Desert Flower

Sannin

  "Hey, Pervy Sage. What Jutsu are you gonna teach us this time?" Naruto excitedly walked around the old man, now also having a smaller pack he could actually carry. "The last time was Walk-on-Water Jutsu, so is it gonna be Walk-on-Fire Jutsu? Or maybe Walk-on-Air? Hurry up and tell me, Pervy Sage!"

  "You keep calling me Pervy Sage. So you have no idea that I'm a superb person, huh?"

  "Huh? A superb Pervy Sage?"

  "Listen carefully!" The old man ran up onto the bridge in front of us and then hopped on one foot. "Toad Sage is only a disguise! As a matter of fact-" He posed. "North and South and East and West! I'm the white-maned toad charmer, and one of the legendary Sannin whom even celestial beings can't defeat." An orange toad with stripes appeared on the bridge. "Such a stud that he strikes fear in the hearts of people! I am no other than 'Master Jiraiya'!" He posed again. "Yes, I'm talking about me!"

  "Huh...." Naruto droned as we walked right past the old man on the bridge with disinterest.

~

  "Atafuku town?"

  "Says it's ten kilometers away." I stated while pointing to the sign.

  "It's O-tafuku Town." Pervy Sage corrected.

  "Hey, hey! Hey, Pervy Sage!"

  "I'm telling you, it's Jiraiya. Gimme a break...."

  "So the fact that such a bigwig Pervy Sage like you is taking us along as his travel companions means....we're potentially geniuses?!" Naruto grinned while standing in front of the old man. "Just as I thought!" The man didn't say anything as he just looked at the blond. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Why did you choose me?" He asked while running in a circle.

  "A long time ago, the Fourth Hokage was my disciple."

  "Huh?"

  "And you resemble the Fourth Hokage so much, it's almost funny. That's the only reason...." The old man said before walking past Naruto.

  "....Then why am I here?"

  "Uh....because-"

  "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto ran by while screaming and his hands in the air, looking overjoyed.

  "W-What is it?"

  "The fact that I resemble the Fourth Hokage means that I also possess genius of his level, right?" Naruto yelled. "I'll become the Hokage, after all! All right!" He was jumping around and cheering until his face fell since he had landed....right in animal poop. "Aaahh! I stepped on some dog poop!"

  "About the only areas you resemble the Fourth Hokage are your hair and your stubbornness!"

  "What was that?! You senile Pervy Sage!" Naruto paused. "Not again!" He whined since he had yet again stepped in the dog crap, and the old man sighed.

~

  Naruto was swinging from the bell ribbons, jingling them every time he grabbed them and swung between the two in front of the temple we had stopped to rest at.

  "Stop! You'll get cursed." Pervy Sage warned.

  "Hey, Pervy sage!"

  "Huh?"

  "What kind of a student was the Fourth Hokage?" There were now four Narutos, two at each bell.

  "Well, I guess one could say that he developed to that extent because he was my student.... You're lucky to be taught by me! Are you dubious? A good teacher will develop good disciples. That goes without saying."