Was This Guy the Second Hokage Reincarnated?

Outside Tanzaku Town.

Jiraiya looked full of himself, his eyes shining.

Behind him, the three of them were all panting heavily.

"Phew, phew—"

Exhausted!

So exhausted!

Kyohiko had known that wearing weighted leggings might be tiring, but he hadn't expected them to be this exhausting.

Jiraiya chuckled.

You little brats!

You think I can't handle you?

He looked around and asked, "So, how are you doing? Can you keep going?"

"We can!"

The three answered in unison.

Jiraiya nodded. "Then let's go. We need to find our employer as soon as possible, before the people they're trying to collect from run off. Otherwise, the mission will fail."

"Let's go!"

Kakashi gritted his teeth and kept pace with Jiraiya.

He took missions seriously.

Failing a mission would feel worse than being killed!

Kyohiko followed behind, marveling inwardly—

Jiraiya really was a great teacher!

The leggings looked ordinary, but in fact, Jiraiya had carefully observed them and worked out the right weights to make their stamina drain at about the same rate as Kurenai's.

That way, they could rest and run in sync along the way, and still finish the mission on time.

A win all around.

Except that he and Kakashi were exhausted.

Kyohiko panted, his legs feeling like lead, as he estimated inwardly—

At this rate, his physical fitness might actually be a little worse than Kakashi's. He was faster only because he had the advantage of his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique.

That was only natural.

Kakashi had been training his body since he was little. His previous self had exercised too, but he'd only started truly pushing himself after crossing over.

Physical training was the hardest thing to find a shortcut for.

Unless, like Kabuto Yakushi, you went straight to cell transplantation and changed your body from the genetic level onward.

Kyohiko steeled his resolve and hurried to keep up with Jiraiya.

Tanzaku Town was bustling.

It was a famous den of indulgence throughout the surrounding area.

Many wealthy people and merchants from the Land of Rivers and even the Land of Wind came here to gamble and seek out romantic pleasures. Sometimes, even shinobi visited.

For example—

Jiraiya knew the place like the back of his hand. He left the main road for the alleys and wound his way through them as though he were heading home.

Before long, the sign for the Blue Flower Pavilion came into view.

They'd arrived!

"Teacher, you're amazing. You even remember the way. I got completely turned around."

Kurenai couldn't help marveling.

Kyohiko chimed in, "You can tell he's a regular."

Kakashi nodded repeatedly.

"What are you talking about?!"

Jiraiya turned around and glared at Kyohiko.

"There are lots of missions in places like Tanzaku Town. If you come a few times, of course you'll remember the way."

"Right, right."

Kyohiko nodded along.

Kakashi and Kurenai couldn't help chuckling. They obviously didn't believe Jiraiya's explanation.

Jiraiya sighed helplessly.

That kid.

All he ever does is ruin my reputation!

But then—

Heh heh heh. Still, that really is what I'm here for...

Jiraiya chuckled to himself, then quickly cleared his throat and explained, "I didn't take this mission for the reasons you're thinking. I have something important to do here!"

As he spoke, he lifted the bamboo curtain marked with the character for "gambling."

A samurai at the entrance immediately came over.

"Are you... shinobi from Konoha?"

"That's right. We accepted your boss's mission and came to protect your debt-collection team."

Jiraiya nodded.

The samurai was delighted. "Everyone, please follow me!"

He pointed to one side, then hurried inside. A moment later, a young man came running out of the room.

"Everyone, I'm Koji Matsuyama, the owner of the Blue Flower Pavilion."

The young man quickly introduced himself.

Jiraiya's expression turned serious.

"I'm Jiraiya, a Konoha Jonin. These are my subordinates, and we're in charge of this protection mission. Could you tell us what's going on?"

"Please come in. We can talk over tea."

When Matsuyama heard his name, his eyes lit up and he became even more respectful.

Jiraiya nodded.

They went to the back room, where Matsuyama instructed a maid to pour them tea.

"I never expected Lord Jiraiya himself to lead the team. We're incredibly lucky. This mission is sure to succeed."

Matsuyama flattered him.

Then he explained the details of the mission.

As it turned out—

They had tried to collect a debt from a group of merchants from the Land of Rivers, but the merchants had hired a group of wandering samurai. Matsuyama's people hadn't been able to beat them, and they weren't sure whether the other side had also hired wandering shinobi...

So they had applied to Konoha for a mission, offering the pay for a B-Rank Mission.

"So our job is to protect you while you collect the debt from the merchants of the Land of Rivers?"

Jiraiya asked.

Matsuyama nodded. "That's right."

Outside the teahouse in Tanzaku Town.

After a commotion, a large group of wandering samurai and wandering shinobi stormed out of the teahouse. Behind them, a man angrily shouted, "Once I get back to the Land of Rivers, I'll send over the rest of the money. Do you really have to ruin my business?"

"Hirakawa Ken, you said the same thing last time. I'm not letting you get away again."

Matsuyama snorted.

Most gamblers said things like that, especially merchants like this.

But in reality—

This man had put him off again and again, and had never intended to pay.

Worse, he owed not only gambling debts but also a large sum of money from business dealings.

Matsuyama had finally managed to catch him in Tanzaku Town. There was no way he'd let him go so easily.

"Sir."

Matsuyama stepped back beside Jiraiya, his manner respectful.

The other man's face changed.

"Shinobi? Get them! Take them out!"

The dozens of samurai around them looked at one another.

"Hurry up! Don't you want your money?"

"Yes!"

Dozens of people surged toward them.

Matsuyama hurriedly retreated.

Jiraiya smiled but didn't immediately move. Instead, he took a step back.

"Want to work together?"

Kyohiko looked at Kakashi.

"Whatever," Kakashi said coolly.

When it came to killing, he reckoned he was better than Kyohiko, who was still new to this. He definitely wouldn't fall behind again.

As he spoke, he drew his blade and readied himself.

Kyohiko formed Hand Seals with both hands, gathering and directing his chakra.

After more than a year of training, his Hand Seals were fast. In the blink of an eye, he'd finished the jutsu.

Then—

Splash!

A surging torrent of water burst from Kyohiko's mouth.

Water Release: Wild Water Wave.

The immense torrent swept forward like a flood, bowling over the people in front and forcing open a path.

Kakashi froze.

Had Kyohiko really only been practicing Water Style for half a month?

How could it be this powerful?

And that was after running all this way, with neither his physical nor spiritual energy in peak condition.

Under normal circumstances, the jutsu might've been even stronger.

This guy...

His talent for Water Style was incredible!

Kakashi felt a pang of envy.

At the moment, he focused more on Taijutsu, swordsmanship, and Lightning Release Ninjutsu. He didn't know much about Water Style.

But Jiraiya was different.

He knew very well that Kyohiko had not only mastered the essence of Water Wave, he was also trying to compress and concentrate the power of the water.

Otherwise—

An ordinary Water Wave couldn't have caused such a massive impact.

This approach...

With more power and refinement, it would become the Second Hokage's Water Severing Wave.

For an instant, when Kyohiko released the jutsu, Jiraiya had almost thought he was the Second Hokage reincarnated.

It was uncanny!

But—

This wasn't the time to stand around staring.

"Kakashi, don't just stand there."

"Huh? Right!"

The wandering samurai were certainly persistent. One by one, they struggled back to their feet and tried to charge.

Kakashi formed Hand Seals with both hands.

Lightning Style: Earth Flash!

The water came to an abrupt halt.

At the same time, Kakashi pressed both hands against the water. Electricity raced along the current, spreading forward. In the blink of an eye, every samurai who'd managed to stand was shocked to the ground.

Hirakawa Ken had already run off.

But where could an ordinary man run to?

Kyohiko used the Body Flicker Technique and raced after him across the rooftops. After a few flickers, he caught up.

He pressed a kunai to Hirakawa Ken's neck, forcing him to stop running.

"I'll pay! I'll pay!"

"Unfortunately, your credit with me is already below zero. Write to your father, Hirakawa Hiroshi, and have him send the money. Until then, don't even think about leaving my gambling house."