Naruto and Hinata looked toward the spot Karin had pointed out. Sure enough, a middle-aged man with long white hair, a red top, and a huge scroll strapped to his waist was crouching outside the women's bathhouse, peeping at the women bathing inside.
Naruto recognized his mentor, Jiraiya, at a glance. He worked out the timing in his head; Jiraiya had indeed returned to Konoha around this time.
Naruto smiled at Hinata and Karin. "You two go home first. Leave him to me. I'll make sure this Pervy Sage remembers this lesson."
"Pervy Sage?" Karin asked in puzzlement. "Naruto, you know that dirty old peeper?"
Hinata thought for a moment. "Pervy Sage... Naruto, is he the mentor you told us about?"
Naruto gave a chilling smile. "That's right. It's him. Pervy Sage, Jiraiya-Lord Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, my respected mentor. Heh, heh. He came all the way back to Konoha without even looking up his student for a chat, and instead hid here to peep at girls bathing."
Hinata looked at Naruto worriedly. "Naruto-kun, you sound so resentful. Is there some misunderstanding between you and Lord Jiraiya?"
Naruto laughed coldly. "A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be between us? That damned pervy old man left whenever he pleased, without so much as a letter. So carefree, isn't he? He hasn't even handed over my parents' house to me yet. He ran off for seven whole years. With him living so freely, how could there possibly be any misunderstanding between us?"
Just thinking about that irresponsible teacher made Naruto's temper flare. *Damn you, Jiraiya. I'm going to make you pay, you bastard. You left me in Konoha to fend for myself for seven years before coming to see me. If I don't make you suffer for it, I'll write