"Wasn't he just there a moment ago?" asked a Warlock.
Nerton began cursing and knew three languages to do it in. He particularly favored the Orcish language for this - as their army sergeants usually had some of the more colorful phrases to insert.
He kicked out at a pile of papers that were nearby.
KA-BOOM!
Jiraiya grinned as the explosive notes he'd left behind went up in a massive fireball. He used Shunshin to get from tower to wall and then was outside in considerably less time than a heartbeat.
When a large blimp seemed to be arcing down towards him, he pulled out a scroll and made some quick gestures.
Once, not too long ago, he'd run into Itachi's use of the Amaterasu black flames technique. He'd sealed the flames away into a scroll. Now he simply set up the release, threw the scroll onto the approaching airship, and watched the fun.
Black flames that couldn't be extinguished by normal means began spreading across the airship.
Satisfied that they had other problems now, Jiraiya grabbed up the paralyzed Naruto and made another Shunshin to land in the saddle behind the Priestess. "Ready?"
"Once we're in Stormwind, we'll be safe from immediate reprisal," said the Priestess. "We'll head for the Chapel. Best healers in the city."
Jiraiya was a bit concerned.
He was used to Naruto being loud and charging confidently forward, ready to take on the world. Never mind that the very world they had come from couldn't care less and had crushed people far more talented and powerful. It wasn't until one reached chunin that the likelihood of surviving the next year was greater than the chance of dying, particularly if there was a war.
It wasn't as bad as it had been in what was called the "Warring States" period - before the village system had been created. The odds then were more severely stacked against reaching the end of puberty much less the skill level of the genin.
Not that he hadn't seen this before. Whatever had happened to Naruto had forced him to confront a glimpse of his own helplessness and mortality. It was something one had to come to grips with on their own, in his experience - all one could do was to be there when the individual finally did start working through it. It had only been two days though, and apparently the seals used to bind Naruto would still have some tremors and pain lingering after they'd been removed.
"Yo!" said a cheerful voice.
Jiraiya smiled before his usual mask settled into place. Just what was needed. "Yo, yourself. You here to keep an eye on the gaki?"
"I thought his name was Naruto?" asked the young girl.
"Yes," said Jiraiya. "I'm getting one of those books today. If Naruto's up to it by then, maybe he could get his own."
"Still funny you don't have one," said the girl. "Most people get one by the time they've reached class-age."
"Well, I haven't selected a 'class' yet, though I'm a ninja in my world," admitted Jiraiya. Having learned that the idea of other worlds WAS known about here, and that most of his associates had already figured that out, he'd dropped that part of his cover.
"Whatever, even in Outland they have that," said the girl.
"So, what about you?" asked Jiraiya. "What class are YOU going to be?"
"Priest!" declared the little girl. "I'm going for Discipline specialty."
"Ah, well that's good then," said Jiraiya with a nod. "You just keep an eye on my student here then while I get some business done. He could use a little discipline."
Naruto was acting a little bit more subdued than was normal, but quite a bit more lively than he'd been.
Jiraiya was heartened a bit by that.
"...so anyway, that's why some people never bother. They've never figured out how to fix the problem with the faction language barrier," admitted Dekthena, the draenei mage shrugging in a manner that drew Jiraiya's attention to certain parts of her anatomy. Blue goat-girl or not, she was sufficiently human-looking that he could admire certain parts of the package.
Even though he STILL found himself wondering how she avoided puncturing the bedding on those horns. And the way those little tendrils from around her ears and framing her neck would twitch every so often and remind him of her nonhuman status.
"It may no be a flaw, but a design feature," said Thordra in her thick accent. The dwarf Priest also shrugged. Much more human in appearance, though a bit pudgier than the much taller draenei. "This stuff be coming from the titans after all, we be just adding more bells and whistles as we go along."
"'Bells and whistles'?" asked Jiraiya.
"Engineering term," explained Thordra. "It's cause of the gnomes, ye know. They always be adding little whirligigs and whistles and bells and alarums and other bits that don't actually do all that much save drive the price up as the 'latest model' and such."
"Ah, like that 'chopper' that went by in the main square," said Jiraiya.
Naruto perked up at the mention of that. He'd thought THAT had been cool and immediately wanted one. Or one of those flying carpet things. Or one of those winged tiger sort of summons.
"Summit like that," said Thordra, her accent briefly getting thick enough to be barely understandable. "Now, what di' ye decide ohn anyway?"
"As to that," began Jiraiya.
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(Posted Tue, 28 May 2013 18:01)
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