Kaito Akaden Chapter 153

Kaito Akaden Chapter 153

Haku sniffled, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as he listened.

"And," Kaito continued with a small smile, "my mom always taught me to help people who need it—especially if you know you can. So, come with us, Haku. You deserve better than this."

Haku lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as he tried to hold back his emotions. Finally, the weight of Kaito's words broke through his walls, and tears spilled freely.

"Thank you," Haku said in a shaky voice, bowing his head as his soft sobs filled the alley.

Kaito smiled warmly, patting Haku's head gently. "You don't have to thank us. Now, let's get you cleaned up, yeah? Some new clothes, a warm bath… and maybe something other than dango to eat," he winked playfully.

Haku looked between them, still overwhelmed but feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while. He sniffled again and nodded, his grip tightening on the scarf Kaito had given him. For the first time, the bitter cold didn't feel so unbearable

…

It was a bright afternoon, the sun shining down and illuminating the snow-covered forest. The air was crisp, and the soft crunch of boots on snow echoed through the otherwise quiet landscape.

Three figures walked along the road leading away from the town.

Kaito trailed at the back of the group, dressed in his disguise. He held a steamed bun in one hand, taking a bite now and then as he strolled casually.

Walking slightly ahead of him was Hotaru, disguised as Hikari. Beside her was Haku, now wearing clean clothes and holding his own steamed bun, nibbling on it as they walked together.

During their journey, Kaito and Hotaru had explained to Haku who they were and why they were in the Land of Water, revealing that they were shinobi from Konoha.

Haku looked up at Hotaru with curiosity. "Umm, Hikari-nee-san," he said, his voice soft as he chewed on his bun, "where are we heading next?"

Hotaru glanced at him with a gentle smile. "We're planning to see the sights in the next town over," she replied warmly. "It's supposed to have a nice hot spring and a small festival coming up soon. We thought it'd be fun to check it out."

Kaito nodded in agreement, gesturing with his half-eaten bun. "Yeah, the town's kinda famous for its winter festival. Figured we might as well visit while we're here, ya know?"

Haku nodded, taking another bite of his bun. After a moment of silence, he looked back at Kaito. "Kaito-nii… can you tell me more about Konoha? What's it like there?"

Kaito took a bite of his steamed bun, chewing thoughtfully before answering Haku's question. "Well," he began, "Konoha is pretty big. It's surrounded by these huge, tall trees—that's why it's called the Hidden Leaf, by the way. Most of the people there are friendly, but like anywhere, there are some bad folks too… just fewer, I guess." He shrugged, thinking. "Hmmm, what else? Oh! Yeah, it's definitely warmer than here. And the food? The food in Konoha is amazing. You'd love it, ya know."

Hotaru perked up, clearly excited to chime in about home. But after hearing Kaito's casual description, her face fell, and she looked annoyed. "Is that how you describe Konoha?" she asked, exasperated.

Kaito shrugged. "What? It's accurate."

Hotaru sighed and turned to Haku with a soft smile. "Let's see… Konoha is a really cheerful place," she said, her tone warm. She paused, thinking. "The weather is great! Personally, I love spring the most, especially when the cherry blossoms bloom. It's so beautiful…" She trailed off, struggling to think of what else to say. "Umm, it's… it's…"

Kaito couldn't hold back a snicker, covering his mouth as he grinned. "Not so easy, is it, Hotaru?" he teased.

Hotaru's face turned pink as she blushed, and she swatted his shoulder with a huff. "Hmph!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms and pouting.

Haku smiled softly, watching the two interact. There was an easy warmth between them that felt comforting.

Kaito smirked and turned back to Haku. "Honestly, it's hard to explain, Haku. We grew up there, so what we experience feels normal to us. It's better if you get to see it for yourself and form your own opinion, ya know." He popped another bite of his steamed bun into his mouth but suddenly froze, his eyes widening

He began coughing violently, clutching his throat and pounding on his chest as he tried to dislodge the piece of food.

"Kai-kun!" Hotaru exclaimed, her voice filled with concern. She quickly set down her bag, pulled out a water bottle, and handed it to him while patting his back. "Are you okay? You shouldn't talk and eat at the same time!" she scolded gently as she helped him drink.

Haku concern etched on his face. "Kaito-nii, are you all right?"

After a few moments of coughing and drinking water, Kaito finally caught his breath. "Ah… thanks, Hotaru," he wheezed, sighing in relief. "I'm good now."

Hotaru crossed her arms and gave him a look. "You're impossible sometimes, Kai-kun."

Kaito chuckled weakly, brushing off the moment. Then his expression shifted, becoming serious as he glanced at Haku briefly before focusing on Hotaru. "Actually, Hotaru," he began, "we're going to have another person joining us."

Hotaru tilted her head, puzzled. "Another person?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

….

In a quiet town on the east side of the Land of Water, a tea house bustled with life. Among its patrons sat a man with black hair, dressed like a merchant. To any casual observer, he seemed ordinary, sipping tea and minding his own business.

But this was no ordinary merchant. It was a shadow clone of Kaito, disguised and gathering information.

The clone smiled and thanked the server as she brought him a steaming cup of tea.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked kindly.

The clone shook his head with a polite smile. "No, thank you. I'm good," he replied, taking a sip of his tea.

His attention, however, was focused on the group of Kiri shinobi sitting at the table beside him. They were speaking in hushed but frustrated tones about the current situation in Kirigakure.

One of the Kiri shinobi, his voice tinged with frustration, muttered, "The Mizukage is making things worse with his latest policies. It's like he doesn't care about the village anymore."

Another shinobi nodded in agreement. "You're right. He's not the same as when he first became Mizukage. Back then, he was kind and wanted to end the Bloody Mist era. But now? He's only continuing it."

The first shinobi slammed his hand lightly on the table. "Exactly! It's like he's a different person now. He doesn't even leave his office anymore!"

A female Kiri kunoichi glanced around nervously. "We shouldn't be talking about this out in the open," she warned, her voice low.

The first shinobi shook his head, his frustration evident. "That's the problem! Everyone's too scared to talk about it, and that's why we're in this mess!"

Kaito's clone took a sip of his tea, his mind racing as he processed what he had overheard. 'It seems the village is divided in its opinion of Yagura as the Fourth Mizukage. Some people still like and support what he's doing, but others have started suspecting him, even criticizing him. They've noticed his character has changed... and they're right.'

Kaito set his cup down gently, his eyes flicking toward the group of Kiri shinobi as they continued their quiet conversation. 'If I remember correctly, Obito is controlling Yagura Karatachi,' Kaito thought grimly. 'But I still don't understand how he managed to put a perfect Jinchūriki like Yagura under genjutsu. Didn't Bee say that perfect Jinchūriki can't be placed under genjutsu because their Bijū can break them out?'

He frowned, his fingers tapping lightly against the table as his mind raced. 'It doesn't make sense. Does Obito have a genjutsu that powerful? If he did, why wouldn't he have used it when he came for Mom? No, that doesn't add up.'

Kaito's thoughts shifted to the Mangekyō Sharingan. 'From what I know, the Mangekyō only grants two abilities—one for each eye. Obito's powers are short-range Kamui and long-range Kamui, as seen with Kakashi's Sharingan. So… could it be someone else's Mangekyō power?'

His memory flashed to Madara using Kamui after stealing Kakashi's Sharingan. 'Madara could use it, but if Obito had access to a genjutsu that strong, he could've already captured all the Jinchūriki. Why hasn't he?'

Kaito leaned back slightly, taking another sip of tea as he considered other possibilities. 'Maybe the genjutsu has a really long cooldown, like Shisui's Kotoamatsukami with its ten-year reset. Or… maybe Obito placed both the Bijū and Yagura under separate genjutsu. That would explain it.'

He sighed softly, his eyes narrowing as he pieced his thoughts together. 'At least, that's the most logical explanation I can think of right now.'

After finishing his tea, Kaito's clone placed the cup gently on the table and stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He walked over to the counter, paying for his tea.

The owner smiled politely. "Come again."

The clone nodded, offering a small smile. "Thank you," he replied, before stepping out into the cold, snow-covered street.

As he walked through the town, his thoughts lingered. 'All the signs point to a civil war in Kiri being just around the corner. The clans here are deeply unhappy and have started voicing their dissatisfaction out loud. From what I've gathered, Zabuza hasn't tried to assassinate the Mizukage yet… That might actually be the trigger for the war.'

He continued down the snowy street, absentmindedly lost in thought, until the sound of a commotion pulled him back to reality.

He turned his head toward the noise and saw a mob of people gathered, shouting angrily. They were holding broomsticks and rocks, yelling, "Get out of here, you filth!"

In the center of the mob stood a little girl, no older than eight. She had bruises on her face and wore ragged clothes. Her blue hair was messy, and her wide, terrified eyes darted around at the angry villagers.

One person threw a rock at her, hitting her on the head. "Get lost, you freak!" they shouted.

The girl clutched her head as blood trickled down her forehead, tears streaming down her cheeks. She stumbled backward, trying to get away, her small frame trembling in fear.

The shopkeeper stepped forward, whacking her with a broomstick. "We don't need your kind in this town! Get lost, you monster!"

Another villager picked up a stone and hurled it at her.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact.

But the hit never came.

When she opened her eyes, she saw someone standing in front of her, shielding her from the mob.

Kaito's clone had appeared, catching the stone mid-air and pushing back the broomstick aimed at the girl. His face was filled with rage as he stood protectively in front of her.

"What are you people doing?!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the angry cries of the mob. "She's just a little girl!"

One of the villagers sneered, stepping forward. "What's it to you? She's not wanted in this village!"

Kaito's eyes narrowed. 'Arguing with them will just attract Kiri shinobi… This isn't worth it.'

Without a word, he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. In an instant, they vanished, body-flickering away from the mob and leaving them in stunned silence.

The crowd stared at the spot where Kaito had stood. One man muttered, "That guy… he was a shinobi."

….

Kaito and the girl arrived some distance away, appearing in a snowy clearing outside the town near a tall tree. The cold air was still, and the ground was blanketed in white.

The girl stumbled as they landed, falling to the ground from the sudden change in scenery.

Kaito immediately knelt down in front of her, his voice calm and gentle. "Are you okay?"

As he spoke, his clone dispelled in a puff of white smoke, revealing Kaito in his original appearance. His spiky red hair, reminiscent of Minato's but slightly shorter and untamed, caught the soft sunlight filtering through the snow-laden branches.

The girl looked up at him with wide, tearful eyes, clearly still shaken.

Kaito reached out his hand to help her, but she flinched, instinctively trying to back away.

"It's alright," Kaito reassured her softly, keeping his voice steady. "We're far away from those people now. They can't hurt you anymore, ya know?" He gave her a warm smile. "Here, let me heal you."

The girl hesitated but didn't resist as Kaito moved closer. Her eyes stayed fixed on him, studying his face intently as he reached out.

Kaito's hand glowed green with healing chakra as he touched the wound on her forehead. She flinched slightly at the initial contact, but Kaito quickly reassured her. "It's alright, just a second, okay?" he said with a kind smile.

She gave a small nod, her body relaxing slightly.

"There we go," Kaito said, pulling his hand back after a moment. "All better now."

The girl tentatively touched the spot where the wound had been, her fingers brushing her forehead. Her eyes widened in amazement when she felt no pain. She looked back at Kaito, her expression a mix of disbelief and gratitude.

Kaito smiled warmly. "See? Told ya it'd be okay."

Kaito smiled warmly and unsealed some fresh fruits from a scroll. Handing them to the girl, he said gently, "Here, have some. They're fresh, ya know."

The girl hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between the food and Kaito. Seeing his encouraging gesture, she finally took the fruits. As soon as she began eating, it became clear she hadn't eaten in a while—she devoured the food quickly, her small hands clutching it tightly.

'Why does she look so familiar?' Kaito wondered as he watched her. While she ate, he gently placed his glowing hand over the bruises on her arms and face, healing them one by one.

"What's your name?" Kaito asked casually, his voice soft as he worked on healing her.

The girl paused mid-bite, lowering the fruit slightly. "My name is Guren," she said quietly.

"Guren, huh? That's a nice name," Kaito replied with a kind smile. "I'm Kaito Uzumaki." But even as he spoke, the name triggered something in his memory. 'Guren… why does that sound familiar?'

His gaze fell on her blue hair, and the pieces started to fall into place. 'Wait a second… Guren. Isn't she one of Orochimaru's subordinates? Yeah, that's right—she's the one with the Crystal Release. If I remember correctly, Orochimaru must not have found her yet. I think she and Naruto fought together against the Three Tails at some point.'

Guren finished eating the fruit and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked up at Kaito with wide, grateful eyes. "Thank you, Kaito-san," she said softly.

Kaito grinned at her. "It's no problem! And just call me Kaito-nii, okay?" he added playfully, ruffling her hair gently.

Guren blinked in surprise at his kindness, a shy smile forming on her lips.

After a moment, Kaito's expression softened, and his tone became more serious. "Guren-chan, if you don't mind me asking… where are your parents?"

At the question, Guren's face fell. Her gaze dropped to the ground, and her voice became a whisper. "They're… gone. My village was attacked. I'm the only survivor."

Kaito's chest tightened at her response. 'As I thought… she's all alone. If I leave her here, she'll no doubt end up with Orochimaru—or worse, Danzo.'

He knelt down in front of her, his voice gentle but firm. "I'm really sorry to hear that, Guren-chan." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "If you have nowhere else to go… would you like to come with me?"

Guren's eyes widened, and she looked up at him, her voice trembling. "You… you want me to come with you?" she asked, stammering.

Kaito nodded with a warm smile. "Yeah, if you want to, you can come with me, ya know. As for why…" He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "You remind me of my little brother and sister. They've been through similar things like you have. And I'm sure they'd be excited to meet you. If you come with me, I promise I'll treat you like my little sister, ya know?"

"I… I…" Guren stammered, her wide eyes staring at Kaito in disbelief. She seemed to struggle to process his words, her small hands trembling slightly. Finally, she nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks as she bowed her head. Her voice was barely audible as she whispered, "Thank you, Kaito-nii."

Kaito smiled warmly, reaching out to ruffle her hair again—this time with more care and gentleness. "You don't have to thank me, ya know. Don't worry—you're safe with me now."

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Author's Note:

I'm not entirely sure when or where Guren was originally from, as there isn't much detailed information available about her background. However, given that Kirigakure had significant issues with Kekkei Genkai users during that time, it's likely she originated from the Mist. Since she's roughly the same age as Naruto, I figure that she must have been recruited by Orochimaru around this point in the timeline.