Yamanaka Keiko smiled softly. "I didn't expect Kaito to be so strong! Ino will have to work harder from now on!"
"I got it, Mom!" Ino nodded excitedly.
"That boy... is he really as good as you say? I heard he's always been at the bottom of his class in the Academy!" Yamanaka Inoichi's face darkened with anger.
How old is this girl, and she's already lying to me—for that kid?
She's completely siding with him now!
"That brat! What kind of spell did he cast on Ino? She's completely taken his side!"
I'll find a way to make sure he knows who he's messing with. He won't be able to sit down for a week!
Let's see if he still dares to mess with my daughter after that.
Yamanaka Inoichi was already thinking of ways to deal with Kaito.
"Dad! How can you say that about Kaito? Yeah, he was at the bottom of the class before, but he really did beat Uchiha Sasuke today!"
"If you don't believe me, just ask Shikamaru and Choji!" Ino pouted, clearly upset.
She didn't understand why her father disliked Kaito so much. Ever since they met, he'd been cold toward him.
If Inoichi knew what she was thinking, he'd be fuming. Offended? Offended?! His precious daughter was being stolen away under his nose! How could he not be angry?!
But looking at Ino's serious expression, it didn't seem like she was lying. Inoichi hesitated. "Is that true? If so… then that kid and Ino… I'll have to talk to him tomorrow."
---
Since defeating Uchiha Sasuke, Kaito's life had returned to normal—school, home, repeat.
Strangely enough, despite Kaito's expectations, Danzo hadn't sent anyone to contact him. That made Kaito uneasy.
Was the rumor wrong? Had Danzo really changed? Or had Sarutobi Hiruzen warned him?
After some thought, Kaito could only conclude the latter. "I underestimated Sarutobi Hiruzen's control over potential assets."
[Sigh... The baiting plan is scrapped. I'll have to wait for another opportunity.]
Time passed quickly. Three months went by in a flash.
Konoha's security had noticeably tightened. People were going out less often. Even the once-busy streets had quieted down.
The setting sun, red like blood, painted the sky with a solemn hue over the entire village.
After walking Ino home, Kaito turned around and entered his own house. Just as he opened the door, a raspy caw echoed through the air.
He turned toward the sound and saw a black crow perched on a wooden stake.
Kaito narrowed his eyes, shocked, but remained calm and shut the door.
"Caw! Caw!" the crow cried again, and its eyes morphed into three tomoe—Sharingan!
In an instant, the world around Kaito shifted. He found himself standing in a dense forest—one he recognized as the simulation area from his training space.
In the clearing ahead, a figure stood, silent and unmoving.
Kaito didn't need to guess. Uchiha Shisui was dead. Only one person in Konoha used crows like this.
Uchiha Itachi.
"I wonder what Itachi-senpai wants to discuss with me." Kaito stood tall, calm and composed.
If Itachi had truly come for revenge over Sasuke, he would've done it long ago. This wasn't about that.
Kaito didn't believe Itachi was the type to act out of petty emotion.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Instead of replying, Uchiha Itachi formed hand seals at lightning speed. A massive fireball—nearly five meters in diameter—erupted from his mouth.
It blazed like a miniature sun, searing everything in its path.
Kaito's face remained expressionless as chakra surged through his body.
Crackle!
He clenched his right hand into a palm, and an arc of deep blue lightning danced along his skin, extending beyond the fireball's size.
It was the Chidori Sharp Spear—Uchiha Sasuke's future technique.
Kaito swung the lightning spear horizontally—
BOOM!
The fireball split cleanly in two, crashing apart with a roar. The ground shook under the force.
Flames scattered and exploded across the forest floor, sending waves of heat in every direction.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, flames fell from above like fireballs, pinning down every escape route around Kaito.
There was no room to dodge. Only one choice—fight head-on.
Phoenix Fire Technique, Kaito realized. He smirked. A small C-rank jutsu? Was Itachi testing him?
No… his expression shifted. Inside each flame—shuriken.
"Hidden weapons in every shot? Red Impatiens Claws… You really came prepared."
"These tricks might work on regular shinobi. But not on me."
Kaito's gaze hardened as lightning surged again in his palm.
When the energy reached its peak—glowing like the sun—he thrust his hand skyward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Crack!
Thousands of lightning bolts shot upward like arrows, forming a blinding web of electricity.
Clang! Clang!
The lightning bolts collided midair with the incoming shuriken, sparks and flames bursting on impact.
Boom! Boom!
The redirected flames fell harmlessly to the ground, scorching the earth but missing their target completely.
The ground smoked and sizzled, dotted with craters and the stench of burnt grass.
---