The mist clung to the valley like a shroud, its tendrils curling around jagged rocks and skeletal trees. Jiraiya stood at the edge of the cliff, his gaze piercing the gloom below. Behind him, Kaito huddled against a boulder, his bandana pulled taut over his eyes, his breaths shallow and uneven. The boy's sleeve was stained with dried blood, a grim reminder of the previous night's ambush.
"We need to move," Jiraiya said, tossing Kaito a strip of dried meat. "They'll track us here soon."
Kaito caught the meat but didn't eat. His hands trembled, the faint glow of his eyes visible beneath the fabric. "Why do they keep coming?"
"Because you're alive," Jiraiya replied bluntly. "And whatever you are, kid, they're scared of it."
The boy flinched but said nothing.
The path into the valley was treacherous, the ground slick with frost. Jiraiya led the way, his senses sharpened by decades of survival. Kaito followed silently, his footsteps hesitant, as if every shadow held a blade.
"Stay close," Jiraiya warned as they navigated a narrow ledge. "One misstep and—"
A rock dislodged beneath Kaito's foot. He stumbled, his hands slipping as he clawed at the air. Jiraiya lunged, grabbing his wrist and yanking him back.
"Thanks," Kaito muttered, jerking his arm free.
"Don't mention it," Jiraiya said, though his mind raced. Now that he a recovered a little the chakra radiating from the boy—it was strange, strong and not unlike a Bijuu's…
By midday, they reached the valley floor. The mist thinned, revealing the ruins of an ancient shrine, its stone pillars cracked and overgrown with ivy. Jiraiya scouted the perimeter while Kaito slumped against a moss-covered statue, exhaustion etched into his small frame.
"We'll rest here," Jiraiya decided. "But stay alert."
Kaito nodded, his gaze distant. "They'll find us again, won't they?"
"Probably." Jiraiya lit a fire with a flick of chakra. "But next time, you'll be ready."
"How?" Kaito's voice cracked. "I don't even know what I am!"
"Whats
Jiraiya studied him. "Your eyes. That power. What do you know about them?"
Kaito hesitated. "My clan called our dojutsu the Yajuugan—the Beast Eye. And our techniques… Divine Release. It's… all of it. Fire, water, earth, wind, lightning. Even the… the light and dark stuff."
"Yin and Yang Release," Jiraiya said, his brow furrowing. "You're saying your Clan combines all five elements and Yin-Yang?"
"I guess. My father said it's why we were hunted. But I don't know why. I don't know anything."
Jiraiya leaned forward. "What else did your clan teach you?"
"Nothing." Kaito's voice turned bitter. "They hid everything. The Yajuugan, our history… even our village's location. But it didn't matter. The ones in red and white still found us."
Jiraiya tossed a stick into the flames. "Show me."
Kaito recoiled. "No. I'll—I'll destroy everything again—"
"You won't." Jiraiya's tone brooked no argument. "I'm here. Now take off the bandana."
Kaito hesitated, his breaths shallow. Slowly, he untied the fabric. The glow intensified, bathing the shrine in spectral light. The air hummed, and Jiraiya felt his own chakra stir—not just reacting, but resonating.
"Focus on the statue," Jiraiya instructed. "Mold the chakra. Don't fight it."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. The statue trembled, its stone surface groaning. Fire sparked at its base, water condensed around its torso, earth cracked beneath it, wind whipped through the cracks, and lightning arced across its surface. Then, the stone trembled one side crumbling to dust, the other growing even more moss .
Kaito collapsed, panting. The glow dimmed.
Jiraiya crouched beside him, awe and concern warring in his chest. "Divine Release… a fusion of all five nature transformations and Yin-Yang. I've never heard of such a thing. Not even the Uchiha or Senju—"
"Don't compare me to them!" Kaito snapped, his voice raw. "I'm not a clan. I'm just… a mistake."
The attackers came at dusk.
They emerged from the mist like phantoms, their red and white cloaks billowing. Twelve this time, their masks leering. At their helm stood a towering figure, his mask carved into the visage of a snarling wolf.
"The beast and the hermit," the leader drawled. "How… quaint."
Jiraiya stepped forward, his chakra flaring. "Last chance to walk away."
The wolf-masked man laughed. "You misunderstand. We're not here for you."
He raised a hand. The attackers surged.
Jiraiya moved like a hurricane, his fists a blur as he shattered bones and deflected kunai. But they were relentless, their tactics refined. Two grappled his arms while a third lunged for Kaito.
"JIRAIYA!"
The boy's scream tore through the chaos. His hand reaching out, lightning flying out around him.
"Kaito, don't!" Jiraiya shouted. "You'll burn out!"
But the boy was beyond reason. He stepped forward, tears streaming out from under his Bandana as the shrine trembled. Stones levitated, infused with crackling lightning, then hurtled toward the attackers like meteors.
The wolf-masked leader snarled. "Abomination!" He lunged, a curved blade aimed at Kaito's heart.
Jiraiya broke free, intercepting the strike. Steel clashed, sparks flying. "Kid, snap out of it!"
With a roar, Kaito unleashed a burst of chakra, lightning forming near liquidwave, hurling the attackers into the mist. The leader slicing through one of his subordinates, a bolt of lightning striking one of his ears off his mask.
"You little Bastard!!"
Kaito swayed, blood trickling from his nose. Jiraiya caught him as he fell.
"You did good, kid," Jiraiya murmured. "Real good."
Before the attackers could regroup, a flurry of kunai rained down from the trees. Four figures landed in a protective circle around Jiraiya and Kaito—ANBU, their masks carved into animal motifs.
"Jiraiya-sama," their leader, a hawk-masked operative, said. "We've been tracking you. Orders from the Hokage."
Jiraiya smirked. "Took you long enough."
The ANBU moved with precision, their techniques a symphony of coordinated elemental attacks. Fire met wind, earth swallowed lightning—each movement countering the red-cloaked assailants. The wolf-masked leader snarled, retreating into the mist with a final glare at Kaito.
"We'll meet again, beast," he hissed before vanishing.
The hawk-masked ANBU knelt beside Kaito, checking his vitals to ensure he was still alive.
"Kaito Tenshiro, I found him in the ruins of his village."
The ANBU tilted his head. "The Tenshiro Clan… I believe that's a ninja clan to the north, they are very solitary though."
"You know something?" Jiraiya asked.
"Only rumors. Nothing concrete."
Jiraiya hoisted Kaito onto his back. "Let's get him to Konoha. The Hokage will want answers."
Three days later, they crested a hill. Below, nestled among towering trees and bathed in sunlight, lay Konoha. Its gates stood open, the Leaf symbol gleaming.
Kaito halted, his bandana trembling. "What if… they hate me too?"
Jiraiya smirked. "They'd better not. I'd have to burn the place down."
As they descended, smells of food and the sounds of the city began to get louder, a warm feeling in comparison to the dark forest behind them.
Jiraiya placed a hand on Kaito's head. "Welcome home, kid."