Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The nights in the dark pits where shinobi come to drown their sorrows and lick their wounds were always different. Even though many came because of problems, after a couple of drinks in the bar, laughter would fill the loud chambers crowded with men and women drinking their brains into a frenzy of dizziness. There would be no one crying, everyone was always in a joyous mood. Even those being rejected in their advances to women were also not showing in signs of depression. In this kind of nights, even women tried and sometimes were successful in their hunt for men.
As Jiraiya would say, there were men eaters clothed as women.
The Toad Sage was of course always at home in such a place. After a couple of drinks, and sometimes not even after drinking, he would be sprouting nonsense, but mostly boasting about his greatness as the Legendary Toad sage. That was Jiraiya but remarkably, Naruto has never seen anyone hitting on the Sannin. He was the one who made the moves. It isn't to say he wasn't loved. Of course, mostly he had to spend money, but for the Sannin, it was money well spent.
If he had a good time and lecherous memories to use for his next book, Jiraiya would not complain.
Naruto wasn't a particular fan of the night clubs and drinking with whores, but every now and then, Jiraiya had pulled him into this kind place. Once you had a couple of drinks, you would loosen up a bit and have a bit of fun. Naruto would not honestly say that there hadn't been moments he found himself having fun with Jiraiya and a couple of ladies close by. He, however, could not, in good conscience, drag a drunken girl to his den. Jiraiya has always frowned upon that, but Naruto would not take much from a man who makes his riches by writing trash for perverts.
The blond Uzumaki was sitting in a dark corner, with required protection done by the Toad Sage to ensure that no one eavesdrop on their conversation. Spies tended to hang about this place. Even Jiraiya sometimes came to this kind of place to gather Intelligence. Some who could not hold their liquor sometimes let loose of secrets to the ladies they were trying to bed... yes, secrets like those secret and dangerous missions they just complemented.
Of Course, sometimes it was all nonsense. Shinobi lied all day long to get what they wanted.
The Uzumaki had a small cup in front of him, but his eyes were all over the chamber of fun; there were shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and a couple from other villages. He could see some he knew from the Leaf and many more he has never met in his life. If there were Anbu within, you could never tell; they blended in smoothly.
"Are you not going to drink?" Jiraiya asked Naruto. The night was still young, but it would be no fun if Naruto didn't want to partake in it. They were here to drink and just forget about the misery of their lives and what they were about to do. They may as well leave this place if they were going to just stare at the sake.
Naruto was his priority this night, so, Jiraiya was willing to take his bottle with him and go to the hot springs with the blond if it would be enough to get them to talk. He needed to know where exactly the blond stood with the villagers and how exactly he felt about Danzo. Aside from that, he needed to do damage control if there was a need for it.
The Jinchuriki turned towards the Sannin before staring down at the cup full of sake from the Land of Toads; the Toad Chief was willing to give it to him but never to Jiraiya. But of course, the Sannin would always get it from him. Naruto took the cup and then sip; the sip turned into a gulp and everything within the cup slid through his throat. He didn't slam the cup at the table like those sitting by the counter, he gently placed it down.
Jiraiya took the honours of pouring in some more.
"I was still thinking about things." Naruto said in a quiet tone. "We have come a long way, haven't we, Sensei? When you appeared before me after Kakashi abandoned me to a man whose qualification was training students not yet in the academy, I never thought that we would come to a place like this."
