Chương 115: Kaito Chapter 115

The Tsunade Arc Begins

Kaito Chapter 115

Kaito turned to Itachi and said, "It looks like Sasuke awakened the Sharingan, the same way you did, Itachi."

Itachi nodded, observing his brother as the instructor asked him to make the seal of reconciliation.

Hotaru remarked, "Both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun put up a great fight."

Naruto grinned and said to Sasuke, "Like I said teme, I'm stronger than you."

Still frustrated from the loss, Sasuke retorted, "You got lucky, dobe. Next time, I'll win." He limped towards the waiting students, having sprained his ankle from pushing his body too hard.

Naruto, looking annoyed, replied, "Bring it on, teme. I'll just pummel you every time we fight." He then joined his friends, who congratulated him.

The last fight was between Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru, however, decided to forfeit the match.

…

Kaito leaped up just in time as a lightning arrow struck the spot where he had been standing, erupting into a sphere of electricity, but before he could catch his breath, another lightning arrow shot toward him with deadly precision.

This time, Kaito's form flickered, becoming intangible as the arrow passed harmlessly through him. He reappeared a few meters away, skidding across the clearing, his eyes locked on the direction the arrow had come from. His hand gripped a tri-pronged kunai.

From his right, a barrage of smaller lightning arrows came hurtling towards him, each one larger than his lightning senbon. Thinking quickly, Kaito channeled wind nature chakra into the kunai and deflected the smaller arrows. However, hidden among them was a much larger lightning arrow.

Kaito's eyes caught the flash of the larger arrow just in time. Without hesitation, he threw the tri-pronged kunai towards it, and the tri-pronged kunai whizz past the lightning arrow.

The arrow struck the ground where Kaito had been standing moments ago, exploding in a brilliant flash of light and electricity. Hotaru, who had been watching the scene unfold with her Byakugan active, noticed Kaito's form disappear just as the lightning arrow hit. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Where did he teleport…?" she began, but before she could finish her sentence, she felt and saw kunai against her neck by Kaito.

Kaito's voice was calm as he said, "It's over, Hotaru-chan." She felt the tension drain from her body as she nodded in acknowledgment. Kaito slowly removed the kunai, and both of them landed softly on the ground.

Hotaru and Kaito had been sparring since the early morning, the sound of their clashing techniques filling the air. By the time the sun reached its peak. They decided to take a break, the intensity of their training leaving them pleasantly exhausted.

Kaito handed Hotaru a water bottle as they settled onto a large boulder nearby. "You're getting pretty good with that bow, ya know," he said, as he sat down beside her.

The bow in question, named "Raijin no Yumi" by Hotaru, Kaito had made himself. It had been one of his side projects, inspired by the Raijin no Ken. The bow was engraved with intricate seals that converted the user's chakra into lightning arrows. Some of these arrows could even split mid-flight, arcing and firing multiple smaller bolts.

Taking the bottle with a grateful nod, Hotaru twisted off the cap and took a long drink. "Thanks," she said, lowering the bottle and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I've been training hard with the bow, and using it with my Byakugan makes it a lot easier."

Kaito nodded thoughtfully, watching her as she spoke. "When you fully master it, you'll be able to take down entire armies from a distance," he remarked.

Kaito turned to Hotaru, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Have you come up with any jutsu ideas using the bow?" he asked,

Hotaru nodded. "I've got a few ideas in mind," she replied, her voice laced with excitement.

"Good," Kaito responded, a smile tugging at his lips. "If you need any help with them, just let me know."

Hotaru reached into her bag, pulling out a large bento box wrapped in a cloth. "I made lunch for us," she said, unwrapping the box with a touch of pride. Opening it, she revealed a carefully arranged meal. "I made your favorite, chicken karaage with rice." With a shy smile, she handed the box to Kaito

Kaito's eyes lit up at the sight and smell of the food. He accepted the bento with genuine enthusiasm, his stomach growling in approval. "Thanks, Hotaru-chan," he said warmly, taking the offered chopsticks. He clasped his hands together in a quick, respectful "itadakimasu" before digging in.

He took a bite and hummed in approval, turning to Hotaru with a look of genuine surprise. "Wow, Hotaru-chan, it tastes just like how my mom makes it."

Hotaru's smile widened, a hint of pink dusting her cheeks. "Well, I learned how to make it from Lady Kushina," she admitted.

Kaito nodded, clearly impressed. "You learned well," he said, taking another bite with a contented smile.

After finishing the meal, Kaito leaned back and patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh. "That was delicious, Hotaru. Thanks so much," he said.

Hotaru nodded, her face lighting up with a pleased smile. "I'm glad you liked it. I was happy to make it for you," she replied softly.

Kaito stood up, stretching his limbs to shake off the post-meal drowsiness. "Well, back to the grind," he said, rolling his shoulders.

Just then, he sensed a small chakra signature approaching them. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source. Out of the bushes jumped a small pug with brown fur, a dark brown snout and ears, wearing a blue vest adorned with the heno-heno-moheji seal and a Konoha forehead protector.

Recognizing the pug immediately, Kaito greeted it with a smile. "Hey there, Pakkun."

Pakkun nodded, his gruff voice breaking the quiet. "Kaito good, I found you." He then looked over at Hotaru, assessing her with his keen eyes.

Seeing the interaction, Kaito decided to make introductions. "Hotaru, this is Pakkun, one of Kakashi's summons. Pakkun, this is Hotaru, my teammate and best friend."

Hotaru nodded and smiled at Pakkun. "Nice to meet you, Pakkun-san," she said politely.

Pakkun looked up at her, his expression almost approving. "You're polite. I'll let you touch my paw," he said, lifting his right paw slightly.

Kaito watched with amusement as Hotaru hesitated for a moment before awkwardly reaching out to touch Pakkun's paw. The fur was soft, and Hotaru smiled, nodding as Pakkun remarked, "They're soft, aren't they?"

Kaito chuckled at the interaction before turning his attention to the matter at hand. "So, Pakkun, what brings you here? Did you find another lead on Lady Tsunade?"

Pakkun dropped his paw and shifted his focus back to Kaito. "Yes, we managed to find a lead, and we've located her."

Kaito's eyes widened in surprise. "You found her? Where?"

"She's in a small town in the Land of Tea," Pakkun replied.

Kaito's mind immediately raced with questions. "How long has it been? She hasn't moved to another town yet, has she?"

Pakkun shook his head. "She arrived in the town this morning, and Akino is currently trailing her."

Kaito nodded, processing the information quickly. "If she arrived this morning, that means she'll probably stay in town for at least the next two days. I need to inform Sensei," he thought, closing his eyes to focus. Using the Mind's Eye of Kagura, he extended his sensory range to locate Shikaku. Within moments, he sensed Shikaku in his office, about 25 kilometers away.

Opening his eyes, Kaito looked at Pakkun. "We have to move quickly. Follow me, Pakkun. You too, Hotaru-chan," he instructed, jumping onto a nearby tree branch and heading into the village.

Hotaru quickly followed, hopping onto the branches beside him. As Pakkun landed on Kaito's head, she asked, "Where are we going, Kai-kun?"

"To see Sensei," Kaito replied, his voice steady with determination.

Hotaru nodded, already understanding the plan as they sped towards their destination.

It's been six months since Naruto entered Konoha Academy, and now it's October. A lot has happened during this time.

Six months ago, Itachi left Team 11, leaving only Kaito and Hotaru. Since then, they've primarily tackled B-ranked or lower missions on their own. Occasionally, they've teamed up with other shinobi for higher-ranked missions, including work with Izumo and Kotetsu, as well as with Shikaku-sensei. They've also had the chance to work alongside Kosuke Moroboshi, the so-called "eternal genin."

Kosuke Moroboshi, despite being a genin in name, is as strong as any jonin even in his old age. Both Kaito and Hotaru have learned a great deal from him. It turns out that Kosuke was also a student of the Second Hokage. In Kaito's opinion, Kosuke is the only successful student the Second Hokage ever had.

Kaito shared his plan to replace the Hokage with Lady Tsunade with Hotaru and Kakashi. Initially, Kakashi was hesitant but eventually agreed that it was necessary to resolve the Uchiha clan situation. Hotaru, on the other hand, trusted Kaito's judgment and promised to help him persuade her father to support the Hyuga clan.

Recently, Itachi informed Kaito that he had spotted the masked man in the Uchiha clan compound. According to Itachi, the masked man managed to avoid both the cameras and Konoha's detection barriers. Kaito was already aware of the situation and had been struggling to develop a barrier to counter space-time ninjutsu, which proved to be quite challenging.

Kaito asked Itachi not to disclose the masked man's activities to anyone, as they were still unsure of his intentions in the Uchiha compound. Kaito vaguely remembered that Obito had connections with individuals who were pro-coup d'état. He advised Itachi to keep an eye on anyone with one who were the most vocal, suspecting that the masked man might be trying to incite a civil war within the village. Itachi agreed to Kaito's suggestion.

Kaito and Hotaru arrived at the Konoha Intel Division and headed straight to Shikaku's office. Shikaku was buried in paperwork when they knocked on the window.

Kaito, with a serious expression, said, "Sensei, we need to talk."

Seeing the urgency on Kaito's face, Shikaku sighed and nodded, inviting them in.

As they entered through the window, Hotaru greeted Shikaku with a warm smile and a cheerful, "Good to see you, Sensei." Shikaku nodded in response.

After closing the window, Kaito walked over to the door, closed it, and placed his palm on it. A seal matrix spread across the room, sealing it securely.

Shikaku raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kaito and the dog perched on his head. "So, what brings you both here?" he asked. Noticing the dog, he started to piece things together.

Kaito gestured to Pakkun, who was sitting comfortably on his head. "They've found Lady Tsunade," he said.

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully and asked, rubbing his chin, "Where?"

Pakkun spoke up, "She arrived this morning in a small town in the Land of Tea."

Kaito nodded, then asked, "What do you think we should do, Sensei? If we leave in a few hours, we could reach the Land of Tea by tomorrow morning."

Shikaku shook his head. "We should leave tomorrow. That way, I can arrange a cover mission near the Land of Tea."

Kaito looked puzzled. "Why? We can just inform them that we're meeting Lady Tsunade to heal my mother, since she'll be coming with us."

Shikaku raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on bringing Kushina, Naruto, and Karin?"

Kaito looked puzzled and said, "Yeah, that was the main reason I wanted to find Lady Tsunade—to heal her, ya know?"

Shikaku shook his head. "Kaito, do you really think the Hokage and the elders would allow your mother and Naruto to leave the village?"

Kaito's face darkened. "You think they'd try to stop them from leaving? I'd like to see them try. They're not prisoners in Konoha."

Shikaku sighed. "They're not, but Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. He's a military asset of the Hidden Leaf. They won't let him leave the village. And remember, your mother wasn't allowed to leave even when your father was Hokage. Fighting them would only draw more attention to us."

Hotaru nodded in agreement. "Sensei is right, Kai-kun."

Kaito considered this for a moment. "So, you're saying we should avoid drawing too much attention."

Shikaku nodded. "Exactly."

Kaito then pulled out a tri-pronged kunai. "Alright, we'll go with your plan, Sensei. and I can still bring them along with this without them knowing."

Shikaku looked at the kunai and asked, "You've mastered the Hiraishin?"

Kaito nodded. Then, addressing Pakkun, who had jumped onto the table, he asked, "Can you meet us outside the village tomorrow morning?"

Pakkun nodded. "Sure, what time?"

Shikaku replied, "We'll meet around 7, near the east side of the village."

Pakkun prepared to leave, but Kaito stopped him and handed him a sealing scroll. "I've got some treats sealed inside. Enough for you and the rest of the pack as well."

Pakkun thanked him and reverse-summoned himself away.

Turning to Shikaku, Kaito said, "We'll meet you at the entrance then, Sensei." Shikaku nodded, and Hotaru waved goodbye as they left his office.

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