Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 178
Hotaru, placed a gentle hand on his chest, her expression tight with emotion.
Just then, another figure landed in the clearing.
Fugaku Uchiha arms folded, as he surveyed the scene. "I see everything's been handled," he said, his gaze moving from the unconscious Uzumaki family to Boruto and Sasuke.
Jiraiya glanced at Fugaku and nodded, then at sasuke he asked, "So… all those explosions earlier?"
Sasuke looked at his father and replied, "It was a trap. Kaito set it to counter the enemy's space-time jutsu. But it didn't finish him off—he survived it and caught Kaito off guard. That's when he impaled him… and that's what triggered Naruto to release the Nine Tails' chakra. While I kept the enemy busy, Kaito suppressed the Nine Tails and then came back to finish the fight with his Rasengan."
Tsunade nodded, taking it all in. "I see..." Then she turned to Fugaku and Hiashi. "Fugaku, Hiashi—I want you both to search the surrounding area. Make sure the enemy didn't survive. Jiraiya, help them out."
She looked back at the injured group around her. "I'll take them back to the village so they can get proper treatment. Let them rest… after everything they've been through."
Fugaku, Hiashi, and Jiraiya all nodded silently before heading off into the trees.
…
The noon sun hung high over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. the villagers bustled about with their daily lives—shopping, chatting, laughing. Life went on like always.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of a hospital room, casting a warm glow on the faces inside—the Uzumaki family.
Kushina sat cross-legged on Naruto's hospital bed, a bento box in her lap, the lid resting beside her. She held up a spoonful of rice, tamagoyaki, and ebi tempura to her youngest son's mouth.
"Open wide, Naru-chan," she said gently.
Naruto opened his mouth obediently, letting his mother feed him. His whole body was wrapped in bandages. face, head, arms, chest. He looked like a little blond mummy.
Kushina pulled the spoon back as he chewed, already preparing another bite.
Naruto huffed between mouthfuls. "How long do I have to stay in the hospital, Mom?"
Kushina sighed, clearly having answered this more than once. "You're still injured, Naru-chan. Once you're fully healed, I'm sure Tsuna-nee will discharge you, ya know." She held out another spoonful and fed him.
Naruto grumbled after swallowing. "But I feel fine, ya know... it's boring just sitting here."
Kushina lightly poked his bandaged shoulder.
"Ow—!" Naruto winced.
"If you were really fine, you wouldn't be wincing in pain when I touch you, ya know," Kushina said with a small smirk.
Then she reached out and patted his head gently. "Just a few more days, then you'll be allowed to leave, alright? Ya know."
At that moment, the bathroom door slid open with a soft whoosh. The sound of a toilet flush faded as Boruto shuffled out, his right arm in a cast and sling.
Kushina looked up. "Boruto-chan, come eat—the food's getting cold." She pointed to the picnic basket as she offered Naruto his last spoonful.
Boruto nodded. "Right, I'm starving, ya know. Thanks, Baa-chan."
He grabbed a bento box with his good hand and made his way to his bed, sitting cross-legged with the box on his lap. He opened the lid carefully.
Kushina closed Naruto's now-empty bento with a soft smile. "Do you need me to feed you too, Boruto-chan? It must be hard eating with one hand, ya know."
Naruto frowned slightly at that.
Boruto looked up and waved her off with his free hand. "Eh—no, no, I'm fine, Baa-chan. I can manage, ya know."
Kushina nodded with a smile. "Well, let me know if you need help," she said, standing up from Naruto's bed. She turned to her younger son. "Go rinse your mouth, Naru-chan."
Naruto nodded and slid off the bed, making his way into the toilet.
Just then, there was a soft knock at the door before it slid open. Hotaru peeked her head in and said politely, "Excuse me… may I come in?"
Kushina looked up and smiled warmly. "You don't have to ask, Hotaru-chan. Come in, come join us—I've got enough food for all of us, ya know."
Hotaru stepped into the room and gently closed the door behind her. She was carrying a few small boxes in her hands. She walked over and handed them to Kushina.
"I brought these for everyone. Some desserts and fruit," she said, though her eyes were focused on Kaito.
Kaito was still unconscious in his bed. His right arm was wrapped in bandages, and an IV was attached to his left hand.
Naruto poked his head out from the bathroom, eyes lighting up. "Desserts?"
Hotaru smiled and nodded. "Hai. I made them myself," she said, also giving Boruto a small nod as he looked over from his bed.
Kushina accepted the boxes with a grin. "Ahh, how thoughtful of you, ya know. My Kai-kun is really lucky, ya know," she teased gently, noticing the worry in Hotaru's gaze as she looked at Kaito.
Trying to lift her spirits, Kushina set the desserts down and walked over to Kaito's side.
Hotaru had already moved next to him. She gently took his hand and asked softly, "He still hasn't woken up yet?"
Kushina gave a small, sad smile and nodded. "No, he hasn't… but Tsuna-nee said he's recovering fine. He should wake up any day now, ya know."
Naruto, now munching on a daifuku Hotaru had brought, spoke with his mouth half-full. "I still can't remember what happened, ya know. Last thing I remember, we were training… then nothing."
Kushina sighed, then reached out and patted his head gently. "I already told you, Naru-chan. A seal went wrong and we all got hurt, that's all, ya know."
She smiled, though it was a little forced.
It was a lie. Naruto had woken up with no memory of what happened… and honestly, Kushina was relieved. She wasn't sure how he'd react if he found out the truth—that he was a jinchūriki.
Boruto, chewing through a mouthful of food, suddenly chimed in with a grumble, "Yeah, and it was your fault we ended up like this. You're the one who messed up the seal. Why do you think you've got the worst injuries?"
Naruto froze mid-bite. "Eh… wait. I caused it?"
Kushina gave Boruto a quick glare and shook her head. "It was an accident, Naru-chan. You accidentally triggered one of Kai-kun's explosive seals. It's a good thing Kai-kun and Sasuke-san were there, ya know. But this is a lesson—you've got to stop taking seals so lightly. I've told you before, they can be really dangerous."
Naruto looked down, his voice small. "Right… I'm sorry."
Kushina smiled gently, her heart heavy. "It's alright, baby. I know you didn't mean it."
She didn't like blaming him—but between the truth and this little lie… this was better. For now.
She sat down in the chair beside Kaito's bed and reached out, gently brushing his hair with her fingers.
Suddenly, Kaito's eyes twitched. His brows furrowed… then he shot upright with a sharp breath. "Huh…?"
His eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light.
"Kai-kun!" both Hotaru and Kushina shouted at once, their eyes wide.
They threw their arms around him, hugging him tight.
"Ow—ouch!" Kaito winced, stiffening as both of them squeezed him.
Kushina quickly let go and leaned back. "You had us worried sick, ya know!"
Kaito blinked, still groggy. "Huh… Mom? Hotaru…? What happened?"
Hotaru slowly pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Before Kaito could say another word, Naruto launched himself onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his big brother.
"I'm sorry, big bro! I didn't mean for you to get hurt, ya know!" Naruto cried, voice shaking.
Kaito, still half-dazed, patted Naruto's back gently. "Eh? Naruto… what's wrong?"
Naruto sniffled, pulling back. "I'm sorry… I won't mess with your seals again," he said, rubbing his eyes.
Kaito looked even more confused and turned to his mother.
Kushina gave him a look and mouthed, play along, as she gently pulled Naruto off the bed.
"It's alright, Naru-chan. I already told you—it was an accident. Nothing to worry about, ya know."
Kaito gave a small nod and managed a soft smile. "Eh… it's alright, Naruto. Don't worry about it, ya know."
Kushina stood up and gently took Naruto's hand. "I'll go get Tsuna-nee. Come on, Naru-chan—come with me," she said, guiding him toward the door.
As they left the room, she gave Boruto and Hotaru a look—it was their turn to explain things.
The door slid shut behind them.
Kaito leaned back against the pillows and winced slightly. "What just happened…? And why's Naruto blaming himself? How long was I out for?"
Boruto finished the last bite of his bento, closed the lid, and answered, "Right… Baa-chan didn't want Naruto to know about the Nine Tails yet, so we told him he accidentally set off one of your explosive seals."
Hotaru added quietly, "You've been unconscious for the last two days."
Kaito nodded slowly. "So… what happened? Did we defeat Urashiki?" he asked, brows furrowing as his memory tried to catch up.
He raised his right hand to his chest where he'd been pierced—but then froze.
His eyes widened.
His right arm was completely wrapped in thick bandages.
Without a word, panic hit him. He started tearing the wrappings off in a hurry. "Shit…"
His thoughts were racing. 'Did Urashiki give me a Karma mark…?'
"Yeah, you killed him with your Rasengan," Boruto said. Then, noticing what Kaito was doing, his expression changed. "Hey—what are you doing?!"
Hotaru quickly reached forward, trying to stop him. "Kai-kun, you're still hurt! You shouldn't be doing that!"
But Kaito didn't stop. He ripped the bandages off, ignoring the stinging pain.
His skin was red and raw, still healing—but that didn't matter right now.
Kaito stared at his palm, then flipped it over, checking every inch. No mark. Nothing. Just healing skin.
Still not convinced, he twisted his arm, inspecting from elbow to fingertips.
Hotaru, watching him, looked concerned. "What's wrong, Kaito-kun? What are you looking for?"
Kaito turned to her, eyes sharp. "Hotaru, I need you to use your Byakugan. Check every inch of my body."
Hotaru blinked, a light blush forming. "W-what?"
Boruto's eyes widened. He realized what Kaito was worried about.
Kaito's voice was serious. "Please, Hotaru. I need you to check me, Naruto and Mum. If there's even the smallest mark… like the one on Boruto's palm… I need to know."
Hotaru looked over at Boruto, confused. He nodded and held out his palm. he showing The Karma seal to her. "This one."
"Please, Hotaru," Kaito urged again.
Hotaru nodded, her expression serious now. "Alright." activating her Byakugan. Her veins bulged around her eyes
She scanned his entire body from head to toe.
When she was done, she blinked a few times and deactivated her Byakugan. Her cheeks were flushed red.
Kaito sat up slightly, watching her. "Did you find anything?"
Hotaru quickly shook her head and ducked her gaze. "N-No… nothing. It's only on Boruto-kun," she said, her voice squeaking.
Kaito let out a slow breath and leaned back into the pillows, finally relaxing. "That's good… thanks, Hotaru."
Hotaru nodded, still a little pink in the face.
Kaito looked at her and explained, "It's a cursed seal. Mom and I have been working on removing it from Boruto. I was afraid it might've transferred to one of us while I was unconscious."
Just then, the door to the room slid open and in walked Tsunade, followed by Shizune, Kushina, and Naruto.
Tsunade smiled, spotting him. "Well, it's good you're awake, brat—"
She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on Kaito's right arm—bandages torn, the skin underneath still red and raw, faintly bleeding.
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
THUNK!
Her fist slammed right into Kaito's forehead.
"Idiot! Sit still or I'll sedate you!" she snapped.
Hotaru quickly stepped aside, giving Lady Tsunade space.
Kaito winced from the hit but didn't say a word.
"Shizune, rewrap him," Tsunade ordered, her palm already glowing green as she pressed it gently to Kaito's head, soothing the impact.
"Right," Shizune said, moving to his right side and getting to work with practiced hands.
Kushina stood behind Tsunade, arms crossed, shaking her head. "I leave you alone for a few minutes and this is what happens, ya know?"
Suddenly, the window slid open with a clatter.
Jiraiya's head popped in. "I see the kid's finally awake," he said with a grin as he stepped into the room, holding a bag.
He handed Naruto a pack of dango and senbei. "Here you go, kid. Brought your favorites."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Yes! Thanks, Jiraiya-Oji!" he said, reaching out excitedly. only for Kushina to snatch it mid-air.
She gave Naruto a look. "You just ate, Naru-chan. Maybe later, ya know."
Naruto pouted, crossing his arms.
Tsunade sighed as she lifted her hand from Kaito's forehead. "Good. Everything's fine," she said, scribbling something onto her clipboard. "But you'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days."
Kaito looked up at her, sheepish. "If all I need to do is rest… can't I do that at home, ya know?"
Tsunade stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. I'll discharge you tomorrow. But no training. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Kaito said quickly.
Naruto piped up from the side. "Hey! What about me? Can I go home too?"
Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose, then nodded. "Yeah, what the heck. I'll leave both of you in Kushina's hands."
"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, then turned to his mom with a grin. "Can we get Ichiraku on the way back, Mom?"
Kushina chuckled and rubbed his head, smiling. "Of course, Naru-chan. Ya know."
Tsunade waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah..." Then her expression shifted as she turned back to Kaito, serious now. "Now. I want to know what happened."
Kaito blinked and gave a nervous laugh. "Eh… haven't they explained everything already?" He glanced at his mom, who smiled awkwardly and looked away.
Tsunade folded her arms. "I want to hear it from you."
Kaito sighed and nodded. "Right..." He glanced over at Naruto and hesitated.
Tsunade noticed and raised an eyebrow, but then nodded, catching on. "Shizune, why don't you take Naruto to change his bandages?"
Shizune nodded. "Right, my lady." She turned to Naruto. "Come on, Naruto-kun, let's get those wrappings changed."
"Huh? Oh—okay..." Naruto said, still a little confused, but followed her out.
Once the door closed behind them, Tsunade's gaze landed sharply on Kaito again. "Now. Tell me everything."
Kaito straightened a little. "Well… we were attacked by this guy named Urashiki. He was after the Nine Tails sealed inside Naruto. We fought… I killed him before I passed out. Oh—and Naruto lost control when he saw me get impaled. I had to suppress him, then finish Urashiki off." He finished with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.
Tsunade's eye twitched.
SNAP.
Her clipboard cracked in half in her hands.
"Do I look stupid to you, brat?" she growled.
Kaito's grin vanished. "Eheheh…"
Tsunade grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward, nose to nose.
"Tsuna-nee!" Kushina stood up quickly, voice nervous.
Tsunade didn't look away. "You. Are going to tell me everything. In detail. Or I'm putting you back in intensive care. Got it?"
Hotaru looked worried too. "Lady Tsunade…" she said softly, concern in her voice.
Tsunade didn't look away from Kaito, her eyes narrowing. "You knew. Someone was coming after Naruto. That's why you sent Karin to stay with the Hyuga clan. That's why you found tutors for those three kids from the Land of Water. Why you pulled Naruto out of school for a month and called it 'clan training.'"
Her grip tightened slightly. "You planned everything because you knew someone was coming for Naruto. And you didn't tell me. Even though it concerned the safety of the whole village."
Kaito sighed. "You're right. I knew." He paused, then added, "But I didn't tell you because… the matter's complicated."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed further. "Complicated how?"
Kaito leaned in a little closer. Tsunade allowed him, and he whispered in her ear. "Because that guy… he's from the future."
Tsunade leaned back, her brow raised in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?"
Kaito nodded seriously. Then leaned in again and said quietly, "Just look at Naruto and Boruto standing next to each other. Boruto even has the whisker marks on his cheeks. That's because… he's Naruto's son—from the future. And Sasuke... he's Itachi's brother. From that same future."
Tsunade slowly let go of Kaito's shirt, her eyes drifting to Boruto. Her eyes widened.
Boruto gave a nervous wave.
Jiraiya, who had been leaning casually by the window, suddenly straightened up. "What is it, Tsunade? What did he say?" His expression turned serious at the look on her face.
Tsunade turned back, mouth slightly open. "You mean…?" She looked to Kushina for confirmation.
Kushina nodded with an awkward smile, scratching the back of her head.
Kaito gave a shrug. "Like i said, it's complicated. That's why I didn't say anything sooner, ya know."
Jiraiya crossed his arms. "What exactly didn't you tell her? Come on, kid, don't leave me in the dark."
Tsunade rubbed her temples and muttered, "I need sake for this…"
Kaito grinned. "It's classified. You don't have the authorization to know."
Jiraiya sputtered, pointing at himself. "W-What?! Of course I've got authorization! I'm one of the Legendary Sannin! Tsunade—come on, back me up here!"
Tsunade took a deep breath, composing herself, then crossed her arms. "He's right. You don't have the clearance for this information."
Jiraiya fell flat to the floor dramatically, then jumped back up with a groan. "Oh, come on! You know you can trust me!"
Kaito smirked. "It's only privy to the Hokage… and her chosen successor."
Tsunade turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you didn't want to be the Sixth?"
Kaito shrugged. "It's not like you're giving me a choice. Might as well use the power that comes with the position if I'm stuck with the responsibilities, ya know?"
Jiraiya stared at both of them, his jaw hanging. He grumbled, crossing his arms, "Fine. Keep your secrets. I'll figure it out on my own."
Tsunade ignored him and turned her attention back to Kaito. "You should've at least told me someone was coming after Naruto. I could've planned something better to cover it up."
Kaito sighed. "I'm guessing you guys sensed the Nine Tails' chakra, huh?"
Tsunade nodded. "Yeah. I had to order a full evacuation. Then I had to spin it as a surprise emergency drill. Some villagers bought it… others didn't."
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck. "If I'd known it would come to that, I would've thrown up a barrier around the training ground, ya know..."
Tsunade exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, sensei stormed into my office after we got back. Demanded to know what happened. He also asked me to remove his restraints."
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly. "You removed the chakra suppression seals on him?"
Jiraiya spoke up. "Yeah. I had to agree with Sensei on this one. If something like that happens again, he's a strong ally to have on our side."
Tsunade nodded. "I told him I'd think about it. And honestly... I do agree with him."
Kaito just gave a quiet nod, Just then, a soft knock echoed from the hospital room door. Tsunade turned her head toward it. "Come in," she called.
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