A/N: VERY VERY IMPORTANT. And yes, I'm writing another damned fic. It was really really hard I tell you. I tried to resist writing this but my love for the Minato and Naruto pairing was too great to resist. And so this fic was born. Now, I know that this concept is friggin' overused over and over again but time-travel fics has always been my favorite. Browse through my favorite stories and then you'll get what I mean.

Also, I'm beginning to start on Babysitting Days again and did I tell you that there's going to be a short animation dedicated to that fic? I didn't? You read right! Haha two of my fellow Filipinos made an animation for it. I have the link already. The 2D animation is cute and simple so appreciate it ok? I'll post the link on my profile.

Warning: I don't own Naruto and its characters, period. No copyright infringement intended. This will be a Mina/Naru fic and a little Jira/Naru on the side, so if you think that these pairings are disgusting and still read this fic, and then flame me, then you're a fucking moron. I warned you, didn't I? It's not my fault that you're a goddamned ingrate. It's AU so forget everything you knew about the original story 'cause what I write goes. Bwahahahaha!

P.S. Please tell me what you think of this, ok? Happy reading! And welcome to the dark side! Bwahahahaha

P.S.S. In the process of being beta-ed

Summary: Even angels fall and heroes fail but Naruto made the impossible possible, anyway. AU. Time Travel. Mina/Naru. one-sided Jira/Naru.

It was the setting season for the Harvest so rare in these lands filled with nothing but the pureness of the snow. Scarred hands reached up, feeling the gentle drops against his feverish skin. Everything looked peaceful, and noise seemed a thing of the past. In the quietness of dusk, a young man's eyes drooped gently.

"Kono..." His lips trembled before his eyes closed one last time and he knew no more.

...

Being away from Konoha was a means of reprieve, a way for him to recover and the only escape he could think of. Even as a shinobi, a renowned Sannin like him could be traumatized by war. He was only human. He too, sometimes stumbled and fell. The circumstances at the time didn't make things easier. Death, tortured souls, and decaying bodies were things he couldn't stomach, not when they were his of fellow people. Or maybe, he was just making excuses.

Jiraiya was never the kind of man to run away from a fight but facing the repercussions of his actions was a different matter altogether. He wasn't weak at heart but seeing the only woman he ever truly loved slaving away from the despair of losing her fiance and little brother was the last straw. He couldn't bear it. He needed time to recover and his old sensei understood this and let him go.

Though Jiraiya never did stop protecting his people. In the years that he had been away, he had been able to establish a complex, spy network; he relentlessly gathered information and helped Konoha in any way he could.

Now, almost seven years had passed since the Second Shinobi War, and he was still unable to recover. Tsunade was right all along. He really was just a puny wimp. He had even foregone helping in the Third Shinobi War.

But the Hokage had decided that seven years were more than enough to settle the scores of the past and now he's being called in once again for the important inauguration of the new Hokage. His student, Namikaze Minato, his greatest pupil yet will be inheriting the hat from his balding sensei. Jiraiya couldn't be any more proud but the deep-seated pain has yet to subside. He didn't want to go back, not just yet. Not when he still looked and felt like a helpless babe unable to stand on its own.

It was pathetic really. Jiraiya of the Sannin, a seal master, a sage, and one of the two toad summoners in the shinobi world was sulking like a hapless child and throwing a tantrum. Jiraiya sighed tiredly.

It had been a long day.

For the past week, he had been running around the continent trying to track the movements of his wayward teammate. Wait. Former teammate. The idiotic half-wit, someone he thought of as a brother in arms once upon a time, had gone and took a one-eighty degree in personality and chose the path of a psychotic genius gone mad.

Well, at some point in time, Jiraiya knew things would turn out like this. It was this small inkling he had ever since he first laid eyes on the bastard snake. Or it was probably the long, slithery tongue and the disgusting way Orochimaru spoke that set him off.

Whatever it is, his former teammate was still a loony on the loose and it was his job, self-appointed as it was, to find and end the snake Sannin's life. Besides, it kept him busy and fit and young. He refused to be called old. He was still a very healthy man. His lays were more than happy to attest to it.

Stopping abruptly, Jiraiya looked up, suddenly aware of the biting cold surrounding him.

"Ah, Yuki no Kuni, is it?"

It's been a long while since he set foot on these grounds. He wasn't fond of the cold, really. Konoha had always been a sunny, little village. And snow only fell in his village when the seasons changed but for this country, the lands had always been weathered down by the freezing cold and ravage winds. The snow was just an added icing to the cake.

Slowly, he grappled with the uneven grounds as if wanting to delay the inevitable. As it is, he was only six days away from Konoha, and the thought of his village only dampened his mood. Jiraiya just didn't want to go back. Not just yet. His face grew grim at the unforgiving reminders he would be forced to face, or lack thereof. The cause of his pain wouldn't even be there.

Oh, he knew. He knew how just a few months after he left, Tsunade made a run for it as well. It really was a sight for the sore eyes. Three of the most powerful shinobi alive were either cowards or psychopaths. Jiraiya could only laugh at the irony. His sensei must be getting even balder at the thought of his once cute students.

"Room for one, old man." Jiraiya loudly called out, rousing the innkeeper from his sleep.

The old man took one good look at him and abruptly shook his head. "Sorry sir. No more available rooms."

Jiraiya stared hard as if wishing his gaze could obliterate the civilian before him. No use crying over spilled milk, anyway. He turned away from the innkeeper intent on looking for another place where he could stay for the night or forever if he could help it. His sensei made it clear that if he wasn't back within a week, he would be sending Minato, of all people, over to drag his stubborn ass back home.

"Sir, all other inns are filled to brim." The old man looked sympathetic but Jiraiya would have none of it. He was in no mood to travel to another town, not in this goddamned weather.

"What?! This is Yuki no Kuni, damn it! It's not even a center for trade and people rarely travel here!" Jiraiya snapped, barely unable to conceal his irritation.

The innkeeper shook his head and answered calmly. "It's the harvesting season, traveler. The festival only happens every twenty-five years. You're actually in luck to be able to come here in spite of the weather. Unfortunately, this village had been filled since a week prior. You came too late, sir."

Jiraiya resisted the urge to bash the old man's face. Late, you say? Say that to my face again and then we'll see, you old geezer. Jiraiya fumed silently and turned away without another word. He walked out of the inn with as much dignity as he could muster. Seriously, what's happening to him? He wasn't this agitated this morning. Maybe, he needed a good lay. A smirk settled on his lips. He knew just the place for it.

...

"Ao? Ao? Ao! Where the hell did he go this time? Baa-san! Where's Ao?" An old woman sat by a spinning wheel, her back slumped, her wrinkly fingers wrapped in fine threads. She looked back at her oldest granddaughter, a thoughtful look on her face.

"He's at the usual place, Risa. You know how he is."

Risa made a face, torn between exasperation and resignation. Ah yes, the fields. The only place which slightly resembled the grassy fields of spring in this barren, frozen desert. She palmed her face, letting out a sigh. Of course, where else could he be?

"I'll fetch him now, baa-san. Hold everyone off, ok?"

Her grandmother smiled at her, and joyfully waved her off. "Go ahead, dear. Lunch will be served soon, anyway. Be careful on the way though. A lot of travelers squeezed in today." Risa nodded and headed for the door, her footfalls resounding soundly against the wooden floorboards. She quickly ran down the road, across the many festival stalls, and traipsed along the mountain pass.

It was a long walk but worth it. A delighted smile lit her whole face as the very person she was looking for came to view. Risa stopped walking short of a meter away from Ao. Come to think of it, this was the very place where they found him, a strange location for someone who was attacked and rendered almost useless.

On these makeshift spring grounds which they hid carefully from prying eyes - how would they explain the fact that spring flowers were growing on their lands? - the Otoban family found another member they could take care of.

With hair as vibrant as sunflowers, eyes like polished gems, and sun kissed skin, Ao looked absolutely out of place in their village. He looked like he belonged in one of those sunny little villages far away from her home. And one way or another, he brought a piece of that village along with him.

Risa could remember it clearly. Two weeks ago as she wandered in the forest, she stumbled on the site that rendered her, along with her whole family, speechless. At the very edge of the forest, a small grassy field appeared. She was sure there was none of it before.

She would swear till the day she died that it wasn't there before. What really shocked her was the young, bloodied man curled on the middle of the fields. It was something morbid she could say. So beautifully morbid, it took her breath away.

She observed Ao, her eyes darkening in concentration. Long strands of his hair softly swayed against the wind. Risa huffed softly. She remembered now. Ao looked just like one. On that very day, Ao reminded her of the very character of the story her baa-chan loved telling her and her siblings long ago.

Taking a deep breath, she slumped forward her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Her smile softened when she saw the small crown of flowers on Ao's lap. Reaching for the crown and settling it gently on Ao's head, Risa let out a small laugh.

"It suits you, Ao. Just like an angel." Like that day, Ao. You looked exactly like an angel...A fallen angel, Risa mused. A sardonic smile on her lips.

Ao slowly looked up at her, his eyes blank and his face completely devoid of emotion. Her smiled faltered. Such a pitiful face you're making, Ao. Thinking this, she raised both her hands and placed them on Ao's face, her fingers caressing scarred cheeks.

She looked into his eyes, searching earnestly. No movement. No hesitance. Nothing. Ao looked just like a porcelain doll. A perfect imitation of those toys a local made for a living. Even so, this mysterious yet endearing man always ended up on these fields.

Sighing quietly, she stood up, one hand holding onto one of Ao's own. She turned back to face him. "Come on, Ao. Lunch is ready. We have to go back now."

Risa watched him like a hawk for one intense moment, only to sigh in disappointment. Slowly, she led Ao back to her house, a small frown now marring her face.

As always, he didn't respond. She looked up at the sky in contemplation. Well, it's been like that since day one. So no surprise there, but, She looked over her shoulder one last time before looking forward, her eyes trained on their path, it's really just sad. She stopped by the foot of the mountains, her hold on her companion's hand still firm. It wouldn't be good if his adopted brother is whisked away by their visitors.

People from all countries buzzed around them. On both sides of the village, countless stalls were being lined up, while farther north, a small statue of the harvest god was being set up. It was the harvest festival. An event which was held every twenty five years. This year would be the ninth time and she intended to make the most out of it.

It seems that this time around, the festival coincided with the birth of one of the daughters of a high ranking officer. Not that the harvesting festival was short of extravagant. For some reason, travellers, merchants, and shinobi hold their festival in high regards and would travel from far away just to make sure they could participate in the festivities.

Risa never did understand the importance of their festival. Maybe, it was the way the weather seemed to become favourable on the very day of the festival. Or perhaps, it was the way most of the people who obtained an amulet from the temple seemed blessed for the next few months. Whatever it was, it brought additional income into their village. Not many villages hire ninjas from Yuki no Kuni and they needed all the sources they could get.

"Ao, you're coming with us to the festival later, ne? Nothing's done yet so it looks really bland but later on, it's—Ao?" Risa inquired gently, seeing Ao's eyes fixed at a distance behind her.

When she received no response, not that she was expecting one, she turned around, trying to find what caught Ao's attention. She only saw dozens and dozens of people milling about. There was nothing amiss.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before sighing. No use trying to deduce the workings of Ao's mind. He never spoke, responded, or anything close to a twitch whenever they tried talking to him. Just like a mindless doll, he only sat in one place, quiet and empty. The only difference was that he ate and moved. Even so, everyone in her family ended up liking him.

"Ao?" She called out gently and waited until he turned to look at her. Soulless eyes stared back at her. It was unnerving, truth be told, but you get used to it after a while. She smiled bright and began pulling Ao along. "We really need to go or else kaa-san will kill us both."

She laughed to herself as she led Ao home. Behind her, a small flicker flashed in Ao's eyes when he caught sight of one man laughing obnoxiously in the middle of a crowd of women. His fingers twitched but his eyes remained dead. Just as fast as the reaction came, it was gone in the next second, going unnoticed by the girl holding his hand.

It wasn't long before they were entering her house, Risa wordlessly led Ao to sit on the dinner table, before shouting at the top of her lungs.

"We're home!" Just as soon as her voice rang inside their home, footsteps came soon after.

"Where's Ao?!" Her siblings demanded.

Risa stared at them before sighing in dismay. Really, sometimes they were just too much. She threw a thumb over her shoulder, pointing somewhere behind her.

"He's just right there, you idiots." Risa intoned blandly. They quickly left her side in favor of crowding around Ao. Risa watched them with a tired smile. Really, it never gets old. Children and adults alike always seemed to flock around Ao no matter how unresponsive he was.

Animals were an exception though since they scour away from the sight of him, except felines which was strange really. The few dogs they had around the village were relatively harmless and friendly; they get along well with the people. On the other hand, the cats they have around always strayed from people, except for Ao. They circled around him most times or were just content being near him.

She cast a glance at Ao's direction, her mouth tilting downwards. Well, that's another quality of Ao's they never quite understood. He was harmless at best but something always kept her at edge whenever she was near him.

"Ah Risa, found Ao in the fields again?" Her mother popped out of the kitchen for a brief moment. She was staring at her children, all trying and failing marvellously at convincing to make Ao play with them. Risa shook her head and sighed, following her mother's lead back in the kitchen.

"Yeah well, why do I even bother looking for him elsewhere? He's always at the same place. He's just like a kid, you know. In spite of his height and his looks, he has no maturity at all. Ao goes back to the same place over and over again." She reached for the ladle inside the pot and began stirring the heavy soup, her mind wandered for a minute before shaking her head again. Her mother joined her and continued chopping the vegetables by her side, releasing a short laugh of amusement.

"But you can't deny that's the very reason you can't leave him alone. I'm surprised you're adapting so well to him, even Ketsu likes him, and that's just overkill." Risa snorted, her hands now busy mincing the meat. She poured oil in the pan and meticulously started frying the tempura one by one.

"Risa..." Keiko watched her daughter for a minute, waiting for her to respond but decided against it and continued. "Maybe, we should hold off on taking him outside, especially tonight. So many strangers at the festival and we don't know how he'll react when in close proximity to all the hustle later. I know you want to cure him but the med—"

"The medic knows squat, kaa-san! He can't even cure the sick even if his life depended on it! Why is he even pretending to be one? I know more about herbs and medicine than he could ever hope for! I can and I will help Ao get better, ok? He's not mentally retarded and he's not incurable so just stop it, ok kaa-san?"

By the end of her tirade, Risa was breathing hard, her hold on the tongs so tight that Keiko was afraid her daughter would break it in half. A pair of hands settled on her tense shoulders and it took a moment to realize that it was her grandmother standing there, looking at them both with sad and old eyes.

Risa heaved a sigh and gently set the tongs on the counter. Cooking like this would only be counterproductive. "Sorry kaa-san, baa-san, I won't give up on him. Not again." She turned around and walked out; opting to join her siblings at the dining table, blatantly ignoring the worried looks directed her way. Keiko sighed and turned off the stove.

"I just don't want her thinking about him again, kaa-san. It's been so long already and yet..." Keiko trailed off, a slight tremble in her voice. Shina stayed silent beside her. There was nothing else to be done. A tragic past is not easily forgotten.

"Risa's a strong girl, Keiko. She'll get over it on her own. Besides, someday, she would have to let Ao go. He doesn't belong in this village. He belongs somewhere far away." Keiko stilled. She knew this tone of voice, her mother always used this whenever she feels something out of the ordinary. And her predictions though very rare always come true.

"Is it soon, kaa-san?"

Shina offered a small smile. "Soon, dear. Sooner than you think."

...

The Hokage was retiring. Now, that wasn't the news of the century. The shocking news, perhaps not really, was the fact that the one succeeding him would be none other than the Yellow Flash himself. But there was still one thing that Namikaze Minato, incoming Fourth Hokage, needed to do.

"If in a week's time, Jiraiya fails to report to me, you will have to retrieve him Minato. He has been gone for too long and I need him here as soon as possible." Minato resisted the urge to sigh. Why does he have to be the one babysitting his sensei? He was the sensei for kami's sake.

"Where was he last sighted, Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi sighed, letting out a puff of smoke from his pipe.

"He was last seen at the roads leading to Yuki no Kuni." Minato closed his eyes tiredly. Of all places to go to, why the coldest place in the continent? He hated the cold. He always favoured the sunny weather of his hometown. Minato frowned slightly.

"If I'm not mistaken Hokage-sama, there's been an increase in activity in Yuki no Kuni for the past few weeks?" Sarutobi nodded, sifting through the files he was looking over minutes before Minato walked into his office.

"It's the harvesting season, and every twenty-five years, they hold a festival to honour their harvest god."

Minato hummed in thought, his body posture still as straight as a rod. "Not a peculiar practice but still why all the fuss?" At this, Sarutobi had to smile. In jest or to lighten the mood, Minato couldn't tell.

"Strange things in this world are still left unexplained, even to us shinobi, Minato. Apparently, the charms blessed at the temple wards off evil for the rest of the year." Minato's lips quirked up, reminiscent of a smile before responding.

"Something similar to Oni no Kuni? Spiritual phenomenon is quite rare to say the least and you say, sensei's interested in this? I highly doubt it. Either it's for research material or his spy network." Sarutobi laughed, relaxing in his seat as he waved Minato off.

"You know how Jiraiya is. For all we know, he's only trying to delay his arrival back here. Let's hope he doesn't cause too much trouble there. But enough of that, you can go now. I'm sure your lovely lady wouldn't want to be kept waiting." Minato flushed at the insinuation, his posture becoming indignant.

"Hokage-sama, Kushina and I are not like that." Minato regretted his words as soon as he said them. Being defensive only made him look more suspicious and it seems Sarutobi intended to use his slip-up to his advantage.

"I wasn't suggesting anything, Minato." An eyebrow twitched and in a flash of yellow light, Minato was gone, and Sarutobi was left in his office chuckling to himself.

"Still so easy to bait, Minato. What would Jiraiya say if he saw you now?" Sarutobi shook his head and began working on another dreaded file placed on his desk not too long ago. Ah well, the nightmare would end soon, now if only his errant student would come back, and soon.

...

Jiraiya sneezed suddenly, scaring a few of the ladies he was trying to pick up. He shivered against the freezing cold. Oh how he hated Yuki no Kuni. There's nothing here but snow, snow, and more snow.

He kicked at the ground. There really was nothing here for him. Not a woman even caught his interest. Was he drying up? He felt his hairs standing on end. No way. There was no way he was shrivelling up like some old geezer.

He stopped walking suddenly and stared listlessly at the booths lined up. "Ah might as well enjoy the stupid festi—oof." He felt the sudden weight against his abdomen disappear, and a woman was suddenly bowing at him while holding onto the collar of the boy who bumped into him.

"Sorry sir. My brother was just being too rowdy." Risa bowed at the waist. This man was clearly a shinobi. If they angered him, they wouldn't be left unscathed. She forced Ketsu's head down. Stupid little brat. I told him to stop running around.

"Nah, it's fine." Jiraiya waved her off, all the while leering at her voluptuous figure. Now, that's what I call first class.

He snickered inwardly only to freeze suddenly, his survival instincts going haywire for an instant. He looked up and found a man a few feet away from them staring at him intently. Dull eyes caught his own, unassuming and quiet yet incessantly probing. It left him feeling bare, bare to these eyes that looked dead but able to read him completely.

"Sir?"

Jiaiya broke the connection and turned to the woman now staring at him strangely. He mustered a strained smile on his face.

"As I said, it's fine. Just be careful next time, brat." He lightly flicked the forehead of the boy glaring at him and grinned at his sister, a wild guess, because no matter how he looked at it, the woman was still too young to be a mother of a ten year old child.

"Thank you, sir." The woman bowed one last time before pulling along the child and strange man. Jiraiya watched them go, his gaze instinctively falling on the back of the blond being led away. Somehow, he looks familiar... He shook his head. Maybe, it's just his imagination running away with him. Jiraiya shrugged and walked east. Might as well enjoy this festival.

Risa looked over her shoulder as the shinobi walked opposite their direction and finally sighed in relief. She glared down at Ketsu, smacking him soundly at the back of his head.

"You little scoundrel! I told you to stop running around and look at what you did. There are many dangerous people lurking around, Ketsu, so stop being a nuisance and follow me, alright?" Ketsu glared back but conceded when he saw his sister's face getting darker. He moved away from her and clutched at Ao's clothes, seeking refuge against Risa's wrath.

Risa tsked in annoyance. Ketsu really knew how to pick his fights. Everyone and anyone in this town knew that she had a soft spot for Ao, no matter the situation. "Whatever. Just stick with us and we'll be fine."

Tugging on Ao's hand, Risa walked from one booth to another, her brother following along at a sedated pace. They continued wandering around for another two hours so lost in the sights and festive air surrounding their usually quiet and peaceful village.

The festival was formally opened two hours ago and though Risa missed the ceremony, there was still a lot more things to be seen and tried, just like the shooting games and exotic foods from different villages.

"Ketsu, where's Miya and Mika?" Ketsu looked up briefly but returned to observing the guppies swimming aimlessly in an inflatable pool. "Kaa-san took them to the temple." Risa fingered a trinket at the same stall the guppies were being paraded, her mind thoughtful. "And baa-san?"

"She decided to stay at home. Her back's giving her a hard time again." Ketsu answered distractedly. Risa watched his brother before another stall caught her attention. Her eyes lit up and with a hard tug, she was pulling both Ketsu and Ao at the candied apple stand.

"Let's eat first, shall we?" Her excited grin left no room for argument and her younger brother was left to follow her with a groan. He so badly wanted to play but his sister was being a spoilsport. He turned to Ao, and took hold of his yukata sleeve. Ao slowly turned to look at him and Ketsu grinned.

"Na Ao, why don't we ditch nee-san for a while?" Ketsu whispered conspiratorially, chancing a glance at his sister who was busy marveling at the colorful candies the stall owner was showing to her.

He looked back at Ao to see him watching the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Placing a finger against his lips, Ketsu carefully walked away from Risa, dragging Ao along before shouting cheekily.

"Nee-san, I'll be touring Ao around ok? See you later!" It took a while for Risa to register what happened and when she did, she was already running after them clearly distraught.

"Ketsu! Get back here, you brat!" Risa ran at full speed but running was never something she was good at, not to mention the fact that Ketsu had a head start. There's no way she'll be able to catch up to them.

"Damn it!" She stopped running altogether when she lost sight of them, her eyes blazing in fury, and her lips curled in a snarl. Oh that brat was dead when she found him. And if he ever ever lost Ao, Ketsu was double dead. Her eyes gleamed. She would make sure of it.

Ketsu was dead.

He knew he was. He knew he would die the moment he carted Ao away from his sister's side, and he knew he was absolutely dead when he lost Ao in the crowd. Ketsu stared forlornly at the hand that held Ao's just minutes ago. He clenched his fist tight and gritted his teeth. He'll find Ao even if it was the last thing he did. With childish determination, he set forward. Ao can only be in one place. He took a step and promptly toppled over.

"Ow!" Ketsu looked up only to freeze in absolute fear. Risa towered over him, her expression murderous.

"N-Nee-san!" Risa picked him up with one hand and glowered at him when his face was close enough to hers.

"Don't nee-san me, you dolt! Do you have any idea how tired I am right now? And? Where's Ao?"

Ketsu laughed nervously. "Hehe, I lost him?"

Risa thew him away from her, screeching obscenities all the while. "I swear you're in so much trouble, you fucking idiot!"

"Ow nee-san! Ow! Stop it!" Risa ignored his protests and proceeded dragging his idiot of a brother away by his ear. She bit her lower lip in worry. Hopefully, Ao would be at the fields because if he wasn't then she had absolutely no idea where else to find him.

...

In the deepest parts of the forest, the worst of Yuki no Kuni's dreaded weather circled every tree. The winds provided hollowing sounds and to any traveller, the eerie atmosphere should be a dead giveaway that this place was off limits but what's a scary place to an equally terrifying shinobi like him? Jiraiya walked solidly up the mountains; the sake he guzzled down was serving as his own thermal heater. Just to be safe, he brought another bottle with him.

He was trying to find a good spot away from the hustle of the festivities. He may not be fond of festivals but fireworks were still a sight to behold. A grand festival of lights. Tsunade, he remembered, was fond of them and it got to the point where even he himself became hooked.

Chugging the sake in his other hand, Jiraiya breathed deeply, inhaling the cold but pure air, his eyes closed, savouring the moment. He opened his eyes to stare at the town below only for the sake to splatter out of his mouth, spraying the grassy fields beneath his feet.

"What the fuck?" Jiraiya stared speechless, his feet bringing him to the center of the fields.

What the hell? Spring fields in Yuki no Kuni? Seriously? Ah whatever. He stopped at the edge of the cliff, now only noticing the lone man sitting there quietly, not even acknowledging his presence. Jiraiya's lips thinned. It was that same strange man at the festival just hours ago. A little cautious, he sat down not far from the stranger, his eyes looking over the village. Come to think of it, this was the perfect place to watch the fireworks display.

"Oi, why's there a field here?" Jiraiya sipped from his bottle, waiting for a response. When none came, he sneaked a glance at his companion and saw him only staring at a distance, a wilted crown of flowers on his lap.

Jiraiya's lips twitched. "Great, dumb and deaf, what a great day." He watched the man for any reaction but still saw none.

"Are you blind too? Cause seriously those eyes don't look normal." Jiraiya was pushing his luck here but anything was better than this awkward silence.

Sighing, he swallowed down another mouthful of his sake only to choke and spit his sake again. Those same dead eyes were now staring at him, and disturbingly so. Honestly, it was freaking him out. He could have a stare down with a Hyuuga and find it funny but looking into those empty blue eyes, Jiraiya found himself unable to laugh. Instead, he drunk the last of his sake to settle his nerves.

Then, he felt more than saw the rustle of the leaves beside him; a kunai was suddenly in his hand and grazing the neck of the person dumb enough to breach his personal space. He looked up with narrowed eyes to see those seemingly sightless eyes staring back at him, and twice in the same night, he was rendered immobile.

What he expected was another attack but even as he pierced through the soft skin on this man's neck, the blond unflinchingly laid the circlet of flowers on Jiraiya's head. The man then pulled back, not bothered in the slightest as blood trickled from the small wound the shinobi in front of him inflicted upon his person.

Jiraiya was sure his jaw had loosened and was now gaping at this weirdo in undisguised belief. Seconds ticked by, his kunai still poised in an attack, and finally the dam broke and he was laughing hysterically. The kunai in his hand now lay forgotten at his lap. That was good, just too good, you damned brat.

He felt his insides burning, the burning feeling in his chest just wouldn't go away. When was the last time he laughed like this? It was official. He was an idiot. A complete fool. Tsunade was right. He was a coward and an incurable buffoon. Jiraiya heaved a breath, his hysterics coming to a close. He turned to look at the man beside him only to find another circlet of flowers on his lap. A strange person he was.

Jiraiya offered a small half-smile at the man's direction. "Oi." He called out and was pleased to see the blond turn to him. So he wasn't dumb, deaf, and blind, after all. Well, Jiraiya never thought this person was; he just needed an excuse to insult him, and maybe talk to him. Strange as the blond was, he was still interesting.

"As an apology for insulting you, let me show you something amazing. It took me a few months to complete it but it's better than the three years it took for my student to make it." Jiraiya raised his right hand, his palm facing upwards. He grinned mischievously.

"Behold, my greatness!" Jiraiya exclaimed before chakra, raw and unbridled, swirled around them. Jiraiya reigned on this quickly, the powerful burst of chakra forming and shaping into a small ball in the palm of his hand. With a satisfied nod, he checked the blond's reaction and was disappointed to see him staring blankly at the perfectly formed Rasengan.

"No reaction, ei?" Sighing, Jiraiya closed his fist, extinguishing the Rasengan.

What was he doing anyway? On a whim, he decided to show off. He really was an idiot. A normal civilian wouldn't be able to appreciate the beauty of what he just did. Well, that's the end of it anyway. Jiraiya flopped down on the grass and stared at the sky. Any minute now, the fireworks display would start. Maybe, that would uplift his mood a little.

"This sucks. No lodging, no women, and no sun. Damn it." He continued muttering to himself. This day just couldn't get any worse. He turned to the side, wondering what the hell that weirdo was doing. He found him staring at the palm of his hand, his eyes still as dead as any of his ancestors. Sighing, Jiraiya sat up.

"Without chakra, you wouldn't be able to form the Rasengan." Ao's hand twitched but Jiraiya failed to notice the movement and only hunkered on. "And even if you did have chakra, the Rasengan would be impossible to do on your first try. Besides, only one other person knows how to create it aside from me. An—" His speech fell on deaf ears as Ao's eyes bore into his palm. Something flickered in his eyes. His lips moved slightly and formed his first word since he woke up.

"Rasengan..." A soft whisper, so quiet, Jiraiya would have missed it if it wasn't for his keen sense of hearing.

He stopped his speech abruptly, wondering if he was imagining things. He would have continued staring at the silent man if it weren't for the explosions that flickered in the air. Jiraiya turned around completely and grinned as the fireworks lighted the sky.

"Oi, stop staring at your hand and look at the sky. Geez, no matter how many times I watch this thing, it doesn't get old." So intent on the fireworks, Jiraiya failed to hear another soft murmur from his companion.

"Rasengan."

And it was then the Frog Sannin of Konoha was rendered speechless and immobile for the third time, all in one night. He could feel it, the smooth gathering of chakra at his side, caressing his skin with its power.

Wide eyes turned to the same man he thought at some point completely useless but still unnerving. In the palm of Ao's right hand, the very one he had been staring at moments ago, a perfect Rasengan came into existence.

"Ao! There you are! I knew you'd be here, I..." Risa trailed off, her eyes taking in the very sight of his adopted brother wielding chakra so easily in his hand. She fell to her knees, her expression mirroring Jiraiya's own.

"Impossible..." She uttered in awe. Her brother, Ketsu, remained silent by her side.

Jiraiya turned to face Ao, as he was called, and stared stupidly at the mass of chakra in his hand. Only one thing went through his head.

"Holy Shit."

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Please leave a review before you head out. That's all the present I need this season of giving Haha :)

Completed: December 28, 2013