Chapter 62: Kid, Are You Well-Versed in the Will of Fire?

Words : 1211 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

The Uzumaki clan, the Grass Village... Jiraiya pondered what to do. He glanced at everyone, then put aside his thoughts and went to bid farewell to the leader of Takigakure, Dodai, and the others. Time was of the essence! They needed to return to Konoha today. No—today might be too late. Jiraiya’s eyes shifted as he came up with a plan, but he still wanted to consult Kyohiko. This kid was full of clever ideas—he’d definitely have a solution! The leader of Takigakure, Dodai, and the others didn’t know why Jiraiya was in such a hurry, but they guessed it might be for the safety of his team. After all, the Konoha squad had performed exceptionally well this time. Especially Kyohiko. This young genin was too impressive, almost unmatched among his peers. The longer they stayed outside, the more dangerous it became. In fact— From Dodai’s perspective, Kyohiko’s strength was already approaching that of a jōnin. He just didn’t know what technique Kyohiko had used to defeat Yugito. "Let’s go too." Dodai watched as Jiraiya and his team left, then led Yugito and the others away. With a jinchūriki in tow, he naturally didn’t dare to linger. Once they left Takigakure, he said, "Yugito, describe the battle to me in detail." Yugito nodded. After she detailed the fight, Dodai sighed in relief and smiled, "The more I thought about it, the more something felt off. But after hearing your description, I think I understand now." "What?" "That kid probably used some kind of forbidden technique with minimal side effects. Since you weren’t familiar with his abilities, even with the tailed beast’s chakra, you still lost. That final strike could have killed you, but if it hadn’t, it might have triggered the tailed beast’s self-defense and caused a rampage..." Dodai explained in detail. Yugito listened and nodded repeatedly. "That might be the case, but I still lost." "No, I’m not telling you to underestimate him. On the contrary, I’m saying that if you want to fight him again, you need to be even more careful!" Dodai’s expression was more serious than before. Yugito was puzzled, "Why?" Yotsuki Ren and Motoi, though a few years older, weren’t as capable or experienced. They scratched their heads, equally confused. "Fighting isn’t just about strength—it’s also about intelligence. That kid fights with his brain, and opponents like that are extremely tricky." Dodai explained. Strong, smart, and calculating—such ninjas were rare. "Fighting with his brain..." Yugito pondered. Dodai continued, "Yes, Konoha once had a prime example of this. His name once echoed across the shinobi world." "Who?" "Konoha’s Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. People called him the ’God of Shinobi Speed.’" ... "Sensei, why did you call me out alone..." "The Uzumaki clan situation is troublesome!" Jiraiya pulled Kyohiko aside. Of course. Both of them were shadow clones, so when they dispelled, they would return to their main bodies without affecting the team’s progress. Kyohiko was speechless. He had wanted Jiraiya to make the decision, but now Jiraiya was asking him again. Who was the teacher here? After a moment of silence, he looked at Jiraiya, "Sensei, if you want my opinion, I’ll speak my mind." "Go ahead. Two heads are better than one." Jiraiya’s face turned red. He felt... He was the most embarrassing teacher in the world! But. After the incident with Yahiko asking for help and him dragging Ryoho into it, he had nothing left to lose! Jiraiya’s expression was firm. "Speak. I’m fully prepared." "I think we don’t need to worry about the Grass Village’s opinion. They were never on our side to begin with. The interests of small villages and ours are never aligned." Kyohiko said. Jiraiya chuckled, "That’s a utilitarian perspective. Danzo might agree with you, but the Hokage... well, the Third Hokage would be furious and disgusted." "It’s not just about interests." Kyohiko replied seriously. Jiraiya tilted his head, "You’re not going to say this is for peace, are you?" His expression said— I’ll see how you spin this one! Kyohiko shook his head, "The Grass Village is sandwiched between Konoha and Iwagakure. Their peace with us depends on Iwagakure’s attitude. If the Hokage wants peace between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire, he just needs to ensure peace with the Land of Earth." This was the mindset of a major village. Jiraiya could understand, but he sighed with mixed emotions. "You’re right..." He sat down. "Yahiko wants to improve the Land of Rain, but small countries and villages are destined to struggle between the major powers. Hanzo chose to resist before, but it came at a great cost..." During the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo had been remarkable, but the Hidden Rain Village only had one Hanzo. And among small villages, only the Hidden Rain Village stood out. "Sensei, the real issue is whether the Grass Village, upon finding out, will quickly dispose of Kushina’s clansmen. After all, from their perspective, they might not want Konoha to gain more Uzumaki members." "True..." Jiraiya nodded. The Uzumaki clan’s downfall had been sudden, and no one knew the full story. It was likely that many forces in the shinobi world had a hand in it. Jiraiya even suspected that Konoha’s own internal forces might have been involved— Like Danzo. Back then, Danzo had the strongest control over the ANBU, unlike now, where much of it had been reclaimed by Hiruzen. Of course. This was just a suspicion, with no evidence, but it was enough to make Jiraiya wary. "Another thing is, how do we ensure her safety once we bring her back to the village?" "Right! It’s best to keep it under wraps until she’s in the village. Also, we don’t know her stance yet..." Teacher, you’re learning to think ahead! Kyohiko felt a sense of pride. Jiraiya continued sharing his thoughts. "You’re right. Minato might have just returned from Iwagakure and hasn’t gone back to the village yet. He’s also Kushina’s partner, so he has a connection with Yuki. Let’s have him handle it." "Teacher, it’s up to you." Kyohiko nodded repeatedly. Jiraiya frowned. He was still thinking about how to ensure Yuki’s safety. He’d have to visit the old man too! Of course. He’d wait until Minato finished his task. Jiraiya took out a scroll, wrote down the information they had gathered, and then pulled out a small bottle, extracting a drop of blood. "Sensei, you’re really prepared." Kyohiko couldn’t help but comment. Jiraiya was becoming more obvious. Before, he’d at least tried to hide it, but now he wasn’t even pretending. "Don’t worry about the details." Jiraiya grinned, then smeared the blood and formed hand seals. Summoning, sending the message. After completing the process, he patted Kyohiko’s shoulder. "I owe Minato and Kushina a thank you for this." Jiraiya said earnestly. He could imagine the bleak future a woman with special healing abilities would face in a small village like the Grass Village. In a way— Kyohiko had saved that Uzumaki’s life! "The Uzumaki clan has always been Konoha’s ally. I believe any Konoha ninja would have done the same." "You kid..." Jiraiya was momentarily stunned. Talking about Konoha with such loyalty—he was even more devoted than Jiraiya himself! Well-versed in the Will of Fire?

Chapter 62: Kid, Are You Well-Versed in the Will of Fire?

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