Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Chapter 110

Itachi sighed and nodded. "Hai, there is something else that is bothering me." He looked at both Kaito and Hotaru and explained,"It's just that there hasn't been any Uchiha in the ANBU, and the village higher-ups and the Uchiha clan aren't in the best situation right now."

Kaito's expression grew serious. "So you're worried this might be a ploy by the village higher-ups for something?"

Itachi nodded.

Kaito thought to himself, "So Danzo is still influencing the old monkey. He's still planning a massacre." He knew Danzo was behind the push for Itachi's ANBU placement.

The three of them fell silent, finishing their meal. Afterward, they parted ways, promising to meet up every few weeks to keep in touch.

….

It was late noon, and Kaito's shadow clones had long been dispelled, their accumulated experience and fatigue returning to him. Having recovered, Kaito opened his eyes and looked at the sky as a flock of birds flew over the training ground. He sighed, thinking about on what had happened the previous day.

Kaito thought to himself, "Sigh, I thought that exposing Danzo in front of Shikaku-sensei and Fugaku would solve the problem and make Danzo lose his influence, but… " he trailed off "It seems Danzo still has influence… "

"What's the point of doing anything if everything just remains the same or gets worse?" he sighed, thinking, "It's like in the original timeline, Danzo only lost his power on the surface but was still in control of Root. Hiruzen is really a useless and selfish Kage."

Kaito caught a falling leaf and stared at it, thinking, "It's almost like a fixed point in time that can't be changed."

He then thought about the Nine-Tails attack. "Do certain events in the timeline just can't be changed? Like the Nine-Tails attack. even after I gave Dad a warning and stopped Obito from killing Biwako and taking Naruto hostage, everything still happened following the plot. "

Channeling wind chakra into the leaf, he slit it in half. "It's like everything corrects itself no matter what I do to change it. "

thinking of his mother's smiling face "No, that isn't right. I saved Mom, I changed the timeline. She was supposed to die during the Nine-Tails attack," Kaito shook his head.

Kaito sat up and looked at the tri-pronged kunai at his feet. Plucking it from the ground, he sighed. "I need to clear my mind." Looking up at the sky, Kaito saw that it was late afternoon.

He stood up, he collected all the scatted tri-pronged kunai and walked out of the training ground. Walking down the streets of Konoha, Kaito wandered around, contemplating the village's current situation.

Kaito knew that the main problem right now was the third Hokage and the stupid elders. While the Uchiha clan resented the village higher-ups for choosing Minato over Fugaku for the position of the fourth Hokage, they hadn't done anything to be ostracized. For heaven's sake, Konoha was co-founded by the Uchiha Clan.

He knew that getting rid of the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the shitty elders would solve most of the village's problems, but the four of them were power-hungry and didn't want to let go of it. The only reason Minato was chosen to be Hokage was because everyone put pressure on Hiruzen for villages lost during the Third Ninja War and forced him to step down.

Even though after Kaito had exposed Danzo, the Hokage gave the Uchiha clan's back it powers and said he would stop the surveillance of the Uchiha clan. Everyone knew that the Uchiha clan was still being monitored.

As Kaito strolled absentmindedly down the busy streets of Konoha, he suddenly stopped at the sound of shouting behind him. Turning around, he noticed two civilian men engaged in a drunken brawl. The fight quickly escalated and soon onlookers were being pulled into the chaos. In an instant, a team of Konoha police officers appeared, sprinting towards the scene to restore order. With swift movements, he pinned down both fighters and declared them under arrest for causing a public disturbance.

The intoxicated men began to plead with the officer to let them go, but their requests fell on deaf ears as he firmly stood his ground. Suddenly, one of the onlookers shouted, "You're quick to arrest people for petty things, but where were you when the Nine-Tails attacked?!" Another chimed in, "Yeah, you're supposed to protect us citizens, but you ran away when we needed you!" The mention of the Nine-Tails attack struck a nerve with the Uchiha police officers, and they grew visibly angry. Without hesitation, they arrested the person who had spoken out against them while others continued to handle the drunkards. This was just another day on the bustling streets of Konoha.

Kaito's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the tense scene between the village and the Uchiha clan. He signed to himself, "It's gotten worse." Suddenly, Kaito felt a familiar presence next to him. Without turning to look, he greeted him. "Sensei." Shikaku Nara come to a stop beside Kaito

Shikaku not looking at Kaito looked at the scene. "It's been a while, Kaito," he said.

Kaito nodded, signing back. "Hai, it has. How have you been, Sensei?" Shikaku nodded in agreement next to him, not taking his eyes off the situation before them.

As they started to walk away from the tense situation, Shikaku asked, "Have somewhere to be?"

Kaito shook his head. "No, nowhere specific."

Shikaku glanced down the street and suggested, "Then would you mind joining me for a game of Shogi?"

Kaito shrugged. "Sure, why not? At your place?" he asked, knowing they were close to the Nara compound.

"Hai." Shikaku nodded and they made their way there. As they walked, he asked Kaito about recent news. "I heard that Itachi was recruited by the ANBU,"

Kaito nodded. "Hai, he told us yesterday. He said he has some sort of test before he becomes one."

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "So, you and Hotaru planning on forming a team?"

Kaito nodded and replied, "Hai, I think we might just do missions the two of us, ya know," Then he added with a smirk, "But you're always welcome to join us once in a while sensei."

Upon reaching Shikaku's house, they entered as Shikaku announced, "I'm back."

Yoshino poked her head out from the kitchen and, looking at the clock, said, "Huh, you're early."

Shikaku sighed and said, "I ran into someone on my way," gesturing to Kaito, who entered the house after him.

Seeing Kaito, Yoshino smiled and greeted him back. "Ah, Kaito, it's been some time. How have you been, and how are your mother and brother doing?"

Kaito bowed politely and said, "Good afternoon, Yoshino-san. We are doing well, thank you for asking."

Shikaku cut in, "Can we get something to drink while we play shogi, Yoshino?"

She nodded, "Yeah, sure. I'll have it ready in a few minutes."

Shikaku led Kaito to his back porch, where they sat down with a shogi table in the middle. Kaito took his place opposite Shikaku, and they began arranging the shogi pieces on the board.

Yoshino came out while they were setting up the board, saying, "Here you go," as she poured them each a cup of tea and handed them over.

Taking the offered cup, Shikaku asked, "Where's Shikamaru?"

Yoshino replied, "I chased him out of the house to hang out with his friends. That boy is too lazy and is always sleeping."

Kaito thanked her for the tea. Yoshino then asked if he would be staying over for dinner.

Kaito shook his head, "No, I promised my mother I'd be back for dinner."

Yoshino said, "Oh, alright then. I'll leave you two alone," and got up to do some house chores.

After Yoshino left, Kaito and Shikaku played shogi in silence for a while. The only sound was the soft clink of shogi pieces being placed on the board.

"You've got something on your mind," Shikaku said finally, breaking the silence as he moved one of his pieces. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kaito sighed and moved a piece of his own. "Sensei... what do you think of Konoha's current situation?"

Shikaku hummed thoughtfully. "That depends… If you're asking about the shinobi world, I'd say it's holding up alright for now." He moved another piece and added, "But if you're talking about internal affairs, then things are not looking that great."

Kaito's brow furrowed. "What would you do if something you thought would make it better only made the situation worse?"

Shikaku glanced at him while moving a piece. "You're talking about the Uchiha clan's situation?"

Kaito nodded. "You know what's going to happen if things don't change, right, Sensei?"

Shikaku sighed, took a sip of his tea, and looked at Kaito seriously. "Yes, I know. There are two possible outcomes," he said gravely. "But there's not much we can do about it."

Kaito moved a piece on the board. "But what if there was something we can do?"

Shikaku looked at him intently. "Other than naming someone from the Uchiha clan as the fifth Hokage, I don't see any peaceful options. And with the Uchiha clan's current reputation and the higher-ups' disapproval, that's not going to happen anytime soon," he said moving a piece on the shogi board.

"Hai, I know that," Kaito met his gaze. "But what if the new Hokage was someone the Uchiha clan wouldn't have a problem with? What if they were given back all their rights and something was put in place to prevent this from happening again?"

Shikaku shook his head. "What you're suggesting is treason, Kaito. You can't just overthrow a Hokage."

Kaito shook his head. "Who said anything about overthrowing a Hokage?" He moved a piece. "The Third Hokage already retired before the Third Shinobi War ended. He's just a stand-in until a suitable successor is found. Since the Hokage is too busy to find one himself, what if we found someone who has the approval of the Daimyo, the clans, and the Jonin council?"

Kaito ran a hand through his hair. "You have to admit it, Sensei, the current situation is mostly the fault of Konoha's higher-ups."

Shikaku sighed. "Who is this Hokage candidate you have in mind, and how do you plan on getting the approval of the clans, the Daimyo, and the Jonin council?"

Kaito looked at Shikaku in silence for a few moments. Shikaku's eyes widened as he crossed his arms. "No, I'm not becoming Hokage, Kaito."

Kaito looked surprised. "Huh? Who said anything about you becoming Hokage, Sensei?" then He started laughing. "Sensei, you thought it was suggesting you to be the next Hokage. "wiping away some tears he continued "I know the paperwork would be too troublesome for you."

Shikaku coughed, a bit embarrassed. "Ahem, forget what I just said. You still haven't answered my question."

Kaito smirked. "I have someone in mind who's well-loved in Konoha, so getting approval shouldn't be an issue. I'd still appreciate your help, Sensei."

Shikaku sighed, contemplating Kaito's words. "Alright, Kaito. I'll hear you out. Who is this candidate?"

Kaito took a deep breath. "Tsunade Senju."

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