Level 20. Chunin. The title resonated differently than Genin. It wasn't just survival; it felt like the first true acknowledgment of the tool Jiraiya was forging. Kaito stood atop the wind-whipped peak, the vastness of the mountain range mirroring the expanse of power still ahead. Level 40 loomed, a distant but tangible summit.
Gamakichi's lazy commentary drifted up. "Enjoying the view, Thornbush? Or just admiring how much higher the real mountains are?" The toad hadn't moved from his sun-warmed boulder.
Kaito descended, landing lightly beside the toad. The isolation, the relentless focus, had bred a strange familiarity. Gamakichi was less a warden and more a perpetually grumpy training partner now. "Just measuring the climb, Gamakichi-san," Kaito replied, a hint of dry respect in his tone. "Jiraiya-sama... he mentioned Konoha. Disappearances. Danzo."
Gamakichi cracked one large, golden eye. "Hmph. Nasty business. Pervy Sage looked like he swallowed a bad fly when Kosuke told him. Danzo... that old root-rotter. Always skulking in the shadows, playing with things best left buried. Messing with the Hyūga? Stupid. Even for him." He shifted, adjusting his headband. "Causes trouble for everyone. Especially the Boss."
"Boss?" Kaito asked, feigning only mild curiosity. Understanding the world Jiraiya operated in was crucial.
"Gama Bunta, obviously!" Gamakichi puffed up slightly. "Biggest, baddest toad in the swamp! And the Pervy Sage's primary summon partner. Gets dragged into all sorts of human nonsense because of the contract." He eyed Kaito. "Speaking of contracts... you feeling left out, Thornbush? Want a fancy summon? We got slugs, snakes, monkeys... even some weird raccoon-dogs up north, I hear."
Kaito shook his head. "My plate's full enough with space-time formulae and moss." He paused, then ventured the critical questions. "The disappearances... how bad is it? And the Hokage? Lord Third... he's still leading Konoha?" He needed to place the timeline. Gamakichi, connected to Jiraiya, was his only source.
Gamakichi snorted. "Old Man Sarutobi? Yeah, still clinging to the hat. Looks like a strong breeze could knock him over, but don't let that fool you. He's got fangs when he needs 'em. As for how bad... bad enough to yank Pervy Sage away from babysitting you. Hyūga branch family vanishing? That's like the Uchiha police force suddenly losing half its officers. Causes panic. Weakens the village. Plays right into the hands of creeps like Danzo who think strength comes from fear and secrets." He spat a tiny gout of steam. "Humans. Always making things complicated."
Kaito absorbed this. Hiruzen Sarutobi still Hokage. Danzo active. Hyūga purge. It confirmed the timeline was pre-Shippuden, likely shortly after the Chunin Exams fiasco. Naruto would be... training with Jiraiya? He took a breath. "Jiraiya-sama... he mentioned training someone before. A kid. Blond hair, loud... wears orange?"
Gamakichi's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. "The Gaki? Naruto? Yeah, Pervy Sage's got him stashed away somewhere safe-ish, pounding some sense into his thick skull. Why? You know the runt?"
"Only by reputation," Kaito said smoothly. "Loud, like you said. Has the Nine-Tails." He watched the toad closely. "Does he... have a contract with Mount Myōboku yet?"
Gamakichi stared at him for a long moment, then let out a rasping chuckle. "Heh. Sharp, Thornbush. Real sharp. Trying to figure out where you stand? Worried the kid's got your spot?" He shook his head. "Nah. The Gaki's got potential, mountains of it, buried under layers of stupid. But the Toad Contract? Not yet. Pervy Sage is laying the groundwork. Teaching him control, chakra manipulation... the real basics, not just flashy rasengan balls. He needs a foundation stronger than wet sand before he can handle summoning even a tadpole without exploding. Why? You angling for the scroll?" He eyed Kaito with sudden, sharp interest. "Got the chakra control for it now, maybe... and that weird space-time affinity..."
Kaito held up a hand. "No. Just understanding the pieces on the board." He wasn't lying. Knowing Naruto hadn't signed the contract yet was vital. It meant the Toad Sages hadn't fully committed, hadn't started his Sage Mode training. It meant Kaito's path, though unconventional, wasn't yet overshadowed by the Jinchuriki's destiny. Yet.
Before Gamakichi could probe further, the toad suddenly stiffened. His head snapped towards the eastern cliffs, nostrils flaring. His usual lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by focused alertness. "Kuso."
Kaito instantly activated << Namikaze Perception >>, his effective << PER: 30 >> stretching out like radar. He felt it too – a ripple in the ambient chakra. Not natural. Not animal. Shinobi. Faint, distant, but deliberate. Scanning. Probing. << Sensor Presence Detected! >> Level? Hard to tell. Chunin or higher. Skilled in concealment, but Gamakichi's senses were sharper.
"Not Konoha," Gamakichi growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Not any signature I recognize. Feels... cold. Calculating. Like a snake tasting the air." He hopped down from the boulder, his hand resting on the hilt of his tanto. "Pervy Sage said don't leave. He didn't say anything about dealing with uninvited guests sniffing around his mountain."
Kaito's hand instinctively went to a Hiraishin kunai at his belt. His mind raced. Who? Bandits wouldn't have a sensor this skilled. Missing-nin? Scouts from another village? Or something darker, connected to the shadows Jiraiya feared? His << CC: 29 >> flared, dampening his own chakra signature to near-invisibility. << Stealth Activated! >>
"Orders, Gamakichi-san?" Kaito asked, his voice a bare whisper. The mountain wasn't just his forge anymore. It was becoming a battleground.
Gamakichi bared his teeth in something resembling a grin. "We observe. We identify. And if they get too close... we remind them why Pervy Sage picked this mountain to stash his secret project." He melted into the shadows of the rocks, his green skin blending unnervingly well. "Try to keep up, Thornbush. And try not to get sensed by whatever that is."
Kaito followed, << Void Step >> coiling ready in his mind, the Hiraishin mark on the kunai a cold, reassuring anchor. The solitude was shattered. The shadows Jiraiya spoke of had found the mountain. Level 20 suddenly felt far less secure. The ghost needed to become a hunter. Training was over. The test had arrived.