Following the address Naruto had left in his letter, Kiyosuke and his group set out immediately after leaving Konoha.
On the way, Boruto wouldn't stop complaining.
"So tired... why don't we have some kind of convenient transport, like a train or something?!"
"You kids really are spoiled," Kiyosuke frowned. "It's just traveling, and you're already whining nonstop. Sasuke, the future of Konoha looks grim."
"No. My daughter's not like that."
Sasuke coughed lightly. His little princess was fiercely independent. Even though her parents and older brother doted on her, she was strong-willed, serious, and responsible. She looked every bit the future of Konoha.
The only thing was... her dream of becoming Hokage made him think of Naruto.
"I'm just complaining a little! Was traveling always like this back then?" Boruto asked.
"Of course," Kiyosuke replied. "Back during the Third Shinobi World War, we marched straight from the Land of Wind across the Land of Fire to fight in the Land of Water. Kids like you can't even begin to imagine the hardships of that war. Tell me, have you ever killed anyone?"
"No. Why would I kill anyone?" Boruto shot back.
Kiyosuke snorted. "And that's exactly why you can't grow. A shinobi who's never shed blood is soft. I don't know how Naruto and Hinata raised you, but they've protected you far too well."
As expected, Boruto was hopeless—his mindset couldn't compare to their generation, let alone Naruto's. Without the right resolve, he would be powerless before the great tides of history.
"I don't even want that kind of protection! Dad's so busy, he couldn't even show up for Himawari's birthday!"
"Because he doesn't want you to live through what he had to," Kiyosuke said. "Even though I was around, I was never really a father to him. I had missions, I had responsibilities. Naruto grew up mostly in the care of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans. My role in his childhood was minimal. Compared to him, you've had a complete, happy childhood."
"...Hmph!"
Boruto turned away, refusing to continue.
Sasuke spoke. "It's true, the new generation of shinobi can't compare to how we were when we were young. Living in peace, they need a real trial."
Kiyosuke nodded. "It all comes down to a lack of crisis. You and Naruto are too strong, and that's part of the problem. Without war or danger, shinobi become like caged animals—domesticated. You two were awakened by Orochimaru's Konoha Crush. What about them? Unless you both die, nothing will change."
It seemed inevitable that shinobi would lose their sense of danger. Peaceful missions rarely cost lives, and without enough hardship, how could they grow?
With Naruto and Sasuke's overwhelming power casting such a long shadow, the other four villages wouldn't dare stir.
It was just like in Hashirama's time.
As long as Hashirama was alive—everyone smiled, all was well.
The moment he died—chaos erupted. Everyone rushed to fight.
That was the way of things.
If the First Kage were born for peace, then the Second Kage were born for war.
The First Shinobi World War had been orchestrated by them.
When Sasuke was an adult, the world mirrored Hashirama's era once more. But this time, they truly yearned for peace.
Just as Pain had said: only by experiencing pain could one understand the value of peace.
It was the Fourth Shinobi World War that had made shinobi cherish peace.
Hearing Kiyosuke's words, Boruto fell silent. Their worlds were too different. What he saw as life-threatening hardship, Kiyosuke and his peers would face head-on, completing missions without hesitation.
Their will was nothing like Kiyosuke and Sasuke's—the unyielding will forged in war.
...
The three of them traveled half a day before reaching the small town Naruto had written about.
Naruto and Jiraiya were walking and training at the same time. Unlike Kiyosuke's group, they weren't rushing, so it didn't take long to find them.
They found them... at the bathhouse entrance.
"Ahhh! Run, Naruto! We've been found!"
Jiraiya burst out of the bathhouse dragging Naruto with him, startling the three newcomers.
Behind them, the bathhouse owner and a group of towel-wrapped women rushed out in pursuit.
"..." Kiyosuke.
As expected.
"..." Adult Sasuke.
These two idiots.
"..." Boruto.
So this was Dad's training as a kid? And Jiraiya-sensei was already like this back then?!
"Damn it, you Pervy Sage! It's all your fault we got caught peeping!" Naruto snapped once they ducked into an alley, hiding from their pursuers.
"Shut it! A sage's work can't be called peeping! I was gathering material for my new novel!" Jiraiya straightened his clothes, speaking with righteous indignation.
If he didn't collect material, who would feed his countless hungry readers?
The Icha Icha series had a massive audience—the beloved favorite of men everywhere.
Ninja, civilians, even nobles—everyone adored the books.
For perfection, Jiraiya traveled across the shinobi world, all to create the best Icha Icha!
The Icha Icha trilogy—Icha Icha Paradise, Icha Icha Violence, and Icha Icha Tactics.
Rumor had it there was even a hidden volume: Icha Icha Energy. Its content was so explicit it never saw print.
Kids, of course, could never understand the romance of men.
Once the pursuers were gone, Jiraiya and Naruto emerged—only to run right into Kiyosuke and Boruto.
"Kiyosuke-san? What are you doing here? And who's this guy?" Naruto asked in surprise.
To avoid being recognized, adult Sasuke kept to the shadows.
"There's something going on," Kiyosuke explained. "And this is Boruto. We'll be sticking with you for the next few days."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Boruto."
Looking at his dad's younger self, Boruto's feelings were complicated.
So even as a kid, he was this reckless.
Jiraiya sensed something was off. "What's going on?"
"Someone's after the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto," Kiyosuke said.
"Akatsuki?" Jiraiya asked immediately. He knew their goal was the tailed beasts, so naturally Naruto would be a target.
Kiyosuke shook his head.
"No. This one's even trickier than them. He'll be coming soon. I plan to stay with Naruto and wait for him. When he shows, I'll take him out."
"I see. Got it." Jiraiya nodded. Then, as always, his expression turned unserious. "Well then, let's grab a drink!"
"Yeah!"
The two adults slung arms over each other's shoulders and headed for the izakaya.
The two kids had no choice but to follow along.