Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 188
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. I've rewritten it twice and still couldn't get it exactly the way I wanted. That said, it ended up being around 4,000 words, so I hope you all enjoy it!
Please feel free to leave feedback and let me know your thoughts on how the story's going—I really appreciate it!
Within seconds, the pig's wound began to close. Flesh knitted together. Vital signs stabilized.
And—most importantly—it didn't turn to stone.
The pig stirred slightly, fully healed, completely intact.
Kaito stared at it, frozen.
Then he suddenly leapt into the air. "Yatta!" he shouted, eyes wide with pure joy. "It finally worked!"
He grabbed both clones by the shoulders and started bouncing in place. "It worked—it actually worked! Twenty-five tries, and we cracked it! Ya know!"
This was it. The 25th iteration of the healing seal he'd been designing to heal his mother. Every version before this had failed—every subject turned to stone the moment Sage chakra entered their body.
But this one… this one succeeded.
Kaito finally calmed down and released the clones, breathing deeply.
One of the clones looked at him seriously. "So… next stage is human trials?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… but first, we need new tags. These ones aren't reusable. We'll have to make four of them."
The other clone let out a small sigh. "So we're looking at another four months then. What should I do with the pig?"
Kaito glanced over at the now-conscious animal and smiled softly. "Set him free—ya know. He deserves that much. Let him li ve the rest of his life in peace."
…
The morning sun cast a soft glow over the Hidden Leaf Village, its golden rays spilling across rooftops as villagers bustled through the streets, starting their day.
Kaito dashed across the village skyline, leaping from one rooftop to the next, his red hair catching the wind. Within moments, he landed at the entrance of the Hyuga compound.
He nodded at the guards stationed there, who gave him polite bows in return. Without slowing, he stepped past them and made his way through the courtyard, the crunch of gravel underfoot marking his approach.
Stopping before the clan head's home, he knocked on the sliding door and waited.
It wasn't long before it opened to reveal Hitomi Hyuga. Her face brightened the moment she saw him.
"Ah, good to see you, Kaito-kun," she said warmly. "My, my, you've gotten even more handsome this past year, haven't you? My daughter is so lucky." She leaned in, inspecting his face playfully. Then, drawing back with a small grin, she asked, "Why haven't you been visiting lately?"
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Ah, Lady Hitomi, it's nice to see you too. Sorry I haven't dropped by—things have been a bit crazy lately, ya know."
Hitomi gave his shoulder a light smack, teasingly. "How many times have I told you to call me mother-in-law or just mother? You're going to be Hotaru-chan's husband someday, after all."
Kaito let out a nervous chuckle, scratching his head again.
Seeing his flustered reaction, Hitomi giggled, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "So, are you here to see Hotaru-chan? I'm afraid she left on a mission earlier today."
He shook his head. "Actually, I came to talk to you and Hiashi-sama."
"Oh?" Hitomi blinked. "You came to talk to us?"
Realizing she'd kept him at the doorway, she quickly stepped aside. "Where are my manners? Come in, we can talk over tea."
Kaito took off his sandals and stepped inside, bowing slightly. "Thank you."
She led him through the hall to a set of double doors. Knocking lightly, she called out, "Honey, Kaito-kun is here to see you."
Kaito slipped off his sandals at the entrance, leaving them neatly by the door before stepping inside. He bowed his head slightly and said, "Thank you for having me."
Hitomi gave him a warm smile and motioned for him to follow. "Come along, Kaito-kun. He's in his study." She led him down the hallway and stopped in front of a sliding door. Knocking gently, she called out, "Honey, Kaito-kun is here to see you."
Inside, Hiashi sat at his desk, papers neatly stacked beside a steaming cup of tea. He looked up from a document at the sound of the knock and replied, "Come in."
Hitomi slid the door open and stepped in, gesturing for Kaito to follow. "Go on."
Kaito entered and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for seeing me, Hiashi-sama."
Hiashi set the papers aside and nodded, gesturing to the cushion across from him. "Please, have a seat, Kaito-san."
Kaito sat down respectfully, settling across from the clan head. Hitomi closed the door behind them and came to sit beside Hiashi, folding her hands in her lap.
"So, Kaito-san," Hiashi began, his voice even but with a teasing undertone, "what brings you here today? I hope it's not another situation like last time… You know, when you showed up with Lady Tsunade and nearly had us planning a coup against the Hokage," he added with a faint smirk.
Kaito laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "No, nothing like that," he said as Hitomi poured him a cup of tea and handed it over. He accepted it with a nod. "Thank you."
Hitomi looked at him closely, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "So… are you here to ask for our blessing to marry Hotaru-chan, Kaito-kun?" she asked teasingly. "Well, if that's what this is, you already have it."
Kaito choked mid-sip, coughing violently as he quickly set the teacup down.
"Ack—!"
Grinning, Hitomi offered him a napkin. "Here, here."
"Thanks…" Kaito muttered, wiping his mouth, still a little red from embarrassment.
Hiashi let out a sigh, lifting his own cup to his lips. "Hitomi, let the boy speak. And I'm sure Kaito knows both he and Hotaru are far too young for anything like that." He shot a pointed look at Kaito over the rim of his cup.
Kaito nodded quickly, clearing his throat. "Yes, sir. It's not that. Actually… I came to ask if either of you could help me with something. I need a Byakugan user. Someone I trust."
Hitomi tilted her head, frowning slightly. "If that's the case, why not ask Hotaru?"
Kaito shook his head. "I… don't want Hotaru to know about this."
Hiashi's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And why is that, Kaito?"
Kaito let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You know about my mum's injury… from when the Nine-Tails stabbed her. Even Lady Fifth couldn't heal it. Her chakra coils were too badly damaged."
Hiashi and Hitomi both nodded solemnly.
"Well… what you might not know," Kaito continued, reaching into his pouch, "is that I've been trying to find a way to heal her. I've been working on this." He pulled out a small sealing tag and held it out.
Hitomi leaned forward and gently took the tag from his hand. She examined the markings carefully. "This is your seal?" she asked softly.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… this is version twenty-five. The last test I ran on an injured animal was successful—it healed completely. But… I still need to test it further before I can even think about using it on Mum, you know?"
He looked between them, his voice growing quieter. "The next step is… human testing."
Hiashi gave a small nod. "You want to test it on a person."
"Yeah," Kaito confirmed, his tone heavy. "If I want to make sure it's safe—really safe—I need to see how it reacts with human chakra. Especially someone with injuries like my mum's… I'd have to simulate her exact condition."
He paused and let out a slow breath, his eyes dropping to the floor. "That's also why I don't want Hotaru to know about it. If she found out I was… testing on people, I don't know how she'd react. I'm not proud of it either. It makes me feel like…"
Like Orochimaru, Kaito thought bitterly. He probably started with 'good reasons' too. Look where that got him.
Hitomi lowered the tag into her lap and looked at him gently. "You're afraid… that if she found out, you might lose her."
Kaito nodded, voice quiet. "Yeah… I'm scared she'd look at me differently. Like I'm turning into something I promised I wouldn't."
Hiashi folded his arms, gaze steady. "I see. And you want one of us to observe the seal's effects with the Byakugan. To check if it can really repair damaged chakra coils."
"Yes," Kaito replied. "I can do my own scans with medical ninjutsu, but it's not the same. The Byakugan can see things I can't. I need someone I trust to tell me exactly what's happening in real time."
Hiashi looked at him for a moment, then asked flatly, "Does Lady Tsunade know about this? About your plans for human trials?"
"Yeah," Kaito said, nodding again. "After the animal trial worked, I brought the seal to her and asked how to move forward. She gave me approval to start human trials. We're using two rogue shinobi I captured about six months ago… both of them did terrible things. No one's going to miss them."
Hiashi gave a slow nod, setting his teacup down on the table. "I see…" He looked directly at Kaito. "When do you need our help?"
Kaito rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Uh… about that—Lady Tsunade's actually… waiting for us now."
Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "That's… rather short notice."
Kaito bowed deep almost kneeling, desperate. "I'm really sorry! I should've asked sooner—honestly, I only realised last minute when Lady Tsunade mentioned that having a Byakugan user would help a lot. Please, I'd really appreciate your help. If this works… my mum could finally be cured."
"Kaito-kun, please sit up," Hitomi said gently. "You don't need to beg us. You've already done so much for our family."
Hiashi nodded in agreement. "Hai. You and your family have supported us more than once. I don't mind helping…" He frowned slightly, rubbing his chin. "But I do have a clan meeting in an hour… I'd have to cancel it."
Kaito's expression fell. "Oh… I see. If that's the case—"
He was cut off as Hitomi spoke up. "I don't mind helping."
Both Kaito and Hiashi turned their heads sharply toward her.
Hitomi gave a small smile. "If all you need is someone with a Byakugan, I can go. Mine still works just fine. And I was a shinobi before I retired, remember?"
Hiashi gave her a small nod. "If you're alright with that, Hitomi… then I'll trust you to go."
Kaito stood up quickly and gave a deep bow. "Thank you—really. I appreciate it."
Hitomi smiled fondly and reached out to pat his shoulder. "It's not a big deal, Kaito-kun. You've done plenty for us."
Hiashi stood as well, adjusting his robes. "Well then, you should get going. Best not keep the Hokage waiting. Where is this taking place?"
Kaito straightened up. "It's just outside the village, in one of Dad's old safe houses. I can teleport us there using Hiraishin."
Hiashi nodded. "Very well. I'll leave Hitomi's safety in your hands."
"I can take care of myself," Hitomi said with a small grin, giving her husband a playful slap on the shoulder. Then she turned to Kaito. "Just let me get my sandals on, Kaito-kun, and we'll head out."
She left the study with an easy stride. Hiashi and Kaito followed after her.
Once they reached the front of the house, Hitomi slipped on her sandals while Hiashi stepped out briefly to see them off.
Hitomi looked back at him. "We'll be off now. I'll see you in a bit."
Hiashi nodded. "Yes… Take care." His eyes shifted to Kaito. "Good luck."
"Thank you," Kaito said quietly, offering his hand to Hitomi.
She took it without hesitation.
In a flash, they vanished—teleported away—leaving Hiashi alone at the entrance.
He let out a soft breath, slipping his hands into his sleeves, then turned and walked back inside, heading toward his study with his eyes closed.
….
The morning sun cast a warm glow over the Hidden Leaf Village. Birds chirped softly in the distance as villagers bustled about, starting their day.
Meanwhile, just beyond the village borders, inside a secluded safehouse-turned-laboratory, Kaito's shadow clones moved with purpose. Each one wore a lab coat and focused on prepping equipment for the day's experiments.
At one of the tables, Tsunade sat casually with a cup of sake in one hand and an open file in the other. She skimmed the pages, brow furrowed slightly.
Setting the file down, she took a sip of her drink and muttered, "These seals are pretty advanced, brat." Her eyes flicked to the nearest clone. "But why go through all the trouble of creating all these diagnostic seals? We've got machines for this now. You could've just borrowed one from the hospital—or bought your own with all the money you've got."
The clone, tapping away at a glass tablet encased in a sleek steel frame, glanced up. "Huh? Oh, those?" he said, gesturing to the equipment. "Nah, these are way more advanced than the stuff in the hospital."
He handed her the diagnostic tablet, which resembled a touchscreen tablet.
"This thing doesn't just show vital signs," the clone explained. "It tracks chakra capacity, fluctuations, internal injuries, gives you a 3D visual of the chakra network and body structure—including the exact location of any damage. Even shows bone density and fractures. It's like combining a chakra scan and an X-ray into one."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She swiped her thumb across the screen, watching as a rotating 3D image of a human torso appeared, blue lines tracing the chakra coils in real time.
"Wait… it shows all this live?" she asked, eyes narrowing with interest.
Kaito's shadow clone nodded smugly. "Yep, all in real time, ya know."
Tsunade leaned in, curious. "So how does it work? Do you have to place a seal on the patient?"
The clone shook his head and pointed toward one of the beds in the room. "Nah, that bed over there has sensor seals built into it. They read everything off the patient and transmit the data straight to the tablet. The tablet then processes it and gives you all the readings."
He scratched the side of his cheek before continuing, "We actually tried making the sensor into a standalone seal tag, but… yeah, still not working right. Too much interference. The seal needs a shielded space to send data properly. Out in the open, the signal breaks up. Maybe under a barrier it could work, but i'm not sure."
"I see…" Tsunade nodded thoughtfully, then looked back at him. "Can you make a these for the hospital? You'll be compensated, of course."
The clone rubbed the back of his head. "Eh, sure, if you want. But it'll take some time, ya know? These seals aren't quick to make. But if Mom helps out, maybe… yeah, I think we could finish a few batches in a year or two."
Tsunade nodded approvingly. "That's good. This diagnostic tablet alone would be a game changer in the medical field. It could put Konoha ahead of every other nation."
Tsunade let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, eyeing the healing seal on the table. "If only that seal could be mass-produced," she muttered, pointing at it.
Kaito's shadow clone blinked. "Eh? Actually… we do have an earlier version that works with regular chakra, ya know. It's not as strong as version 25, but it works." He turned to one of the drawers, pulled out a scroll, and unsealed a tag with a quick flare of chakra before handing it over to her.
"This one's an earlier iteration of v25," the clone explained. "We scrapped it 'cause it doesn't work with senjutsu chakra. If you use it with sage chakra, it turns the person into stone. But with regular chakra, it works fine—just less potent compared to when sage chakra powers it."
Tsunade studied the seal carefully. "You said it's less potent… What do you mean by that? Can it only heal small bruises or something?"
The clone shook his head. "Not exactly. It's a lot more capable than that. The v25—the sage-powered version—can regenerate entire organs, even regrow limbs. But this earlier one can only repair damaged organs, not regenerate from scratch. Think of it like a medical ninjutsu seal, ya know? But we haven't fully tested its limits yet."
"I see…" Tsunade nodded slowly, then looked back up. "What about charging time? Does it still have the same problem?"
"Nope," the clone said, crossing his arms. "This version can be charged by a regular chunin. Though… it'll take about a full day's worth of their chakra to get one seal ready."
"That's not too bad," Tsunade said thoughtfully, humming as she tapped her finger against the tag. "Even if it's not as powerful as v25, this could still be revolutionary on the battlefield. Just having something like this during combat could save lives."
She looked up. "Do you think Kaito can mass-produce it?"
The clone scratched the back of his head. "Eh… probably, yeah. But it'll take time. We'd have to build an automation fuinjutsu system for it to be produced at scale."
Tsunade nodded. "That's fine. I'll still need to run some tests on this version anyway—to find its limits. But this is promising, really promising."
Just then, Kaito suddenly appeared in the middle of the room in a flash of red light, Hitomi Hyuga beside him. She stumbled slightly, her feet unsteady from the teleportation.
"Whoa—that was weird," Hitomi muttered.
Kaito quickly caught her arm to steady her before stepping back and rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… sorry about that. It takes some getting used to."
Tsunade stood from her seat and walked over, sake cup now set aside. "Good. You two made it."
Hitomi bowed politely. "It's good to meet you, Lady Hokage."
Tsunade gave her a nod. "Hitomi Hyuga, right? Hiashi's wife."
"Yes, ma'am," Hitomi confirmed with a calm smile.
Just then, Kaito's shadow clone walked over, handing the original Kaito a diagnostic tablet and the healing tag. "Here you go, boss. Everything's ready to go."
Hitomi glanced at the tag in Kaito's hand and asked curiously, "Kaito-kun, what did you name the seal?"
Kaito blinked, then frowned thoughtfully. "Eh… we didn't really name it. We've just been calling it 'V25' since it's the twenty-fifth version, ya know. But… now that you mention it, it does need a proper name…"
He paused, then grinned. "How about—'Sage Art: Fix-Everything One-Shot Full-Recovery Seal'?"
The shadow clone deadpanned. "Seriously? That sounds dumb, ya know."
Tsunade let out a snort, crossing her arms. "You're just like Minato with names."
"Ugh, don't remind me…" Kaito muttered, rubbing his head again. "It sounded better in my head, okay?"
Turning toward Hitomi and Tsunade, he gave a sheepish grin. "I'm open to suggestions. I'm not the best at naming stuff."
Hitomi tapped her chin in thought. "Well… it uses senjutsu, right? And you created it to heal your mother… how about—'Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal'?"
The shadow clone's eyes lit up. "That's a really good name, ya know!" He quickly pulled a small notebook from his pouch and scribbled it down. "Sage Art: Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal… and for the non-senjutsu version, just 'Life-Pulse Seal.' Yeah… sounds legit."
Tsunade chuckled. "As much as I enjoy you goofing around, kid, I've got work to do. So let's get started."
"Yeah, sure," Kaito said with a nod. "Let's get this over with, ya know."
He led them toward the far side of the room, where two large men lay on separate beds, completely still. Kanji seals were spread across their faces as they were under stasis seals, frozen in place.
"These two are rogue shinobi I captured a while back," Kaito explained. "One's from the Land of Stone, the other from the Land of Grass. Both listed in the Bingo Book. Known for doing some horrible stuff… I figured if I had to test on someone, it should be them."
Tsunade took the diagnostic tablet from Kaito and scrolled through the readings. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Huh… You damaged their chakra coils?"
Kaito nodded as he gently placed the Sage Art: Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal on the Kusa shinobi's forehead. "Yeah. We needed their condition to be as close to Mom's as possible. If we want accurate results, everything has to match, ya know?"
He stepped back, eyes focused on the seal. "I used a Wind Release Rasengan to sever their chakra coils in the same area where Mom was injured. Then I healed them… just enough. Their condition now is about the same as hers."
"They were both captured six months ago," he added. "Right after the seal worked on the pig. Once I had them, I damaged their chakra networks, then stabilized them. After that, I let them recover slowly—just like Mom did. I needed time to make sure their injuries settled the same way."
Tsunade frowned, but gave a small nod. "I see…"
Kaito didn't look at them. "I know it's cruel," he said quietly. "I'm not proud of what I did, ya know… but it's the only way I could recreate Mom's condition. There wasn't another option." He clenched his fists slightly.
Hitomi stepped beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "We know, Kaito-kun."
"I didn't say you were wrong, brat," Tsunade added, her voice gruff but not unkind. She cleared her throat and turned to Hitomi. "Alright, let's get started. Hitomi, we need you to activate your Byakugan and focus on the chakra network."
Hitomi nodded firmly, raising her hand and forming a tiger seal. "Byakugan," she said softly, her pupils shifting as the veins around her eyes became pronounced.
Kaito exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself. Then he raised his right hand and formed a one-handed tiger seal.
"Kai," he muttered, releasing a pulse of chakra.
The Sage Art: Life-Pulse Regeneration Seal on the Kusa shinobi's forehead flared to life. A brilliant green glow radiated from the tag, momentarily blinding everyone in the room.
As the light faded, the seal tag dissolved completely, vanishing without a trace. The rogue shinobi remained unmoving in his stasis seal, but the air felt different—charged.
Kaito turned to Hitomi. "Well?" he asked, watching her closely.
Hitomi blinked once, scanning the body with her activated eyes. "Yes," she said with certainty. "The damaged chakra coils… they're fully repaired."
Tsunade glanced down at the tablet in her hand, confirming the readings before handing it over to Kaito. "She's right. The chakra coils have regenerated completely."
She stepped over to the Kusa shinobi and placed her palm on his stomach. A gentle stream of chakra flowed from her hand into his body.
Kaito, meanwhile, looked over the diagnostic tablet. Every vital sign showed green. The chakra network map was whole. A grin spread across his face.
"It's a success," he said, almost breathless. "It worked. It actually worked, ya know!"
Hitomi smiled and gently patted his shoulder, happy to see the light in his eyes.
Tsunade lifted her hand from the shinobi's stomach. "I can channel chakra through his entire network. It's fully healed."
Just then, Kaito's shadow clone stepped forward. "Alright, alright, don't get too excited yet," the clone said, pointing to the second rogue shinobi lying on the next bed. "We still need to test it on the other one. Can't rule out the chance this was a one-time fluke, ya know."
Kaito couldn't wipe the smile off his face, but he nodded. "Yeah… you're right."
Tsunade agreed with a nod. "Let's verify it. We need consistency before calling it a success."
She moved over to the second rogue shinobi—this one from the Land of Stone. The shadow clone followed, placing the seal tag carefully on the man's forehead. Once it was in place, he stepped back and gave the original Kaito a nod.
Kaito turned to the others. "Ready?"
Tsunade gave a curt nod. "Ready."
Hitomi smiled softly. "Hai. Ready, Kaito-kun."
Kaito closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then opened them and formed a one-handed tiger seal. "Kai."
The seal burst to life in the same bright green light as before, briefly flooding the room. Then, slowly, the glow faded, and the tag dissolved completely—just like the first time.
Hitomi's eyes scanned the man's body. She nodded, smiling. "Hai. The seal worked. His chakra coils are fully healed. Everything's functioning normally."
Tsunade removed her hand from the man's abdomen and confirmed, "Yeah. The chakra network is completely intact. It's working perfectly."
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