On the coast of the Land of Tea, the ocean tide washed over the golden sands again and again. The scenery was idyllic. A gentle sea breeze drifted in from the ocean, rustling through the jungle that bordered the shore. From within the trees, the rustle of movement could be heard from time to time.
A plump, snow-white rabbit crouched in a patch of grass, warily eyeing a vibrant orange carrot just ahead. It had been staring at the delicious-looking carrot for a long time, but it suppressed the urge to immediately dash out and gobble it up.
From its experience—which had allowed it to survive this long—it knew there had to be a trap. So, it remained hidden in the grass, observing its surroundings.
An unknown amount of time passed. The carrot lay there, perfectly still. The gurgling sound from the rabbit's stomach began to erode its reason, and its already red eyes seemed to turn a shade redder.
Finally, hunger won out over logic. The chubby rabbit could bear it no longer. With a swoosh, it shot toward the carrot. If it could just snatch it and get to a safe place, it could slowly savor this juicy-looking orange prize.
Closer, and closer still. After a frantic, non-stop dash, it finally reached the carrot. It opened its mouth wide, ready to bite down, when it suddenly felt an immense force clamp down on its body. It was lifted into the air and...
"Alright!!! Lunch is sorted! Yes! Pervy Sage!"
A blond, blue-eyed boy held up the plump rabbit, cheering toward a spot in the jungle.
"Hey, now, Naruto, isn't that rabbit a little too small?" Jiraiya stroked his chin, looking at the rabbit in Naruto's hands with a pained expression. "You worked for half the day and only caught one that tiny? Hmm?"
"Hmph, what do you mean?" Naruto pouted, annoyed. "It's all your fault for losing your wallet chasing after all those pretty ladies! Otherwise, why would I be stuck out here hunting rabbits... hmph..."
"Hahaha..." Jiraiya laughed awkwardly. "Don't put it like that. This is a form of training, too! It's great for practicing your stealth skills."
"Hmph... just excuses." Naruto wasn't listening to Jiraiya's explanation. He crossed his arms and turned his head away. "I'm not sharing this rabbit with you. If you want some, go catch your own!"
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm the one in charge of your training, you know. Don't be so stingy," Jiraiya said, slinging an arm around Naruto with a grin.
"I-refuse!" Naruto shrugged him off. "What do you mean, 'in charge of my training'? All you ever do is chase pretty ladies or go drinking! You don't even follow a single one of the Three Ninja Prohibitions you're always talking about!"
"Is that so." Jiraiya stood up straight, closed his eyes, and nodded with a serious expression. "Actually, I was planning on teaching you a new jutsu, but it looks like we still need to sort out our food situation. I guess we'll just have to postpone it! Ah, well..."
After his solemn declaration, Jiraiya shook his head with feigned regret and turned to head back into the jungle. He had barely taken a step before Naruto had already zipped around in front of him.
Naruto held out the plump rabbit, a fawning smile on his face. "Hey, hey, Pervy Sage, are you serious? Uh... you can have this rabbit. I'll go catch another one!"
"Ahem, well." Jiraiya cleared his throat, his expression calm. "Since you insist, I suppose I can reluctantly accept."
As he finished, Jiraiya couldn't help but let out a laugh. Naruto really was too easy to fool.
The sea breeze rustled through the jungle bordering the beach. In a clearing, two rabbits, glistening with fat, were roasting on sticks over a campfire. As the wind blew past, it carried the tantalizing aroma with it.
"So, c'mon, Pervy Sage, what kind of jutsu are you gonna teach me?" Naruto asked impatiently, tearing into a piece of roasted rabbit.
"Mmph, well, it's a really amazing one," Jiraiya mumbled, his mouth full of rabbit meat.
"Really?" Naruto looked at Jiraiya's shifty eyes and suddenly felt a pang of doubt.
"Really, really." Jiraiya took another two bites of rabbit and nodded eagerly, though he didn't look very convincing.
"You better not be lying! If you trick me, I'm never talking to you again!" Naruto threatened, shaking his fist.
His threat clearly had no effect. Just as Jiraiya was about to tease him, a long, piercing cry of a hawk echoed from the sky.
Hearing the cry, Jiraiya's playful expression vanished, replaced instantly by a serious one. He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.
"Hm?" Naruto looked at Jiraiya's sudden change in demeanor, confused. "What is it, Pervy Sage? What's up there?" He also looked up at the sky.
"That's..." Naruto said, surprised. "That's the village's symbol."
A Konoha forehead protector was tied to the hawk. It was clearly a messenger hawk trained by the village. The bird circled in the sky for a moment before descending toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya extended his left arm, and the hawk landed on it with a flutter of wings. He set down his roasted rabbit and reached out to retrieve the small, cylindrical tube containing a letter from the hawk's leg.
"Pervy Sage, did something happen in the village?" Naruto asked, watching Jiraiya's solemn expression as he read the letter.
Jiraiya didn't answer, but a deep sadness filled his eyes. He then tossed the letter into the campfire, where it was consumed by the flames and turned to ash in an instant.
"Hey, hey, hey, Pervy Sage, what happened?" Naruto couldn't help but ask again, seeing him burn the letter.
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto and closed his eyes. After a long silence, he opened them, stood up, and said in a low voice, "Change of plans. We're heading back to the village. Immediately."
"Back... back to the village?" Naruto was stunned. He then demanded loudly, "Hey! You promised you were going to teach me a new jutsu and train me! Why are we suddenly going back?"
Jiraiya looked at Naruto, his expression full of sorrow. "Because the Third Hokage... has passed away."
"Wh-what..." Naruto froze, asking blankly, "What... what are you talking about..."
"The Third Hokage's old injuries relapsed. He died suddenly in the village," Jiraiya said, his voice heavy. "Let's go back."
In her letter, Tsunade hadn't ordered Jiraiya to return; she had simply informed him of the news. As the Third Hokage's students, she had no reason to hide this from Jiraiya, and it wasn't as if he was on a top-secret mission.
Jiraiya had taken Naruto out of the village for two reasons: one, to train him and keep his whereabouts hidden from the Akatsuki, and two, to secretly investigate the Akatsuki himself. Although the mission seemed clandestine, it was practically an open secret by now.
Even if the Akatsuki knew Jiraiya had taken Naruto out of the village to hide him, it was of little use. In a world where communication relied on shouting and travel relied on one's own two feet, it was easy to disappear. Knowing their plan was one thing; finding them was another entirely.
It was for this reason that Tsunade had sent the message, but she hadn't told him to come back. The choice was Jiraiya's to make.
Jiraiya's silence just now had been him weighing that very choice. Compared to Tsunade and Orochimaru, Jiraiya was a late bloomer. The Third Hokage had been like a second father to him. He didn't have Tsunade's prestigious bloodline or Orochimaru's genius, so his master's guidance had been especially crucial.
And Jiraiya had not disappointed the Third Hokage. While Tsunade and Orochimaru had developed their own unique ninjutsu, only Jiraiya had completely followed the path of his master, the path of a traditional-style ninja.
He used the five basic nature transformations, following the standard, orthodox path of a ninja in every way. But it was precisely because of this that Jiraiya's bond with the Third Hokage was even deeper than Tsunade's or Orochimaru's. For a traditional-style ninja, without a good teacher, one's potential was severely limited.
And Hiruzen Sarutobi was not only a master of the traditional style, but also an exceptional teacher. He had guided Jiraiya, whose natural talent was less than that of Tsunade and Orochimaru, to achievements that were no less than theirs.
And so, the death of his beloved master was something Jiraiya could not possibly ignore. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to abandon their original plans and take Naruto back to the village.