"Ne, Jiraiya?"

"Hm?"

"Why don't we ever visit Konoha?"

"…There is no reason to, and I have a life outside of Konoha. A spy network to oversee, novels to write, adventures to go on…and…the women in Konoha are the same old, same old. Scary but not exotic…Unlike other areas of the world, Konoha has only one woman worth peeping on...Nope, nevermind. Konoha doesn't have any."

-4 months later-

They traveled from village to town, town to city, city to countries. The Water Country, the Lightning Country, the Fire Country, the Earth Country, and then back again. At one point they even snuck past the Sound Village.

Jiraiya was a parent and a mentor to her, and also a partner-in-crime. Karin quite liked Jiraiya.

Tonight they were camping on the outskirts of the Rain Village, several kilometers from the actual rain.

"Grandpa," Karin called, as Jiraiya resembled the old homeless man who shared the streets back in the Kusa village. She had a little bookbag over her back as she held the straps at her shoulders, and walked in sandals and a red, mini-Toad Sage outfit. "We've been traveling for weeks. Where are we going?"

Jiraiya's eyes rose from the map of the Elemental Nations on his hands and gazed towards Karin walking by his side, less than half his height. She looked…to be the age Naruto is supposed to be by now. She looked 8…Naruto must be 8 years old.

Naruto might potentially resemble Minato a little bit, but Karin was Kushina incarnated, no doubt about it.

He sighed with a tinge of sad nostalgia at his failure to save the both of them, and rolled up his map, his other hand landing on Karin's hair and ruffling it into a mess of red.

"Oi!" Karin yelped indignantly.

"Uzumaki-chan," Jiraiya began, letting out another sigh, "We're not going to a certain place." He crouched down, to eye-level with her. Placing his hand around her shoulder, and another finger under her chin, he directed her gaze forwards where the sun could be seen rising over the barren, clear grassy lands. There was not a soul or human construct in sight, but beyond the horizon was a slight glow from the rising sun over the soft green grass and it seemed like paradise was just beyond their reach.

"Can you really pinpoint that beauty?" Jiraiya's hand waved in a slow swiping motion from the left side of her view across to the right side, tracing the horizon. The skies glistened and the wind blow gently at their faces and clothes, giving off a comfortable pine scent.

Once you learn to enjoy nature, you might have the potential to become a Sage. Jiraiya unconsciously thought, but that thought process was at the back of his mind, for he was actually trying to teach Karin what they were doing.

Karin shook her head rapidly. "So we're not going anywhere specific, we're just going to scary-as-hell places, sneaking into top secret facilities, risking our lives, stealing from the strongest shinobi—we're doing all this scary stuff just to have adventures together?!"

"Yup, you said it best-" Jiraiya answered nonchalantly before noticing the angry look on Karin's face. He dropped his hand. "Oh come on, it's fun!"

"And dangerous."

He put his hand on her shoulder and looked her directly in her eyes. "You backing out?"

"No." Karin stated instantly.

"Even though you know you could die any moment by staying by my side…" Jiraiya goaded.

"Yeah, as if our adventures didn't show that to my face," Karin muttered sardonically, remembering the time she was surrounded by at least twenty ninjas trying to kill her because Jiraiya screwed up on one of their "adventures"- and he was no where to be found because he was away dealing with the strongest S-rank leader of the group. Because they kept getting into dangerous situations like that, Jiraiya actually had to train her how to fight. "Wait! You can't be traveling everywhere just for the sake of adventures! That makes no sense! Don't try to make me believe that! Tell me the truth!"

Jiraiya noticed how quickly she changed the subject. He sighed again. "Very well, I might as well tell you the real reason behind what I do, why we're always risking our lives entering dangerous territory and back out, why we have so many friends to talk about codes with…The purpose is for my spy network." Jiraiya trailed off thoughtfully quiet.

"A spy network?" Karin prompted. "What for?"

"Well, it's to protect Konoha of course."

"Why would you wanna protect a place you never visit?" Karin asked. "Do you have family livin' there?"

Jiraiya immediately thought of Tsunade- drunk and wandering the world the same way he was. Probably crossing the very paths he had crossed, probably having walked the trails he was only beginning.

He thought of Orochimaru next- but he didn't want to think about Orochimaru so he repressed the memory.

He thought of his Sandaime Sensei- a weary old man tired of life but hid it well behind a grandfatherly smile.

And then thoughts about Minato, Kushina…They were dead. There was no one to protect in Konoha and even if there was…

He was simply avoiding the village. The spy network was an excuse, but he fully lived up to that excuse. Because he didn't want to admit it was a mere excuse, he excelled in what he did, put all his effort into it…Becoming the greatest infiltration spy master in the world.

He looked back at Karin, because he was so busy reminiscing he forgot what she asked. "What was that? I didn't hear you."

Bad idea.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU AVOIDING KONOHA YOU MORONNNNN?!" Karin screamed into his eyes that Jiraiya could feel his eardrums burst.

"OWCH!" Jiraiya's hands slammed into his ears. "Oh god Karin! Those lungs are louder than Kushina's!"

"Kushina?"

"My dead student's wife who's also dead."

"Oh."

The rambunctious mood turned morbid.

"I'm sorry." Karin murmured.

"For what?"

"For asking about Konoha and making you get those memories back…when what you're doing is trying to forget about it all…"

Jiraiya looked at her then. A clenching feeling inside his chest.

Even if she didn't bug him about it, just looking at her brought back those memories regardless.

Because Jiraiya fought in the 3rd shinobi war, and it was during that time that the Uzushiogakure's Uzumaki clan was attacked and scattered across the globe, most died and some were made exiles.

He was personally responsible for that- his Intel didn't say word about the Uzumaki's peril, and then by the time he found out Uzumaki were about to get slaughtered, he didn't say it to the Hokage because they couldn't afford to send help when they themselves were being attacked on all sides. If he were stronger he could have saved them. He made so many orphans- like Kushina- like Nagato….Nagato….was the reason he took on the Ame orphans. Even though Yahiko was the one who asked, was the assertive one who had Jiraiya train them in the ninja ways….Nagato the quiet redhead was the deciding factor for him to teach them. Later on Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan died, he wasn't sure how they died but with no evidence of them for over decade from his top spy network- he was 99.9999% sure they were dead.

And now…he was taking on a second Uzumaki orphan…a girl who resembled Nagato...Kushina…Minato…

She was feeling guilty about bugging him about Konoha? Hah…She had no idea…

You're a constant reminder of my failure…of a lifetime.