Kaito Akaden Chapter 143
Tsunade rubbed her temple, thinking it over. "Where is his family now? They couldn't have stayed in the village if Danzo was after them."
"I relocated them to Hachō Village," Kaito answered. "But now that Danzo and the Third Hokage's old influences are no longer a problem, can they return to Konoha?"
Tsunade let out a slow breath. "If Mukai keeps his end of the deal and continues spying on the Akatsuki, then yes, I don't see why they can't return. It might actually give us an advantage—having him closer to home. Who else knows about this arrangement?"
"Just me and Itachi," Kaito said, "and now you."
Tsunade nodded, looking tired but resolute. "Alright. Anything else I need to know?" she asked, a hint of dry humor in her tone.
Kaito scratched the back of his neck. "it's more of a request."
Raising an eyebrow, Tsunade leaned back. "A request? What do you want, brat?"
Kaito met her gaze seriously. "I want to learn Senjutsu."
….
Tsunade leaned back on the couch, her expression utterly blank as she regarded the boy. "You want to learn Senjutsu?" she repeated, as though the very words were perplexing.
Kaito nodded, resolute. "Yes. I'd like to learn Senjutsu," he clarified, meeting her gaze without hesitation. "Could you ask your summons if she'd be willing to teach me?"
Tsunade's lips formed a tight line. She leaned back against the couch and crossed her arms. "Why Senjutsu, brat?" she asked. "You do realize learning Senjutsu isn't something you can pick up like a simple Taijutsu or Ninjutsu. Jiraiya has spent over twenty years studying it, and he still hasn't fully mastered it. Honestly, there's only one person I know of who truly did—and that was my grandfather, the First. And even that comes from stories I heard as a kid. If it were easy, half the shinobi in Konoha might know how to do it by now. So, why do you want Senjutsu so badly?"
Kaito closed his eyes and thought of the night he received the memories of the shadow clone—how he felt he could do anything until he realized how much he had lost that day: his mother Kushina, his brother Naruto, and even his adopted sister Karin. He remembered how helpless his clone was, watching them get hit by that Fire Style jutsu. He clenched his fists at his sides. "That night proved I'm not strong enough. I wasn't strong enough. My family only survived because they were lucky," he said quietly. "I don't ever want to feel that helpless again. If I'm going to protect the people I care about, I need to be stronger. Senjutsu is a way to get there."
Tsunade eyed him for a moment. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Listen, brat," she said, her voice softening despite her blunt words, "you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. It's not always about personal strength. Sometimes the world just tosses you into a storm you can't control. But let me make something clear: you are extremely talented—maybe more so than even your father was at your age. Some might say you're the most talented shinobi Konoha's ever produced. But all the talent in the world won't matter if you don't live long enough to use it. Senjutsu is dangerous. Most who tried to learn it either failed or ended up dead. Are you sure you still want to do this?"
Kaito met Tsunade's eyes. "I know it's risky," he admitted. "I also know Dad was the only other person who managed to learn Senjutsu. He told me it was the hardest training he had ever done. But I still want to try."
Tsunade sighed aloud, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise. Then, without warning, she uncrossed her legs and leaned back into the couch. "Alright, I'll ask Katsuyu if she's up for this. But I'm warning you now: if she says no, that's the end of it. You're not going to pester me about it again, got it?"
Kaito bowed his head just slightly. "I understand."
"Good," she muttered. She stood up, then bit down on her thumb. A thin rivulet of blood appeared where her teeth broke the skin. "Stand back a little," she ordered, glancing at Kaito and then at the floor between them. She quickly formed a series of hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu," Tsunade declared, pressing her palm onto the floor.
A plume of thick white smoke erupted, momentarily obscuring everything in front of her. When it dissipated, a slug about the size of a large dinner plate sat there. Its top half was a pale blue and the bottom half, white.
"Lady Tsunade," the slug greeted, its voice calm and polite. "It's good to see you. How may I help you?" Almost immediately, it noticed the boy standing nearby. "Oh my, I almost forgot my manners. Hello. I am Katsuyu, Lady Tsunade's personal summon. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"It's nice to meet you too, Lady Katsuyu," Kaito said, bowing respectfully. "My name is Kaito Uzumaki."
Tsunade wasted no time. She cut right to the chase, gesturing toward Kaito. "Katsuyu, I summoned you because this brat here wants to learn Senjutsu. I'd like to know if you'd be willing to teach him."
Katsuyu's antenna-like eyes swung back toward Tsunade. "You want me to teach him Senjutsu?" she asked, as if to confirm she had heard correctly.
"That's right," Tsunade said. "He's adamant about it. He insisted he wants to learn."
Katsuyu paused, shifting her gaze between Tsunade and Kaito thoughtfully. "Hmm," she murmured after a moment. "He does seem to possess a large chakra reserve, something of a requirement for Senjutsu. But I have to remind you that there has only been one successful Senjutsu user from the Shikkotsu Forest—your late grandfather was the last, my lady." Katsuyu's gaze settled on Kaito. "Are you certain you want to learn it, Kaito-kun? If you fail, there is no reversing the effects. Nature Energy isn't something you can treat lightly. Even if you have the necessary chakra to sustain it, one misstep might be fatal."
Kaito thought, So I was right then. Hashirama was a slug sage—he learned Senjutsu from here. he nodded and asked can you explain what senjutsu is, i know the general expalination.
Katsuyu gave an approving nod. her voice was calm. "First, to become a Senjutsu user, you must learn to sense Natural Energy. It's the energy that flows through every living thing in this world—through every tree, every blade of grass. To enter Sage Mode, you must harmonize this energy with your own chakra. If you draw too little, you won't succeed in transforming. But if you draw too much…" She paused, letting the severity of the warning settle in. "…your body will dissolve into liquid, and you'll become one with the forest permanently."
Kaito nodded, already knowing that. "So how exactly do I sense this Natural Energy?" he asked.
Kaito thought, I wonder if it's different than what they teach in Mount Myōboku? I know the snakes' Sage training is different from the toads'.
Katsuyu gave a slight bob of her head. "To sense Nature Energy, you must first become one with nature. That means you must learn how to sit perfectly still and clear your mind until you can feel the energy flowing around you. Like a rock or a plant, you must quietly observe the life around you."
So it's the same as the toads then, Kaito thought, nodding. "So I'd have to learn how to become one with nature and remain perfectly still… That could take a while. How long before I manage to even sense Nature Energy?"
"That depends entirely on you," Katsuyu explained. "Some learners can spend years, others less. However, there is a way to speed up the process. I can secrete a special substance that helps your body absorb Nature Energy more easily, giving you a sense of what you'll be feeling for. It could shorten the training time, but it also carries an added risk. If you lose control—if your concentration slips even a fraction—you could end up dissolving. Of course, if I'm near you, I can mitigate that by siphoning off the excess Nature Energy until you gain experience. But it's still dangerous."
"It's similar to the toad oil," Kaito said with a frown, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I see… So there's a faster method, but it also increases the risks."
I wonder if I can have shadow clones guarding Mom and Naruto, because I remember Naruto could have more than two clones when he was training, Kaito thought to himself. He ran a hand through his hair and continued, "Can I have a shadow clone or two around?"
Katsuyu gave an almost apologetic shake of her body. "Maintaining shadow clones would divide your concentration, Kaito-kun. To learn Senjutsu, you must have unwavering focus on gathering Nature Energy properly. If your mind is split between clones, you're far more likely to slip up and absorb too much. That could end… badly."
Kaito lowered his head, trying not to grimace. I really can't leave Mom and Naruto without guards, he thought. But if I can't keep a shadow clone active to watch them…
Tsunade, who had returned to the couch, observed his troubled expression. "Brat," she said, her tone softer than usual, "if you're worried about leaving your family unprotected, don't be. They'll be fine. You can't guard them every second of your life. Besides, you've got the Hiraishin—if something does go wrong, you can teleport to them in a heartbeat."
Kaito exhaled, relief and lingering concern warring on his features. "I suppose that's true. Still… I just don't want what happened that night to happen again."
Tsunade turned to Kaito. "So, do you still want to learn Senjutsu?"
Kaito nodded and closed his eyes, thinking,' I need to learn to use Nature Energy. I know Sage Mode can be as strong as EMS if fully mastered. If I'm to keep up with Obito, I need to take the risk. And besides, if Naruto was able to learn it within a week then i can as well. plus, if I'm going to heal Mom, I need to master senjutsu. I could always learn from the toads, but I don't know where that bastard is right now, and if possible, I don't want to spend time with him—he might think I'm the Child of Prophecy or something. Nah, I'll let Naruto sign the toad contract like canon.'
Opening his eyes, Kaito looked back at the slug. "I understand the dangers. But I also know I need to do this. The night before showed me how close I came to losing my family. I want to protect them—and everyone else I care about. Please, Lady Katsuyu, teach me."
Tsunade gave a slight nod, acknowledging Kaito's determination. "You heard him. He's not going to take no for an answer," she said with a mild scoff, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Well," Katsuyu replied softly, turning fully to face the boy, "to train in Senjutsu with me, you'd first need to become my summoner. That means you have to sign the Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract. Lady, if that is okay with you, Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade raised a hand dismissively, waving it through the air. "He can sign it if he wants. I have no objection."
Katsuyu secreted a large scroll. The scroll rolled onto the floor in front of her with a heavy thump, appearing far too big to have fit inside her small body. "Kaito-kun, if you would sign your name in blood, that will seal the contract," Katsuyu explained.
Kaito nodded. He glanced at Tsunade, who took the scroll from Katsuyu's side and set it carefully on the ground, unfurling it so that its length stretched out.
Kaito took in the sight. There were multiple names, many of which had faded or grayed out with age. His eyes trailed to the only name still vibrant: Senju Tsunade. Beside her name were multiple others that were grayed out, most of them from the Senju Clan. One in particular caught his eye: Senju Hashirama.
Kaito took a kunai from his pouch, pressing the tip to his thumb until a bead of blood welled up. Then he smeared it across his fingertips, quickly writing "Uzumaki Kaito" in neat characters beside Tsunade's name. Finally, he placed his bloody fingertips on the contract, leaving a red stamp of each finger as tradition dictated.
Once done, Tsunade said, "Well, kid, congrats. You are officially a summoner of the Shikkotsu Forest now."
Kaito nodded and asked, "When can we start?"
"Not so fast, brat," Tsunade interrupted. "I can't have you leave on a training trip right now. The village is in a precarious spot. We just cleaned up after that incident, and we have missions piling up. I can't spare you going off to Shikkotsu Forest for training just yet."
Kaito tilted his head. "Huh…"
Tsunade nodded again. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "Right now, I need every Jonin in the village to take on high-level missions. The village took a hit, morale is shaky, and as the new Hokage, I have to rebuild trust and stability."
Kaito's brow furrowed. "Huh… but I'm a Chūnin, not a Jonin."
She cut him off with a wry grin. "A Chūnin, huh? Well, that's about to change. As one of my first acts as Hokage, I'm promoting you to Jōnin. You're far too skilled to remain a mere Chūnin. I need you on higher-level missions, so congratulations," she added with a smirk, crossing her legs. "You're a Jōnin now, as of today."
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