Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 68

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Chapter 68

[Jiraiya]

The legendary Sannin felt his eye twitch slightly at the back and forth going on behind him as they traveled.

Well, it was more one than the other, really, since one of the people involved mostly replied with one word or even just a grunt. Jiraiya wondered, for a moment, how Naruto managed to convince him to bring his teammate with him. 'Oh, right, the Mindscape thing,' He remembered with a slight grimace.

The Toad Sage wasn't sure how useful that would be trying to deal with the Kyubi, really. However, it had done the trick during Orochimaru's Invasion and the last thing they needed was for the Fox to turn even more hostile with Naruto if he didn't keep his word. So, he allowed the Uzumaki to spend an hour or so working in his mind.

As for the Uchiha that had tagged along, not only was the boy helping Naruto with that part of his training, exchanging ideas and tips, but the boy also needed someone that knew seals in case his Cursed Seal got out of hand. That had been the reason why Hiruzen had wholeheartedly agreed with the idea of Jiraiya taking Sasuke with them while looking for Tsunade, which had in turn contributed a lot with him accepting that slight change of plans.

Still, Jiraiya didn't like being in charge of an immature Jinchuriki and an unstable Uchiha one bit, that much he could tell anyone that cared to listen. Especially if some of the rumors he had been hearing as of late regarding the other Uchiha were true. Nervous as that information made him, he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that taking both of them out of Konoha was a good idea.

The village had received too much damage and with the trouble that seemed to be brewing between villages, they couldn't afford as much security as they would have liked. Everyone had to be dedicated to getting their feet under themselves. Babysitting two people, no matter how high profile they were, had become low priority.

Now, if they could be placed under the watchful eye of a Sannin and out of the way though, that was perfect, right?

Sometimes Jiraiya hated logic.

He almost groaned as Naruto's voice grew louder, arguing something against the other Genin. With a sigh, the Sannin decided to distract himself with planning. There was much to do on this trip, after all.

First, he wanted to get started and give Naruto some notes regarding the Hiraishin, to see if they sparked something in the boy. Jiraiya was sure that if anyone could completely crack how the technique worked, it would be the young Uzumaki. Not because it was in his blood or anything, but because the boy took to seals like a fish in the water.

Fuinjutsu was something that could baffle most people, even those that were considered geniuses and prodigies. One had to have a special kind of mind to understand them, to comprehend how they worked and even more so to create seals. Naruto had that kind of mind, Jiraiya had quickly confirmed.

Second, and this was a new development in his plans, was to train the young Uchiha. He wasn't sure what to train the boy in or what to teach him, but he'd have to do something. If he didn't, he could already see him either demanding some kind of training or, even worse, Naruto doing so.

'When did I change jobs from spy master to babysitter, honestly,' Jiraiya thought to himself, feeling a headache coming his way.

Although Hatake had taught the Uchiha his technique, which had been derived from Minato's... Something to think about, he supposed. He'd have prefered to teach that to Naruto, but the boy seemed disinterested in most things that weren't related to seals. Sometimes he even outright rejected the idea. Really, the blonde had such a one track mind sometimes...