Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin (Kaito)

Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 160

Tenzo frowned. "You think something might've happened to him?"

Kaito rubbed his chin in thought. Could Kakashi have run into trouble? He dismissed the thought of Obito being involved. No… if it were him, he wouldn't go after Kakashi.

After a brief pause, Kaito looked at Tenzo. "I don't know. But I'm going to check on him. The seal I gave him has my Hiraishin marker on it."

Tenzo's expression hardened. "Then I'm coming with you. If Kakashi-sempai is in trouble, I have to help."

Kaito sighed. "Alright."

Before they could leave, Hotaru stepped forward. "I'm coming with you, Kai-kun."

Kaito shook his head. "No, Hotaru. You stay here with them. I need you to keep watch until I get back. Please."

Hotaru hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine… but keep your communication channel open."

Kaito smirked. "Yeah, yeah, sure." Then, turning to Tenzo, he asked, "You ready to go?"

Tenzo nodded firmly.

With a final glance at Hotaru, Kaito placed a hand on Tenzo's shoulder. Closing his eyes, he focused on Kakashi's Hiraishin marker—then, in a blink, they vanished.

…

Kaito and Tenzo teleported into an inn room—only to freeze at the scene in front of them.

Tenzo openly gaped, completely caught off guard.

Kaito's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open as a single thought ran through his mind: Wait… what?

Before them, Kakashi—disguised as Sukea—was hovering over a woman with long black hair, his hand gently caressing her face. Their lips were locked in a deep kiss, the woman lying beneath him.

Kaa-san has been trying to set this guy up with dates for years, and he didn't even entertain them! Kaito thought, stunned. I was starting to think he was gay! But now he's making out with this woman?

The two immediately broke apart the moment they sensed the presence behind them.

Kakashi sprang to his feet, grabbing a kunai and pointing it toward Kaito and Tenzo, his posture tense.

The woman, equally startled, leaped up, swiftly forming a series of hand signs. The moisture in the air condensed into ice, forming deadly spears that she launched at them.

Kaito's instincts flared. His chakra chains shot out from his back, shattering the ice projectiles before they could even get close to him or Tenzo.

That's Hyoton… Kaito thought, his gaze sharpening as he studied the woman now standing beside Kakashi. His eyes narrowed as he took in her features. She looks a lot like the Yuki Clan members I rescued…

Tenzo, finally snapping out of his shock, shifted into a defensive stance.

Kakashi, still gripping his kunai, stared at them in confusion. "Kaito? Tenzo?" His voice carried a mix of surprise and wariness as he lowered his weapon slightly.

The woman, already running through another set of hand signs, hesitated when she noticed Kakashi's reaction. Her eyes narrowed at him. "You know them, Kakashi-kun?" she asked, her guard still up.

"Yes," Kakashi nodded, his expression still confused. "What are you two doing here?"

Kaito's eyes gleamed with interest. Huh… she called him Kakashi-kun. That's interesting. She knows his real identity.

Smirking slightly, Kaito crossed his arms and retracted his chakra chains. "You weren't answering your seal, so we came to see if you needed help," he said, his tone teasing. "But it seems like you have everything covered, eh, Kakashi?"

Kakashi spluttered, quickly raising his hands. "This isn't what it looks like, guys!"

Tenzo smirked, clearly enjoying the situation. "From what we see, it seems exactly like what it looks like, sempai."

Kakashi opened his mouth, struggling for words. "That… what… I—"

Ignoring the exchange, Kaito shifted his gaze to the woman. "You're from the Yuki Clan, aren't you?"

Kahyo stiffened at the question, her wariness evident.

Kakashi sighed, lowering his kunai. "Yeah… her name is Kahyo Yuki."

Kaito nodded. "Nice to meet you, Kahyo-san. I'm Kaito Uzumaki, and this is Tenzo. We're friends of Kakashi."

Kahyo remained cautious but slowly lowered her stance, though her eyes still held a trace of suspicion.

Taking the chance to change the subject, Kakashi cleared his throat. "So… what are you both doing here? Especially you, Tenzo. Weren't you supposed to be back in the village?"

Tenzo's teasing expression faded, replaced with seriousness. "Yeah… about that. Things got serious. And when you weren't answering your seal, we thought you might be in trouble, so we came looking for you."

Kakashi's demeanor immediately shifted, his posture straightening. "What happened?"

Before Tenzo could respond, Kaito interjected. "Before we answer that… what's her status?" He gestured toward Kahyo.

Kakashi understood what Kaito meant and gave a firm nod. "She's with me. She defected from Kiri. When we met, she was fighting off Hunter-nin. She was injured, and after I helped her, she decided to travel with me for a while."

Tenzo eyed Kahyo skeptically. "Why did you defect from Kiri?"

Kahyo lowered her head, her expression darkening. "I lost my brother because of that village." Her voice was quiet but steady. "He was injured during a mission and brought back to Kiri… but they refused to treat his wounds. The higher-class shinobi were always the priority. By the time they even considered helping him, it was too late."

She clenched her fists. "Before he died… he told me to leave. To go somewhere peaceful. Somewhere far away from that village and live a happy life." She exhaled before glancing at Kakashi with a slight blush. "I met Kakashi-kun. He saved me… and let me travel with him while I figured out where to go."

Kaito silently observed her as she spoke, activating his Mind's Eye of Kagura.

She wasn't lying.

Everything she said was the truth.

Kaito placed a privacy seal on the ground, activating it before turning back to Kahyo and Kakashi.

He nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kahyo-san… but in a way, it's a good thing you defected when you did. Because even if you were still part of Kiri, I doubt you'd be able to return."

Kakashi and Kahyo's expressions hardened. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. "Why is that?"

Kaito exhaled. "Because the Mizukage issued an order to wipe out the Yuki, Terumi, and Hozuki clans."

Both Kakashi and Kahyo's eyes widened in shock.

Kakashi took a step forward. "Wait… what?"

Kaito nodded grimly. "It all started when the Kaguya Clan launched a surprise coup d'état against the Hidden Mist. The Mizukage ordered their complete extermination. But after that, he held a meeting and revoked all clan privileges."

His expression darkened. "The Yuki, Terumi, and Hozuki clans had enough of the Fourth Mizukage, so they banded together and attempted an assassination. But… it failed miserably." He looked at them, his voice steady. "He expected them to make a move. This was all part of his plan—a way to get rid of anyone who opposed him under the guise of punishing 'traitors.'"

Kaito clenched his fists. "I was too late to save the Kaguya Clan. Women, children—people who weren't even involved—were slaughtered." His voice was tight with frustration.

He turned to Kahyo, his expression resolute. "I couldn't just stand by and watch him do the same thing again, ya know? So I took them. All of the clans' non-shinobi members. Got them to a safe place. As for the rest… anyone who took part in the coup is probably dead."

Kakashi rubbed his face and let out a sigh. "You not only infiltrated Kiri Even after I told you not to? but you interfered with another village's affairs?"

Kaito scratched the back of his head, grinning slightly. "Hey, where else would you get intel on a village if not inside the village?" He shrugged. "And I couldn't just let kids be killed, ya know?"

Kahyo's lips parted slightly in shock. "You… saved my clan?" she swallowed, clearly emotional but keeping her composure. "Where… where are the survivors?"

Kaito explained, "The Terumi and Hozuki had jonin with them, so I left them on an island with protection seals to keep Yagura from finding them." He then grinned sheepishly, glancing at Tenzo. "That's also why Tenzo is here. I, uh… needed his help to, you know… build houses."

Tenzo snorted, crossing his arms. "Yeah, yeah. You owe me for that, Kaito."

Kaito rubbed the back of his head. "As for the Yuki Clan… I took them to the Land of Tea. I'm planning on bringing them to Konoha since most of them are civilians. The reason I didn't leave them with the other two clans is because, well… the Yuki Clan was never really treated well by them in the first place."

Kakashi raised a skeptical brow but remained silent, letting Kaito continue.

"If I left the civilians and kids with the Terumi and Hozuki, I doubt they'd treat them fairly or even protect them. The Yuki Clan has always been treated as lesser for generations. I don't think that would suddenly change—especially now that they have no shinobi left to contribute."

Kakashi exhaled. "And you convinced them to join Konoha just like that?"

Kaito let out a nervous chuckle, scratching his head. "Yeah… about that. They're, uh… still asleep."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. "What do you mean, asleep?"

"I put them under a genjutsu," Kaito admitted. "It made transporting them easier. I haven't actually talked to them yet."

Kaito suddenly perking up as an idea struck him. Smacking his fist into his palm, he turned to Kahyo. "Hey! Since you don't have a place to go, why don't you come back with us to Konoha? You can help convince the others to live there! I'll talk to the Hokage and get you and the rest of the Yuki Clan asylum."

Kahyo's expression remained unreadable as she listened.

Kaito continued, "I am the son of the Fourth Hokage. I promise you'll all be treated fairly. And even if you don't want to become a shinobi of the Leaf, that's totally fine, ya know."

Tenzo groaned, running a hand down his face. "Kaito, you can't just go making decisions on your own like this."

Kakashi let out a long sigh, rubbing his temple. Of course Kaito would pull something like this—he should have seen it coming the moment Kaito mentioned rescuing civilians.

Ignoring Kakashi's reaction, Kaito smirked at Kahyo, his tone turning playful. "And besides, you'll get to stay close to Kakashi. He needs someone to keep him from getting too depressed, ya know?" He threw a wink at Kakashi.

Kahyo's face turned red, and she went silent for a moment. After a brief pause, she finally spoke. "Then… I agree. But only if we're treated fairly." She met Kaito's gaze, her voice firm.

Kakashi looked at her, slightly surprised, but then nodded in understanding.

Kaito clapped his hands together. "That's great!"

But while Kaito celebrated, Kakashi's expression remained serious. He folded his arms, deep in thought. "Still… something doesn't add up, Kaito," he muttered. "Why would the Mizukage intentionally weaken his own village?"

Kaito looked at Kakashi seriously. "That's because the Mizukage isn't himself. He's being controlled by a genjutsu. I'll let you guess who's behind it."

Kahyo's eyes widened in shock. The idea that someone as powerful as the Mizukage could be under a genjutsu was almost unbelievable.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "O…" He stopped himself before finishing the name, then instead asked, "The masked man?"

Kaito nodded. "Yeah."

Kahyo frowned. "Who is this masked man?"

Tenzo stepped in. "He's the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha eight years ago. Wears an orange mask. We don't know much about him—his real identity is a mystery. But what we do know is that he's dangerous. Almost impossible to land a hit on. And now, we also know he's controlling the Mizukage."

Kaito turned to Kakashi, his expression serious. "He needs to be put down."

Kakashi clenched his fists and nodded.

Kahyo glanced at him, concern flickering in her expression at his reaction.

Kaito exhaled. "Right. We'd better leave the Land of Water before he realizes we're here."

Kakashi nodded. "Right." He immediately started packing his things.

Kahyo followed suit. "Hai," she said, helping Kakashi gather his belongings.

A while later, with everything packed, Kahyo turned to Kaito. "So… how exactly are we leaving the Land of Water? If what you said is true, then the country might already be under lockdown."

Kaito smirked and held out his hand. "The same way we got here."

Kakashi didn't hesitate, grabbing on. So did Tenzo.

Kahyo stared at them as if they were crazy.

Kakashi gave her an eye-smile. "Trust us. There's no faster way to travel." He extended his other hand to her.

Kahyo still looked skeptical but sighed and grabbed Kakashi's and Tenzo's hands.

"Just hold on, and don't let go," Kaito instructed.

Kahyo opened her mouth to ask what he meant by that—

But before she could—

Kaito activated Hiraishin, teleporting them out of the room.

…

They all arrived in a snow-covered clearing, a large wooden house standing in the center.

Kahyo stumbled from the sudden shift, still disoriented. Before she could fall, Kakashi caught her, steadying her with a firm grip.

Kaito, standing beside them, smirked. "Smooth, Kakashi."

Tenzo snickered. "Fastest I've seen him move."

Kakashi sighed, already bracing for the inevitable teasing.

Kaito grinned mischievously. "Wait till Mom hears about this."

Kakashi groaned, rubbing his temple. "Just… let me live, Kaito."

Meanwhile, Kahyo looked around in astonishment before turning to Kaito. "That was… space-time ninjutsu. Was that the Hiraishin?"

Kaito nodded. "Yep." Without missing a beat, he walked over to the house, slid open the door, and stepped inside.

Authors note: Kahyo is the same character from Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky novel but with a modified backstory. She's 19 years old, and her brother, Rahyo, is dead. She will be Kakashi's love interest in this story.

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