Author's note: I don't own Naruto or its characters.

Toads and Princes

Jiraiya sighed and decided to wait on the task of dragging his student away from his ramen and Hinata Hyuuga. The girl had actually gotten up the courage to personally hand Naruto the chocolates she had made for him, and they really were rather sweet together. Naruto was still oblivious about how much the girl liked him, but at least he seemed to realize why she kept hanging around him now. It was Valentine's Day, and romance was in the air. As was heartbreak, pain, suffering, humiliation, and food poisoning. All the things you didn't associate with love until you were older.

Jiraiya remembered a number of Valentine's Days when he was young. Probably the most memorable one was when Tsunade gave everyone in their cell food poisoning with her chocolate. He was still partially convinced it had been a deliberate retaliation for mocking her when she had cramps once. When they had been older, Valentine's Day had often taken a backseat to their missions. Jiraiya also remembered the first Valentine's Day after Dan's death and holding Tsunade while she cried herself out. It was one of those memories that wasn't particularly good but wasn't dreadful either.

Anymore though, Jiraiya took the day as it came. It didn't really make too much difference to him what happened. He often received chocolate, but other than feeding his sweet tooth, the day wasn't really anything special. The only lady he was interested in anymore didn't celebrate the holiday. It touched upon too many bad memories for her. Jiraiya knew that Tsunade had healed some over the years, but there were times he wondered if she would ever be heart whole again.

"I'm surprised you're not surrounded by a cortège of admirers." A familiar voice intruded on his thoughts. "I would think that they be flocking to you today."

He shrugged. "Who wants to hang out with an old man on today of all days? Besides, I would think you would be chained to your paperwork even today."

Tsunade sighed. "Shizune and her current beau were getting to sappy for me, and after spending the morning trying to teach a melancholy apprentice who couldn't concentrate, I needed a break."

"Sasuke?"

She nodded. "It's clearly more than just an adolescent crush on Sakura's part. I'm not sure that they'll get a happy ending though even if he does return her feelings. There are days when I wonder what the hell Sarutobi-sensei was thinking in regards to the way that young man was raised. Please tell me Naruto isn't as lovesick."

Jiraiya laughed and shook his head. "Only oblivious. At least he's figured out that Hinata likes him."

They chatted and bickered for a while longer, passing the time with the ease of old friends. Within a half hour, Shizune had showed up to drag Tsunade back to her desk, and he was left on his own again. However, he found that Tsunade had left him surprise in his pocket. He opened the carefully folded little packet to find three chocolate toads. Jiraiya grinned and decided to go interrupt his student. Perhaps this day still had some meaning to him after all.