166. Would you be my Friend? Part-2

Hmm…

Izuna senses some changes in Naruto's chakra signature from his Fuinjutsu seal.

'Looks like those ninjas captured Naruto. This will be a trial for Naruto. I want to see how far he can go without my help?'

Izuna shakes his head and turns his attention to the white-haired man.

Snap…

"Yo… Jiraiya-san… nice to meet you here after such a long time."

Jiraiya is hugging two beautiful young girls in his arms.

"What a beautiful sight? I guess Tsunade would be pleased to see this picture?"

Izuna swings the camera and grins at Jiraiya.

"No… don't. Don't show that picture to Tsunade. Give it to me."

Jiraiya jumps from his place and appears in front of Izuna as he tries to snatch the camera.

"Now… now… Jiraiya-san… let Tsunade see your research. I am sure she won't be mad."

Izuna has a devilish smile on his face.

'Fuck… this kid… he is a devil spawn.'

Jiraiya curses Izuna as he clears his throat.

"Research… yes… yes… it is for research. You see… I am searching for new ideas for the new Icha Icha series. I have named it Icha Icha Violence.

It would be one of my legendary book that depicts the bond between a man and a woman in a stirring manner."

Jiraiya adopts the expression of a sage as he flays his hands around to assume a cool pose.

"Hai… hai…"

Izuna claps his hands with a bored expression.

"Stop T-posing and listen to me."

Humph…

Jiraiya scowls at him.

"Icha Icha series is for every man of culture out there. Your average joe can't understand the deep intricacies depicted in the immersive plot of the story."

Jiraiya starts to brag about his Icha Icha series. How it is the most sold book out in the market? How he sold all of its copies on day one?

"Stop… someone kidnapped Naruto and we need to save him."

Izuna reveals the news of Naruto's kidnapping to Jiraiya.

"Icha Icha is… wait… what?… Naruto is kidnapped…. Who kidnapped him… where is he?" Jiraiya ends his monologue as his expression turns serious.

"How could Naruto get kidnapped under your watchful eyes? If it was someone else, I could have believed it… but you… I don't believe it to be true."

Anxiety appears on Jiraiya's face.

'Hoh! So he cares about Naruto… despite not even once showing his face in the village after so many goddamn years of Minato and Kushina's 'death'. If only he could stop pursuing Orochimaru for all these years.'

Izuna clears his thoughts.

'Though… him being out there has its own merits. If not for his spy network… Konoha would have suffered multiple losses.'

"Ahem… Naruto is alright. Yes, he got kidnapped… but I allowed it to happen. It would serve as training for him. Also, I think it might have some relation to the group of people you are pursuing this time around."

Hmm…

Jiraiya nods his head.

"I won't forgive you, if anything happens to Naruto."

Jiraiya calms down as he walks back to his seat and chugs down a cup of sake.

"So, what's this about? What's the relation between Naruto's kidnapping and my investigation?"

Izuna walks up to the bartender.

"Give me a glass of Orange juice."

He places his order and turns to Jiraiya.

"You have been pursuing Orochimaru for a while now. It has been six years since that snake deserted the village. You are still hung up on this hope."

Izuna chides Jiraiya.

"You won't understand. Orochimaru is my teammate. We grew up together… had much life and death encounters… survived two shinobi wars… such bond can't be broken so easily."

Jiraiya shakes his head as he reminisces his past.

"Anyway… I would like to hear the details on your end."

He turns to Izuna.

"I suppose you must have heard the recent rumor of a new hidden village appearing in the Land of Sound. This new hidden village called Otogakure has been formed recently and is continuously recruiting various rogue shinobis from everywhere."

Izuna stops as he looks at Jiraiya's expression.

Jiraiya frowns as he murmurs.

"Orochimaru… I lost his tracks near the Land of Sound. I don't know what he is up to… but it is my duty to stop him."

Tap… Tap…

Izuna raps his fingers on the table to get Jiraiya's attention.

"So, there is a sudden influx of rogue shinobis towards the Land of Sound. Various rogue ninjas from surrounding villages are trying to join Otogakure for benefits. The Land of Waterfall being one such place."

Izuna explains the details to Jiraiya.

"You mean… this is the reason for your presence in Land of Waterfall."

"Yes…"

Izuna nods his head.

"Konoha received a request from the village head of Takigakure to investigate the recent scuffles at the border. There has been a large influx in the kidnapping of children and civilians at the border."

Hmm…

"Looks like my findings coincide with your mission. This may very well lead me to some fresh trails of Orochimaru. Needless to say, you Uchiha fellows are a bunch of monsters. First, it was you and now even Itachi Uchiha is capable of such feats.

He forced the Orochimaru to flee with his tail tucked between his legs."

Jiraiya heaves a deep sigh.

"So… what's the next step of your plan?"

"We do nothing… I believe Naruto would be able to get out of there on his own."

Izuna calmly picks up his Orange juice and takes a sip from it.

"The oranges of Land of Waterfall are really up to my liking."

"…"

Jiraiya silently stares at Izuna.

'I wonder… how the brain of this kid functions. I bet he has more than one screw loose right there.'

-----------------

Augh…

Naruto slowly opens his eyes as he struggles to take a breath.

Ptui…

He spits the rag gagged in his mouth and cautiously looks around.

"Where am I?… those ninjas, where are they? Did I got kidnapped?"

Naruto warily inspects his surroundings.

"Oh, you are awake."

A cheerful voice falls in his ears.

Huh…

Naruto turns around and notices Fu tied up in a similar manner to him.

"It's you. They kidnapped you too."

Naruto questions her.

Rattle… Rattle…

Naruto struggles to remove the chains tied around his arms and legs.

"Why those people are so mean to Fu? Fu wants to be their friend… but they drugged Fu and tied her."

Fu complains as she tried to break free from her bindings.

"…"

Naruto stares at the girl.

'What's up with this girl? Why do I feel like it would be a pain to stick around here?'

Naruto shakes his head to clear such thoughts.

'I have to somehow get out of here and inform Izuna Nii-san.'

Naruto futilely struggles to break free from the chains. After a few attempts, he gives up and turns to Fu.

"Hey, you… how were you able to stay awake despite that poison?" Naruto questions her.

"Fu will tell you everything… if you promise to be Fu's friend. Fu has no friend in the village." Fu stares at Naruto with shining eyes.

"Ugh! Fine…" Naruto hesitates for a while before giving up.

"Yay! Fu has finally made a friend. So, Fu will tell you everything. You know Fu is a special child. Fu has a special chakra sealed inside her. It was because of this chakra that Fu is immune to most poisons." Fu has a smug smile on her face as she boasts of her abilities.

"…"

'Man… now I really want to get out of here.'

Naruto wiggles his body as he tries to reach his ankles.

'Those people took all of my stuff away. They didn't even spare poor Gama-chan. Luckily, they didn't take away my slippers.'

Naruto grasps his slippers with his mouth as he pulls out a small hidden wire from the slipper.

"Izuna nii-san's lessons are coming in handy."

Naruto clenches the wire between his teeth and infuses some chakra into the wire.

"What a pain?… I can barely scrape up a little amount of chakra. Izuna Nii-san's seals are really strong… when I would be able to become like him."

For the entire next hour, Naruto struggles with the chakra wire as he lock picks his chains.

"Fwaah… Finally… I am free from my restraints."

Naruto stretches his arms and legs open.

"Can you free Fu too? You are Fu's friend, right?"

Fu weakly asks Naruto for help.

---------------

"Oh! Here he is."

Izuna notices a man dressed in a yellow kimono jacket and light gray pants jumping from one rooftop to another.

"He is…"

Jiraiya frowns as he notices the Land of Waterfall headband tied around the man's arm.

"Well… he is our client for this mission."

Izuna walks out of the bar as Jiraiya follows him.