As soon as the room was booked, Jiraiya wasted no time.
He slid the door open, practically ushering Naruto inside with a firm push on his shoulder before tossing the boy's small bag near the bed. The room was simple, consisting of wooden floors, a low table, and a window overlooking the street, but it was clean and comfortable enough for a night's stay.
"Get some rest," Jiraiya said, arms crossed. "Don't go wandering around. I'll be heading out for a while."
Naruto blinked once, then glanced at the door. "That was fast."
Jiraiya ignored the comment and leaned closer, his tone dropping into something more serious. "And listen carefully. If someone knocks, you only open the door if they knock like this."
He raised his knuckles and knocked against the doorframe in a precise rhythm that was short, pause, long, pause, short.
Naruto watched with mild amusement. "You're making it sound like assassins are lurking around every corner."
"Better safe than sorry," Jiraiya replied firmly. His expression didn't carry its usual playfulness this time. "Don't open the door for anyone else."
Naruto shrugged casually. "Yeah, yeah. Got it."
Then his lips curled into a grin that Jiraiya instantly recognized as trouble. "Just don't tell me you're going to a brothel or something to get your study material."
Jiraiya's foot slipped mid-step. He staggered forward, barely catching himself before faceplanting into the hallway floor.
"W–What kind of nonsense are you saying?!" He snapped, straightening up quickly. His face flushed as he shot Naruto a glare. "You shouldn't speak like that. You're just a kid... You don't know anything yet."
Naruto tilted his head innocently, hands behind his back. "Really? Then why do you look so guilty?"
Jiraiya's eye twitched. He stared at Naruto for a long second, clearly regretting several life choices. And one of them was agreeing to travel with this brat.
"Tch... This is exactly why you shouldn't spend too much time with your mother."
Naruto laughed. "Hey, that sharp tongue runs in the family."
Jiraiya turned away quickly, waving his hand dismissively. "Go to sleep."
And with that, he escaped, his steps hurried, almost suspiciously so, as if staying another second would only lead to more verbal damage.
Naruto watched him disappear down the hallway, then burst into laughter.
"Unbelievable," He muttered, shaking his head. "He runs faster from words than from enemies."
The room fell quiet after that.
Naruto walked toward the window and slid it open, letting the cool evening breeze wash over him. Outside, the town was peaceful, lanterns casting warm circles of light across the stone streets. People moved about leisurely, with some of them laughing, some tired, and others simply enjoying the calm of the evening.
His gaze drifted lazily until he spotted a familiar white mane below.
"…He's not even trying to hide it," Naruto murmured.
Down on the street, Jiraiya moved through the crowd with practiced ease, blending in despite his height and hair.
Naruto could practically imagine where he was heading next, and he sighed softly.
'Probably a bar,' He thought. 'Tease a few women, drink a little, listen to loose mouths talk.'
Despite all the teasing, Naruto understood clearly that it was Jiraiya's way. Beneath the ridiculous behavior was a sharp mind that never stopped working. Even while acting like a fool, Jiraiya was always gathering information.
Still, Naruto felt restless.
Sitting still had never been his strength.
He straightened, eyes narrowing slightly in thought, then formed a quick hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
A puff of smoke filled the room, and another Naruto appeared, stretching lazily. "So, what's the plan?"
Naruto smirked. "You stay here. If anyone knocks without the right pattern, scare them off."
The clone grinned. "With pleasure."
Naruto nodded, then performed another set of hand seals. His appearance shifted subtly as his hair darkened, posture adjusted, and features dulled just enough to look ordinary.
He then hopped onto the windowsill and glanced back at his clone. "If Jiraiya comes back early, don't snitch."
The clone laughed. "No promises."
Naruto snorted and jumped down into the street, landing lightly without drawing attention.
As he merged into the flow of people, the noise and warmth of the town wrapped around him.
His appearance had already changed, with his facial structure subtly matured, his features sharper, giving him the look of a young man in his late twenties.
Nothing about him stood out now.
He looked like just another traveler passing through town. He wore a simple robe, plain and unremarkable, blending perfectly with the people around him.
Naruto walked at an unhurried pace, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes quietly observing everything.
The town was alive with vendors shouting cheerfully from their stalls, the scent of grilled meat and freshly cooked food filling the air.
The lanterns flickered softly as dusk deepened, bathing the streets in warm orange light.
The children ran past him laughing, couples strolled side by side, and tired travelers looked relieved to have reached a place to rest for the night.
Naruto stopped at a stall and bought some skewered food, chewing slowly as he walked.
'This place isn't bad,' He thought.
He wandered through the streets for hours, occasionally stopping to buy snacks, sometimes simply standing aside and watching people pass.
As the sky darkened and the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the town seemed to relax, shedding the busyness of the day for the laid-back atmosphere of night.
Naruto exhaled softly. 'If things were different… maybe this kind of life wouldn't be so bad.'
As he passed in front of a bar, loud laughter suddenly spilled out into the street.
Naruto paused in his tracks as he recognized that voice. He turned his head slightly and glanced through the open entrance.
The moment he saw what was happening inside, his facial muscles twitched.
"…Of course," He muttered.
Inside the bar, Jiraiya was seated comfortably on a soft sofa, surrounded by two stunning women. One leaned close to his side while the other laughed at something he had just said.
Jiraiya's arms were casually wrapped around their waists, his posture loose, his expression exaggeratedly carefree.
He was laughing loudly.
Even from where Naruto stood, it was obvious.
'Acting drunk,' Naruto noted. 'Overdoing it, too.'
Jiraiya leaned back, head thrown slightly upward as he laughed like an idiot, his voice boisterous enough to draw attention. He flirted shamelessly, his words smooth but playful, carefully steering the conversation while pretending to be completely absorbed in the two women beside him.
Naruto watched for a moment longer, eyes narrowing slightly.
Despite the ridiculous act, he could see clearly the way Jiraiya listened, how his eyes sharpened briefly whenever certain topics came up, how he guided the conversation without seeming to.
Naruto thought. 'Tch...He really is working, even like this.'
One of the women said something that made Jiraiya laugh even harder, and Naruto shook his head, half-amused, half-exasperated.
"Unbelievable," He murmured.
Still, there was no real irritation in his expression, just familiarity.
Naruto turned away from the bar, the laughter fading behind him as he resumed walking toward the hotel. His pace was relaxed, his thoughts calm.
'At least he's doing his job,' Naruto admitted inwardly. 'In his own annoying way.'
The lantern-lit streets guided him back, the town now quieter as night settled in fully.
When the hotel finally came into view, Naruto let out a small breath; his earlier restlessness eased.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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