The morning sun was already climbing toward its midday peak when Naruto and Jiraiya found themselves on the road again, the small town and its excellent ramen shop now several miles behind them. The path they traveled wound through forests that were beginning to show the first hints of summer greenery, the air warming with each passing hour but still carrying enough of spring's coolness to make walking pleasant rather than exhausting.
Naruto walked with his hands clasped behind his head in that characteristic pose that had become second nature over the years—a position that projected casual confidence even when his mind was churning with thoughts. He looked more relaxed than he had since leaving Konoha, the combination of yesterday's absurd comedy and last night's emotional conversation having loosened some of the crushing weight he'd been carrying. Not gone—the grief was still there, would probably always be there—but manageable in ways it hadn't been a week ago.
Jiraiya walked several paces ahead, his longer stride eating up distance with the efficiency of someone who'd spent decades traveling on foot. His white hair caught the sunlight, and despite his age, his movements carried the fluid grace of a shinobi who'd maintained peak physical conditioning through constant practice.
"We need to move quicker," Jiraiya called back without turning around, his pace increasing slightly. "We've slowed down too much, and I won't be there in time at this rate. It's really important that I arrive on schedule."
"Important?" Naruto's voice carried sudden suspicion, his mind immediately flashing back to yesterday's "important research" that had ended with bathhouse projectiles and soap-covered embarrassment.
The flush that crept up his neck was automatic and impossible to suppress. Yesterday's scene replayed in his mind with vivid clarity—the women in the hot springs, his own brief fascinated staring before moral outrage kicked in, the entire ridiculous situation that had been simultaneously mortifying and somehow exciting in ways he wasn't quite ready to examine.
Jiraiya glanced back, and his grin suggested he knew exactly what Naruto was thinking. "Hey kid, I think you really did enjoy being part of my research yesterday. That face you're making tells me everything I need to know about your true feelings."
"It's not like that!" Naruto's head whipped to the side, his face burning with embarrassment. "It's not really like that at all!"
His tone was defensive, his body language screaming guilt despite his protests. The blush intensified, spreading from his neck to his ears, and despite his best efforts to look offended, a smile kept trying to break through his attempts at stern disapproval.
"I didn't know that what you were seeing was... was..." He couldn't finish the sentence, too flustered by the memory and the implications of having participated, however briefly, in Jiraiya's perverted activities. The smile that was trying to emerge finally won, curving his lips upward without his conscious permission.
"Kid, you should stop denying the fact that you did peek too and enjoyed it," Jiraiya said with obvious amusement, stopping to face Naruto directly. "Why are you backing down now as if you didn't like what you saw? There's no shame in appreciating the human form—it's perfectly natural at your age!"
"I—what—that's not—" Naruto floundered backward a few steps, his hands making frantic waving gestures like he could physically dispel the accusation. "I wasn't enjoying it! I was just... curious! For educational purposes! Because I've never... I mean, it's not like I go around looking at..."
He trailed off under Jiraiya's knowing stare, realizing that his protests were only making things worse. They both stopped walking entirely, standing in the middle of the road while Naruto's face went through increasingly vibrant shades of red.
Finally, unable to maintain the denials under Jiraiya's unwavering gaze, Naruto pressed his index fingers together in front of him with the shy, embarrassed gesture of someone making a difficult admission.
"I did... like it... a tiny bit," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "But!" His voice rose immediately, defensive instinct kicking back in. "But I am not a pervert like you are! There's a difference between a tiny bit of accidental appreciation and being a full-time peeping tom who conducts 'research' for novels!"
Jiraiya's expression shifted to mock offense. "Oh, I see how it is. So you'll enjoy the fruits of my research but won't help with the actual work? Fine then. You can just wait in your room and do chakra exercises next time. Don't come with me. I thought you'd be a good assistant and help me write my books, but it seems you're not interested in contributing to great literature."
The threat of being left behind, of missing out on whatever absurd adventure Jiraiya would inevitably have, made something in Naruto's chest tighten with unexpected disappointment. He grumbled under his breath, kicking at a small rock on the path.
"Well... I could help you," he said reluctantly, trying to sound like he was doing Jiraiya a favor rather than admitting his own interest. "If you really need my help. I guess it wouldn't be terrible to assist with your... research. For the sake of your book. Not because I enjoyed it or anything."
"My boy," Jiraiya said with the solemn tone of someone imparting great wisdom, "this is nature doing its course. We're not doing anything wrong here. We're helping a lot of people live fuller, happier lives! Do you know how many shinobi throughout the world rely on my books for stress relief after difficult missions? How many lonely people find comfort and joy in my stories? We're performing a public service! Bringing happiness to the masses through carefully observed, authentically rendered romance!"
Naruto wanted to argue, wanted to point out the logical flaws in calling peeping at bathhouses "public service," but something in Jiraiya's absurdly earnest delivery made the objections die in his throat. Plus, if he was being completely honest with himself—which was difficult but necessary—he was curious about whatever Jiraiya had planned next.
The scene that unfolded several hours later would have made yesterday's incident look positively restrained by comparison.
They'd arrived at another town, larger than the previous one, built around what Jiraiya explained was one of the most famous natural hot springs in the entire region. "This place only opens for public bathing one day per year," Jiraiya had said with reverent enthusiasm as they'd checked into yet another inn. "Women from miles around come specifically for this annual opening. The mineral content is supposed to be incredibly beneficial for skin and health. It's a cultural event!"
"And you just happen to have timed our travels to arrive on exactly this day?" Naruto had asked skeptically.
"Coincidence!" Jiraiya had proclaimed unconvincingly. "Pure coincidence that my extensive research schedule aligned with this particular cultural phenomenon! Now come on, we need to secure a good observation position before the crowds arrive!"
Which is how Naruto found himself, barely past noon, standing atop another makeshift tower of stacked crates and boxes near a wooden wall that separated the inn's property from the hot springs area. The structure was more elaborate than yesterday's hasty construction, suggesting Jiraiya had done this before—possibly many times before.
On the other side of the wall, visible through conveniently placed knotholes and gaps, the hot springs were indeed filling with women of various ages, all enjoying the rare opportunity to bathe in these famous waters. The scene was even more active than yesterday's bathhouse, with dozens of people creating a lively, social atmosphere.
Jiraiya was to Naruto's right, already scribbling furiously in his notebook with one hand while peering through a gap with obvious fascination. "This is perfect research material! The way people interact in communal bathing settings, the social dynamics, the complete unselfconsciousness—it's all essential for authentic character development!"
To his left, Naruto found himself staring through his own viewing spot, his earlier protests about not being a pervert completely forgotten in the face of actual observation. His eyes were wide, his grin unconscious and growing wider with each passing second.
"Hehehe," he giggled, the sound slightly manic. "It really is good, Pervy Sage. I didn't get a clear look yesterday with all the chaos. This is much better!"
Jiraiya glanced over with obvious amusement. "Now you appreciate nature! You were grumbling yesterday and even this morning, but now it seems you're becoming a man of culture! Ha! I knew you had good taste beneath all that false modesty!"
"I'm just helping you out!" Naruto protested, though his gaze never left the hot springs and his grin remained firmly in place. "Not that I want to be a peeping tom or anything. I'm helping an old man with his work. It's practically a charitable act!"
His head remained lowered toward the wooden wall's edge, eyes locked on the scene beyond, even while he spoke. The contradiction between his words and his obvious fascination was comically apparent.
"It doesn't look like helping from where I'm standing, kid," Jiraiya said with obvious laughter in his voice. "You're enjoying this more than I am! Look at that grin! You're practically drooling!"
Naruto couldn't control his reaction—hearing the truth spoken so plainly made him fluster immediately, his cheeks burning even as his eyes remained fixed on the springs. "I am NOT a pervert like you are!" His voice rose louder than he'd intended, echoing slightly in the afternoon air. "You're the Pervy Sage! I... I'm just helping you with your stupid research because you're too old to do it yourself properly!"
"Why are you shouting?!" Jiraiya hissed urgently, genuine concern entering his voice. "Don't spoil my peace! If you don't like being here, just go back to the room and do chakra exercises! I have to be precise about my observations for the book—don't make loud noises or they might hear you!"
"Okay, okay, Pervy Sage," Naruto said, lowering his volume but maintaining his defensive tone. "I don't really like this anyway, but..."
Before he could finish the sentence, Jiraiya chimed in with perfect comedic timing: "Your face is saying something completely different from your mouth, kid. That grin isn't lying even if you are!"
It was true—Naruto's grin had stretched impossibly wide, his eyes gleaming with fascinated interest that completely contradicted his protests. He looked like someone experiencing joy they weren't quite ready to admit to feeling.
The women in the hot springs had been engaged in their own conversations, laughing and relaxing, but the murmuring voices from beyond the wall had finally registered. One woman looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing as she tried to locate the source of the sound.
"Do you hear that?" she asked her companions, lowering her voice. "Voices. Coming from over there."
"Probably just inn staff," another replied, but she was looking toward the wall with growing suspicion.
Then Naruto, in his flustered state, spoke even louder than before: "I SAID I'm not a pervert! Stop saying I'm enjoying this!"
The jig, as they say, was up.
"PEEPING TOMS!" The shriek carried across the hot springs with impressive volume. "THERE ARE MEN WATCHING US!"
What followed was chaos that made yesterday's incident look positively gentle. The women didn't just grab the nearest objects—they grabbed everything. Wooden buckets flew through the air with remarkable accuracy. Brushes followed, then rocks from the decorative landscaping, soaking wet towels that slapped against the wall with soggy impact, even wooden stools that had been near the springs' edge.
The barrage was relentless and terrifyingly well-aimed. Several projectiles found their marks—a bucket caught Naruto directly on his upper lip, another rock struck just above his right eye, and Jiraiya took a solid hit to his forehead and chin from what might have been multiple objects striking simultaneously.
"OW! Stop throwing things! We're leaving!" Naruto yelped, trying to dodge and losing his balance on the makeshift tower.
The structure, never particularly stable, began to wobble dangerously. Jiraiya, also dodging projectiles, shifted his weight at exactly the wrong moment. The tower of crates collapsed with spectacular timing, sending both of them tumbling to the ground in an undignified heap while objects continued raining down around them.
They lay there for a moment in the wreckage, both sporting rapidly swelling injuries. Naruto's lip was already puffing up, and the area above his right eye was beginning to show an impressive bruise. Jiraiya's forehead had a knot forming, and his chin looked like he'd been punched.
"This is your fault," Naruto said immediately, sitting up and pointing accusingly. "If you hadn't called attention to how much I was enjoying it, I wouldn't have gotten loud!"
"MY fault?!" Jiraiya's voice rose in indignation. "You're the one who started shouting about not being a pervert! If you'd just quietly enjoyed the research like a normal apprentice, we'd still be observing peacefully!"
"YOU told me to be quiet, which made me self-conscious, which made me defensive, which made me loud!" Naruto's logic was circular but delivered with absolute conviction.
"That makes no sense whatsoever!"
"It makes perfect sense! This is obviously your fault for being a bad influence!"
Their argument continued even as they gathered their belongings and beat a hasty retreat from the still-shouting women, only to be confronted at the inn's entrance by the owner—a large, muscular woman who looked like she could and would physically throw them out if necessary.
"OUT!" she bellowed, pointing toward the road. "I don't care if you're legendary shinobi or the Daimyo himself—we don't tolerate peeping perverts in this establishment! OUT! And don't come back!"
The late morning sun beat down on them as they trudged down the road, neither speaking for several minutes as their injuries throbbed and their pride nursed its wounds. They tried to get into other inns in the town but they all were already full, even the most smallest and rundown inn was full. The nearest town with lodging was apparently several hours away, and the temperature was dropping as wind picked up from the north.
"I'm cold," Naruto finally said, breaking the hostile silence.
"That's what you get for shouting and ruining perfectly good research," Jiraiya replied without turning around.
"That's what YOU get for being a pervert who drags innocent students into your schemes!" Naruto shot back.
They walked in sullen silence, Jiraiya in front and Naruto trailing about three meters behind, both nursing their injuries and their grievances. The bickering continued intermittently, neither willing to accept responsibility, both committed to blaming the other for their current predicament.
Then Naruto stopped walking entirely.
A small snake—perhaps twenty centimeters long, unremarkable except for its presence directly in the middle of the path—moving from the edgg of the road. It wasn't moving aggressively, just moved slowly as if its struggling to move away from the road.
"Oh, a baby snake," Naruto said, his irritation with Jiraiya temporarily forgotten in the face of a small creature that needed help. "It shouldn't be in the middle of the road. It'll get stepped on."
He moved forward, intending to gently pick it up and move it to the safety of the forest edge. His hand was already reaching down when Jiraiya suddenly moved with speed that seemed impossible for someone walking casually just moments before.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Jiraiya's hand grabbed Naruto's collar, yanking him backward with force that sent them both stumbling away from the snake.
"What—why—" Naruto sputtered, confused and slightly annoyed at being manhandled. "It's just a baby snake! I was going to help it!"
Jiraiya's expression had transformed from irritated travel companion to deadly serious shinobi in an instant. His eyes were fixed on the small snake with intensity that suggested threat assessment rather than casual observation.
"It seems you haven't forgotten how to make children fear you," Jiraiya said quietly, and it took Naruto several seconds to realize he was addressing the snake, not Naruto himself.
"Jiraiya-sensei, what are you doing? Why are you talking to a baby snake like it's a person?"
Before Jiraiya could answer, the snake's mouth opened. Wider than should have been physically possible for something so small. And from inside that impossible mouth, another snake emerged—larger than the first, perhaps a meter long, sliding out with movements that defied natural laws.
Naruto's eyes widened with shock. "Did that baby snake eat a bigger snake? How is that even—"
He didn't finish the question because the second snake's mouth was opening now, and from it emerged a third snake, even larger, easily two meters long and thick enough that Naruto took an involuntary step backward.
It kept happening. Fourth snake from the third. Fifth from the fourth. Sixth, seventh, eighth—each one larger than the last, each emergence more impossible than the previous, creating a grotesque chain of snakes that couldn't possibly have existed inside each other but clearly did.
Naruto stood frozen, his mind unable to process what his eyes were showing him. This wasn't natural. This wasn't normal. This was some kind of technique, some kind of jutsu that was both fascinating and horrifying.
By the fifteenth snake—massive now, easily eight meters long and thick as a tree trunk—Naruto had stopped counting and started simply staring with a mixture of terror and morbid fascination.
Then something that wasn't quite a snake emerged from the final serpent's mouth. A figure, humanoid but wrong in ways that made Naruto's instincts scream warnings. Pale skin that looked almost translucent in the afternoon light, black hair that fell past shoulders in a way that seemed deliberately styled despite the person having just emerged from inside a series of snakes, and most disturbingly—a tongue that extended from their mouth, longer than Naruto's entire arm, flickering in the air like a serpent tasting its surroundings.
The figure stood before them, the chain of snakes now collapsed and disappearing as if they'd never existed, leaving only this pale person whose very presence felt predatory and wrong.
Naruto stood completely still, his earlier bickering with Jiraiya forgotten, his injuries forgotten, everything forgotten except the impossible sight before him and the terrible certainty that whoever—whatever—had just appeared was dangerous in ways he couldn't begin to comprehend.
The pale figure's lips curved into a smile that showed too many teeth, and those disturbing eyes fixed on them with interest that felt distinctly predatory.
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