Just a Kid
Gelfling
He was getting a bit sick of being Just a Kid. It was a phrase that was like an insult only it wasn't the sort of insult you could insult them back for because then they'd say something like, "Geez, grow up will you?"
Orochimaru told him that a lot, but a lot of anything Orochimaru said was only good for unclogging drains. It was almost a consequence--if Orochimaru said it, then it was something he shouldn't listen to. Not that Tsunade was much better; she had been the one to coin the stupid, "Just a kid" phrase the first time, like she was any older or better. Tsunade was a fat cow with bad hair and, unfortunately, a punch like a steel bar. Not that her fist made her better, it just meant he got better at dodging each time he insulted her.
Orochimaru didn't even bother to hit him--he couldn't tell if Orochimaru thought he was above squabbling or just wasn't needlessly violent: tough call. Most of Orochimaru's trade mark attacks were all pretty nasty and no-nonsense, but they weren't needlessly violent. Tsunade's attacks usually were. Tsunade usually was period. Of them all, Jiraiya considered his own attacks to be the cleverest, most humane, and all-around shiniest.
Okay, it was true, most of them were only good for escaping or peeping, but they were still good attacks!
"Keep fooling around like that," Orochimaru told him, "And you'll be shot down the second you step foot onto the battleground."
Jiraiya made a 'che' noise, rolling his eyes as he lay against the narrow wooden bridge railing. Sensei was late again, but so was Tsunade, so it wasn't exactly a bad thing. It meant he was alone with Mr. Creepy longer than he wanted to be, but that couldn't be helped. At least he wasn't getting hit--just lectured.
"You'll care?"
"Not really," Orochimaru answered, leaning against the railing a decent distance away.
"I didn't think so. What's it matter anyway? As soon as we're strong enough to fight in the war we're all gonna die anyway."
"Very fatalistic of you. That's unusual."
"Nah, it's just sense. War's kill people, and I don't know about you," he threw Orochimaru a dark look. "But I'm a person. I like to wear pants and eat food and look at girls--god alone knows what you are."
"Everyone dies. It doesn't have to be through war."
"Exactly--wait you're agreeing with me? You're agreeing with--"
"I've no intention of dying."
"Hah! I thought so. Good luck getting around it."
"I plan to."
Jiraiya kicked his legs idly a few minutes longer, then threw Orochimaru another look. "So how exactly are you planning to get around it?"
Orochimaru only smiled.
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