Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Akaden Chapter 141

Hotaru sighed, visibly relieved. She sank onto the floor beside Kaito, pressing a hand to her chest. "I was so worried," she confessed. "When I heard what had happened, I rushed over."

Kushina mustered a small smile. "We're safe, Hotaru-chan. I've got my little knight here," she said, ruffling Kaito's hair. Kaito looked down, still feeling a bit guilty, but he said nothing.

Noticing his mood, Hotaru was about to ask something when a Kaito clone poked his head through the door. "Boss, an ANBU is here," he announced. "You're being summoned to the Hokage's office."

Kaito nodded, setting the plate aside on the bedside table. He stood up, and exhaustion nearly took him off his feet. He stumbled.

"Kai-kun!" Hotaru exclaimed, catching his arm, worry returning to her face.

Kushina's eyes went wide with alarm. "Are you all right?"

Kaito forced a small smile. "I'm fine," he said softly.

….

Kaito leapt from one rooftop to another, ignoring the pain and fatigue gnawing at his muscles. He was headed straight for the Hokage Tower. Normally, he would have taken the door like a regular person, but he was too exhausted for any unnecessary detours. He landed lightly beside the Hokage's office window, tapping on the glass.

"Yo, you called, Lady Tsunade?" kaito asked opening the window

Inside, Tsunade glanced up from behind the Hokage's desk and gave a curt nod. "Get in here, brat."

Kaito slid the window open and climbed through. The office was already crowded. Shikaku Nara stood at the back, arms crossed and eyes closed, as though deep in thought. Fugaku Uchiha was there, arms folded, his face grave. Ibiki Morino flipped through a clipboard of notes, his eyes skimming each page. Kakashi leaned against the wall near the window, he nodded to Kaito when he entered.

Tsunade sat behind the Hokage's desk, reading a stack of reports. Papers and scrolls were spread out before her in a chaotic arrangement. When Kaito settled himself, Tsunade placed the files down, steepled her fingers, and fixed her gaze on the group.

"All right," she said. "Report."

Shikaku opened his eyes and sighed, stepping forward. "Every ROOT shinobi involved in the incident was either killed or captured. The total number of ROOT operatives we've accounted for is around one thousand, not counting the ones who attacked the Uzumaki household. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing with help from the Hyūga clan. We've also raided all known ROOT bases listed in the official records, again with the Hyūga's assistance. Every one of them was completely barren—meaning they knew of our plan beforehand. We've dispatched tracker teams to follow any leads, but so far all trails have gone cold."

He paused, then continued, his tone heavy. "Danzo used the attack on the Uchiha clan and the Uzumakis to cover his escape. Thanks to your involvement, Lady Tsunade, and the healing from Katsuyu, casualties were minimized. We have about one hundred confirmed civilian casualties and around two hundred shinobi casualties."

Tsunade nodded somberly. "So that's the damage. What about the captured ROOT members? Any leads on hidden bases we didn't know about?"

Ibiki shook his head. "No, Lady Tsunade. The ROOT shinobi have seals placed on their minds. Any attempt to probe too deeply results in their memories being wiped. They can't—or won't—reveal anything. We're stuck on that front."

Tsunade cursed under her breath and stood, beginning to pace. "What about the elders and my old teacher, the Third Hokage? Do they have any clue where Danzo might have fled?"

Ibiki bowed slightly. "They're not forthcoming with information. As for the Third Hokage, he claims to only know of the bases already on record. He doesn't seem to have any information about Danzo's whereabouts."

Tsunade halted and narrowed her eyes. "I want a thorough investigation of the elders. Ibiki, you have my permission to look into their minds. Find some way past whatever defenses they have. I need answers."

Ibiki nodded. "It shall be done, Lady Tsunade." Without another word, he turned and left the office, his presence slipping away like a shadow.

After Ibiki was gone, Tsunade clenched her fists. "That bastard got away…" she growled, frustration plain in her voice.

Shikaku leaned forward, brow furrowed. "How did Danzo know about our plan? We took pains to keep it quiet."

Kaito cleared his throat. "It's probably because of a leak on the Daimyō's side. Danzo must've had someone feeding him information from a higher level. He had too perfect a window to act."

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall. "There's another possibility—he might have been in contact with that masked man."

Tsunade turned sharply to Kakashi. "What makes you say that?"

Kakashi straightened. "During the attack, the masked man was the one who dealt with the Uchiha police force, and later Itachi confronted him. If Danzo and the masked man's interests aligned, even briefly, it could explain the timing."

Kaito's eyes widened slightly at that revelation. "So he killed off the Uchiha police force, just like in the original…" he murmured to himself, thinking back to his past life's knowledge.

Tsunade's gaze snapped to Kakashi. "Itachi fought the masked man during the attack?"

Shikaku's eyes narrowed, listening intently, while Fugaku's eyes widened in shock, then hardened.

Kakashi nodded and raised his hand in a subtle signal. Itachi flickered into the room, dropping to one knee. He wore his ANBU uniform and mask. "Hai, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade waved a hand. "At ease, Itachi." He rose, pushing his mask up so his face was visible.

She continued, "You confronted the masked man?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. I encountered him while defending the clan. He was about to kill my friend Izumi. She confronted him after he murdered several of our police officers." His voice was quiet and composed.

Tsunade's face was grim. "So he was working with Danzo or, at the very least, took advantage of the situation."

Kaito stepped forward, speaking softly. "I think he just took advantage of the chaos. Danzo and this masked man don't strike me as the types to follow each other's orders."

Itachi's gaze dropped momentarily before he continued. "There's more. During our fight, I managed to land a blow and was sure I had killed him. I watched his chakra signature vanish—just like it does when someone dies. But after a short while, he appeared behind me again. If not for Kakashi-sempai's intervention, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

Tsunade's jaw tightened, and Shikaku's brow knitted. "You're certain you killed him once?"

Itachi nodded. "I'm certain. His chakra disappeared completely. Yet he returned as though nothing had happened."

Tsunade shook her head. "How is that even possible?"

Fugaku closed his eyes and spoke in a measured tone, "Izanagi."

At the mention of that word, Itachi's eyes flicked to his father. Tsunade frowned. "Izanagi?"

Fugaku opened his eyes, voice heavy. "It's a forbidden Uchiha technique. By sacrificing a Sharingan, the user can rewrite reality itself for a short period. Life and death can be bent, and outcomes altered. It would also explain why the dead Uchiha police officers were all missing their eyes. He probably collected them to fuel this ability."

Tsunade looked ill, fingers curling into her palms. Shikaku's expression turned grim. "So you think he took the eyes of the fallen Uchiha to replenish his supply of Sharingan and continue using Izanagi?"

Fugaku inclined his head. "It's possible, and given what we've seen, very likely."

Kakashi said nothing, turmoil churning inside him. He suspected the masked man's identity, but he kept his silence. If it truly was Obito, he needed proof—he couldn't just throw accusations around without being sure.

The room fell silent. Tsunade resumed pacing, angry energy crackling around her. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke decisively, "We can't dwell on what we can't change. The masked man's gone, Danzo's gone. We need to move forward."

She turned to Shikaku. "We need to pick up more mission requests starting tomorrow. We can't let word spread that we're weakened. Increase border patrols and keep all available jōnin in the village for the time being."

Her attention moved to Fugaku. "I want the Uchiha to prepare for the funeral ceremony tomorrow. After that, we'll hold my inauguration as the Fifth Hokage. I don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary. The village needs stability."

Fugaku nodded, accepting the task. Kakashi and Itachi also inclined their heads, acknowledging her orders.

Tsunade sighed heavily. "You're all dismissed. Get some rest, prepare for tomorrow. We have a lot of rebuilding and reorganizing to do."

With that, the shinobi left one by one. Kakashi vanished in a silent shunshin, Itachi followed, and Fugaku walked out with measured steps. Shikaku slipped away quietly, lost in thought.

Kaito lingered, watching Tsunade. Once they were alone, Tsunade leaned against the desk, arms folded across her chest. She let out a long, frustrated breath. "This is a mess," she said plainly.

Shikaku, who was halfway out the door, paused and added quietly, "We couldn't have expected this, Lady Tsunade. Even the best plans have blind spots."

Tsunade frowned. "I know. We'll deal with it. We'll keep watch on the Daimyō's court to see if we can find the leak. But for now, we can't do much else."

Kaito spoke up softly, "I know this isn't ideal, but for what it's worth, I think you're doing great."

"Good to hear that you think so, brat." Tsunade sat down in her chair, leaning back. "How's Kushina doing? Shizune mentioned she was injured during the attack. And what about those two brats how are they holding up?"

Kaito settled into a chair opposite her. "Mom's doing fine now. She woke up about an hour ago. As for Naruto and Karin, they're shaken but okay."

"Good." Tsunade nodded, her eyes softening as she looked at Kaito. "Go and get some rest, brat. You look dead on your feet. I'll come by to check on her later, once I'm done here."

Kaito offered a tired smile, his exhaustion evident in the droop of his shoulders. "Yes, Lady Tsunade," he said quietly, then slipped back out the same window he'd entered, heading for home.

Alone again, Tsunade let out a soft sigh and turned her attention back to the paperwork spread haphazardly across her desk. Everything had changed overnight, and there was much to do. For now, she would focus on sorting through the mess of reports and documents, one page at a time.

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