Disclaimer: not mine
Series: Naruto
Pairing: Jiraiya x Sakumo
Warnings: None, Pre-Naruto Timeline, Rough Draft
A/N: Breather from my other ficcies. Hope you guys don't mind. Jiraiya and Sakumo have been whining in my ear that they don't get much attention. I figure this will off-set the balance and please them.




"Hmm," Jiraiya looked over the bright eyed, blond headed boy that was standing patiently beside him; his eye critical, "You don't look like a prankster," the toad sannin concluded to himself, as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. An image of a young chick by his mother's side popped into his mind by the boy's harmless exterior, "What's your name?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Just yesterday, Jiraiya had been the victim of a prank, rendering him soaked like a drenched cat left out in the rain and with his pride mortally wounded by two punk assed brats that the Sandaime signed over to him. From revenge, most likely.

If Jiraiya could recall all the times he had given his former sensei a run for his money (by his antics and perverted nature), he'd run out of finger's to count on.

Sometimes, he wished he had cooled his heels down, when he was a tini-bot; instead of acting like a bad ass, just to rile the old man up and bring out his former sensei's ecchi side.

Namikaze Minato beamed up at his thoughtful new jounin instructor with his most impressional smile, "Namikaze Minato, sensei," he replied, holding his hands behind his back, while smiling up at the taller man. He smiled sheepishly when he shared his next bit of news, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck in nervousness, "Sensei, I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday. I was called away when the teacher gave us our gennin team, so I wasn't sure where to go to meet up afterwards, when I returned." he explained, hoping his sensei won't be angry at him for standing him up. It's not like he did it on purpose.

"Think nothing of it. Your teacher filled me in on for the reason. But it's funny,..." Jiraiya thought after a moment, "Your last name sounded familiar but when I saw you, I didn't even recognize that you are their son."

"Huh?" answered Arashi, lost. He unfolded his hands and brought them to his side, as he stood with a clueless expression on his face.

"You see, it's because, you've grown since the last time I visited your house," chuckled Jiraiya embarrassed. His face suddenly sombered and he whispered in a grave voice," I'm sorry about your father. How is your mother hanging up?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

But, Arashi fell silent. His smile turning to a sad frown. After a moment, he asked in a hesitatant voice, "You know my mother, sensei?" he asked. For the life of him, Arashi couldn't remember once meeting his sensei except for today.

"Of course I know her. Why would I say something like that, if it wan't true. Besides, I knew your mother and father before you were even in diapers," declared Jiraiya, breaking into a wide grin.

Young Arashi stared awed at his sensei, when he mentioned he knew his father, "You knew my father?" he asked. Even he didn't know much about his father, since his father was almost always out on duty while he was growing up. Except, that his father was looked up to by many respected shinobi and high government officials of neighboring villages.

Jiraiya's expression turned far away as he nodded in confirmation by his students question, "Yeah, I knew him," he reflected, a sadness setting on his face by the loss, "He was sure something else. He had a maelstrom of energy at his arsenal but he never used it against others to make an example from them or misuse it. He was even surprisingly kind-hearted for being a high-ranking shinobi. In the villiage, you're father was well respected. No one gave him any trouble or his friends," he chuckled softly in memory.

When the silence stretched on to long, with nothing more from the boy, Jiraiya redirected his attention back to his blond headed student, finally sensing the boys discomfort by his speech and was confused by it.

He cleared his throught. Being mushy wasn't his thing but the boy needed to hear this. Obviously, because his friend had been away on missions protecting the villiage and his family from harm, a father-son bond hadn't been well established.

Maybe this next tidbit his father shared with him will clear any misunderstandings up, he thought, hoping his young student will not hold any lingering negative feelings of what he thought about his dad's disappearance from his life, "You know, Arashi,..." Jiraiya started off, gaining his students attention again, "Your father loved you very much. You're all he talked about,...it's a shame really, that he never -"

Arashi jumped in anxiously before his sensei could finish, his cheeks burning bright red as he tried to shake the feeling that welled up in his chest, "Um," he interrupted, stumbling for something to say and remembered what his sensei asked earlier about his mother, "My mother's fine, sensei," relief flooded his face when his sensei stopped talking about his father and turned to him. A white brow quirked up by his speedy intervenance, "She's getting over a mild cold she caught, just after-" Arashi's eyes widened in pain when he was about to say, his father's funeral and stopped himself.

He tried to shake the bitter feelings and abandonment issues he held by the suddeness of it. Reminding himself that he had to appear strong and in control of his emotions.

At least, for his mothers sake.

Smiling wasn't so hard.

He could smile.

His mother loved when he smiled and laughed.

It took her, even a little, away from her loss.

Away from that empty nest of despair that settled in her heart by his fathers passing.

Arashi could smile.

Yes, he would smile, to wash that pain away.

"Uh, that's nice to hear," replied Jiraiya, a bit jumbled up. He'd thought his student would want to hear how much he had meant to his passing father but he supposed that was still a touchy subject for the kid. Since, Arashi just recently lost his father to the ongoing war.

So, he made sure to steer away from those unformidable memories and instead, talked about the reasons why he hasn't been around much to keep in communication, "I've been so busy with missions, I haven't had a chance to go out and socialize or talk to your mother. Even my research is on hiatus,..." he brought up by accident, not even realizing it.

He sighed wistfully.

But Jiraiya was interrupted of his revere when he felt a tug at his pant leg by a hand. He stared down at his blond haired student and eyed him with a, what-now, look.

"Research, sensei?" asked Arashi, "What kind of research?"

'Ah, crap...got the kiddo's curiosity by my thoughtless rambling but I can still act dumb,' he thought sneakily.

Hopefully, his young student won't want him to broaden on what he termed, "RESEARCH."

"Well now," clapped Jiraiya, enthusiasm in his voice, as he purposely ignored his student at his side, "How about we round up your two troublemaking teammates and get rolling. The Sandaime is expected us at the Hokage Tower, now that I think about it."

"You never answered my question, sensei."

'GAH?!! The chicks not giving up,' "Kid, why don't I tell you another time when you're older," he suggested. Bending down and prodding his arm with his elbow, as his face got that echhi look.

Arashi stared at his sensei, not relenting. Then, something glossy and rectangular caught his eye and he gasped. Understanding.

Jiraiya let out a laugh and patted the boy on the back with his hand, "Don't worry Arashi," he joked, unnerved by his student's see-through-you look, "you won't understand, even if I tell you. You're just too young," he dropped. Hoping the kid got the hint that it was a closed-subject.

But, he went on.

"So,..you're research is something only adults can witness."

"Er,.." Jiraiya sweatdropped comically, "something like that."

"Like naked girls and stuff." He tried not to flush. He wasn't that naive. He knew things.

Who is this kid, thought Jiraiya troubled. He's very perceptive. Just,..just like his father,.. "How did you?" he began to ask, dumbfounded, when his blond headed student dropped a silly smile in answer, "There's a photograph of a pretty naked girl peeking out of your shirt pocket, sensei." he said calmly and grinned secretly at the funny expression his sensei made by his discovery.

Jiraiya's jaw dropped to the ground in immediate shock. Quickly, he looked. As it was,..THERE WAS a photo snap of a pretty naked girl that he had not seen earlier. There was even a red arrow pointing at the unknown womens massive boobs dangling over, as she bent over in a suggestive position, to grab a towel to dry off. In bold black kana characters, there was an inscription. "You wish," with the initials, H.S. underneath.

Jiraiya's face and neck redded and he sat down indian-style, holding his head. So that's why Sakumo dropped by on him? he thought dismayed. His impression of a well-respected jounin thwarted by his unsuspecting friend, in front of his smiling student.

'I'll kill him,...'he thought, knowing now why Sakumo was smirking the entire time, while he had gazed non-stop through his spy-glass from within the bushes, while his friend sat quietly, leaning against him. Chuckling, every now and then.

"Sensei, did I upset you," asked his new student, innocently.

Oh Sakumo, I am so going to get you for this and in front of this young chick, no less,' "No,no, you didn't upset me, Arashi.. Just,..I need to make a pit stop while you three go to the Hokage Tower to report for your mission," he said, voice hardening to steel as he narrowed his eyes, in seriousness.

He tucked the photograph away in his book and swore that he was going to get Sakumo back for doing this to him. Whether it brought him to an inch of his life, or with the last man standing.

"Then, what should I say to the Sandaime for the reason of you're absence, sensei?"

Jiraiya blinked and looked up at his troubled student from his seated position, "Just tell him, I'm going to take care of an annoying perpetrator that's long overdue of a harsh beating."

"Huh, sensei!" asked his new blond haired student in alarm, crystal blue eyes widening.

"Er,..no," apologized Jiraiya, calming himself, "just tell him, I need to take care of some business with an old friend I haven't seen for quite a while and that I'll try not to be long."

"A friend, sensei?" asked Uzumaki Arashi, his curiousity getting the better of him.

"Yeah,...just say that, 'kay, Arashi," instructed Jiraiya, standing up and dropping his hand in his students blond locks, in a sort of confirmation signal for him to comply with him.

"Hai sir, sensei," saluted his young student. A serious look on his face now, by the order entrusted to him.

"Scratch the sir. A chick like you saying that to me, makes me feel older than I am," chuckled Jiraiya, voice ill-humored.

Arashi eyes widened slightly by the slight irritation in his sensei's voice but nodded. He promise not to say sir again because it upset his sensei. Before he set off, Arashi saluted again to his sensei.

Running, he called his two teammates over to him and explained to them what their sensei wanted from them.

They went along without any problems and Jiraiya looked as the three boys ran off in the Hokage Tower's general direction.

His eyes narrowed in thoughtfulness by this change of events, 'This Arashi boy, seems like a natural-born leader,' he thought silently to himself, observing as the two boys that gave him such a hard time, followed his blond haired student without much complaint.

'Must be because of the innocence,' he thought. Marking that off as the reason.

Grinning, he turned in the other direction and headed for his old pals house. His pace swift.

'If Sakumo wanted to pick a bone with him because of what happened last time,... well naturally, he wasn't the type to disappoint a friend, ' and with that thought in mind, Jiraiya set off to reimburst payback.