Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 173
Then he straightened up and said, "Alright—enough of that. Let's start your training."
Before Boruto could react, the clone placed a palm on his chest.
Immediately, Boruto's body felt heavier, like something had slammed down on his shoulders. He dropped to one knee, gasping slightly.
"W-What did you do? Why is it so hard to move?!"
The clone looked down at him, calm as ever. "I placed a couple of training seals on you. One increases resistance throughout your body, making movement harder. The other adds a constant weighted pressure, kind of like gravity training. Both seals will adjust automatically as you improve."
Boruto slowly stood up, struggling under the sudden weight. "Damn… feels like I've got an elephant on my back…"
Kaito's clone nodded. "We're starting with physical conditioning. Your taijutsu has a decent foundation, but it lacks both speed and power. And you rely too much on shadow clones to cover for it."
He pointed to the edge of the field. "These seals will help you build real strength and speed. We'll deal with the shadow clone habit later."
"Now—run 50 laps around the training field," the clone ordered. "Top speed. No chakra."
Boruto groaned, already sweating. "Fifty?! You've gotta be kidding me…"
The clone smirked. "Better get moving. This is just the warm-up."
…
The sun was setting over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting long shadows and bathing the rooftops in a warm, golden hue.
Inside the Uzumaki residence, Kushina was in the kitchen, preparing dinner with the help of one of Kaito's shadow clones. She stood at the stove, gently stirring a pot of miso soup. Lifting the ladle, she poured a small amount into her tasting spoon and took a sip. "Hmm… needs more salt," she murmured, reaching for the salt jar and adding a pinch before stirring again. She tasted it once more and smiled. "Just right."
Turning to the clone, she offered him a spoonful. "Here, have a taste, Clone-kun."
The clone took a sip and nodded in approval. "Yeah, it's perfect, Mom."
"Good," Kushina said with a nod, turning off the stove and beginning to set the table.
Just then, the real Kaito stepped out of his room, running a hand through his hair as he walked. He was dressed casually, in a black shirt and wearing brown pants. walking down the hallway. He entered the kitchen, where his mother had just finished cooking.
"Mom, I'm heading out," he said.
Kushina, placing bowls on the table, looked over her shoulder. "Alright, honey. Be back by ten, ya know."
"Where's Boruto?" Kaito asked, glancing around.
"I think he's still in the bath," she replied.
"Right," he said with a nod. "Do you need me to get anything while I'm out?"
Kushina shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Kai-kun. Just come back safe, ya know."
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
Kaito paused, already sensing the chakra on the other side. "Huh… what's she doing here alone?"
Kushina looked up from her work. "Ah, that must be Tsuna-nee. Mind getting the door, Kai-kun?"
"Right," Kaito replied, turning and heading into the living room.
In the living room, Naruto and Karin sat on the floor. Karin was diligently working on her homework while Naruto was half-asleep, his head resting against the open pages of his notebook. Kaito walked past them and opened the front door.
Tsunade stood outside, arms casually crossed and a familiar smirk on her face. "Hey there, kid. Where's your mother?"
"She's in the kitchen," Kaito replied as he stepped aside to let her in, glancing briefly out at the fading light before closing the door behind her.
As Tsunade stepped inside, she spotted Naruto and Karin nearby. "Well, well. Look at these two brats."
Naruto lifted his head, blinking groggily. "Huh? What are you doing here, Tsunade-oba?"
Karin looked up from her notes and offered a polite nod. "Good evening, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, Kushina popped her head out of the kitchen and called out, "Alright everyone, dinner's ready! Come eat, ya know!"
"Yatta! I'm starving, ya know!" Naruto shouted, leaping to his feet and sprinting straight into the kitchen, completely ignoring the homework scattered across the floor. That left Karin, Kaito, and Tsunade still in the living room.
Kaito, standing beside Tsunade, glanced at her as he began walking toward the kitchen. "I'm surprised you came alone. Where's Shizune-san? Usually she's following you everywhere."
Following him in, Tsunade replied casually, "Shizune's busy tonight, so I came by myself."
Kaito raised an eyebrow as he walked beside her. "Busy? Did she get sent on a mission or something?"
Tsunade smirked as she took a seat at the table. "No. She's on a date. Your mother set her up—with Genma."
Kaito blinked, tilting his head. "Genma? Isn't he one of your personal guards?"
From the kitchen counter, Kushina beamed proudly as she placed a pot of curry on the table. "That's right! I set them up today. I really hope things go well, ya know."
Just then, Boruto walked into the kitchen, wearing one of Kaito's shirts and pants. Since he didn't have anything else to wear besides his mission gear, it was the only option.
"Right, I'm ready to lea—" he began, but stopped mid-sentence as he spotted Tsunade seated at the table.
He gulped, visibly stiffening. "Ahh, Ba—" he quickly caught himself. "Lady Tsunade," he corrected, a nervous sweat forming on his brow.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "So… you're staying here, huh? Where's the other guy that was with you?"
Boruto scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "Yeah… he's around somewhere."
Kaito stepped in smoothly to cover for him. "He's staying in a hotel. Don't worry—my clone is tailing him."
Then Kaito turned to Kushina and said, "Right, we'll be off now, Mom. See you later."
Kushina, mid-way through setting more bowls, nodded with a smile. "Right. Have fun, you two—and be back by ten, ya know."
Boruto quickly nodded and followed after Kaito, hurrying out the door.
As the two boys left, Tsunade watched Boruto closely, her eyes lingering for a moment. She turned to Kushina and raised an eyebrow. "Are you suspicious of him?"
Kushina, having just finished serving dinner to Naruto and Karin, sat down across from Tsunade. "Huh? Why?"
Tsunade picked up her chopsticks and gave her a pointed look. "That kid… are you sure he's really Minato's cousin? He looks an awful lot like Minato when he was younger. And Kaito's been acting strange."
Kushina laughed nervously, waving her off. "Oh, that? It's nothing like that, Tsuna-nee. I don't believe Minato would ever cheat on me, ya know. I thought the same thing at first, but Kaito-kun proved that Boruto-chan's just a distant relative of Minato's. Plus, Minato's genes are really dominant—just look at Naru-chan and Kai-kun. They've got most of Mina-kun's features."
Tsunade gave her a long look, then shrugged. "Good. Then I was just being paranoid."
…
As they walked out of the house, Boruto let out a sigh and said, "Man, Tsunade Baa-chan is really scary, ya know."
Kaito shrugged. "She's just suspicious of you, ya know. Both of you showed up out of nowhere, and you look a lot like Dad and Naruto. Can't really blame her."
Boruto stuffed his hands into his pockets. "So… where are we heading anyway?"
"To the Hyuga clan compound," Kaito replied. "We're meeting Hotaru first, then heading to Yakiniku Q to meet some of my other friends."
Boruto glanced at Kaito curiously. "She's Mom's older sister here, right?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. I think she might've existed in your timeline too, but something must've happened to her there."
Boruto placed his hands behind his head as they walked. "It's still weird to me. Like, Mom has an older sister, Dad has Grandma with him, he didn't grow up alone, and he also has an older brother… It's so similar but completely different from where I'm from."
Kaito gave another shrug. "That's why it's called a different timeline. Things might start the same, but eventually… something changes. Everything branches out."
Boruto glanced at him and asked, "Why am I even coming with you anyway?"
"Like I said," Kaito replied, giving him a sidelong glance, "I have a feeling you're a trouble magnet. I'm not leaving you alone with Mom and Naruto. The last thing I want is you causing problems, ya know."
Boruto grumbled something under his breath but didn't argue.
Kaito's tone shifted, turning serious. "That reminds me—I forgot to ask earlier. That Urashiki guy… the one after Naruto. You've fought him before, right?"
Boruto slowed down a bit, looking over at Kaito. "Ehh… yeah. I've fought him a few times. Why?"
Kaito looked over at Boruto, his expression serious. "What are his abilities? What's his fighting style?"
Boruto rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. "Well… he's strong, I can tell you that. He's got this weird chakra fishing rod he uses to pull people's chakra out."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "He can take people's chakra forcibly?"
Boruto nodded. "Yeah. If the hook gets into you, he can yank your chakra out—and it lets him use your jutsu too. He did that to Sasuke when we came here."
Kaito nodded slowly, deep in thought. 'Can he still pull chakra even if there's a seal on the person? That'd be a serious problem…'
"And he's really fast," Boruto added. "Even Sasuke had a hard time keeping up with him. Plus, he can travel through dimensions."
"So he can use space-time ninjutsu," Kaito muttered.
"Yeah. Actually… now that I think about it, every time he tried to sneak attack using it, I was able to see him—because of my eye." He paused, his brows furrowing. "And… he even called it the Jōgan." He looked over at Kaito
Kaito shrugged casually. "Huh? It's called the Jōgan? Well, I'm not surprised. Like I said, all dōjutsu are named after their characteristics."
Boruto looked thoughtful.
Kaito continued, "What other abilities does he have?"
"Well, he has the Byakugan," Boruto said. "And he can fly. That's all I've seen, at least—that's all he's shown so far." He shrugged.
Kaito gave a slow nod, 'thinking again. I need to come up with a plan to fight Urashiki..'.
Before long, they arrived at the gates of the Hyuga compound. The guards standing by nodded at Kaito in recognition and let them through without question.
Boruto glanced around as they walked. "Man… the Hyuga compound looks so different."
Kaito shrugged. "Well, twenty years have passed, ya know. I'd expect there to be some changes."
They made their way through the elegant courtyards until they reached the main house. Kaito stepped up and knocked on the door.
A moment later, the door slid open to reveal Hitomi Hyuga. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw him. "Kaito-kun! It's been a while since you came by. How have you been? And how's everyone doing?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head with a small grin. "It's good to see you, Lady Hitomi. Everyone's doing great, ya know."
"I've told you before, haven't I, Kaito-kun? You can call me Mother-in-law," she said with a wink. Then, leaning in slightly with a teasing sparkle in her eye, she added, "Are you here to take Hotaru-chan out on a date?"
Kaito sighed, clearly used to her antics by now. "We're just heading out to meet some friends from the academy, ya know," he replied, gesturing behind him. "This is Boruto."
As if just realizing Boruto was there, Hitomi blinked. "Huh? Hello. I don't think we've met before. Were you part of Hotaru's class?" she asked, visibly puzzled.
Boruto looked awkward. "Ehhh…"
Kaito quickly stepped in. "No, Hitomi-san. This is Boruto. He's my distant cousin from Dad's side. He came to Konoha to see if Dad had any relatives here."
Boruto gave a small, awkward wave. "Hello…"
Hitomi leaned in, examining him more closely. "Hmmm… he really does look a lot like the Fourth. But I thought the Fourth was an orphan?"
Kaito shrugged. "His mother's distantly related to my dad—a few generations back. Her maiden name was Namikaze. After hearing about Dad being the Fourth Hokage, he came to Konoha looking for any possible family."
Hitomi nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "Well, I'm Hitomi Hyuga, the clan head's wife. It's nice to meet you. Why don't you both come in?"
Boruto, still slightly overwhelmed, just nodded in response.
Just then, a voice called from inside the house, "Mom, is that Kai-kun at the door?" The voice grew closer.
Hitomi turned back and called, "Yes, he's here for you!"
Moments later, Hotaru walked out, dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and a black long skirt. Her expression brightened when she saw Kaito.
Kaito gave Hotaru a lazy wave. "Hey there, Hotaru."
Hotaru smiled when she saw him. "Kai-kun…" she began, but her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted to Boruto standing just behind him. She tilted her head slightly, visibly confused.
Boruto, for his part, stood frozen. His eyes widened. Hotaru looked so much like Hinata—same gentle features and calm presence—but with a different hairstyle and posture. The resemblance left him stunned.
Kaito noticed the look on Hotaru's face and said casually, "I'll explain on the way. We should get going if we're gonna meet the others on time."
"Right," Hotaru nodded. She turned to her mother and said, "I'll be off, Mother. See you later," as she walked past her and out the door.
Hitomi called after them with a teasing smile. "Have fun, you three! And Kaito—make sure Hotaru-chan's back by ten p.m., alright? And try not to have too much fun… if you know what I mean. Her father might hunt you down if she comes home late and looking dishevelled."
Kaito groaned quietly and rubbed his face in embarrassment, especially with Boruto standing right there to witness it.
Hotaru blushed, flustered. "Mom, we…!"
"We won't, Mrs. Hyuga," Kaito said quickly, grabbing Hotaru's hand and gently dragging her out of the house to escape further teasing. Behind them, they could hear Hitomi's giggles.
Boruto snickered behind his hand, clearly amused by the whole exchange.
As they left the Hyuga compound, Hotaru had calmed down a little and turned to look at Boruto curiously. "Umm, not to be rude, but… who is this, Kai-kun? Do you have a twin we didn't know about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "He looks a lot like Naruto-kun."
Kaito sighed, already knowing this was only the beginning of many conversations he'd have to have about Boruto's sudden appearance.
After he gave a brief but carefully worded explanation. Hotaru leaned forward slightly, peeking around Kaito to get a better look at Boruto. Her hands were tucked behind her back, her expression curious. "Ano… you're Kai-kun's cousin from the Land of Noodles, right?"
Boruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Yeah… pretty much."
As they reached the BBQ shop, they spotted their friends waiting outside—Itachi, Izumi, and Hana.
"Yo," Kaito called out with a lazy wave as they approached.
Hotaru smiled and greeted them, "Hey guys! Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."
Boruto slowed as he spotted a familiar face. His eyes widened slightly, and he muttered under his breath, "Huh… that's Sasuke-san's brother. He looks a lot like him."
Hana waved off the concern. "No, we just got here a few minutes ago."
Izumi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't worry—we haven't been waiting long."
Itachi, however, had his eyes fixed on Boruto. He tilted his head slightly, a subtle but curious expression on his face as he glanced at Kaito. His gaze lingered longer than the others.
Finally noticing the unfamiliar presence, Hana asked, "Huh? Who's this?"
Kaito sighed and gestured toward Boruto. "Right… this is my distant cousin, Boruto. Boruto, these are my friends—Hana, Izumi, and Itachi."
Boruto gave them a small wave. "Uh, nice to meet you all."
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Kaito didn't have any cousins—at least, none he'd ever mentioned—but he said nothing for now.
Hana turned to Kaito, eyes wide. "Wait—you have a cousin?" She stepped forward to get a better look at Boruto.
Izumi gave Boruto a once-over. "He looks our age… Wouldn't he have been in the academy with us?"
Hana leaned in a little and sniffed subtly. "Yeah… he even smells kind of like you—or your brother. It's kinda suspicious, if you ask me."
Kaito let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Like I said, he's my distant cousin. He's related to my dad through his mother. Some kind of offshoot branch of the Namikaze clan or something."
Itachi spoke up, still watching Boruto. "So… you came looking for Lord Fourth?" he asked calmly.
Boruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah… I came looking for my mom's side of the family. I only found out her maiden name was Namikaze after she passed away."
Izumi's expression softened. "Oh… we're sorry to hear that."
Boruto gave a small, awkward smile. "It's alright."
Kaito, eager to steer the conversation away, clapped his hands. "Anyway—why are we still standing out here?"
He turned toward the shop entrance and started walking. "Let's go eat."
Hana cheered, pumping her fist. "Yeah! Let's eat!"
Hotaru giggled and glanced at Boruto. "Come on, Boruto-san, before Hana eats everything."
Boruto nodded. "Right," he said and followed after her.
As they stepped into the barbecue shop, they were greeted by the receptionist, who smiled warmly. "Welcome, welcome! How may I help you?"
Kaito stepped forward and said, "A table for six, please."
The receptionist nodded politely. "Right this way, sir." She ushered them through the restaurant and led them to a cozy booth.
Kaito let the others slide in first before taking the seat next to Hotaru, closest to the exit. Once they were all settled, the receptionist added, "A waitress will be with you shortly to take your order," and left them to get comfortable.
Kaito picked up the menu and glanced at the others. "So, do you guys already know what you're going to order?"
Hotaru hummed as she flipped through the pages. "Hmm… I think I'll get the Jidori Tsukune. And maybe some Yakitomorokoshi—grilled corn sounds good."
Hana nodded. "Yeah, I'll get some beef tongue and grilled corn too. And a lot of meat," she added with a cheeky grin. "Since you're treating, after all!"
Kaito opened his mouth to respond—only to be suddenly pulled into a tight hug from someone who had slipped into the booth beside him.
"Kai—?!" he started, only to have his face pulled into someone's chest.
"Ah, it's been a while, brat!" came a teasing, familiar voice. "I've missed my favorite redhead." Anko grinned as she hugged Kaito tight, rubbing his head into her chest affectionately.
Standing behind her was Kurenai, who sighed at the display. "Anko… you're going to suffocate the kid if you keep doing that."
Anko glanced down and saw Kaito struggling to free himself. Her grin widened wickedly at the sight.
"Let him go," Hotaru growled, glaring as she reached out to help pull Kaito free from Anko's grasp.
Boruto, meanwhile, was staring wide-eyed. "Anko-sensei…?" he muttered in shock.
Kaito finally managed to sit up straight, catching his breath. "Was that really necessary, Anko? You're lucky I recognized your chakra, ya know…"
Anko smirked. "Ahh, so you let me do it, huh?" She gave a mock gasp of delight.
Kaito shot her a deadpan look.
Anko shrugged with a smirk. "Oh, cheer up, brat. I was just excited to see you, that's all," she said, then leaned in a little closer, her grin turning teasingly provocative. "And I could tell you were excited to see me too."
Kaito gave her a flat, unimpressed look as Hotaru's eye twitched.
Standing beside her, Kurenai folded her arms and sighed. "Come on, Anko. Let's leave them be. I'm pretty sure you're intruding on their dinner."
Anko pouted dramatically. "Fine, fine. I know when I'm not wanted," she said, standing up and giving Kaito a playful wink. "Catch you later, red."
But Kaito raised a hand slightly. "Actually… it's a good thing I ran into you. Saves me the trouble of tracking you down—there's something I wanted to ask."
Anko paused, raising a curious eyebrow. "Oh? What's that, brat?"
Kaito let out a small sigh. "Are you still single?"
The booth went completely silent.
achi's eyes widened in surprise. Izumi and Hana both gaped, mouths slightly open as they slowly turned their heads toward Hotaru—who was now glaring at both Kaito and Anko. Her expression tightened, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to cry.
Anko grinned wickedly. "Wow… bold of you. But I'm afraid I don't date brats who've just entered puberty," she teased. "Maybe try again in a few years—I'll take you out for a spin." She winked directly at Hotaru.
That did it.
Hotaru's eyes narrowed, and her Byakugan activated as tension rolled off her in waves.
Kaito shot Anko a deadpan look. "Yeah… not happening." Then, calmly and without making a scene, he reached under the table and slipped his hand into Hotaru's. His thumb gently brushed the back of her hand, grounding her.
Hotaru felt Kaito's hand slip into hers, his grip gentle but reassuring. The warmth calmed her, and slowly, her Byakugan faded as she took a quiet breath and looked down at their intertwined fingers.
Anko, still a bit confused, tilted her head. "Huh? Then who's the date for?"
Kaito looked up at her. "His name's Tenzo. He's a member of Kakashi's ANBU team—Team Ro. I think he's the captain now. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you'd consider going out with him. And before you ask, yeah—he's around your age."
Anko's brow furrowed. "Huh? Why?"
Kaito shrugged. "He helped me out a few weeks ago. I kind of… promised him I'd help him meet someone. Figured I'd return the favor."
Anko crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And I was your first choice?"
Kaito shook his head. "Actually, it was Mom who suggested you. Said something about 'opposites attracting' or something like that." He paused, then added, "My first choice was Shizune, but that idea went out the window when I found out she's seeing Genma."
Anko's eye twitched visibly at the mention that she wasn't the first choice.
Kurenai leaned in, eyes wide. "Wait, wait, wait—did you just say Shizune is dating Genma?"
Kaito looked over at her and shrugged casually. "Apparently, Mom set them up. Their date's tonight."
He turned back to Anko. "Anyway, you owe me for helping you dodge paperwork last month. Just go on one date with him. If you don't like the guy, that's fine."
Anko rubbed her chin, looking thoughtful.
Kurenai nudged her gently. "I think you should give it a shot, Anko," she said with a smile.
Kaito waved a hand. "You don't have to answer now. Just drop by the house tomorrow. Talk to Mom—get her opinion or whatever. I'm just asking you to give the guy a chance."
Anko finally nodded. "Alright… I'll think about it."
Kaito nodded. "Oh—before I forget, he has Wood Release."
Anko raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Is that some kind of dirty innuendo?"
Kaito blinked. "No—he literally has the Wood Release kekkei genkai. And no, he wasn't born with it. It was… 'given' to him by you know who."
His voice dropped slightly at the end, eyes meeting hers. He figured she'd understand. Anko's expression darkened immediately.
"He's like me, then?" she asked quietly.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. His past's not too different from yours. But you should talk to him about it."
Anko was silent for a moment, then stood up. "Alright. I'll think it over."
She glanced back at Kaito with a smirk. "It was nice seeing you again, brat. I'll drop by the house tomorrow."
With that, she turned and left, Kurenai following behind after flashing a brief smile at the group. The mood slowly began to settle again around the table.
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