Uzumaki

Tiling

"Morning, Naruto."

"Yo, Kakashi-sensei. Something up?"

"Well, the last time I checked-"

"Don't even say the sky. Man, you are so unfunny."

"You and Satsuki are too similar sometimes, you know."

"Hey. Don't say that."

--

Jiraiya knocked. A rattle, a squeak, and then the strange tatata footsteps of wooden clogs echoed.

"Naruto?"

Naruto jumped up. The chair knocked back with a screech, tilting on its back legs and hitting the floor with a thump. Naruto peered down the hall, fingers crooked and pressed to the tabletop.

"Ero-sennin! Sorry, I didn't realise-"

'-that I left the door unlocked-'

"-that you knocked!"

Jiraiya grumbled and stepped in. His frame dwarfed the cramped corners of Naruto's apartment, and his vibrant clothing muted the colour of his walls.

"It's fine," he said. "Could I have a word? Or a little more than that."

The sage was already setting up to do just that, letting down the heavy scroll from his back and setting out his utensils; Naruto held his tongue.

"Sure." He rubbed the back of his head. "You seem kinda serious, Ero-sennin."

"Don't call me that," Jiraiya rested his large scroll against the wall and placed a pot of ink on the table, along with a brush. He began unscrewing the lid.

Naruto frowned, and leaned on the edge of his table, eyes pinned to Jiraiya. He looked to his walls, with dusty posters and shelves. The leaves of his plants shuffled in the breeze.

Jiraiya lifted the pot to the light and swilled it. "You remember the trip we were going to make? To find Tsunade-hime?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Until she got brought back with a bribe, or something."

Jiraiya nodded. "I carried on, but you returned home."

"Okay..."

Naruto pressed for the key of the argument, but Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He folded his arms, tapping his fingers on his right bicep, and sighed.

"You remember what happened in the Chuunin exams?"

Naruto opened his mouth.

"The third exam," Jiraiya said again, his voice low.

Naruto shrunk back. He picked up something from the table, and fumbled it through his fingers. Jiraiya noted the brightness of his laughter and the shine of his smile; it provided a sharp contrast to his despondent gaze.

"I need to see that seal."

Naruto's gut tingled. It was a sweet and painful pin needle caress from the centre of his seal to the small of his back. He shivered. Naruto pulled off his shirt, and Jiraiya knelt down to peer at the seal.

Fidgeting, Naruto looked over his right shoulder to the window. "I'm still not sure what that has to do with that lady you were looking for, y'know."

Jiraiya didn't turn from the seal. He stared at it as though it would flee if he looked away.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Naruto," he said. "After that show in the exam, the villagers became... worried."

He twisted the lid of the bottle, avoiding Naruto's gaze, and dipped a small brush into the ink. He touched it to Naruto's skin: it was cold, but dried fast.