The morning sun filtered through the paper windows of the Uchiha compound, casting pale golden light across the courtyard. Birds chirped faintly, their melody doing little to ease the tension that had settled over the clan since last night.
Uchiha Kaito sat cross-legged on the tatami floor of his room, his fingers pressed together as he focused on the flow of chakra in his body. The meditation helped, but only slightly. His thoughts kept circling back to Kushina.
Her laugh.Her fiery hair.The way her fists had nearly broken his jaw when they first met.
Kaito exhaled slowly. "This… is trouble."
The memories weren't something he should be dwelling on. He wasn't just any random outsider anymore—he was Uchiha Kaito, a young heir of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. And Kushina wasn't just a fiery redhead; she was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, a girl closely monitored by the Hokage himself.
"Still…" Kaito muttered, brushing a hand through his hair. "The way she smiled last night—like she actually enjoyed my company…"
His heart thudded faster, and for a moment, he forgot he was supposed to be meditating.
The sliding door rattled open. "Kaito."
His cousin, Uchiha Shisui—still younger but already with eyes sharper than most adults—stepped in with a frown. "The elders are looking for you. They're not happy about what happened at the training grounds."
Kaito's brow twitched. "Word spreads too fast in this clan."
"Of course it does," Shisui replied dryly, leaning against the doorframe. "Half the kids were talking about how you went head-to-head with Kushina Uzumaki and didn't get turned into a pulp. The elders think you're… reckless."
Kaito smirked despite himself. "Reckless? Maybe. But did you see the look on her face?"
Shisui rolled his eyes. "I saw the bruises on yours. Honestly, Kaito, what are you doing? Getting involved with someone like her—it's dangerous."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Kaito's smirk faded, replaced by something more serious. "I know, Shisui. But… I don't think she's dangerous. Not in the way they think. She's just—"
"Just what?"
"Just lonely."
Shisui blinked, taken aback by the softness in Kaito's voice. He didn't press further, though, only sighing as he rubbed his temple. "Fine. Just… don't get yourself killed trying to play hero. Come on. The elders won't wait forever."
The council room was dim, the air thick with incense and suspicion. Five clan elders sat in a semicircle, their expressions carved from stone.
"Kaito," one of them began, his voice stern, "we've heard troubling reports. You've been spending time with the jinchūriki."
Kaito bowed his head, careful to hide his irritation. "With respect, Elder, I was only sparring."
"Do you understand what you risk by associating with her?" another elder snapped. "The Nine-Tails is not a pet—it is a beast sealed inside a volatile vessel. The Hokage may trust her, but we cannot."
The words pricked at Kaito's patience, but he forced his voice to remain calm. "She's not just a vessel. She's a person. Treating her like a threat only makes her more isolated."
Murmurs rippled through the room. Some elders looked scandalized, others merely disapproving. Only one, an older woman with streaks of gray in her hair, regarded him quietly, her eyes unreadable.
"You speak boldly for one so young," the first elder said. "Perhaps too boldly. Remember, Kaito, your duty is to the clan, not to outsiders. Do not forget where your loyalty lies."
Kaito clenched his fists at his sides. "I haven't forgotten. But loyalty doesn't mean blindness."
The tension in the room tightened like a bowstring, but before it could snap, the gray-haired elder raised a hand. "Enough. Let the boy go. We'll watch his actions closely from here on."
Kaito bowed stiffly, his jaw tight, and left the room without another word.
By the time he reached the village training grounds again, the weight of the meeting still pressed heavy on his chest. He leaned against a tree, staring up at the blue sky.
"Trouble with your clan?"
The familiar voice snapped him from his thoughts. Kaito turned to see Kushina standing a few paces away, arms crossed, her crimson hair swaying in the breeze.
"Kushina," he said, exhaling softly. "What are you doing here?"
She smirked. "What, you think you're the only one who uses this place to clear their head? Tch, don't get cocky, Uchiha."
Despite himself, Kaito laughed. There was something disarming about her bluntness. Something… refreshing.
Kushina tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "So? What did those grumpy old men of yours say?"
Kaito hesitated, then shrugged. "That you're dangerous. That I should stay away from you."
Her smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of hurt before she masked it with a scoff. "Figures. Everyone's always saying that. Jinchūriki this, monster that… I've heard it all before."
For a moment, she looked away, her shoulders tense. Kaito studied her quietly, then stepped closer. "For what it's worth… I don't see you that way."
Her eyes widened slightly, and for the first time since they met, Kushina seemed at a loss for words. A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
"You…" she muttered, fumbling for a retort, "you talk too much, Uchiha."
Kaito chuckled, the heaviness from earlier easing just a little. Maybe this path was reckless. Maybe the elders were right. But as he looked at Kushina, standing there with fire in her eyes and vulnerability hidden just beneath, Kaito knew one thing—
He wasn't turning back.