"Lucky!" She laughs. "I would totally pick it up again if I was learning from someone great. Like Senju Tsunade or someone equally legendary... though maybe nobody else comes close to being as legendary as Tsunade is in the medical world."

"No one that I've heard of, at least."

"Who would you choose, out of anyone living or dead, to learn from?"

"Oh, wow, that's a tough question. Probably gonna have to go with Uchiha Izuna - he was Madara's younger brother. His style was close to mine, I think. Though I'm also tempted to say 'the Second Hokage.' What about you?"

"I think I'd choose Uzumaki Ashina. He was the leader of the Uzumaki Clan around the time Konoha was founded and he pretty much pioneered modern fūinjutsu. The other is, and okay this sounds kinda bad, but Orochimaru. I mean, I'd really like to learn all about his attempts at Immortality. But also...he's a missing-nin. So. Yeah. He's off the list."

"Well, Izuna opposed the idea of Konoha, so I doubt he'd be much in the way of a loyal nin. And we did say anyone; if we're not letting death stand in our way, what's a little thing like loyalty?" Said jokingly.

"What about Jiraiya? Isn't he a seal master?"

She laughs. "Have you read any of his books? They're kind of awful. I don't know if I could take him seriously."

"Can't say I have! I'll have to take your word for it."

"The Hokage gave me his first book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. He said it belonged to the Fourth Hokage. Apparently he was a big fan. It's a very well loved book. Meaning it's practically falling apart."

"Aren't most of Jiraiya's books porn?"

"Yeah, I think so. I snuck a look at one of the Icha Icha books in the bookstore and it was really explicit. I'm sticking to the Gutsy novel. It's mostly terrible, but the main character is named Sora, so I'm partial to it. Still trash," she laughs.

"Not even a fun kind of trash? And it's cool that the character has the same name as you - what're the odds. Though I guess that might be part of why the Hokage gave it to you."

"...yeah, It's a fun kind of trash. I can lend it to you if you think you might enjoy it. Though like I said, my copy is falling apart. So it might be worthwhile getting a new copy if don't wanna deal with that. It might be out of print though." She nods. "Yeah, probably. Though when I bring it up he changes the subject, so I can't say for certain."

"I might see if the library has a copy, I don't think I'm going to bother buying it. And old people are weird, I don't know why he'd change the subject like that."

"He is super weird. I mean, what's so special about me that he singles me out so? I've had a meeting with him once a week for as long as I can remember. Does he meet with you?"

"Like, rarely? He used to check up on me once a month, now it's more like every three months."

Sora finishes cooking fish. She scoops the rice out of the cooker and into two bowls and places the fish on top. She sets one bowl in front of Rian and sits down with her own across from her.

"I know Tenten, she's a little older than us and also an orphan, she sees him about the same as you. He never gives me a straight answer when I ask."

"Weird. Especially that he won't just tell you why. Maybe you're secretly his love child?" 

Sora laughs. "Maybe! We look nothing alike, but it's definitely a theory."

"Good point! Hmm, who else could you be secretly the love child of..."

"Ooooooh! Maybe it's Jiraiya!"

"That'd explain the book!"

"It totally would! Maybe I should write him a letter and ask him to come sweep me away on a fantastic Father Daughter Adventure! He could teach me all his secrets." She breaks down in giggles.

"It'd be like something out of a novel!" She's also giggling.

"Hopefully not one of his though!"