Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Akaden Chapter 150

After a moment, Hotaru glanced at Kaito hesitantly. "I don't mean to pry, but… what was that back there with Jiraiya-sama? You seemed really angry at him, Kai-kun."

Kaito shrugged as if it didn't matter, though the edge in his voice said otherwise. "Oh, that? It's nothing. I just caught him spying on you guys the other day."

Hotaru blinked in surprise. "Spying?"

"Yeah," Kaito said, taking a bite of his dango. "And then there's the other thing. He's supposed to be Naruto's godfather, but he hasn't visited Naruto. Not even once. If Mom and I weren't around, I can't shake the feeling Naruto would've been abandoned by him—and worse, the Third might've brainwashed him into being Konoha's weapon. You know what I mean?"

Hotaru's expression softened, her steps slowing. "Oh," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't know what to say after hearing that, so she simply walked beside him in silence.

The two continued their way back to the Hyuga compound, the mood much quieter now, the cheerful bustle of the village fading into the background.

…

Kaito sat on the porch of his family's house early in the morning, fastening the straps of his sandals. Karin stood beside him, already wearing her own. She wore black pants, a red long-sleeved shirt, and her usual glasses. Her eyes were full of curiosity, and she kept glancing at Kaito as if she had something on her mind.

"So, Kai-nii," Karin said, breaking the silence.

Kaito hummed and looked at Karin. "Yeah?" he asked as he stood up and adjusted the straps of his bag.

"How long will you be gone on this mission?" she asked, kicking some dirt off to the side.

Kaito let out a small sigh. "I'm not sure, Karin. It might be a week, or it might be a few months. It really depends on how things go," he explained, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Hopefully quick, ya know."

He then asked, "By the way, how's your Water Nature Transformation training coming along?"

Karin's face twisted with frustration. "I still can't do it," she admitted. "Turning my chakra into water… I just can't get the hang of it yet."

Kaito offered her a reassuring smile and gently ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. It takes time. Nature transformations aren't usually taught until someone becomes a genin. You're working on it earlier than most, so it'll naturally be hard. I'm sure you'll get it soon, Karin."

Karin's cheeks turned a little pink at his encouragement, but she looked grateful. Kaito took a bite of a half-finished sandwich from one of his seals. He was about to say something else when they heard Naruto's voice coming from inside the house. The door slid open, and Naruto walked out looking annoyed. He wore his usual orange-and-blue outfit and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Mom, why do I have to go to the Academy today?" Naruto whined, stepping onto the porch with a deep frown. "It's so boring. Iruka-sensei isn't teaching us anything new, ya know. I learn more at home anyway."

Behind him, Kushina emerged and locked the door to the house. She wore a simple white T-shirt and a long skirt with red and black patterns, a small handbag over her shoulder. She gave Naruto a stern look. "You're going, and that's final, Naru-chan," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Even if it's not super challenging, you still need to have a normal life, make friends, and learn the basics, ya know. Look at Karin-chan. She's not complaining, is she?"

Naruto scrunched up his nose. "She doesn't get bored listening to those boring lectures."

Kushina pressed her lips together and set one hand on her hip. "If you're not feeling challenged at the Academy, then don't worry. I'll just make your afternoon training sessions harder from now on."

Naruto's eyes went wide with alarm at the thought. He swallowed hard. "T-that's fine," he mumbled, seeing the gleam in Kushina's eyes.

Kushina nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Then let's get going."

She motioned for them all to set out. Karin, Kaito, and Naruto followed her down the path from the house, heading toward the Academy.

As they made their way through the village streets, they soon came across Hotaru walking side by side with Neji and Hinata.

Naruto perked up the moment he saw them. "Yo, Hinata! Neji! Hotaru-nee! How're you doing?" he called out, waving with his usual big grin.

Hotaru, Hinata, and Neji turned around. Hotaru's eyes lit up, and she returned the wave. "Good morning, Lady Kushina, Kai-kun, Naruto-kun, Karin-chan," she said politely.

Kushina smiled back, greeting them all. "Morning, you three."

Hinata gave a small wave, her cheeks tinged pink. "G-Good morning," she said softly.

Neji gave a polite nod. "Good morning, Lady Kushina, Kaito-san, Naruto, Karin."

"Yo," Kaito said, giving them a lazy wave while munching on the last of his sandwich.

Soon, their group merged with Hotaru, Neji, and Hinata, walking together toward the Academy.

Kushina began talking quietly with Hotaru about something, though the occasional giggle from his mother made Kaito raise an eyebrow at them.

Meanwhile, Naruto pestered Neji about a sparring match, and Karin chatted quietly with Hinata about Academy life. As they walked, Kaito noticed that Hinata kept sneaking glances his way, her cheeks pink. But every time he caught her, she would turn bright red and look away.

Finally, he couldn't hold back a teasing grin. "Hey, Hinata-chan. You need help with anything?" he asked, raising a brow, genuinely curious.

Hinata's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She blurted, "G-good morning, Kaito-senpai," then quickly ducked behind Karin, too shy to say more.

Kaito shrugged, amused, and went back to finishing his food. "Guess that's all I'm getting, huh?" he muttered, though he didn't seem upset.

Soon, they reached the Academy's entrance. The schoolyard was filled with students chatting and laughing before class. Naruto, Karin, Neji, and Hinata each said their goodbyes and ran off to join the rest of the kids. The adults stayed outside for a moment, watching them file into the building.

Leaving the Academy grounds, Kushina followed Kaito and Hotaru toward the village gates. The morning sun was climbing higher, and the streets were getting busier with villagers shopping or heading to work.

They arrived at Konoha's main gates and spotted Kakashi leaning against a tree. His lower face was covered by his mask, and he wore his standard shinobi gear. He held a small orange book in one hand but wasn't really reading it. He looked up as they approached. Seeing Kushina, he quickly hid his Icha Icha novel, not wanting her to beat him up for reading it.

As they neared, Kushina waved enthusiastically. "Good, you're early today."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I took your warning seriously," he said, sweating a little.

Kushina grinned, took out a sealing scroll, and handed it to him. "Here you go, Kakashi. I packed lunches for all three of you—plus some snacks. You'll probably need them on a long trip. Make sure you all eat well, and don't skip meals." She looked at all of them in turn.

Kakashi took the bag gratefully. "Thanks, Kushina-nee."

Kaito raised a hand. "Yo," he greeted casually, bumping fists with Kakashi in a laid-back way.

Kakashi returned the gesture. "Yo," he replied, his eye curving in what might have been a smile. "Ready for this mission?"

Hotaru bowed politely to Kakashi, though her cheeks were a bit pink. "Good morning, Captain Kakashi," she said. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal, Hotaru. Just Kakashi is fine."

Hotaru nodded. "Right. Kakashi-senpai."

Grinning mischievously, Kushina sidled closer to Kakashi and teased, "Just don't go around breaking some poor girl's heart in the Land of Water, ya know?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a sheepish laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kushina then turned to Kaito and Hotaru with a playful smile. "And Kakashi, make sure these two don't do anything… funny while they're on the mission, okay?" She winked.

"Mom," Kaito groaned, scratching his head awkwardly, while Hotaru turned bright red, clearly embarrassed. "M-Ma'am!" Hotaru stammered.

Just then, a new voice rang out. "Are you already teasing them again so early in the morning, Kushina?"

They all turned to see Tsunade and Shizune walking up. Tsunade wore her Hokage robes, though she looked more relaxed than usual. Shizune walked behind her, holding Tonton in her arms.

Kushina pouted. "Tsuna-nee, you're no fun, ya know. Plus, I won't be able to see them for a while, so I'll take my chance, ya know." Then, raising an eyebrow, she asked, "What are you doing here anyway? Come to see them off?"

Tsunade grinned. "Any excuse to get away from my paperwork for a minute," she said, stepping closer to the group. Kaito saluted her lazily.

"Good morning, Lady Tsunade. Good morning, Shizune-san," Kaito greeted.

Hotaru bowed. "Good morning, Lady Hokage."

Shizune waved politely. "Good morning, everyone."

Kushina hugged both Kaito and Hotaru and said, "Stay safe out there, both of you, and come back as soon as possible, ya know." Then she glanced at Kakashi. "You too, Kakashi."

All three of them nodded. Kaito grinned. "Yeah, we'll be back in no time, ya know."

They walked toward the village's main gates. Suddenly, a loud poof of white smoke burst in front of them, startling a few villagers. Kaito's hand twitched, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking, Ugh. I can already tell who this is.

As the smoke cleared, Jiraiya appeared, striking a dramatic pose atop a human-sized toad. The toad itself seemed bored. Jiraiya raised a hand and shouted, "Listen up and take a good look! Behold the legendary ninja—Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!"

He hopped a few times in a showy manner before striking a final pose, expecting applause. But the rest of the group only stared at him with deadpan expressions. Somewhere in the distance, a cricket chirped, making the moment even more awkward.

Unfazed, Jiraiya jumped off the toad and landed in front of them. The toad vanished in another puff of smoke. Before Jiraiya could say anything else, Kushina grabbed his ear, yanking him closer with surprising force.

"Where have you been, you old perv?!" Kushina shouted, making Jiraiya cringe. "Why haven't you visited Naruto yet? You're his godfather, remember? And what could possibly be so important that you'd skip meeting your godson?"

Jiraiya cowered under her fiery glare. "O-ouch, okay, okay! I'm sorry!" he whined, trying to pry her hand away. "I was going to—I just thought I'd wait until Naruto was older. Then I'd train him—"

Kushina smacked him on the head. "That's not good enough. You're meeting him today. Got that? You've been in the village for over a week, and you still haven't said hi to him." Her eyes blazed with annoyance.

Tsunade sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She glanced at Kakashi, Kaito, and Hotaru. "Alright, you three," she said, ignoring Jiraiya's scuffle with Kushina for the moment. "You know your mission details. Good luck. And please try to keep a low profile in the Land of Water."

All three answered in unison, "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

They turned to leave, stepping onto the path that stretched beyond Konoha's gates. But Jiraiya suddenly yelled, "Wait, hold on!" He managed to slip out of Kushina's grip for a second. "I'm going with them," he declared, puffing out his chest.

Everyone paused, turning to stare at him. Kaito snorted. "There's no need. You'll just slow us down, old man," he said bluntly. "Plus, you're terrible at keeping a low profile. If you come along, you'll probably end up causing the Fourth Shinobi War by spying on the Mizukage's wife or the Daimyō's daughter or something."

Jiraiya face-planted onto the road in comedic despair. "Has my reputation really gotten that bad?" he mumbled into the dirt.

Tsunade folded her arms. "Jiraiya, why do you even want to go with them?"

Jiraiya jumped up, dusting himself off. "Because I can't let these youngsters handle such a dangerous mission on their own! I, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku—" He launched into a long-winded monologue about his skills, his honor, and how he needed to protect the village. But halfway through his speech, he finally glanced back at Kaito, Kakashi, and Hotaru… and noticed they were gone.

Jiraiya blinked, looking bewildered. "H-hey, where'd they go?"

Kushina pointed down the road. "They left a while ago," she said dryly.

"Wha—? Why didn't anyone stop them?" Jiraiya asked, confused.

Tsunade gave him a flat look, tapping her foot. "Because I agree with Kaito. I can't send you to the Land of Water. You might cause an international crisis with your peeping. We're trying to keep the peace, remember?"

Jiraiya looked crestfallen. But before he could argue further, Kushina grabbed him by the ear again, pulling him in close. "And you're not running off, either," she growled. "You're going to meet Naruto today, like I said."

Jiraiya yelped in pain, stumbling as Kushina dragged him along. "O-ow, Kushina, let go! Fine, fine—I'll meet him, I promise!"

Tsunade shook her head, mildly amused, and motioned for Shizune to follow her back to the Hokage Tower. The morning bustle of Konoha continued around them as Kushina marched off with Jiraiya in tow, ignoring his protests. Villagers who passed by gave them curious looks but didn't dare to intervene. Everyone knew Kushina had a fiery temper, and Jiraiya was… well, Jiraiya.

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