The First Attempt:
The ink-stained notes from their infiltration lay spread across the table. Kaito and Soka sat cross-legged in silence, the weight of what they were about to attempt pressing down on them. The candlelight flickered against their young faces, reflecting determination mixed with fear.
"Remember," Kaito whispered, his voice steady though his hands trembled slightly, "we channel the chakra through our spine, focus it behind us, and—if the blood accepts—we manifest the chains."
Soka bit her lip, nodding. "We might fail. But we have to try."
They closed their eyes. The house grew silent except for the faint hum of chakra filling the air. Their young bodies, despite their age, pulsed with vitality that would have broken most adults.
Kaito focused inward. He felt the roaring ocean of chakra that was always with him, flooding his coils, pressing at the walls of his body. He tried to guide it as the instructions described—outward, concentrated, pure. His teeth clenched, sweat dripping down his temples.
Then—something snapped.
Behind him, light flickered, not golden like the Adamantine Chains described, but deep crimson, glowing like blood under the moon. A single, jagged chain burst forth, humming with unnatural energy. The wood beneath them cracked from the sudden pressure.
"K-Kaito!" Soka gasped, eyes wide at the sight.
The chain writhed like a living serpent, its glow pulsing darker, heavier, more violent than the gentle gold of Uzumaki chains. But before Kaito could even see it himself, pain shot through his skull like lightning. His vision blurred, his body convulsed—and he collapsed, unconscious, the chain vanishing in an instant.
Soka panicked. "No, no, no—Kaito!"
She shook him, but his breathing was shallow, his skin pale. With trembling hands, she turned to her own attempt. She channeled chakra as best as she could, desperate to find strength, to help him somehow.
Light shimmered—this time golden. A chain emerged from her back, radiant, beautiful. For a moment she smiled in wonder—only for it to lash wildly, uncontrolled. It struck the floor, the wall, almost hitting Kaito's limp body. Terrified, she dispelled it immediately, collapsing onto her knees.
Panting, she crawled back to Kaito's side, tears stinging her eyes. "Idiot… you scared me…"
She sat by him all night, keeping vigil, her small hands holding his, hoping he would wake.
The Dream of Red Fog:
Kaito opened his eyes. Or… did he?
He was standing in a void, a place filled with a thick red mist, glowing faintly as if illuminated by veins of molten blood. The ground was soft but endless, stretching into eternity.
"Where… am I?" His voice echoed strangely.
The fog swirled, whispering, almost like voices calling out from beneath the earth. He felt no danger—yet the weight of the place pressed on his chest. He wandered, his footsteps leaving ripples in the red haze.
But before he could take another breath—he jolted awake.
His body shot upright on his bed, heart pounding, sweat dripping down his temples. He gasped for air, realizing he was back home. The familiar sight of his room calmed him slightly. Beside him, curled up with her head resting on the bed, was Soka. She had fallen asleep while waiting, her hand still clutching his sleeve.
Kaito froze, staring at her peaceful face. Guilt and warmth twisted in his chest.
He gently pried her fingers off his sleeve and laid her down more comfortably, covering her with a blanket. For the first time in a while, a small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.
"…Thank you, Soka."
He stepped outside quietly, the dawn just breaking over the horizon. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of salt from the nearby sea. Alone, he began practicing taijutsu, his fists cutting the cold air. Jab, step, block, kick—his movements sharp yet heavy with frustration.
Each strike was accompanied by a thought: Why couldn't I control it? Why was my chain different? Why… am I not enough?
The truth lay hidden from him: when his soul transmigrated into this body, it fused with the Uzumaki bloodline, mutating into something beyond human. His crimson chain was not a defect—it was a divine mutation, stronger than Otsutsuki blood itself. But he had no way of knowing this.
To him, he was just… failing.
Still, he clenched his fists tighter, sweat flying from each blow. "If I can't control chains, then I'll master my body first. Taijutsu will be my foundation."
And so, under the breaking dawn, Kaito trained relentlessly, pushing doubt aside with every strike.
A Year of Growth:
The sun was high when Soka woke. Panic rushed through her when she found the bed empty. "Kaito?!" She scrambled to her feet, heart racing—until she spotted him outside, drenched in sweat, fists slamming into a wooden post again and again.
Relief washed over her, followed by irritation. She stomped outside. "You could've at least told me, idiot!"
Kaito chuckled, wiping his brow. "Didn't want to wake you. You looked comfortable."
Soka blushed faintly, crossing her arms. "…Still."
Without another word, she joined him, mimicking his punches. Soon, the sound of fists and feet echoed in unison, two young Uzumaki training side by side.
Days blurred into weeks. Weeks into months. Seasons shifted—the warm winds of summer giving way to the crisp chill of autumn, then the cold bite of winter, and finally spring's renewal.
A year passed.
And with it, they grew.
Kaito was no longer the small, uncertain boy who had first arrived in this world. Sitting on his bed now was a youth of striking presence. His crimson hair flowed down his shoulders, framing a face sharper than before, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet fire. Muscles had formed on his lean frame, every movement carrying strength and discipline. His aura was calm yet dangerous—like a blade sheathed, waiting.
Beside him sat Soka. She, too, had changed. Her crimson hair had deepened, her eyes glowed a vivid scarlet that mirrored determination. The faint scar on her cheek, once a mark of shame, had become part of her charm, adding maturity to her beauty. She wore it proudly, a badge of survival.
The two sat in silence for a moment, gazes meeting. The air was heavy—not with tension, but with inevitability.
Finally, Kaito's lips curved into a thin smile. His voice was calm, steady, yet sharp as steel.
"…It's time."
Soka's eyes widened, her heart thudding.
Kaito rose to his feet, fists clenched. "The day has come. The Uzumaki… will be massacred."
Soka stood beside him, silent but resolute.
The chapter closed with both of them opening their eyes at the same time—eyes burning with resolve as the storm of destiny approached.
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Would you like Kaito to travel with Soka and Kushina to Konoha? Or would you like Soka and Kaito to become missing Uzumakis, traveling across the world? Decide. I'll give you 3 hours to decide. In three hours, I'll start writing the next chapter.