The Shinobi World's Peace Rests on Your Shoulders

The Land of Waves.

Beyond the bridge and the forest lay the largest island.

Houses gradually came into view.

The island was bustling with people, and it looked prosperous.

A commotion rose from the izakaya ahead, accompanied by bursts of cheerful laughter.

Inside were not only samurai but also ordinary civilians.

The other entertainment spots along the street were packed with customers, too. Jiraiya's eyes widened so much he could barely keep walking.

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

That was only natural.

The Land of Waves hadn't yet had its maritime trade completely monopolized by Gato. Ships still came and went, stopping here along their routes.

When sailors came ashore, they were bound to spend lavishly.

The Land of Waves was prosperous and lively now, which wasn't unusual. But once maritime trade was monopolized, Gato would sweep up all the wealth in the entire country.

Kyohiko couldn't help but ponder.

Could the Land of Waves be profitable?

The benefits he was considering, of course, weren't for himself.

The Land of Waves seemed peaceful now, but under the surface, currents were swirling, and all kinds of forces were at play. For a mere Genin like him, profiting from the situation would be exceedingly difficult.

However...

As the holder of the Hokage System, if he could link Konoha's interests with those of the Land of Waves, he might be able to earn a reward.

After thinking it over, Kyohiko glanced at Jiraiya.

He couldn't change the village's overall direction on his own. He'd have to start with Jiraiya.

But...

There was no need to rush!

Inside, the still-young Gato greeted them with a smile.

However...

When he saw Kisame Hoshigaki and another Mist Village ninja behind Jiraiya, his expression stiffened, and his smile turned awkward.

"Who are these two?"

Gato pointed at Kisame and the other ninja.

Ichiro Matsuyama sneered inwardly.

Still playing dumb?

"They're ninjas from Kirigakure. They tried to ambush us on the road. Fortunately, Lord Jiraiya protected us, or I might never have made it here to see you!"

Ichiro Matsuyama sneered, confronting him as soon as they met.

Gato glanced at Jiraiya, and his eyelid twitched.

J-Jiraiya?

Had he heard that right?

The Sannin were renowned throughout the world. Gato had never met them, but he'd heard of them at sea.

What kind of pull did Ichiro Matsuyama have to get one of the Sannin to lead his escort?

No wonder the Mist Village ninjas had failed.

This—

Could it be that Konoha had set its sights on the Land of Waves, too?

Gato's heart raced, and his mind went blank.

"Are you Jiraiya?"

"Mm."

Jiraiya nodded.

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

Gato's reaction just now proved that he was indeed connected to the Kirigakure ninjas.

This man wasn't doing business honestly!

Ichiro Matsuyama's expression darkened.

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

"Of course not! I, Gato, always do business with integrity. I would never do something like that. It must have been a rival merchant trying to smear my name!"

Gato protested. He would never admit to it.

Ichiro Matsuyama snorted.

"See that you don't. The Matsuyama Clan may be small, but if something like this really happened, you'd never get away with it!"

"Yes, of course. I'm definitely not that kind of person!"

Gato swore again and again.

However...

His gaze kept flicking between Jiraiya, Kyohiko, Kakashi, and Kurenai Yuhi.

Three kids.

It didn't look like Konoha was trying to interfere. Rather, Jiraiya had accepted a commission from the Matsuyama Clan and was leading the team.

Gato felt a little relieved.

Even so, he didn't dare act recklessly, and Ichiro Matsuyama's subsequent transaction went astonishingly smoothly.

"Lord Jiraiya, thank you for everything this time."

After leaving Gato's place, Ichiro Matsuyama finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Without Jiraiya, he would've died on the way. Even if he'd made it to Gato, the deal wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly as it had.

Moreover...

He'd gained a clearer understanding.

"Gato's a madman. He's not here to do business at all!"

Ichiro Matsuyama cursed under his breath.

Jiraiya said nothing.

He understood.

Ichiro Matsuyama was probably saying all this in the hope that Jiraiya would step in and drive Gato's forces out.

But...

Jiraiya himself was lost right now.

Peace. War.

His mind was full of confused, conflicting thoughts, and he couldn't find a satisfying answer.

Like with the Land of Waves.

Would Konoha's intervention bring new conflicts and war, ultimately leading to the Land of Waves' destruction?

Just like Uzushio Village back then.

"Then, Mr. Matsuyama, now that you've finished your deal with Gato, are you heading back, or do you have other business?"

Seeing Jiraiya's troubled expression, Kyohiko spoke up beside him.

For now, the mission was what mattered.

Ichiro Matsuyama immediately replied, "I still have a few more deals to make. Please keep protecting me. I'll pay you more according to the difficulty of each commission!"

"All right, then."

Jiraiya nodded.

That evening, thanks to Ichiro Matsuyama, they stayed at the most luxurious inn in the Land of Waves.

It stood on the mountainside of the island, overlooking the Land of Waves below.

Jiraiya stood in the breeze, lost in thought. A voice suddenly sounded beside him.

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

"Hm?"

Jiraiya turned his head.

It was Kyohiko!

He sat on the edge of the rooftop, thought for a moment, then voiced what was on his mind.

"The Land of Waves is prosperous, but beneath that prosperity, there are many undercurrents that are hard to see. Mr. Matsuyama keeps trying to get us involved, but I'm wondering whether our involvement would be a good thing or a bad thing."

"You're worried that our involvement might spark another major war?"

Kyohiko understood Jiraiya's state of mind.

For now, the Land of Waves had avoided any major conflict. The various sides were holding back, maintaining a fragile peace.

Jiraiya was worried that Konoha's involvement might ignite a new war.

Jiraiya nodded and sighed.

"That's right! The Shinobi World is in a delicate balance right now, and that's the only reason peace can be maintained. Any conflict could upset it."

But...

A few seconds later, he let out a wry laugh.

Kyohiko's thoughts were so mature that Jiraiya had forgotten the boy was not even eight years old.

Talking about this with Kyohiko...

No matter how clever the boy was, it would probably be hard for him to understand, wouldn't it?

Jiraiya patted Kyohiko on the shoulder, intending to change the subject. Just as he was about to speak, the boy beside him said, "Gato doesn't seem like a good person to me."

"Hm?"

Jiraiya was bewildered for a moment.

How had they gotten onto Gato?

He was surprised for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.

That made sense.

Children judged people by whether they liked them, not by their interests.

Jiraiya smiled. "Gato doesn't seem like a good person, but this is an internal matter for the Land of Waves."

"But now the Land of Water and Kirigakure are getting involved."

Kyohiko's voice was young, but his resolve was clear. "I don't understand what you mean by balance and conflict, but I do know that if our enemies want to do something, we can't let them succeed."

"That way of thinking..."

Jiraiya was stunned.

Enemies.

"Do you consider Kirigakure an enemy?"

"Isn't it? Even if we want peace, they clearly don't feel the same way, do they? If we're the only ones making an effort to keep the peace, they won't appreciate it. They'll just think we're weak and easy to bully."

Kyohiko replied.

His reasoning left Jiraiya dumbfounded.

Peace had to be mutual.

So this was how the boy understood it?

Jiraiya fell into thought.

He pondered for a long time.

"I don't know."

"What?"

Kyohiko froze.

Jiraiya said solemnly, "Although I'm your teacher, I'm still searching and exploring when it comes to peace, war, and the path forward."

"Teacher, the Shinobi World's peace rests on your shoulders. You'd better get it together!"

Kyohiko looked serious.

Jiraiya could barely hold it together.

He gently ruffled Kyohiko's hair, a radiant smile spreading across his face.

"Our generation probably won't find the answer. The Shinobi World's peace will have to depend on your generation's efforts."

The two of them went back and forth for a while.

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

"I'm going to investigate what Gato is really up to, then decide what to do next."

As he spoke, Jiraiya's expression grew slightly serious.

"I'll send a Shadow Clone. The Kirigakure ninjas we've captured could do anything next, so you all need to stay alert, too."

"Yes!"

Kyohiko stood up.

Then he thought for a moment and said, "I'll go talk to Kakashi. He seems troubled."

"With you around, I feel much more at ease. It means I can spend more time on other things."

Jiraiya laughed heartily.

Kyohiko rolled his eyes. "Just don't spend that free time scouring the streets for information."

"Ahem, that's where the information is best. It's not like I'm doing that sort of thing. Wait, you little brat! You're only seven or eight. How do you know so much?"

Jiraiya shot back. "You're no saint yourself!"

For a while, the rooftop rang with heated debate.