Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 180
Kaito nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'll talk to her."
Then he asked, "What about Kimimaro? I've sensed something's wrong with him too."
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know much about him. I only saw him briefly before he died. But I do know he was Orochimaru's preferred vessel… if it weren't for his illness."
Kaito stood there quietly, thinking. Just then, the rooftop door creaked open, and Boruto stepped out. "There you two are," he said as he walked toward them.
Kaito turned to Sasuke and nodded. "Thanks for telling me all that. I'll talk to Lady Tsunade. Hopefully, we can save Itachi before it gets worse."
He gave them a small nod and started walking back toward the door.
Boruto glanced at Sasuke, then back at Kaito. "Why does he look kinda sad? Did something happen?"
Sasuke shook his head, his voice quiet as he turned back to face the Uchiha district. "No… nothing."
As Kaito walked down the stairs, he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. 'Well… Sasuke was no help at all. I just hope the seal works—on Mom, and lady Tsunade can help Itachi… and Kimimaro.'
He stepped onto the floor where his hospital room was, lost in thought.
…
"So that's what happened…" Tsunade said, arms crossed as she leaned against her desk. Her expression was thoughtful, brows slightly furrowed.
"Yeah, pretty much," Kaito replied with a nod, seated in the chair across from her.
They were currently in her office at Konoha Hospital. After Kaito's talk with Sasuke, Tsunade had brought him here to give his report in private. A seal had been placed on the room to make sure nothing sensitive leaked out.
Tsunade exhaled and asked, "So… we'll have to deal with the Urashiki from this timeline in the future?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. He's still out there, but hopefully not for another twenty years or so. I don't think he's made contact with the version of himself from this timeline—at least, I hope not… ya know."
Tsunade nodded slowly. "Time travel... who would've thought?" She shook her head. "Even though I still think you should've told me what was going on earlier, I'll admit—you handled this well, especially given how sensitive the situation was." She sighed. "Well, nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to wait and be ready."
She moved away from the desk, circling around to sit down at her chair. "Since the issue's resolved, I assume they'll be heading back to their own time soon?"
"Yeah, in a few weeks," Kaito said. "The device that brought them here needs time to recharge. Until then, they're keeping a low profile."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair with another sigh and waved a hand. "Alright then, you're free to go, brat. Go back and get some rest. I'll discharge you tomorrow." She picked up her pen and returned to her paperwork.
But Kaito didn't move. He stayed seated, staring at the floor, clearly lost in thought.
Tsunade looked up after a few seconds and raised an eyebrow. "You've been zoning out for a bit now. Usually, that only happens when something's bothering you, or when you want to ask me something. So? What is it? Something about the future?"
Kaito looked up and shook his head. "No… It's not about that. It's just…" He hesitated, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I need to ask you a favour."
Tsunade put her pen down, laced her fingers together, and leaned forward. "What is it?"
Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I need you to take a look at Itachi and Kimimaro."
Tsunade leaned back, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"You mean like… a medical check-up? Why do you want me to look at them?" Then, her eyes widened slightly. "Wait… did something happen to them in the future?"
Kaito nodded slowly. "Sort of…"
He let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"For the past few months, I've noticed something off about Itachi. He's been coughing now and then, and his chakra… it feels different. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but it's not the same as before. At first, I thought it was just aftereffects from awakening his Mangekyō… but the coughing got worse."
He glanced at her.
"I meant to ask you about it earlier, but… well, this whole Urashiki mess got in the way, ya know."
Tsunade nodded, her expression serious now.
"You think he's sick?" Then her eyes narrowed. "And you mentioned Kimimaro too… something's wrong with him?"
"Yeah," Kaito said simply.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair again, watching him carefully.
"That's not all, is it?"
Kaito shook his head. "No…"
He dragged a hand down his face and said,
"I asked Sasuke about it. He told me… in his timeline, both Itachi and Kimimaro died because of their illnesses."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Timeline? Okay, now I'm confused."
Kaito exhaled slowly. "Right… Sasuke and Boruto—" he gestured vaguely, "—they're not from our timeline. Their history… It's similar in parts, but a lot of things happened differently."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Different how?"
"Well…" Kaito said, sitting up straighter. "According to the device that brought them here, our timelines diverged the moment I was born."
Tsunade blinked. "Because of you?"
"Yeah," Kaito said with a tired shrug. "To put it simply… I don't exist in their timeline. I either died during the Nine-Tails attack… or maybe I wasn't even born. Maybe Mom died giving birth to me, or…" He trailed off for a moment. "Whatever happened… it started a chain reaction."
Tsunade stayed silent, listening.
"Without me, Mom didn't survive the Nine-Tails attack. Naruto grew up alone. The village hated him. Hotaru either died early, wasn't born, or got kidnapped during the Hyūga-Kumo incident. Itachi was blackmailed by Danzo and the Third into killing his entire clan—by threatening Sasuke. He became the sole survivor."
Her eyes hardened at that.
Kaito kept going, voice quieter now.
"Haku ended up with Zabuza. Kimimaro and Guren both fell into Orochimaru's hands. And you…" He gave a small grin, "You still became Hokage. But not until later. Apparently, Naruto convinced you when he was thirteen, after the Third kicked the bucket."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed in disbelief.
Kaito just shrugged. "Just a few changes, ya know." He gave a small, dry smile.
Tsunade's eye twitched. "You expect me to believe that you are the focal point of all these world-changing events?"
Kaito raised his hands defensively.
"Hey, I'm just stating the facts. All those events? I'm directly involved in this timeline. I just took myself out of the equation and followed the dominoes. Plus, the turtle that brought them here said so himself."
Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temple, already feeling a headache creeping in.
"Alright, alright—so you're the world's saviour or whatever," she muttered. "Just tell me what happened to Itachi and Kimimaro in their timeline."
Kaito nodded.
"Right. So, I asked Sasuke if he knew what was wrong with Itachi. He said he didn't know the exact illness—it wasn't something caused by the Mangekyō itself, but using it definitely made it worse. At the time, Itachi was acting as a rogue ninja, and Sasuke was on a mission to kill him. They weren't exactly talking health reports."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Mangekyō? You mean the evolved form of the Sharingan?"
"Yeah," Kaito confirmed. "Itachi awakened it after witnessing Shisui's death."
Tsunade's face darkened at that, but she didn't interrupt.
"Anyway," Kaito continued, "Sasuke told me Itachi used a medicine called Kotarō to keep himself alive longer and to lessen the strain of using the Mangekyō. He didn't say why Itachi was trying to live longer, but… I can guess. Itachi probably wanted to live just long enough for Sasuke to get strong enough to defeat him, to give him closure. Maybe even to make Sasuke look like a hero to the village."
Kaito sighed, thinking about the complex burden Itachi always carried.
Tsunade tilted her head.
"Kotarō… you mean the drug made by the Kodon Clan from the Howling Wolf Village?"
Kaito looked surprised. "Yeah, from the Howling Wolf Village. You know about it?"
Tsunade nodded, folding her arms. "Yeah… Kotarō's a really strong drug. You can only get it from the Howling Wolf Village. It's made using Saigenzai, a rare compound that only grows in that region. The Kodon Clan handles it. The thing is, Saigenzai in its raw form? It's deadly. Just a whiff can knock someone out. But Kotarō, when used in very small doses, has no major side effects."
She sighed.
"If Itachi was using it in a concentrated form… then yeah. It probably helped ease the pain, maybe even slowed down his Mangekyō-related blindness. But it's no cure. At that level, he was basically using it like a super-charged painkiller. Over time, it might've done more harm than good—breaking down his body even faster."
Kaito looked at her, a little hesitant. "You think… You can help him?"
Tsunade met his eyes with a firm nod. "Yeah. Don't worry, brat. He's one of my shinobi. If something's wrong with him, it's my duty as Hokage to save him. I'll run every test I can. I can't promise a cure, but I'll damn well try."
Kaito let out a breath of relief and gave a small nod. "Thanks..."
Tsunade leaned forward slightly. "Now, what about Kimimaro?"
Kaito nodded, his tone turning serious. "Right. So, every time I've seen him lately, it feels like his chakras's getting… dimmer. It's subtle—if you're not looking for it, you wouldn't notice. But I did. So I used Sage Mode to confirm it, and it's like his life force is fading. Bit by bit."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "I asked Sasuke about it. He didn't know much. Just said Kimimaro was supposed to be Orochimaru's perfect vessel… if he hadn't gotten sick."
Tsunade blinked. "Wait. Preferred vessel? What do you mean?"
Kaito shrugged. "My guess? Orochimaru swaps bodies to live longer… maybe even to steal bloodline limits."
Tsunade's expression twisted into horror. "You mean he… forces people out of their bodies with some kind of jutsu?!"
Kaito nodded and said, "Yeah, I think so. Don't worry—next time I see him, I'll end him." He leaned back slightly, then added, "Anyway, I think Kimimaro's illness might be linked to his kekkei genkai. He's the only one in decades to awaken it, ya know."
Tsunade nodded, rubbing her chin. "I think you're onto something there. That rapid bone regeneration of his—it might be the cause. Constant cell division like that can shorten a person's lifespan. He's not just healing, he's creating entirely new bones every time he uses his ability. It's like an incomplete kekkei genkai. Not the first I've heard of either. If I remember right, there was a clan in the Land of Fire that could turn into smoke. The problem was, even the slightest breeze could kill them. They had no control over it. Ended up hiding away in some cave."
Kaito blinked. 'Huh… I think I remember something like that. I need to check my book later.'
Then he asked, "Wait, Konoha didn't help them? I mean, they're part of the Land of Fire, right? Couldn't we have just sealed away the kekkei genkai, or at least sealed their chakra? Wouldn't that have helped?" He rubbed his chin in thought.
Tsunade gave a tired nod. "Yeah, in theory, that could've worked. But the world doesn't run on what's right, kid. If it doesn't benefit the village, no one's gonna do it. Not unless the clan could offer something in return. Creating a seal like that would've taken resources—and a lot of money. To them, it just wasn't worth it."
Kaito let out a sigh. "That's just wrong, ya know. If you can help, you should. Do you know where that clan is now? Maybe I can do something for them, ya know. I don't think it'd be that hard to seal off a kekkei genkai. I'll need to run a few tests, but I'm pretty sure it's possible, ya know."
Tsunade shook her head. "No, but I can ask Shizune to look into it. Still, kid… You can't help everyone in this world."
Kaito scoffed lightly and shook his head. "Of course I know that. I'm not trying to be some saviour. I know I can't help everyone. But just sitting back and doing nothing when you can do something… that's what feels wrong, ya know?"
He paused, his voice softening. "Mom once told me—it takes a lot of people to make big changes. But if the first person never steps up… then nothing ever changes, ya know."
They both sat in silence for a moment before Kaito ran a hand through his hair and said, "Anyway, back to Kimimaro… can you help him?"
Tsunade nodded. "Yeah. If I'm right about what's happening to him, then avoiding the use of his kekkei genkai might slow things down. And if you can make a seal that suppresses it, that could help even more. But like I said, I'll need to run some thorough tests first."
Kaito nodded quickly. "Can you look into it as soon as possible? I know you're busy with all your duties, but sometimes… just a bit of time can make a huge difference, ya know," he added, bowing slightly and clapping his hands together in a silent plea.
Tsunade sighed but gave him a faint smile. "Like I said, you don't have to beg, brat. I'll take Itachi off duty tomorrow and bring him in for a full exam. As for Kimimaro, he and the others you rescued usually drop by to visit after class. Since you've been unconscious for the past two days, you've missed them. Ask Kushina to bring him here, and I'll have Shizune run some tests."
Kaito smiled, eyes lighting up. "Thanks so much, ya know." He stood up and gave Tsunade a quick hug.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and pushed him back with a smirk. "Ugh, you stink. Go shower before I quarantine you. Now get outta here—I've got paperwork."
Kaito sniffed his shirt and winced. "Yeah, fair point… I'll go clean up. Thanks again, Lady Tsunade."
He waved and left the room, Tsunade watching him go with a tired but genuine smile tugging at her lips.
...
The door to the toilet slid open, and Kaito stepped out with a towel draped over his head. He was still wearing the hospital-issued patient robe.
Kaito pulled the towel off and shook his head slightly. His damp hair stuck to his forehead. "Ah… that felt nice, ya know."
Kushina walked over and took the towel from his hands. "You should be resting, Kaito-kun. You've been moving around too much since you woke up," she said with an exasperated sigh.
Naruto was sitting on his bed nearby, reading a scroll. Kushina had him doing his homework.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, Mom." He walked over and sat on the edge of his bed.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Kaito and Kushina both turned toward it.
"Huh? Coming!" Kushina called out, her expression puzzled as she stood and made her way to the front.
She slid the door open and blinked in surprise before smiling wide. "Oh! It's you lot—come in, come in! Kaito-kun woke up," she said cheerfully, stepping aside to let them in.
Kaito had already sensed who it was and grinned. "Hey there, guys. How've you been?"
Guren, Karin, Haku, and Kimimaro rushed into the room.
Karin ran straight to Kaito and threw her arms around him. "You're awake! We were so worried!"
Kaito chuckled and gently patted her head. "It's nice to see you guys too, ya know."
Karin pulled back and quickly wiped her eyes.
Haku stepped forward, holding a small plastic bag of fruits. "We brought this for you, Kaito-nii-san. We hope you recover quickly."
Guren and Kimimaro both gave small nods beside him.
Kaito took the bag with a smile. "Ah, thank you—but you didn't have to, guys."
"It's customary to bring fruit when you visit someone in the hospital," Guren replied plainly.
Naruto suddenly shouted from his bed, "Hey! How come you didn't bring me anything when you visited earlier?!"
Guren crossed her arms and looked at him. "Because we don't care about you."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?! Hey!"
Haku quickly stepped in, a little flustered. "She's just kidding, Naruto. That day we rushed over as soon as we heard. We didn't have time to buy anything. We were worried something might've happened to you, Lady Kushina, or Kaito-nii-san."
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Eh… I wasn't being serious, Haku."
Guren, still crossing her arms, stuck her tongue out at Naruto playfully.
Just then, another knock came from the front door, catching everyone's attention. Kaito, Kushina, and the others turned to see who it was.
Standing at the doorway was Hitomi Hyuga, holding little three-year-old Hanabi by the hand, while Hinata peeked out shyly from behind, clutching the edge of Hitomi's kimono. Hitomi smiled gently and gave a slight bow.
"I'm sorry for coming unannounced, Kushina. I just wanted to see how Kai-kun and Naruto-chan were doing," she said warmly, handing over an ornate box.
Kushina waved her off with a big grin. "Nah, I'm happy you came by, ya know!" she said cheerfully, accepting the gift and placing it on the side table. Without missing a beat, she scooped Hanabi up in her arms. "Ahh, look at her! She's so cute!" she said, brushing her cheek affectionately against Hanabi's face, then reached out and gently patted Hinata on the head.
Hanabi looked like she wanted to push Kushina away but didn't say anything.
Naruto jumped up and waved. "Hey, Hinata! Hinata's mom! Hanabi!"
Hitomi smiled at him kindly. "I see you're still as energetic as ever, Naruto-kun," she giggled.
Hinata gave a small wave to Naruto, blushing lightly.
Turning to Kaito, Hitomi stepped further into the room. "It's good to see you awake—much better than the last time we visited. How are you feeling?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head, still sitting on the bed. "Hehe… it's good to be awake, Lady Hitomi. I'm doing well, ya know."
Hitomi walked up to him, leaning in so she was at eye level. She gently tilted his head left and right, inspecting his face. "Yeah… still fine. Huh, and here I was worried. The way Hotaru's been fussing these past few days, I thought you'd lost your eye or something," she teased, trying to get a reaction.
Kaito laughed awkwardly. "Hehe… nothing like that. I just used up too much chakra, that's all, ya know."
Just then, another knock echoed through the room. Everyone turned their heads toward the door.
Standing at the entrance was Shikaku, looking as lazy as ever with his left hand in his pocket and a small paper bag in his right. "Sorry to interrupt," he said in his usual calm tone. "I came over when I heard Kaito woke up, thought I'd drop by and see how he's doing. Hope you don't mind—I brought a few who wanted to check on Naruto too."
Behind him stood Naruto's classmates. Shikamaru, looking half-asleep. Choji, munching on an open bag of chips. And even Ino, standing slightly behind them.
Kaito gave a lazy wave. "Hey, sensei."
Shikaku nodded back.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Shika! Choji! Ino!" he shouted, rushing over to them excitedly.
Kushina gently set Hanabi back down and smiled. "Not at all. No need to be so formal, Shikaku—you're Kaito-kun's sensei, come on in!"
Shikamaru gave Kaito a small nod as he entered.
Choji looked at Naruto. "How are you, Naruto?" he asked, still chewing, then offered the bag. "Want some?"
Naruto grabbed a handful of chips. "Thanks!"
Ino rushed forward and hugged Naruto. She quickly let go and stepped back, her cheeks flushed. "I was really worried when we heard something happened to you…"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Troublesome… what did you do this time?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly as he started to explain what happened.
Kaito raised an eyebrow as he saw Ino hugging Naruto and blushing. His eyes briefly flicked toward Hinata, who was still standing quietly with Hitomi. 'Huh…' he thought.
Just then, Shikaku walked over to Kaito. "It's good to see you alright. I heard what happened." His tone lowered a bit. "Mind if I have a word with you outside?" he asked, gesturing toward the hallway.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, give me a second, sensei." He stood up and started to walk out of the room.
Kushina, who was chatting with Hitomi, turned and called out, "Where are you going, Kai-kun?"
"Sensei wants to talk to me for a bit. I'll be back," Kaito replied. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he looked at Kushina and added, "Mom, mind taking Kimimaro to Lady Tsunade? She said she wanted to see him after this."
Kushina looked confused. "Huh? Why?"
Kimimaro, who had been leaning quietly against the wall, looked up at Kaito, puzzled. Haku, Guren, and Shikamaru also turned, sensing something was off.
"It's important," Kaito said. "She'll explain it to you. Just take him, okay?"
Kushina gave a quick nod. "Right. I'll take him."
As Kaito turned and stepped out of the room, a soft voice called out behind him.
"Kaito-senpai…"
He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Huh? Hinata-chan? What is it?"
Hinata had followed him out and was now standing in front of him, holding out both hands. In her palms was a small container.
"Please accept this," she said, bowing her head slightly. "Ano… I made it for you."
Kaito gently took the container from her. "Huh? What's this?" he asked, opening it.
Hinata flinched slightly as she replied, "It's healing ointment… I made it for you. Mom and Hotaru-nee helped me. It's for the torn skin on your arm. Hotaru-nee said you hurt it badly."
Kaito looked at the ointment, then back at her with a soft smile. "That's really thoughtful of you, Hinata-chan. Thank you. I appreciate it."
He glanced over to where Shikaku was waiting at the corner, then looked back at her. "I've gotta go now—Sensei's waiting."
Before leaving, Kaito gently ruffled Hinata's hair. "When I'm out of the hospital, I'll take you and the others out to eat, alright? See you later, Hinata-chan."
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