Naruto Uzumaki was a ninja born into the world as an orphan without the loving embrace of a mother and father and shunned from his own home village. As Naruto grew and excelled in his ninjitsu skills, the young shinobi would eventually go on to encounter individuals who would treat him as more than a monster, including the respected ninja warrior and one-third of the "Legendary Sanin"... Jiraiya.
A former student of Konoha's Third Hokage, Jiraiya would return to his former home in the hopes of personally training gifted troublemaker Naruto, who was being targeted by the mysterious evil ninja organization known as the Akatsuki. Naruto and his newfound teacher would carry on several missions of their own before embarking on a two-year journey of training and reflection. As Naruto made his triumphant return to Konoha, Jiraiya would uncover the truth regarding the Akatsuki's leader, who was in fact a young boy he'd met long ago, Nagato (Pain). While Jiraiya would make a valiant effort in defeating Pain, the master would ultimately meet his end in battle.
Naruto fan @COene65 has taken to Twitter to honor the relationship between Naruto and his former master, with a small moment that will leave a big impact on any fan of the series. The art depicts the master and student back to back, Naruto covering his eyes to hide tears as Jiraiya imbibes in sake behind him. It is an emotional image that shows just how important Jiraiya was to the young shinobi. This isn't a battle sequence or a major character death but instead a peaceful moment between two friends.
Following Jiraiya's fateful battle with Pain, Konoha was without a protector, and Naruto was without yet another parental figure. While Jiraiya's death may have seemed like just another loss in the pantheon of character deaths throughout the Naruto franchise, it is perhaps the most important loss Naruto has had since his parents at the hands of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Not only did Jiraiya take Naruto in as his own pupil, but it was his death that propelled Uzumaki forward to become a ninja capable of saving the Leaf Village from threats even greater than Pain.
With Naruto seeing so much loss in his life, it's refreshing to see a reunion between Uzumaki and the master who helped the young ninja learn everything he needed to become Konoha's Hokage. Naruto may have risen to the ranks of world-famous hero, but he's still a kid at heart, which is why it's so refreshing to see him reunited with a parental figure who meant so much to him.
Source: @COene65