爆発！« explosion »

VI

Enter, the Pervert!

Jiraiya lay on the ground limply, his body smoking.

"Why in the world did you never come back to visit? Minato-kun was so worried about you, you old pervert!" Kushina yelled, a clenched fist slamming home into his face.

"Well, I had to tend to my spy network and I had no time-" Jiraiya started to explain.

"Couldn't you have visited even if just to meet your godchildren?" Kushina asked, anger flushing her cheeks red.

Jiraiya hung his head, "Sorry...."

Kushina proceeded to beat him to a pulp.

Minato used his Hiraishin to flash to the position he felt his sensei's chakra signature suddenly appear at.

"Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato questioned, his expression perplexed as he raised an eyebrow at the man who lay face-down on the ground with steam rolling off a large bruise on his head that was already swelling rapidly to the size of a large egg.

"Ah, Minato," Jiraiya said, finally noticing his apprentice.

The older man bounced to his feet, the bruises and scratches littering his tan skin vanishing without a trace as ruffled clothing turned crisp in a mere second.

"How have you been?" Jiraiya asked, his tone friendly and seeming unaffected by his previous predicament.

A vein began to pulse on Minato's temple, "How have I been, you ask? Absolutely wonderful, I'd say. I had such a great time looking all over the Five Great Shinobi Countries for you!" Minato replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun-" Jiraiya responded, seeming to not notice the tone his apprentice had used.

"Sensei!" Minato shouted, interrupting the older man. "You were gone for three years. Three whole years! Where in the world have you been?"

Jiraiya winced, "I have been managing my spy network and doing information-gathering, of course."

"Oh? Why do I not believe you? I heard from Kakashi that you had released ten books during the time you were gone. Are you sure that that is something beneficial to your network and for Konoha?" Minato said disbelievingly.

Jiraiya lowered his head, observing the grains of dirt on the ground as he wondered how he should tell Minato about it.

Jiraiya was quite excited. He had been called to the Great Toad Sage to receive a prophecy that could very well mean everything. Even though the old senile toad did not seem to even remember him, he had called for him. Once the Sage decided to be serious, he cleared his throat.

"Now then... in my dreams, I see you becoming a pervert without equal... and a shinobi of incredible talent... Someday, you will take on a pupil..." the huge toad began, causing Jiraiya to twitch uncomfortably.

'A pervert? Jeez... Did he really have to be so specific?' Jiraiya thought in disgruntlement.

"This student will become the harbinger of a great revolution in the world of shinobi... I have seen as much in my dreams," Gamamaru continued.

"A revolution?" Jiraiya echoed, his expression showing his confusion.

"He will finally bring peace to the world... or utterly destroy it. The result of his revolution will be one or the other..." the toad continued sagely, his words cryptic and only serving to confuse Jiraiya.