Chapter 31 - The Peace of the Shinobi World Rests on Your Shoulders

Land of Waves.

Crossing the bridge and the forest beyond it led them to the largest island.

They began to see more homes along the way.

On the island, people bustled about, and the area looked quite prosperous.

Up ahead, laughter and chatter poured from a lively izakaya (tavern).

Inside were not just samurai, but also ordinary townsfolk.

Elsewhere along the street, all manner of entertainment establishments were full of patrons. Jiraiya’s eyes widened—he nearly stopped in his tracks.

The Land of Waves was indeed very different from how it would be in the future.

But that was to be expected.

At present, the Land of Waves had yet to fall completely under Gato’s control. Maritime trade was still active, and this island served as a major port of call.

Naturally, sailors coming ashore would spend freely.

This current prosperity of the Land of Waves wasn’t strange—but once Gato monopolized sea trade, all of this country’s wealth would be drained away.

Kyōen couldn’t help falling into thought.

Was the Land of Waves a land of opportunity?

Of course, the profits he considered weren’t for himself.

Though the nation appeared peaceful on the surface, it hid many undercurrents. With so many factions involved, it would be exceedingly difficult for a mere genin like him to carve out any personal gain.

However—

As the wielder of the “Hokage System,” if he could tie Konoha’s interests to those of the Land of Waves, there might be some reward in store.

Kyōen contemplated this, glancing toward Jiraiya.

If he wanted to change the village’s course, he certainly couldn’t do it alone—he needed to start with Jiraiya.

But—

No need to rush.

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

But the moment he saw Kisame Hoshigaki and another Kirigakure shinobi standing behind Jiraiya, his face stiffened. The smile on his lips became noticeably forced.

“These two are...?”

Gato pointed toward Kisame and his companion.

Matsuyama Ichirō sneered inwardly.

Still playing dumb?

“They’re shinobi from Kirigakure. Tried to ambush us on the road. If not for Lord Jiraiya’s protection, I might not even be standing here right now.”

Matsuyama spoke with cold sarcasm, adopting an accusatory tone the moment they met.

Gato’s eyes flicked toward Jiraiya, and his heart skipped a beat.

Ji–Jiraiya!?

He couldn’t have misheard.

One of the Legendary Sannin—he’d never met him before, but even out at sea, tales of the Sannin had spread far and wide.

How influential must Matsuyama Ichirō be, to have enlisted one of the Three Legendary Ninja as his escort?

No wonder the Kirigakure shinobi had failed.

This—

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

Gato’s heart pounded, his mind suddenly a blur.

“You’re... Jiraiya-sama?”

“Yes.”

Jiraiya nodded.

He didn’t think much of Gato.

That momentary reaction of Gato’s confirmed his ties to the Kirigakure shinobi.

This man wasn’t exactly running an honest business.

Matsuyama’s expression darkened.

“Gato, those thugs weren’t from your side, were they?”

“Of course not! I, Gato, pride myself on my integrity in business. This must be the doing of rival merchants trying to tarnish my name!”

Gato denied everything, naturally.

Matsuyama scoffed.

“Let’s hope that’s the case. Our Matsuyama clan may be a small one, but if anything like this happens again, you’ll gain nothing from it.”

“O-of course! I would never do such a thing!”

Gato swore up and down.

But—

His gaze kept shifting between Jiraiya, Kyōen, Kakashi, and Kurenai.

Three kids.

They didn’t seem like a formal Konoha task force—more like Jiraiya had personally taken on the Matsuyama family’s request.

That thought allowed Gato to breathe a little easier.

Even so, he dared not be careless. Following that, Matsuyama’s business negotiations went shockingly smoothly.

“Jiraiya-sama, thank you all again for your help.”

Once they had left Gato’s premises, Matsuyama Ichirō finally exhaled a breath of relief.

Without Jiraiya, he might’ve died on the road—or if he’d survived, the negotiations wouldn’t have gone so well.

Moreover—

He had seen the truth more clearly now.

“That bastard Gato’s insane. He’s not here to do business at all!”

Matsuyama cursed under his breath.

Jiraiya remained silent.

He understood what Matsuyama was getting at.

He wanted Jiraiya to take action—to wipe out Gato’s forces.

But—

Even Jiraiya himself was feeling conflicted.

Peace. War.

So many thoughts and contradictions stirred in his heart. He couldn’t find a satisfying answer.

Just like the Land of Waves…

Would Konoha’s intervention lead to conflict and war, ultimately dragging the Land of Waves into destruction?

Just like the fate of Uzushiogakure back then?

“Well then, Mr. Matsuyama, now that you’ve finished business with Gato, are you returning home or pursuing more deals?”

Noticing Jiraiya’s troubled state, Kyōen took the initiative to ask.

The mission still came first.

“I have a few more deals lined up,” Matsuyama responded immediately. “Please continue to protect me. I’ll pay accordingly based on the difficulty.”

“Very well.”

Jiraiya nodded.

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

Located on a mountainside, it offered a sweeping view of the nation below.

Jiraiya stood facing the wind, lost in thought, when a sudden voice broke the silence.

“Sensei, are you thinking about Gato and the Land of Waves?”

“Hmm?”

Jiraiya turned.

It was Kyōen.

The boy sat at the edge of the rooftop. After a moment’s thought, Jiraiya shared what was on his mind.

“The Land of Waves is very prosperous, but beneath that prosperity are hidden currents. Mr. Matsuyama clearly wants us to intervene… but I keep asking myself: would that be a good thing or a bad one?”

“You’re worried that our involvement might trigger a bigger war?”

Kyōen had already seen through Jiraiya’s concerns.

Currently, the Land of Waves hadn’t descended into outright conflict. All parties were maintaining a delicate peace.

Jiraiya feared that Konoha’s intervention might shatter that balance and spark a new war.

He nodded and sighed.

“Yes… The shinobi world is in a fragile balance right now. That’s the only reason peace holds. Even a single misstep could disrupt everything.”

But—

Just seconds later, Jiraiya chuckled softly.

Kyōen’s thoughts were too mature—it made him forget that this boy wasn’t even eight years old yet.

Talking about such weighty topics with a child...

No matter how smart, could he really understand?

Jiraiya patted Kyōen on the shoulder, about to change the subject—when the boy asked, “Sensei, Gato doesn’t seem like a good person, does he?”

“Huh?”

Jiraiya blinked.

Why was he suddenly bringing up Gato?

Surprised, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Well, that made sense.

Children saw the world more in terms of good and bad, not politics or profit.

Jiraiya chuckled. “You’re right—Gato doesn’t seem like a good person. But this is an internal matter of the Land of Waves.”

“But the Land of Water and Kirigakure are already involved,” Kyōen said firmly, his young voice filled with resolve. “I don’t really understand the balance or the conflicts you mentioned. But I do know this—whatever the enemy wants to achieve, we can’t let them succeed.”

“…That way of thinking…”

Jiraiya was stunned.

Enemy.

“In your eyes, Kirigakure is the enemy?”

“Isn’t it?” Kyōen replied. “Even if we want peace, clearly they don’t. If only we make sacrifices for peace, they won’t appreciate it—they’ll see us as weak and easy to bully.”

His answer left Jiraiya speechless.

Peace required mutual effort.

So that was how the boy saw it?

Jiraiya fell deep into thought.

He pondered for a long time.

“I don’t know.”

“…What?”

Kyōen blinked in surprise.

Jiraiya said solemnly, “Even though I’m your teacher, I’m still searching for the right path—how to understand peace, how to avoid war.”

“Sensei, the peace of the shinobi world rests on your generation’s shoulders. You have to stand strong!”

Kyōen said seriously.

Jiraiya almost burst out laughing.

He gently ruffled Kyōen’s hair, a bright smile blooming on his face.

“Our generation may no longer find the answer. The future of the shinobi world… it’s up to your generation now.”

The two shared a heartfelt exchange.

Then Kyōen said seriously, “Sensei, let’s talk more about Gato.”

“I’m going to investigate what he’s really planning. Once we know, we can decide what to do next.”

Jiraiya’s tone turned a little more serious.

“I’ll send a shadow clone to look into it. With those Kirigakure shinobi captured, who knows what their next move will be. You all need to stay sharp.”

“Yes!”

Kyōen stood up.

Then, after a pause, he added, “I’ll go talk to Kakashi. He seems distracted lately.”

“With you around, I can finally free up some time,” Jiraiya laughed heartily.

Kyōen rolled his eyes. “Just don’t use that free time to ‘gather intel’ on the street.”

“Ahem! Those places are hotbeds of information. It’s purely for reconnaissance. And hey—how does a brat like you, barely eight years old, know about those kinds of places anyway?”

Jiraiya shot back, “You’re not some innocent kid either!”

And with that, the rooftop echoed with playful banter.