Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Akaden Chapter 147

Ma rolled her eyes, then whacked Jiraiya on the head again. "See what you did? Now he's not our summoner, all because of your foolishness!"

Jiraiya groaned, rubbing his sore head once more. "Give me a break, Ma. It's not like I forced him away from the toads. I just—" He cut himself off with a sigh.

Pa turned to Kaito. "So, lad, is there anything we can do to make this easier on you so you don't have to… finish off Jiraiya boy? He did train your father, after all."

Ma folded her arms, her large eyes fixed on Kaito. "Yes, if there's something we can do, let us know. As for Jiraiya, I'll make sure he learns his lesson when we get back to Mount Myoboku."

Kaito took a long breath, picking his words carefully. Part of him still burned with anger, but another part realized this might be the best chance he'd get to ask for something else he needed. "Yes," he said at last, "there is something I need help with. I think you two might be able to assist me."

….

Pa leaned forward, his voice steady and reassuring. "Well, tell us, my boy. If it's something we can help with, we'll do what we can."

Ma gave a small nod, her tone gentle. "Aye, lad, don't keep us in the dark. Let us know."

Kaito hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I need your help with a seal I'm working on."

Pa tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "A seal, you say?"

"Yeah," Kaito replied, fidgeting with his pouch. "You know how Mom was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki before… you know…" His voice trailed off as he pulled out a sealing scroll, unrolling it slowly on the ground.

Pa's eyes narrowed slightly, his confusion growing. "Go on, boy."

Kaito glanced at them, then down at the scroll in his hands. "She only survived that night because I awakened one of the Uzumaki clan's kekkei genkai," he said quietly. "It's called Heal Bite. It lets me heal anyone who bites me, using my chakra."

Jiraiya, still on the ground nursing his shoulder, looked up sharply. "So that's how she survived," he muttered, pushing himself up to his feet. "I always thought it was because she was an Uzumaki…"

Kaito shot him a glare, his voice sharp. "Well, maybe you would've known if you'd visited once."

Jiraiya flinched at the remark, wincing. "I didn't mean—"

Kaito cut him off, ignoring the apology. He crouched and began spreading the scroll flat on the ground, his focus returning to the task at hand. "As I was saying," he continued, "she survived because of my kekkei genkai, but she wasn't fully healed. The Nine-Tails was forcefully extracted, and later, she got stabbed by its claw." He paused for a moment, "She had this massive wound on her abdomen. I managed to save her from dying that day, but I was just a kid. I didn't have enough chakra to heal her completely."

Pa rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the weight of the story settling in. "I take it she's been having trouble molding her chakra ever since? Damaged chakra coils, maybe?"

Kaito nodded, shifting his gaze to Fukasaku. "Exactly. After we got discharged from the hospital, I tried to heal her again. But…" He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear. "She refused. She said it was too dangerous."

"Why?" Ma asked softly, her brows knitting with concern.

Kaito let out a long sigh, his voice heavy. "Because that day, when I didn't have enough chakra to save her, out of my desperation. I used some of my life force to heal her."

"She doesn't want me risking my life for her again," Kaito continued, staring at the scroll like it held all the answers. "Since then, I've been searching for a way to heal her properly. But so far, nothing's worked. I even tracked down Lady Tsunade, hoping she could help. But even with her skills, it was beyond her expertise. All she could do was create some pain-relieving medication to help Mom cope with her chronic pain."

Hearing Kaito's explanation, Ma nodded thoughtfully. "So, you're hoping we can help her, aye? I'm sorry, lad, but we don't have any techniques advanced enough to heal damaged chakra coils. I'm not sure if there's anything out there that can." She shook her head sadly.

Kaito nodded, understanding. "I figured as much," He shook his head and continued. "But... while talking to Lady Tsunade, I learned something important: you can't really fix damaged chakra coils with medical ninjutsu alone."

He turned to Fukasaku and Shima. "But what if you could make the body repair the damaged chakra coils itself?"

Pa's brows furrowed in thought. "Make the body repair itself, you say?"

Kaito nodded. "Exactly. My kekkei genkai, Heal Bite—it works because my chakra has an incredibly high level of vitality. It forces the person being healed to accelerate their own natural healing using that vitality. But…" He frowned. "It takes a huge amount of chakra to heal someone completely."

He took out the scroll and walked over to Fukasaku, handing it to him. "I want to replicate that effect using seals. I've been designing one that could do the same thing. To put it simply, this seal would revert the body's condition back to its prime state."

Fukasaku took the scroll and unrolled it, examining it carefully. His expression grew thoughtful as he glanced at Kaito. "I see. If you use your chakra, it might just work."

Kaito nodded again. "It could, but there's a catch. We can use regular chakra, sure, but it only works on minor wounds. My Heal Bite ability, on the other hand, requires someone to bite me directly for it to work. My normal chakra doesn't have the same effect. If I want this seal to repair Mom's chakra coils, I'll need something with more life energy than regular chakra."

He paused, locking eyes with Fukasaku. "That's when I thought of nature energy. It's entirely made up of life force, so it should be even more potent than my Heal Bite ability. That's why I signed the contract with the slug summons—to learn senjutsu and complete the seal."

Jiraiya, who had been quietly listening until now, jolted in surprise. "Wait, hold on," he said, his eyes wide. "You're learning senjutsu?"

Kaito nodded, though the irritation in his eyes was clear. "Yes," he said, his tone clipped. "But I haven't made much progress. I've been too busy the last six months." He grumbled under his breath, "Lady Tsunade's a slave driver. She keeps sending me on missions back to back. I barely have time to breathe."

Pa chuckled lightly but quickly shifted to a more serious tone. "So, you're asking us to help charge the seal with nature energy?"

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not that straightforward," he said. "The seal works with normal chakra right now, sure. But I don't think it'll work the same way with nature energy. From what I've learned, nature energy is extremely volatile."

Fukasaku nodded in agreement. "You're right about that. If handled incorrectly, it can be very dangerous."

"Exactly," Kaito said, gesturing toward the scroll. "That's why I need your help. I need to design a filter or a regulator for the seal—something that can stabilize the nature energy so it doesn't harm the person it's supposed to heal." He paused, frustration flickering across his face. "I tried asking Lady Katsuyu for help, but she said she wasn't well-versed in seals. That's why I'm here. The toads of Mount Myōboku have been practicing senjutsu for centuries. Do you know any way to make something like that work with seals?"

Fukasaku stroked his chin thoughtfully but didn't respond immediately. Kaito's mind wandered for a moment, recalling where he'd gotten the idea for this seal in the first place.

He remembered vaguely when Hagoromo fought against Kaguya. Kaguya was mind-controlling Hamura, Hagoromo had to kill his brother with a Chidori look alike. and then Hamura had been revived using a seal given to Hagoromo by the Great Toad Sage. Kaito wasn't sure if that was canon or just a filler episode, but it planted the idea in his head. 'If that seal could revive someone from death using nature energy, then surely it could heal Mom's chakra coils.'

'And if it didn't work?' Kaito's jaw tightened. 'If this fails, there's always the Rinnegan.' The thought was grim, but he wouldn't hesitate. 'If I have to, I'll storm Amegakure and take the Rinnegan from Nagato myself.'

Pa finally spoke, breaking Kaito's thoughts. "Sorry, lad," he said, shaking his head. "I haven't heard of anything quite like the seal you're making. I'd have to search the archives and see if there's something we've missed."

Ma, who had been peering over Pa's shoulder at the scroll, chimed in. "But if anyone would know, it'd be the Great Toad Sage," she said confidently. "That old geezer's been alive for who knows how long, and he was always known for his work with seals."

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair, but nodded. "Is there a way for me to talk to the Great Elder? Or at least permission to look through the archives?"

Pa nodded slowly. "We can arrange an audience with the Great Elder, but it won't be immediate. You see, he's really old, and he's…"

Ma cut in, waving a hand dismissively. "He's a bit senile and sleeps all the time. But don't worry, lad. When he wakes up, we can arrange for you to meet him."

Pa chuckled lightly and added, "As for the archives, I'll have to ask the Great Elder for permission. But I doubt he'd mind you looking through them."

Relief washed over Kaito's face, and he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Fukasaku, Lady Shima. This means a lot to me."

Pa smiled kindly. "No need to thank us, lad."

Ma gave a wistful sigh. "Yeah, you're Minato-chan's son, after all. It's just a shame you're not our summoner." She shook her head in mock disappointment before shooting a sharp glare at Jiraiya. "Unlike someone."

Jiraiya flinched under her gaze, mumbling, "I-I didn't do anything…"

Kaito straightened, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that," he said. "I was desperate, and the slug contract was the closest one I could get at the time."

Pa waved it off with a chuckle. "It's alright, lad."

Kaito reached into his pouch and pulled out a tri-pronged kunai, handing it to Fukasaku. "This has my Hiraishin seal on it. If you channel chakra into the handle, I'll teleport to it. That way, you can contact me when the Great Elder wakes up."

Pa examined the kunai and nodded. "Aye, that'll make things much easier."

Kaito nodded back, stepping away. "I should get going. Mom's probably worried about me." He bowed again, deeply. "Thank you again, Lord Fukasaku, Lady Shima."

As he stood up, his expression darkened, and he shot a glare at Jiraiya. "You got lucky this time. But if I ever catch you peeping on my mom or anyone close to me again, I swear I'll kill you." Without waiting for a response, Kaito vanished in a flash of light.

Jiraiya flinched, his hand instinctively going to his injured shoulder. He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "That kid's got his mother's temper…"

Ma's sharp glare made him stiffen. "You better take care of that wound, Jiraiya-boy. And you better not let me hear about you peeping again. Ever."

"Yes, ma'am," Jiraiya muttered, nodding quickly.

With a shared look, both Pa and Ma dispelled themselves, leaving Jiraiya alone in the clearing. He glanced around at the empty space and sighed, shoulders slumping. "Well, that didn't go as planned…" Still clutching his arm, he turned and trudged off to get his shoulder treated.

…..

Kaito appeared back in the men's side of the hot springs locker room. He let out a long sigh, rolling his shoulders to shake off the tension. Stripping off his clothes, he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed to the showers. The hot water cascaded over him, washing away the grime of the day. Once he was clean, he made his way to the hot spring, easing into the steaming water with a relieved sigh. The heat worked its magic, relaxing his sore muscles.

After about 20 minutes, Kaito stepped out of the men's side, fully dressed and feeling slightly more at ease. As he exited, he was greeted by an unexpected group: his mother, Kushina, along with Hotaru, Tsunade, and Shizune.

Hotaru gave him a shy wave, her face bright red. Kaito guessed that his mother had been teasing her about him while they were in the bath. He also noticed that Shizune's face was just as red. Mom probably teased her about boys too, he thought with a sigh.

As soon as Kushina spotted him, her mischievous grin widened. "So, Kai-kun," she teased, her voice sing-song, "did you get a nice peek at Hotaru-chan?"

Kaito groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You already know the answer, Mom."

"Oh, so you did, huh?" Kushina smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "What a naughty boy."

He sighed again, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to argue.

Eventually, they parted ways. Tsunade and Shizune headed back to the Hokage's office, while Kaito, Kushina, and Hotaru made their way toward the academy. It was about time for the students to be let out for the day.

As they arrived at the academy gates, the sound of children's chatter filled the air. Kaito's eyes landed on a familiar figure leaning against a tree with his arms crossed and eyes closed. It was Itachi, dressed in his ANBU uniform. As if sensing their presence, Itachi opened his eyes and glanced in their direction.

Hotaru spotted him almost instantly and beamed. "Itachi-kun! It's been a while! How have you been?" she called out, her voice filled with excitement as they walked toward him.

Itachi gave a small nod and a faint smile. "I'm well, Hotaru. It's good to see you, too." His gaze shifted to Kushina, and he dipped his head respectfully. "Good evening, Lady Kushina."

Kushina smiled warmly at Itachi and ruffled his hair playfully. "My, you've grown since the last time I saw you, Itachi-kun! At this rate, you three will all be taller than me!" She feigned a pout of annoyance, crossing her arms dramatically. Then her expression softened as she looked around. "Speaking of family, where's your mother, Itachi-kun? She's not here?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, I'm here alone."

Kaito grinned and walked up to Itachi, their fists bumping in their usual greeting. "Sup, Itachi."

Itachi gave a small nod in return, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Kaito."

Just then, Hitomi arrived, walking toward them with little Hanabi in tow. The two-year-old toddled beside her, holding onto her mother's hand. Spotting the group, Hitomi smiled brightly. "Hello, everyone!" She gave Hotaru a warm hug. "You're back, Hotaru-chan!"

Hanabi, curious about the scene, wobbled slightly as she looked up at the group. Kushina's eyes lit up when she saw the little girl. "Oh my goodness, Hanabi-chan! Aren't you the cutest little thing?" She squealed and scooped Hanabi into her arms, nuzzling her cheek to the giggling child's. "I could just eat you up, ya know!" she teased, making exaggerated munching sounds as Hanabi laughed.

Kaito greeted Hitomi politely. "Lady Hitomi, it's good to see you again."

Itachi inclined his head slightly. "Lady Hitomi."

Hitomi smiled warmly at the two young men. "Kai-kun, Itachi-kun, it's always nice to see you both together." Then her smile turned mischievous as she stepped closer to Hotaru and Kaito, her voice teasing. "So… have you two started dating yet, or what?"

Hotaru's face turned a deep shade of red, and she pushed her mother away with a flustered, "M-Mom! Stop it!"

Kaito scratched the back of his head, his expression awkward as he tried to smile. "Uh…"

Their reactions only made Itachi smirk, his amusement evident in the slight curve of his lips.

Before anyone could say more, Naruto burst out of the academy gates with his friends—Shikamaru, Chōji, Karin, Hinata, and Ino. Not far behind, Sasuke walked out as well, trailed by a group of giggling girls.

Naruto was the first to notice the group and immediately ran over, his excitement barely contained. "Nii-chan! You're back!" he shouted, grinning widely.

Karin followed behind him at a more relaxed pace but was still smiling brightly. "Kaito-nii, when did you get back?"

Hinata, after greeting her mother and elder sister with a hug, before she turned shyly to Kaito. "G-Good evening, Kaito-sempai," she said, her face turning pink.

Kaito smiled warmly and ruffled the hair of Naruto, Karin, and Hinata in one smooth motion. "Hey there, you guys," he said with a chuckle.

Hinata's blush deepened, and she shyly looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

Just then, Neji approached the group, bowing slightly as he greeted them. "Lady Hitomi, Lady Hotaru, Lady Kushina, Kaito."

Kushina smiled warmly at him. "It's nice to see you too, Neji-kun!"

Kaito gave him a nod. "Good to see you, Neji."

Meanwhile, Sasuke made his way over to Itachi, clearly aware his older brother was waiting for him. Kushina, ever the playful one, noticed and couldn't resist teasing. "My, my, Sasuke-kun, you've got quite the fan club trailing after you, huh?"

Sasuke's cheeks tinted red, and he grumbled, "Nii-san, let's go," avoiding her gaze as he walked over to Itachi.

Itachi, always composed, gave Kushina a polite smile. "We'll take our leave now, Lady Kushina, Lady Hitomi, Hotaru, Kaito."

Kushina nodded, smiling warmly. "Come visit sometime, Itachi-kun! It's been too long, ya know!"

Itachi nodded again before turning to leave, Sasuke following close behind, still muttering under his breath.

As they left, Hitomi glanced at the sky and sighed softly. "Well, it's getting late. We should head home too, Kushina."

Kushina nodded, shifting little Hanabi back into Hitomi's arms. "Yeah, I suppose we should. See you tomorrow, Hitomi. And don't forget—bring Hanabi-chan over next time, ya know!"

Hitomi laughed gently. "Of course. See you tomorrow." She waved as she walked away with Hotaru, Hanabi, and the Hyūga branch bodyguards.

Hotaru paused just before leaving and gave Kaito a warm hug. "Goodnight, Kaito," she said softly before hurrying off to join her mother and sisters.

As the group dispersed, Kushina turned to Naruto, Karin, and Kaito with a wide grin. "So, are you three hungry? Because I sure am, ya know!"

Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "Ichiraku Ramen!"

Karin nodded, smiling. "Ramen sounds perfect."

Kushina mirrored Naruto's enthusiasm, punching the air. "Then let's get going!" she said, her voice full of energy.

Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Of course, ramen…" he muttered, but he followed them without complaint.

As they made their way toward Ichiraku Ramen, Kaito's attention drifted to the Hokage Monument. Tsunade's face had recently been added, but his eyes lingered on his father's—the Fourth Hokage. He slowed his steps slightly, staring at the carved stone. One day, Dad…

Kushina noticed him lagging behind and called out, "Hey, Kaito-kun! Hurry up, ya know!" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Kaito gave a small smile and jogged to catch up with them, shaking his head at his mother's boundless energy.

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