Jiraiya's sudden appearance was something Kyuushin hadn't anticipated. He had originally intended to use the conversation to instill some of his own, more pragmatic ideas into Nawaki and Minato, but he knew they wouldn't be suitable for someone like Jiraiya, who always held firm to his own idealistic convictions.
There were countless people in the ninja world who wished for peace, from Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in the past to Hanzō of the Rain Village in the present. In the future, there would be Obito Uchiha, Nagato, and Naruto. Jiraiya was certainly one of them. But to be honest, none of them had truly succeeded. Did Naruto ultimately succeed? The answer, of course, was no. It was merely that his and Sasuke's strength was so overwhelming that it forced the other countries into a temporary silence. Once they died, new wars would inevitably break out again.
Therefore, the path of mutual understanding, which Naruto inherited from Jiraiya, was fundamentally impossible to achieve. The Sage of Six Paths held similar aspirations when he established Ninshu, but history showed what happened afterward. Chakra, originally a tool for communication, became a tool for fighting. If the Sage of Six Paths couldn't accomplish it, could Naruto?
Based on Kyuushin's experience, perhaps Nagato's method had a slight possibility of success: creating a weapon that everyone feared, and once someone wanted to wage war, using that weapon to teach them a lesson. However, this idea couldn't be revealed to Jiraiya. If he were seen as someone like Madara, it would be difficult for him to become a mainstream figure in Konoha.
So, when faced with Jiraiya's question, he could only play dumb. "I don't know either. I'm still just a child. Such profound questions should be pondered by you adults."
Jiraiya gave Kyuushin a deep look, said nothing more, and then, after encouraging Nawaki and Minato, he vanished from their sight once again. Jiraiya's appearance was also noticed by Sekine. After the bandit attack, having such a powerful Jonin nearby undoubtedly brought him a greater sense of security.
After Jiraiya left, Kyuushin lost his desire to continue the conversation. As it was getting late, the three of them assigned their night watch duties, and the other two prepared to rest. After that first baptism of blood, the three had become increasingly sharp in their demeanor. Although they encountered several more bandit attacks later, the outcomes were all the same, and they themselves became more composed. Their extra income also increased.
Thus, after more than ten days of arduous travel, their group finally arrived in the Land of Iron, currently situated in a small border town. Sekine also breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected this journey home to be so difficult.
No matter what, they were finally almost home. Although there was still some distance to his home in the capital, the recent rush had left him very tired, so he decided to rest in this border town. Kyuushin and the others had no objections. Arriving in the Land of Iron was like returning to his homeland for Sekine. He enthusiastically recommended some famous local dishes, and his warmth even made Nawaki and the others feel a bit embarrassed.
That evening, while they were eating in a tavern, someone suddenly called out to him.
"Sekine-san, is that really you?" a voice asked.
Sekine turned his head and saw a young man dressed quite elegantly, but he couldn't quite remember where he had seen him before. Seeing Sekine's confused expression, the young man took the initiative to introduce himself. "Sekine-san, I was previously apprenticed to Chikuro-san. I had the good fortune to meet you when you two were conversing."
At this, Sekine seemed to recall something. So he casually asked, "I see. How is Chikuro doing recently? It's been almost a year since I last saw him."
The young man replied, "He's doing well. However, he isn't in the country right now; he's accepted an invitation to go abroad."
"Oh?" Sekine was a bit surprised. "Chikuro never agreed to leave the Land of Iron. Has he actually accepted an invitation now?"
"That's right." The young man leaned in slightly, appearing a bit mysterious. "A certain country offered some long-lost techniques as a bargaining chip to invite him, which is why he went."
"Oh!" Sekine was no longer surprised. Chikuro was obsessed with forging, so it was only natural for him to be attracted by such conditions.
But unexpectedly, after saying this, the young man did not leave. Instead, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Sekine. "This is a letter from him to you."
Sekine took the letter. The envelope indeed read "To My Friend Sekine." He then opened it and began to read. A moment later, he put away the letter and said to the young man with some apology, "Thank you for Chikuro's kind invitation, but I have just returned from the Land of Fire and do not plan to travel again for a while. I can only decline his good intentions."
Upon hearing Sekine's words, the young man said no more. After bidding farewell, he turned and left, but not before glancing at Kyuushin and the other two.
After the young man left, Nawaki asked curiously, "Who is this Chikuro?"
Sekine sat down again, took a sip of tea, and said, "He is also a famous craftsman in our Land of Iron. His skills far surpass mine, but he is obsessed with his craft and dedicates himself to diligent study. I wonder what kind of technique it is this time that made him travel all the way to the Land of Rain."
"Oh? The Land of Rain?" Kyuushin asked sharply.
"It is indeed the Land of Rain," Sekine confirmed after re-reading the letter. "What, is there something wrong with the Land of Rain?"
Although Kyuushin's memory of some plotlines wasn't very clear, he did know that the Land of Rain and the Land of Iron had fought a battle during the Second Great Ninja War. Being at this sensitive time made him inevitably overthink. But these were all just his conjectures and couldn't be spoken aloud. So, he could only say, "It's nothing, I just thought great craftsmen would only accept invitations from big countries. And this letter came at a very opportune time. How would he know you were here?"
"When I went to the Land of Fire, the approximate date I set was half a year," Sekine explained. "Perhaps he knew that, which is why he would wait for me here. The key is Chikuro's handwriting; I would absolutely not mistake it."
Kyuushin outwardly nodded, accepting the explanation, but inwardly, he couldn't help but raise his guard. During his night watch, he also instructed Nawaki and Minato not to relax. The mission was nearing completion, and it was precisely at this time that they couldn't let their guard down. But fortunately, the night passed without incident.
The next day, they continued their journey. The environment of the Land of Iron was considerably more monotonous compared to the Land of Fire. The mountain paths were winding and the terrain unchanging. They walked for a long time, and a sense of impatience began to rise in their hearts, causing them to involuntarily quicken their pace.
As they passed a large rock again, Kyuushin suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen a similar rock not long ago. This sense of familiarity suddenly alerted him, and he shouted loudly, "Something's wrong! It's a trap!"
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