Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 195
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I really had a hard time writing it—I just couldn't get the emotions right and ended up rewriting it a few times.
This chapter is around 4,000 words, so I hope you enjoy it—and again, I'm really sorry for the delay!
Kushina growled, clenching her fists. "Wait till I get my hands on you, brat!" she said, stomping the ground before turning to storm out of the house.
"Wait, Mom!" Kaito called, stopping her in her tracks.
She turned back, confused. "What is it, Kai-kun?"
Kaito's expression turned serious. "Naruto's chakra… it feels off. Like he's… sad."
Kushina blinked, her anger fading into confusion. "Sad? But… why would he be sad?"
Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm coming with you."
Kushina nodded, her expression softening with concern again.
Kaito quickly created a shadow clone, then turned to the others. "I'll leave this clone behind. Just in case we're late, he'll walk you guys to the Academy, okay?"
Before any of them could respond, Kaito placed his palm on Kushina's back, and in a flash—they vanished.
Karin stared at the spot where they'd been. "Is Naruto really okay…?" she asked, worry clear on her face. This was the first time something like this had ever happened—Naruto had always been cheerful and full of energy. She couldn't remember ever seeing him sad… not since that time they were all hospitalized.
Kaito's clone nodded with a calm smile. "Yeah. He should be fine. Now come on—finish your breakfast. Mom and boss will bring him back soon, ya know."
…
The first rays of morning sunlight spilled over the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Shopkeepers slid open their shutters, vendors rolled out their pushcarts and opened their stalls.
Ninjas and civilians alike filled the streets, beginning their day with warmth and chatter.
The first patrol of the Konoha Police Force strolled through the village, watchful and calm.
Laughter echoed faintly between buildings, and life resumed under the clear morning sky.
But high above that cheerful village, on the stone-carved faces of the Hokage Monument, a lone figure lay motionless atop the Fourth Hokage's head.
A spiky-haired blond boy—around ten years old—rested quietly on the stone hair of the Fourth.
This was none other than Naruto Uzumaki.
He lay flat on his back, one arm thrown across his face.
The sun's gentle warmth finally reached him, and he lifted his arm with a sigh, squinting up at the pale blue sky.
Faint tear stains marked his cheeks—signs that he'd been crying for a long time.
Naruto tucked one hand behind his head and reached toward the sky with the other, his fingers stretching as if to grasp something far beyond his reach.
His eyes followed a flock of birds gliding across the clouds.
"Am I… really a monster?" he whispered to the empty sky, voice barely audible, eyes beginning to tear up again.
His arm slowly dropped back to his side.
He lay there for what felt like hours, silently watching the clouds drift by and birds soar overhead—lost in thoughts he didn't know how to speak.
Then, from the edge of the Hokage Monument, two figures leapt into view.
Naruto sat up quickly as they landed just a few feet away from him on the stone head of the Fourth Hokage.
One was Kushina.
The other was Kaito.
Naruto's eyes widened. He blinked, barely able to speak.
"...Kaa-chan? Nii-chan?"
Kushina landed in a slight crouch, then stood up sharply.
"NA-RU-TO!" she shouted, eyes squeezed shut, fist raised in that familiar way. "What were you thinking, ya know?!"
Naruto flinched and gulped.
"Leaving the house like that—" she started, stepping toward him. But her voice faltered as soon as she got a good look at his face.
Her eyes widened.
"…Naru-chan?" she whispered.
The fury melted from her expression in an instant. Her posture shifted from confrontational to concerned the moment she noticed the dried tear stains on his cheeks and the redness in his eyes.
Kushina rushed to his side and knelt down in front of him, cupping his face gently in her hands. Her thumbs brushed softly over the tear tracks.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Tell Mama, ya know," she said, her voice trembling with worry.
Naruto ducked his head, curling his arms around his knees, drawing himself inward like he wanted to disappear.
Kaito frowned as he walked over, concern tightening in his chest. 'He's been crying… for hours, from the looks of it. But why? His chakra feels… heavy. Depressed.'
Kushina gently brushed aside Naruto's bangs, her voice cracking. "Please, baby… let me know what's wrong. You've never done this before, ya know…"
She leaned in closer, trying to catch his gaze, but Naruto kept his face hidden.
"Please look at me, Naru-chan. Are you feeling sick? Did you get hurt? Did something happen? Do you want Tsuna-nee to have a look? We can take you to her right now, okay?"
Naruto mumbled something under his breath.
Kushina leaned in even more, straining to hear. "I can't hear you, sweetheart. Please, speak up."
"I… I know, Mom," he said, just a little louder.
Kushina blinked, confused. She leaned back slightly, her voice soft. "Know what, Naru-chan?"
Meanwhile, Kaito's eyes widened as his mind raced. 'No way… does he mean… he figured it out? But how? Did someone tell him?' His eyes narrowed. 'No, that can't be it. He was fine last night when I saw him… then—he must've met Kurama? If he's talking about the Nine-Tails, that's the only way.'
Naruto slowly lifted his head from his knees and looked straight at Kushina. "I know," he said again.
Kushina's brows knit together. "You… know?"
Suddenly, Naruto jumped to his feet and shouted, "I know! I know there's a monster sealed inside me!" He clutched his palm to his stomach, eyes squeezed shut as his head dipped. His fingers gripped his shirt tightly, tugging at it. "I know why people look at me like that!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face.
Kushina's face went pale. "Oh, Naru-chan…" Her arms moved instinctively, but she hesitated, not sure if she should pull him close or give him space.
Kaito sighed. 'So… he met the Nine-Tails.'
Naruto's breath hitched. He was openly crying now, shoulders shaking. "Why didn't you tell me… Mom?" he asked, voice breaking with the weight of betrayal.
"Oh, Naru-chan… we… I'm so sorry," she whispered, burying her face into his shoulder. "So, so sorry…"
"I—I was going to tell you one day, I swear," she said shakily. "I just… I just wanted you to grow up happy first, ya know? Without that burden…"
Naruto jerked away from her embrace. "Happy? Happy?!" he shouted. "All this time, I thought they just didn't like me, but it's worse. I'm a ticking bomb. I'm a danger to everyone. That's why they hate me!"
Kaito ran a hand through his red hair and exhaled. "Naruto, listen… first things first: don't trust everything he said, ya know."
"No!" Naruto snapped. "He's right! I am a danger to everyone!" He took a shaky step back, panic rising. "What if he loses control? What if I hurt someone, like I did two years ago?! No… no…"
Naruto shook his head, fists clenched. "I know what happened last time… the fox told me everything. Why were we in the hospital… it was because I lost control!" His voice cracked as he went on. "I don't want that to ever happen again. He said if I lose control, he'll break free. What if I hurt you, Kaa-chan? What if I hurt everyone?"
Kaito stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder firmly. "Naruto. Calm down. You're not going to hurt us. Look at me."
Naruto slowly looked up at Kaito.
Kaito's voice was steady. "First, we weren't in the hospital because of you."
Naruto blinked, confused. "But…"
Kaito continued, "What he said is half true. You did tap into the Nine-Tails' chakra that day—but I suppressed it as soon as it flared up. That's not why we were in the hospital."
He scratched the back of his head. "I was fighting someone. I let my guard down after I thought I'd taken him out… but he got back up and stabbed me from behind. That's when you saw it—your chakra reacted on instinct. You passed out, and I ended up in the hospital."
Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "But… Mom said—?"
Naruto, still confused, asked, "But… Mom said…?"
Kushina quickly shook her head. "No, Naru-chan, that's what really happened. I only told you that you set off an explosive seal by mistake because I didn't want you to find out about the Nine-Tails yet. I just wanted you to grow up happy, ya know. I swear."
Naruto looked down, placing a palm over his stomach. "But…"
Kaito stepped in. "That's why I said you shouldn't trust the fox completely. He wants you to believe everything so he can break free. Mom was already planning to tell you about him after you graduated. She just didn't want you growing up with that burden, ya know."
Kushina pulled Naruto into a tight hug. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Mama hurt you, baby." She pulled him into her lap as Naruto cried into her shoulder, sobbing quietly.
Kaito sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
After a while, Naruto calmed down and leaned back, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt. His voice was quiet and broken. "Why did Dad have to seal it in me? What did I ever do to deserve this, ya know?"
Kaito let out a soft sigh and said, "To answer that… I think we need to explain everything first, ya know."
He sat down beside them and looked at Naruto seriously. "What do you know about the founding of the village, Naruto?"
Naruto looked at Kaito, confused. "Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"
Kaito sighed. "It's all related. Now… what do you know about the village's founding?"
Naruto answered, "Well, Aunt Tsunade's grandpa—the First Hokage—founded the village with someone from Sasuke's clan."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, his name was Madara Uchiha. They founded the village together. Back in their time, they were the two strongest shinobi of their entire era. Fun fact—Madara was actually the one who came up with the name 'Konoha.' Not many people know that. Honestly, it should be added to the academy syllabus, ya know."
Kushina let out an exaggerated sigh and said, "Kai-kun, you're going off topic."
Kaito blinked a few times, snapping back. "Oh—yeah. Well, anyway, after Konoha was founded, Hashirama—the First Hokage—wanted Madara to become the leader of the village, the Hokage. But Tobirama—the Second Hokage," Kaito said, pointing behind Naruto to the second Hokage's face carved into the mountain, "he thought it should be decided through a vote. And Hashirama ended up winning the vote because he was more charismatic, more popular with the people."
Kaito continued, "Well, anyway, a few years after Hashirama was chosen to be Hokage, Madara left the village."
Naruto asked, "wait He just… left?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, he left. You see, Madara saw that other hidden villages were starting to form, and he believed peace in the shinobi world wouldn't last. He thought it was only a matter of time before another war broke out. So, he wanted to destroy those other villages before they could grow stronger and become threats. But Hashirama didn't agree with that—he didn't want to start a war. He believed people could live without fighting."
Kaito nodded. " And before he left, he tried to take his clan members with him. But they refused. They turned their backs on Madara—their own leader—because everyone was tired of war. You see, before the village was founded, all the shinobi clans were constantly at war with each other. It was a brutal time, always fighting… that whole era was even called the Warring States Era. Even children were sent to fight. That's why Madara and Hashirama wanted to create the village in the first place. They dreamed of a safe place where kids could grow up—not die on the battlefield."
Naruto nodded slowly, starting to understand.
Kaito continued, "Well, Madara left the village, swearing vengeance on both the Uchiha clan and Konoha. Then five years later, he returned… but this time, he came back to destroy the village."
Naruto's eyes widened. "He wanted to destroy Konoha?"
Kaito nodded. "Right. But this time, Madara didn't come alone—he brought something with him to help him fight Hashirama.
Now, a lot of people say that Madara and Hashirama were equals, but they're wrong. Hashirama always won, every time they fought. That's why Madara came back with a secret weapon… the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's eyes widened even more. "Wait—the Nine-Tails?!"
Kaito nodded again. "Exactly. Now—what do you know about the Sharingan?"
Naruto blinked, confused again. "Uh… I think it's a Kekkei Genkai? Like Hinata-chan's Byakugan?"
Kaito nodded. "Yep, it's like the Byakugan. They're called dōjutsu—eye techniques. Only members of the Uchiha clan can awaken the Sharingan. Anyway, the Sharingan can evolve. First is the tomoe phase, where it goes from one tomoe to three. Most Uchiha stop at three tomoe. But there's a level higher than that, called the Mangekyō Sharingan. It can only be awakened by a few gifted members of the clan."
Kaito didn't want to explain how he knew about the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, so he left that part out and stopped at the Mangekyō.
He looked at Naruto, who nodded slowly, then asked, "Like Madara?"
Kaito nodded. "Yes. Well, when a Uchiha gets the Mangekyō, they gain unique powers—different for each person. Every ability is unique, but one thing they all have in common is the power to control a bijū."
Naruto blinked. "A bijū?"
Kushina nodded. "Tailed beasts. Like the Nine-Tails."
Kaito nodded. "There are nine tailed beasts in the world—at least, that we know of. From the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails."
Kaito paused, then asked, "Wait… where did I stop?"
Naruto said, "Control bijū."
Kaito snapped his fingers. "Right. The Mangekyō lets the user place a tailed beast under a powerful genjutsu, allowing them to control it. Got that?"
Naruto nodded.
Kaito continued. "Anyway, when Madara returned for revenge, he brought the Nine-Tails with him—completely under his control. Hashirama, the First Hokage, fought both the Nine-Tails and Madara at the same time."
Naruto interrupted, eyes wide. "Whoa! He fought both of them together?!"
Kaito nodded. "Well, there are actually two other abilities that can subdue a bijū. It's not exclusive to the Mangekyō Sharingan. The first is the Adamantine Sealing Chains."
As he spoke, a red chakra chain burst out from his palm, hovering in front of Naruto.
Naruto looked shocked. "Wait—that can control a bijū?"
Kushina sighed. "Not control, but it can suppress chakra in general. Like this."
She extended her own chains, gently wrapping them around Naruto's waist. "Now… try calling on your chakra."
Naruto closed his eyes and focused. After a moment, he opened them again, confused. "I… I can't feel my chakra."
Kushina smiled softly. "Chakra chains have the ability to suppress chakra."
Kaito added, "Basically, if we wrap you up with the chains, you won't be able to use chakra. Got it?"
Naruto nodded.
Kaito continued, "Well, the second thing that's effective against a tailed beast is the First Hokage's unique kekkei genkai called Wood Release. He's the only one so far who naturally had it."
Naruto blinked. "Wood Release?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. Wood Release, like the Adamantine Sealing Chains, can also suppress chakra. It's actually considered one of the strongest kekkei genkai—well, at least the First Hokage's version of it."
He scratched the back of his head and added, "We're getting a bit off topic, but anyway, the First Hokage had Wood Release, and that helped him fight Madara. He was also a Sage."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait—Sage? Like you?"
Kaito nodded. "Yep. Lady Katsuyu was the one who taught it to the First Hokage too. With both Sage Mode and Wood Release, he was able to match Madara… but even then, it wasn't easy."
Kushina continued, "That's when the First Hokage's wife, Mito-sama, stepped in to help her husband. You see, Mito-sama was an Uzumaki—just like us. She sealed the Nine-Tails inside herself, becoming the first jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "She sealed it… inside herself?!"
Kushina nodded. "Yeah."
Kaito continued, "Not many people know this, but the Nine-Tails has been in the village ever since Lady Mito sealed it inside herself—becoming the first jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."
Naruto blinked. "Jinchūriki?"
Kaito explained, "It's the name given to people who have a tailed beast sealed inside them. It means 'the power of human sacrifice.'"
Kushina nodded, then looked directly at Naruto. "The truth is… I'm the second jinchūriki. You know, Mom wasn't born in Konoha. I was born in Uzushio. I was brought here to become the Nine-Tails' second jinchūriki."
Naruto looked up at her, shocked. "What? You, Mom? Huh? Why you?"
Kaito chimed in, "Remember what I told you about the Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
Naruto nodded slowly, the realization hitting him.
Kushina smiled gently. "That's right. I was born with the ability to keep the Nine-Tails in check. So they chose me."
Naruto interrupted her, confused. "But… if the Nine-Tails was inside you, then how did it attack the village ten years ago?"
Kaito sighed. "Well, if you'd stop interrupting us, you'd know by now."
Naruto looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh… sorry."
Kushina chuckled softly and ruffled his hair. "Well, you see… when a female jinchūriki gets pregnant, all her chakra and energy naturally starts flowing to the baby."
Kaito added, "It's just how the body works. It's natural."
Kushina nodded. "Yeah. Because of that, the seal weakens—and during labor, it's at its weakest. For Kai-kun's birth, everything went smoothly. But for your birth…"
Naruto looked down. "So… I was the reason for the Nine-Tails' attack, huh?"
Kaito bonked him lightly on the head.
"Ow! Hey! What was that for?!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his head and glaring up at Kaito.
Kaito crossed his arms. "Stop jumping to conclusions and let us finish first, ya know."
He sighed. "Well… during your birth, everything went smoothly. You were born without any complications, and the Nine-Tails didn't come out. Dad was able to keep it sealed. But what happened after your birth… that's what caused the Nine-Tails attack.
We've told you before what happened."
Naruto's eyes widened. "The masked man…"
Kaito nodded. "Yep. You see, after you were born, Dad was about to reseal the Nine-Tails again. That's when the masked man appeared. He killed the people holding you and took you hostage. He placed paper bombs on you, so Dad had no choice but to teleport you—and the bombs—away to save you and everyone else."
Kaito paused, his eyes closing as he took a breath. "I was there. He tried to take Mom. I tried to stop him… but I wasn't strong enough."
Kushina gently patted Kaito's cheek. "You were five, Kai-kun."
Kaito sighed again. "Anyway, he managed to pull the Nine-Tails out and used it to attack the village. Dad fought him, drove him off, and then teleported the Nine-Tails—and us—further away from the village to minimize the damage."
He turned to Naruto and said, "You asked why Dad sealed the Nine-Tails in you? I'll tell you.
When a jinchūriki has their tailed beast extracted, they die."
Naruto's eyes widened. "They… die?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. The jinchūriki dies. The only reason Mom survived as long as she did was because she's an Uzumaki. You see, Uzumaki—just like the Senju—have incredibly strong life force. But even then, they can only survive a few minutes after the beast is pulled out."
Naruto looked at Kushina, then at Kaito, and asked, "But… if the Nine-Tails was taken out of Mom, how is she…?" He gulped.
Kaito nodded. "You see, Dad figured out that if he sealed only half of the Nine-Tails into Mom, it might stop her from dying. That's why he used the Reaper Death Seal to split the Nine-Tails in two—he wanted to seal one half into Mom, and the other half into someone else. And before you ask, sealing the entire Nine-Tails into her would've caused a massive chakra overload. She wouldn't have survived it. Half was the limit. Half would have saved her."
"As to why your father chose to seal the other half in you, Naru-chan," Kushina added softly, "it's because he believed you would need the Nine-Tails' power one day… to stop a coming disaster."
Kushina gently rubbed Naruto's cheek and said, "Your father, Minato… he believed you were the only one who could carry that responsibility, Naru-chan."
Naruto looked up at Kushina and asked, "Did Dad really say that?"
Kushina nodded. "Yeah… he told me that."
Kaito looked away and muttered, "I would've preferred if Dad had sealed the Nine-Tails in me instead, ya know… but I was unconscious at the time."
Naruto asked, "So… Mom has the other half?"
Kaito sighed. "No. You see… the Nine-Tails didn't want to be sealed inside you. It tried to kill you. And Mom and Dad had to jump in front of it to protect you. They both got pierced by the claw."
Naruto's eyes went wide in shock. "What?! You—what?!"
He turned quickly to look at Kushina.
Kushina, tears streaming down her cheeks, looked down at Naruto, who was still sitting in her lap. She smiled softly through the tears. "And I'd do it again if I had to, ya know."
Kaito sighed. "Because of that, Dad couldn't seal the rest of the Nine-Tails into Mom. She would've died either way—she had a massive hole in her torso."
He drew a rough circle around his stomach with his finger to show the size. "It was that bad," he said with a sigh. "So Dad sealed the remaining half into you… and took the other half with him."
Naruto's eyes widened in panic. "What? But… how did you survive then?! I mean—you're here, ya know!"
Kushina smiled and gently patted Kaito on the cheek. "Well, my little knight here saved me, ya know."
Naruto looked even more confused. "Eh?! But how?! You said… if the Nine-Tails is taken out of you, you die! And you had a huge hole in your body! So how are you even alive now, ya know? How did Kaito-nii save you?!"
Kushina lightly bonked him on the head. "Hey! You sound like you're not happy that your mom's still around, ya know."
Naruto flailed slightly, panicked. "Wha—?! No! I didn't mean it like that, ya know! I'm just… confused!"
Kushina giggled and rubbed her face gently against his. "Don't worry, Naru-chan. I'm only messing with you."
She leaned back and smiled. "Well, you know your brother and Karin-chan can heal people by letting them bite them, right?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "So… Kai-nii healed you with that?"
Kushina nodded. "Hai. Kai-kun healed me with that."
Then she sighed. "But that wasn't enough. Kai-kun had to give me some of his life force to save me."
Naruto tilted his head, confused. "Life force?"
Kaito explained, "Life force is what keeps you alive. It's like the core of your being. I used it to heal Mom because I was still young back then—I didn't have much chakra, so I had to use my life force instead. Even then, I couldn't fully heal her. That's why she had chronic pain all those years."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "So… that's why Mom always felt pain… and couldn't use chakra?"
Kushina nodded. "Yeah, baby. It was a small price to pay. In exchange, I got to see my sons grow up, ya know? And I'm all right now. Your brother fully healed me just a few days ago."
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