The boy was sweating buckets, but the speed at which he chopped firewood was growing slower and slower.
His bony frame and sallow, starved skin made it obvious at a glance that he had not eaten a proper meal in a long time.
Seeing this, Jiraiya took the initiative and walked over.
"Here. Eat up."
After hearing Jiraiya's words, the boy raised his head and glanced at him.
Then he immediately lowered his head again and continued chopping wood.
"What? Aren't you hungry?"
Seeing that the boy refused to eat, Jiraiya stuffed the rice ball into his own mouth.
The boy shook his head coldly, still showing no intention of speaking.
After chopping a full basket of firewood, the boy prepared to leave with the basket on his back.
But after trying several times, he still could not stand up from the ground.
"Hahahahaha..."
"I'll help you."
Seeing the boy's state, Jiraiya laughed a few times, then casually lifted the firewood-filled basket onto his own back.
"I only saw that you were too thin and weak, so I wanted to give you something to eat."
"Don't be afraid. I don't mean you any harm."
After staring into Jiraiya's eyes for a while, the boy finally reached out, picked up a rice ball, and began wolfing it down.
"Slow down. I still have more here."
"What's your name?"
"Kawaki," the boy replied without raising his head.
Seeing that Kawaki had finally opened up, Jiraiya began chatting with him.
After just a few sentences, Jiraiya understood his situation.
Kawaki's father was a hopeless drunk. Every time he got drunk, he would beat people.
Later, Kawaki's mother was beaten until she ran away, and the man began punching and kicking Kawaki instead.
All the family's savings had also been taken by the man for drinking and gambling.
The only reason Kawaki had survived until now was thanks to help from the neighbors and the money he earned chopping and selling firewood.
After hearing what had happened to Kawaki, Jiraiya did not say much. He simply followed him toward the village.
As soon as they arrived in front of the house, a thick stench of alcohol drifted out.
"You little bastard, you still dare come back? It's all your fault I lost today!"
"If I'd known you were such a cursed brat, I should've thrown you into the river after your mother left!"
The man held a wine bottle and staggered over to Kawaki. Then he raised his hand, about to strike him.
Bang!
His wrist was seized directly by Jiraiya. Only then did the man notice the man standing beside Kawaki.
Looking at Jiraiya's tall frame, the man grew somewhat afraid and backed away a few steps.
"Who the hell are you?"
Jiraiya smiled and said, "The child hasn't done anything wrong. How can you hit him?"
"And besides... as a father, drinking yourself into a stupor isn't good."
The man snapped unhappily, "What does it have to do with you if I discipline my own son?!"
"Kawaki, get over here!"
Seeing Kawaki trembling in fear, Jiraiya crouched down and said gently, "Kawaki, don't be afraid."
"Are you willing to keep living with this man?"
Kawaki clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "No."
"Then from now on, you can come with me."
Jiraiya gently rubbed Kawaki's head. Then he took Kawaki's hand and began walking outside.
Seeing this, Kawaki's father cursed angrily, grabbed his wine bottle, and rushed over.
But in the next second, he was kicked straight back into the house by Jiraiya.
Jiraiya had just been about to speak when he sensed a dangerous aura.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jiraiya pulled Kawaki and retreated.
At the exact same moment, a giant toad descended from the sky and crushed the spot where Kawaki's father had been.
Seeing this, Kawaki's lips trembled a few times, but he said nothing.
Jiraiya, however, spoke in shock.
"Toad Drop..."
A burly man wearing a mask stood on top of the toad. Looking at the device in his hand, he shook his head.
"Originally, I only wanted to follow you and try my luck. I didn't expect you to actually find him."
Hearing the man's words, Jiraiya asked in confusion, "Find what?"
"The perfect vessel."
"The perfect vessel? What does that mean?"
Faced with Jiraiya's confusion, the man seemed to lose interest in answering further.
He merely said calmly, "I am Kashin Koji. I am going to kill this boy."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression grew solemn, and without a sound, he pulled Kawaki behind him.
"Run. I'll hold him off."
Knowing that staying would only get in the way, Kawaki nodded and said softly, "Be careful."
After saying that, he ran into the distance without looking back.
Seeing this, Kashin Koji said coldly, "I don't want to make an enemy of you. But that child will bring disaster to the shinobi world."
Jiraiya smiled and said slowly, "I don't know what you're basing that judgment on, so until I investigate this clearly, I absolutely won't let you hurt him."
"And besides..." Jiraiya took an attacking stance. "Right now, I really want to figure out who you really are!"
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Jiraiya's long hair transformed into countless sharp senbon and shot densely toward Kashin Koji.
Kashin Koji gave a soft snort and jumped down from the toad.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
The same white hair wrapped around his body, blocking all of Jiraiya's attacks.
Seeing this, Jiraiya's pupils shrank.
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya and Kashin Koji's hair lengthened at the same time, tangling together.
Immediately afterward, the two formed hand seals once again.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Two fire dragons collided, burning apart the long hair that had wrapped around both of them.
Before Jiraiya could even react, Kashin Koji launched another attack.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground instantly turned muddy, and Jiraiya's body sank straight into the swamp-like earth.
Immediately after, Kashin Koji leaped high into the air and appeared above Jiraiya's head.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
The enormous Rasengan came crashing down from above, leaving a terrifying deep crater in the ground.
"He got away..."
Looking at the place where Jiraiya had already vanished, Kashin Koji gave a cold snort.
The next moment, he quickly chased in the direction Kawaki had fled.
————
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"That guy... why are all the techniques he uses mine?"
Jiraiya sprinted at full speed while recalling the battle from moments ago.
That mysterious man named Kashin Koji had used only ninjutsu that Jiraiya himself specialized in.
He could even use sage techniques. It was far too strange!
"No. I have to tell Yuzuru about this."
This entire matter reeked of strangeness. There had to be some earth-shattering secret hidden behind it.
As he thought this, Jiraiya caught up to Kawaki.
"Secret Technique: Hiding in a Toad Technique!"
A toad swallowed Jiraiya and Kawaki into its mouth, then vanished into thin air.
After the two of them disappeared, Kashin Koji stopped his pursuit.
"After the scene I just caused, Jiraiya should hand Kawaki over to Yuzuru Uchiha."
"Next, it's time to tell Jigen about Kawaki."