The familiar courtyard.
Kyohiko returned home, his heart filled with emotion.
He opened the door and stepped inside, but suddenly froze. He'd been gone for several days, yet the place wasn't nearly as messy as he'd imagined. In fact, several new things had been added.
There were more sandbags.
And in a few spots around the courtyard, someone had planted...
Medicinal herbs?
But the front door and windows were covered in dust. It looked like no one had been inside.
Kyohiko opened the door and went in. After giving the room a quick clean,
"Man, I'm exhausted!"
He didn't start training right away. Instead, he went to the study and searched around until he finally found a book.
Sword Technique Notes
Swordsmanship.
Kyohiko opened it. The book contained Senju Tobirama's notes on swordsmanship.
Judging by the approach and ideas behind later techniques like Dance of the Crescent Moon and Konoha Style: Willow, their underlying swordsmanship concepts all came from Senju Tobirama's theories.
"White Fang's approach is assassination: kill with a single strike."
"Senju Tobirama's approach is to use genjutsu, ninjutsu, and various other methods to conceal his moves and create an opportunity to kill with one blow."
"Flying Thunder God Slash works in a similar way."
Madara's description of Senju Tobirama as "underhanded" was the highest praise one could give his tactical style.
What about him?
Kyohiko read through the notes carefully, turning the ideas over in his mind.
He didn't plan to specialize in swordsmanship.
To him, a sword was a tool for training and honing himself.
But White Fang's swordsmanship seemed to have improved his reflexes and his skill with Ninja Tools, too?
"No. More precisely, it should be the speed of my hands and how quickly I can strike."
Kyohiko thought it over carefully before reaching his conclusion.
In other words,
White Fang's swordsmanship and approach demanded sharp judgment, as well as astonishing reflexes and striking speed.
Kakashi didn't quite have those qualities.
Someone like Minato, with the kind of Godspeed that came from Flying Thunder God, could still control it with ease.
That was talent.
If Kakashi had that kind of talent, he wouldn't need the Sharingan. He could control Chidori well enough to use it in battle on his own.
Of course,
Kakashi wasn't lacking in talent. He just fell a tier short of Minato and White Fang.
"I'm definitely not as talented as White Fang in that regard."
"So,"
"I should take the strengths of both approaches and make up for my weaknesses as much as possible. That's the only way I might get stronger before the war begins!"
The Shinobi World seemed to have entered a brief period of peace, but conflicts were brewing everywhere, and small-scale battles were already breaking out.
It wasn't just Konoha and Kirigakure. The same was true between all the other villages.
War could break out at any moment. He couldn't blindly wait for the right time based on what had happened in the original timeline.
After resting enough,
it was time to train!
Kyohiko went downstairs and continued his training.
By evening, seven or eight sandbags were closing in on him. He quickly knocked three of them away, then ducked through a gap and fled to the edge of the courtyard.
As his strength improved and he grew more familiar with the routine, the training wasn't doing much for him anymore.
He'd have to build a mechanism and get his Shadow Clones to operate it.
Kyohiko went to bed early that night.
But
he suddenly jolted awake, immediately grabbing the Kunai beside him and darting to the window.
The next moment,
"You're still this cautious even in the village?"
Jiraiya pushed the window open.
Kyohiko froze.
"Teacher?"
He put away the Kunai and asked in surprise, "It's so late. Why aren't you resting? What brings you here?"
"I wanted to talk."
Jiraiya glanced around, looking a little sheepish. "Are you free?"
"Of course."
Kyohiko got up.
Outside, Jiraiya sat on the roof.
The moon shone brightly overhead.
He held a bottle of sake in one hand and a bottle of juice in the other. When he saw Kyohiko, he patted the spot beside him.
Kyohiko went over and sat down.
Jiraiya seemed troubled.
"You can have the juice."
"Okay."
Kyohiko took it and had a sip.
Orange juice.
It tasted pretty good.
Jiraiya drank his sake, then began talking on his own.
The subject...
It was the usual talk about peace.
The same old tune.
Kyohiko wasn't surprised. Given Jiraiya's personality, if this had been the Land of Rivers instead of the Land of Waves, with the Land of Wind as their opponent, he might have hesitated and chosen not to get involved.
The Land of Water and Kirigakure were a different matter.
Talking peace with them was like trying to reason with a brick wall.
Jiraiya's current hesitation seemed partly due to the Third Hokage's influence. He was also worried about Konoha's current situation: if a conflict with Kirigakure broke out in the Land of Waves, it could escalate further and leave Konoha weakened.
That was a reasonable concern.
Kyohiko listened quietly until Jiraiya finished.
"Kyohiko, you're different from ordinary children. You always have surprising ideas and things to say. What do you think—" He chuckled. "I'm asking for no reason. You already said we should stop them."
He took another drink and continued talking as he drank.
It was less like Jiraiya was talking with Kyohiko and more like he was sorting out his own thoughts aloud.
All he needed was someone to listen.
But
wasn't Minato in the village?
Well, this might still earn him a little something.
Kyohiko narrowed his eyes, fighting off his drowsiness.
As a child, being woken in the middle of the night made him desperately want to go back to sleep. But Jiraiya's troubles couldn't be solved with a single suggestion.
He was just too lost.
Fortunately, Jiraiya's ideals about peace hadn't fully taken root yet. There was still time.
As for stubborn old fools like Hiruzen Sarutobi—
Kyohiko didn't care what happened to him!
He listened quietly.
When Jiraiya finally finished and let out a long sigh, Kyohiko asked, "Teacher, what you're really worried about is that Konoha isn't strong enough right now. You're afraid that getting involved in the Land of Waves will cause a conflict with Kirigakure, and that being weakened will invite attacks from even more villages. Is that right?"
"Mm. That's part of it."
Jiraiya nodded.
Kyohiko said, "I don't understand how to run a village, and I don't understand the bigger picture of the Shinobi World or conflicts between nations. But when I was little and got into fights, I'd call my friends over so we could all beat the other guy up. If nothing else, I could trade candy or something to get other people on my side."
Why bother talking about honor with wicked scum like Kirigakure?
Jiraiya stared at him for a second, then couldn't help laughing.
Candy...
That really was a kid's solution.
But it worked.
Kids could hardly take their eyes off candy. But conflicts between countries and villages weren't as simple as children's fights.
Jiraiya smiled.
"Anything else? Go on."
"If you ask me, the Land of Waves is like a training ground. The other guy and I both want to train there, but there's a difference: I don't want it all to myself, while he does. So I'd get everyone else who doesn't want him to have it all to gang up on him."
"Gang up on him..."
Jiraiya frowned.
The Land of Waves held a strategic position for sea transport, but that mattered only to the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. It didn't offer much to the other nations.
How could they form an alliance?
If he had to name one, there was only Kumogakure.
Kumogakure wouldn't want Konoha or Kirigakure to gain control of the Land of Waves.
"Here's another way. I could find someone to stir things up so neither side gets it. As for everyone else, we can figure out how to deal with them later."
"Neither side gets it?"
Jiraiya froze.
Then he slapped his forehead.
"I'm such an idiot! You're right, Kyohiko. I know what direction to take now, and I know exactly where to find the perfect expert for the job."
As he spoke, Jiraiya quickly vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
It looked like he was going to find Orochimaru.
Getting Orochimaru to bring the Land of Waves over to the Land of Fire's side might be difficult, given the current situation. But sabotage? Stirring up trouble? He was absolutely an expert at that.
Then again,
Danzo was an expert at it, too!
Jiraiya cursed himself for being so foolish.
He needed Kyohiko to remind him of something so simple. Maybe...
his thinking really was too narrow!
Before you continue