The Wind To His Fire

The Letter

Jiraiya observed his student caught in a staring match with a crow.

"What did it do? Poop on you?" He asked.

"It's after my sandwich, Ero-sennin. I'm not going to give it, not after what I had to at Mount Mobakyou, all month." The brat responded at his usual volume.

"Don't insult the toads, brat. They're the only reason you can now enter Sage mode."

"Kurama doesn't agree with that."

Oh, yes. How could he forget about that. The Kyuubi didn't exactly approve of his jinchiruchi gaining toad like characters, Naruto had the advantage of entering Sage mode , toad free.

On the othe hand, the crow had remained suspiciously still, even after Naruto's loud response. Upon further observation, Jiraiya spotted a scroll hidden behind its plumage.

"It's a summon animal." Jiraiya murmured.

"I don't care. It's still not getting my sandwich." Naruto huffed.

"Even though it's most likely carrying a letter from your boyfriend?" Jiraiya offered with a smirk.

The brat hadn't been expecting that. "What? Sasuke doesn't have a summons contract."

"Ha! I never mentioned Sasuke. You admit he's your boyfriend, then?"

"Ero-sennin!"

"Fine. It's his brother's summons and it doesn't look to be in a mood to hand over the scroll without getting that sandwich."

At that, his apprentice turned to look at the crow, who stared back with its black beady eyes. He sighed and with great reluctance offered his sandwich to the crow, who gobbled it up before dropping the scroll at Naruto's head and flying away.

Naruto carefully opened the scroll and read it with a neutral expression, not giving anything away.

"Something wrong?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Nothing's wrong." Naruto answered, as destroyed the letter with a fire jutsu, thereby denying Jiraiya the chance to take a look for his manuscript. "Ero-sennin, can we return to Konoha today?"

"You very well know that we are supposed to stay here for another week. I'm not going to go running to Konoha for your booty call."

"C'mon, Ero-sennin, it's not a booty call. I need to talk to Sasuke about something important and it's not like you have any chance with Madam Nami. You can peep in the hot springs in Konoha."

Jiraiya sighed, but agreed to go to Konoha. The sacrifices he made for his readers...

They reached Konoha in record time in unusual silence with Naruto in a contemplative mood. Jiraiya led them to the Hokage office to avoid Tsunade's wrath for not reporting to her first.

"I ordered you to return a month ago." Was her opening remark, as soon as they entered her office.

"Ah, home you know how it is. We were caught up with bandits, damsels in distress, civilians in trouble, the usual." He leered at her.

"He's lying, baa-chan. We stayed last month at Madam Nami's brothel. There were no heroics involved." The backstabbing brat interjected. "Before you give him the beating of his life, could you tell me where Sasuke is?"

"He's in the hospital." Tsunade replied, as sized Jiraiya up for a coffin.

"Hospital? Is he alright?" Naruto yelled.

"Not so loud, brat." Tsunade yelled even louder. " He's fine. He just had a surgery to exchange his eyes with his brother. Now get out and let me deal with this pervert."

Taking his cue, Jiraiya hightailed out of there.