Land of Hot Water (Yunokuni).
This country lies at sea, positioned between the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Water.
There was only one way to reach it...
By ship.
That was why Jiraiya had insisted on taking Kirito by boat.
In Jiraiya's mind, even the coldest person would be awestruck the first time they saw the sea. Let alone riding a ship across it.
But reality…
Was deeply disappointing.
Since boarding the ship, Namikaze Kirito had stayed inside the cabin the entire time, showing no interest in stepping onto the deck even once.
When he finally saw the sea, there was no amazement.
No excitement.
Nothing.
Jiraiya was crushed.
"Aren't you feeling anything, kid?" Jiraiya groaned, lying flat on the bed.
"Don't you think this is incredible? The endless sea, the horizon—ugh, it's so boring with you…"
Kirito sat cross-legged nearby, eyes closed, calmly circulating chakra.
"I really don't know how Minato raised you," Jiraiya continued complaining.
"How did he teach you to be this calm? You're nothing like your parents."
"Jiraiya-sensei," Kirito said quietly,
"I'm training. Please don't interrupt me."
He wasn't lying.
Thanks to the Uzumaki clan's Sage-like physique, refining chakra came far more naturally to him.
Otherwise, someone like Uzumaki Nagato—
even with the Rinnegan—would never have been able to wield it without the Uzumaki body to support it.
Kirito's current chakra reserves were small only because of his age.
Chakra was energy produced by the body.
Unless one relied on external power—like a Jinchūriki—or artificial means, a child's body simply couldn't generate massive reserves.
But now, things were different.
Kirito carried the Blackbeard template.
Not just any Blackbeard—
A peak, fully enhanced Blackbeard.
That meant his body had limitless potential.
As he refined chakra, the template continued to unlock.
Physique: 0.002
Template unlock: 2.3%
A qualitative leap.
Physique was different from other panels.
When it reached 1, it meant fully inheriting peak Blackbeard's physical body.
And by pirate-world standards—
At that point, in pure physical combat, only someone like Might Guy with the Eight Gates might compete.
Even the Raikage wouldn't be enough.
This was one of the reasons Kirito agreed to follow Tsunade.
Aside from her… ahem… impressive figure—
It was her Strength of a Hundred Seal (Byakugō no In).
A technique built entirely around the body.
A perfect catalyst for pushing his physique even further.
Training was boring.
Painfully boring.
During that time, Jiraiya went to the deck several times.
And even disappeared into the ship's bathroom more than once—
claiming he was "collecting material."
Eventually, the destination arrived.
Because of Yunokuni's natural hot springs, tourists from every nation came here to vacation.
Its economy flourished.
Surrounded by sea and bordered by three great nations, no one dared invade it.
True peace.
If there was a place that embodied that phrase—
It was the Land of Hot Water.
But prosperity also brought gambling.
And Jiraiya had heard a familiar rumor.
The legendary "Sucker" had arrived.
Who was the legendary sucker?
Only one person in the ninja world—
Senju Tsunade.
The woman who lost every gamble.
Gamblers followed her like shadows, betting against her wherever she went.
Where Tsunade gambled, money flowed.
At this moment, one particular casino was more crowded than any other.
The entrance was packed.
Everyone wanted to profit today.
Just as the crowd buzzed—
The doors opened.
A blonde woman stepped out.
Her presence alone drew every eye.
Behind her followed a young woman who looked barely out of her teens.
"Tsunade-sama—ah! Please wait for me!"
"Shizune," Tsunade sighed lazily,
"I've got terrible luck today. Let's soak in a hot spring and continue tomorrow."
The woman was Tsunade, one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin.
Because of the Strength of a Hundred Seal, time had left no mark on her face.
Her skin was flawless, her expression proud.
A violet diamond seal rested on her forehead.
Her attire was bold, effortlessly drawing glances from passersby.
Behind her was Kato Shizune, her first disciple.
Quiet. Gentle. Capable.
More secretary than student.
Tsunade had lost heavily inside.
Naturally, everyone who bet against her had made a fortune.
She was a walking jackpot.
Debt meant nothing to her.
As the Senju clan's princess, a single visit back to Konoha could erase a lifetime's worth of debt.
So she gambled freely.
Lived freely.
The two hadn't gone far when they ran into Jiraiya and Kirito.
"Long time no see, Tsunade!" Jiraiya grinned and waved.
BOOM!
What answered him was a fist to the stomach.
Tsunade walked straight past him.
"Shizune," she said coolly,
"remember this—when you meet a guy smiling like a pervert, punch first."
"B-but… Tsunade-sama…"
"I'm your sensei. Listen to me."
They left.
Jiraiya collapsed to the ground, white foam at the corner of his mouth.
"…Still alive, Jiraiya-sensei?" Kirito asked flatly.
Jiraiya sprang up.
"What are you saying?! I'm one of the Sannin! How could one punch—"
"…Your mouth is bleeding."
"That's drool! Drool!"
"Come on! Let's go—if we're late, Tsunade will disappear!"
Dragging Kirito along, Jiraiya hurried after them.
"Hey—Tsunade! That's no way to greet an old friend!"
"Huh?" Tsunade stopped.
"Oh. It's you. Sorry, I only saw trouble."
Her gaze shifted to Kirito.
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"Come on, don't be like that. We're comrades. Friends!"
"This is Namikaze Kirito. You met him last year, remember?"
Tsunade didn't answer immediately.
She studied Kirito.
"…Minato and Kushina's child."
"So, Jiraiya—are you planning to bring him with you?"
"About what happened recently—"
Tsunade waved him off.
"I already know."
"So what? The old man wants me back, right?"
"You brought the kid so I'd come with you?"
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