Stranger and A Last Stand (26)

After the day of being out and about with Shisui, I was left tired and ready to hit the hay. As I approached the front door, I paused, hearing the low murmur of voices from inside. One of them wasn't familiar. Curiosity piqued, I slid the door open and stepped inside.

Immediately, I saw my mother, May, sitting at the table, her usual gentle smile in place. But across from her sat a woman with long, fiery red hair—vibrant and striking, unlike anything I'd seen in the village before. The sight of it caught me off guard, and without thinking, I blurted, "Wow, your hair is really amazing."

The red-haired woman looked up, her eyes wide with amusement, and before I could react, she was already moving. "Oh, well, aren't you the sweetest little thing!" she exclaimed, darting from her seat and sweeping me into a tight hug before I could even process what was happening. I was suddenly squashed against her chest in a vice grip being twirled around.

"Wh—what—hey! Hey! I'm not a kid!" I sputtered, trying to wiggle free from the unexpectedly strong hug. It felt like she wasn't going to let go, but after a few moments, she finally released me, her hands resting on my shoulders as she looked me over, smiling brightly.

"Shiro, this is Kushina Uzumaki. She was one of my students when I was still an active ninja."

Kushina beamed down at me, her red hair catching the light as she ruffled my already messy hair. "Yep! Your mom was the best teacher ever. I owe a lot of what I know to her!"

I blinked, glancing between Kushina and my mother. "I never knew you were a jonin sensei," I said, turning to my mom, who was watching the interaction with an amused expression.

May chuckled softly. "I don't talk about it much anymore, but yes, I was a jonin sensei for a time. Kushina was part of my squad."

"Your mom was awesome, ya know!" Kushina chimed in, clearly excited to share stories. She plopped back down at the table, gesturing for me to join them. "She was always calm and collected, no matter what. She taught me so much about controlling my chakra, especially with… well, let's just say I have a lot of it." She grinned, clearly downplaying what sounded like a big understatement.

May smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You had a lot of potential from a young age. You were fiery and full of energy, but it took some time and patience to help channel it properly."

"Yeah, like that time I almost blew up the training ground with my chakra chains!" Kushina laughed, while getting a glassy look in her eyes as she recalled the event. "Your mom had the patience of a saint."

"I remember that day," May said with a playful smile, shaking her head. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I didn't mean to! My chains just went a little crazy, it was like the more I tried to control it the more they wanted to be free. Eventually, they just burst out of me and destroyed everything" Kushina grinned, clearly enjoying the memory as she turned back to me. "But your mom kept her cool, like always. She showed me how to control it and keep myself grounded when my chakra flared up. I don't know where I'd be without her."

"Oh, you'd have been just fine. You would have found your path exactly like what happened with Minato," my mom said with a soft smile, switching the topic. "Speaking of which, how are you two doing?"

Kushina grinned, leaning back in her chair comfortably. "Oh, you know, it's good! Minato's busy as usual, but we've been finding time to spend together. He's always so focused on his work, but that's one of the things I love about him."

My mom smiled as she thought about the young boy who used to walk Kushina back from their training and sparring matches when they were younger, always with some kind of scroll in hand. 'Even back then, he always seemed to be working on something constantly.' May thought.

Kushina continued "I even built a specially-made shed for him to experiment in and store his stuff without causing damage to the house, for his birthday. Somedays I don't see him come out of there." She laughed as they continued to talk.

I sat quietly, listening intently to the conversation. Minato Namikaze, his name was coming up more and more around the village. While I didn't know him personally, his reputation preceded him, and it was clear that he was someone extraordinary.

What intrigued me more, though, was how familiar and casual the conversation was between my mom and Kushina. I'd rarely seen my mother this relaxed, especially with someone outside the family.

"And what about you, Shiro?" Kushina asked suddenly, turning her bright, curious eyes toward me. "How's your training coming along? I've heard you're advanced for your age, already a chunin at seven!"

The compliment caught me by surprise, but I straightened up, feeling a sense of pride rise in my chest. "It's going well. I've been focusing on genjutsu and improving my chakra control. And, well, I'm trying to keep up with Shisui."

Kushina's eyes lit up with interest. "Genjutsu, huh? That's impressive! It's a tricky skill to master, especially at your age. You must be really talented."

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise. "Well, I've had good teachers."

Kushina laughed. "Don't be so modest! Genjutsu takes focus and precision, sure you can learn it but it takes talent to truly excell." She glanced at my mother, a playful smile on her face. "Looks like someone's taking after his mom, huh?"

My mom gave a small, proud smile, nodding in agreement but not saying much. It was the kind of quiet pride she always carried with her—never boasting, but always aware of what she had achieved and passed on.

For the next hour, the three of us sat together as I listened to Kushina and my mom catch up on old stories from their shinobi days.

It was strange in a way—hearing these stories and seeing my mom in such a different light. I'd never realized just how many connections she had in the village, how deeply others like Kushina respected her. She wasn't just my mom; she had been a powerful shinobi, someone others admired and trusted. 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The sound of roaring flames consumed the battlefield, mingling with the howling wind that fed the inferno. Kaito could feel the intense heat searing his skin, the combination of fire and wind jutsu from the shinobi before him threatening to engulf everything. 

Kaito was battered, his body torn by deep cuts and burns, but his resolve remained unbroken. His comrades—Ryota, Nari, Shin, and Hiroshi—stood nearby, worn down and exhausted. Their faces were smeared with dirt and blood, their bodies trembling from fatigue.

But none of them were in worse condition than Kaito, who was at his limit. His chakra reserves were dangerously low, and the weight of the mission and his promise was weighing down on him.

A massive wall of earth erupted from the ground as Kaito called out, "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!" The earthen barrier rose just in time to block the oncoming flames, the roar of the fire muffled as it collided with the sturdy rock. The ground trembled beneath the force of the attack, and the flames crackled angrily, threatening to break through.

"Get back!" Kaito shouted, his voice hoarse but filled with authority. "I'll handle this!"

"But Kaito—" Ryota began, stepping forward, his face twisted with concern. Kaito silenced him with a sharp glance, his eyes burning with determination.

"I said get back!" Kaito's voice cut through the chaos, commanding and final. "This isn't a fight you guys can win anymore. Not in the state you're in. Let me finish this!"

"But Neither are y-" He was cut off by Kaito turning to give them a look they'd never seen before.

 Seeing this through their sharingan, they obeyed, retreating as Kaito had ordered, their bodies nearly spent. Their trust in Kaito was absolute, though none of them wanted to admit what they were all thinking—this could be their last stand.

Kaito glanced over his shoulder briefly, watching his comrades, bloodied and bruised, retreat to the edge of the battle field. He clenched his fists, feeling the burning pain throughout his body, but it was nothing compared to the strain he felt in his chakra. It was nearly depleted, and he knew that there was only one option left—one final card to play.

The mission had been a trap from the beginning, just as Kaito had feared. Danzo had sent foundation agents after them and they had been waiting for the perfect chance, and now Kaito and his team were outnumbered and cornered by an ever-reinforced number of ninjas.

Kaito had suspected something was off from the moment the orders were given, but now it was all too clear. Danzo had orchestrated this betrayal, and Kaito could feel the bitter truth settling in his gut.

'Damn it all. Even if I have to come back to life, I'll get my revenge on Danzo for using me and my comrades like this.' Kaito grit his teeth as the mud wall fell into pieces after being beaten with a wind and fire style combination jutsu. 

His breath came in ragged gasps, and Kaito's eyes burned with a deadly light. His three-tomoe sharingan spun slowly, and then, with a pulse of energy, they shifted once more. The tomoe twisted and melded together, transforming into something far more dangerous—a mangekyo sharingan, its pattern a three-pointed spoke.

"Kaito…" Nari whispered, her voice barely audible as she realized what she was witnessing. The rest of the team froze in place, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten, their eyes wide in disbelief.

Without hesitation, Kaito unleashed its terrifying power. The Mangekyo glowed crimson in the evening light, its pattern spinning as the very air around the foundation agents warped under the immense pressure of Kaito's will. 

The three Root agents charging at him faltered, their movements slowing as the gravity around them increased exponentially and their eyes widened in disbelief. The very ground beneath their feet seemed to pull them in, and then, without warning, the pressure multiplied. Bones cracked, bodies contorted, and the echo of snapping ribs filled the air. The force was unbearable, the weight of Kaito's eye compressing their forms into grotesque, twisted shapes.

In mere seconds, their bodies were reduced to crushed, bloody balls, barely recognizable as once human. 

Kaito took a step back, barely able to hold himself upright as the searing pain of his mangekyo sharingan took its toll on his chakra reserves. Blood trickled from his eyes, painting streaks of crimson down his face as he gasped for breath. His vision was swimming, his mind reeling from the overexertion of his chakra.

'I'll never get used to how much chakra it uses and how much eyesight disappears with it.' He thought as his vision blurred, and he blinked rapidly to clear it. Though it did very little to alleviate the growing darkness around the edges, there was still the throbbing in his head.

The battlefield was strewn with the mangled remains of the foundation agents, crushed and twisted by the overwhelming force of his powers. But it wasn't enough. More were coming. Kaito could sense them, feel the oppressive wave of chakra signatures approaching from the distance. They were relentless, seemingly endless, like an unstoppable tide.

His body screamed for rest, his eyes burning with unbearable pain. His chakra reserves were dangerously low, and every activation of the mangekyo sharingan brought him closer to collapse. But stopping wasn't an option. His comrades were still in danger, still relying on him to hold the line. They had to go home today, even if he couldn't. He made that promise and he will follow through with it.

With a roar that echoed across the battlefield, Kaito summoned the peak of his Mangekyo's power. The air around him crackled and warped, energy surging outward as an enormous, ethereal figure began to take shape around him. A ribcage appeared first, bones glowing with a deep red hue. Then came the spine, followed by a skeletal head and broad shoulders, all encased in muscle.

The figure towered over the battlefield—half-formed but terrifying. Kaito's Susanoo was incomplete, only the upper half materializing, but it was more than enough to deal with the rest of the agents. The crimson Susanoo loomed over the battlefield, its overwhelming presence sending out a cold, dreadful aura that washed over everything.

Ryota, Nari, Hiroshi, and Shin felt the oppressive force immediately. Their hearts pounded in their chests, the sheer magnitude of Kaito's chakra making them freeze in place. The air around them felt heavier, colder, as if the very life had been drained from the surroundings.

"Is this susanoo?" Ryota muttered, his voice shaking with disbelief. He had heard legends of the Uchiha's ultimate defense, but seeing it—feeling it—was something else entirely.

Nari's eyes widened in awe and terror, her voice barely a whisper. "The power… it's suffocating."

Hiroshi clenched his fists, staring up at the crimson giant. "I had no idea Kaito could do this. All this time he was hiding his power."

Even the remaining Root agents, hardened and trained to be ruthless, hesitated. The Susanoo's towering form and malevolent energy filled the battlefield with a sense of hopelessness. It was as if they were standing before a god of destruction, and their wills began to falter slightly.

Kaito's chest tightened painfully as the Susanoo materialized, the weight of its creation sending waves of agony through his already broken body, as if every cell in his body was being set on fire.

His chakra reserves were dangerously low, his body on the verge of collapse. The strain was unbearable, yet he knew that this would be the last time he could summon this power. The Susanoo was his final stand.

As the crimson behemoth solidified its shape around him, Kaito's thoughts drifted to his family. 'Shiro… May…' A deep, soul-crushing sadness welled up inside him, sharper than the physical pain wracking his body. 'I'll never see Shiro grow up,' he thought, his heart breaking as the truth of his fate settled in. 'I won't grow old with May… I won't be there for them.'

The grief gnawed at him, an overwhelming force, fueling the flames of his Susanoo. His mind raced through memories: the day he first met May, the way her smile had ignited something in him he thought he'd never feel. The moment he found out they would be parents, defying all odds. He thought of the countless hours spent with Shiro, teaching him jutsu, guiding him through training, and watching as his son slowly grew stronger and built power.

And now, all of it—the life he built, the love he had known—was being taken away, torn from him by one man's ambition. Danzo's lust for power had brought Kaito and his comrades to this point, and now, Kaito was paying the ultimate price. Every emotion surged through him: love, hatred, frustration, joy, sorrow. They all burned fiercely inside him clashing with each other, fueling his chakra to push past the breaking point.

With a scream that tore from the very depths of his soul, Kaito's susanoo bore down on the incoming attackers, summoning a massive kusarigama, and letting it swing in wild arcs. "You're not leaving this battlefield alive!"

The weapon swung wide, the chain whistling through the air with deadly intent. Kaito's susanoo unleashed its wrath, cutting through the battlefield like a hurricane of destruction. The sickle cleaved through trees, earth, and foundation agents alike, sparing nothing in its path.

The forest was reduced to ruin in mere moments. Trees snapped and fell like twigs, their trunks severed effortlessly by the sickle. The ground itself was torn apart, trenches carved into the earth as the weapon decimated everything. The screams of the remaining Root agents filled the air—terror-stricken cries cut short as their bodies were reduced to lifeless husks, ripped apart by the unstoppable force of Kaito's Susanoo.

And then, everything went silent and the dust began to settle.

Ryota, Nari, Shin, and Hiroshi rushed to Kaito's side, their faces pale with horror. "Kaito!" Ryota shouted, dropping to his knees beside him, his voice shaking. Kaito coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to breathe, each gasp more labored than the last.

"It's… too late for me," Kaito rasped, his voice barely audible, each word a painful effort. "Don't… worry about me surviving. You need to get back to the village. More enemies… will come."

Nari's eyes welled with tears as she knelt beside him, her voice trembling as she tried to keep her composure and started to form medical ninjutsu hand seals. "We can't not help yo-."

"You have to, I can feel my life slipping from me" Kaito interrupted, his voice soft but unyielding. His hand weakly reached out, grasping Nari's with what little strength he had left. His gaze, though blurred and unfocused, was filled with a quiet determination. "Promise me, you guys will make my eyes back to the village, back to May… and Shiro."

Shin and Hiroshi exchanged solemn glances, nodding silently, their expressions etched with grief. They both knelt beside Kaito, their hands shaking as they realized the weight of his final request.

Ryota, however, clenched his fists tightly, his teeth gritted in frustration and helplessness. The tension in him snapped, and with a raw scream of anger, he slammed his fist into the ground beside Kaito, creating a crater. "Damn it! You hard-headed bastard. Why do you leave the hardest part up to us?" he cursed.

Kaito's breathing grew more labored, his body slumping further against the blood-soaked ground but still managed to let out a light laugh.

He could feel his life slipping away, but there was one final thing he needed to say. "Tell Shiro…" Kaito whispered, his voice barely above a breath, "I'm so proud of him. Tell May… I love her so much. And tell them both… I'm sorry for lying."

As his final words left his lips, his vision dimmed, the world around him blurring into darkness. The three-spiked pattern of his mangekyo sharingan slowly faded from his eyes as they closed for the last time.

The silence was deafening.

Nari reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek. "Kaito…?"

No response.

A single tear of blood rolled down Kaito's face, tracing the dirt-streaked path to the ground where it mingled with the battlefield's carnage. His chest no longer rose. His body went still.

Nari's tears fell freely as she cradled Kaito's lifeless hand in hers. "You... you idiot, you didn't have to sacrifice yourself for us." Her voice cracked, and the dam broke, sobs wracking her shoulders.

Shin placed a hand on Nari's trembling back, his voice low and steady despite his grief. "He did so for ."

"He gave everything… for us." He looked up, his gaze clearing of the anger that had just been in it. "We can't let his sacrifice be for nothing."

Ryota's hands shook as he reached for the storage scroll. His movements were deliberate as he carefully sealed Kaito's body and his precious eyes away. "I'll make sure we make it home, I swear it, Kaito."

As the scroll sealed shut with a soft snap, Ryota stood, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"Let's go," he said, his voice quiet but filled with purpose. "We still have a promise to keep."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

(A/N: Talk about a loooong chapter this time. I'm sure absoluety everyone is shocked that he also had a mangekyo sharingan this whole time and nobody saw this coming, right? Right?? Anyway, I tried to make this chapter as touching as possible. I know we didn't have too much time to become attached to Kaito but he still played a fairly big part of Shiro becoming a ninja. Overall I'm pretty happy with it, hope you guys enjoyed!)

Powerstone Goals:

25 by Sunday = Extra Chapter

50 by Sunday = 2 Extra Chapters