Early that morning, Jiraiya sat cross-legged atop a shipping container, unusually quiet. He toyed with an unremarkable iron nail, his gaze sharp, without saying a word.
He had spent about a week getting along with Yahiko and the other two children. By now, he had a good grasp of their personalities and felt he could teach them a few ways to protect themselves.
Over the past few days, Jiraiya had used shadow clones to largely map out the duty hours and shift changes at Hanzo of the Salamander's laboratory. His plan to stir up a disturbance and then strike the laboratory was drawing ever closer.
If possible, he still hoped these children would survive. Better yet, he could take them back to Konoha.
But... would they be willing to come with me?
Though resources were scarce in the Land of Rain, this was their home, after all.
Jiraiya pondered this, his gaze resting on the children who were still asleep.
The orange-haired brat stirred and rolled over. Finding the space beside him empty, he suddenly jolted awake and called softly, "...Big Guy?"
Still groggy from just waking up, Yahiko sat up and felt the cold bedding pieced together from scraps of cloth. His brows knitted tightly. "Did he leave?"
Thunk.
Jiraiya lightly flicked the iron nail in his hand. The rusty nail sank straight into the wooden frame of the shipping container beneath him with a dull sound.
Yahiko looked up toward the sound and saw Jiraiya with half his face hidden in shadow. Startled, he clenched the cloth between his fingertips, instantly tense.
The unease he had felt all along seemed to have been justified. The man before him was definitely no ordinary person.
What does he want? What will he do? Will he hurt us?
Yahiko pressed his