know the Shinobi life is filled with a lot of violence, a lot of sadness, a lot of death, but how could I have a thought like that? How could I so quickly jump to violence? Especially against a fellow Shinobi? The Hokage none-the-less?
The anger in my chest quickly bubbles over to sadness. I hate this month. It's the worst month of my whole life.