Kaito chapter 50
Kushina's gaze flickered towards her son before she responded with a hint of uncertainty in her tone "It can't be right."
But Kaito was quick to point out the other possibility "But the village also found out about you being the former jinchuriki through rumors, mom."
Kushina's expression turned grave as she bit her lip, mulling over Kaito's words. It was a delicate topic that she didn't want to fully acknowledge yet knew could very well be the truth.
….
The sun had just risen in the small village hidden in leafs. In one of the training grounds, a young boy with fiery red hair was blindfolded, his name was Kaito Uzumaki. He was currently in the midst of an intense training session, jumping and weaving through a barrage of rubble balls thrown by his clones. The sound of their impact echoed through the silence of the early morning.
For another hour, Kaito continued to dodge and evade, his body drenched in sweat. But as he jumped, his foot slipped on a stray pebble and he fell to the ground, getting pelted by the rubber balls. Annoyed, "Stop!... Stop!" he shouted, ripping off his blindfold in frustration. The clones stopped throwing and burst into laughter, much to Kaito's annoyance.
One of the clones taunted him, "You did say not to go easy on you boss." Kaito grumbled under his breath, thinking they were smart-asses as he got up from where he was lying.
It had been a few months since Kaito's first C-rank mission and also when he started spreading rumors about Danzo. He wasn't sure how it affected danzo, but he knew that the Hokage had tried to suppress the rumors the day after they spread. However, it seemed like it was too late as the rumors had already spread throughout the village and became the hottest topic among everyone who heard it.
As Kaito got back up and prepared to continue his training, he sensed someone approaching. Recognizing his sensei, Shikaku, he muttered a quiet "huh... Shikaku-sensei." Shikaku landed in the clearing with a lazy air about him as he surveyed their surroundings.
"We have a mission," he announced. "Gather your teammates and meet me at the main gate in one hour."
With that, his sensei disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Shadow clone," Kaito thought, "huh, didn't we just finish a mission today? It must be another c-rank."
Immediately, he created a clone of himself and gave it instructions. "Go tell mom that we have a mission outside the village and stay with her." He placed a chakra seal on the clone and watched as it saluted and leaped away toward home.
With that taken care of, Kaito turned and leapt into the trees, heading towards the Hyuga compound - the closest to his own home. As he ran through the forest, adrenaline coursing through him, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of mission awaited them this time.
As he landed in front of the Hyuga compound, Kaito quickly approached the guards and asked them to inform Hotaru that they had a mission. After a few minutes, Hotaru emerged from the building, her expression curious as she asked, "Another mission, Kaito-kun?"
Kaito nodded in confirmation and replied, "Hai...sensei has asked us to meet him at the village gates in an hour. That was about 15 minutes ago. Come on, we need to get Itachi."
After reaching the uchiha clan compound, Kaito and Hotaru searched for Itachi, with Kaito suggesting they start at his house. Being familiar with the layout of the compound, Kaito took the lead as they walked towards Itachi's home.
As they made their way through the quiet streets of the compound, Kaito couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that seemed to follow them. But then, he spotted a familiar figure near a pond and gestured to Hotaru. "I think that's Itachi," he said quietly.
Hotaru followed his gaze and saw Itachi sitting on the pier with someone else beside him. She nodded in agreement and added, "And it looks like Izumi-san is with him."
"Let's go then," Kaito said as they continued walking towards the couple.
As they neared them, Kaito couldn't help but notice that They were both indulging in dango, the sweet smell wafting through the air. He called out to them, "Yo, Itachi...Izumi."
Hotaru nodded with a small smile and greeted Izumi, "It's been a while, Izumi-san." Izumi returned the greeting with warmth, "Kaito-san, Hotaru-san, it's good to see you again."
Kaito got straight to the point, "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but sensei has summoned us for a mission." Hearing this, Itachi stood up from his spot on the pier, "I'll see you later then, Izumi."
Kaito bid farewell as well before turning to leave with Hotaru trailing behind him. As they walked away, Hotaru couldn't help but glance back at Izumi with a fond smile and whispered softly, "It was nice seeing you again."
Catching up with Kaito and Hotaru, Itachi asked eagerly, "So what's the mission?", Kaito shook his head in uncertainty. "Don't know, sensei just told us to meet him at the village gates." Hotaru chimed in, "It must be a C-rank mission then."
With a hint of concern, Kaito replied, "Most probably... I hope it's not a long one like our last C-rank." As they chatted along the way towards the village gates. Reaching the front gates, they found their sensei, Shikaku, waiting for them. He stood near the village guards, engaged in conversation with them.
Spotting their approach, Shikaku turned to face them with a serious expression. "Sensei," Kaito called out respectfully. "We're here." Shikaku nodded and gestured for them to follow him. "Good," he said sternly. "If we move quickly, we can finish this mission early and return home." With that, he led them out of the village.
Hotaru leaped gracefully through the dense canopy of trees, her dark hair whipping behind her in the wind. She looked to her sensei, Shikaku, and asked eagerly, "Sensei, where are we going?" He glanced back at her over his shoulder and replied, "We have received a c-rank mission from Nekobaa in Sora-ku."
The mention of the name made Itachi's ears perk up, and he inquired, "Nekobaa?" Hotaru turned to Itachi and asked with curiosity, "Do you know her, Itachi-san?" He nodded and explained, "The Uchiha clan often buys weapons from her."
Meanwhile, their teammate Kaito sighed mentally. "Another cat-catching mission, but this time it's a ninja cat," he muttered. Turning to Shikaku, he asked, "Sensei, where is Sora-ku?"
Shikaku responded with a hint of expiration in his voice, "It's located near our shared border with the Land of Rivers. If we maintain this pace we can finish this mission by the end of the day"
Hotaru couldn't contain her excitement as she asked, "What is Sora-ku like, sensei?" He replied matter-of-factly, "Sora-ku is an abandoned city that is now used as a black market for illegal goods." It had been a few months since their first c-rank mission as a team, and they were quickly gaining experience and reputation within their village.
After a long journey, they finally arrived at Sora-ku. It was a quaint town with narrow streets and colorful buildings. They made their way to Nekobaa's place, reaching the place they were greeted by an old woman who sat on a cushion smoking a pipe surrounded by cats. The interior of her home was adorned with cat-themed decorations and filled with numerous feline companions.
As they entered, Kaito couldn't help but think to himself, "How many cats does one person need?" But before he could voice his thoughts, Nekobaa spoke up. "How was the kunai you bought from me the other day, Itachi?" she asked, puffing smoke from her mouth.
"It was quite amazing," Itachi replied politely.
"Quite amazing, eh?" Nekobaa chuckled. "You're good with words. That kunai is lightweight and has a sharp edge that you won't find anywhere else for that price."
Kaito rolled his eyes internally. "It's just a damn kunai," he thought. "Every kunai has a sharp edge. He probably lost it during one of our missions anyway."
"Itachi also extends his thanks," Itachi said, bowing respectfully.
"No need for thanks," Nekobaa waved it off. "But how about a little discount on your next request, Captain Shikaku?" she asked playfully.
Shikaku let out a sigh. "Those are two separate jobs," he reminded her firmly.
"I understand that," Nekobaa conceded, "but..." However, before she could continue trying to wrangle a discount out of him, Shikaku cut her off.
"We should get on with the mission," he said pointedly, trying to avoid any further negotiations.
Nekobaa sighed and handed Shikaku a picture. As he passed it to his genin, Shikaku explained, "Your mission is to capture that cat."
Hotaru looked at the picture with confusion. "Our mission is to catch a cat?" she asked incredulously. "Is there something special about this particular cat?" Hotaru couldn't understand why Nekobaa would go through all the trouble of hiring them from Konoha just to capture a common feline.
Nekobaa look of seriousness. "That is no ordinary cat, that is a ninja-cat, and You will be venturing into the dangerous den of cats," she warned.
Kaito's eyes widened as he looked at the pair of cat ears that Shikaku had given them. "And these will help us understand their language and translate? how?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Shikaku let out a sigh and replied, "I will explain later. Right now, your mission is to find the missing cat." He led them towards the den, deep in the heart of the forest.
As they arrived, Shikaku pointed towards Itachi and said, "We need to gather information first. So we will split up - Itachi with me, and Kaito with Hotaru."
The trio nodded in understanding and split up to search for the cat. Kaito put on the cat ears and muttered to himself, "This is going to take forever if we search like this."
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. Kaito turned to see Hotaru giggling while holding a camera.
Confused, Kaito asked, "What are you doing with that camera, Hotaru-chan?"
She continued giggling and replied, "You look so cute with those cat ears on, Kaito-kun. I have to show this picture to Lady Kuishina."
Kaito sighed knowing his overexcited mother would have a field day with that photo.
Letting out a sigh, He made a hand-sign, and created five shadow clones, each one a replica of himself. "Spread out and search," he commanded.
The shadow clones nodded in unison and quickly flickered, as they disappeared from view. Hotaru, standing nearby, watched with interest before creating a clone of her own. "Shadow clones, huh Kaito-kun? That will certainly speed up our search," she remarked with a small smile before sending her clone off to join the others.
Kaito turned to Hotaru and suggested, "Come on, we should help them and look for clues." Together, they began to comb through the area, asking any cats they came across if they had seen the mysterious cat from the picture.
after what seemed like hours of questioning felines and coming up empty-handed, Itachi finally located Kaito and Hotaru near one of the buildings. "We've found the location of the ninja cat. Come on, Shikaku-sensei is waiting for us," he beckoned.
Both Kaito and Hotaru nodded in relief and followed Itachi to their sensei. Kaito couldn't help muttering under his breath, "About damn time. I was getting annoyed asking all these cats for the location."
Shikaku stood waiting for them outside a rundown warehouse, his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face. As soon as they arrived in front of him, he told them. "Good, you're here. The target is inside. Go capture it." He leaned against the wall with an air of indifference, clearly having no intention of helping them with their task.
They nodded and entered the warehouse, Kaito turned to Hotaru and asked her to use her Byakugan. "Hotaru-chan, can you search for the cat using your Byakugan?"
She nodded and activated her Byakugan with a swift hand sign. After a moment, she reported back to Kaito. "I see him... he's near the center and seems to be drunk, still drinking."
Kaito nodded in satisfaction and quickly formulated a plan. "Alright guys, I have a plan. If everything goes well, we can capture him relatively fast." Both Hotaru and Itachi listened intently to Kaito's plan and nodded in agreement before splitting up to execute their roles.
Kaito confidently walked towards the drinking cat, determined to complete their mission swiftly. As he approached, he struck up a conversation with the feline. "So why are you drunk?"
The cat looked at him with glassy eyes and let out a defeated meow. "You can't understand the feelings of a male cat who's been rejected."
Kaito continued walking towards the cat, unfazed by its sob story. "Ah, love... so who has gotten you so dejected?"
As soon as he reached the cat's side, Kaito unleashed his chakra chains from his palm and bound the struggling cat, effectively capturing it. The cat, caught completely off guard, let out a yowl of confusion and frustration. "What... why did you bind me?" it cried out as it struggled to break free.
Kaito simply shrugged and responded, "Sorry, but we were sent to capture you and I really don't like wasting time, ya know?"
Suddenly, Hotaru and Itachi appeared from their vantage point, gracefully landing near Kaito and the captured cat. "Wow, Kaito-kun, that was fast," Hotaru praised him with a nod, impressed by his swift ability to manifest his chakra chains.
Itachi nodded in agreement and added, "We should bring him back to our sensei."
Kaito grabbed hold of the struggling cat and returned to face Shikaku who had raised a skeptical eyebrow at them. Kaito proudly showed off the bound cat before Shikaku nodded in approval. "Good, Let's report back then."
Together, they all used a body flicker technique and swiftly made their way back to Nekobaa's place.
reaching the place Kaito released the bindings that held the ninja cat captive, The cat stretched and shook out its fur anoyedly.
"Thank you for your help," a brown striped cat said with a slight bow of its head.
The mother cat, who had been anxiously waiting nearby, wiped away tears of relief as she spoke. "I did tell him to hurry up and settle down...but I never expected him to fall in love," she said with a soft smile.
The father cat, standing tall and proud, joined in the conversation. "This one has good skills, but no eye for judging females." His tone held a hint of disappointment.
"I just wanted to find the best bride for the sake of our clan," the captured cat explained with a hint of regret.
Kaito couldn't help but roll his eyes at the dramatics unfolding before him. But he remained quiet as Nekobaa, the leader of their clan, spoke. "You fulfilled the mission just as requested," she said with a nod of approval. "Thank you for your efforts."
She then turned to Itachi, another member of their clan, and added, "Next time you come, I'll have you take care of the debts the Uchiha have racked up."
Itachi simply laughed awkwardly at her remark,
Kaito suddenly spoke up. "I have a question," he said, turning to the felines. "How is it that you can talk like we do? Is it because of senjutsu?"
Kaito had always been curious about how summoned animals were able to communicate in human language while normal animals could not. He had a theory that perhaps senjutsu played a role in their evolution.
The father cat looked at Kaito with surprise and asked, "You know about senjutsu?"
Kaito nodded confidently and replied, "Yes, my father was a perfect sage." Knowing that Minato was a perfect sage but chose not to use it.
The cat nodded in understanding and explained, "yes, All summoned creatures are able to talk because of our ability use senjutsu."
with the mission completed Shikaku bid farewell to nekobaa, With a final nod, he gestured for his students to continue on their journey. They followed him as they made their way through the lush forest.
While leaping from tree to tree, Hotaru turned to her sensei and asked curiously, "What exactly is senjutsu, sensei?"
Itachi too nodded in interest, eager to hear more.
Shikaku let out an exasperated sigh and muttered under his breath, "Troublesome."
Kaito was the one who explained, "Senjutsu is what one obtains when they are able to control nature energy. This energy exists within all living things and those who can absorb or manipulate it are known as sages."
Hotaru nodded, listening intently. "But... what does it do?"
This time, Shikaku answered. "Senjutsu enhances all of your abilities - your senses, agility, speed, strength, chakra reserve - and even your ninjutsu. It can take you beyond the level of a Kage."
Itachi's eyes widened at the mention of surpassing a Kage's power. "Then why doesn't everyone learn it?"
Kaito smiled wryly. "Because it is one of the hardest techniques to master. Only two people have truly achieved it in the history of Konoha. The first was Hashirama Senju and the second was my father, Minato Namikaze... But the most don't try is because if you fail to control nature energy they will be turned into stone."
Shikaku raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You forgot Master Jiraya, your father's sensei. He is also a sage."
Kaito shrugged nonchalantly. "I said truly mastered. Jiraya-sama is an imperfect sage and still needs the assistance of the two sages of Mount Myoboku to enter sage mode, according to my father." of course minato handt told kaito that but he could help but add the information so they wont ask him how he would know such information.
Shikaku nodded in understanding and they continued their journey back home.
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