Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 196
Author's Note:
I'm really sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Honestly, I had a hard time writing it, and I'm not too happy with how it turned out. It's not exactly what I had in mind, and I know the quality isn't where I want it to be.
Thank you for sticking with me—I'll do my best to improve in the next chapter. I really appreciate your support!
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."
…
Kaito looked over at Naruto, his voice soft. "Well… that's the full story, Naruto. Why Dad had to seal the Nine-Tails in you… and why we didn't tell you until now."
Naruto nodded slowly, wiping his eyes. "I… I get it, ya know. Dad only did it because he believed in me."
Kushina wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "We never meant to make you the jinchūriki, Naru-chan," she whispered, her voice trembling. "We never wanted that life for you…"
Kaito opened his mouth, then stopped himself. 'If we weren't attacked by Ō—' He caught himself and shook his head. "If the masked man hadn't attacked that night, you wouldn't have the Nine-Tails sealed inside you."
Kushina nodded gently. "Your father… he wanted you to be seen as a hero."
Naruto blinked, looking up at her. "A hero?" he asked, confused.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. Your identity as the jinchūriki was supposed to be hidden. Only the village elders and a few shinobi were ever told."
Naruto's expression shifted. He frowned and looked down. "Then… if that's the case, why does everyone look at me like that?"
Kaito let out a sigh, his gaze falling to the ground. "It's… partly my fault."
Kushina looked over at him, surprised. "Your fault? What do you mean?"
Kaito ran a hand through his red hair, a heavy look in his eyes. "Remember when I told you I was approached by Danzō?"
Kushina blinked, confused. "Huh? Danzō approached you? When?"
"I think it was about a year after the Nine-Tails attack," Kaito said, rubbing his chin. "Yeah… I was still in the Academy. Or maybe just before that. Not sure. Been a while, ya know."
Kushina nodded slowly. "Oh right… I remember now. You told me some old guy made you an offer."
"Yeah," Kaito said with a slight nod. "That was Danzo. I didn't know who he was at the time. He came to me, said he could heal you. Said he had access to medical techniques no one else did… if I agreed to work for him."
He scoffed, his tone bitter. "he was probably talking about those experiments he and Orochimaru were doing… using the First Hokage's cells."
Kushina blinked, confused. "Wait… are you saying Danzō leaked it? The stuff about me and Naru-chan?"
Kaito gave a small nod. "Yeah. Think about it. Isn't it a little too convenient? Just a few months after I turned him down, people suddenly start whispering—about you being the old jinchūriki, and Naruto being the new one?"
Kushina's eyes widened—then snapped into pure rage. She jumped to her feet, fists clenched tight, her eyes glowing white with fury.
"That old bastard!" she shouted, shaking with anger. Her red hair lifted and floated in the air like it had a life of its own. "How dare he spread rumors about my baby like that?!"
Red chakra flickered around her as she growled. "I swear, when If get my hands on him, I'll rip him to shreds, ya know!"
Naruto jumped back, startled by her sudden outburst. He gulped hard and slowly scooted away from her, sweat dripping down his face.
'Mom's really scary right now, ya know…' he thought, inching closer to Kaito.
Kushina kept ranting, pacing back and forth, her voice rising with every step.
"I'll strangle him with my chains! No—no, maybe I'll seal his mouth shut! Or better—drop him off in Ame with a note saying 'Have fun'!"
Kaito let out a sigh and stood up. "Mom… calm down."
He walked over and gently grabbed her hand.
Kushina stopped mid-rant, still fuming, and turned to him. "Why didn't you tell me, Kaito?" she asked, her voice shaking. "I would've gone straight to that wrinkly freak and made him pay, ya know!"
Kaito sighed again, rubbing the back of his head. "Because back then, you couldn't even use your chakra. You were still hurt. What good would it have done?"
Kushina clenched her jaw but stayed quiet, the chakra around her starting to fade.
"…We could've told Hiruzen, ya know," she muttered, voice softer but still angry. "We could've reported him."
Kaito gave her a look, his voice calm. "You really think the old monkey would've taken your complaint seriously? Come on, Mom. That man's the most incompetent Kage any of the five villages ever had."
He leaned back slightly, his tone bitter. "Even after I gave proof—right in front of the clan heads—that Danzō stole a Sharingan by killing an Uchiha clan shinobi… you know what he did?" Kaito scoffed. "Just gave him a slap on the wrist."
He sighed. "You were already stressed as it is… so I didn't wanna pile more on you. And besides, we haven't even finished explaining everything to Naruto yet, ya know."
Kushina let out a huff and sat back down, arms still folded across her chest. "Tch. I guess you're right. That old bastard would've just looked the other way… like always."
Kaito smirked as he sat down next to her. "Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore." He leaned in slightly, voice low and smug. "I already made him lose everything he holds dear, ya know."
Kushina blinked. "Huh?"
Kaito grinned. "Who do you think started all those rumors about Hiruzen, Danzō, and Orochimaru? And why do you think he tried sending Root agents to our house right after Lady Tsunade took office?"
He leaned back, arms crossed. "I spoiled all his plans. lost all his influence. Now he's nothing but a rogue with a kill-on-sight order on his head."
Kushina stared at him for a second, eyes wide in shock… "Wait… that was you?" she asked, blinking. "I thought he only went off the rails because you exposed his and the elder council's crimes, ya know."
She then shook her head, smiling a little. "Honestly, I should've known…"
Kaito shrugged. "Hey, I couldn't just let him get away with it, ya know."
Naruto, still sitting nearby, looked confused. "Wait… so that guy—Danzō—he spread rumors about me being the jinchūriki… just because you refused to join him?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. That—and after I exposed him for stealing a Sharingan and almost killed him, he made sure word about you got out."
Kaito let out a sigh, his voice low. "So… it's partially my fault. If I'd killed him that day, maybe none of this would've happened. But his boyfriend—Hiruzen Sarutobi—just had to show up and stop me right before I finished the job."
Naruto blinked, clearly confused. His head tilted slightly as he tried to follow what Kaito meant.
Kaito noticed and gave a small chuckle, softening his tone. "Anyway, that's why the villagers know you're the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. After the attack, the Third Hokage made it an S-rank secret. Anyone caught spreading it was supposed to be executed."
He scoffed. "Everyone except Danzō, of course."
Kaito leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "That's why kids your age don't really know. Only the adults remember. And they avoid you because their parents told them to."
Naruto looked down at the floor, quiet. His hands clenched in his lap.
Kushina gently placed a hand on his head, her voice soft and warm. "But not all of them hate you, Naruto."
She smiled. "Remember Aunt Midori? Teuchi and his daughter Ayame? The ice cream uncle? Your friends—and their parents too. A lot of people chose to honor your father's wish… to see you as a hero, ya know."
She gently brushed his hair back with her fingers, holding in her emotions.
Kaito met Naruto's eyes. "You should ignore the ones who don't matter," he said firmly. "Don't waste your time on people who won't even try to see you for who you are. Focus on the ones who do care."
He gave a small smile. "You don't need everyone's approval—you just need the love of those who actually see you."
Naruto looked up at him, quiet. His bright blue eyes met Kaito's.
Kaito held his gaze and added, "The people who hate you… they don't understand how seals work. All they remember is the fear and pain from that night. The people they lost."
He exhaled through his nose. "And they needed someone to blame. You and mom were just the easiest target, ya know."
Kaito shook his head. "I'm not saying what those people did was right—hell, blaming a kid for something he had no control over? That's as wrong as it gets." His eyes hardened for a moment, then softened again. "But people… people tend to hate what they don't understand, ya know."
Naruto slowly nodded, his voice low but steady. "So… they don't actually hate me. They hate the Nine-Tails sealed inside me, huh."
Kaito gave a faint smile. "Exactly. They don't know you, Naruto. Not really. But the people who do—the ones who've seen you for who you are—they know better. That's why you gotta keep being you. Show them the real Naruto."
Kushina gently pulled Naruto into a warm hug, wrapping her arms around him. "You're my son, ya know… and you're nothing like what they think. You're better, Naru-chan."
Naruto smiled softly, resting against her.
They stayed like that for a moment, quiet and close.
Kaito watched them for a moment as silence passed, and he finally spoke again. "There's something you need to know, Naruto."
Naruto looked up at him, a little confused. "Huh? What is it, Nii-chan?"
Kushina tilted her head slightly, curious.
Kaito looked up at the sky. "The Bijū… they're not mindless beasts like everyone says they are, ya know."
Naruto blinked, confused. "Huh? But… aren't they supposed to be all anger and destruction? I mean… isn't that why they get sealed away?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, that's what people believe. But it's not the full truth. The reason I told you not to trust the fox before was because he was trying to manipulate you—to get you to break the seal. But that doesn't mean he's just some mindless monster that only knows anger and destruction."
Naruto scratched his head, clearly confused. "Okay… I really don't get what you're saying, Kai-nii."
Kaito sighed, trying to make it clear. "What I'm saying is… the Tailed Beasts aren't mindless creatures like everyone makes them out to be. They don't just go around attacking villagers and shinobi for no reason."
Naruto frowned. "But… the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, didn't he?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. But he didn't do it on his own. He was being controlled both times."
Kaito looked at him seriously. "The first time—he was under Madara's control. And the second time…during the Nine-Tails attack the night you were born— it was the masked man."
Naruto nodded slowly, starting to understand. "So… he wasn't in control. He was being used…"
Kushina nodded too, her eyes softening. "That's what Kai-kun's trying to say, ya know."
Kaito continued. "Their hatred toward us, it's valid, Naruto. They've been punished for things they didn't even do."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm but firm. "After Madara attacked the village using the Nine-Tails, the First Hokage—Hashirama—and his wife, Lady Mito, decided it was better to seal the Nine-Tails. Even though he was being controlled, and didn't attack on his own."
Kaito's voice dropped a little, more serious now. "And it wasn't just the Nine-Tails. After his fight with Madara, Hashirama made the decision to capture all of the Tailed Beasts. Just because he thought letting them roam free was too dangerous… even though they hadn't done anything wrong."
He nodded, continuing. "If you ask people, they'll say the Tailed Beasts went around attacking villages and hurting people. But that's not true."
Kaito looked between Naruto and Kushina, his tone steady. "The first time a Tailed Beast ever attacked a village was when Madara controlled the Nine-Tails to fight Hashirama. There's never been any real proof of them attacking anyone without being provoked. Even before Hashirama captured them, people were already trying to hunt them down and control them."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, fists clenched. "But why would he do that if they didn't attack anyone? That's just wrong, ya know!"
Kaito shrugged. "I don't know what his real reasons were. Maybe he thought it was the only way to keep the peace. But he still captured all nine of them. And then… he sold them to the other villages."
Naruto's expression twisted in disbelief. "Wait—he sold them?"
Kaito nodded. "Hashirama thought giving each village a Tailed Beast would help balance power between the nations. He actually wanted to give them away for free. But Tobirama—the Second Hokage—pushed to sell them instead."
Naruto's face scrunched up in frustration. "That just made them into weapons, ya know!"
Kaito let out a breath. "That's exactly what happened. The villages sealed them into people—turned them into jinchūriki—and used them as tools for war."
Naruto's voice came out soft, unsure. "So… the Nine-Tails… it hates humans because of all this?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… and honestly? He has every right to feel that way. Shinobi feared the Tailed Beasts, locked them away for years, and used them like weapons."
He looked down for a moment, then back at Naruto. "Even when Dad was about to seal him… the Nine-Tails was fighting back hard. He really didn't want to be sealed again, ya know."
Kaito glanced up at the sky, his voice soft. "I don't actually blame him for trying to kill you, Naruto. Yeah, it ended up hurting Mom and Dad… but I don't hate him for it."
He paused, then added quietly, "At the end of the day… he just wanted to be free. Not locked up again for something he didn't do."
Kushina lowered her gaze, her voice a quiet whisper. "I used to think of the Nine-Tails as a burden I had to carry, ya know… I resented him. For being forced into me. For all the pain that came with it. I thought he was just some monster I had to seal away…"
Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. "I never even thought… maybe he was suffering too. I told myself he deserved it. But now…"
Kaito gave her a side hug. "It's not your fault, Mom. You were brought here from Uzushio to become the Nine-Tails' vessel. You were taken from your clan, from your home, and you didn't have a choice. Of course you felt that way."
He gave her a small, understanding smile. "No one told you anything different."
Naruto moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah, Mom… you couldn't have known, ya know."
Kushina smiled softly, holding him close.
Naruto leaned back, pulling out of the hug, then placed his palm over his stomach. "Is there a way we could release the Nine-Tails?"
Kushina gently shook her head. "No, Naru-chan… like we said before, if we take the Nine-Tails out of you, you'd die."
Kaito added, arms crossed, "Even if there was a way, now's not the right time, ya know. With the masked man still out there, the Nine-Tails would be captured the moment he's free."
Naruto's shoulders slumped. "Oh… okay."
Kaito looked between them, then spoke. "But I think we should visit the Nine-Tails. Talk to him—ya know, face to face."
Kushina's eyes widened, alarmed. "What?! No. Absolutely not. It's too dangerous."
Her voice wavered slightly. "Even after everything you said… the Nine-Tails is still dangerous, Kai-kun. And if he sees me again… he might lash out. He hates me. He's said it before, ya know."
Kaito gave her a soft smile. "Mom… remember what you once told me? 'The first step is always the hardest—but if we don't take it, we'll never move forward,' ya know?"
Kushina looked down, torn. Her hands clenched in her lap… then let out a sigh and nodded. "...Alright. But I'm staying right next to both of you the whole time."
Naruto blinked. "Wait, how? Isn't he inside me? How are we gonna visit him?"
Kaito grinned and raised his fist. "We'll project our chakra into your mindscape. All you gotta do is give us a fist bump and meditate. Simple as that, ya know."
Kushina mirrored him, lifting her fist too. "We'll be right there with you, Naru-chan. Promise."
"Okay…" Naruto gulped, then nodded.
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