Absolved.

Stubborn As Stone.

[Song: Hear Me - Divide Music]

We had spent two uneventful days in the Land of Waves, not picking up any information on a Jinchuuriki or Akatsuki movements. We had spent another day and a half making our way to Iwagakure once Jiraiya had suggested they may have left clues there when they took the Jinchuuriki.

I had finally forgiven Jiraiya for being such a creep, and had finished off the last of the three books he gave me and was now racking his brain about my unanswered questions. Kakashi was answering some of them, and posing his own towards the old sage.

"I will not spoil any potential sequel!" Jiraiya laughed, waving us off as we approached the hotel we were going to spend our time here in.

It wasn't safe to camp around here, as Konohagakure and Iwagakure had such a shaky past. There was too much risk of being recognized and ambushed in the night, not to mention Kakashi was still bothered by Itachi's last "visit".

Jiraiya ordered us two separate rooms this time, nudging the old innkeeper "the lovebirds get a little rowdy."

We both glared at them as they laughed together.

"Alright kids, time to get into recon mode." Jiraiya told us as we went to find our rooms.

Recon mode meant it was time to disguise ourselves from the villagers again, so we could do much like we had in the last two villages - walk around and listen.

We had all gotten new supplies when we stopped at the last village, and I was excited to try on my new persona. Kakashi darted into the bathroom before I had a chance, so I changed in our room.

I couldn't help but grin as I got ready, I'd kept my outfit hidden from both of them when I bought it. I tucked my hair up into a blonde wig, and adorned myself in a dancers kimono. I used the mirror on the dresser to pale my face and add a modest makeup, completing my look with a fan that reminded me of Temari.

When Kakashi returned from the bathroom, we both stopped and stared at each other in awe. Our costumes so far had been humble robes, we hadn't had any fun with it until now.

Kakashi's hair was black now somehow, and his mask was nowhere in sight. His scar was covered by purple kabuki paint, and both his eyes were a chocolate brown color. He wore only a fishnet shirt over his bare torso, and a pair of dark shorts.

"Wow.." I said, stupefied by how good he looked.

"You too." He laughed, tucking a stray strand of the wig behind my ear when he moved towards me.

"Yooo hooo!" a high pitched woman's voice came through the hotel door. "It's time to go for supper!!"

We looked at eachother and raised our eyebrows before Kakashi went and opened the door.

I nearly fainted.

Jiraiya stood there, batting fake lashes at us, dressed as a woman. It looked like he'd shoved watermelons down the front of his kimono. His makeup was sloppy, but it wasn't horrible... The whole thing was just wrong.

"After supper, I'm going to go and play music in the bathhouse." He squealed in that horrible, nails on chalkboard voice.

Kakashi groaned and I burst out laughing, laughter that didn't stop until we were seated in our restaurant.

Jiraiya and I were making a big deal of talking about the dance troupe we worked for when Kakashi shushed us and pointed to his ear to tell us to listen.

"Well I think they did us a favour!" A rather drunk man said loudly from the bar.

"A group of Rogue nin took one of our people from our village!" Another argued.