The cave was dimly lit, its stone walls echoing with the quiet crackle of firewood. Outside, snow had begun to gather in the forest, blanketing the world in silence. Inside, however, silence did not mean peace.
Kaito's chest heaved as he leaned against the wall, his golden eyes dim with exhaustion. Sweat dripped down his temple, chilling against the cold air. The memory of crimson mist and endless chains still clung to him, suffocating even now. The Door of Blood was not simply a technique. It was a curse, a labyrinth with no clear exit, and he had vowed—never again. Not unless the situation was so dire that death itself pressed against his throat.
"Are you okay?"
Soka's voice cut through the haze. She was crouched nearby, her hands clutching a bandage around her arm, her crimson hair tied loosely behind her back. Her gaze, sharp yet gentle, carried worry.
Kaito forced a nod. "Yeah. I'm fine." His voice was hoarse, a lie wrapped in a thin veneer of strength. He would not tell her the truth—that every time he closed his eyes, he could still hear them, the curses and laments of the dead.
But he knew the price now. He would not recklessly cross that threshold again.
Instead, he turned inward. Training was the only answer. Progress. Evolution. To fall behind was to invite death.
The Training
Kaito began by channeling his chakra, forcing it through every pathway in his body until his veins pulsed like molten lines beneath his skin. His scarlet chakra chains erupted from his back, gleaming with a metallic glow, then lashed against the cave floor. Sparks of red energy showered like embers as he tightened control, trying to sharpen them, to compress the chakra until they felt like blades instead of bindings.
But no matter how hard he pushed—nothing new awoke. No hidden threshold. No revelation. Only exhaustion.
Still, he persisted. He drew in natural energy, the cold breath of the forest that seeped even through the cave walls, balancing it against his chakra. It burned, it twisted, and every failure carved new cracks into his spirit. Yet he endured. Someday, he told himself, this path will reveal itself.
Soka, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on a flat stone, her palms pressed together. Spiral markings unfurled across her hands, glowing faintly. The Whirlpool Sage Mode coiled around her like unseen currents, tugging at the moisture in the air. Her breathing slowed, synchronized with the subtle pull of natural energy.
Drops of water gathered from nothing, floating around her like pearls, then merged into a growing sphere above her palms. With a sharp exhale, she hurled it forward.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Missile!"
The orb exploded outward, sculpting itself into a serpentine dragon of liquid mass. It roared soundlessly as it struck the far wall of the cave, shattering stone into shards. The air turned damp, mist curling around the cave like a shroud.
Later, flames flickered from her lips, devouring the mist with a violent blaze.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Flare!"
A sphere of flame, vast as a boulder, crashed against the damp stone. The impact thundered, cracking the earth beneath them, leaving the cave walls scorched black. The firestorm lit Soka's face in harsh light, her eyes burning with determination.
Three months passed this way. Three months of blood, sweat, failure, and persistence. Soka's mastery of the Whirlpool Sage Mode deepened until her movements flowed like water itself, her chakra blending seamlessly with nature. Kaito's swordplay evolved into a ruthless dance, each strike precise, each cut laced with the weight of his lineage. His chains grew sharper, his control steadier, and though the Door of Blood remained sealed, he could feel it lurking, waiting.
They grew stronger. But so did the whispers beyond the cave.
The Rumors
Across the shinobi world, whispers slithered through markets, taverns, and campfires.
"They say the Demon Children of Uzumaki died that night. Burned out their chakra against the Third Hokage.""No, no. I heard they escaped. The rivers ran red that day—no way two brats could survive something like that.""Survive? Hah! They're demons. You can't kill demons. Just pray they never come back."
Some cursed their names. Others trembled. A few, in secret, admired them.
In Konoha, mothers pulled their children closer at night. Traders glanced nervously at the gates, half-expecting crimson eyes to appear beyond the trees. And in the shadows, bounty hunters sharpened blades, licking their lips at the thought of fifty million ryō.
The Reactions of the Mighty
In the Hokage's office, Sakumo Hatake stood by the window, his silver hair catching the sunlight. His face was composed, but his thoughts were storming.
"They're alive," he muttered. "I can feel it."
Reports claimed otherwise, but Sakumo trusted neither reports nor wishes. He had seen too many 'dead men' return to haunt the living.
Elsewhere, Tsunade sat alone with a bottle of sake, her hands trembling. "Damn brats… Uzumaki… you'll tear this world apart." Her voice cracked as she remembered her clan's fall, her brother's death, her lover's blood. Hatred, fear, grief—they blended into a single, unsteady storm in her heart.
Jiraiya, atop Mount Myōboku, scribbled in silence. The prophecy had changed. His pen hovered above the scroll as he whispered, "Two red-haired children, bound by blood and chains, dancing with destiny's dice… The world won't survive them unchanged." His expression was grim, his usual levity absent.
Orochimaru, in his lair, let a smile creep across his pale lips. "Interesting… How much more will you grow, little Uzumaki? What secrets will your blood unveil?" His hunger was not for money nor revenge—it was for knowledge, for dissecting the unknown.
Beyond Konoha, the Kage listened too.
The Third Raikage, A, pounded his desk with a massive fist. "So they live? Good. I want to face them myself." His voice rumbled like thunder, a warrior's pride burning in his chest.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, grumbled, floating in midair. "Two children causing this much chaos… This is why I hate the Uzumaki. Always upsetting balance." His wrinkles deepened as he frowned.
The Third Mizukage merely narrowed his eyes, his thoughts hidden behind the mist. "Two demons born from whirlpools… perhaps they belong in our waters."
And in Sunagakure, Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage, clenched his fists. His eyes gleamed with ambition. "If I could capture their power… Sunagakure would never be weak again."
In the Academy
Meanwhile, life went on. In Konoha's Academy, children laughed, argued, and dreamed.
Kakashi Hatake sat silently at his desk, his young silver-haired head bent in thought. The words of other students drifted past him.
"They say two Uzumaki demons killed hundreds in one night!""That's just a story. Teachers made it up to scare us.""No, my uncle fought them—he said their eyes were like fire and blood!"
Obito Uchiha burst into the classroom, late again, his cheeks flushed. "What's this about demons?" he demanded, curiosity burning brighter than fear.
Kakashi didn't look up. "Stories. Just stories." But deep inside, he wondered—if they lived, what would that mean for Konoha? For his father, now Hokage? For himself?
Back to the Cave
Three months later, Kaito stood at the mouth of the cave, the cold wind tugging at his blood-red hair. His body was harder, faster, sharper. He could feel it—a threshold just beyond reach. An invisible wall that would only break in real battle.
Soka joined him, her presence calm, her movements graceful. The Whirlpool Sage Mode shimmered faintly in her eyes.
"Rumors say we're dead," she said with a faint smile."Good," Kaito replied, tightening the grip on his sword. "Let them believe it. The longer they do, the sharper our return will cut."
The world whispered. And the Demon Children of Uzumaki sharpened their fangs in silence.
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I saw that most of the votes were for Kaito to be a villain and to explore the world or form his organization, so I'll do that. I'll see if he will form his organization or not depending on your votes.
If you review or give a Power Stone, I'll give you an extra chapter.
A Power Stone: an extra chapter.
A positive review: an extra chapter.
This would help me a lot and would also attract more people, so I'd make more chapters per day.