Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 213
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Honestly, I've rewritten it about five times—I just couldn't get my thoughts to flow properly into words. I have a clear idea of where I want the story to go, but I've really been struggling to express it the way I imagined.
I'm truly sorry it took so long; this chapter was tough to write, and nothing seemed to come out right no matter how I tried. It's been frustrating these past few weeks, but I finally managed to get it done—about 5.4k words in total.
I'm still not sure if it's any good, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'll do my best to write more consistently from now on. Thank you all for your patience and support!
Minato blinked, looking between them. "Our… resort?"
Kaito turned to him with an easy grin. "Right, you don't know. We kinda own a few resorts and restaurants around the Land of Fire, ya know. It's called Sōsen-tei — all under Sōsen Holdings. Mom started it after Lady Tsunade became Hokage.
Minato blinked, a little stunned. "You've been busy."
Kushina grinned proudly from across the table. "Mhm! My kai-kun worked hard, ya know. We figured if shinobi life ever got too crazy, we'd have something peaceful to fall back on."
Minato chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Still… isn't that a little risky? People might recognize you."
Kaito waved him off, confident as ever. "Oh, don't worry about that. I've got a seal that works like a transformation jutsu — but it doesn't wear off unless the user dispels it, ya know. Even sensory types can't tell the difference."
Minato blinked again, then smiled, half proud and half amazed. "You've really thought of everything."
Karin looked at Kushina, eyes wide. "Wait, Aunt Kushina, are we… also coming?"
Kushina tilted her head, looking genuinely surprised. "Of course you're coming, ya know! You five are family. What kind of aunt would I be if I left you behind?"
…
The sun sat high in the sky, the warm light spilling through the gently swaying trees. A lone bird fluttered down, landing on a branch in the clearing, chirping softly in the stillness.
In the next instant, chakra rippled through the air as Kaito appeared in the center of the clearing with everyone else, all of them holding hands in a circle. Each carried a bag slung over their shoulder.
They released their grip and looked around the open space.
Minato turned toward Kaito, adjusting the grey haori over his blue turtleneck. "Are we near Degarashi Port?"
Kaito nodded, adjusting the strap of his own bag. "Yeah, we're just outside the town, ya know."
Kushina shaded her eyes and grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving, ya know!" She started walking confidently in one direction.
Kaito chuckled, shaking his head. "Mom… it's the other way, ya know."
Kushina froze mid-step, blinking before turning around sheepishly. "Eh— I knew that, ya know," she said with a nervous laugh.
Minato smiled as they started walking together, the sounds of gulls and distant chatter growing louder as the port town came into view.
Naruto looked around at the familiar streets, squinting up at the buildings. "Eh, this place looks kinda familiar, ya know…" He tugged at the hem of his black shirt, the Konoha logo catching the sunlight.
Karin, walking beside him in her red shirt and purple pants, rolled her eyes. "Of course it looks familiar. We've been here before."
Haku glanced between them, the sleeves of his green-and-blue yukata fluttering in the breeze. "You two have been here before?"
Naruto blinked, scratching his head. "Eh? When?"
Kushina smiled fondly. "You really don't remember, Naru-chan? We even met Tsuna-nee here, ya know?"
Naruto snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! This is where we met Aunt Tsunade!"
Minato raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I'm surprised the Third let you leave the village, Kushina."
Kushina smirked, tossing her hair back. "Who said we told him, ya know?"
That earned a small laugh from Minato. He turned to Kaito. "So, I'm guessing you teleported them out of the village using Hiraishin?"
Kaito nodded with a small grin. "Yep."
Minato tilted his head slightly. "And you came here looking for Lady Tsunade… was it to heal you, Kushina?"
Kushina smiled warmly and slipped an arm around Kaito's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. "Yup! My Kai-kun here tracked her down so she could heal me, ya know!"
Kaito squirmed a little, trying to free himself. "Oi— Mom, not so tight, ya know!"
Minato chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth lifting as he watched the two of them.
Kushina just laughed as he released him.
Minato chuckled quietly at the sight, shaking his head in amusement.
Guren adjusted the strap of her bag, her black shirt and blue pants catching the sunlight. She tilted her head. "Eh… why did you have to come all the way here to meet Lady Hokage? Couldn't you have just waited for her back in Konoha?"
Kushina released Kaito—finally—and smiled at Guren. "Well, you see, Guren-chan… Tsuna-nee hasn't been in Konoha for a long time. She left the village right after the Third Shinobi War, ya know."
Kimimaro, wearing a white yukata with black pants, looked intrigued as his eyes scanned the bustling port around them. "So… she became a rogue ninja?"
Kushina's eyes widened as she shook her head vigorously. "What? No, no, of course not, ya know! She left with the Hokage's permission. She just… lost a lot of people close to her during the war. Being in the village reminded her of them. I guess she thought going somewhere far might help ease her pain, ya know."
Haku, ever polite, nodded in quiet understanding. "Then… how did she end up becoming the Fifth Hokage?"
Kushina grinned, still hugging Kaito lightly by the neck and ruffling his hair. "Because Kai-kun here convinced her to come back, of course! Why else do you think he's her favorite, ya know?"
Kaito groaned. "Mom— come on, not again, ya know…"
Naruto suddenly piped up, his voice loud and full of energy. "Oh yeah! We also ran into that big guy on our way here, ya know!"
Guren blinked, looking confused. "Big guy? Who?"
Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He means the Raikage."
Minato's expression shifted. "you ran into A?"
Kushina nodded. "Yeah, we just crossed the land of tea's border, We were taking a short break when he and his subordinates just appeared out of nowhere, ya know."
Naruto threw his hands up as he spoke, his words tumbling out quickly. "We were eating lunch, ya know, and he just showed up looking all scary! He even threatened Mom, me, Karin, and Hotaru-nee! Said something about taking us back to his village, ya know. I thought he was crazy!"
Minato frowned deeply. "They wanted to kidnap you guys?"
Kushina nodded firmly, crossing her arms. "Yeah. When he figured out we were outside the village without the Hokage's permission, he wanted to take us back to Kumogakure, ya know."
Kaito crossed his arms, his expression calm. "That, and his subordinates recognized me and Hotaru. Kumo has had a grudge ever since the Yugito incident. I sealed off her access to the Two-Tails after she attacked me during my first C-ranked mission to the Land of Iron. They had to come crawling to Konoha to get it undone, ya know."
Karin adjusted her glasses slightly, her tone curious. "Didn't they also try to kidnap Hotaru-nee when you were little?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. That was right after the incident. They sent a delegation to Konoha to negotiate a peace treaty and to remove the seal I placed on Yugito—but that wasn't their main goal. That night, the Kumo jōnin commander tried to kidnap Hotaru. They had inside help from Danzō, though." He exhaled, eyes narrowing slightly at the memory. "I caught the jōnin and held off the Root shinobi until Kakashi, Shikaku-sensei, and Hiashi-sama found us."
Kushina grinned and leaned toward him. "That's also the night Hotaru-chan fell for my Kai-kun, ya know."
She turned to Minato with a teasing smirk. "Remind you of something, Mina-kun? Like father, like son, eh?"
Minato chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Karin clasped her hands together, eyes wide. "Oh, that's so romantic! Wait—you both met the same way?"
Kushina slid closer to Minato, smiling fondly. "Yeap! Kumo kidnapped me when I was around ten too, ya know. I left strands of my hair behind as a trail, hoping someone would come to save me. By the time we reached the border, I'd almost lost hope, ya know…" She paused, grinning mischievously. "Then suddenly—Minato appeared and swept me right off my feet!"
With a playful spin, Kushina twirled dramatically and fell into Minato's arms.
Minato laughed as he caught her easily.
Kushina giggled, looking up at Minato from his arms. "That's the day I fell in love, ya know."
Karin practically squealed. "That's so romantic!"
Naruto made a gagging sound and shoved a hand at them. "Hey — don't do that in front of us, ya know. Get a room!"
Guren smirked and folded her arms. "Well, it seems it runs in the family." She glanced at Naruto. "Well, most of it."
Naruto straightened, offended. "Hey — what was that supposed to mean, ya know?"
Guren shrugged. "It means you're not as cool as your brother or your father."
Naruto's face went red like he'd been slapped. Haku gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I think you're cool."
Naruto shot Haku a weird look; Haku only smiled quietly.
Minato chuckled as he set Kushina back on her feet and folded his arms. "How did you get away from him? I assume Kaito used the Hiraishin teleport to get you guys to safety."
Kushina nodded, looping an arm through Kaito's. "Kai-kun teleported the rest of us out while he distracted A. He got us to safety before taking the Raikage on, ya know."
Minato turned to Kaito, brows drawn. "You fought him? If you could already use the Hiraishin, why didn't you just teleport away?"
Kaito rubbed the back of his head and said, "Eh— back then, I needed time to concentrate on the marker to perform the Hiraishin. I'd just learned it, so I had to distract the Raikage while my clone took Mom and the others to a safe location, ya know."
Guren folded her arms, leaning forward. "Well? What happened? Stop keeping us in suspense."
Kaito chuckled, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "I shoved a wind-release Rasengan into his back. Pretty sure that messed up his right arm. Then I told him I'd kill him the next time I saw him, ya know."
Kimimaro looked surprised. "Why didn't you kill him, Kaito-nii-sama?"
Kaito shook his head. "Killing a Kage would've caused too much trouble. It could've sparked a war between Kumo and Konoha. I didn't want to risk that—and honestly, I wasn't sure I could take him on back then. He underestimated me, so I used that, ya know."
Guren tilted her head, not fully satisfied. "But you injured him—why didn't he come after you or start a war?"
Minato answered calmly, folding his arms. "He wouldn't. If word got out that a twelve-year-old injured the Raikage, his ego would take a hit. He's one of the Five Great Shinobi; being made a laughingstock would cost him respect among his own shinobi."
Kaito added, shrugging. "He ended up putting me in Kumo's bingo book."
Naruto puffed out his chest, beaming. "That's my nii-san, ya know!"
Karin let out an exasperated sigh. "You say that like it's a good thing…"
Kimimaro simply nodded, still processing.
Kushina clapped her hands, bright and loud. "Alright—enough talking about fights and bingo books, ya know. Let's go find something to eat."
Right on cue, Naruto's stomach growled embarrassingly loud. "Heh… guess I'm hungry, ya know."
The Uzumaki family strolled down the main road, chatting casually as they looked for a place to eat. The air was alive as the townsfolk were hanging up banners and lanterns, preparing for the upcoming festival.
They stopped in front of a cozy-looking restaurant, the smell of grilled fish and rice drifting through the open doors.
Kushina smiled brightly. "This place looks good, ya know."
Naruto's stomach growled loudly. "Alright, let's go! I'm starving, ya know!" he shouted, rushing inside before anyone could stop him.
Kushina laughed, shaking her head as she followed him in with the rest of the group.
Minato chuckled softly at Naruto's antics and was just about to step inside when a loud shout rang out down the street.
"Hey! Watch it, you bastards!"
Kaito, Minato, and Kushina turned immediately toward the commotion.
A little further ahead, two men stood facing off against a small group. One of the men — with shaggy grey hair and light black eyes — caught Kaito's attention.
Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly. "That's… Boss Jirocho," he murmured. "Head of the Wasabi family."
Kushina leaned closer, whispering. "Should we help him, ya know? He's Tsuna-nee's friend."
Minato nodded thoughtfully. "Let's observe first. Jirocho's not the type to start fights easily."
From their spot, it was clear what had happened — another group had bumped into Jirocho and his companion on purpose.
Jirocho placed a steadying hand on the shoulder of a teen around sixteen or seventeen. "It's fine, Idate. It was an accident. Calm down."
The boy, Idate, clenched his fists. "No, Boss! He did that on purpose!"
At the front of the opposing group stood a middle-aged man with short black hair, small dark eyes, and a wart over his left eye. A thin moustache lined his face, and he wore a green-and-white kimono.
Behind him, one of his goons snickered. "Heh, and what if we did, brat? What's it to you? You're just a mutt of the Wasabi family. What can you even do?"
Idate grit his teeth, ready to lunge forward, but Jirocho held him back firmly.
"Enough." Jirocho's tone was calm but heavy. "Kyūroku, we'll settle this rivalry in the race. Control your men."
The goons behind Kyūroku sniggered among themselves, clearly amused.
Kyūroku chuckled mockingly. "Yes, yes, we'll settle it in the race tomorrow. Though, I'm quite certain we'll win this time."
Jirocho's eyes narrowed slightly. "We'll see."
Kyūroku smirked. "Indeed… we'll see." With that, he turned away, his men following close behind as they disappeared into the crowd.
Once the Wagarashi family was gone, Jirocho exhaled and turned toward Idate. "Idate, stop losing your temper. You could've made things worse. Go on now."
Idate frowned. "But they did it on purpose!"
Jirocho nodded firmly. "That was their intention. You're the Wasabi family's runner — if you get injured or cause trouble a day before the race, they win without even running."
Idate's shoulders slumped, his earlier anger fading. "I'm sorry, Boss."
Jirocho sighed, but his tone softened. "It's alright. Just be more careful next time. Let's get going." He gave Idate a reassuring pat on the shoulder before the two of them began walking away down the street.
Kushina watched them go, then smiled faintly. "Well, looks like they didn't need our help after all, ya know." She turned and headed into the restaurant.
As the group followed her, Kaito glanced toward Jirocho and Idate briefly — and noticed the younger man's eyes flick toward him.
Idate's gaze landed on Kaito's Konoha forehead protector, and his expression twisted into open disgust.
Minato caught the exchange, raising an eyebrow, but said nothing as they passed each other.
Just as they drew level, Idate stumbled slightly, bumping into Kaito. "Ah— sorry," he muttered quickly before hurrying after Jirocho.
Kaito glanced down for a moment, then kept walking.
Minato leaned closer and said quietly, "You know he took your wallet, right?"
Kaito smiled faintly and lifted one hand. His wallet appeared in his palm in a flicker of chakra. "Already got it back, ya know."
He tucked it into his pocket and added, his tone thoughtful, "I think I've seen him before… if I remember right, that's Idate Morino — Ibiki's younger brother."
Minato frowned slightly. "Ibiki's brother? Then what's he doing here with the Wasabi family?"
Kaito shrugged. "Heard he died or something, ya know."
Minato hummed quietly, eyes narrowing in thought as they stepped through the restaurant doors, the sound of sizzling food and laughter washing over them.
…
Later that afternoon, at the outskirts of Degarashi Port—
Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, groaning. "Ugh… everything hurts, ya know…"
Haku sat up beside him with a wince, brushing dirt off his yukata. "Minato-sama fights just like Kaito-nii-sama…"
Kimimaro, sitting cross-legged, nodded silently, still catching his breath.
All of them looked thoroughly worn out from their sparring session with Minato.
Minato walked over, one hand resting casually on his hip, a faint chuckle escaping him. "You're all really good. Your teamwork's excellent—and honestly, you're strong for your age. Stronger than most chūnin I've seen."
Naruto perked up immediately, sitting upright with a grin. "Really? You think so, Dad?"
Minato smiled and nodded. "I do."
Kaito crossed his arms and walked over, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Well, you could say they had a really good teacher, ya know."
Minato nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, Kushina did a great job with them."
Kaito stumbled as his eye twitched, hearing that. "…Yeah. Mom. She trained them."
Naruto burst out laughing, rolling onto his back. "Pfft—yeah, Dad. Mom trained us, ya know!"
Haku chuckled softly behind his hand, while Kimimaro just smiled quietly.
Minato laughed, glancing at Kaito. "You trained them well, Kaito."
Kaito just sighed, though there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
The sun hung low in the sky, painting the horizon in shades of gold and orange as the afternoon breeze swept through the grass. The girls had gone off to the hot springs, leaving the rest of them behind to train and pass the time before dinner.
Kaito stretched his arms over his head and glanced up at the bright sky. "We've got some time before they get back." A familiar spark of excitement lit his eyes as he turned toward Minato. "How about a spar, Dad?"
Minato turned to him with a calm smile and nodded. "Sure. I was actually hoping you'd ask. I want to see how far you've come."
Naruto jumped to his feet, suddenly full of energy again. "Wait—you're gonna spar?! That's awesome, ya know!"
Haku's eyes widened in anticipation. "Kai-nii-sama… going against the Fourth Hokage…"
Kimimaro stood up as well, brushing off his pants. "This will be interesting."
Kaito grinned and stepped forward. "So— all out?"
Minato mirrored his expression, walking to the center of the clearing. "Sure. But let's not use anything too destructive."
"Got it. No destructive jutsu, ya know," Kaito said, stopping a few meters away from him.
The wind rustled through the trees as father and son faced each other, the air between them charged with quiet intensity.
Kaito smirked, raising his right hand in the seal of confrontation. "You'd better not hold back, Dad—because I sure as hell won't, ya know."
Minato mirrored the gesture, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. "Come at me with everything you've got, Kaito."
For a brief moment, the world went silent. The wind stirred between them, rustling the grass at their feet.
Then Minato's voice cut through the stillness. "Begin."
Both vanished from sight in an instant.
They clashed at the center of the field, the impact sending a rush of air outward.
Kaito threw a quick punch aimed straight at Minato's face.
Minato ducked under it smoothly and countered with a sharp jab of his own.
Kaito tilted his head just in time, feeling the air shift as the fist passed by his cheek.
Minato brought his knee up, blocking Kaito's follow-up kick with practiced precision.
Kaito spun, sending a roundhouse kick toward Minato's side.
Minato leaned back, narrowly avoiding it—only for Kaito to twist midair and swing his other leg around in another kick.
Minato caught it on his forearm, sliding back slightly from the impact.
He countered with a quick punch toward Kaito's stomach.
Kaito caught the strike with his palm—but Minato immediately followed up with a second punch, catching him across the cheek.
Kaito twisted with the blow and swung his arm around in a backhand strike, but Minato ducked under it and drove a punch toward Kaito's ribs.
Kaito intercepted the attack with his forearm and retaliated with a jab toward Minato's face.
Minato tilted his head just enough for the fist to graze past.
Kaito's knee shot upward, aiming for Minato's abdomen.
Minato caught it with one hand and used the other to block a punch aimed at his shoulder.
He then kicked out, driving his foot toward Kaito's stomach—but Kaito pushed off the ground, flipping backward and sliding to a stop several feet away.
Both men straightened, the grass rippling between them.
Minato lowered his leg, smiling at Kaito. "That was really good, Kaito."
Kaito smirked, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. "Well, you haven't seen anything yet, ya know."
Minato nodded once, his calm expression sharpening. "Then show me."
Kaito's grin widened—then his body flickered.
Minato's instincts kicked in; he ducked as Kaito appeared behind him, leg slicing through the air in a high kick. The wind from the strike brushed past Minato's hair as he rolled away.
A split second later, Kaito brought his other foot down, slamming it into the ground where Minato had just been standing. The earth cracked beneath the impact.
But Kaito didn't let up. The moment his foot touched down, he launched forward again, fist streaking straight toward Minato's face.
Minato tilted his head to the side, the punch grazing past, and countered immediately with a right hook.
Kaito blocked it, but Minato followed up with another punch from his other hand.
Kaito ducked under it and swept his leg low, aiming to knock Minato off his feet.
Minato jumped over the sweep gracefully, meeting Kaito's follow-up kick midair and blocking it with his shin.
Both landed and reset at the same moment.
Kaito lunged first, throwing a sharp punch with his right hand—then another with his left right after.
Minato deflected the first blow with his palm and caught the second, shifting his stance as he pushed Kaito's arm up and over his shoulder while leaning to the side.
Using the opening, Minato threw a quick punch toward Kaito's face from the flank.
Kaito leaned back just in time, his hair brushing Minato's knuckles, and spun his body with the motion—sending a fast kick toward Minato's ribs.
Minato caught the kick on his forearm with a solid block.
This time, Minato pressed forward, taking the offensive.
He threw a punch aimed straight at Kaito's head. Kaito ducked under it, but Minato flowed seamlessly into a kick, forcing Kaito to spring backward.
Kaito tried to hook Minato's leg mid-step, but Minato read the move, pulling back and lunging forward again just as Kaito landed.
Kaito sidestepped Minato's punch and raised his arm to block the immediate backhand that followed.
Minato switched his stance, his other fist already driving forward.
It connected cleanly with Kaito's jaw.
Kaito used the momentum of the punch to spin, sending a kick straight toward Minato's side.
Minato reacted instantly—jumping up and lashing out with a counter-kick aimed at Kaito's head.
Kaito leaned back, dodging the first strike—but Minato's other foot whipped around, catching him clean across the face.
The blow sent Kaito tumbling across the dirt, rolling several times before skidding to a stop on his knees.
He wiped the corner of his mouth, feeling warm blood drip down his chin. 'Damn… he's faster than me.'
But Minato didn't let up.
He was already on Kaito the moment he stopped rolling, his foot slicing through the air toward Kaito's face—only to pass harmlessly through as Kaito's form flickered and dissolved into chakra.
Minato's eyes widened slightly, realizing he'd struck a clone.
In the next instant, Kaito reappeared above him, spinning midair and driving a powerful kick down from above.
Minato reacted in time, jumping back and counter-kicking upward.
Kaito twisted his body to avoid the strike, then came down with a sharp axe kick aimed at Minato's head.
Minato crossed his forearms, blocking the attack cleanly before shoving Kaito back.
Kaito flipped midair and landed several feet away, sliding across the grass. He smirked faintly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Heh…" His blue eyes narrowed with focus.
In a puff of chakra, a short tanto appeared in his right hand. Kaito caught the hilt of the blade, and red Lightning chakra surged through it—bright red bolts crackling across the blade.
Minato's expression shifted slightly, his own eyes narrowing. Reaching into his pouch, he drew a tri-pronged kunai and crouched low into a ready stance.
The tension between them thickened.
Kaito pushed off the ground first. Minato moved at the same moment.
They met at the center of the clearing—tanto and kunai clashing with a sharp clang!
Red lightning sparked violently as Kaito's chakra-coated blade met Minato's wind-infused kunai. Minato had coated his kunai with wind chakra barely visible around the edges of it.
Kaito pushed forward, striking again. Minato parried and swung back in one smooth motion.
Kaito ducked under the strike and slashed upward, his tanto crackling with power.
Minato blocked it with his kunai, their weapons locking for a heartbeat before they broke apart—both immediately moving into another exchange.
The sound of metal against metal rang through the air, sharp and fast, as they clashed again and again—each strike sending sparks flying.
A few meters away, Naruto stared wide-eyed, completely stunned. "I—I can't even see them move, ya know!"
Haku nodded, eyes tracking the flickering figures with effort. "Their movements are incredible… but it looks like Kaito-nii-sama's struggling to keep up with Minato-sama."
Kimimaro crossed his arms silently, nodding in agreement.
Out in the clearing, Kaito caught Minato's next swing, their blades locking once again with a bright shower of sparks.
Minato suddenly ducked low, sweeping Kaito's legs out from under him.
Kaito twisted as he fell, rolling with the motion and flipping back to his feet just in time to block Minato's next strike.
Their weapons screeched together—Kaito's red lightning flaring bright against Minato's calm wind chakra glow.
Kaito grabbed Minato's wrist, using the motion to vault over him, twisting midair to deliver a spinning kick.
Minato brought up his forearm to block it, the impact echoing through the clearing, and Kaito used the rebound to push off and gain distance.
Minato blocked the kick with his forearm, the impact echoing through the clearing. Kaito used the rebound to push off and flip backward, landing lightly on his feet.
But Minato didn't give him a moment to rest — he was already closing in again, his tri-pronged kunai flashing in the light as their blades clashed once more.
They continued exchanging strikes in a blur of movement, sparks flying with every impact.
Kaito gritted his teeth — he hadn't landed a single hit yet.
Minato sidestepped another slash and countered with a sharp kick to Kaito's face, sending him flying backward across the clearing.
Kaito twisted midair, landing hard on his feet and skidding backward. He flicked his wrist, launching his tanto straight toward Minato.
Minato smirked, pulling back his arm before throwing his tri-pronged kunai in return.
The two blades met midair with a sharp clang! before falling to the ground, both weapons spinning to a stop in the dirt.
Kaito was panting heavily now, chest rising and falling. Minato, by contrast, stood tall and calm, not even winded.
Kaito muttered between breaths, "Damn… didn't even land a hit on him once, ya know…"
Minato smiled faintly. "You've gotten strong, Kaito. Stronger than I was at your age."
Kaito straightened, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "Well… I'm not done yet, ya know."
Minato nodded, his expression sharpening again. "Then come at me."
Kaito closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, steadying his breathing.
The air around him calmed, and in the next second, black markings began to spread around his eyes.
Minato's gaze narrowed. 'He's entering Sage Mode… and faster than I ever could,' he thought proudly.
Kaito opened his eyes as he entered perfected sage mode
Kaito's eyes narrowed, and he vanished in an instant.
He reappeared directly in front of Minato, fist already cocked back. The punch came faster than before — his speed enhanced by Sage chakra.
Minato smiled just as the blow neared his face — and then he vanished.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly. 'He's still faster than me!'
As Minato reappeared several meters away beside his marked tri-pronged kunai, next to Kaito's tanto, he quickly pulled out a handful of tri-pronged kunai from his pouch. He hurled them in an arc, and as they left his hand, the kunai multiplied, peppering the entire clearing.
Kaito shook his head with a resigned sigh, lowering his out streached arm.
He released Sage Mode, his markings fading as he sighed and slumped slightly. "Yeah… I'm done, Dad. I don't think I can match your speed. You're still faster than me. You even me in Sage Mode like it was nothing. I'd have to go all out if id im going to keep up with you, ya know."
Kaito let himself fall back onto the grass with a soft thud, breathing heavily. "Here I thought I was close to your speed, ya know…"
Minato relaxed his stance, smiling as he walked over. "You're not that far off, Kaito. If I had to say — right now, you're almost as fast as I was before I perfected the Hiraishin."
Kaito chuckled weakly from the ground,
Kaito blinked up at him, then chuckled weakly. "Heh… I'll take that, ya know."
Minato looked up at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. We should head back — the girls are probably waiting."
Kaito groaned but smiled. "Yeah, yeah, dinner time, ya know…"
….
The moonlight illuminated the rooftops with a gentle silver glow, while lanterns along the streets below flickered softly in the night breeze.
On the veranda, Kaito lay asleep with his head resting comfortably on Kushina's lap. His breathing was slow and steady, strands of red hair falling across his face.
Kushina brushed her fingers gently through his hair, smiling faintly.
The sound of sliding doors came from behind her. Minato stepped out, carrying two cups of tea. His movements were quiet, unhurried, as he came to sit beside her.
He handed one cup to her. "Here," he said softly.
Kushina accepted it with a small smile. "Thanks."
For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the cool night breeze whispering through the trees.
Kushina broke the silence first. "It's been a while since I've seen him sleep this peacefully, ya know."
Minato looked down at their son, his expression soft. "He's growing into a fine shinobi," he said, voice warm with pride. "All of them have grown up so well. You raised them well, Kushina."
Kushina shook her head slowly. "I wish that were true, ya know…" She sighed, her fingers still combing gently through Kaito's hair.
Minato didn't interrupt — just nodded quietly.
Kushina's voice trembled a little as she went on. "You don't know this, but ever since the day you…" She paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "Ever since the day you were gone, Kaito's been the one taking care of me and Naruto. He had to stop being a kid. He grew up too fast, ya know."
Her hand trailed through Kaito's hair again, gentle and slow. "He doesn't talk about it, but I can see it. The pressure, the fear… he hides it so well that sometimes I forget he's still just a kid. He's been carrying a lot on his shoulders. More than any kid should."
Minato listened quietly as she leaned against his shoulder, her voice quiet and heavy. "Ever since he heard that the Akatsuki will be coming after Naruto in two years, he's been really stressed. He doesn't show it much, but… he even had a panic attack, ya know."
Minato set his cup down and looked at Kaito, the faint rise and fall of his son's chest steady against Kushina's lap. "He's had to carry too much… but he did it because he loves you both," he said softly.
Minato reached over, placing a comforting hand over hers. "Hey…" he said quietly. "You didn't fail him, Kushina. If anything, you're the reason he's as strong as he is."
She turned to look at him.
Minato smiled gently, his tone calm but firm. "But now we're here. He doesn't have to carry it all anymore. We can help him bear those burdens."
Kushina exhaled slowly, resting her head on Minato's shoulder. "Yeah… our turn, ya know."
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