"Don't you remember what I said last night?" Princess Koyuki glared at Kaito, her voice laced with frustration and hurt.
Kaito blinked, unfazed. "No."
"Then—why did you go after Kazahana Doto last night?" Her voice rose with disbelief.
"I've got important business back in Konoha, and I don't have time to waste. Doto was your enemy, so I figured eliminating him was the fastest way to keep you safe and head home," Kaito replied flatly.
"I see… I was just being sentimental," Koyuki muttered bitterly, shooting him a hateful look.
"In that case, you should leave. You're the guest of honor at tonight's banquet," Kaito said, waving her off.
"Hmph." Koyuki scoffed and stormed out.
Kaito sighed, watching her back. "I don't get her."
---
The next day
The sun had just begun to rise in the east, casting golden rays over the snowy land.
Kaito woke precisely on time, slipping out of bed and placing a sealed envelope on the table. Lightning crackled faintly across his body as he vanished in a flash, departing without alerting anyone.
By the time the palace maids realized he was gone, Kaito had already crossed the borders of the Land of Snow.
An hour later, Kaito reached the edge of the Fire Country.
A forest-lined road stretched out ahead of him—follow it long enough, and it would lead to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Taking a sip from his canteen, Kaito resumed walking.
But just five minutes later, less than a hundred kilometers from Konoha, he abruptly stopped.
A soft flute echoed through the forest, its eerie melody paired with a subtle chakra pulse that infiltrated his mind.
"Genjutsu?" Kaito muttered, his chakra flaring as he disrupted the illusion instantly.
Then, activating his electromagnetic sense, waves of chakra perception rippled from his body and spread outward.
"Shikamaru?" Kaito frowned. "Why is his chakra signature so weak? Wait—Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Choji too? What's going on here...?"
His brows furrowed even more. "And those other four... that's the Sound Four! So Sasuke's really defected."
Kaito clenched his jaw, lightning sparking around him. "I just got back, and now this? That idiot really went through with it…"
"If it weren't for Itachi... I would've killed Sasuke myself already. But if I do, Itachi's obsession with his brother might turn him into a madman."
Without hesitation, Kaito vanished in a streak of lightning, heading toward the weakest chakra signal he'd sensed.
---
By a riverbank, Kiba and Akamaru panted heavily, both injured and exhausted. They hid behind a large rock, trying to avoid the pursuit of Sakon from the Sound Four.
Their chakra reserves were nearly empty, their bodies battered.
Kiba leaned against the stone. "Come on… just hold out a bit longer… Reinforcements should be coming."
A mocking voice broke through the air. "There you are. Let's see how far you can run now."
Sakon appeared nearby, a sneer on his face.
"Stop wasting time," Ukon added with a growl. "Orochimaru sama is still waiting."
"Fine, fine," Sakon said with a lazy grin. "You deal with him. I'll make sure he doesn't run."
Whoosh!
Ukon rushed forward like a wild beast, clawed hand aimed straight at Kiba's neck.
Kiba smirked bitterly. "Guess this is it… Naruto, you better avenge me."
As Ukon closed in, Kiba raised his head toward the rising sun and closed his eyes with a calm smile.
CRACK!
A thunderous boom echoed through the air.
A scream followed—Ukon's.
Kiba's eyes flew open.
Before him stood a familiar figure, lightning dancing around him. Ukon's chest was impaled, blackened by the scorching heat—burnt from the inside, not a drop of blood left.
Kiba's vision focused.
Kaito.
A wave of relief washed over him, and he chuckled faintly. "Took you long enough."
And with that, he passed out.
Kaito clicked his tongue. "Tch. I'm not your babysitter."
He pulled his arm from Ukon's chest and glanced toward Sakon. "Seriously… Orochimaru sure likes collecting weirdos."
With that, he vanished again.
---
Sakon froze in place, drenched in cold sweat. He hadn't even seen how Kaito moved.
This guy… he's terrifying.
He looked around frantically, trying to sense any chakra.
Then—
CRACK!
Thunder roared beside him, and a sharp pain pierced his chest.
He looked down in horror.
A lightning spear had stabbed straight through him.
Kaito stood calmly before him, eyes cold and indifferent.
Sakon collapsed, defeated without even knowing what hit him.
The spear of lightning dispersed, and Kaito turned back to Kiba.
With a quick hand sign, he summoned a shadow clone and ordered it to carry Kiba and Akamaru to Konoha Hospital.
Then he vanished again.
---
In a dense part of the forest, Neji stood, panting heavily.
He had just finished using Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on Kidomaru—but the golden armor made of sticky spider web blocked every single strike.
Kidomaru laughed.
"Impressive... but it's over. You're out of chakra, aren't you?"
A bow made of chakra-infused web formed in Kidomaru's mouth. A sticky, golden arrow gleamed in the morning light, deadly sharp.
"Now die!"
"Damn it!" Neji growled. He activated his Byakugan, chakra erupting from his body.
"Rotation!" he shouted.
CLANG!
The arrow struck his Kaiten and was deflected, spinning off into the forest.
But Neji fell to one knee, pale and gasping.
He was at his limit.
"Out of strength already?" Kidomaru sneered, forming another golden arrow.
"Let's see what you can do this time."
---
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