Chapter 86: Jiraiya Applies for Visiting Hours

A message from Hokage Tower arrived just before breakfast.

Jiraiya wanted permission to visit Naruto.

Kakuzu read it at the kitchen island, pulled a wooden writing board from beneath the counter, and started preparing a visitor form. By the time Kushina entered with Naruto, he was already on the third page.

He slid the papers toward her.

Kushina looked at the top page. "Kakuzu," she said slowly, reading the itemized list. "You included a weapons declaration and a spy-animal quarantine clause."

She flipped to the second page. "Why does he need a damage deposit?"

"He is a Sannin."

Ren walked into the kitchen, buttoning his vest. He looked at the paperwork, then at Kushina, dropping his usual humor.

"The choice is yours, Kushina," Ren said quietly. "Not Hiruzen’s. Not Jiraiya’s. And not mine. If you do not want him in this house, I will have Kakuzu charge him a loitering fee until he leaves the district."

Kushina looked down at the paper. She was tired of avoiding the ghost of Minato’s teacher.

"I will see him," Kushina decided, her voice firming up. "But the meeting happens here, inside the estate. No ANBU escorts and no Hokage Tower observers. I don’t want him checking the seal, and he doesn’t get to talk about village business until he greets my son as family."

Ren nodded. "I will inform the gate."

An hour later, Jiraiya arrived at the front gates of the Uchiha estate.

He did not get very far.

Kakuzu was standing directly in the center of the path, his hand extended. "Surrender your weapons."

Jiraiya stopped, eyeing the faint chakra lines running through the perimeter fence. "I already filled out the tower’s request."

"That was a request to visit," Kakuzu said, sliding a fresh document across the table. "This is permission to enter."

Jiraiya looked down at the ten pages. "You cannot be serious."

"List your weapons, summoning scrolls, recording seals, and concealed tools."

Jiraiya picked up the top sheet, his scowl deepening as he read. "Why is there an entire section about teaching Naruto to gamble?"

Kakuzu finally looked up. "Because I know who you are."

Jiraiya pointed toward the shaded veranda of the main house, where Ren was currently sitting with a cup of tea. "He’s the one running casinos."

"Mine are licensed," Ren called out smoothly.

"Consider it punishment for arriving late, Jiraiya," Ren added, taking a sip of his tea.

Jiraiya glared past the treasurer. "You charge guests to enter your house?"

"Only legendary freeloaders," Ren replied.

Grumbling under his breath, Jiraiya dropped two heavy summoning scrolls onto the table, signed the damage waiver, and checked the box confirming that his hair contained no concealed weapons.

Kakuzu inspected the page before allowing him through.

Ren stayed beside the open veranda doors when Jiraiya entered the house.

Kushina stood in the center of the room with Naruto against her shoulder. She wore a simple dark tunic, her red hair tied back, and she did not offer Jiraiya a seat.

Jiraiya stopped just inside the doorway.

Without the loud bravado of his public persona, he suddenly looked older. For once, he had absolutely nothing loud to say.

"Kushina," he finally managed, his voice thick.

"You’re late," she said, her tone completely flat.

His mouth tightened. "I know."

"No. You don’t get to say that like it fixes anything."

Jiraiya looked away. "By the time I heard, the funeral was already over. I didn’t know what I was walking back into."

"You could’ve walked into this house first."

"I should have." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m sorry, Kushina."

She looked at him for a moment but did not tell him it was all right.

Kushina shifted Naruto higher against her shoulder. "Instead, you went to Hokage and asked about the seal."

"I did."

"Why?"

Jiraiya rubbed a hand over his face. "Old habits."

"Not with my son."

Jiraiya nodded. "No. Not with him."

Kushina watched him for a moment.

"You ask me before coming here again."

"I will."

"And don’t run back to Hokage with every little thing you see here."

Jiraiya hesitated. "If I think Naruto’s in danger—"

"You tell me first."

He studied her face, then nodded. "All right."

He took a hesitant step closer and held out his hands toward the baby.

Naruto blinked awake. He looked at the massive man leaning over him, let out a tiny, disgruntled noise, and promptly spat up a mouthful of warm milk directly onto the sleeve of Jiraiya’s red haori.

Standing near the hallway door, Ren took a sip of his tea.

"He has excellent judgment," Ren noted.

Jiraiya stared at his ruined sleeve, let out a sudden, barking laugh, and carefully reached out to take the baby.

He held Naruto too stiffly at first, his arms rigid. Kushina reached over and manually adjusted his massive hand beneath the baby’s head.

"Support his neck," she instructed.

"I know how to hold a baby," Jiraiya protested.

Naruto made an unhappy, squirming noise. Kushina just raised an eyebrow at the Sannin.

"I used to know," Jiraiya corrected, adjusting his grip until the baby settled.

He looked down at Naruto for a while.

"Does he sleep?" Jiraiya asked.

"When he feels like it."

"So no."

Kushina almost smiled. "Mostly no."

The next twenty minutes were awkward, but ordinary. Jiraiya asked about Naruto’s feeding, complained about the noise from the commercial district, and did not mention the seal again.

When he finally handed Naruto back, Jiraiya bowed his head slightly.

"I’d like to come back next week," Jiraiya said. "If that’s all right."

"Ask me next week."

Jiraiya gave a small nod. "I will."

Then he turned and let himself out.

Hours later, Naruto was asleep in Kushina’s house across the courtyard. The estate’s night nurse sat in the adjoining room, and a monitoring tag around Kushina’s wrist would warm the moment he stirred.

Kushina had spent twenty minutes lying in bed replaying the visit before giving up.

She crossed the courtyard in a loose house robe and soft slippers, her hair hanging freely over her shoulders. She opened the main doors, walked down the familiar hallway, and stopped outside Ren’s study.

She knocked once, then entered.

Ren was sitting behind his mahogany desk, reviewing a stack of Academy security expenses.

Kushina walked over and sat directly on the edge of his desk.

"Your chairs are uncomfortable," she noted.

Ren looked up from his ledger. "That is my desk."

"Still uncomfortable."

Ren set his pen down, leaning back in his leather chair. "Did you need something, or are you just here to critique the furniture?"

"Jiraiya looked older," Kushina said quietly, her eyes dropping to the polished wood.

"Guilt is terrible for the skin," Ren replied.

Kushina almost laughed. She looked down at her hands for a moment.

"Thanks for staying out of the conversation today," she said.

"You would have hit me if I interrupted."

"Probably," she admitted.

Ren reached for the next ledger. His hand stopped halfway and moved to his right temple instead. He rubbed the skin beside the clouded eye until the twitch in his eyelid passed.

Kushina leaned forward from the edge of the desk.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Only when I use it, sleep, blink, or exist," Ren answered dryly.

"Idiot," Kushina muttered.

She reached out and touched his temple. Her thumb moved carefully beneath the clouded eye, checking whether the skin was hot.

Her hand stayed against his cheek.

The loose collar of her robe had slipped from one shoulder. Ren’s eyes dropped before he caught himself.

Kushina noticed. "You looked."

"Your robe moved."

"That wasn’t a question."

"Good. Then I don’t need to answer."

Kushina almost smiled. Her hand was still on his face.

Neither of them moved.

Kushina’s gaze dropped to his mouth, then returned to his eyes. She leaned closer without seeming to realize she was doing it.

The monitoring tag warmed against her wrist.

Kushina froze. A second pulse followed the first.

Naruto was awake.

She pulled her hand away and slid off the desk.

"I should go."

"Probably."

Kushina stopped at the door and looked back.

Ren had already lowered his eyes to the ledger, though he had not turned the page.

*****

When Kushina returned to the nursery next door, the small photograph of Minato still rested on the table beside the crib.

Kushina looked at Minato’s photograph while Naruto settled against her chest.

She had almost kissed Ren.

The thought should have frightened her. What unsettled her more was how natural it had felt before Naruto’s cries interrupted them.

Ren’s study light was still visible across the courtyard.

Kushina turned the rocking chair away from the window.

She did not sleep.

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