In the morning, a gentle breeze blew.
The ship slowly set sail, and on the deck, Kyohiko sat at the bow, feeling the fluctuations of his chakra.
After a while, he formed a single hand seal.
Splash!
Water sprayed into the air.
Following that, a series of "pitter-patter" sounds echoed on the deck.
A fish had been washed ashore.
"Extra meal."
"Great!"
The nearby sailors immediately cheered, rushing forward to pick up the fish and smash it on the ground.
"This is the third fish you've caught!"
Kurenai was excited.
After all, she was only eight or nine years old, at an age where she was curious about everything. Seeing such a novel use of water release, she couldn't help but join in the excitement.
"How did you do that?"
"It's similar to the sensing technique used in the Hidden Mist Technique. If we encounter Kirigakure ninjas, mastering this technique will be useful."
Kyohiko explained.
Chakra sensing was a basic technique he had read about in Tobirama's notes. The notes detailed the core techniques of the Hidden Mist Technique.
He had read a lot, but this was the first time he had practiced it.
Fortunately—
Thanks to the rewards from leveling up the Super Strength Technique, his chakra control and precision were strong enough to master this basic technique without much difficulty. After practicing for a while, he succeeded.
As for the technique of washing fish ashore, it was an alternative use of the Water Wave technique.
While the two were chatting.
A loud "boom" came from above.
Kurenai turned her head, her face showing a hint of joy.
"Kakashi succeeded!"
She sensed a strong chakra fluctuation coming from Kakashi's room.
"Let's go check on him."
Kyohiko immediately packed up.
During the process of compressing chakra, losing control could easily injure one's hands.
Kakashi had probably been practicing non-stop since yesterday.
Jiraiya, though responsible, could be quite scatterbrained at times and couldn't be fully relied upon—
He was nowhere to be seen now.
Probably chatting with Matsuyama Ichiro or watching music and dances on the ship.
Knock, knock, knock!
The door was knocked.
However.
For a long time, there was no response from inside.
Kyohiko and Kurenai exchanged glances, then—
Bang!
They kicked the door open.
Kakashi, still wearing his mask, was sprawled on the floor, unable to move except for his eyes, which were staring blankly at the door.
He vaguely saw two short figures rushing in anxiously.
Then, Kakashi's gaze shifted to the ceiling, and his weary heart was deeply moved.
Is this what it feels like to have comrades?
His vision blurred, and his consciousness faded. He faintly heard...
"He's used up too much chakra."
"Help me hold him. I'll use water manipulation to help him drink the soldier pill."
"Okay!"
...
Back outside, the door had already been repaired by the Matsuyama family.
Kyohiko and Kurenai stood on the corridor, looking at the distant coastline that had come into view.
That was the Land of Waves!
The two gazed into the distance.
Kurenai leaned against the window and suddenly sighed. "To be honest, Kakashi has always been a genius at school. I always thought he was naturally talented and stronger than us, but now..."
The price of being a genius was heavy.
Kyohiko nodded deeply.
"Geniuses aren't scary. What's scary is that they're also hardworking."
"..."
Kurenai tilted her head, her small eyes filled with confusion—
How could you say something like that with a straight face?
Kyohiko coughed lightly. "I work hard too, but I'm just an ordinary person."
Kurenai couldn't listen anymore and immediately waved her hand.
"I'll go check if Kakashi's awake."
Ordinary?
That's a joke!
What kind of ordinary person are you?
Kurenai decisively ended the conversation, otherwise she might start feeling jealous—
If this was what being ordinary meant, she wanted it too!
Kurenai went back to her room to read, and Kyohiko didn't disturb her.
He was happy to rest in the corridor.
Soon, they would arrive in the Land of Waves.
In Kakashi's current state, even if he woke up soon, it would be difficult for him to regain much combat strength in a short time. It would be impressive if he didn't hold them back.
Kyohiko needed to stay in good condition to avoid any accidents.
About half an hour later.
With a shout—
The Land of Waves was in sight!
The door was knocked, and Jiraiya returned, carrying a faint smell of alcohol. As soon as he entered, he started praising them.
"Hahaha, not bad! You handled Kakashi's situation well. It seems you can handle missions without me."
"Teacher, you didn't even come to check when there was such a loud noise!"
Kurenai rolled her eyes.
Clearly.
She was quite displeased that Jiraiya had ignored Kakashi's recklessness and was drinking downstairs instead.
"Who said I didn't? I was watching the whole time."
Jiraiya laughed.
With a snap of his fingers.
The seagull that had been lingering outside Kakashi's window turned into foam and disappeared.
A shadow clone.
Kurenai's eyes widened, and her face turned red as she quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, I..."
"It's fine. I just wanted to see how you'd handle an unexpected situation. As for stopping him, with Kakashi's personality, stopping him wouldn't have done much good."
Jiraiya said, biting his finger.
Soon, a sturdy toad with armored arms appeared.
Summoning Technique!
As the daughter of a jonin, Kurenai wasn't surprised.
She looked at it curiously.
"Teacher."
Kyohiko came over from the corridor.
He had sensed the chakra fluctuation and immediately rushed over.
"Good job, you and Kurenai did well. We'll go ashore first to escort Mr. Matsuyama to Gato. I'll have Iron Arm Toad carry Kakashi."
"Alright."
Kyohiko nodded.
Then, he handed his weighted armbands and leg weights to Jiraiya, feeling lighter than ever.
The three of them, along with the toad, left the cabin.
To ordinary people, ninjas were mysterious and powerful, so seeing a giant toad, while shocking, didn't cause excessive fear or surprise.
Outside, Matsuyama Ichiro had prepared a carriage.
"Jiraiya, why don't you all get in the carriage?"
"No need. Staying outside allows us to protect you to the fullest."
Jiraiya refused.
Matsuyama Ichiro was pleased and, after some polite exchanges, got into the carriage himself.
The Land of Waves wasn't very large.
It consisted of one large island and several smaller ones, connected by bridges and buildings. However, many of the smaller islands could only be reached by boat.
At a glance, many boats could be seen coming and going.
Kurenai immediately became more alert.
This environment was perfect for Kirigakure ninjas to ambush them!
Jiraiya walked at the front, Iron Arm Toad carried Kakashi in the middle, and Kyohiko and Kurenai brought up the rear, forming a triangular formation.
The Land of Waves wasn't big.
But it still took about half an hour to get from the dock to Gato's location.
There was no danger along the way.
However, Kurenai seemed uneasy. As she ran, she leaned closer to Kyohiko.
"Kyohiko, I think I sensed a very subtle chakra fluctuation. Did you feel it?"
"No, but you might be right."
Kyohiko replied, his expression turning serious—
Kurenai's sensing ability was stronger than his!
So.
It was very likely that Kurenai had sensed some danger, while he hadn't noticed anything.
"What should we..."
"Don't worry. If there's an enemy, the teacher will definitely notice. Trust him and wait for his orders."
"Okay."
Kurenai nodded.
The chakra fluctuation disappeared, but she didn't dare to let her guard down.
The carriage passed through a puddle, and the trees on both sides gradually became denser. Boats could be seen moving back and forth on the water.
In the morning, a thin mist lingered.
Distant areas were hard to see clearly.
Kyohiko refined his chakra, quietly extending it outward to expand his sensing range.
He detected something.
Ahead, in the puddle!