Chapter 28 - Is This What Companionship Feels Like?

Morning. A gentle breeze stirred.

The ship slowly sailed forward. On the deck, Kyōen sat at the bow, quietly attuning himself to the rhythm of his chakra.

After a moment, he formed a one-handed seal.

Splash!

Water splattered upward.

A beat later, a crackling snap echoed across the deck.

A fish burst out of the water.

“Extra rations.”

“Nice!”

A nearby sailor cheered, hurrying over to scoop up the fish and slam it down on the deck.

“That’s the third one you’ve caught already!”

Yūhi Kurenai’s face lit up with excitement.

She was only eight or nine, still in that age where everything was a wonder. Seeing this kind of Water Style technique was naturally fascinating to her.

“How’d you do that?”

“A sensory technique similar to the Hidden Mist Style. If you ever face a Kirigakure shinobi, it’ll come in handy.”

Kyōen explained calmly.

Chakra sensing was a fundamental skill he’d read about in Tobirama Senju’s notes. That particular scroll broke down the core concepts of Hidden Mist Jutsu.

He had read a lot—but this was the first time he actually trained it.

Fortunately—

Thanks to bonuses from rewards like Monster Strength Technique, his chakra control and micromanipulation were excellent. Picking up this basic skill wasn’t too hard—he had it down after just a short while.

As for the trick of flushing the fish out? That was a creative spin on Water Shockwave.

The two were chatting when—

Boom!

A muffled explosion came from above deck.

Kurenai turned her head, a hint of joy flickering in her eyes.

“Kakashi did it!”

She sensed a surge of chakra from the room Kakashi was training in.

“Let’s go check on him.”

Kyōen immediately started packing up.

When compressing chakra, poor control could easily result in injury—especially to the hands.

Kakashi had probably been at it non-stop since yesterday.

As for Jiraiya, while responsible, he could be... scatterbrained. Not someone you could count on all the time—

He’d already disappeared without a trace.

Probably off chatting with Ichirō Matsuyama or watching some live music or dancing on board.

Knock knock knock!

They rapped on the door.

But—

No response from inside for a long while.

Kyōen and Kurenai exchanged glances. Then—

BANG!

They kicked the door open.

Kakashi, still wearing his mask, lay sprawled on the floor. Only his eyes were capable of moving, staring blankly at the doorway.

His blurred vision caught sight of two small figures bursting in, worry etched across their faces.

Slowly, his gaze drifted up to the ceiling, and something stirred deep within his tired heart.

Is this... what having comrades feels like?

His vision faded, and consciousness grew hazy. In the distance, he heard—

“He’s completely drained his chakra.”

“Hold him up. I’ll control water with chakra and help him swallow a soldier pill.”

“Got it!”

…

Back outside, the room door had already been repaired by the Matsuyama crew.

Kyōen and Kurenai stood in the corridor, gazing out toward the distant coastline gradually rising above the sea.

That was the Land of Waves.

The two of them stared into the distance.

Kurenai leaned against the window, then let out a quiet sigh.

“To be honest... Kakashi was always seen as a genius back at the Academy. I used to think it was only natural he was better than us because of that. But now…”

Behind that “genius” was a heavy price.

Kyōen nodded with deep understanding.

“It’s not the genius that’s scary. It’s the fact they still work harder than everyone else.”

“…”

Kurenai tilted her head, her small eyes filled with big confusion—

How do you have the nerve to say that?

Kyōen cleared his throat. “I mean... I work hard too. But I’m just an ordinary, unremarkable guy.”

Kurenai couldn’t take it anymore. She waved him off.

“I’m gonna go see if Kakashi’s awake.”

Ordinary?

What a joke!

What kind of “ordinary” person was like you?

Kurenai decisively ended the conversation—any longer and she might genuinely start feeling jealous—

If that’s what “unremarkable” looks like, then I want some of it too!

She returned to her room to read, and Kyōen didn’t bother her.

He was more than happy to relax in the corridor.

It wouldn’t be long before they reached the Land of Waves.

Given Kakashi’s current state, even if he did wake up soon, it was unlikely he’d be able to fight effectively. If he didn’t drag them down, that would already be enough.

Kyōen needed to stay in peak condition to prevent any surprises.

Roughly half an hour passed.

Then came the call—

“We’ve arrived at the Land of Waves!”

Knock knock!

Jiraiya returned, carrying the faint scent of alcohol, and walked in with a big grin.

“Hahaha, not bad! Kakashi had an accident and you guys handled it yourselves. Looks like I don’t even need to be around for this mission.”

“Sensei, there was such a loud noise, and you didn’t even check on us!”

Kurenai rolled her eyes.

Clearly—

Kakashi had nearly blown himself up, and Jiraiya was off drinking instead of paying attention. She was not happy.

“What do you mean? I was watching the whole time.”

Jiraiya chuckled.

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers.

The seagull perched outside Kakashi’s window instantly dissolved into mist and vanished.

A shadow clone.

Kurenai’s eyes went wide. Her cheeks flushed as she quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”

“No need. I just wanted to see how you’d handle the unexpected. As for stopping him—Kakashi’s the type who wouldn’t listen anyway.”

Jiraiya said this as he bit his finger.

Moments later, a burly toad with armored forearms appeared beside him.

Summoning Jutsu!

As the daughter of a jōnin, Kurenai wasn’t surprised.

She curiously inspected the toad.

“Sensei.”

Kyōen stepped into the corridor.

He’d sensed the chakra fluctuation and came over immediately.

“Good. You and Kurenai did well. We’ll escort Mr. Matsuyama to find Gatō. Kakashi can ride on the armored toad.”

“Understood.”

Kyōen nodded.

He handed his weighted armguards and leg weights to Jiraiya, feeling light as a feather without them.

The three of them—plus one toad—disembarked from the ship.

To civilians, ninja were symbols of mystery and power, so even when they saw a massive toad, they were shocked but not terrified or panicked.

Outside, Ichirō Matsuyama had already prepared a carriage.

“Jiraiya, all of you, feel free to ride in the carriage.”

“No need. Walking outside lets us better ensure your safety.”

Jiraiya declined politely.

Matsuyama was pleased to hear that and climbed into the carriage himself after a round of pleasantries.

The Land of Waves wasn’t large.

It was composed of one large island and several smaller ones. From a distance, they could already see bridges and buildings—but the bridges only connected a few islands. Many places still required boats for travel.

A glance revealed numerous ships going to and fro.

Kurenai immediately became more alert.

This kind of environment—perfect for an ambush by Hidden Mist shinobi!

Jiraiya led at the front, the armored toad carrying Kakashi in the center, and Kyōen and Kurenai bringing up the rear—forming a protective triangular formation.

The Land of Waves might be small, but traveling from the dock to Gatō’s location took nearly half an hour.

The journey passed without incident.

Still, Kurenai looked uneasy. She jogged closer to Kyōen.

“Kyōen... I think I sensed a very faint chakra signature. Did you feel anything?”

“No, but you’re probably right.”

Kyōen’s expression turned serious—

Kurenai’s sensory ability was better than his.

Which meant—

There was a good chance she’d picked up on danger he couldn’t detect himself.

“Should we…”

“No rush. If there are enemies, Sensei will spot them. Trust him. We wait for orders.”

“…Okay.”

Kurenai nodded.

The chakra presence vanished, but she didn’t let her guard down.

The carriage passed a shallow marsh. Trees grew denser on both sides, and boats occasionally drifted by on the nearby waters.

A light morning mist hung in the air.

It was hard to see clearly in the distance.

Kyōen quietly refined his chakra, expanding his sensory range.

And then, he detected something—

Up ahead… in the water.