Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on Naruto's door. It wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to hear.
"Who is it?"
Naruto rubbed his bleary eyes and sat up in bed in his light blue pajamas and nightcap, calling toward the door.
Who would come looking for him at this hour? Hadn't everyone agreed to take these two days off? Even if they visited one another, it would be in the afternoon.
A sleepyhead's delight.
Naruto walked to the door, opened it a crack, and squinted outside. A white-haired middle-aged man came into view.
"Yo, good morning, Naruto."
Jiraiya smiled kindly at the slightly dazed, endearing Naruto and greeted him.
"Huh? Who are you?"
Naruto rubbed his eyes again. Once his vision cleared, he looked Jiraiya over carefully.
A red jacket, green clothes underneath, and chain mail beneath those. Long white hair, and two red markings beneath his eyes.
He looked a little familiar.
Naruto felt he must have seen this man somewhere before. Hmm, where had it been?
"Master Jiraiya?"
Minato's voice rang out in Naruto's mind, surprise mingled with delight. He hadn't expected Master Jiraiya to have returned. No, it seemed natural enough, since Orochimaru had come to Konoha.
"He's my teacher. I told you about him. If not for Master Jiraiya's guidance back then, I wouldn't have reached where I am today."
A trace of nostalgia flashed through Minato's eyes. He held no resentment whatsoever over Master Jiraiya being away during the Nine-Tails' Attack.
After all, Master Jiraiya had trusted him enough to pursue Orochimaru elsewhere without any worries. It was just that he himself had been careless.
"You're... Grandpa Jiraiya?"
Naruto thought for a moment, then came up with what seemed to be the right generational title.
"No, wait. I call Grandpa Third 'Grandpa,' so should