Peace in the Ninja World Rests on You

Land of Waves.

Crossing the bridge and the forest, they finally arrived at the largest island.

Houses began to appear in sight.

The island was bustling with people, looking quite prosperous.

A wave of clamor erupted from an izakaya ahead, accompanied by bursts of cheerful laughter.

Inside, there were not only samurai but also common folk.

Furthermore, other places of entertainment on the street were packed with guests, making Jiraiya's eyes widen so much that he nearly couldn't move his feet.

The Land of Waves was truly completely different from what it would become in the future.

This was to be expected.

At present, the Land of Waves had not yet had its maritime trade completely monopolized by Gato, so ships traveling the seas still stopped here to rest.

When the crew disembarked, they naturally spent lavishly.

The current prosperity and liveliness of the Land of Waves were not strange, but once the shipping business was monopolized, the entire wealth of the Land of Waves would be swept away by Gato.

Kyohiko couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Was there profit to be made in the Land of Waves?

The profit he was considering was, of course, not his own personal gain.

The Land of Waves currently appeared peaceful, but in reality, undercurrents were surging, and various factions were present; for a mere genin like him, trying to seize benefits from within was incredibly difficult.

However.

As the owner of the "Hokage System," if he could link the interests of Konoha with the Land of Waves, he might be able to obtain a reward.

Kyohiko pondered repeatedly, his gaze sweeping toward Jiraiya.

To change the village's grand strategy, he certainly couldn't do it alone; he had to start with Jiraiya.

But.

No rush for now!

Inside the room, a still-young Gato smiled as he welcomed them.

However.

When he saw Kisame Hoshigaki and the other Kirigakure ninja behind Jiraiya, his expression stiffened, and his smile became unnatural.

"And these two are?"

Gato pointed at Kisame Hoshigaki and his companion.

Ichiro Matsuyama sneered inwardly.

Still playing dumb?

"They are ninja from Kirigakure. They tried to ambush us on the road. Fortunately, Lord Jiraiya protected us, otherwise, I might not have been able to see you at all!"

Ichiro Matsuyama sneered, his posture one of questioning and holding someone accountable the moment they met.

Gato's gaze flickered toward Jiraiya, and his eyelids twitched.

Ji, Jiraiya?

He hadn't misheard, had he!

The prestige of the Sannin was illustrious; he had never met him, but he had heard of him on the high seas.

What kind of influence did Ichiro Matsuyama have to be able to invite one of the Sannin to lead his escort!

No wonder the Kirigakure ninja hadn't succeeded.

This—

Could it be that Konoha also had designs on the Land of Waves?

Gato's heart raced, his mind going blank.

"You are Jiraiya?"

"Mm."

Jiraiya nodded.

He didn't have a very good impression of Gato.

Gato's reaction just now proved that the Kirigakure ninja were indeed connected to him.

This man's business practices were not clean!

Ichiro Matsuyama's expression was unkind.

"Gato, these people weren't sent by you, were they?"

"How could that be! I, Gato, have always been a man of my word in business; I wouldn't do such a thing. It must be rival merchants trying to smear my name!"

Gato cried foul, refusing to admit to anything.

Ichiro Matsuyama let out a cold snort.

"It had better be that way. Although the Matsuyama Clan is only a small family, if something like that were to happen, you would certainly gain nothing from it!"

"Yes, of course, I, Gato, am definitely not that kind of person!"

Gato swore repeatedly.

However.

His gaze kept drifting toward Jiraiya, as well as Kyohiko, Kakashi, and Kurenai Yuhi.

Three children.

It didn't look like Konoha intended to intervene; rather, it seemed Jiraiya was leading a team to accept a commission from the Matsuyama Clan.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart.

Even so, Gato dared not act recklessly, and the subsequent transaction with Ichiro Matsuyama went smoothly to a terrifying degree.

"Lord Jiraiya, thank you all for this trip."

After leaving Gato's location, Ichiro Matsuyama truly let out a sigh of relief.

If not for Jiraiya, he surely would have died on the road, or even if he had met with Gato, the outcome of the transaction would not have been this smooth.

Furthermore.

He saw things more clearly now.

"That guy Gato is a madman; he isn't here to do business at all!"

Ichiro Matsuyama cursed and grumbled.

Jiraiya did not speak.

He understood very well.

Ichiro Matsuyama said these things likely in the hope that he would take action and wipe out Gato's forces.

However.

Jiraiya himself was feeling very lost right now.

Peace, war.

He had many chaotic, conflicting thoughts and ideas in his heart, and he could not find a satisfactory answer.

Just like the Land of Waves.

Would Konoha's intervention bring about new conflicts and wars, ultimately leading the Land of Waves to ruin?

Just like the Uzushio Village of the past.

"So, Mr. Matsuyama, now that you have finished your business with Gato, are you heading back, or do you have new business to attend to?"

Seeing that Jiraiya's mind was in turmoil, Kyohiko spoke up from the side.

The mission was still the priority.

Ichiro Matsuyama immediately said, "I have a few more deals. I would trouble you all to continue protecting me; I will pay extra according to the equivalent difficulty of the commission!"

"Then let it be so."

Jiraiya nodded.

By evening, thanks to Ichiro Matsuyama, they were staying in the most luxurious inn in the Land of Waves.

Situated on the mountainside of the island, one could overlook the entire Land of Waves from above.

Jiraiya stood facing the wind in deep thought when a voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Teacher, are you thinking about the Land of Waves and Gato and his men?"

"Hm?"

Jiraiya turned his head.

It was Kyohiko!

He sat on the edge of the rooftop, thought for a moment, and voiced what was in his heart.

"The Land of Waves is very prosperous, but beneath that prosperity, there are many unseen undercurrents. Mr. Matsuyama has always wanted us to intervene, but what I am thinking about is whether our intervention would be good or bad."

"Are you worried that intervening will trigger a new major war?"

Kyohiko understood Jiraiya's mindset.

Currently, the Land of Waves had at least not triggered any major conflicts, and all parties were maintaining a posture of restraint and peace.

He was worried that Konoha's intervention would detonate a new war.

Jiraiya nodded and let out a long sigh.

"Indeed! The ninja world is currently in a delicate balance, which is why peace can be maintained. Any conflict could potentially trigger a change."

But.

Within seconds, he chuckled in amusement.

Kyohiko's thoughts were too mature, making him forget the boy was barely eight years old.

Discussing these things with Kyohiko...

No matter how smart, he'd probably have trouble understanding, right?

Jiraiya patted Kyohiko's shoulder, intending to change the subject. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the child beside him ask, "I don't think Gato is a good person."

"Hm?"

Jiraiya was stunned for a moment.

How did it turn to Gato?

He was surprised for a bit, then couldn't help but want to laugh.

Right.

Children tend to act based on likes and dislikes, not on interests.

Jiraiya smiled and said, "Gato might not seem like a good person, but this is an internal matter for the Land of Waves."

"But the Land of Water, Kirigakure, is getting involved now."

Kyohiko's voice was childish, but firm. "I don't understand what you mean by balance and conflict, but I know that the more the enemy wants to do something, the more we must prevent them from doing it."

"This way of thinking of yours..."

Jiraiya was taken aback.

Enemy.

"In your eyes, is Kirigakure the enemy?"

"Isn't it? Even if we want peace, they clearly don't think the same way, do they? If we're the only ones making an effort for peace, they won't appreciate it. Instead, they'll think we're weak and can be bullied."

Kyohiko replied.

His thoughts left Jiraiya astonished.

Peace is mutual.

So this was how the child understood it?

Jiraiya fell into thought.

He pondered for a long time.

"I don't know."

"What?"

Kyohiko blinked in surprise.

Jiraiya said gravely, "Although I am your teacher, I am also exploring and searching for ideals and paths regarding peace and war."

"Teacher, the peace of the ninja world rests on your shoulders. You have to step up!"

Kyohiko said with a serious expression.

Jiraiya found it hard to maintain his composure.

He gently stroked Kyohiko's hair, a brilliant smile blooming on his face.

"It's difficult for our generation to find the answers anymore. The peace of the ninja world will depend on your generation's efforts."

After their back-and-forth.

Kyohiko said seriously, "Teacher, let's talk about Gato first."

"I plan to investigate what Gato is trying to do, and then decide what to do next," Jiraiya said, his expression slightly serious.

"I will dispatch Shadow Clones. If Kirigakure ninjas are captured by us, it's hard to say what they'll do next, so you all need to be vigilant."

"Yes!"

Kyohiko stood up.

Then, he thought for a moment and said, "I'll go talk to Kakashi. He seems to have something on his mind."

"With you here, I'm very relieved. I can do more things when I have free time," Jiraiya laughed heartily.

Kyohiko rolled his eyes. "Don't you just use your free time to go searching for information on the streets."

"Ahem, those places are the most well-informed. I'm not going for that. No, you little brat, you're only seven or eight, how do you know so much?"

Jiraiya retorted, "You're not exactly a good person yourself!"

For a moment, the rooftop was filled with their heated debate.