Tsunade, I am the Hokage!

The Land of Waves.

After crossing the bridge and the forest, we arrive at the largest island.

Bustling.

Over here, one can gradually see some homes.

On the island, people come and go, creating a lively scene.

Ahead, the sounds of laughter and joy come from the nearby izakaya.

Common folk.

Inside, not just samurai but also ordinary civilians can be seen.

Besides, the other entertainment spots on the streets are crowded with customers. Jiraiya's eyes widened, almost unable to move through the crowd.

The Land of Waves is truly different from what it would become later.

But that makes sense.

At present, the Land of Waves has not yet been completely monopolized by Gato's control over maritime trade. Ships from all over the seas stop here to rest.

Naturally, the crew members get off and indulge in shopping and entertainment.

The current prosperity and liveliness of the Land of Waves isn't that surprising. However, once maritime business is monopolized, the wealth of the entire country will be swept away by Gato.

Kyohiko couldn't help but think.

Is there profit to be made from the Land of Waves?

The profit he considered was, of course, not for his own benefit.

Though the Land of Waves seems peaceful now, there are hidden currents underneath. Various forces are at play, and as a mere Genin, it would be difficult for him to extract any profit from this.

However…

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

Also…

After careful thought, Kyohiko's eyes swept toward Jiraiya.

If he wanted to change the village's situation, it was impossible for him to do it alone. He would have to start by working through Jiraiya.

But…

Not yet!

Inside the building, the relatively young Gato(Kado) greeted them with a smile.

However, when he saw the two people behind Jiraiya, the expression on his face stiffened, and his smile became somewhat unnatural.

"Who are these two?" Gato asked, pointing at Kisame Hoshigaki and the other Hidden Mist ninja.

Matsuyama Ichirou snickered inwardly.

Still playing dumb?

"They are ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village. They attempted to ambush us on the way, but thanks to Lord Jiraiya's protection, I'm lucky to be able to meet you!" Matsuyama Ichirou sneered, acting like a person demanding an explanation right off the bat.

Gato's eyes glanced at Jiraiya, and his eyelids twitched.

Jiraiya?

Had he heard that correctly?

The legendary "Three Ninjas"—he had never seen Jiraiya in person, but had heard of him at sea.

How could Matsuyama Ichirou have invited one of the "Three Ninjas" to lead their group of guards?

No wonder the Hidden Mist ninjas hadn't succeeded.

Could it be that Konoha had some plans for the Land of Waves?

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

"Are you Jiraiya?" Gato asked.

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded.

Jiraiya wasn't impressed by Gato's attitude.

Gato's earlier reaction confirmed that the Hidden Mist ninjas had some connection with him.

"Gato, these people probably aren't from your group, right? This business seems shady!" Matsuyama Ichirou remarked with a stern face.

"How could that be! I, Gato, always conduct business with integrity, and would never do something like that. It must be a rival merchant slandering me!" Gato protested, not willing to admit anything.

Matsuyama Ichirou snorted coldly.

"I hope that's the case. Although the Matsuyama family is a small one, if something like that happens, you won't be able to gain any benefits!"

"Of course, I swear that I'm not that kind of person!" Gato repeated his vows.

However…

His gaze kept shifting to Jiraiya, Kyohiko, Kakashi, and the others.

The three children.

It seemed like Konoha wasn't looking to interfere, and Jiraiya was simply leading a group on a commission from the Matsuyama family.

He felt a little relieved.

Even so, Gato still dared not act recklessly, and the subsequent trade went surprisingly smoothly.

"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya," Matsuyama Ichirou said, relieved as they left Gato's place.

Without Jiraiya's protection, he probably would have died on the road or, even if he met Gato, the deal wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

Moreover…

He now saw the situation more clearly.

"Gato is insane. He's not here for business at all!"

Matsuyama Ichirou muttered under his breath.

Jiraiya didn't speak.

He understood.

Matsuyama Ichirou's words probably meant he hoped Jiraiya would take action to eliminate Gato's influence.

But…

Jiraiya, at this moment, was just as confused as ever.

Peace or war?

There were so many conflicting thoughts and emotions in his mind, and he couldn't find a satisfactory answer.

Just like the Land of Waves.

Would Konoha's intervention lead to new conflicts and war, ultimately causing the Land of Waves to fall into ruin?

Just like what happened to Uzushiogakure.

"Well, Matsuyama-san, now that your transaction with Gato is done, are you heading back, or do you have other businesses to attend to?" Kyohiko asked, noticing Jiraiya was deep in thought.

At this point, the priority was still the mission.

Matsuyama Ichirou immediately responded, "I still have a few businesses to take care of. Please continue to protect me. I will pay according to the level of difficulty for each task."

"Then let's proceed," Jiraiya said, nodding.

In the evening, thanks to Matsuyama Ichirou, they were staying at the most luxurious inn in the Land of Waves.

Situated on the island's mountainside, it offered a stunning view of the Land of Waves.

Jiraiya stood by the wind, deep in thought, when suddenly a voice interrupted him.

"Master, are you thinking about the Land of Waves and Gato?" Kyohiko asked.

"Hmm?" Jiraiya turned around.

It was Kyohiko!

Kyohiko sat at the edge of the rooftop, thought for a moment, and then voiced his thoughts.

"The Land of Waves is very prosperous, but beneath that prosperity, there are many unseen currents. Mr. Matsuyama wants us to intervene, but what I'm thinking is, should we intervene, and if so, how will that affect things?"

Jiraiya understood Kyohiko's train of thought.

At present, the Land of Waves hadn't sparked any major conflicts. All parties were maintaining a restrained and peaceful attitude.

Jiraiya nodded, letting out a long sigh.

"Yes! Right now, the ninja world is in a fragile balance, which is why peace has been maintained. Any conflict could trigger a change."

But a few seconds later, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Kyohiko's thoughts were so mature for his age that Jiraiya had momentarily forgotten he was barely eight years old.

Talking to Kyohiko about these matters…

Even someone as clever as him might struggle to understand it fully.

Jiraiya patted Kyohiko on the shoulder and was about to change the subject when he heard another voice.

"I don't think Gato is a good person."

"Huh?" Jiraiya was stunned for a moment.

How did Gato come up in the conversation?

He was surprised, but then he couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, children tend to decide things based on their likes and dislikes, not just on profit.

Jiraiya smiled. "Gato may not be a good person, but that's an internal matter for the Land of Waves."

"But now the Water Country and the Hidden Mist Village are involved," Kyohiko said firmly, though his voice was still young. "I don't understand what you mean by balance or conflict, but I know one thing: the more our enemies try to do something, the less we can let them succeed."

"Your way of thinking…" Jiraiya was stunned.

Enemies?

"In your eyes, is the Hidden Mist Village an enemy?" he asked.

"Isn't it? Even if we want peace, it's obvious they don't feel the same way. If we put in all the effort for peace, they won't appreciate it. Instead, they'll think we're weak and try to bully us," Kyohiko answered.

Jiraiya was shocked by his response.

Peace should be mutual.

So this was how the child saw things?

Jiraiya fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, he spoke.

"I don't know."

"What?" Kyohiko was surprised.

Jiraiya spoke seriously, "Though I'm your teacher, when it comes to ideas about peace and war, I'm also still searching for answers."

"Teacher, the peace of the ninja world rests on your generation's shoulders. You'd better step up!" Kyohiko said seriously.

Jiraiya almost couldn't contain his laughter.

He gently ruffled Kyohiko's hair, a bright smile appearing on his face.

"We may not find the answers in our generation. The peace of the ninja world will depend on your generation's efforts."

The two chatted briefly.

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

"I plan to investigate what Gato is really after, and then decide what to do next," Jiraiya said, his expression a bit more serious.

"I'll send a shadow clone. If the Hidden Mist ninjas we captured try anything, we need to stay vigilant."

"Understood!"

Kyohiko stood up.

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

"Having you around makes me feel more at ease. I can focus on other things," Jiraiya chuckled.

Kyohiko rolled his eyes. "Just don't go searching for information on the streets."

"Ahem, those places are great for gathering information. I'm not looking for anything else, though. Wait a minute… you're only seven or eight years old, how do you know so much?"

Jiraiya retorted, "You're no saint either!"

For a moment, the rooftop was filled with their playful banter.

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