Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 200
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the late upload—this chapter took longer than expected to finish writing. It ended up at around 3.7k words, so I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for your patience!
Kushina sighed and placed her chopsticks down. "Kakashi, I'm trying to help here. You're like a little brother to me and Minato, ya know. And you were his favorite student."
Kakashi looked down at his plate, quiet.
"So…" Kushina continued, voice softening. "Do you think you could spend the rest of your life with her?"
Kakashi hesitated, then gave a quiet nod. "Yeah… I think I could."
Kushina gave him a warm smile. "Then don't keep her waiting. You're not getting any younger, and you know how short a shinobi's life can be."
She paused—then smirked. "To be honest, I was losing hope with you. I almost thought you and Gai had a thing going on, with how many girls you turned down."
Kaito, mid-bite, choked hard on his food. "Gahk—!"
Kakashi's face turned crimson above the mask. "WHAT?! No! Me and Gai?! That's not—!"
Kushina burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! Well—mostly."
Kaito was still coughing, red in the face.
Kakashi looked horrified, eyes wide over his mask.
Kushina gave him a light pat on the shoulder, still chuckling. "I'm just glad you found someone. Kahyō's a sweet girl. Don't let her slip away, ya know."
Kakashi sighed and lifted his bowl. "I'll… think about it."
"Good," Kushina said, topping off his rice with a satisfied smile.
…
Late morning sun poured over the village gates, casting long shadows across the dusty road. A lone bird fluttered down and perched atop the guard booth, tilting its head curiously at the scene below.
Inside the booth, Izumo stamped the final form and handed it over to a merchant in travel-worn robes. "Alright, everything checks out. You're cleared to enter."
The man gave a polite nod. "Thanks, shinobi-san." He turned and waved at his caravan. "Let's move."
Kotetsu flopped onto his chair with a loud groan, dragging a hand down his face. "Man… it's been non-stop since sunrise."
Izumo sat down beside him, rubbing the back of his neck. "What'd you expect? Chūnin Finals are tomorrow. Half the Fire Country's showing up to watch."
Kotetsu dropped his head onto the desk. "Still think we made a mistake volunteering for gate duty this week. I swear I've stamped enough paper to wallpaper the Hokage Tower."
Izumo smirked. "Didn't hear you complaining when you saw that vendor girl from Tanzaku Town walk in."
Kotetsu mumbled into the desk, "That was before my spine fused with this chair…"
Izumo chuckled. "Heads up—we got more incoming."
Kotetsu groaned and lifted his head just enough to peek. "You've gotta be kidding me. We just cleared the last group…"
Footsteps approached from behind. A familiar voice called out, lazy and cheerful.
"Yo, Izumo. Kotetsu."
Kaito walked up to the booth, biting into a warm taiyaki in one hand, a small plastic bag swinging in the other.
Izumo looked up and blinked in surprise. "Oh—hey, Kaito."
"Taiyaki?" Kaito offered, placing the warm paper bag down on the desk. "Picked up a few extras. You guys want some?"
Kotetsu's eyes lit up. "Now you're speaking my language."
Izumo chuckled. "Didn't think we'd get bribed this early in the morning."
Kaito leaned casually against the booth wall, taking a bite of one for himself. "Looks like you two have been busy," he said, glancing down at the scroll on the desk, tracking village entries.
Izumo let out a muffled "Yeah," around a bite of taiyaki. "We just finished dealing with a crowd a minute ago. Already got more heading in."
He jerked his thumb toward a small group of travelers approaching from the path.
Kotetsu asked, mouth half-full of taiyaki, "So, Kaito—what brings you out here this early? I thought you'd be buried in Chūnin Exam stuff."
Izumo followed up, wiping his mouth, "You here to receive someone. Wait—don't tell me you're assigned to escort the Mizukage?"
Kaito finished off his taiyaki and crumpled the paper. "Yup. Lady Tsunade wants me to receive them."
Kotetsu blinked. "Seriously?"
"Don't know when they're arriving, though," Kaito added. He reached for another taiyaki from the bag. "So I figured I'd chill with you guys till they show up. That okay?"
Though he looked relaxed on the outside, Kaito was on high alert—his Kagura's Mind Eye quietly active, scanning the surrounding area. He was keeping careful track of every chakra signature within range… especially watching for one in particular.
Yagura.
Only a handful of people knew the truth: Yagura wasn't just any Kage—he was being controlled. Manipulated by the masked man… Obito. Only the higher-ups knew—Tsunade, Shikaku, Fugaku, Kakashi, himself, and a few others. The rest of the village was in the dark.
Kotetsu shrugged. "Sure, man. Pull up a chair. It's not like we're going anywhere."
Izumo leaned back and stretched, arms cracking overhead. "Yeah, we don't have much else to do—just stamping forms till our shift ends."
Just then, another caravan rolled up to the checkpoint, wheels creaking, horses snorting. A group of shinobi and attendants flanked a regal-looking man in ceremonial robes.
Kotetsu sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "Welp… back to the grind."
Kaito helped them check the papers, inspected cargo, and jotted down registration details. The usual gate process, as he used Mind's Eye of Kagura to scan Yagura's chakra signature.
Time slipped by. Soon, the sun was cresting toward noon.
Kotetsu stamped another entry slip and handed it over to one of the Land of Tea's daimyō escorts, then leaned back against the booth and exhaled loudly, as the booth was empty again. He glanced over at Kaito.
"Hey, man… can I ask something?"
Kaito, who was looking at the entry, glanced sideways. "What's up?"
Kotetsu scratched his head. "Why's everything felt so tense lately?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Tense?"
Kotetsu gestured vaguely. "Yeah, I mean, sure—we've got the Mizukage visiting and all, but Lady Tsunade's got the entire village on edge. Full alert status. Anbu moving around like it's wartime. It's kinda overkill, don't you think?"
Izumo added, arms crossed, "She even sent a battalion to the eastern border. If I didn't know better, I'd say we were gearing up for another war."
Kaito shook his head. "It's just precaution, guys. The current Mizukage's never visited another village before. And Mist's been keeping to themselves for the past few years, ya know? So when he suddenly says he wants to come to Konoha for the Chūnin Finals… it caught everyone off guard."
He crossed his arms, gaze thoughtful. "And with the Yuki clan living here now… Lady Tsunade, Fugaku-sama, and Shikaku-sensei are just being careful. Just in case things go south and we end up staring down another war."
Kaito exhaled softly and added, "That's why it wasn't made public. We still don't know why he's coming… so we're keeping things quiet until we do."
Izumo nodded, arms crossed. "Yeah… that actually makes a lot of sense."
Kotetsu looked like he was about to say something, but then paused, noticing the sudden shift in Kaito's expression.
Kaito's eyes snapped toward the horizon, sharp and focused as he stood up.
"Kaito?" Kotetsu asked, tension rising in his voice. "What is it?"
Kaito didn't respond right away. He just kept staring down the road, eyes narrowing.
He could feel them. Three chakra signatures. Two were instantly recognizable… but it was the third that made him raise his eyebrow. 'Wait… what the hell, what is she doing here?'
Kotetsu stepped closer, frowning. "Oi, seriously, what's going on?"
Izumo moved beside him, his tone quieter. "Are they here?"
Kaito nodded slowly, his voice low. "Yeah. I think so."
Without another word, he stepped away from the booth and started walking toward the gates, shoulders squared, the breeze ruffling his red hair.
Kotetsu and Izumo stayed behind, watching him go, unease creeping into their gut as the road ahead shimmered with rising dust.
Something was coming. And Kaito already knew—it wasn't what anyone expected.
Just then, three figures landed in front of the village gates, the air stilling for a brief moment.
At the front stood a woman clad in a long-sleeved, dark blue dress that fell just below her knees. The traditional Mizukage's hat hides her face underneath it, the mist village symbol etched clean across its front.
Flanking her were two figures Kaito immediately recognized—Ao, who had an eyepatch on his left eye, which Kaito sensed was empty underneath, and the other being Mangetsu Hōzuki, hiramakei strapped to his back, his gaze locked on Kaito and his eyes narrowed.
The woman stepped forward and lifted her hat slightly, revealing a smile.
"Well, well… You've gotten even more handsome since we last met, Kaito-Kun," she teased lightly.
Kaito blinked, eyebrows rising slightly. "...Mei-san? You're the new Mizukage?"
Before Mei could respond, Ao stepped forward, firm and formal. "That's Mizukage-sama, to you. Please address her with the proper respect."
Kaito raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He turned his head slightly, catching a familiar glare—his eyes met Mangetsu's, who stood silent with arms crossed, glaring at him.
Mei waved a hand dismissively. "It's alright, Ao. Kaito-Kun is just surprised, that's all."
Kaito turned back to her and gave a polite nod. "Well… welcome to Konoha."
He gestured toward the path into the village. "I'll be your escort for the rest of your stay. Please follow me—I'll bring you to meet Lady Fifth."
Mei smiled. "Then, I'll be in your care, Kaito-Kun."
As the group began walking, Mangetsu lingered a half-step behind, his gaze still fixed quietly on Kaito.
…
Kaito led the group through the bustling streets of Konoha, walking a half-step ahead of the Mist delegation. Vendors called out from stalls, children ran past with wooden kunai in hand, and the air buzzed with the energy of the upcoming Chūnin Exams.
"It really is beautiful here," she said with a faint smile. "Lively… calm."
Kaito gave a small nod. "Thanks."
Mei glanced at him with a small smile. "You don't seem particularly happy to see me."
Kaito gave a shrug. "We weren't exactly expecting you. We thought Yagura was coming—so yeah, you showing up was kind of a surprise."
He glanced sideways at her. " We thought he was about to start another war, ya know."
Mei gave a soft laugh. "A fair reaction. But I suppose you're more surprised we managed to overthrow him."
Ao, walking to Mei's right, glanced between them, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Yeah," Kaito admitted. "I mean no offense, but I didn't expect you to pull that off so quietly. And against Yagura, no less."
Mei looked at him with a sly smile. "Aren't you underestimating me a little, Kaito-Kun?"
"Maybe," Kaito said bluntly. "I don't know what you're fully capable of. Against Yagura, though? That's not a small feat."
"You're not wrong," Mei said. "To be honest, the seal you gave us helped more than I expected."
Ao stopped walking for a second, his brow furrowed. "What seal?"
Mei glanced at him. "Kaito-kun was the one who told us the Mizukage was being controlled. He gave us a seal to break the genjutsu controlling Yagura. Sadly, Yagura had been under it for too long. His mind couldn't take it... he died once we broke him out of the influence."
Ao's eyes narrowed as he turned to Kaito. "You never told us that."
Mei offered a faint smile, not looking back. "I didn't tell anyone. Only Mangetsu and I knew. And I'd like to keep it that way."
She finally turned her head slightly toward Ao. "I trust you'll keep it to yourself as well Ao."
Ao looked at her, then glanced over to Mangetsu. The swordsman gave a small, silent nod.
Ao exhaled and gave a short nod of his own. "Understood."
They continued walking, the village noise humming around them.
Kaito kept his gaze ahead as he asked, "So this visit… it's your way of announcing yourself as the new Mizukage to the rest of the elemental nations?"
Mei nodded. "Yes."
Kaito gave her a respectful nod in return. "Well then… I hope Kirigakure finds its footing again, under your leadership, Lady Mizukage."
Mei offered a small smile. "Thank you, Kaito-san. I intend to see it through."
Just then, Kaito paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing slightly as his head turned ever so slightly to the side.
'What's he doing here…?'
Without missing a beat, he formed a quick one-handed seal. A shadow clone popped into existence beside him and vanished in a blur toward the rooftops.
Mei arched a brow. "Something wrong?"
Kaito gave a casual wave, not breaking stride. "It's nothing. Just handling a small issue, ya know."
Mei studied him for a moment but didn't press further.
…
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, the air was thick with the smell of broth and roasted pork.
Naruto slurped down the last of his fourth bowl and set it beside the three empty ones stacked on his right. He let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ahhh… that hits the spot, ya know! Old man—another bowl, please!"
Teuchi chuckled from behind the counter. "Yeah, yeah, coming right up, Naruto."
Next to him, Chōji nodded in approval as he wolfed down the last mouthful of his fifth bowl. "Mmm… this stuff's great. One more for me too, please."
Teuchi gave a hearty laugh. "You got it!"
Kiba leaned back with a shrug, chopsticks in one hand as he picked up a slice of chāshū. Akamaru sat perched on his head, tail wagging.
"It's alright, I guess… but barbecue meat still wins. Right, Akamaru?"
He held the pork up, and Akamaru snatched it out of his chopsticks with a happy bark.
Naruto rubbed his belly. "Nah, ramen just hits different, ya know. It's way better than barbecue."
At the end of the counter, Shikamaru finished his one and only bowl and set his chopsticks down with a sigh. "We should probably get moving. Hanging around too long's not a good idea."
Naruto waved him off. "Relax, Shikamaru. We've got time."
Teuchi placed a fresh bowl in front of Naruto. "Here you go, Naruto."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Itadakimasu!" he said, then dove in.
Another bowl landed in front of Chōji, who grinned and dug in too.
Shikamaru exhaled. "What a drag…"
Just then, Ayame walked back into the shop carrying an empty tray. She paused when she saw Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto… what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the academy right now?"
Naruto froze mid-slurp. He looked up sheepishly and waved her off. "Oh, uh… we got a free period, ya know!"
Ayame raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You know your mom's gonna kill you if she finds out you ditched."
Naruto laughed nervously and stuffed more noodles in his mouth to dodge the question. "I-I wouldn't dare, ya know…"
Ayame rolled her eyes and stepped behind the counter, setting the tray down.
Teuchi glanced over as Ayame walked behind the counter, setting down her empty tray. "What took you so long with the delivery?"
Ayame let out a breath and pulled off her headband. "The streets are packed, Dad. The Mizukage just arrived in the village—everyone's out there trying to catch a glimpse."
Teuchi raised an eyebrow. "Already? Thought they weren't expected until later."
Ayame shrugged. "Guess they showed up early. Pretty big crowd near the main road. Even a couple of chunin were being nosy."
Naruto froze again—this time for real. He slammed his empty bowl down and turned to her. "Wait, what? The Mizukage is here? In Konoha?!"
Ayame nodded. "Yup. I saw them heading toward the tower. Your brother, Kai-kun, was the one escorting them."
Chōji blinked. "Why would the Mizukage come all the way here?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably for the Chūnin Exams tomorrow."
Naruto jumped off his stool and fished out a few crumpled bills. "Thanks for the food! I gotta go!"
"Oi—!" Kiba shouted as Naruto bolted out of the shop. He grabbed his own wallet, tossed down some cash, and ran after him. "Where are you going, you baka?!"
Shikamaru sighed, already getting up. "Come on, Chōji…" He placed his payment neatly on the counter and followed after them.
Chōji quickly shoveled one last bite into his mouth, tossed down his coins, and rushed out behind them. "Hey—wait up, guys!"
…
High above the streets, four heads peeked out from behind a sloped rooftop wall, eyes locked on the Mist delegation moving through the village below.
Kiba squinted. "Those guys look strong… especially the one with the huge sword."
Naruto tilted his head. "Huh? My brother said the Mizukage was a guy. Then why's she the one wearing the hat?"
"Maybe he's sick," Chōji offered, chewing on a rice cracker. "Sent her in his place or something?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "No… that's probably the new Mizukage."
Kiba nudged Naruto. "Hey, why's your brother making a clone?"
"Huh?" Chōji blinked. "Where'd it go? It just disappeared."
Naruto crossed his arms proudly. "Well, my big brother is the fastest shinobi around right now, ya know—"
A voice behind them interrupted. "Well, Naruto, that's awfully nice of you to say."
All four of them jumped and spun around mid-panic. "Gah—!!"
Kaito stood there, arms folded, a brow raised.
Naruto laughed nervously. "B-Big bro?! What are you doing here?!"
Kaito gave them a look. "That's what I should be asking you four." His gaze narrowed at Naruto. "You're supposed to be in the academy. What are you doing on a rooftop spying on a foreign delegation?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm still in the academy! Technically!"
Shikamaru sighed. "Told you this was a bad idea…"
Chōji gave a sheepish wave. "Hi, Kaito-senpai…"
Kaito pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you left a shadow clone in your seat and skipped class, huh?" He turned his eyes to the others. "And let me guess—you left transformed shadow clones for them too?"
'And how the hell did he slip past my clone?' he added silently.
None of them answered.
Kaito sighed. "You know Mom's going to bury you alive if she finds out, ya know."
Naruto tried to recover, flashing a sheepish grin. "Come on, Kai-nii… the academy's boring! Iruka-sensei just keeps droning on about chakra control and village history. We just wanted to see the Mizukage. And I got curious, ya know? You said he was like me…"
At that, Shikamaru's eyes flicked toward Naruto. His brow twitched slightly, gaze narrowing—but he stayed quiet.
Kaito noticed that but didn't say anything, as chakra chains came out of his back and wrapped around them, binding their arms and pulling them together like a bundle of troublemakers.
"Since you find the academy so boring and decided to skip class," Kaito said flatly, "I'll be personally supervising your training today."
Naruto's face turned pale. "Wait, what?! Noooo. Come on, Kai-nii, that's not fair!"
Shikamaru let out a groan. "Troublesome… told you this was a bad idea."
And in a blink, Kaito teleported with the four of them, leaving the rooftop empty once again.
…
Kaito walked ahead and gave a light knock on the large doors of the Hokage's meeting hall. A beat later, Tsunade's voice called out from within.
"Come in."
Kaito pushed the doors open, stepping aside to allow the Mist delegation in.
Inside, Tsunade stood by the tall window, arms crossed, watching the village below. She turned as the doors opened, eyes sweeping over the group. Beside her stood Fugaku Uchiha and Shikaku Nara, her top advisors.
The Mist delegation entered in a composed formation—Mei Terumī at the front, with Ao and Mangetsu flanking her silently.
Tsunade stepped forward with a nod. "Welcome to Konoha, Fifth Mizukage."
Mei returned the nod, smiling faintly. "Thank you for receiving us, Lady Hokage."
Tsunade showed no surprise; Kaito had already briefed her through their private seal the moment he confirmed Mei's presence.
Once pleasantries were exchanged, both parties took their seats at the long council table—Konoha on one side, Kirigakure on the other. Kaito remained standing at Tsunade's side, arms folded.
Tsunade didn't waste time. "Forgive my bluntness, Lady Mizukage… but what brings you to our village?"
Mei met her eyes evenly. "It's no offense. First, I've come to formally announce myself as the new Mizukage. And second…" she paused briefly, "I would like to propose a treaty between our villages. A trade agreement that will benefit both Konoha and Kirigakure."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "A trade deal?"
Mei nodded. "Yes. I believe our nations have much to gain from cooperation, now more than ever."
Shikaku tilted his head. "Why choose Konoha, though? You could have approached any of the Five."
Mei's answer came without hesitation. "Because Konoha under the Fifth has changed. There's a different spirit here—one of peace. I've seen it. Your people strive for something better, and that's what we're working toward, too."
Fugaku leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "That's… not something we've ever heard from Kirigakure before. Our pasts haven't exactly aligned."
Mei gave a small nod. "I won't deny our history. But I'm not Yagura. And I don't intend to follow his path."
The air in the room shifted. Serious, but not tense.
Talks of potential trade began—discussion of imports, shared missions, and even shinobi exchange programs down the line.
Then Mei brought up a final request.
"There's one more thing," she said. "I'd like to visit the Yuki Clan."
Tsunade's gaze sharpened slightly. "They're under our protection."
"I know," Mei said softly. "And I respect that. I'm not here to challenge your decision—I simply wish to apologize. Properly. If they'll hear it."
There was a moment of silence before Tsunade gave a short nod. "I'll make the arrangements. But if they decline, that decision will be respected."
"Of course," Mei replied.
Shikaku scribbled a few notes down in his scroll and gave Tsunade a nod.
Tsunade turned toward Kaito. "You'll continue to act as liaison and escort for the Mizukage and her delegation. See to it that she's protected and that her schedule goes smoothly."
Kaito inclined his head slightly. "Understood, Lady Hokage."
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