Ch 16. New Sensei

Just as the Third had promised, Izana was called to the office exactly a week after he had made this promise. Quick indeed.

Izana stood before the office and waited to be called inside. Something that would take a while, as was often the case, even now.

In the meantime, Izana was happily talking to Ryuujin.

"Who do you think my intructor will be? I don't think it will be Orochimaru. He told me last time by message he was a bit busy with his research so he wasn't able to do it. And he seemed so intent to get it his way."

[I think I know who it might be, but I'll let you continue guessing. I really enjoy hearing your assumptions and the reason behind it.]

Ryuujin said as he enjoyed hearing Izana talk. Because of the tailing of the ANBU, he wasn't able to spend as much time in the air, so he enjoyed speaking with Izana or just watching what he was doing. It was a delight for a bored old dragon.

"Then maybe Asuma or Kurenai. One of them can teach me more about my wind affinity, while Kurenai can teach some of the genjutsu I don't know. They have enough experience to teach me about the shinobi life as well." Izana said as he continued the guess work.

[Keep guessing, but I will tell you they aren't becoming your instructor.] Ryuujin replied, a bit amused.

"Then, what about that man called Might Guy? He is apparently very good in Taijutsu. Maybe he will be my instructor? I have a lot left to learn about Taijutsu."

[Just go inside if you want to know. You'll be called in any second now.] Ryuujin said as he snickered. He'd already felt that persons chakra signature and couldn't wait to see the shock on Izana's face. If Izana only tried to sense his surroundings, he would surely have known who it was by now.

Izana didn't know why Ryuujin was in such a mood to be a tease, but still waited for the Anbu to let him in. Izana didn't have to wait long as the door was opened and he was let in. Inside Izana saw the Third smoking his pipe behind his desk. The pile of paperwork had become bigger once more, taking up part of the desk. Scrolls that had been read were piled up on the side, as an aide was sorting them on different stacks. Sitting in the corner of the room Izana saw a figure that was hard to forget. How could he ever forget such an impressionable man? His first impression was long lasting.

"You? Really?" Izana said in full shock. Never did Izana imagine that this man would become his instructor.

"Hoh, I haven't seen you in a long time kid and this is how you greet me? How cruel of you. I even treated you to the hotsprings on our last trip." The man said with a fake despairing face on. The teasing tone in his voice was almost visible, a chuckle soon following after that.

"Don't joke with me Jiraiya-Sannin, you were the one who enjoyed the hotsprings the most. Ryuujin even explained to me why you like hotsprings so much. I can't say what is more degenerate, your peeping or your books." Izana said as a slightly disgusted looked was on his face. Behind his desk, the Third flinched slightly, though it was barely noticeable.

Jiraiya didn't take the comment to heart and just laughed it off. He was used to this kind of reaction by now.

"You've become more cheeky kid." Was all Jiraiya said as he nodded to himself. While he nodded, a slight perverse look appeared on his face as he seemed to remeber something.

"Jiraiya-Sannin, please stop daydreaming. I'm sure you like real ladies more than your imaginary girlfriends, not that you'd have any." Izana said as he popped Jiraiya out of his bubble.

Jiraiya coughed awkwardly, while the Third acted as if he didn't hear anything. He seemed to be used to Jiraiya's by antics. In the time they had been bickering, their words lashing back and forth, Hiruzen simply continued to read through documents, approving or rejecting them based on their contents. He didn't seem to be bothered by their chattering at all, as he completely muted the conversation.

"Well kid, what do you think? Isn't it a dream for me to be your teacher and instructor?" Jiraiya said as he was again full of himself.

Izana laughed, this time he was happy though. The conversation had fortunately gotten on track once more after the short deviation.

"I am indeed glad you are my instructor, Jiraiya-sannin, no, Jiraiya-sensei." Izana said, taking Jiraiya off guard as it was out of character for Izana to call him that so quickly.

"Ahem. Well, first we'll do some easy missions. After that you'll be going with me on my missions to learn more about everything that is happening outside the village and how to gather intel. It is one of our basic abilities. It is a must know, even for the inexperienced shinobi." Jiraiya said as he for once was serious.

"I see, and for how long will we be outside of the village?" Izana said as he was a bit worried for Naruto. He wasn't worried about Sasuke as he still had Itachi to look after him.

"At most three years. We'll come back after that and then you can hopefully take the Chuunin exam. You'll definitely pass it, as the Third already told me you were already Chuunin level by the time you took the Genin exam." Jiraiya said.

Izana smiled as he didn't intend to correct him. If he was honest, he would already be Jonin level by now, according to Ryuujin's standards. Ryuujin was a lot more strict with the level managements, so he could already be stronger than a Jonin if he was measured by the villages standards.

"Alright, then I'll notify my aunt and uncle. In the meantime Jiraiya sensei, I want to ask you a favor." Izana said as he looked at Jiraiya-sensei.

"A favor? What might you want to ask of me?" Jiraiya said as he was a bit taken aback by the sudden request. It was a first to be asked this straight to his face.

"You'll get something out of it too. I've a very special Hotspring ticket that allows mixed bathing, just outside of Konoha. If you could grant my favor, it will be all sensei's." Izana said as he took out the ticket from who knows where. The ticked seemed to shine in a golden light, waving temptingly in front of Jiraiya's eyes by an unknown source of wind in a closed-off room.

Jiraiya didn't wait to snatch the ticket from Izana's hand and replied, "Granted." as he was looking at the ticket with glee. A free ticket to get some new idea's and a real eye candies right for the picking.

"Great, then meet me outside in ten. I want you to go somewhere with me." Izana said. Jiraiya only responded with a nod as he was still staring at the ticket as if he could start drooling any second now.

Izana sighed as he could already image what they would also be doing in the time they were away from Konoha.

*

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Izana's favor wasn't something special, as he only let Jiraiya meet Naruto. Naruto looked at Jiraiya with a confused look but still greeted him. Jiraiya seemed a bit shaken up as he looked at Izana with complaining eyes.

Jiraiya hadn't planned to meet Naruto so soon, but was tricked by Izana in meeting his time. Jiraiya was still happy though, to see his godson in good health. Even more so when he heard Naruto speaking about a technique he someday wanted to make.

Before Jiraiya could get any strange ideas from Naruto, Izana dragged him outside with a selfblaming sigh. He should've known that Jiraiya would be interested in that. Who else but a pervert to get inspired by the ideas of a young child.

Izana had heard lately that Naruto had tried to buy magazines, some that shouldn't be looked at by kids as young as Naruto was, but he couldn't stop Naruto. It was his own right to want something, even more so when he had all the time in the world. This is what happens if you leave child care and education to the Third. A disaster.

Now Naruto's head was filled with ideas of how to make a certain technique, though he would only be able to develop it as soon as he started at the academy, which would be in two years.

"Really, birds of a feather flock together, was it? Jiraiya and Naruto seem to be cut from the same wood, though Naruto is a lot more naive and innocent than Jiraiya-sensei." Izana murmured as Jiraiya had already disappeared somewhere. Izana could already guess where though, as Jiraiya probably didn't want to waste his newly gained access into a mixed bathing hotspring.