Kaito Akaden Chapter 154

Kaito Akaden Chapter 154

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."

….

A street food vendor handed a freshly grilled squid skewer to a customer and said, "Here you go. That'll be 100 yen."

The customer, a Kiri shinobi wearing the standard village uniform, nodded and handed over the money. He had black shaggy hair and an unremarkable appearance—just another soldier among many.

"Thank you," he said, taking the skewer.

The old woman behind the food stand nodded. "Come back again."

The shinobi walked away, taking a bite of the grilled squid and humming in delight.

This was Kaito, disguised as a Kiri shinobi. He was currently inside the Village Hidden in the Mist.

Even though Kakashi had explicitly told him not to infiltrate Kirigakure, Kaito wasn't about to miss the chance to gather intel straight from the source. He had been in the village for about a day now, blending in, roaming the streets, eating, and eavesdropping on conversations between shinobi.

Taking another bite of his grilled squid skewer, Kaito strolled through the village, observing everything he passed.

'The tension here is really high… The whole village feels oppressive. Everyone seems to be on edge,' he thought, chewing thoughtfully.

he body-flickered away from the streets.

Kaito landed atop a tall tree on a hill overlooking the village. He settled on a sturdy branch, leaning against the trunk as he gazed down at Kirigakure.

His eyes locked onto the Mizukage's office, standing prominently in the center of the village. Taking another bite of his skewer, he studied the building.

The office was heavily guarded. Kaito felt tempted to infiltrate it, maybe even free Yagura, but he held himself back. He didn't know what the consequences of such an action would be, and he wasn't willing to take that risk yet.

'If I remember correctly, the original Yagura died after he was freed from the genjutsu… or was he killed by Mei? I know the civil war happened, and it ended sometime during or after Naruto's Chunin Exams. That would make sense—since the Three Tails needed time to reform, which is why the Akatsuki waited three years before hunting the Tailed Beasts.'

His expression darkened. 'If I'm right… I don't think I could defeat Pain right now. And if Madara is revived before we're ready—everyone dies.'

Unlike the Hidden Leaf, where most of the population lived within the village and coexisted in relative harmony, the Hidden Mist was different. The village was divided into a strict three-class system.

The first class consisted of the founding families and the bloodlines of the Mizukage. They lived in the center of the village, enjoying the highest privileges. This included the Terumi Clan, Karatachi Clan, and Hozuki Clan.

The second class was made up of families and clans who joined after the founding. They lived within the village walls but had fewer rights than the first class. The Hoshigaki Clan was among them.

The third class was composed of those who had been forcibly subjugated into the Mist, and treated as lesser citizens. They were forced to live outside the village walls and subjected to unfair laws. These included the Yuki Clan and the Kaguya Clan.

The third-class citizens were often sent on the most dangerous, near-suicidal missions, and treated as expendable by the village leadership.

Yagura had been elected Mizukage because he opposed these outdated systems and wanted to reform the Mist. But before he could make any changes, Obito placed him under a powerful genjutsu. Instead of progress, conditions worsened under his rule. Yagura made sure that all Kekkei Genkai users were hated, blaming them for the previous wars and instability. Even some of the first- and second-class clans suffered under this new prejudice. While they weren't openly persecuted, distrust and fear toward Kekkei Genkai spread throughout the village.

Kaito's eyes darkened. 'That's why members of the Yuki Clan, like Haku's mother, and others from the third class fled and lived as civilians. Their clans still exist, but only a few remain.'

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he sensed a large amount of chakra near the village gates.

Kaito immediately stood up, focusing his Mind's Eye of Kagura to get a clearer picture of what was happening.

Several strong chakra signatures were attacking Kirigakure's entrance.

Kaito body flickered closer, moving toward the source of the disturbance.

Kaito arrived at a ledge overlooking the scene below. His eyes narrowed as he took in the chaos unfolding beneath him.

'Those markings… they're from the Kaguya Clan. So, it starts now, huh?'

Down below, the streets had turned into a battlefield as Kiri shinobi fought desperately against the Kaguya Clan, who had launched a full-scale assault on the Hidden Mist.

The village guards caught off guard, were quickly overwhelmed as the Kaguya warriors flooded the streets, cutting down every shinobi and civilian in sight. Blood painted the snow-covered ground, and terrified screams echoed through the village.

Kaito's expression darkened as he observed the slaughter. 'They aren't even organized…' he thought, shaking his head. 'They're throwing their lives away. If they had just united with the other oppressed clans and strategized, they could have overthrown Yagura.'

But the Kaguya were doing nothing of the sort. Instead, they rampaged through the village, killing anyone who wasn't one of their own. It was only a matter of time before they were completely overpowered and wiped out.

Suddenly, the blaring of alarm sirens rang out through the village, signaling an emergency.

Kaito's gaze remained fixed on the unfolding carnage. His mind drifted as he contemplated, 'If the Uchiha Clan had gone through with their coup… would it have looked like this?'

The thought lingered in his mind, and he couldn't help but compare. In the original timeline, had Itachi not massacred his clan, would Konoha have been reduced to a war zone like this?

Kaito knew that Itachi's actions weren't the smartest or best solution. But given the circumstances, and the fact that Itachi was only thirteen years old, it had probably seemed like the best option to him.

In Kaito's opinion, taking out the corrupt Konoha higher-ups would have been the better solution. But he couldn't blame Itachi. The boy had been barely a teenager, placed under insane pressure from both Danzo, Fugaku, and the passive Third Hokage, who had done nothing but twiddle his thumbs instead of taking real action.

'At least I was able to prevent the Uchiha Massacre in this timeline.'

Now, the Uchiha Clan was much happier, and the village was in a much better state with Tsunade as Hokage. The Third Hokage and his cronies were gone, and the village was finally healing.

The only thing that would make things even better would be Danzo's death—but that would come in time.

The invasion below had escalated. Buildings were burning, and the fighting had grown more intense. Bodies of both Kaguya Clan members and Kiri shinobi littered the blood-soaked battlefield.

Kaito also noticed that Yagura had yet to intervene. His eyes narrowed in thought.

"Is he really just going to stay out of this and let the jonin and chunin handle everything?"

His attention was suddenly caught by a civilian mother and her young daughter, caught in the middle of the chaos. A stray Water Release jutsu was heading straight for them.

The mother clutched her daughter tightly, shielding the girl with her own body, bracing for the inevitable impact.

Kaito didn't hesitate. He body-flickered next to them just in time and teleported them away an instant before the jutsu struck, obliterating the spot where they had stood.

He brought them to the other side of the village, where the fighting hadn't spread yet.

As Kaito set them down, the mother turned to him, her eyes wide with gratitude. "Thank—"

Before she could finish, Kaito was already gone.

Kaito reappeared at his original vantage point, arms crossed as he surveyed the battlefield.

"Where's Kimimaro? If I remember correctly, he should be here."

There was no way Kaito was going to let Orochimaru get his hands on that kid. From what he remembered, Kimimaro and Haku were very similar—both had been raised as tools for others, both were unwaveringly loyal to the people who gave them purpose.

The difference was that Kimimaro was more malleable. Unlike Haku, who had at least found someone like Zabuza, Kimimaro had no one who truly cared for him. Zabuza might have been harsh, claiming he saw Haku as nothing more than a tool, but at the very end, he had admitted the truth—he cared for Haku like a son.

Orochimaru, however, was different. He used and discarded people like they were nothing. Kimimaro was just another pawn in his game.

Kaito hated people like Orochimaru.

He wasn't going to let Kimimaro end up in Orochimaru's hands.

Just then, his attention drifted to the edge of the battlefield.

A lone white-haired boy was cutting down Kiri shinobi like they were nothing.

Even from a distance, Kaito could see the deadly precision in his movements, the way he weaved through the enemy lines, bones protruding from his arms like blades, effortlessly slicing through his opponents.

Kaito's eyes narrowed.

"At least chunin-level, maybe higher," he assessed, watching Kimimaro in action.

But he didn't interfere.

Instead, he leaned against a tree, and watched over Kimimaro from a distance, keeping guard for the remainder of the fight.

….

The sun rose over the Village Hidden in the Mist, its golden light cutting through the lingering smoke from the previous night's battle.

At the village entrance, Kiri shinobi piled up the bodies of the fallen Kaguya Clan members, stacking them like discarded firewood. Soon after, they set the bodies ablaze. The crackling flames filled the air with the stench of burning flesh.

Around the fire, Mist shinobi cheered in victory, celebrating the end of the battle.

Kaito had watched everything—from the very beginning to the bitter end. But right now, his eyes were focused elsewhere.

Up in the trees, Kimimaro stood silently, his gaze locked on the burning corpses of his clan. The young boy's face remained unreadable as he watched the flames consume the last remnants of his kin.

After a while, Kimimaro turned and left, heading further away from the village, deeper into the wilderness.

Kaito pushed himself off the tree branch, stretching slightly before muttering, "Well, I better get to him before that snake bastard does."

With that, he body-flickered away.

Kaito followed Kimimaro for several kilometers, tracking him to a quiet clearing where a river flowed gently through.

The boy had knelt beside the water, staring at his reflection in the rippling surface. After a long moment, he cupped some water in his hands and drank.

Kaito landed in the clearing, keeping some distance so as not to startle him.

However, Kimimaro was immediately on guard. The moment he heard the slightest movement, he whipped around, gripping a sharpened bone blade in a reverse grip. His intense green eyes locked onto Kaito, his stance tense and ready to strike.

Kaito smiled and opened his mouth to speak—

—but was forced to dodge as Kimimaro lunged forward, slashing at him without hesitation.

Kaito caught Kimimaro's wrist, stopping the blade mid-swing. "Hey—"

But before he could finish, Kimimaro twisted his body, launching a swift kick toward Kaito's head.

Kaito blocked it effortlessly, then threw Kimimaro back toward his original position.

The boy landed smoothly, skidding back a few feet but staying firmly on his feet. His grip on the bone knife tightened, his stance still tense and ready.

Kaito quickly raised both hands in surrender. "Hey, wait! I'm not here to fight," he said, keeping his voice calm.

Kimimaro didn't lower his guard, his sharp gaze never leaving Kaito. "Then why are you here, Kiri ninja?"

Kaito blinked, then glanced down at himself, realizing he was still wearing his Mist shinobi disguise.

"Huh…?" He let out a small chuckle. "Oh, yeah, my bad."

Reaching up to scratch the back of his head, Kaito puffed into a cloud of white smoke.

When the smoke cleared, he stood there in his original appearance—red spiky hair, sharp blue eyes, and a face that resembled Minato Namikaze but with a wilder, more relaxed expression.

Still scratching the back of his head, Kaito gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah… forgot I was still in disguise, ya know?"

With a casual wave, he introduced himself. "Hi! My name's Kaito Uzumaki. I'm from Konoha. And you are?"

"Kimimaro…" The boy's voice was guarded as he tightened his grip on the bone knife. "What do you want with me?"

Kaito spread his hands in a gesture of peace. "I saw what happened back there... to your clan. I just wanted to talk." He paused, searching Kimimaro's expression for any sign of hostility. "I was wondering… do you have anywhere to go now?"

Kimimaro's gaze dropped to the ground, his knuckles whitening on the hilt of his weapon. "No, I… I don't."

His voice was barely above a whisper as he looked down at his reflection in the river. "Where would I even go?" His grip on the knife loosened slightly. "I have no clan left… no reason to stay in the Land of Water."

Kaito nodded sympathetically. "If you'd like, you can come with me."

Kimimaro lifted his gaze slightly, watching him with cautious curiosity.

"I'm from Konoha, like I said. You could make friends there, figure out what you want to do. Nobody would force you into a suicide attack or treat you like a weapon."

Kimimaro hesitated, his fingers curling around the handle of his blade once more. "I… I don't know anything but killing," he admitted quietly. "My clan wanted to die in battle. I never questioned it, but… now they're gone. I don't have a purpose to live for."

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're not a tool, Kimimaro."

The boy blinked at him, surprised by how firm Kaito's tone was.

"People aren't meant to be used as weapons," Kaito continued. "We find purpose through those we live with. You're still young. I'm sure you'll find your reason."

He knelt down in front of Kimimaro, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, sometimes all you need are a few friends to help you figure things out, ya know?"

Kimimaro stared at the hand on his shoulder, the contact unfamiliar but… strangely grounding.

A long silence stretched between them.

Finally, he gave a small nod. "I… I'll come."

Kaito smiled and nodded, but before he could say anything else, his eyes shifted sharply to the misty treeline.

His expression hardened.

"I know you're there, Orochimaru. Why don't you come out?"

A low, sinister chuckle echoed through the mist.

"Kukukukuku… My, my, you even sensed me?"

From the shadows of the forest, Orochimaru emerged, his piercing golden eyes glinting with amusement. His serpentine smirk stretched across his pale face as he walked toward them.

"So, the rumors were true about you being a great sensor," Orochimaru mused, his voice dripping with curiosity.

His gaze flickered between Kaito and Kimimaro before settling on the red-haired shinobi.

"Might I ask what the eldest son of our beloved Fourth Hokage is doing in the Land of Water?"

Kaito shrugged casually, not the least bit intimidated. "Just a mission to assess the current situation, ya know?"

Then, tilting his head slightly, he asked, "And what about you, Snake Sannin? What brings you all the way out here?"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Oh, you know… sightseeing, the usual," he said smoothly, his golden eyes gleaming as they shifted to Kimimaro.

His smirk widened slightly. "And I happened upon a very… interesting individual."

Kaito exhaled through his nose, already knowing where this was going. "Let me guess—you want Kimimaro, right?"

Orochimaru's smirk turned almost predatory, his snake-like pupils narrowing slightly.

Orochimaru smirked, a hungry gleam in his snake-like eyes. "Straight to the point, just like your mother. Yes. I do want Kimimaro-kun."

Kaito scowled. "Stop doing that. It's creepy as hell."

Orochimaru's lips curled into something resembling a grin. "Danzo told me you had a sharp tongue," he mused, ignoring Kaito's jab. "He also mentioned how you orchestrated Sarutobi-sensei's removal from power. Quite the feat."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "So he ran to you, huh? Figures. And yeah, I helped clear out the old fools who were running my village into the ground." He gestured toward Kimimaro. "But I'm not about to hand this kid over to you. I know exactly what you do to people."

Orochimaru let out a soft, mocking chuckle. "That's unfortunate," he whispered, tilting his head. "I wasn't asking for your permission."

Without warning, a massive wave of killing intent flooded the clearing.

It was suffocating—an invisible force pressing down, choking the air itself.

Kimimaro stiffened, his body locking up as the sheer dread of Orochimaru's malice weighed on him.

But Kaito?

Kaito didn't even flinch. Instead, he snorted. "Is that supposed to scare me? You're not the only one who can leak out chakra."

Before Orochimaru could react, Kaito was already in front of him, slashing with a tri-pronged kunai in a blur of motion.

A sickening schlick filled the air.

Orochimaru's body was severed cleanly in two, his upper torso hitting the ground with a heavy thud as Kaito stood over him.

For a second, everything was still.

Then—Orochimaru's severed upper half twisted grotesquely, his mouth opening far wider than humanly possible.

With an eerie, wet slither, he shed his own body, launching himself toward Kaito like a venomous serpent striking its prey.

"Got you," Orochimaru hissed as he reached for Kaito's throat—

—Only for his hand to pass straight through Kaito's neck.

An afterimage.

Kaito reappeared above him, a swirling ball of chakra in his right palm cracking with red lightning.

"Red Lightning Rasengan!" Kaito shouted as he slammed the spiraling mass of chakra straight into Orochimaru's back, driving him to the ground.

The impact exploded outward, sending a massive shockwave through the clearing.

The ground cratered violently, red lightning arcing wildly as it charred everything in its path—including Orochimaru's body.

As the dust settled, Kaito stood over the scorched remains of the Sannin, watching as they slowly melted into mud.

A few meters away, Orochimaru reappeared, his golden eyes narrowing as he clutched a bleeding hand.

Licking his lips, he chuckled. "You've gotten quite strong, Kaito-kun."

Kaito scoffed, crossing his arms. "Nah. You guys are just weak." He tilted his head slightly, eyes sharp. "I thought the Sannin were supposed to be strong, but so far, you've all been disappointing. What can I expect, though? You only got the title Sannin after losing to Hanzo. Weaklings."

Orochimaru's smirk faltered for the briefest moment before returning.

He began sinking into the ground, the earth swallowing him like a living swamp.

"You can keep Kimimaro if you want," he said, his voice still carrying that unsettling amusement. "I'll find other amusements."

With one last eerie chuckle, he vanished beneath the ground, leaving nothing behind.

Kaito exhaled, shaking his head. "Man, that guy is creepy as hell."

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