"Hiruzen, are you really letting him leave Konoha?"
As Kaito departed, Danzo's face darkened, his expression sinister. "A few days before the incident, the Anbu reported a suspicious chakra fluctuation coming from his room. You should be aware of this. And on that night, every Anbu member who knew about it was killed. I refuse to believe that's a coincidence."
"It's highly likely he's a member of that masked man's mysterious organization, feeding them information. There's even a high probability he's the mastermind!"
The Third Hokage took two puffs from his pipe without answering. Instead, he turned to Orochimaru. "Do you suspect him as well?"
Orochimaru nodded, then shook his head. "I originally felt he was highly suspicious, but there are too many inconsistencies. He was Nawaki's teacher. He had ample opportunity to make a move on Nawaki during his lessons. There was no need to go to such great lengths and risk open conflict with Konoha."
"Therefore, I'm more inclined to believe he was a collaborator who provided intelligence, not the mastermind who was directly involved."
"Mm, I agree with your assessment." The Third Hokage exhaled a plume of smoke. "Otsutsuki Zeroshiki and Kaito are both men who would not bow to another. Rather than a master-subordinate relationship, they are more likely partners. Of course, this is all assuming Kaito was truly involved. In reality, we have no definitive proof."
"If it all turns out to be a coincidence, we will have made another enemy for no reason. For the current Konoha, that would only make a bad situation worse."
Danzo remained unconvinced. "That man is shrouded in mystery, his origins unknown. I still believe he will become a grave threat to Konoha. Even if we can't take him down by force, we must investigate his background and intentions."
"..." The Third Hokage pondered for a moment. "Very well. Since you insist, I will leave this matter to Root. But remember, do not actively provoke him."
"I understand."
"Alright, that's enough on this matter. Konoha's focus will now shift to the battlefield in the Land of Rain. Only by ending that war as quickly as possible can Konoha free up its hands to deal with the next war that may be coming."
The Third Hokage looked at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, put the Wood Style experiments on hold for now. The day after tomorrow, you will lead a new batch of reinforcements to the Land of Rain. Bring Jiraiya with you. When you see Sakumo, explain the situation in Konoha to him. Tell him to launch a full-scale offensive as soon as possible. He must end the battle with the Land of Wind within two months."
"Yes, sir!"
Returning to the Root headquarters, Danzo immediately summoned all available members. His eyes scanned the crowd of masked figures below, finally landing on a petite figure in the front row.
"Nono'u, I have a mission for you. Infiltrate a place in the Land of Rain called the Spark Sanctuary. Find a way to blend in and gain the trust of its leader. This mission is of the utmost importance. You are the most outstanding of your class. I have always had high hopes for you. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, sir!" The Root member knelt on one knee, her voice respectful.
"The rest of you, work in pairs. Secretly investigate this man's identity. Start in the Land of Fire." Danzo tossed a photo of Kaito onto the ground. "If you can't find him, don't bother coming back."
"Yes, sir!"
"Heh, finally out."
Stepping through the gates of Konoha, Kaito let out a long sigh, as if he'd just been released from prison. "Being a guest in someone else's home really limits your freedom. Though the hosts were quite nice, contributing a lot of things."
Waving at the Konoha symbol on the gate, Kaito left without a backward glance. He headed northwest, his destination the Land of Grass. He had already arranged to meet his chakra clone there to recruit some skilled individuals and, on the side, visit the lonely old man living underground to deliver some charity.
Of course, to avoid any accidents, the charity delivery would be handled by his chakra clone. Kaito was mainly going to watch the show.
Coating the soles of his feet in a layer of golden light, he vanished into the forest in the blink of an eye.
Night fell, the moon bright against a sky of sparse stars.
Kaito had just crossed into the Land of Grass. In no hurry, he found a small cave near the border to rest for the night. After a simple dinner, he immediately entered the rainbow-colored space within his body.
After his customary greeting to the slumbering Arceus, Kaito stood before the Icicle Plate. The plate was now incredibly dim, with only a faint glimmer of light remaining at its edges. During his time in Konoha, he had never stopped trying to comprehend the Ice-type moves. He estimated that only the last one, Absolute Zero, remained. This was just a guess based on the plate's fading light; he had no idea how many moves were actually hidden within it.
"I hope there aren't too many more. Otherwise, who knows how long it'll take to empty this thing."
The later moves were progressively harder to grasp. He had already failed for ten consecutive days. But discouragement was out of the question; it only fueled his fighting spirit.
"I refuse to believe you can hold me back for one or two months. I'm not giving up!"
Adjusting his mindset, Kaito eagerly pressed his hands against the Icicle Plate. The rainbow space instantly transformed into the world of ice and snow. He was long tired of the sight and felt nothing.
Drawing on past experience, he quickly located the solitary ice mountain in this world. It stood out starkly against the endless ice plain, leading him to believe it was the key to clearing this trial. He had searched every corner of this world before and found nothing unusual. This time, he would try smashing the mountain to see if there was anything good hidden inside.
To save time, he got straight to work. No tools, not even clothes. Kaito stood naked before the ice mountain, enduring the biting cold as he hammered it with his fists, one punch after another.
With each blow, he could faintly feel a chill seeping into his body, making him feel more and more like a block of ice.
"Body tempering, is it? Then let's be more direct!"
He opened his arms and pressed himself tightly against the ice mountain.
Instantly, an endless torrent of frost-like energy poured into him. Kaito felt as if he were truly turning into ice. Not only did his body become stiff, but his thoughts began to lag.
No, I can't pass out, or I'll fail...
He gritted his teeth, his mind racing back to his previous life, to his virtuous and talented teachers, forcefully igniting a fire within his heart.
Please, teachers, lend me your strength one last time!
Under this... unique stimulation, his nearly frozen thoughts began to churn once more, stubbornly refusing to stop. The ice mountain he was embracing seemed to buckle under the heat of his memories, shrinking at a visible rate.
When the very last sliver of deep blue ice crystal had merged into Kaito's body, the entire world of ice and snow began to collapse, shattering into nothingness.
Thrown out of the plate's space, Kaito came to his senses just in time to see the Icicle Plate turn to ash before his very eyes, ceasing to exist.
"???"