Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 223
Tsunade looked back at Kaito. "Keep an eye on her. If it gets worse, you come get me."
Kaito nodded. "Got it."
He reached out, and Tsunade vanished.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
Naruto rushed to Kushina's side. "Hey, Mom—when will the baby come out? Is it going to be a sister or a brother, ya know?" firing off more and more questions.
Kushina opened her mouth. "Eh—Naruto…"
Karin stepped closer. "Congratulations, Aunt Kushina."
"Yeah," Guren added. "Congratulations."
"Congratulations, Lady Kushina" Haku said softly, and Kimimaro inclined his head once.
Kaito's shadow clone stepped in from the hallway. "Alright, that's enough, you lot," it said. "Let Mom rest. She's still not feeling well, ya know. Breakfast's ready, and you're late for the academy as it is."
"Oh—right." Naruto nodded,looking sheepish at Kushina. "Sorry, Mom, ya know."
Kushina smiled. "It's okay."
One by one, they shuffled out of the room, leaving Kushina and Kaito's clone behind.
The clone looked at her. "I'll make something light for you, Mom. Nothing too strong."
"…Thank you, everyone" Kushina said quietly.
A short while later, she was alone.
Kushina stared up at the ceiling, one hand resting over her stomach.
"…I'm pregnant," she whispered.
…
The sun had barely cleared the rooftops of Konoha, and the village was already alive, the day well underway.
Morning light spilled through the windows along the upper levels of the Hokage Tower. Footsteps echoed softly up the long stairwell as Shizune climbed at an even pace.
She walked slightly ahead, Tonton trotting beside her, while Genma followed behind with a shoulder bag slung over one arm and several stacks of documents tucked under the other.
"You don't have to carry all of that," Shizune said, glancing back at him. "I can manage."
Genma adjusted his grip on the folders. "You can," he agreed evenly. "Doesn't mean you should."
She slowed but didn't stop. "They're just papers."
"They're just papers," Genma echoed flatly, shifting the weight again. "But they add up."
Shizune sighed, then smiled as they reached her desk. "You're going to spoil me at this rate."
Genma gave a small smirk. "I think I can live with that."
He set the bag down first, then carefully placed the stacks of documents beside it, straightening them before stepping back.
"Thank you," Shizune said quietly.
Tonton hopped up onto the desk, sniffed the papers, then settled beside Shizune with a content little grunt.
Genma glanced down at the pig, then back at Shizune. "My mission's going to keep me out of the village for the week."
"I know," Shizune said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "You already told me."
Genma straightened slightly. "You sure you'll be alright here by yourself?"
"I won't be by myself," she said, nudging Tonton gently with her foot. "I've got Tonton."
Tonton lifted her head and gave a soft oink.
"You know I wasn't talking about that," Genma said.
"I know," Shizune replied, smiling faintly. "Honestly, I'll be fine. You worry too much."
He snorted. "It's my duty to worry."
Genma crouched slightly and looked at the pig. "Keep an eye on her."
Tonton snorted, almost offended, then nodded once.
"Still," he said, quieter now as he looked back at Shizune. "Take it easy. Don't push yourself."
She nodded without argument. "I will."
There was a brief pause.
"Won't you be late meeting your team if you stay?" she asked.
Genma shook his head. "I can spare a few minutes."
Shizune reached out and adjusted the edge of his vest, smoothing a crease that didn't really need smoothing. "I'll be fine. You focus on your mission."
He watched her for a moment, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it."
She smiled. "Promise me you'll be careful."
Genma nodded. "I will."
Just then, someone cleared their throat behind them.
"Ahem."
Both of them startled. Genma jumped back a step as they turned toward the sound.
Kaito stood a short distance away near the wall, hands in his pockets, clearly having been there longer than either of them realized. "Eh… I can come back later if this is going to take longer."
"K-Kaito-kun… how long have you been there?" Shizune asked.
Kaito shifted slightly. "Long enough to regret it. Sorry to interrupt your moment. I just came to get my assignment for today, ya know."
Genma coughed, straightened, and took another step back, his usual easy confidence snapping into place. "Right. I'll leave you two to it. I should get going."
He gave Shizune one last look. "I'll be back in a week. Stay safe."
"I will," she said.
Genma nodded once, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to Shizune's forehead. Before she could say anything else, he vanished in a puff of smoke, body flickering out of sight.
Kaito watched the spot where Genma had disappeared, then raised an eyebrow as he walked over toward Shizune's desk. "Huh. I don't think I've ever seen him without his senbon. Thought they came as a set."
Shizune chuckled as she moved around the desk and sat down. "He doesn't have it around me." She started rummaging through a file, flipping through pages.
Kaito nodded. "Makes sense." He paused, then added, "So, what do I have to do today?"
Shizune pulled out a clipboard and glanced over it. "Let's see."
She scanned the page, then began reading it off.
"First, stop by the village gates and collect this morning's entry list. It should already be compiled. Bring it back to me and I'll pass it along to the Administration Office. The guy who usually handles it is on leave today."
"Alright," Kaito said, nodding.
"Then take this to T&I," she continued, handing him a sealed folder. "Deliver it and collect the report they've finished."
Kaito accepted the folder with a nod.
"While you're there, pick up this week's border patrol summary," she added. "They should've finished compiling it this morning. Lady Tsunade wants it as soon as possible."
"Got it," Kaito said.
She was about to continue when her eyes landed on another sealed folder sitting near the edge of her desk.
Her expression changed. "Oh no."
Kaito followed her gaze. "What is it?"
Shizune stood up, clearly flustered. "This should've been sent yesterday. I must've missed it."
"What kind of report?" Kaito asked.
She hesitated. "The quarterly earnings report. It needs to be delivered to the Daimyō's office. It affects next quarter's funding allocation."
She frowned, already thinking. "I need to find someone to—"
"I'll take it," Kaito said, reaching out and lifting the folder from the desk.
Shizune blinked. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," he replied easily. "No problem. I'll just hiraishin over. It'll only take a few minutes."
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank you. You'll need to deliver it directly to the Daimyō's office and get a receipt stamp from whoever accepts it."
Kaito nodded. "Anything else?"
She flipped the page on the clipboard, then paused. "Oh—yeah, a few more things, actually. Head over to the hospital and collect the paperwork and the medicinal herb supply list that needs to be restocked. Ask the chief there."
She glanced back down at the page. "And there are a few mission authorization requests sitting with Operations. They've already been reviewed, but they need to be physically collected before Lady Tsunade can approve them."
Kaito nodded again. "Alright. Entry list from the gates, T&I delivery and pickup, border patrol summary, earnings report to the Daimyō's office with a receipt stamp, paperwork from the hospital and the herb restock list, and the mission authorizations from Operations."
Shizune relaxed slightly. "That's everything."
"Alright," Kaito said. "I'll get going then."
…
The noon sunlight filtered through the windows of the Hokage's office.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, her coat draped over the back of her chair as she worked through her paperwork with rare diligence.
A knock sounded—not at the door, but at the window.
She looked up just in time to see Kaito opening it and stepping inside.
"How many times have I told you to use the door like a normal person?" Tsunade said flatly.
Kaito shrugged as he walked over to her desk. "I've told you before. This is way faster."
"Anyway," he continued, pulling a sealing scroll from his pouch and unrolling it across the desk. With a quick motion, he unsealed a neat stack of documents. "I'm done with everything Shizu-nee assigned me to do today."
He handed the papers over one by one. "Here are the reports from T&I, and the summarized border patrol report you wanted."
Tsunade took them, scanning through the pages before setting them aside with a nod.
Kaito pulled out another set and passed them over. "These are the mission authorization requests from Operations."
She skimmed through them, then stamped and signed the forms with a tired sigh.
Kaito handed over the last sheet. "And here's the receipt stamp from the Daimyō's office."
Tsunade took it, then looked up sharply. "Shizune sent you to the Daimyō's office?"
Kaito shrugged. "Yeah. She forgot to send it yesterday, so I volunteered to take it since I can get there fast, ya know."
Tsunade clicked her tongue. "You know, that jutsu of yours is fair to rest of us."
Kaito shrugged again. "It's not exactly easy to learn, so I'd say it balances out."
Her eyes shifted to the remaining stack of papers still in his hands. "And what's that, brat?"
Kaito resealed them into the scroll. "Paperwork from the hospital, the herb restock list, and the village entry forms from this morning. Shizu-nee asked me to collect them. I'll drop these off with her on my way out. See you."
He turned and headed for the door.
"Wait," Tsunade said. "Where do you think you're going, brat?"
Kaito stopped and glanced back. "Huh?"
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Both of them looked over as Tsunade called out, "Come in."
Kenji opened the door and stepped inside, pausing just inside the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at Tsunade. "Sorry I'm a bit late, Tsuna. Are we still going?" His eyes flicked to Kaito, then back to her. "Oh—hey, Kaito-san."
Kaito gave him a brief nod.
"Yeah," Tsunade said, standing and grabbing her coat from the chair. "Just give me a minute."
She slipped it on, then looked back at Kaito. "Well, brat—finish up the rest of the paperwork for me."
Kaito crossed his arms immediately. "Nope."
Tsunade blinked. "Excuse me?"
"That wasn't part of the deal," he said evenly. "I finished everything you assigned me. I'm done."
She scoffed. "The deal was you work nine to five in the office, two days a week, in exchange for me not sending you on missions for a month so you can train." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "And it's only one-thirty."
She shrugged as she slipped her coat on. "If you finish early, you can leave."
Kaito's eye twitched. "I also remember you saying you wouldn't dump all your work on me and walk out."
Tsunade smirked. "And I'm not. I already finished most of it." She nodded toward the remaining stack. "That's all that's left. Once you're done, you can go."
She walked around the desk toward the door, fastening her coat as she passed him. "Be a good assistant." With that, she stepped out into the hallway.
Just outside, Shizune was walking past while looking down at her clipboard and nearly bumped straight into her.
"Oh—" Shizune stopped short and looked up. "Sorry, Lady Tsunade, I need—" She trailed off when she noticed Kenji beside Tsunade, both of them clearly on their way out.
Tsunade sighed. "You really should watch where you're going," she said. "Especially now that you're pregnant." She paused, then asked, "What is it?"
Shizune pulled her eyes away from Kenji. "Ah—right. I need your signature on this."
Tsunade took the clipboard, signed it quickly, then handed it back. "There. I'm heading out. I'll be back later." She waved a hand dismissively. "If you need anything, find the brat. He can handle it."
She walked past Shizune and continued down the hall.
Kenji let out a quiet sigh at Tsunade's antics, offered them both an apologetic look, and followed after her.
Back inside the office, Kaito stood there, his eye twitching.
Shizune watched Tsunade and Kenji leave, a small frown forming on her face.
Kaito threw his hands up. "That's it. I'm not doing this. Let the boss handle the paperwork."
He turned toward Shizune and handed her a scroll. "Here. Paperwork from the hospital, the herb restock list you wanted, and the village entry forms you asked for."
The moment she took it, he disappeared in a puff—revealing it had been a shadow clone all along.
Shizune stood there blinking, clipboard in one hand and the scroll in the other. She stared at the empty space where he'd been and murmured,
"…Huh. That was a shadow clone?"
…
The trees around the training ground shifted gently as the wind passed through them, leaves rustling softly through the clearing Kaito usually trained in.
At the center of the field, a large earth spike jutted up from the ground. Balanced on the very tip of it, on his index finger perfectly still. He was shirtless, body relaxed rather than tense, muscles loose as if gravity simply didn't apply to him. His index finger rested on the narrow point without any visible strain.
His eyes were closed. Distinct slug sage markings around them.
He'd been training to improve his senjutsu, pushing himself toward mastering it even further.
Just then, Hotaru Hyūga stepped into the clearing, holding a picnic basket with both hands in front of her. She stopped at the edge, looking up at him.
She wore a white short-sleeved shirt beneath a sleeveless purple sundress; her hair tied back in her usual ponytail.
Kaito's eyes snapped open. having already sensed her.
He pushed off with a flick of his finger, flipped cleanly through the air, and landed lightly in front of her without even disturbing the dirt.
He smiled and gave a small wave. "Hey, Hotaru." He tilted his head, curious. "Didn't you say you had to attend a clan meeting today, ya know?"
They'd been training together again lately. Ever since their genin team had been disbanded, time like this had been rare—so they both enjoyed it when they could.
Except today. Hotaru had mentioned a clan meeting with her father, duties tied to her being the heir.
Hotaru looked at him—and immediately flushed.
Her eyes lingered for just a second on his bare torso before she quickly looked down at the ground, fingers tightening around the basket. "A-Ano… it was cancelled," she said softly. "And I thought I'd bring you lunch."
Kaito chuckled. "I can see that, ya know. " As he spoke, the sage markings around his eyes faded, the senjutsu dispersing. He glanced down at himself, as if only just realizing the situation.
"Eh—right." He scratched the back of his head. "Let me put on a shirt, ya know."
He walked over to a flat boulder beneath a nearby tree, where he'd left his gear earlier, and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head.
The boulder sat in the shade, the tree canopy filtering the sunlight above.
Hotaru followed, staying a step behind.
Kaito sat down on the boulder and patted the spot beside him. "Come sit, Hotaru."
She sat next to him, placing the basket carefully between them.
Hotaru pulled out a large bento box, explaining that she'd cooked it herself. When she opened it, the food inside was neatly arranged—tamagoyaki sliced evenly, teriyaki chicken glazed just right, steamed rice topped with thin strips of seaweed, simmered vegetables like carrots, lotus root, and mushrooms, along with rolled cucumber salad dressed in sesame.
"I cooked it myself," she said quietly.
Kaito leaned in slightly, nodding appreciatively. "Wow… it looks great. ya know."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly at that.
She rummaged through the basket, then paused. "…Ah."
She looked up, feigning surprise as if she hadn't planned it at all. "Uh… I only brought one pair of chopsticks."
"But—we can share," she added quickly. Then, a little quieter, "If that's okay."
"It's fine," Kaito said easily. "I can just use a kunai."
He reached for his pouch resting beside him on the boulder and pulled out a kunai.
Hotaru's expression fell the moment she saw it. "Oh… right."
Kaito caught it immediately. He paused, glanced at the blade, then hummed. "On second thought, my kunai might not be clean."
He slid it back into the pouch and set it aside.
Hotaru brightened almost instantly—then tried very hard to look casual. Her cheeks tinted pink as she said, "I-I mean… I could feed you. If you want."
Kaito chuckled softly at her reaction. She was his girlfriend, after all.
Hotaru picked up some rice with a piece of teriyaki chicken and carefully held it out to him.
Kaito leaned in and took the bite. He chewed slowly, eyes closing as he nodded. "This is really good, Hotaru. You're getting better every time, ya know."
Hotaru smiled, clearly pleased.
After a moment, Kaito reached over and gently took the chopsticks from her. "Your turn."
He picked up a slice of tamagoyaki and held it out.
She blushed but leaned in and accepted it, smiling as she chewed.
They ate like that for a while, chatting easily about training, missions, and nothing important at all.
When it was Hotaru's turn again, she lifted the chopsticks toward him. "Here," she said softly.
Kaito leaned forward and took the bite—but just as he was about to swallow, a rush of memories slammed into him.
He choked.
Kaito coughed hard, doubling forward slightly as he pounded his chest, the food going down the wrong way.
Hotaru reacted instantly.
She set the bento aside, grabbed a small flask from the basket, and poured tea into a cup. "Slowly," she said, holding it to his lips. "Drink."
Kaito took a few careful sips, coughing once more before finally swallowing properly.
"—Haa," he let out a long breath. "Thanks."
She nodded, watching him closely. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said. "Bad timing."
Hotaru frowned as she sat back down. "You should be more careful when you eat, Kai-kun."
Kaito wiped his mouth and leaned back against the boulder. "Sorry about that. I just got hit with my shadow clone's memories."
Her brows knit slightly. "What happened?"
He sighed. "Nothing much. Aunt Tsunade dumped her work on my clone. He refused to do it and dispelled himself." He exhaled. "Looks like I'll have to head back to the office."
Hotaru frowned, then picked the bento back up. "Then go after lunch," she said firmly. "You'll need the energy."
She lifted the chopsticks toward his mouth again.
Kaito smiled and nodded, leaning in to take the bite.
…
Kaito sat behind the desk in the Hokage's office, finishing up the paperwork with a tired expression.
A knock sounded at the door.
Before he could respond, it opened, and Kotetsu and Izumo stepped inside, each carrying a thick stack of documents.
"Lady Tsunade," Kotetsu began automatically, then paused. "Here are the rest of the paperwork for today."
Kaito looked up, stared at the stacks, and went still.
"…Oh, kill me," he muttered, dropping his head forward and lightly hitting it against the desk.
Kotetsu and Izumo blinked, then looked closer.
"Oh—Kaito?" Kotetsu said. "What are you doing here?"
Izumo set his stack down and glanced at the mess already on the desk. "Let me guess—Lady Tsunade dumped her paperwork on you and left?"
Kotetsu placed his stack down as well. "Figures."
Both of them laughed.
Kaito lifted his head just enough to shoot them a flat look.
"Glad you're enjoying this."
They kept grinning anyway.
After a moment, Kaito leaned back in his chair and glanced at Kotetsu. "So," he said casually, "did you ask that girl out or what?"
Kotetsu stiffened instantly. "W-what?"
Izumo frowned. "What girl?"
Kaito looked at Izumo. "You don't know?"
Izumo shook his head. "This is the first I'm hearing about it."
"It's nothing," Kotetsu said quickly.
Izumo crossed his arms. "You've been acting weird for weeks."
Kaito smirked. "He likes the girl he got assigned as his partner when you were out of the village."
Izumo snapped his head toward Kotetsu. "You've been seeing a girl and you hid it from me?"
Kotetsu waved his hands frantically. "Hey—no! It's not like that! She was just assigned as my partner, nothing else, you know!"
He scratched the back of his head. "It's not like I asked her out or anything. I don't even know if she likes me."
"Well," Kaito said, shrugging, "there's only one way to find out."
Kotetsu looked hopeful. "Follow her around the village and see if she talks about me?"
Kaito and Izumo stared at him.
Izumo smacked him on the head. "No, you dolt. You ask her."
Kaito nodded, already signing off on another form. "Yeah. You'd better do it soon, before somebody else does."
Kotetsu rubbed his head. "But what if she doesn't like me?"
He glanced at Kaito. "Can you help? You've got experience, right?"
Kaito's eye twitched. "What do you mean I have experience?"
Kotetsu quickly backtracked. "I mean—you're dating Hotaru, right? So you must know how to tell if a girl likes you or not."
"I don't know," Kaito said, shrugging. "Hotaru's always liked me, even when we were kids, ya know."
He glanced at Kotetsu. "Does she laugh at your jokes?"
Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah, but I'm just funny like that. Everyone laughs at my jokes."
"Alright," Kaito said. "Does she blush when you get close?"
Kotetsu frowned, thinking. "Maybe? She blushed once, but that was when my pants ripped after they got caught on a nail."
Kaito stared at him for a second.
"…Yeah," he said, shrugging again. "That's all I've got on girls, man."
Izumo patted Kotetsu on the back. "Then we make sure you impress her," he said confidently. "I'll be your wingman."
Kotetsu looked at him, eyes wide. "Really? I can count on you as my wingman?"
Izumo rubbed under his nose, looking smug. "Of course. I'd do that for my best bud."
Kaito glanced up from the paperwork. "So what about you, Izumo?"
Izumo blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have anyone you like? I mean, when Kotetsu eventually starts going out with her, you'll have no one left to hang around with."
Izumo thought for a moment. "Well… there was this girl I liked back in the academy. Not sure what happened to her after we graduated."
Kotetsu looked at him. "You mean Yugao?"
Izumo nodded. "Yeah. Her."
"She's in ANBU," Kaito said without lifting his head from the paperwork. "She was part of Kakashi's team."
Izumo blinked. "Huh. She's in ANBU?"
Kaito nodded, still signing forms.
Kotetsu scratched his chin. "Well, if you want, I can ask Hinami if she can set you up with one of her friends."
Izumo's eyes widened. He grabbed Kotetsu's hands. "You'd really do that for me?"
Kotetsu nodded seriously. "Of course, brother."
Kaito stared at them, his eye twitching.
"…You two should really stop doing that in public," he said flatly. "There are already rumors you're together. You're just making it worse."
Kotetsu and Izumo froze.
"…Oh."
They coughed and quickly let go.
"Ahem. Anyway," Kotetsu said, clearing his throat. "We should get going."
"Yeah," Izumo added. "Good luck."
Kaito looked up. "Can you drop the finished paperwork off with Shizu-nee on your way out, please?"
They both nodded. "Got it." "Yeah, no problem."
They gathered the completed forms and headed for the door.
"Thanks, guys," Kaito called after them as it closed.
Once they were gone, Kaito let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring at the remaining stack they'd brought.
Sighing again, he pulled the top form from the pile and went back to work.
Just then, an ANBU wearing an owl mask landed silently on beside the desk.
"Heh," the masked shinobi said lightly as he picked up a form. "Seems you're busy, Kaito-kun."
Kaito looked up. "Hahaha. Very funny, Dad."
Minato chuckled beneath the mask. "So Lady Tsunade dumped her paperwork on you, huh?"
"ya know, I'm starting to regret asking you to go undercover," Kaito said dryly. "At this rate, she might just make me Hokage and disappear."
Minato smiled, amused. "You know," he said, "you'd actually make a great Hokage."
Kaito snorted. "No thanks. I'd rather have you take over."
Just then, both their heads snapped toward the window.
Jiraiya landed on the sill and pushed it open, peering inside before stepping into the office.
"Huh," he said casually. "Where's Tsunade?"
"She left," Kaito replied flatly. "After Dumping her work on me."
Jiraiya chuckled as he closed the window behind him and walked toward the desk. "Figures. Looks like you drew the short straw, brat."
Minato turned toward him. "You just got back, sensei?"
"Yeah," Jiraiya said with a nod. "Just arrived. Thought I'd drop by."
Minato's expression sharpened slightly. "What did you find out, sensei?"
Jiraiya looked between Minato and Kaito, his usual grin gone. He nodded slowly. "Nothing concrete," he said. "But something's off."
He crossed his arms. "The other villages are starting to move. Quietly. Not openly, but enough that my informants noticed."
Minato frowned. "You think they're preparing for war?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "No. Not war."
He hesitated, brow creasing. "At least… I don't think so."
He let out a breath. "They're repositioning people. Adjusting patrol routes. Pulling certain shinobi back home. It's not enough to raise alarms—but it's enough to make me uneasy."
Minato nodded slowly. "We've had a few shinobi go missing near our borders recently. No signs of a fight. No trail."
Jiraiya glanced at him. "You think it's connected?"
"Could be," Minato said. "It could be Danzō. Probing."
Both of them turned to Kaito.
Kaito shook his head. "I haven't heard anything. I'll look into it."
Jiraiya studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Let's keep this quiet for now. No need to stir the village over shadows."
The tension eased slightly.
Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Anyway—how about drinks tonight? On me."
Minato smiled. "Sure, sensei. It's been a while."
Jiraiya looked over at Kaito. "What about you, brat? You in?"
Kaito gave him a deadpan look. "I'm fifteen. I can't drink."
Minato chuckled. "sensei, If Kushina heard you inviting him to drink, she'd skin you alive."
Jiraiya waved a hand. "I didn't mean drinking. I just meant coming along."
"I don't plan on drinking even later," Kaito added. "Not really my thing."
Jiraiya scoffed. "You say that now. Wait till you're twenty-one."
"Doubt it," Kaito said.
Jiraiya shrugged. "Suit yourself."
He turned toward the window. "I'll meet you later, Minato."
Then he vanished.
Minato chuckled, then looked back at Kaito. "Come on. Let me help you finish the paperwork so we can go home."
…
Later that evening, the sun cast a warm orange glow over the Village Hidden in the Leaf.
Inside the Uzumaki household, the kitchen was quiet and calm.
It was just the two of them tonight. Minato had gone out drinking with Jiraiya, and Naruto, Karin, and the others had tagged along to eat with them.
Kaito stood over the flame of the wok. He reached for the tray of vegetables, tipped them in, and added the spices, the scent filling the room as he stirred.
Kushina sat resting at the dining table, watching him with a relaxed expression.
A knock sounded at the door.
Kaito tilted his head slightly. He'd already sensed who it was.
"I'll get it," Kushina said as she stood and headed toward the entrance.
She opened the front door to find Shizune standing there, Tonton cradled in her arms. Her belly was visibly round now, far more noticeable than before.
"Shizune?" Kushina said, surprised. "What brings you over?" Her eyes dropped instinctively. "…Your stomach's gotten bigger since the last time I saw you."
Shizune smiled and rubbed her belly gently. "It has, hasn't it?"
"Oh—where are my manners," Kushina said quickly, stepping aside. "Come in, come in."
Shizune hesitated for a moment. "Ah, Kushina-nee… I wanted to talk to you about something, if that's okay."
Kushina nodded at once. "Of course. Why don't you join me and Kaito for dinner?"
Tonton oinked loudly, as if protesting.
Kushina laughed. "I'll get you something too, Tonton."
"Thank you," Shizune said, then paused. "Isn't Minato-sama, Naruto-kun, and the others joining us?"
Kushina shook her head as they walked inside. "No, it's just me and Kai-kun today. Minato took the others out to eat with Jiraiya."
They headed toward the kitchen, where Kaito was finishing up. He plated the stir-fried vegetables and set them aside.
He looked up when he saw Shizune. "Hey, Shizune-nee."
Once they were seated and the food was laid out, Kushina picked up her chopsticks and glanced at Shizune. "So," she said gently, "what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Shizune looked uneasy at first, her eyes flicking briefly toward Kaito.
"I can eat in the living room if you need privacy," Kaito offered.
"No, no," Shizune said quickly, shaking her head. "It's nothing like that." She sighed. "It's about Tsunade-sama."
Kaito immediately understood why Shizune had come.
Kushina raised an eyebrow. "Tsuna-nee?" She frowned slightly. "What did she do? Is she overworking you again? You want me to talk to her?"
"What? No—no, nothing like that," Shizune said hastily. "Lady Tsunade doesn't let me do anything anymore."
Kushina paused, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. "Then what is it about?"
Shizune let out a slow sigh. "It… Its about Lady Tsunade and Kenji-san."
Kushina nodded almost immediately. "Ah. So it's about Kenji-san."
Shizune blinked, surprised. "Huh? You know him?"
Kushina nodded again. "Yeah. Tsuna-nee told me about him." She smiled faintly. "Don't you think they make a cute couple together?"
Shizune sighed, then nodded. "That's just it, Kushina-nee. They're getting closer and closer. And I really am happy for her—but I don't trust Kenji-san."
She folded her hands together. "I tried looking into his background, but there's nothing. No records, nothing concrete. Just that he was in ROOT." Her brow furrowed. "It feels… off."
Shizune swallowed. "What if he's a ROOT spy? What if he hurts Lady Tsunade? She's finally opening up after so many years…"
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I just don't want her to get hurt."
Kaito kept eating, not saying anything.
Kushina nodded slowly. "It's Tsuna-nee we're talking about. She's cautious, and she won't fall for someone that easily, ya know. Nobody could trick her so simply."
Her expression softened as she looked back at Shizune. "But I understand. You're just looking out for her. Still, there's nothing to worry about."
Kaito finally spoke, lifting his eyes from his food. "If it makes it easier for you, I already checked."
Shizune looked at him, startled. "Huh?"
Kaito nodded. "When Kenji came back, Aunt Tsunade asked me to look into his mind. He's clean."
Shizune blinked. "You're sure?"
"Yeah, I checked it myself." Kaito said calmly. "He doesn't have any embedded seals. and there were no signs of conditioning. He's not a spy."
Shizune's shoulders dropped as she let out a breath. "I… I've been worrying about this for months."
Kushina chuckled softly. "Tsunade's lucky to have a friend like you, Shizune. Someone who cares that much."
Shizune smiled, eyes a little misty. "I just want her to be happy."
Kushina nodded. "So do we."
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