Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 232
He glanced at Minato. "…You want to take a student, Dad?"
Minato let out a small, awkward chuckle. "…I don't think that's a good idea right now."
Shikaku looked between them, clearly missing context. "…Am I missing something?"
Tsunade didn't take her eyes off Kaito. "Kaito."
Kaito clicked his tongue. "…Tch." He picked Naoki's file back up. "Fine."
This time, he actually looked.
His eyes moved across the jōnin profiles—careful now, not just reacting.
"…Gai."
He paused there, staring at the placement for a moment. 'Lee fits with Gai… that part works.' His gaze shifted slightly. 'But Neji and Tenten didn't get much out of it… not because Gai was bad… just not the right match.' A quiet exhale. 'If I just recreate the same team again… it won't help anyone.'
Kaito adjusted his posture slightly.
Then placed Naoki's file under Gai. "…This could work." He tapped the placement once, then glanced at Tsunade. "You can handle his ninjutsu training. Gai can push his physical side."
He leaned back slightly, satisfied. "…Yeah. This fits better."
By the end All of Class A had been assigned.
Kaito glanced over the full layout one more time, checking for any obvious issues. "…Alright," he muttered quietly. "That's done."
…
Morning light filtered through the wide windows of the Hokage Tower, stretching across the floor and up along the walls of the corridor.
Shizune walked down the hall at a brisk pace, heading straight for the Hokage's office.
Reaching the door, she pushed it open and stepped inside.
Kaito sat behind the Hokage's desk, his head resting against his palm, one elbow planted on the desk. His posture was slightly slouched, the other hand flipping through a stack of papers. A pen sat loosely between his fingers as he signed off on another document without much thought.
The room was quiet.
Just the soft sound of paper shifting.
Then—
The door opened.
Shizune stepped in, a clipboard tucked under her arm. She paused for a moment when she saw him still there. "…Eh, Kaito-kun… what are you still doing here?" she asked.
Kaito glanced up at her, brow faintly furrowed, finishing the last stroke on the page before setting it aside. "…Huh? What do you mean?" he said. "I'm doing paperwork."
Shizune blinked. "…Yes, I can see that." She let out a small sigh as she walked further into the room. "But you're supposed to be at the mission desk."
Kaito gave her a confused look. "…Huh? Why?"
She stopped next to the desk, looking at him like this should've been obvious. "The missions the jōnin-sensei's requested for their genin teams—they're waiting for you."
Kaito blinked, clearly not following. "…Waiting for me why?" He gestured lazily toward the side of the desk where three scrolls were stacked neatly. "I already picked them out yesterday, like you asked. See? They're right there, ya know."
Shizune followed his gesture, then let out a quiet sigh, like she had expected this. "Eh… Kaito-kun… the first C-rank mission for a team is always assigned personally by the Hokage. It's a tradition."
Kaito blinked. "…Eh… it is?"
Shizune looked at him, confused now. "Yes. It's been a tradition since the Second Hokage." She tilted her head slightly. "Weren't your first C-rank mission assigned to your team by the Third Hokage?"
Kaito paused, thinking for a second. "…Eh… I guess it was."
He leaned back slightly in his chair, looking at her. "…But do I have to?" he asked after a moment. "Can't you just hand it to them or something?"
Shizune didn't hesitate. "No."
Kaito clicked his tongue softly. "…But I'm not really the Hokage, ya know. Maybe we can just ask Aunt Tsunade to assign them. It's only three teams, right?"
"We've been over this," Shizune said, her tone turning a bit more exasperated. "You're Lady Tsunade's chosen successor. To them—and to the rest of the village—you are the Sixth Hokage."
Kaito made a face, clearly not convinced.
"It's also considered good luck for the team to receive their first mission directly from the Hokage," she added. "The tradition is meant to boost morale… and it's a way for the Hokage to connect with the shinobi under them."
Kaito leaned further back, staring up at the ceiling. "…Of course it is," he muttered.
Shizune didn't respond.
There was a short pause.
He let out a quiet sigh, dragging a hand down his face before straightening slightly. "…Fine," he muttered. "When?"
Shizune glanced down at her clipboard. "…Now."
Kaito just stared at her for a second.
Shizune met his look calmly. "They've been waiting for a while."
"…Right," he muttered after a beat. He gave a small, lazy wave of his hand. "Just send them here."
Shizune nodded. "Alright. I'll let them know." She turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind her.
Kaito stayed where he was for a moment.
Then he exhaled quietly, picked the pen back up, and looked down at the papers again. "…What a drag," he muttered under his breath, already going back to his paperwork.
…
A few minutes passed, and Kaito was already going through another file.
Then A knock.
Kaito didn't look up. "Come in."
The door opened.
Footsteps followed.
Kaito finished the line he was reading before finally glancing up.
—
Tenzo was the last to enter, closing the door behind him before stepping forward to stand behind his team, posture straight, calm as always.
In front of him stood his new team.
Guren was in the middle, already looking around the room with interest. She wore a green yukata-style shirt—one side long-sleeved with her hitai-ate tied around the arm, the other sleeveless—paired with black pants and fingerless gloves.
To her right was Torune.
Torune Aburame stood quietly, the top half of his face covered by a mask with his hitai-ate set over it. He looked composed, hands resting at his sides.
And on Guren's other side was Tenji Inuzuka. He had brown hair that looked a bit rough around the edges. A small puppy sat beside him, ears perked as it looked around the room curiously.
Kaito set his pen down. "…Yo, morning, guys," he said, giving a lazy wave.
Tenzo stepped forward and gave a slight bow. "Good morning, Lord Sixth."
The others followed immediately.
"Good morning, Lord Sixth," Torune echoed.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama," Tenji added with a grin, the puppy beside him barking once.
"Good morning… Lord Sixth," Guren said, her tone a bit more exaggerated as she bowed with a grin.
Kaito visibly cringed. "…Eh—yeah, don't call me that," he said, waving it off. "Just Kaito is fine. Or Kaito-sama if you really have to, ya know."
Tenzo's lips twitched slightly—barely noticeable. "Hai, Kaito-sama."
Guren let out a small giggle, covering her mouth.
Kaito shot them both a look.
That only made it worse.
Kaito exhaled quietly and leaned back slightly in his chair, letting it go. "…Anyway," he continued, his tone settling back to normal. His gaze moved across the four of them. "How are things going? Everyone getting along alright?"
Tenzo nodded. "Yes. I think the team has been adjusting well. They work well together."
Torune gave a small nod in agreement.
Tenji smirked slightly, crossing his arms. "They're alright, I guess."
At his side, the puppy let out a small bark.
Guren crossed her arms, leaning slightly to one side. "They're fine," she said. "Not as fun as before—but fine."
Kaito snorted softly. "That's good to hear. At least you're getting along, ya know."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his arm on the desk as his gaze shifted to Tenzo. "…So, Tenzo," he continued, "you requested a C-rank for your team." He paused briefly. "You think they're ready for it?"
Tenzo's expression sharpened just a little as he nodded. "…Yes. I believe my team is ready."
Kaito held his gaze for a second, then gave a small nod. "…Well." He reached over to the side of the desk, grabbing one of the scrolls. "I've got the perfect first C-rank for your squad," he said, tapping it lightly against his palm. "This one should be fine for you guys… it's a simple escort mission. You're to escort a caravan carrying goods to the Land of Tea."
Tenzo stepped forward and took it with both hands. "…Thank you."
Guren crossed her arms immediately, clearly unimpressed. "Eh… only an escort mission?"
Kaito leaned back in his chair, watching them for a second. "Hey, don't get careless just because it's a C-rank mission," he said casually. "C-ranks going off the rails is rare… but it does happen, ya know." He rested his arm on the desk. "C-rank doesn't mean it's safe. If your luck's bad, it can turn into something way worse."
He paused slightly, then added, "…My first C-rank was supposed to be simple too."
That got their attention.
"It was an escort mission to the Land of Iron," Kaito continued. "But we ended up fighting a genin team from Kumo." He let out a small breath through his nose. "That whole mess turned into an international incident… ended up being part of why Kumo signed the current peace treaty with Konoha."
Guren blinked, raising a brow. "Wait… the Kumo peace treaty happened because of you?"
Kaito gave a small shrug, a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Well… partly." He leaned back a bit more. "Back then, the Third Shinobi War had just ended, so tensions were still high, ya know. And my team…" he gestured lightly, "…we looked like easy targets." His eyes flicked over them briefly. "We were seven. They were older—teenagers. So they figured we'd be easy pickings."
A small pause.
Then a faint grin crossed his face. "…Yeah. Didn't work out for them."
Tenji leaned forward slightly. "…What happened?"
Kaito didn't hesitate. "Well… it happened that the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails was part of that team." He said it like it was nothing. "I sealed off Yugito's access to the Two-Tails during the fight, before the general of the Land of Iron stepped in to stop it." He shrugged lightly. "Shinobi aren't allowed to fight in the Land of the Samurai—it's respected. And since we didn't start it, we weren't punished. The Kumo team was told to leave immediately."
Tenji's eyes widened.
Even Guren's brows lifted slightly.
Kaito continued like it wasn't a big deal. "Kumo couldn't just replace her. She was still young—around twelve, I think. And sealing a bijū isn't something you just redo like that."
He tapped the desk lightly.
"So they didn't have much choice. They had to contact Konoha to get the seal removed… and that turned into negotiations."
Another small shrug. "…It was a whole thing, ya know."
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Tenji suddenly said, grinning wide as his fists clenched. "Man, I hope something like that happens on our mission!"
The puppy barked again like it agreed.
From the side, Torune didn't say anything—but his posture straightened just a bit.
Guren just grinned, clearly entertained. "Sounds more interesting than just an escort mission."
Kaito shook his head, chuckling. "Like I said… that kind of thing is extremely rare." He waved a hand lightly. "You'd need main character luck for that to happen, ya know."
Guren blinked at him. "…Did you really just say that?"
Kaito smirked. "What? I'm not wrong." Then he waved them off. "Alright. You're good to go. Good luck." His eyes shifted briefly to Tenzo. "Tenzo… I'll leave it to you."
Tenzo coughed awkwardly, straightening. "…Yes."
Guren turned first, still shaking her head slightly, while Tenji followed with far too much energy. Torune moved quietly behind them.
Kaito had already picked his brush back up, his eyes dropping back to the paperwork. "Oh—and the next team's probably waiting outside," he added without looking up. "Just tell them to come in, ya know."
Tenzo gave one last nod. "Understood."
The others followed.
The door closed behind them.
…
Later that same morning, just as it turned noon
The Hokage office was quiet again.
Kaito sat behind the desk, flipping through the file in front of him, eyes moving across the page as he read.
A moment later, he stamped it, signed it, then closed the file.
"…Done," he muttered.
He set it aside, stacking it neatly with the rest before leaning back in his chair. He stretched both arms overhead, letting out a small exhale as his shoulders loosened.
"…Man…" he yawned, rolling his shoulders slightly. "Finished early for once, ya know."
There was a knock at the door.
Kaito paused, briefly thinking he might've jinxed himself. His eyes shifted toward the door—
Then a small grin formed on his face as he sensed who it was. "Come in."
The door opened, and Hotaru peeked her head in first, glancing around the office. "…Kai-kun? Are you busy?" she asked.
Kaito smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Hey, Hotaru-chan. Nah, I just finished the paperwork, ya know."
She blinked, clearly surprised. "You finished already?" she said as she stepped in fully, carrying a picnic basket in her hands. She walked further inside and closed the door behind her.
Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, with two bangs framing her face—the right slightly shorter than the left. She wore a white battle kimono with black and purple accents, paired with a black skirt tied with a purple sash.
Kaito nodded, leaning back a bit more comfortably. "Yeah. There wasn't that much today."
Hotaru smiled. "Oh… that's good."
Kaito's gaze dropped to the picnic basket in her hands, then back to her. "…Eh. You didn't have to." He scratched the side of his head slightly. "You don't have to bring me lunch every time you come by, ya know."
Hotaru paused mid-step, blinking at him. "…Huh?" Her expression shifted slightly, a hint of uncertainty creeping in. "Don't you like my cooking?"
Kaito immediately shook his head. "No, it's not that." He gestured lightly. "It's good. Really good. I just don't want you going through the hassle every time you come by ya know."
Hotaru held his gaze for a second… then her shoulders relaxed slightly. "…It's not that much hassle," she said quietly. "I like cooking for you."
She walked over and set the picnic basket down on the table in front of him.
Kaito watched her for a moment, then let out a small breath, a sheepish grin forming. "…Well, I'm not complaining, ya know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you, Hotaru."
He reached to the side of the table, pressing his hand lightly against a seal. A small puff of smoke appeared as a chair unsealed next to the table.
Kaito grabbed it and pulled it over to the open space beside him. "Come sit."
Hotaru nodded and sat down, placing the picnic basket on the table. She opened it and pulled out a large bento box, setting it between them before lifting the lid.
Inside, everything was neatly arranged—rice, tamagoyaki, karaage chicken, sausages, and pickled vegetables.
Kaito leaned forward slightly, rubbing his hands together. "Oh man… that smells really good, ya know."
Hotaru smiled, a bit more relaxed now. "I'm glad you like it, Kai-kun."
"…Huh." Kaito glanced at her. "Aren't you eating too? You didn't pack one for yourself?"
Hotaru nodded slightly, looking a little shy. "Ano… I thought we could share." She handed him a pair of chopsticks.
Kaito took them, nodding. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not finishing all this myself anyway, ya know."
They both brought their hands together briefly. "Itadakimasu."
Kaito picked up a piece of karaage and took a bite.
He paused slightly as he chewed.
"…This is really good, ya know," he said after a second. "Your cooking's getting better and better."
Hotaru smiled, a faint blush forming. "…Mother helped me with it."
Kaito hummed, nodding. "Thank Lady Hitomi for me then."
Hotaru nodded, not saying anything else, but the small smile didn't leave her face.
They ate quietly for a bit.
After swallowing, Kaito glanced at her. "Hey, Hotaru-chan… didn't you say you had a clan meeting to attend today?"
Hotaru covered her mouth slightly as she finished her bite, then nodded. "It was canceled after Father was called in for something related to the business… so I was free."
Kaito nodded. "I see."
Just then—
A knock came at the door.
Kaito glanced up from the food, swallowing his bite before calling out, "Come in."
The door opened.
Itachi stepped inside, calm as always, a folder in hand. He paused slightly when he saw Kaito and Hotaru eating.
Kaito looked at him, then waved him in. "Yo, Itachi. Come in."
Hotaru covered her mouth as she swallowed, then smiled softly. "Itachi-kun, it's been a while."
Itachi closed the door behind him and walked over. "It's been a while, Hotaru… Kaito."
Kaito nodded toward the table. "Come sit with us, ya know. Hotaru made lunch—we can all share." as he reached to the side of the table again, pressing his hand lightly against another seal. A small puff of smoke appeared as a chair unsealed opposite him, next to Hotaru.
Kaito glanced at Hotaru. "Do you have extra chopsticks? If not, there should be some disposable ones in the jōnin lounge—I'll go get them." He started to stand.
Hotaru spoke up immediately, already reaching into her bag. "Ano—it's okay. I packed extra… just in case."
Itachi looked slightly awkward. "…It's fine. I'm not hungry."
Hotaru pulled out a smaller, regular-sized bento box.
Kaito blinked at her, raising an eyebrow as he sat back down. "…Huh? Didn't you say you only packed this one?"
Hotaru blushed, looking away. "…Um… I packed extra… just in case this wasn't enough for you."
She handed it over to Itachi.
Itachi sighed quietly, then gave a small nod. "…Thank you." He sat down, taking the offered bento and chopsticks from her.
He brought his hands together briefly. "Itadakimasu," he said quietly.
Hotaru picked up her chopsticks again, glancing at him. "So… how have you been, Itachi-kun?"
Itachi took a bite, then answered after swallowing. "I've been well."
Kaito leaned back slightly, watching him. "…So—not that I'm not happy to see you, Itachi—but you don't usually drop by the office, ya know. So what brings you here?"
Itachi nodded. "Lady Tsunade cleared me for active duty," he said simply, tapping the file on the table.
Hotaru's expression brightened immediately. "Really? That's good. I'm glad you've recovered."
Itachi gave a small nod. "Thank you."
Kaito paused mid-bite. "…Wait—what? It's been a year already?"
He frowned slightly, then scratched the side of his head. "Oh man… I'm really sorry I haven't kept up with your treatment, ya know. Been buried in all this paperwork."
Itachi shook his head. "It's fine, I understand, Kaito. You were managing the village in Lady Tsunade's absence."
He paused slightly, then added, "That reminds me… Mother asked me to invite you and your family over for dinner this Saturday, if you're free." His gaze shifted briefly to Hotaru. "…You're welcome to join as well."
Kaito nodded. "Hmm… I'll let Mom know."
He reached over, pulling the folder toward himself and flipping it open, eyes moving quickly across the contents. "So when did Aunt Tsunade clear you for active duty?"
Itachi continued eating calmly. "Earlier this morning."
Kaito glanced at him over the file. "…Huh. You came here straight after?"
Itachi nodded.
Kaito chuckled, closing the file and setting it down. "Couldn't stand another day staying at home, huh?"
Hotaru covered her mouth, giggling.
Itachi gave Kaito a deadpan look. "I want you to try doing it for a year."
Hotaru giggled even harder, nodding. "He's got you there, Kai-kun."
Kaito snorted, picking up his chopsticks again. "Alright, alright… I admit it. I'd go crazy too, ya know."
He took another bite, then glanced back at Itachi after swallowing. "…So you're here for reassignment."
Itachi nodded. "Yes."
Kaito picked up another piece of karaage, thinking for a second. "…Hmm. Well, since she already cleared you for active duty, I don't have any objections." He looked at Itachi again, then smirked slightly. "But… I'm not sure I can throw you back into ANBU just yet, ya know."
Hotaru paused mid-bite, giving Kaito a questioning look.
Itachi didn't react immediately. "…Is that so?"
Kaito nodded, completely serious. "Yeah. I mean, you've been out for a year." He shrugged. "Might've gone soft, ya know. I can't just throw you into a high-intensity environment like the ANBU immediately."
There was a short pause.
Hotaru slowly looked between the two of them.
Itachi met Kaito's gaze, completely unfazed. "…If you want to spar," he said calmly, "you can just ask."
Kaito's grin widened, and then he laughed. "…Heh, you know me well, buddy." He set his chopsticks down and leaned back. "So, how about it?"
Itachi nodded.
Hotaru blinked. "…Wait, now?"
Kaito glanced at the clock on the wall. "Yeah… how about in an hour or so." His eyes shifted to Itachi. "…Unless you need time to prepare."
Itachi swallowed his food, then shook his head. "It's fine by me."
Kaito gave a small nod. "Alright." He leaned back a bit more, thinking out loud. "We can use the Hokage's private training ground… or the Chūnin Exams arena, ya know."
There was a brief pause as he considered it. Then his expression shifted slightly, a grin creeping back.
"…Actually," Kaito added, almost casually, "we could probably make a killing if we sold tickets to watch, ya know." He tapped the table lightly. "Charge… what, three hundred ryō per person?"
Hotaru froze, her eyes widening. "…Kaito."
He glanced at her.
"That's abusing your authority."
Kaito waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, I said we could, ya know. Doesn't mean I'm going to do it."
Hotaru stared at him, clearly unconvinced. "…You definitely thought about it seriously."
Kaito shrugged, completely unbothered. "I'm just saying—it'd sell out."
From the side, Itachi quietly picked up another piece of karaage. "…It would."
Hotaru looked between the two of them, then let out a long sigh, resting her cheek against her hand. "…You're both terrible."
Kaito smirked slightly. "You're still coming to watch, ya know."
Hotaru didn't even hesitate. "…Of course I am."
Kaito gave her a thumbs up. "Then you can referee."
Hotaru blinked. "…Me?"
Kaito shrugged. "Well… unless you don't want to, we can ask one of the ANBU to do it. Or I could get Kakashi or Anko—they should be in the village."
He glanced at her. "…So?"
Hotaru sighed, then nodded. "…Alright, I'll do it." She looked at Itachi, then back at Kaito, already a bit exasperated. "…You two really haven't changed."
Kaito ignored that, his grin widening slightly. "How about we make it a bit more interesting?"
Itachi nodded, unfazed. "How so?"
Kaito continued, "Loser treats everyone to dinner tonight." He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand. "…Yakiniku. Whole group. Everyone should still be in the village today."
Itachi didn't hesitate. "That's fine by me."
Kaito grinned. "Good."
A shadow clone popped into existence beside him.
"Go get everyone," Kaito said casually.
The clone nodded once—
Then vanished instantly.
Hotaru sighed, resting her cheek against her hand. "…You're really turning this into a whole event."
Kaito shrugged. "Might as well. Haven't had a proper get-together in a while, ya know."
Itachi picked up his chopsticks again, completely calm. "…You're still the same."
Kaito smirked slightly. "Yeah. And you still took the bait."
Hotaru just shook her head lightly. "…You two are impossible."
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