59 Kaito Chapter 59

Kaito Chapter 59

Upon entering the house, Kaito called out, "Mom, I'm home!" Kushina poked her head out from the living room with a warm smile. "Welcome back, honey."

The now three-year-old Naruto came barreling out of the living room and threw himself into his brother's arms.

Kushina joined in on the hug, making it a warm family embrace.

After breaking apart from the hug, Kushina playfully teased Kaito by asking, "So how was my daughter-in-law today?" Kaito let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders, knowing that this question would always come up whenever he spent time with Hotaru.

....

The sun had just begun to rise in the hidden leaf village, the moon casting a soft blue light over the still streets and buildings. it was still dark at 3am as most of the villagers slept soundly. However, In the Uzumaki residence, one resident was already awake and preparing for his mission.

Kaito stood in front of his mirror, adjusting his headband and checking his gear. With a final glance in the mirror, he left his room and made his way towards the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, he found his mother Kushina busy packing up four bento boxes. She wore her usual attire - a green dress over a crisp white shirt. "Good morning mom," Kaito greeted her with a smile.

Kushina looked up from her task and returned the smile. "Good morning honey, I'm just finishing up your lunch. Come sit and have breakfast before you leave," she said warmly.

Kaito took a seat at the table as his mother served him tamagoyaki with rice. The delicious aroma filled the air and made Kaito's stomach growl with hunger. "Itadakimasu," he said gratefully before digging into his breakfast.

After finishing his hearty breakfast, Kaito reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out one of his chakra seals. he then created a shadow clone and he created a shadow clone and placed the seal on its chest, activated it. The clone's body glowed with a faint blue light as the seal took effect.

Kaito nodded in satisfaction while the shadow clone mirrored his actions.

"You know what to do," Kaito said to the clone with a stern look, to which it replied with a sharp salute and an enthusiastic "aye aye captain!"

Shaking his head at the clone's antics, Kaito then turned towards his mother and announced, "I'll be heading off now, mom." He gave her a warm hug before preparing to leave.

"Be safe out there ya know... and here's some lunch I made for everyone," Kushina said as she handed him a bento box. She followed him to the front of the house and also passed him a container filled with freshly made hot takoyaki. "Something to eat on the way," she added with a smile.

"Thank you, mom. You're the best, ya know" Kaito grinned at her and gratefully accepted the takoyaki.

However, his shadow clone pouted and complained, "Hey, how come only he gets takoyaki? That's not fair, ya know?" Seeing the original Kaito happily enjoying his snack only made the clone more envious.

Kushina simply ruffled the clone's hair affectionately and assured him, "Don't worry silly, I saved some for you in the kitchen."

Hearing this, the clone eagerly dashed off to the kitchen while the original Kaito just shook his head and chuckled at his clone's antics.

With everything ready, Kaito bid his mother farewell and started walking away. Kushina waved until he was out of sight, and even then she continued looking for him with a fond smile. The shadow clone soon returned with a bowl filled with takoyaki, humming in delight as he happily munched on the delicious snack.

Kaito gracefully leapt through the lush green trees, devouring a hot, crispy takoyaki in between bites as he made his way towards the Hyuga compound. The savory scent of the octopus-filled snack lingered in the air around him.

As he approached the gates of the compound, Kaito's sharp senses picked up on Hotaru's presence. He landed smoothly in front of her, offering her a warm smile. "Good morning Hotaru-chan, I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long," he greeted her.

Hotaru's cheeks flushed slightly at seeing him smile and she returned the greeting. "Good morning Kaito-kun, I just arrived," she replied.

Kaito nodded and gestured for her to follow him as he leisurely strolled towards the village gate. Hotaru easily fell into step beside him.

Turning to her, Kaito offered her some of his mother's homemade takoyaki, "Here, have some. They're delicious, ya know," he said with a grin.

The tantalizing scent of grilled meat and savory sauce filled Hotaru's nostrils, making her mouth water. She couldn't resist the temptation and eagerly accepted the skewered takoyaki from Kaito. With a small bite, she couldn't help but hum in delight at its perfectly crispy exterior and flavorful filling.

As they strolled towards the village gate, the warm sun on their faces and the pleasant chatter between them created a peaceful atmosphere. They discussed mundane topics, but every word was laced with genuine enjoyment of each other's company. The takoyaki was a delicious accompaniment to their leisurely walk.

After 20 minutes of strolling through the bustling streets of Konoha, they finally reached the towering main gate. As they approached, they spotted Itachi leaning against the village walls, his dark hair falling gently over his closed eyes. With a casual greeting, Kaito called out to him, "Yo Itachi."

Itachi opened his eyes and turned towards them, a small smile gracing his lips as he nodded in acknowledgment. Hotaru greeted him with a cheery smile.

Kaito offered Itachi some of takoyaki, which he graciously accepted. Standing there together, they chatted and caught up while waiting for their sensei to arrive.

Shikaku appeared a few minutes later, yawning as he approached his genin team. Hotaru greeted him with a chipper "good morning sensei," while Itachi gave a simple "morning sensei." Kaito, always casual, offered a laid-back "yo sensei," to complete the trio's greetings. Yawning in response, Shikaku lazily nodded at them before asking, "You guys got everything you need?" The three genin all nodded in unison. With that settled, Shikaku declared, "Then let's get moving," as he slowly made his way towards the village guards to check his team out.

After completing their check-in at the village guards, they left the village and followed their sensei. Jumping from tree to tree, they maintained a comfortable pace on their journey. Kaito could sense Kakashi's chakra signature along with three others following behind them. "So Kakashi's ANBU squad is the one guarding the daimyo," Kaito thought to himself.

Jumping beside his sensei, Kaito couldn't resist asking, "How long do you think it will take to reach the capital, sensei?" Yawning in response, Shikaku informed them, "If we keep this pace, we should make it by 6:30."

Nodding in understanding, Kaito used body flicker to quickly appear next to Kakashi. Flashing him an eye smile, Kaito said cheerfully, "Yo Kakashi, it's been a while." Kakashi's ANBU team members were taken aback by Kaito's sudden appearance.

Kakashi himself wasn't surprised, knowing that Kaito was capable of sensing his presence. Kakashi simply sighed and nodded in acknowledgement. "I've been busy lately," he explained to Kaito.

"Well then after this mission, you should come visit. Mom's been worried about you, ya know" Kaito suggested, concern evident in his voice. "and i wouldn't mind a spar" kaito added with a grin.

And it was true Kushina is concerns for Kakashi. She had known him since he was just a young boy of 7 or 8 years old, and she could see that the loss of his father, teammates, and sensei at a young age had greatly affected him. To her, Kakashi was like a little brother, and she wanted to make sure he was okay.

Kakashi's expression softened as he replied, "Hai hai, I'll visit. But right now, we should focus on the mission."

"make sure you do" Kaito nodded in understanding, Kaito used body flicker once more to return to his team's side.

After two and a half hours of traveling at a comfortable pace, Team 11 finally arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire. The bustling city was filled with vendors selling their goods and children playing in the streets. Shikaku led his team through the crowded streets towards the check post, where they would have to register before entering the daimyo's palace.

As they approached the grand gates of the palace, Shikaku pointed out one of the "Twelve Shinobi Guardians" standing guard. The man had short, light brown hair and bore several scars - one on his forehead and two more on his cheeks in an "x" shape. He wore a purple long-sleeved shirt and green pants, with the distinct Twelve Guardian Ninja waistcloth around his waist.

Kaito, however, paid little attention to the shinobi guardian as he took in the sight of the majestic palace before him. He knew that these so-called guardians were simply strong jonin level fighters, none of them were at kage level. And all of them were considered cannon fodder, even Asuma Sarutobi and Chiriku who were considered to be one of the strongest among the "Twelve Shinobi Guardians" fell to Hidan the weakest member of Akatsuki , even with help.

The shinobi guardian greeted Shikaku with a serious expression and escorted them inside the palace walls to a waiting area. With a lazy nod, Shikaku followed him while Team 11 trailed behind, taking in all the sights and sounds of this grand city and its surroundings.

After what felt like an eternity, the daimyo finally arrived at the designated meeting place where Team 11 and their sensei had been waiting. The daimyo, dressed in formal royal garb, appeared to be tired and worn out from his duties. Behind him, a dozen of his attendants followed closely.

Upon seeing the daimyo, Shikaku and his team greeted him with a deep bow. The daimyo responded with a nod, acknowledging their presence. He then motioned for them to follow him as he made his way towards his ornate palanquin.

As they departed from the grand palace grounds, Team 11 formed a loose circle formation around the daimyo's palanquin. Shikaku took up the rear, making sure that their noble guest was well-protected during their journey. The streets were filled with onlookers who bowed and whispered words of respect towards the esteemed ruler as they left the capital city.

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