Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 197
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the late upload. To be totally honest with you, I've been having a hard time writing over the past week or so. I've been struggling to get my ideas down and kept changing things up again and again.
I'll do my best to write more consistently from now on. I'll be uploading a Neville's Insert chapter tomorrow, and another Kaito chapter the day after.
I hope you enjoy this one—it's about 4,000 words. Thanks for sticking with me!
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.
…
The usual morning chatter filled the academy classroom as students trickled in, greeting each other with bright voices.
Karin walked quietly down the corridor toward her classroom, head down, her red hair falling over her face. Her mind was a mess of thoughts. The strap of her sling bag hung loosely over her shoulder as she passed by groups of laughing students without a word.
She stepped into the classroom and, without thinking, made her way to her usual seat.
As she walked past the other students, a few eyes turned her way.
Hinata glanced up from her book, her lavender eyes soft as Karin took the seat beside her.
"Good morning, Karin-chan," Hinata greeted gently.
Karin forced a small smile. "Oh… um, right. Morning, Hinata-chan."
Hinata blinked, noticing the faint drop in Karin's voice. She hesitated before asking, "Is… something wrong?" She glanced around, then leaned in a little. "Where's Naruto-kun?"
Ino, sitting on Hinata's other side, perked up at the mention of Naruto's name. She looked around the classroom. "Yeah! Where is Naruto-kun? Doesn't he usually come with you?"
Karin fiddled with her sleeves, eyes lowered. "Um… Naruto… might not be coming today."
Ino frowned. "Huh? Why?"
Chōji, sitting in the row behind them with a bag of chips in hand, chimed in between bites, "Maybe he's sick?"
Ino's eyes widened. "Wait—Naruto-kun is sick?" She shot up a little in her seat. "I should stop by later… maybe bring him some flowers… or some soup…"
She leaned forward toward Karin, her face a little too close. "Is he really sick?"
Karin shook her head quickly. "Eh—what? No! He's not sick."
Hinata tilted her head slightly, voice soft. "Then… why isn't Naruto-kun coming today? Did he have clan training?"
Ino leaned back, giving Karin some space but still curious.
Karin sighed, her shoulders sinking. "No… I don't know, okay?"
"Tch… troublesome," Shikamaru muttered from his seat, resting his chin on his hand.
Ino blinked in surprise. "What do you mean you don't know? Don't you live in the same house?"
Karin let out another sigh. "well, he's been missing the whole morning…"
Ino gasped loud enough that a few nearby students turned to look. "Wha—?!"
Karin quickly reached over and gently clamped a hand over Ino's mouth. "Shh! Be quiet! Don't shout," she whispered sharply, glancing around at the curious stares.
She let go of Ino and sat back down.
Hinata leaned in, her voice soft but worried. "Ano…What do you mean… Naruto-kun is missing?"
Ino half-whispered, half-yelled, "Yeah! What do you mean by that? Is he in danger or something?!"
Karin shook her head. "No… I don't think so." She sighed. "All I know is… he wasn't there for breakfast. He usually wakes up late, but this morning, his bed was already empty. Aunt Kushina thought he went out training with Kai-nii… but when Kai-nii came back, Naruto wasn't with him either. He just… left the house without saying a word to anyone."
Shikamaru sat up, resting his chin on his hand. "Troublesome… I'm guessing Lady Kushina and Kaito are out there looking for him right now?"
Karin gave a small nod. "Yeah… Kaito-nii was able to sense where Naruto went. Somewhere near the Hokage Mountain. Aunt Kushina and Kai-nii went to get him… but they haven't come back yet."
Ino frowned, folding her arms. "But… why would Naruto-kun do something like that?"
Karin shook her head, her voice low. "I don't know. I've known Naruto for a few years now… and he's never done anything like this before."
She glanced down. "Kaito-nii said… Naruto's chakra felt… sad. That's all I know."
Hinata spoke gently. "Ano… maybe Naruto-kun is sad about his father? You said Kaito-sempai felt his chakra near the Hokage Rock… maybe Naruto-kun just missed his father and went to visit him."
Shikamaru gave a slow nod and leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. If Naruto's mom and brother are with him… there's nothing to worry about."
Karin gave a small nod. "Yeah… Haku said the same thing."
"Well," Ino huffed, crossing her arms, "we should visit him later. Maybe we can cheer him up."
"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed. "Just leave the guy alone, Ino. If he wanted company, he wouldn't have run off."
Ino spun around, glaring at him. "What did you just say, Shikamaru?!"
Shikamaru closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Troublesome women…"
Bonk!
"OW—!"
Ino smacked him on the head with her notebook. "Say that again, and I'll really give you something to complain about!"
Chōji chuckled around a mouthful of chips. "You had that coming, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru groaned, rubbing his head. "Tch… women…"
…
Water rippled softly beneath their feet as Kaito, Kushina, and Naruto found themselves standing in a long, dimly lit hallway.
The air felt damp and heavy.
Kaito glanced around, his eyes narrowing at the sight of old pipes running along the walls. Water leaked from some of them, dripping into the shallow water below.
'I didn't expect Naruto's mindscape to look this dull…' Kaito thought, shooting a glance at his little brother. 'Did finding out he's a jinchūriki hit him that hard?'
Naruto looked around, his eyes darting left and right. "Huh? Where are we?"
Kushina placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We're inside your mindscape, Naru-chan."
Naruto blinked up at her. "Mindscape?"
Kaito crossed his arms and gave a faint smirk. "Yeah… it's a representation of your mind, ya know."
He gave the hallway another look before adding with a teasing tone, "Pretty much what I expected… empty, rundown… only thing missing is a few cobwebs."
Naruto spun around, frowning. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean, ya know?!"
Kaito chuckled under his breath. "Exactly what it sounded like."
Kushina giggled softly, covering her mouth. "Calm down, Naru-chan… he's just messing with you, ya know."
Then, her voice turned gentle as she nodded. "And Naru-chan… think of it like this. A mindscape is a world inside you. It reflects your mind… your feelings. Last night, when you said you met the Kyūbi… this is the place you were in, ya know."
Naruto blinked again, looking around. "Huh… this place?" He scratched his head. "But it doesn't look like the place I was in last night… during my dream, ya know."
Kushina tapped Naruto's chest softly. "The mindscape usually reflects how you're feeling… what you're carrying inside. It shows up here. If you're happy, this place might feel warm and bright. But if you're sad… or hurting… it might look like this."
Naruto glanced around again before asking, "But… why does it look different from yesterday?"
Kushina nodded, kneeling beside him. "Because… you're not sure how you feel about everything yet. You're feeling down—and that's why it looks different from yesterday, Naru-chan."
Naruto's eyes widened a little. "So… this is how I'm feeling… inside?"
Kaito gave a small nod. "Yeah. And this water… I think it's your chakra. If I'm not mistaken."
Kushina nodded too. "That's right. The water reflects your chakra. My mindscape looked just like this before I met your father, ya know."
She placed her palm gently over Naruto's heart. "What I've learned over the years is… if you fill your heart with people you love—the ones you care about—this place? It'll start to look a whole lot brighter, ya know."
Naruto stared at her hand, his eyes softening. "…With the people I love…"
Kushina smiled and nodded. "Yeah… the people you love."
Kaito looked ahead. "Well… we should get this over with, ya know. I can sense his chakra up ahead. feels like he's just around that corner."
Kushina stood up, giving a small nod. "Hai… come on, Naru-chan. Let's go meet the grumpy fox."
Naruto swallowed hard. "O-okay…"
Kaito took the lead, walking down the corridor. They followed behind him until they reached a bend, where a faint light glowed at the end of the hallway.
Kushina gave Naruto's hand a gentle squeeze. "Stay close to me, alright, Naru-chan?"
Naruto gave a small nod. "Yeah…" He pressed closer to his mother, walking just behind her as they followed Kaito.
They stepped out of the hallway and into a massive chamber. The ceiling stretched impossibly high above them.
At the far end stood a gigantic gate—made of towering red wooden logs stacked vertically and across, thick as trees, with wide gaps between each pillar. In the center hung a massive iron lock, its surface engraved with sealing scripts, a single sealing tag affixed right over it.
Beyond the gate… nothing but pitch black.
Kushina and Naruto both froze at the entrance, eyes fixed on the gate.
Naruto gulped. "T-that's… that's the same gate… ya know…"
Kaito walked a bit closer, his eyes sharp as he studied the enormous barrier. 'So this is the seal… huh. It's huge… way bigger than I remember it being…'
He kept walking, each step sending ripples across the still water.
Kushina and Naruto followed slowly behind him.
Then—
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the darkness beyond the gate.
Without warning, a massive paw lunged out from the shadows—slamming hard against the gate with a thunderous CRASH. One sharp claw slipped through the gaps in the bars, slashing out and stopping mere feet from them.
Naruto yelped. "Ahh!" He stumbled backward and fell, splashing into the shallow water in surprise.
At that moment—
Two massive eyes snapped open in the void, glaring down at them with a suffocating, monstrous presence. The Nine-Tails loomed up behind the gate, its massive form barely fitting within the darkness as its claws scraped menacingly against the bars.
A wave of killing intent exploded outward, crashing over them like a suffocating tide.
Kaito stood there—completely calm—hands in his pockets, staring up at the colossal fox. 'Wow… he's a lot bigger than I thought… and this is only the Yang half…'
Kushina instinctively stepped in front of Naruto. Her violet eyes stayed locked on the raging Tailed beast as she swallowed hard.
"How dare you show yourself here… Kushina…" the Nine-Tails growled, its deep voice dripping with venom.
Another crushing wave of killing intent poured out from its massive form, slamming into them like a tidal wave.
With a thunderous crash, the Nine-Tails slammed its paw harder against the gate. Its claws scraped against the seal, sending sparks of chakra flickering.
"If I ever get free… I'll tear you apart—limb from limb. I'll shred your flesh, crush your bones, and scatter your ashes to the wind… you damn Uzumaki!"
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. His eyes went wide, chest rising and falling fast as panic gripped him. The weight of the Nine-Tails' killing intent felt like it was pressing him into the ground.
"N-Naruto—!" Kushina shot a worried glance back at him.
But before Naruto could spiral further—
A calm, steady pressure swept over the chamber.
Kaito's chakra flared outward. Like a protective blanket, it pressed against the suffocating aura, pushing the Nine-Tails' killing intent back behind the gate.
Naruto gasped, his breathing slowing as the crushing weight lifted from his chest.
Kaito turned his head slightly, glancing back at Kushina with a sheepish grin. "Eh… Mom I think I kinda underestimated how much he hates you, ya know."
Kushina let out a breath, giving him a flat look. "You think, huh…?"
Kaito shrugged, then turned his eyes back toward the glaring Tailed Beast. "Man… this is gonna be a pain, ya know."
With that, he took a few steps forward.
Lifting a hand in a lazy wave, Kaito called out, "Well… hello there."
The Nine-Tails paused, its eyes narrowing slightly as it looked down at Kaito—like it was just noticing him for the first time.
"My name's Kaito Uzumaki," Kaito said, jabbing a thumb back toward Kushina and Naruto. "You've already met my mom, Kushina… and my little brother, Naruto."
He scratched the back of his head. "We've actually met before… about ten years ago. But, uh… not under the best circumstances. Doubt you'd remember me, ya know."
The Nine-Tails let out a low snort. "You're that brat with the chakra chains… Let me guess—you're here to take my chakra?"
Kaito scratched his head again and gave a small shrug. "Eh… no, actually. We're here to apologize to you."
That made the Nine-Tails pause—its eyes narrowing further, confused by the unexpected answer.
Kaito gave a small bow. "I'm sorry… for what my mother and father might've done to you in the past—and for everything the village has put you through over the years."
He straightened up, meeting the massive eyes head-on. "And before you say anything… I don't hold a grudge against you for what happened ten years ago."
Kaito's voice stayed calm and steady. "I wont't blame you for trying to kill Naruto, ya know. It was Mom and Dad's choice to jump in front of your claw. Even though it almost killed Mom… I don't blame you for that. They chose to protect Naruto."
He let out a quiet breath. " I don't want to pretend I understand what you went through that night… but if I'd been in your place, I probably would've done the same thing. No one deserves to be locked away for something they didn't do—or worse, be forced to do."
The heavy killing intent that had been pouring out of the Nine-Tails faded slightly—like the beast hadn't expected to hear… an apology of all things.
Kushina stepped forward, nodded once, and bowed her head. "I'd also like to apologize… for everything I did to you in the past."
She lifted her head slightly, her voice steady though soft. "I treated you like some monster that needed to be locked away and chained down. I really thought I was doing the right thing… but I was wrong. I know a simple apology won't make up for the decades of pain you've been through… but… I hope it's a start, ya know."
The Nine-Tails let out a harsh snort. "You think… a mere apology could undo years of torment under you humans?"
Its voice dropped into a low, menacing growl.
"You think… after being chained for years… pinned down inside you… a simple 'I'm sorry' would erase all that suffering?!"
With a loud slam, its massive claw slammed against the bars of the gate.
"I want to tear you apart for everything you've done to me—for everything I had to suffer while sealed inside you!"
Kushina swallowed hard, instinctively stepping back.
"Actually," Kaito said, stepping forward, his voice calm but clear, "that seal Mom had on you… it wasn't even her doing, ya know."
The Nine-Tails glared down at him, but Kaito met the beast's eyes without blinking.
"That seal… it was created by Lady Mito. If you're angry at anyone, she's the one you should blame. Mom… she was just eight years old when they dragged her here and made her your jinchūriki. She didn't have a choice."
Kaito's gaze hardened slightly. "They took her from her clan… brought her to Konoha… just to use her as your vessel. And after that… the village treated her like some outsider."
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, its killing intent still simmering—but it didn't rise again.
"And if you wanna blame someone for all this… start with the First Hokage," Kaito said, crossing his arms. "He's the one who went around capturing the Tailed Beasts like trophies."
He tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Now… I'm not saying Mom's flawless. Yeah… she should've tried to know you before deciding you were a threat. But her beliefs? They were shaped by this village… by the people who taught her to fear you."
Kaito locked eyes with the massive fox. "And I know you can sense how we feel. You know this apology's real… ya know."
The Nine-Tails snorted, its eyes narrowing to slits.
"Hmph…" The giant beast slowly sat back on its haunches, its deep voice low and cold. "If you really mean that, boy…"
Its claws scraped harshly against the stone floor.
"Then open the seal. Let me go free. Prove to me… those aren't just empty words." The beast's burning eyes bore into Kaito's.
Kaito let out a long sigh. "I would… if I could. But you know it yourself… if this seal's released and you get out of Naruto—he dies."
He shook his head slightly. "I'm not interested in letting my little brother die just to prove a point, ya know."
Then Kaito exhaled softly, his gaze sharpening as he met the Nine-Tails' glare without flinching.
"But…" he said, voice steady, "I'll release the seal… when I decide Naruto's strong enough to take you on—and not lose, ya know."
He crossed his arms. "While I'd like to trust that you won't try to take over his body… I can't take that risk. So when the day comes… when Naruto's strong enough to stand up to you—and win—I'll release the seal myself. Not to fight… hopefully, ya know."
The Nine-Tails said nothing… but its eyes narrowed slightly, watching them closely.
Kaito let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. "And besides… the masked man's still out there. That idiot's been putting together a team of S-ranked shinobi to hunt down all the Bijū."
Kushina's head snapped toward him. "Wait… what?"
Kaito gave a slow nod. "Yeah… I've been collecting intel on them for a few years now. They call themselves the Akatsuki. As far as we know… they're a group of mercenaries. But lately, they've been gathering information on the Bijū… and the jinchūriki."
He crossed his arms. "The masked man's their leader. I've got a feeling… a few years from now, they'll come after Naruto."
He glanced down, his voice soft. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, ya know… I just… didn't want you to worry."
Kushina's expression grew serious as she fell into thought, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Naruto turned toward Kaito, eyes wide. "Wait… people are gonna come after me?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah… remember when we ended up in the hospital?" He jabbed a thumb toward the looming Nine-Tails behind the gate. "He wasn't after you… he was after him."
Naruto's eyes widened even more, his hands curling into tight fists.
Kaito gave a small shake of his head, his voice firm. "Don't worry… they'll have to get through me first before they even think about laying a finger on you, ya know."
Then Kaito turned his gaze back to the giant fox. "And before you say anything… I'm not here because I want Naruto to use your chakra. I don't want him relying on borrowed power to protect himself, ya know."
His eyes sharpened slightly. "I want him to fight with his own strength… to stand on his own."
The Nine-Tails let out a low, rumbling growl… but didn't argue.
Kaito gave a small shrug. "Oh… and there's this rumor. Someone in their group… they're said to have the Rinnegan—the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
That made the Nine-Tails snap its eyes toward Kaito, narrowing its gaze sharply.
Kaito gave a small nod. "Yeah… if my guess is right, their goal is to revive the Ten-Tails—the one from the old legends. Doing the exact opposite of what the Sage of Six Paths did."
Kushina's eyes widened. "The Ten-Tails…?" Her voice shook slightly.
Even the Nine-Tails rumbled low. "Are you sure of this?"
Kaito shook his head. "Like I said… it's just a guess. But my guesses have been right so far."
He met the Nine-Tails' eyes steadily. "You've been hunted… chained… treated like a weapon your whole life. I won't stand here and act like I know what that feels like, because i don't know how it feels like… but I get why you hate us. Why you hate this village. Why you hate Mom."
Kushina stepped forward, bowing her head slightly. "I'm sorry… truly. for how I treated you over the years. I thought I was protecting everyone… but I was wrong." She lifted her head, her voice soft but firm. "I know an apology won't erase decades of pain… but I hope it's at least a start."
The Nine-Tails gave a low rumble… but its claws stayed still behind the gate.
Kaito drew a breath. "We're not asking for forgiveness… just a chance to start over." He lifted his head looking at the fox with a grin. "So… let's start over, ya know. I'm Kaito Uzumaki. This is my mom, Kushina Uzumaki… and my little brother, Naruto Uzumaki."
He looked right at the massive fox. "And you are?"
The Nine-Tails stared down at him, clearly confused by the question.
Kaito scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I mean… your name can't really be 'Nine-Tailed Fox,' right? That's just a description. It'd be like people calling me 'Red-Headed Kid'… or calling Naruto 'Blond Blockhead.'"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Kaito.
Kaito ignored him completely and looked back at the fox. "So… will you tell us your name?"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Kaito.
Kaito ignored him completely and looked back at the massive fox. "So… will you tell us your name?"
Of course, Kaito already knew the name… but he wasn't about to use it without permission.
The Nine-Tails, now much calmer, rested its massive head on its paws and let out a snort. "Hmph… You haven't earned the right to know my name."
Kaito grinned. "Fair enough… ya know."
Naruto took a small step forward. "Um… Mr. Fox?"
The giant crimson eyes snapped onto him, making Naruto gulp.
"I… I was wondering if we could be friends… ya know?" Naruto asked, his voice soft but sincere.
Kaito glanced at Naruto, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
The Nine-Tails stared at Naruto for a long moment before rumbling low, "If you can prove to me… that you're not like the others… then maybe."
Naruto nodded quickly, flashing a wide grin. "Then I'll work hard to earn your trust, ya know!"
The Nine-Tails let out a deep growl. "Whatever… now get out of here. I want to sleep."
Kaito chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Well… guess we should get going."
Kushina nodded, casting a glance back at the giant fox. "I'm sorry… again."
Then she looked at Kaito and Naruto. "Alright… let's go. We shouldn't bother him anymore, ya know."
Naruto gave a quick nod. "But… how do we get out?"
Kaito lifted his fist toward Naruto. "Same way we came in."
Kushina raised her fist too.
Naruto bumped fists with both of them—
And in a second… the three of them disappeared.
'Those two… the brat and his brother… we'll see if they're different… or just like the rest…' With a quiet snort, the massive fox rested its head back on its paws. Its eyes slowly drifted shut—
And the chamber fell back into silence.
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