Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Akaden Chapter 151

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.

…

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 speech about his skills, his honor, and how it was his duty to protect the village.

Kaito had already had enough. 'This is going to take forever,' he thought. Without a word, he placed his hands on Kakashi and Hotaru. In an instant, they vanished, leaving Jiraiya mid-speech.

They reappeared in a forest clearing. Kakashi stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing, while Hotaru wasn't as lucky. She tripped and landed on the ground, startled by the sudden teleportation.

She blew a strand of hair off her face and grumbled, "A little warning would've been nice."

"Sorry about that, Hotaru," Kaito said, rubbing the back of his head apologetically. "I couldn't take any more of that, you know?" He reached out and helped her up.

Kakashi looked around the unfamiliar clearing. "So… where are we?" he asked, noting that they were far from Konoha.

"We're in the Land of Tea," Kaito explained while steadying Hotaru. "I had a Hiraishin marker here from when we were looking for Lady Tsunade." He pointed behind them. "Degarashi Port is a few kilometers that way. Don't we need to take a ship to the Land of Water?" His voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

Kakashi nodded. "That actually saves us some time. I was thinking we'd head through the Land of Hot Springs, but this works too. Let's get moving." With that, Kakashi leapt onto a nearby tree and set off.

Kaito and Hotaru exchanged a glance before following him.

After a short journey, they arrived at Degarashi Port. The streets were bustling with merchants, dockworkers, and travelers going about their day.

"So, what's the plan, Kakashi-senpai?" Hotaru asked as they walked through the busy port, her eyes darting around at the activity.

Kakashi hummed in thought. "First, we need to find a ship heading to the Land of Water. I'll take care of that. Meanwhile, you two should find an inn where we can change into disguises. We don't want to stand out."

Kaito and Hotaru nodded in agreement. Without another word, they split up from Kakashi and headed into the crowd to complete their task.

…

Kakashi and Kaito sat waiting for Hotaru in the living room of the inn they had booked. Kakashi, without his usual mask, had a laid-back, slightly slouching posture. His short, tousled brown hair framed his forehead in uneven layers, and two bold streaks of purple face paint extended from below his eyelids down his cheeks. A small beauty mark rested just below the left corner of his mouth. Wrapped around his neck was a soft-looking pink scarf that draped over a green coat fastened with toggle-style closures, giving him a casual, everyday look. He was idly fiddling with a camera, occasionally snapping pictures of random objects in the room.

Beside him, Kaito leaned back, looking somewhat impatient in his own disguise. He wore a fitted black undershirt beneath a light lavender, short-sleeved jacket zipped in the front, creating a simple yet relaxed look. His medium-gray pants were cropped at mid-calf, leaving his ankles exposed above traditional open-toed ninja sandals secured with several bands. A slender cross-body messenger bag in a soft lilac hue was slung from his shoulder to his hip. Using a seal, he had changed his hair and eye color, his hair now a light blond like Tsunade's, and his eyes a vibrant green.

The door to the room slid open, and Hotaru stepped in.

Kaito glanced up, and his jaw nearly dropped.

Her hair was long, flowing freely well past her shoulders, framing her face. She wore a pink, knee-length tunic with short sleeves over purple undersleeves, paired with black leggings and simple open-toed sandals. The layered pink ensemble had a loose, flowing silhouette with side slits for ease of movement.

Seeing Kaito's reaction, Hotaru smiled, turning slightly to the side. "So… how do I look, Kai-kun?" she asked softly.

"Wow," Kaito said without thinking. Realizing he had blurted it out, he quickly coughed and scratched the back of his head. "Ahem, you look great, Hotaru." He grinned sheepishly, but when he noticed he was still staring, he quickly averted his eyes. 'What's wrong with me? But… that outfit…' he thought, unable to stop himself. In Kaito's opinion, Hotaru's new outfit suited her perfectly.

Kakashi looked up from his camera, raising an eyebrow. "Smooth," he said dryly.

Kaito, Hotaru, and even Itachi didn't look like typical 13-year-olds anymore. They looked closer to 18. Itachi already resembled the older version of himself Kaito remembered from his first appearance. 'Maybe it's the stress we're under,' Kaito thought. 'It's making us grow up faster or something.' Still, in his eyes, Hotaru looked stunning.

Hotaru smiled again. "That's great to hear. Lady Kushina helped me pick this outfit," she said warmly. Then, with a faint blush, she added, "I was thinking of making this my regular look. Oh, and… um… you look great too, Kaito-kun."

Kaito scratched his head again, grinning awkwardly. "Umm, thanks, Hotaru," he said, feeling a bit flustered.

Hotaru then glanced at him, still blushing slightly. "Ano… Kai-kun, can you place the disguise seal for me?" she asked shyly.

Kaito nodded. "Yeah, sure. Turn around and hold your hair up. I'll place it on your neck."

Hotaru turned around, gently gathering her hair to reveal her neck. Kaito took a deep breath, made a few hand signs, and placed his hand over her neck. A seal appeared on her skin, and with a faint shimmer, her appearance changed. Her Byakugan was concealed, replaced by normal eyes, and her midnight-blue hair transformed into a pale, silvery-gray color. The genjutsu was subtle, but it did the job.

Kaito stepped back, taking a moment to look at her.

Kakashi, finding the situation amusing, smirked and said, "Well, if Kaito is done staring at Hotaru, maybe we can discuss our plan now?"

Both Kaito and Hotaru snapped their attention to him, their reactions immediate.

"I-I wasn't staring at her!" Kaito stammered, his face turning red.

Kakashi chuckled softly before motioning for them to sit at the small coffee table in the room. They each took a cup of tea as Kakashi spread a map across the table, pointing at specific locations.

"Here's the plan," Kakashi began. "We'll be splitting up once we leave Degarashi Port. It'll help us cover more ground. We'll board two separate ships." He handed Kaito and Hotaru two tickets. "The two of you will travel together on this ship," he said, pointing to a marked route on the map. "It departs at 4 p.m. from Harbor 8. It's a tour ship that'll take you from here to the northern port of the Land of Water."

Kakashi then tapped another location on the map. "As for me, I'll board a ship leaving at 2 p.m. It's heading to the southern port."

Both Kaito and Hotaru nodded in understanding.

"Once we're in the Land of Water, keep a low profile. Act like regular tourists while gathering information. Don't go near the Village Hidden in the Mist," Kakashi warned, his tone serious. "We should be able to get what we need from the surrounding small towns and villages. We'll stay in the Land of Water for a week unless we find what we're looking for sooner. And remember, stick together. If you run into trouble, abandon the mission and use Hiraishin to escape immediately."

Kakashi paused for emphasis before continuing, "Our main goal is to gather rumors or information about Kirigakure's situation."

Kaito nodded and reached into his pouch, pulling out two small ear clips. Handing one to Kakashi, he explained, "Here, this will help us stay in contact. I've improved the seal on these—better range than the old ones. Just channel chakra into it and either talk or think, and Hotaru and I will hear you." He pointed to his own ear clip as he spoke.

Kakashi took the clip, examining it briefly before attaching it to his ear. Hotaru followed suit, clipping hers on as well.

"It's also linked to my Hiraishin marker," Kaito added. "If you're in trouble, channel chakra into the seal, and we'll come to you right away."

Hotaru sipped her tea and suggested, "Since we're in disguise, we should probably use different names for the rest of the mission."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, Kakashi isn't exactly a common name… Hmm, I think I'll go by Sukea," he said after a moment, smirking slightly.

Hotaru tilted her head, considering. "Hikari," she decided. "It's simple and common enough."

Kaito, however, scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, names… Yeah, not really my strong suit," he muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. 'Why did I have to inherit Dad's lousy naming sense? This must be karma for making fun of him for that…' He racked his brain, but every name he came up with sounded cringy. Letting out a sigh, he finally said, "I'll just stick with Kaito. It's a common enough name anyway."

Kakashi nodded, but his expression turned serious as he leaned forward slightly. "Kaito, before we split up, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. It's about the Akatsuki. You mentioned the masked man is part of it."

Hotaru blinked in confusion. "Akatsuki?"

Kaito sighed, setting his teacup down. "Yeah, I would've told you both sooner, but you were busy with ANBU work. And after Lady Tsunade became Hokage, I got swamped with missions… It kept slipping my mind, you know?" He gestured casually to the room. "Don't worry, I've sealed this place with privacy seals, so we're good to talk."

Hotaru nodded, and Kakashi waited silently, his eyes focused on Kaito.

"All right," Kaito began. "A while back, when we were searching for Lady Tsunade, I had a few shadow clones running around gathering information. One of them came across a mercenary organization called the Akatsuki. They're made up of shinobi at least A-rank or higher." He paused for a moment. "What really caught my attention was when my clone found out they were discreetly gathering information on the Jinchūriki."

"Jinchūriki?" Hotaru asked, her brow furrowed.

"They're the people who have tailed beasts sealed inside them," Kakashi explained, his tone calm but serious.

Hotaru's eyes widened in realization. "So… like Naruto-kun?"

Kaito nodded, taking a sip of his tea before continuing. "Exactly. That's what made me suspicious. Why would an organization like that focus on the Jinchūriki? It's not like just anyone can control the Bijū. That meant the leader of the organization could control them, which… led me to suspect the masked man."

Kakashi leaned back slightly, processing the information. "And you're certain it's him?"

"I suspected it," Kaito admitted, setting his cup on the table. "But I needed confirmation. To do that, I needed someone inside Akatsuki."

Kakashi frowned. "Someone inside…?"

He looked at Kakashi. "Do you remember Mukai Kohinata? He was on your squad when my team was tasked with guarding the Daimyo. That was the day the masked man tried to kill the Daimyo."

Kakashi's gaze sharpened as he nodded. "I remember him. He was reassigned to a different squad later, but… what does he have to do with Akatsuki?"

"Well," Kaito began, "Mukai was part of Root at the time. I was already dealing with Danzo back then, and it turns out Mukai had been hiding his true abilities while in Konoha. He's a descendant of the Hyūga clan—though from a branch of the family that split off years ago because they didn't manifest the Byakugan. That changed with Mukai himself."

Hotaru blinked in surprise. "Wait, so he had the Byakugan?"

Kaito nodded. "Yeah, he has the Byakugan. His son was very ill, and back then, before Lady Tsunade overhauled the medical system, the village's healthcare wasn't much help. The cost of treatment for his son was high, and even though he sought aid from the village, he didn't get any support. Being part of Root didn't exactly make it easier for him to ask for help."

Kakashi frowned slightly, his expression unreadable.

Kaito continued, "Long story short, Mukai ended up selling village secrets to Kirigakure to pay for his son's treatment. Danzo found out, of course, and assigned Itachi to kill him as part of his initiation into the ANBU. Itachi went with Shisui for the mission."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "So… what happened?"

"Well," Kaito said, leaning back slightly, "the mission didn't go as planned. Mukai was hiding his true strength. He was actually a low Kage-level shinobi. He was willing to take full blame so his family wouldn't be held accountable, but Danzo doesn't like loose ends." Kaito's voice darkened. "Danzo sent his Root agents to eliminate Mukai's family too."

Kaito nodded. "I was already tailing Mukai at the time because he was a perfect candidate for infiltrating Akatsuki. I intervened in the fight between him and Itachi. I offered Mukai a deal: I'd save his family if he agreed to become a spy for Konoha inside Akatsuki. In return, his family would be safe, and I'd secure a pardon for him from the new Hokage."

Hotaru's expression softened. "So you saved him and his family… and he agreed to act as our spy?"

"Yeah," Kaito confirmed. "He's under a new identity, and he's been feeding us information ever since. Mukai also confirmed that he's seen the masked man during Akatsuki meetings. He goes by the name Tobi, but according to Mukai, he isn't an official member. He acts like a newbie, someone who doesn't possess any spectacular jutsu."

Kakashi folded his arms. "And the leader? Do we know anything about him?"

He leaned back, crossing his arms. "As for the leader, the one in charge is a man called Pain. But I'm positive the masked man is the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes. No way his ego lets him take a back seat like that."

"And so far," Kaito added, "their confirmed members include Orochimaru, Jūzō Biwa, Sasori of the Red Sand, and Kakuzu."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They even have the likes of Orochimaru in their ranks… All these S-rank types—they're insanely strong. What do they want with the Jinchūriki?"

Kaito shrugged slightly. "World domination, I guess. Mukai said they claim they want to bring peace to the shinobi world. But their plan is to use all the tailed beasts to force that 'peace.' Their leader, Pain, is considered a god among them."

Hotaru's brow furrowed, her voice low. "Peace through force? That's… terrible. And they're strong enough to actually pull it off?"

Kakashi nodded slowly. "If Pain can keep people like Orochimaru and Sasori in line, he must be unbelievably powerful. And if the masked man is involved too…" He sighed, rubbing his chin in thought.

After a moment, he glanced at Kaito. "I take it you've already informed Lady Tsunade about all this?"

Kaito nodded. "Yeah, she needed to know. Plus, with the pardon and Mukai's son's condition, it was important. She's already treating his kid personally."

Kakashi let out another sigh. "Well, no point in worrying about something we can't control right now. We should focus on the mission." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should get going—my ship leaves at 2. The two of you should head out a few minutes after me. Blend in by walking around and acting like tourists before boarding your ship. And try to enjoy yourselves while you're in the Land of Water," he added with a small smirk.

Kakashi stood up, adjusting his scarf. "We'll stay in touch through the ear clips. Be careful out there." With that, he body-flickered away, leaving Kaito and Hotaru alone in the room.

Kaito turned to Hotaru, stretching his arms lazily. "We should grab something to eat before we head out, you know?"

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