-----
"Mm-hmm!"
"So amazing!"
Kushina and Minato nodded gratefully. "Thanks a lot, Kaito!"
Minato added earnestly, "I'll do my best to grow stronger, so I can help you out in the future, Kaito!"
Kaito had done so much for him that he could never repay the debt. But that didn't mean his gratitude wasn't constantly growing.
There was no one in the world who had treated him better or with more kindness.
"C'mon, with our relationship, there's no need to say things like that." Kaito waved it off with a smile.
"All right! Let's dig in! you can talk while we eat!"
At that moment, Uchiha Jiri brought out the last dish, calling everyone to the table.
"Alright, I'm starting!"
The group began to eat.
"Wow... Mom, your cooking is as amazing as ever!"
"Totally! Aunt Jiri's cooking is way better than my mom's!"
"Agreed!"
Jiri chuckled. "Oh, really? You're not just flattering me, are you?"
"I swear! Aunt Jiri's cooking even beats Grandma's!"
"Eat up, then. You'll need the energy for training later."
Jiri was all smiles, encouraged by the kids' compliments.
As they ate, Kushina glanced around cautiously, lowering her voice as she asked, "By the way, is Black Zetsu still lurking around the village?"
"No need to be so secretive." Jiri chuckled. "I already checked. That guy left yesterday and hasn't come back."
"At least, he's nowhere near Konoha within a few kilometers."
"Why? Are you itching to head to the Pirate World?"
Initially, they were supposed to have already visited Birka Island and perhaps even found the Thunder Fruit. But Black Zetsu's sudden appearance had forced them to put their plans on hold.
They'd even paused training in Longevity technique and Haki. During the day, they'd stopped eating sea king delicacies, replacing them with high-grade nutrient pills just to avoid revealing their secrets.
All the restrictions had been stifling.
"Really? He's gone?" Kushina's face lit up, and she cheered, "Finally! That guy was such a pain!"
"When I'm strong enough, I'll make sure he pays for all this trouble! Just wait!"
She realized she was getting carried away, so she quickly sat back down, her face a little flushed. Taking a bite of food, she muttered, "I can't wait to go back to the Pirate World. It's so much more exciting than the Ninja World."
"It's bigger, too!"
"After seeing that place, the Ninja World feels so... small and dull."
The Pirate World, with its vastness and freedom, felt completely different from the Ninja World's constraints.
"True!" Mikoto agreed, nodding. "Whether it's the snowy Drum Island or the Sky Islands, everything is fascinating!"
"And most of the people there are really nice, too!"
"Unlike the Ninja World."
Kaito suggested, "If you like it so much, let's head over there to train for a while.
"The high altitude and thin air on Sky Island will be a good challenge for us.
"Once my mom finds Birka, we'll check that place out, too."
Training in unique environments like Sky Island, with its high altitude, was an excellent way to push their limits.
"Sounds good!"
"Agreed!"
"No objections!"
Kushina and the others nodded enthusiastically.
After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, Kaito and the group left shadow clones behind in Konoha and teleported back to the Pirate World.
---
"Huh? Where's Kaito? Did he not come over yet?" Kushina asked in confusion when she didn't see him.
"He probably headed to Drum Island first." Jiri chuckled. "He still needs to finalize his deal with Kureha. Since we've been out of touch for a few days, it makes sense to check in with her first."
Jiri summoned a ninja hawk, leaped onto its back, and said to Mikoto and the others, "I'll go search for Birka Island. You guys stay here and train for now. See you later!"
With that, she tapped her foot gently.
"Cawww!"
The ninja hawk let out a sharp cry and soared into the sky, heading swiftly toward Birka's general direction.
"Whoosh!"
The sound of the hawk cutting through the air quickly faded as Jiri disappeared into the distance.
---
At that moment, Kaito suddenly reappeared, startling the group.
"Why are you all staring at me? Get to training!" he teased, shaking his head.
Then he looked around and asked, "Where's my mom? She already left?"
"Yeah," Mikoto confirmed. "She's gone to look for Birka."
"Got it! Mikoto, you go ahead and train. Kushina, Minato, come with me. I'll teach you the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique inside the house first."
The three of them nodded and followed him.
Inside, Kaito spent the next half-hour explaining the technique in detail, guiding them through the process of transitioning to the new method.
"All done! Let's head outside and work on other training projects," Kaito said, satisfied.
The trio left the house to continue their training. Nearby, Mikoto was already hard at work.
Further away, Sky Island residents and Shandians were busy cutting down trees and building houses and streets, working to turn Upper Yard into a big town.
"Yo! Kaito! Long time no see!"
Rossi, who was chopping wood, waved enthusiastically.
The hostility he'd shown when he first met Jiri had completely vanished. Now, he was all smiles, radiating warmth and openness.
"Hey, Uncle Rossi!" Kaito waved back. "It hasn't been that long—only three or four days, right?"
"Are you building a new town already? That's some serious efficiency! I can't wait to see it finished."
"By the way, where's Gan Fall? I haven't seen him around."
"Oh, him?" Rossi laughed. "He went to another Sky Island to get more special shells for you.
"Our island's supply is limited, and you guys need a lot. Plus, it looks like this is going to be an ongoing deal, so we're expanding the trade network to include more islands!"
"After all, we're pretty eager to get more soil from you, too. Ha!"
Rossi's excitement was evident—his people were thrilled at the prospect of expanding Upper Yard tenfold, maybe even a hundredfold.
---
About an hour later, Kaito received a message from Jiri. She had found Birka Island.
"Everyone, stop for now!" Kaito called out, clapping his hands.
"My mom found Birka Island! Let's head over—she's waiting for us!"
The group quickly activated their space-time portal runes, locking onto Birka Island's location and teleporting away.
Near a forest on the edge of Birka Island, Jiri was waiting.
When Kaito and the others arrived, they greeted her warmly before looking around curiously.
"It's beautiful, but not too different from Upper Yard," Kushina remarked.
Jiri clapped her hands to get their attention. "Don't let the scenery fool you. The people here are very different—they're extremely xenophobic (racist), especially toward people from the Blue Sea."
"Try to avoid the towns and settlements here. If you must go, use a transformation jutsu to disguise yourselves as Skypieans."
She added, "Even then, strangers stand out and might be targeted."
"Why are they like that?" Kushina asked, confused.
Jiri explained, "It's partly due to their religion and history. Their temples are very exclusionary, and past encounters with Blue Sea pirates caused a lot of harm here. They even dislike locals who don't have wings."
Jiri paused before saying, "I saw a young boy being bullied earlier. He had long earlobes—likely the future 'God' Enel. Do you want me to bring him over?"
Kaito thought for a moment. "If he's grateful and can be recruited, I wouldn't mind nurturing him. But he's not the priority. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is."
"Oh, Kaito."
Jiri smirked and pulled out a golden, spiral-patterned fruit. "Guess what I found?"
Kaito's eyes widened in excitement. "You already found it? How? Where?"
"It was surprisingly easy," Jiri replied. "It was being worshiped in a temple. I just snuck in, took it, and teleported out."
Her smile faded slightly. "But we should leave now. The temple priests seem to have a way to track the fruit, and they're already on their way here."
.
.
.