Cat, Zhen, and I looked distastefully at the trashy clothes Jiraiya held out to us. "Why do I get the feeling that you are enjoying this far too much for your own good?" Zhen asked with a twisted grimace on her face.
The Toad Sage chuckled.
About thirty minutes later, we emerged in all our collective curvacious glory. Jiraiya was almost drooling. He donned some disreputable robes and looked us over with roaming eyes. He stopped after about ten seconds, which was the only thing that saved him from another beating. "Sorry," he coughed, blushing, "couldn't help myself." Zhen and I cracked our knuckles quietly.
"Just remember your promise, Sannin." I lowered my hands and skewered him in place with my eyes. He squirmed, uncomfortable. "If they get hurt..." I twisted my neck and popped my knuckles loudly. "you get hurt one hell of a lot worse."
"Okay, okay. Down, girl." Jiraiya mumbled something about a certain time of the month.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?" I caught him by the nape of his robe, my eyes flashing with an emotion that Zhen and Cat could easily identify. Intent to kill. "No, I still need you alive." I dropped the Sage with a sniff of disgust.
"Okay, anyway, we need to board the train to the Sound Village." Jiraiya yanked on his collar and rubbed his neck, as though making sure it was still attached to his shoulders. He brandished four tickets. "I'll be your bodyguard and agent, remember? While we are in the Sound, my name will be Gunta. Chessy will be Red, Cat will be Kitty, and Zhen will be...Zhen."
I laughed at his reasoning. "Zhen...from Zen, Kitty from Cat, Gunta from Gamabunta, and Red from...what?" I quizzed our teacher.
"From your freakin' short temper, kiddo, what else?" The Sage shot me a huge smile, that died when I pulled a kunai from my kimono's short skirt.
"Watch it, buster." I admonished coolly. "You've never seen me actually angry, and you've never actually seen me fight. Just remember that...and that this time you can't call that giant toad to help you."
He smirked. "Spunky."
I put my kunai away.