Kaito chapter 45
"We win...ah sensei," Kaito said proudly. Shikaku stretched his body after the seal was released and chuckled, "I guess you did." He then turned to them and announced, "From today onwards, you are officially Team 11. All three of you have shown great teamwork and your individual skills complement each other perfectly."
Shikaku gazed up at the sky before turning back to his team and saying, "Come on...I'll treat you all to lunch and we can discuss your upcoming training." With that, he began walking towards the village, his genin following closely behind him. Kaito, Hotaru, and Itachi exchanged excited looks before eagerly following their new sensei. It was the beginning of a new chapter for Team 11.
…
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The sun was high in the sky, casting dappled shadows through the trees of the hidden leaf village. Three figures dashed through the forest, moving with precise speed and agility. among them, was a boy clad in black and white with striking red hair, spoke into his earpiece. "Target is heading your way, Hotaru, Itachi," he relayed. The other two nodded in acknowledgement.
As they neared their target, a small figure leaped out from the bush and began to run. Kaito chased after it, while Itachi and Hotaru flanked it on either side. The figure suddenly sidestepped Itachi's attack and both Kaito and Itachi collided with each other in a flurry of limbs and dust.
Meanwhile, Hotaru had managed to catch the elusive cat in her arms. As she held it, she couldn't help but notice how calm and normal it seemed despite the chaos surrounding it. "I swear that's a ninja cat," grumbled Kaito as he got up from the ground, nursing some scratches on his face.
Itachi simply nodded, his eyes fixed on the cat in Hotaru's arms. Kaito grumbled some more before using his mystical healing palms to quickly heal the scratch marks on his face.
With their target safely captured, Itachi's voice came over the microphone once again. "Target captured," he announced. Another successful mission for this skilled team of ninja warriors.
The soft crackle of their communication devices announced a new message. "Does the identity match with the target?" Shikaku Nara, their Jonin sensei, inquired.
Hotaru quickly responded, "Hai... black and white cat with a red bow on the collar." The details of the mission were clear in her mind, she had been studying them for weeks now.
Shikaku's voice came through again, "Copy that. Meet me at the Hokage building." With that, the communication was cut off. Kaito grumbled under his breath, "If sensei allowed us to use chakra, we could have caught that cat earlier."
This wasn't their first time completing this mission. In fact, it was the fourth time this month alone that they had been assigned to capture this elusive feline. Despite their team easily completing D rank missions like this one, Shikaku had forbidden them from using chakra during these assignments. It seemed he wanted them to rely solely on their basic skills and strategy.
After receiving the orders from their sensei, Itachi turned to his teammates and said confidently, "Come on." Both Hotaru and Kaito nodded in agreement and followed him towards the Hokage building. The sun was setting in the distance, casting a warm glow over the village as they made their way through its
It had been two and a half months since the formation of Team 11 under the leadership of Shikaku Nara. After their assessment test, Shikaku took them to the lunch and outlined his training plan
Shikaku's main focus was on teamwork – he believed that it was crucial for a successful mission. He wanted his team to work seamlessly together, covering each other's weaknesses and utilizing their strengths. In addition to team exercises, he also helped them with their individual training, guiding them towards improvement.
Over the past 2 months, Team 11 had completed numerous D-rank missions as part of their practical training. However, Shikaku insisted on perfecting their teamwork before taking on any C-rank missions. When asked about his emphasis on teamwork, Shikaku replied, "Konoha shinobi are known for our exceptional teamwork – it sets us apart from other villages."
One quirk that Shikaku had was treating his team after every successful mission. It could be anything from a hearty meal at Ichiraku Ramen to a simple pat on the back.
During these 2 and a half months, Kaito had shown significant progress in his individual training. His lightning nature transformation had greatly improved, allowing him to crumple a leaf in record time. Currently, he was working on mastering the second stage of this lightning nature transformation – channeling chakra through a kunai and sharpening it enough to pierce through a tree when thrown. Kaito had delegated this task to his clones, determined to achieve mastery over it.
As the weeks went by, Kaito's control over his nature release techniques began to improve. Not only was he able to manipulate lightning with greater precision and speed, but he also made progress with his water nature transformation. Now, it only took him a fraction of the time to fill a cup with water compared to before. This improvement in his abilities left Kaito feeling accomplished and determined to continue honing his skills.
In addition to his advancements in nature release, Kaito had also completed the first stage of mastering the rasengan. He had been practicing diligently and was pleased with how quickly he could burst a water balloon in each hand just a few days after the team 11 assessment test. However, Kaito knew that he needed to give his hands some rest before moving on to the second step of mastering the powerful technique.
The second step of the rasengan training was much more challenging than the first. Kaito's goal was to burst a rubber ball with nothing but the sheer force of his rotating chakra. It required immense concentration and control, as Minato had explained that the first step is to rotate the chakra in all directions while the second step is to increase the volume and speed of rotation.
It took Kaito a month of intense practice before he could finally make a small hole in the rubber ball using pure chakra rotation. It wasn't until another half a month of hard work that he was able to completely burst the ball, but it still required a great deal of focus and effort. Currently, Kaito was determined to make this technique second nature to him.
Not content with only using his dominant hand, Kaito also started working on mastering the rasengan with his non-dominant hand. It was a slow and arduous process, but Kaito was determined to become proficient in both hands.
...
As they approached the hokage building, a figure could be seen leaning against a tree outside. It was Shikaku, their sensei for Team 11. They made their way towards him, calling out his name when they reached him.
Shikaku lazily opened his eyes and looked at them. "Good, you're here," he said, motioning for them to follow him. "Let's hand over the target."
Pushing off from the tree, Shikaku led them to the mission desk inside the hokage building. The bustling sounds of the village drifted in through the open windows, filling the room with life and energy.
Entering the mission room, they were greeted by the hokage himself. Spotting the small cat in Hotaru's arms, a woman rushed forward and took it from her, cooing and hugging it tightly as it struggled to escape her grip.
Hotaru mumbled, "Poor Tora," as she watched the cat being crushed by its owner's affection.
"Well done, Team 11," praised the hokage, blowing out smoke from his pipe. "Another mission completed."
"Thank you, Lord Third," replied Shikaku in his usual lazy manner.
The third hokage continued, "Team 11 has quite the record... 30 d-ranks completed in just 2 months, all done perfectly." He released another cloud of smoke as he spoke.
Both Hotaru and Itachi couldn't help but feel pleased by the hokage's assessment of their performances.
Puffing out more smoke, the third hokage turned to Shikaku. "I think it's time for a c-ranked mission. What do you say?"
Kaito, Hotaru, and Itachi all perked up, giving their full attention. D-rank missions were just glorified chores and they were more than ready for something more challenging.
After a sigh, Shikaku finally spoke. "Troublesome... but I agree. Team 11 is more than capable of handling a c-rank mission."
The third hokage let out a hearty chuckle and said, "I happen to have just the mission for you, team." He reached behind his desk and pulled out a scroll, tossing it to Shikaku who caught it with ease. As he unfurled the scroll, Shikaku muttered under his breath, "Troublesome."
But the hokage wasn't finished yet, and he tossed another scroll to Shikaku saying, "And while you're on the mission, please deliver this as well."
Shikaku caught the second scroll but let out a defeated sigh. "If that's all, we'll take our leave now, Lord Third."
He ushered his team out of the hokage building and once they were outside, he turned to them with a serious expression. "Alright team, pack a week's worth of supplies. We'll meet at the main village gate at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Our mission is to escort a merchant caravan for protection."
With a pause, he added, "I have some personal matters to attend to, so you are dismissed." Shikaku then disappeared using the bodyflicker technique, leaving his team behind to prepare for their upcoming journey.
Kaito's gaze lingered on the other members of his team, noticing the excitement in their eyes as they prepared for their upcoming mission. "Come on," he said, breaking the silence, "there's no point in just standing here." With a confident stride, he turned and led the way.
Hotaru and Itachi followed closely behind, eager to get started. "So, what do you guys want to do now?" Kaito asked as they walked in a random direction. "We should prepare for the mission," Itachi replied. Hotaru nodded in agreement and added, "I'm not sure what to pack though... I might need to ask my father for help."
Without hesitation, Kaito pulled out a scroll and handed it to both of them. "Here," he said, "it's a sealing scroll. It'll make carrying supplies much easier." Hotaru and Itachi gratefully accepted the scroll before continuing on their journey.
As they made their way through the village, they spotted Izumi walking towards them. Hotaru called out her name with a smile, causing Izumi to stop and look around until she saw her friends accompanied by Kaito and Itachi. "Oh hey guys!" she greeted them warmly. They chatted for a bit before separating, with Itachi accompanying Izumi since they were heading in the same direction.
Kaito walked Hotaru back home as he usually does, making sure she arrived safely at the Hyuga compound before heading back to his own home. As he prepared for his first C-rank mission, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness, knowing that anything could happen out there in the field.
As Kaito walked through the familiar door of his home, he announced his arrival with a cheerful "Mom, I'm back!" His mother Kushina greeted him at the door with a warm smile, saying "Welcome home honey, how was your day?" Baby Naruto, held securely in Kushina's arms, excitedly called out to his older brother with a toddler's version of "botha". Kaito took Naruto from his mother and proceeded to tell her all about his day.
"Mom, our team was given a C-rank mission by the Hokage outside the village." Kushina's eyes widened in surprise and worry. "A C-rank outside the village?" she asked with concern laced in her voice.
Kaito reassured her, "Yes, but don't worry mom. Sensei said it's just an escort mission and it should only take us around a week." He hugged her tightly, trying to ease her worries.
Kushina returned the hug and sighed, "I know, it's just...you're so young." She looked up at her son with love and concern in her eyes. "Come on, let me help you pack for the mission," she said with a resigned sigh. As they gathered supplies and essentials for the upcoming mission, Kushina couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her. But she knew that as a ninja family, missions like this were inevitable and she trusted in Kaito's skills and judgement. And together they went to gather supplies and prepare for
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