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"Because I've been training in this area for a long time, I can do it quickly. It's not that my talent is so much greater than yours," Leo explained, trying to reassure him.
You could tell.
The kid's mindset was clearly cracking.
That wasn't his intention at all!
He wanted Kakashi to understand that there are always people stronger than you, that personal ability has its limits, and that teamwork and relying on others matter. He didn't mean to throw Kakashi off balance.
That would be way too costly!
What if it affected his rewards?
After a few moments of hesitation behind his mask, Kakashi finally asked, "Really?"
"I've been practicing compressing water-natured chakra, hoping to merge it into Water Array Waves. It's not technically Water Release, but the principles are similar," Leo answered kindly.
Jiraiya gave him a long, measured look.
He knew Leo's previous level.
Sure, he was strong—but only for his age. His chakra compression skills shouldn't have been enough to reach this level. Otherwise…
The last time Leo used that technique on Tsunade, his chakra shouldn't have caused such serious injuries.
He must have improved a lot in these past few days.
Could it be…?
A theory began forming in Jiraiya's mind.
He understood very well.
Tsunade had given Leo the Second Hokage's books to broaden his knowledge, improve his chakra control, and build a foundation. If he progressed quickly, there might even be a chance he could truly master super strength.
But from the time he got the books, only a few days had passed.
His improvement was astonishingly fast.
Jiraiya suppressed his thoughts and glanced at Kakashi, secretly worried.
He hadn't paid much attention before, but he knew Kakashi had grown up constantly praised, always called a "genius."
Now, confronted with someone even more talented, Kakashi's confidence could take a hit.
Still, Jiraiya said nothing.
If Kakashi let this crush his spirit, he'd only lose Jiraiya's respect.
For a ninja, this might actually be a good lesson. Resilience is key.
A few hours later, it was evening when Leo followed the others off the carriage.
At the docks, the Matsuyama family was already unloading and loading cargo—timber, stone, and medicinal herbs from the Nara family.
More than a dozen ships were docked, an impressive sight.
No wonder they needed protection.
If Kado tried any funny business, the Matsuyama family would take a massive hit.
As he was thinking this, Matsuyama Ichiro approached with his guards.
"Lord Jiraiya…"
"You can just call me Jiraiya," he replied with a smile.
Ichiro hesitated, then said, "Well, we leave at dawn tomorrow. It's just an hour from the dock to the Land of Waves. Would you like to rest on the ship for a while and maybe have a meal?"
"That's fine, but it's not urgent. My students are training on the shore anyway, so going aboard right now isn't convenient," Jiraiya said with a grin.
Ichiro nodded and didn't press. He looked around apologetically.
"Lord Jiraiya, as you can see, this shipment is massive. Our cash flow is tight, and the debts owed by the other family aren't really our doing…"
"Don't worry. Tsunade owes the money; it's perfectly fair for you to collect it," Jiraiya reassured him.
"Besides, with Tsunade's abilities, she was bound to become famous anyway. Better to settle things now than deal with debt collectors later," he added.
"Cough, cough… even though our family runs gambling operations, gambling is… problematic," Ichiro said lightly.
Wherever Tsunade went, she tended to lose big. Rumors were already circulating about the "big fat target," though they hadn't spread too widely yet.
If she kept gambling, she'd sink deeper into debt. Stopping now was definitely the better move.
Jiraiya didn't dwell on the topic.
"One thing at a time. Don't worry about the debts. I'm more concerned about the situation in the Land of Waves. According to what you've said, if enemy ninja get involved…"
"Don't worry. We know the rules. If enemy ninja interfere, we'll provide a fee proportional to the situation," Ichiro assured him immediately.
Jiraiya nodded and smiled again.
Debts were one thing, commissions another.
Once everything was settled, Ichiro relaxed completely and returned to the ship.
Jiraiya scanned the shore and spotted Leo. He walked over.
"Leo, what are you doing?"
"Sensei, I'm training my Water Release. I'm trying to see if I can reduce the hand signs when creating a water wall near a water source," Leo explained.
Some hand signs are meant to generate Water Release chakra, but near water, theoretically, some steps could be skipped.
In the Land of Waves, that technique could be very useful.
Jiraiya couldn't help but admire him silently.
Leo was an elite among his peers, yet utterly humble—a rare quality.
He nodded slightly.
"Using Water Release near water can indeed save some hand signs…"
After some technical comments, he paused, then asked, "Did you learn super strength from Tsunade?"
"Not fully. I'm figuring it out myself. It's roughly usable. Tsunade-sama looked at it and said it was fine, but it might still be hard for others, so she told me not to teach it," Leo replied honestly.
Under the moonlight, Jiraiya felt almost frozen.
As Tsunade's teammate, he understood super strength well.
For her, there's no in-between—you either learn it or you don't.
Roughly usable? What on earth…?
Even more shocking than when Leo had blown up the ball earlier that day.
Curious, he asked, "Can you show me?"
"Of course."
Leo focused his chakra, then stomped his foot.
Boom!
The ground caved in, leaving a basin-sized crater.
It couldn't compare to Tsunade's super strength, but that made it even more impressive.
Jiraiya sensed the principle: slow the release, reduce the scale, and trade off raw power for safer usage.
Theoretically, it worked.
But doing this required incredibly precise chakra control.
This wasn't something you could achieve with ordinary training.
Yet even with the capability, turning an idea into an optimized technique is a whole other matter. Many might spend their lives without ever achieving it.
Tsunade had mastered super strength, yet even she couldn't simplify it or reduce its difficulty.
What an extraordinary kid.
After a long pause, Jiraiya finally nodded in awe.
"Yeah, listen to Tsunade. I just want to gauge the real battle capabilities of my team."
"Are you worried about Mist Village ninja?" Leo asked.
Jiraiya nodded.
"The Land of Water has long sought naval dominance. The Land of Waves, near the Land of Fire, is a key maritime hub. Mist Village could intervene secretly," he said, his expression serious.
"If you get into a fight, don't act rashly. Understand? Your opponents won't care about Genin or Chunin ranks."
"I understand."
"....."