Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 190
Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay, guys—ChatGPT has been down in my country and it's still giving me a lot of issues.
I really appreciate your patience, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
"Sorry about that, ya know." Kaito gave Hiashi a respectful nod. "Thank you again, Hiashi-sama… and Lady Hitomi, for helping out. I'll be off now."
With a soft puff of smoke, he vanished.
Hiashi set down his brush and looked over. "How did it go?"
Hitomi sat down across from him, pouring tea for both of them. "The seal works. Lady Tsunade wants to run a few more tests on the subjects before proceeding with Kushina."
Hiashi nodded. "I see. Then it all went well."
Hitomi smiled as she handed him a cup. "Hotaru-chan is lucky, isn't she? I really hope she and Kaito-kun end up together someday."
Hiashi took a sip of his tea and gave a simple nod. "Yes."
Hitomi raised a brow. "Huh… Are you feeling alright, dear? You just agreed that Kaito-kun is good for Hotaru. Normally, you'd grumble and say something about them being too young."
Hiashi gave a small hum, setting his cup down. "I never said they weren't good for each other. I just thought they were too young for that sort of thing." He paused, his gaze thoughtful. "But seeing the lengths he goes to for the people he loves…"
He looked at her, eyes steady. "There isn't a better match we could wish for Hotaru."
…
In the Uzumaki household's kitchen, the rich aroma of chicken curry filled the air.
Kushina stood over the stove, ladling a bit of curry into a tasting spoon. She blew on it lightly, gave it a taste, and nodded with satisfaction. "Yeah, perfect."
She stirred the pot one last time, then turned off the stove and placed a lid over it. Lifting the pot carefully, she carried it over to the table. Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she frowned slightly.
"Hm… I should go get Kai-kun. He's been cooped up in his room for days now. Wonder what's bothering him," she muttered, slipping off her apron and hanging it over the back of the chair.
Wiping her hands, she made her way out of the kitchen and down the hall to Kaito's room.
Stopping in front of the door, she gave it a light knock. "Kai-kun, I'm coming in."
She slid the door open. "It's lunch time, ya know! Come eat—eh?"
Kushina blinked, her sentence trailing off as she stared at the unexpected scene inside.
There were three Kaitos in the room.
In the center, the real Kaito was balancing on one finger, perfectly still, eyes closed.
One clone sat cross-legged on the bed, also gathering natural energy.
Another sat upside-down on the ceiling, meditating.
All three of them bore the distinctive markings of Slug Sage Mode
As soon as they sensed her presence, the two clones—one on the bed and the other on the ceiling—released their gathered energy and dispelled themselves with quiet puffs of smoke.
The original Kaito let out a slow breath, releasing the natural energy from his body. Opening his eyes, he pushed off his finger and flipped upright, landing lightly on his feet.
"Oh yeah—sure, Mom. I'm starving, ya know," he said, stretching his arms above his head as he walked toward her.
Kushina stepped aside with a small smile. "i made chicken Curry."
They made their way to the kitchen, chatting casually along the way.
Kaito sat down with a casual hum, but his posture—shoulders slightly slumped, gaze unfocused—didn't escape her notice.
Once seated, Kushina scooped a generous serving of curry over a bowl of rice and added a small dish of pickled vegetables on the side. She set the bowl in front of him and took a seat across the table, resting her chin in her palm as she studied his expression.
"Kai-kun," she said softly, "are you okay? You've been in your room for days, ya know"
Kaito smiled, trying to wave it off. "No, nothing's wrong, ya know. I've just been feeling kinda lazy, that's all," he thought bitterly. 'Tsunade's taking forever with those tests. She won't even let me check if anything's wrong.'
The truth was, Kaito had been frustrated, restless, and irritated. It had been nearly a month since Tsunade took the two rogue shinobi to test for any side effects of the Sage Art: Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal. Every time he asked for updates, she'd shut him down with the same answer: "You'll know when I'm done."
He'd pestered her so much that she eventually tried to send him on an S-ranked mission just to get him out of her office. Kaito refused and stayed home, and ever since then, she'd been trying to assign him any mission she could think of just to push him away.
That's why he'd been cooped up at home for weeks. Not lazy. Just... stuck.
Kushina frowned, brow furrowed. "Your face says you're hiding something. You're not fooling your mom, ya know. What's really up?" She reached out and gently grabbed his left hand. "You didn't get into a fight with Hotaru-chan or one of your friends, did you?"
Kaito shook his head quickly. "No, no—nothing like that. Just feeling off, ya know. And Hotaru's on a mission." While he pushed the rice around in his bowl with his chopsticks, then paused. "Actually… she might be back by now."
Kushina watched him quietly, as he played with his food. she saw the way his face lit up at the mention of Hotaru, her expression softened into a warm smile. "Then why don't you go find her after lunch? Clear your head, ya know."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… might do that."
Just then, a knock echoed from the front door.
Kaito groaned, dropping his head onto the table with a soft thud. "Not again…" he muttered, already sensing who it was. "It's Tenzo. Tell him I'm not here, ya know."
Kushina raised a brow but got up. "I'll see what he wants, Kai-kun."
As she stepped out of the kitchen and walked to the door, Kaito sighed into his curry. If that's another mission scroll, I swear…
Kushina slid the door open, and just as expected, there stood Tenzo in full ANBU gear and mask.
She smiled politely. "Oh, hello, Tenzo. Kai-kun asked me to tell you that he's not home, ya know," she added with a cheeky grin, throwing her son under the bus.
Tenzo paused. "Lady Kushina, Lady Hokage has summoned both you and Kaito to her office at the hospital."
Kushina blinked, confused. "The hospital? Huh? Why?"
Tenzo was just about to answer when suddenly Kaito appeared right in front of him.
He grabbed Tenzo by both arms and shook him vigorously. "Wait—did you just say Lady Tsunade summoned me and Mom to the hospital?!"
"Y-Yeah—! Stop shaking me!" Tenzo managed to say, being shaken like a ragdoll.
Kaito immediately let go, causing Tenzo to stumble back.
"Kai-kun, do you kno—" Kushina started to ask, but didn't get the chance to finish.
In a blur, Kaito scooped her up into a princess carry. "Wha—Kai-kun?!"
"No time! Got to go! Tenzo, please lock the house, ya know!" he shouted, his body already flickering out of the doorway.
Whoosh— and they were gone.
Tenzo stood there, straightening his clothes and regaining his balance. He stared at the empty doorway for a second, then sighed.
"…I'm not your maid, you know," he grumbled.
Kaito sped across the village at top speed, flashing past rooftops and buildings in a blur. Kushina clung tightly to him, her hair whipping wildly in the wind.
"Slow down, Kaito!" she shouted. "You're gonna give me a heart attack, ya know!"
In just a few seconds, Kaito landed in front of Konoha Hospital, touching down with barely a sound. He gently set Kushina down onto the walkway.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, strands sticking out in all directions from the sheer wind pressure of their flight.
She stumbled as her feet hit the ground, but Kaito quickly caught her arm to steady her.
"A little warning would've been nice, ya know!" she snapped, yanking on his ear.
"Ah—Ah-ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, ya know!" Kaito winced, hunching over.
Kushina let go with a huff and began straightening her hair and clothes. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we could've walked here just fine, ya know."
Then she paused.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him more closely, concern starting to replace her irritation.
"…Wait. Does this have something to do with why you've been sulking lately?" she asked, stepping closer. "Kaito, are you sick?"
She reached up and pressed her palm to his forehead, checking for a fever, her entire mood shifting into worried-mother mode.
Then Kushina paused, her expression shifting as concern filled her eyes. She looked closely at Kaito. "Does this have something to do with why you've been sulking lately? Is it... are you sick?" she asked, placing her palm on his forehead to check his temperature.
Her hand lingered as her eyes searched his face, worry deepening. "Did Tsunade-nee find something wrong with you?" she asked, gently turning his face from side to side.
Kaito blinked. "Eh? No, no—nothing like that. I'm fine, ya know. Perfectly healthy."
Kushina didn't look convinced. Her brows pulled together as she pressed again, "Are you sure? Then why were you in such a rush to get here? Please tell me if something's wrong, ya know. Don't hide it."
Kaito grinned. "It's nothing—come on, we shouldn't keep Lady Hokage waiting, ya know."
He couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. he knew Tsunade wouldn't have called both him and his mom unless the seal had worked. That alone filled him with excitement… but also a flicker of nervousness in his chest.
Kushina studied his face for a moment, saw the sparkle in his eyes—the flicker of anticipation and the edge of nerves. She let out a small sigh, her worry easing just a little. She reached up and patted his cheek gently. "Alright. Fine. But after this—we're walking home. Ya know?"
Kaito nodded. "Deal. Come on, let's go find her, ya know." He grabbed her hand and gently tugged her toward the hospital entrance, his pace quick but steady.
They soon reached Tsunade's office on the third floor of the hospital.
Kaito knocked on the door but didn't wait for a response. He opened it and stepped right in.
"Hey, you called for us," he said, eyes locked onto Tsunade.
Tsunade looked up from the file she was reading, her expression one of annoyance.
Kushina walked in behind him, arms crossed. "Kai-kun, you shouldn't just barge in like that, ya know. Where are your manners?"
Tsunade snorted, closing the file and placing it on the table. "You're one to talk, Kushina. You practically kick my door down half the time."
Kushina looked offended. "Hey! That's different and you know it, ya know!" She pouted, folding her arms tighter.
But Kaito leaned forward eagerly, placing both hands on Tsunade's desk. "Come on, stop stalling already! Ya know—did it work?" His voice was hopeful, but there was a nervous edge buried underneath.
Kushina raised an eyebrow, confused. "Did what work?"
Tsunade nodded toward the folder on her desk. "Why don't you read it yourself?"
Kaito's eyes darted to the file. Without wasting a second, he grabbed it and flipped it open, scanning rapidly for the information he needed.
Kushina stepped up beside him and peeked over his shoulder. "Huh? It's a… medical report?"
Kaito's eyes flew across the lines, skipping straight to the highlighted sections. His grin grew wider with each second. "So… it worked?" he asked, voice breathless.
Tsunade smiled, folding her arms. "Yeah. It worked."
Kushina's brow twitched. "Oi, someone wanna fill me in here?! What worked? Don't keep me in the dark, ya know!"
Tsunade looked up at her, then casually dropped the bombshell. "Your son here developed a seal that can heal you."
Kushina blinked. "Huh…? "Her eyes shifted to Kaito in disbelief as Tsunade's words hit her. "Wait, what?"
Tsunade stood up, her tone more serious now. "I said the brat developed a seal that can repair your chakra network. According to him, he's been working on it for years."
She walked around the desk to join them, her arms crossed as she added, "And from the test results, it's not just theory anymore. It actually works."
Kushina froze, staring at Kaito like the words hadn't fully landed yet. Her eyes widened, lips parting as her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Is… is that true, Kai-kun?"
Kaito looked up from the file and gave her a wide grin. "I told you I was gonna heal you, ya know. I always keep my promises."
For a moment, she just stared—then suddenly threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
"Oh, Kai-kun…" she sobbed, clutching him close.
Kaito blinked in surprise. "Hey—are you okay? Why are you crying? I thought you'd be happy, ya know."
"I am happy," Kushina said, her voice breaking through tears. "I just… I don't know what I did to deserve a son like you, ya know."
She pulled back a little, wiping her tears with her sleeve, still sniffling.
Kaito scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish. "Eh, I'm just doing what anyone would do, ya know. Besides… you've been a great mom."
Kushina sniffled again, then grinned through watery eyes. "Yeah… you're right. I am pretty awesome, huh?"
Tsunade cleared her throat loudly, trying to hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Alright, enough of the waterworks. We should proceed."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. But before we do—" He glanced at the folder again. "You listed one of the side effects as… rejuvenation. Why's that considered a side effect?"
Kushina paused, still wiping the tears from her eyes. "Rejuvenation? Wait… you mean, like, getting younger?"
Tsunade let out a small sigh and nodded. "Pretty much. Let me explain it simply. My Mitotic Regeneration—my Hundred Healings seal—it works by forcing my cells to divide rapidly. That's how I can heal from fatal injuries. But every time I use it, it chips away at my natural lifespan. Cells can only divide so many times before they start breaking down. That's what aging really is."
She turned and pointed at Kaito.
"Your seal works completely differently. It uses pure senjutsu chakra—nature energy. Instead of forcing the cells to divide, it heals by flooding every cell with nature energy. It doesn't just fix damage—it resets the cells back to their best state."
She glanced at Kushina, then continued, "There are these things called telomeres. Think of them like the tiny fuses at the end of your DNA. Every time your cells divide, those fuses get shorter. When they get too short, your body starts aging. But with this seal… the telomeres stretch back to full length. It's like rewinding the clock."
"I even tested the blood samples Kaito took—before and after the seal was used. It's real. Everything in the body rolls back to its prime."
Kushina's eyes widened. "Prime? So… I'd look like I was in my twenties again?"
"Yeah," Tsunade said, folding her arms. "We saw it happen with both test subjects. Their bodies didn't just heal—they reverted. It was like they were reborn. No signs of old injuries, no scars. Just… perfect."
Kaito rubbed his chin, blinking in disbelief. 'It's like… An ultimate immortality hack.' he thought.
Kushina let out a breath, finally calming down. Her tears were gone now. "That's… kind of awesome."
"It can be," Tsunade agreed, folding her arms. "But it's not all sunshine. Reversing your body's age like that, especially so fast, can mess with your hormones. Your endocrine system gets confused. Chakra levels spike too. We'll have to keep an eye on it for a while."
She looked between the two of them, serious now. "And if someone uses the seal too often in a short time… it might overshoot. Make their body too young for their mind to handle. That's why I marked rejuvenation as a side effect, not a benefit."
Kaito shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. So, can we get started now? You already made me wait a whole month, ya know," he added with a grumble.
Tsunade rolled her eyes, then reached over and bonked him on the head.
"Ow!" he winced, rubbing the spot.
"You know damn well I had to test everything before I'd let you try it on Kushina."
"I know, but you could've at least told me something," Kaito muttered, still rubbing his head. "You left me hanging, ya know."
Kushina turned toward him. "So… is that why you've been looking all gloomy the past few days, Kai-kun?"
Kaito nodded, his tone low. "Yeah… I've been nervous, ya know. She wouldn't tell me anything. I thought there was something wrong with the seal. I even started working on another design… just in case this one didn't work," he muttered, grumbling at the end.
Kushina gave a small smile, her eyes soft. "You really worry too much, Kai-kun."
He looked away. "Well… can't help it, ya know."
Tsunade sighed, turning toward the door. "Alright, come on. Let's head to the monitoring bed."
But Kaito shook his head and held up a hand. "No need for that," he said, walking over to her desk.
He unrolled a scroll and placed it flat. With a quick pulse of chakra, he unsealed a bangle and a slim tablet from within. The items appeared with a soft puff of smoke.
He handed the tablet to Tsunade and the bangle to Kushina. "Put it on, Mom."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she looked at the tablet in her hands. "Wait! I thought you said the seal couldn't be placed on a person directly?"
Kushina tilted her head, holding up the bangle. "Huh? What's this, Kai-kun?" She ran her finger over the metal, eyes narrowing at the tiny kanji symbols etched all around it.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… last time, I tried placing the seal directly on the body, but it didn't hold up well. That got me thinking—what if I built it into something wearable instead?"
He gestured to the bangle. "It's a prototype I've been working on. Kinda rough still, but it works."
Then he pointed to the tablet in Tsunade's hands. "That's the monitor. The bangle sends real-time data to it—your vitals, chakra flow, everything. I built the system to track everything while the seal activates."
Kushina blinked, clearly impressed. "Wow… this is really something, Kai-kun. Why didn't you say you were working on this earlier? I could've helped, ya know."
Kaito scratched the back of his head, grinning awkwardly. "Heh… I kinda wanted it to be a surprise, ya know…"
Tsunade gave him a long look, then asked, "Alright, smart guy. But what about shielding? You said the seal needs it to work properly."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, just a sec."
He crouched down, placed a scroll on the ground, unrolled it, and placed his palm on the central seal to activate it.
As chakra flowed into the scroll, the kanji expanded, crawling outward in all directions—spreading across the floor and onto the nearby wall. The sealing marks glowed faintly before slowly fading into the surface.
Right then, the tablet in Tsunade's hand let out a soft beep.
Kaito stood up, brushing his hands. "Done."
Tsunade glanced at the tablet, nodding in approval. "Good. After this, I want you to make a batch of these for the hospital."
Kaito groaned under his breath but nodded. "Yeah, yeah… sure. Let's just get this over with, alright?"
He turned to Kushina. "Okay, Mom—put it on. It needs to be around your wrist to work properly."
Kushina gave him a small smile and slid the bangle onto her wrist. As soon as it was on, the bangle shrank slightly, adjusting itself to fit snugly, not too tight, just enough to stay in place.
Kaito reached into his pouch and pulled out another scroll. He unrolled it and unsealed a small tag—the Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal.
Turning to his mother, he held it up. "You ready, Mom?"
Kushina took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready, Kai-kun." She gave him a reassuring smile.
Kaito nodded back. "Alright. Just stay still, okay? Don't move too much."
He stepped forward, gently pressed the seal to her forehead, and stepped back.
Taking a deep breath, he counted down softly, "One… two… three… Kai."
The seal emitted a bright green light that enveloped Kushina's body. The room was illuminated by a soft yet intense glow, resembling a cocoon around her.
Kaito and Tsunade raised their arms, shielding their eyes from the sudden brightness.
After a few moments, the light began to fade, and the seal dissolved completely.
Kushina stood quietly in place, her expression slightly dazed as she blinked, as if waking from a deep sleep.
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