Kaito Chapter 55
The clone pointed in a direction and Shikaku nodded. "Dispel yourself and relay my orders to the original. He is not to engage with Kumo or the anbu, but just follow them. Understood?"
Kaito's shadow clone hesitated but ultimately nodded before disappearing.
Shikaku's shadow clone changed direction towards the center of the village while the real Shikaku rushed towards where Kaito had pointed. Just then, an explosion rang out from outside Konoha in the same direction they were heading.
"Troublesome," Shikaku muttered again, picking up his pace to save his students.
....
Kaito moved with practiced stealth, silently following behind the 'Root ANBU' operative who was tailing the Kumo Jonin responsible for kidnapping Hotaru. He kept a careful distance of 3 kilometers between himself and the target to avoid detection. After approximately 15 minutes, the Kumo Jonin finally exited Konoha's walls.
As he watched from a safe distance, his mind racing with thoughts. "There's no way he can make it in or out of Konoha without alerting our barrier division," he thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Jonin leave. "Unless he has help from within the village." As soon as the Jonin exited the village gates, he increased his speed and made a mad dash towards his escape route. Kaito knew he had to act fast if he wanted to rescue Hotaru and capture the kumo Jonin before it was too late.
...
As he slipped away from the village hidden in the leaves, the Kumo Jonin couldn't help but smirk to himself. "That was almost too easy," he thought. "Once they realize their heiress is missing... and they can't put the blame on Kumo. we will have the uper hand and come out on top once again." He quickened his pace, leaping effortlessly from tree to tree at an impressive speed.
The plan was foolproof. By kidnapping Hotaru, the heir of the Hyuga clan, Kumo would gain both a powerful kekkei genkai and maintain their peace treaty with Konoha. It was a win-win situation for them.
As he raced towards his village, the jonin imagined the chaos that would soon erupt in Konoha. When they finally discovered Hotaru's disappearance, it would be too late for them to point fingers at Kumo since their envoys were still present in the village. With a satisfied smile, the jonin knew that Kumo would emerge victorious this time.
...
As Kaito reached the borders of the village, he created a shadow clone to help him in his mission. The clone nodded in understanding before swiftly body flickering towards the Hyuga compound to inform Hiashi Hyuga of his daughter's kidnapping. With that taken care of, Kaito increased his speed and began chasing after the Kumo shinobi who had taken Hotaru. His mind raced with strategies as he closed the distance between them, determined not to let the enemy get too far away.
"I can't let him get too far, but I also need to be close enough to alert the village and bring reinforcements," Kaito thought to himself as he utilized his full speed to stay on the Kumo jonin's trail. He planned to use his stealth seal to catch the enemy off guard and end the fight quickly, as he feared he may not be able to win against a full-fledged jonin while also protecting Hotaru.
Kaito decided to ignore the presence of 'Root Anbu' and go straight for the Kumo jonin. He knew that taking on 5 Jonin-level opponents at once would be too risky and difficult for him, especially with an unconscious Hotaru to protect. Even facing a single jonin was a daunting task for him, but he couldn't afford to waste time on unnecessary battles.
Besides, if he went after the 'Root Anbu', it might alert the Kumo jonin and give him time to escape with Hotaru. And if worst came to worst, the Kumo jonin could easily pluck out Hotaru's eyes and kill her, using her as a distraction for his escape while also taking her Byakugan. To Kaito, Hotaru's safety was of utmost importance and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her in any way.
On the other hand, waiting for backup from Konoha was not an option. Kaito knew that the 'Root Anbu' would attack the Kumo jonin once they had made enough distance from the village, using Hotaru as their leverage. This would leave Kaito to face four Jonin-level opponents if he didn't act quickly.
Furthermore, Kaito understood Hiruzen's character and knew that he would brush aside any responsibility Danzo may have had in this event, claiming it was in the best interest of Konoha. This left Kaito with only one viable option - utilizing the element of stealth granted by his sealing jutsu to sneak up on the Kumo jonin and rescue Hotaru while also capturing the jonin without killing the Kumo jonin. With any luck, his sudden appearance may even startle the 'Root Anbu' into backing off from their plans upon seeing him there.
...
As the shadow clone, created by Kaito just before his pursuit of the Kumo Jonin, made its way towards the Hyuga compound, it moved with urgency in his steps. Reaching the doors of the Hyuga clan head's house, the clone rapped its knuckles on the sturdy wood.
After a few minutes, the doors swung open to reveal Hiashi Hyuga, head of the esteemed clan. His usually composed expression was marred by a deep frown as he took in the sight of Kaito's shadow clone. He was dressed in a loose-fitting robe with long sleeves, a sign of his high status within the clan.
"You better have a goo-" he started to say, only to be cut off by Kaito's clone interjected "Hotaru-chan has been kidnapped by a Kumo Jonin," it reported with urgency.
Hiashi's face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation. Without wasting a moment, he activated his Byakugan and scanned the entire compound for any sign of his eldest daughter. Not finding her in her room, he turned back to face Kaito, ready to demand answers.
But before he could speak, Kaito interjected. "We don't have much time. I'll explain on the way." With that, he leapt onto the roof and began sprinting towards the direction of the Kumo Jonin's escape route. Hiashi followed closely behind, his mind racing with worry for his daughter's safety.
Hiashi wasted no time and kept pace with Kaito, his movements quick and deliberate. kaito's shadow clone was explaining everything that had happened - how he had been keeping an eye on the Kumo envoy and witnessed the "Root Anbu" killing a Konoha Anbu. He had already sent a clone to retrieve Kakashi and Shikaku-sensei, who were on their way as they spoke. Meanwhile, the real Kaito had gone ahead to ensure that the Kumo Jonin didn't escape too far.
Hiashi's eyes narrowed as he listened, He asked in a low growl, "Why didn't you stop the Kumo Jonin inside the compound? And why did you wait until they left before alerting me?"
Kaito glanced back at him with a serious expression. "If we had killed the Kumo Jonin or if he died inside the Hyuga clan compound or within Konoha's borders, it could potentially spark a war with Kumogakure. Right now, Konoha cannot afford such a conflict. Our boss thought it would be safer to capture the Kumo Jonin alive outside of the village. Plus, the presence of the Anbu indicates that someone high-ranking within our own village may have been aiding the enemy."
Hiashi nodded in understanding. He could see the logic behind Kaito's decision and knew that allowing the Kumo Jonin to leave alive was ultimately for the best. But even so, his clouded thoughts were filled with worry about the potential consequences of this event and how it would affect their village and alliance with Kumogakure.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion sounded from the direction they were heading. Kaito's clone beside Hiashi immediately dispersed itself after the blast, its purpose fulfilled. Hiashi's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the direction of the explosion, calculating the distance in his mind. "It's around 15 kilometers away from here," he thought grimly.
Frustration and anger bubbled up inside him as he cursed under his breath, knowing that they had to make haste. "I'll have to increase my speed," Hiashi muttered determinedly as he pushed himself to go faster, racing towards the source of the explosion. The fate of their village and the safety of his daughter hung in the balance, and Hiashi was not about to let it slip away without a fight.
...
As Kakashi and kaito's shadow clone approached the edge of the village, a deafening explosion sounded from the direction they were heading. The clone guiding Kakashi suddenly disappeared as he its purpose was fulfilled, Without hesitating, Kakashi focused chakra into his legs and propelled himself forward with incredible speed towards the source of the explosion.
...
A few minutes earlier, before the explosion, Kaito had smoothly and silently closed the distance between him and the Kumo Jonin without alerting his target. As he passed by the 'Root Anbu', Kaito made sure not to give away his presence. The Kumo Jonin, dressed in all black with a cloth mask concealing his identity, gracefully jumped from tree to tree at full speed, carrying an unconscious Hotaru Hyūga under his arm, completely unaware of the red-haired ninja prodigy hot on his trail.
Kaito reached a suitable distance and signaled to three shadow clones he had created. The clones nodded in understanding and quickly moved into their designated positions. When Kaito gave the signal, they sprang into action. One clone used the substitution jutsu to switch places with Hotaru while the Kumo Jonin was none the wiser. Another clone swiftly caught Hotaru and used shunshin no jutsu to create distance between them and the pursuing enemy.
Meanwhile, the clone in the Kumo Jonin's arms whispered "katsu" and his body began to glow intensely. Hearing this, the Kumo Jonin looked down at the girl in his arms only to see a glowing red-haired kid instead.
"What?!" He exclaimed in confusion and alarm. Realizing the danger too late,the Kumo Jonin quickly let go of the glowing red-haired kid, as he attempted to jump away from the clone but it was too late. In a brilliant flash of light and power, the clone exploded, leaving behind nothing but destruction in its wake.
The kumo jonin landed on a tree branch with a grunt, clutching his right arm and looking worse for wear. The explosion had taken its toll, but he had managed to escape using the shunshin jutsu. "Damn it!" he thought. "I was followed...how did that kid sneak up on me? And where is the Hyuga girl?"
Just then, he heard a swirling sound and before he could react, Kaito appeared in front of him. In his right hand was a whirling ball of chakra, and with a shout of "Rasengan!", he thrusted it into the kumo jonin's stomach.
The Rasengan collided with the jonin's stomach, sending him crashing to the ground below and creating a deep crater from the impact. Another shadow clone appeared in front of the prone Jonin and wrapped him up with chakra chains, securely capturing him.
Meanwhile, the original Kaito appeared on top of a nearby tree, illuminated by the soft light of the moon. In his arms, he held Hotaru in a princess carry. As she slowly regained consciousness from the sounds of battle, Hotaru weakly opened her eyes only to be met with bright blue eyes gazing down at her. "Glad you're okay, Hotaru-chan," Kaito said with a gentle smile.
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