Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 222
Utakata grunted as the force hit him.
The instant the seal finished forming, Kaito pulled his hand back.
Utakata jumped away, clutching his stomach with one hand, flute raised in the other, fury flashing across his face. "What did you do?!"
Kaito waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. I just placed a seal on you."
Utakata stared at him. "A… seal?"
"It'll keep you alive even if Saiken gets extracted," Kaito said calmly. "And at the same time, it'll teleport you somewhere safe."
Utakata looked down at his stomach, then back at Kaito, confusion written all over his face. "…What?"
"Don't think too hard about it," Kaito said. "It's a seal I made to protect my brother." He paused. "Just make sure you create a new identity when you wake up. Otherwise, you'll just get hunted again." He added, "The seal only works once."
As he finished speaking, the domed barrier around them dissolved. The chakra chains faded away, leaving the clearing open once more.
Kaito lifted a hand in a casual wave. "Well, I should get going. It was nice meeting you again, Utakata."
And then he vanished.
Utakata stood there in silence, staring at the empty space where Kaito had been just a moment ago.
…
The sun was just starting to rise over the Village Hidden in the Leaves, casting a warm glow across the rooftops.
Light filtered in through the windows of the mission office in the Hokage Tower.
Kaito stood at one of the report desks, yawning as he handed over his completed mission report.
The chūnin at the desk took it, skimmed through the pages, then nodded before stamping it.
"All set," he said. "Mission pay will be deposited into your account later today."
"Thanks," Kaito replied, covering his mouth with one hand to stifle another yawn as he turned and walked out of the office.
He stepped out of the Hokage Tower onto the landing, already turning toward the stairs—then nearly walked straight into someone.
"Hey. Watch it, brat."
Kaito stopped short. Tsunade was standing there, arms loose at her sides.
"Oh—hey. Sorry," Kaito said, rubbing his eyes and giving her a tired nod. "Wasn't looking."
"I'd say," Tsunade replied, planting her hands on her hips as she looked him over from head to toe. "Just get back from a mission?"
"Yeah," Kaito nodded. "Just handed in the report." He yawned again.
She reached out and ruffled his hair. "You should go rest. You look like you fought a dozen shinobi."
"I was planning to," Kaito said, then paused. "By the way, I need the next month off."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Here I was thinking of sending you on another mission in a few days."
Kaito gave her a flat look. "You're always sending me on missions."
"So," she said, ignoring that, "why do you want a month off?"
Kaito yawned again. "To train. I haven't had time to train properly these past few months."
She nodded. "Alright." Then she lifted a finger. "But that doesn't mean you're getting out of helping me."
He groaned. "Here it comes."
"I need you to come in a few times a week," Tsunade said, smirking slightly. "Paperwork."
Kaito stared at her. "No."
"You're not refusing," she replied calmly.
"I absolutely am," he said. "You have a whole office for that."
"And that whole office is about to be short one very important person," Tsunade said. "Shizune's going on maternity leave soon."
Kaito blinked. "Soon?"
"Very soon," she confirmed. "Which means I need someone I trust to help keep things from piling up."
He crossed his arms. "That sounds like a you problem."
She leaned in slightly, her eyes sharp. "It becomes a village problem when things don't get signed on time."
Kaito clicked his tongue. "You just want to trap me in paperwork hell again, like when you had me doing your paperwork for months. I'm not doing that again."
"That was your punishment for putting the village in danger," she said flatly. "Plus, this will be good training for when you take over the hat in two years."
He sighed and rubbed his face. "You're doing this on purpose. Why can't you just hire another assistant?"
"I am," Tsunade replied. "But I still need your help managing the load." She shrugged. "Once or twice a week. That's it."
Kaito looked away, thinking for a moment. "I'm not staying past noon."
"Deal."
"And I'm not sorting financial ledgers."
"Deal."
"And if you try to dump everything on me—"
"I won't," she said, smirking. "Well. Not much, anyway."
Kaito shot her a look.
She grinned. "Go home. Get some sleep. We'll talk schedules later."
Kaito turned toward the stairs again. "You owe me for this, ya know."
Tsunade waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Go before I change my mind and send you out tomorrow."
Kaito muttered something under his breath as he headed down the steps, the morning sun warming his back as he left the tower behind.
…
Kaito stood on the porch of the Uzumaki house, having just slipped off his sandals. He placed them neatly on the shoe rack before sliding the front door open.
"I'm back," he called as he stepped inside.
Voices drifted in from the kitchen.
Naruto poked his head out first. "Oh—hey, big bro. You're back."
Kaito yawned as he walked toward the kitchen. "Yeah, just got back." He glanced at the wall clock and frowned slightly. "What are you still doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" There were barely thirty minutes left before it started.
"The baka overslept again," Guren snorted from the kitchen.
Naruto shot her a stink eye. "I didn't oversleep. Mom didn't wake me up, ya know." He went back to the dining table and resumed cutting vegetables.
Kaito followed Naruto into the kitchen, then slowed to a stop.
Haku and Karin were already at work. Karin was washing a pot of rice at the sink, while Haku stood beside her, cutting vegetables. Kimimaro was at the counter slicing chicken with quiet focus, and Guren stood at the stove, stirring something in a pan.
Kaito looked between them, confused. "Huh… why are you all making breakfast?" He glanced around. "Where's Mom? Did she go out or something?" He was sure he could still sense her in the house.
Karin looked over at him as she rinsed the rice. "Aunt Kushina isn't feeling well."
Kaito blinked. "Huh?"
"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding as he looked up from the cutting board. "She's still in bed. We wanted to make her something to eat before we leave for the academy, ya know."
Kaito frowned. "Wait—Mom's sick?" He sounded genuinely puzzled. He couldn't remember ever seeing her sick before.
They all nodded.
"She said she was dizzy," Haku said gently. "And nauseous."
Kaito frowned a little more, then shook his head. "That's… new."
"She looked really sick," Guren added. "So we figured we'd handle breakfast."
Kimimaro nodded once. "It seemed appropriate."
Kaito glanced around again. "Is Dad out on a mission?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Dad left a day after you did, ya know."
"Right," Kaito said after a moment. "I'll go check on her. My clone will help you guys."
He nodded and formed the seal. Poof. A shadow clone appeared beside him.
The clone walked over to the stove. "You guys go get ready. I'll handle the breakfast."
With that settled, the original Kaito left the kitchen and headed down the corridor toward his parents' room.
He stopped in front of the door, leaned in slightly, and knocked. "Hey, Mom, it's me—Kaito. Are you okay?"
He heard a faint grunt from inside.
"I'm coming in, ya know," he said, waiting a moment before sliding the door open.
Kaito stepped inside.
Kushina lay in bed, her hair loose against the pillow, a few strands stuck to her forehead. One arm rested over her stomach. She looked pale, eyes half-lidded, like she'd only just woken up.
Her face brightened when she saw him. "Ah… Kai-kun, you're back, ya know—"
She tried to sit up.
Almost immediately, her expression shifted. She brought a hand to her mouth, turning slightly as the nausea hit.
Kaito crossed the room in two steps. "Hey—are you okay?" He gently pressed her back against the pillow, keeping her steady until it passed.
Kushina swallowed hard. "…Sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to worry anyone."
"What's going on?" Kaito asked, already reaching out. He placed his palm against her forehead, checking her temperature. "When did this start?"
"Last night," she said quietly. "I think I might've eaten something bad, ya know."
"You don't have a fever," Kaito said after a moment, nodding.
"Do you feel any pain?" he asked.
She shook her head slightly, watching him. "Not really. Just… dizzy. And sick."
"Alright. Let me check," Kaito said.
The hand on her forehead began to glow green.
He focused, using the Mystic Palm Jutsu to examine her condition. A few seconds passed—then his eyes widened.
"Huh…"
Kushina noticed immediately. "…Kai-kun?" she asked. "What is it?"
He withdrew his hand and looked at her, still wide-eyed.
Her brow furrowed. "Is it really that serious?"
Kaito shook his head and straightened. "Eh—no. Nothing like that." He hesitated, then added, "I'm just… gonna get Aunt Tsunade to take a look."
Kushina looked worried now. "Now you're scaring me, ya know."
Kaito shook his head quickly. "It's nothing bad. I just need her to confirm something, ya know."
She didn't look convinced. "…You're not lying to me, are you?"
He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I wouldn't do that, ya know."
"Give me a minute," Kaito said. "I'll go get her. She can explain it."
Kushina sighed and settled back against the pillow. "Alright…"
"I'll be back in a minute. Just rest, okay," he said.
Before she could respond, he vanished from the room.
Kushina lay there quietly, eyes drifting closed as she let out a slow breath, her thoughts circling around the look she'd seen on Kaito's face—and wondering what it was that had made him nervous.
…
Tsunade sat behind her desk, one elbow resting against the wood as she lifted her teacup, steam curling lazily into the air. The desk was still clear of paperwork—Shizune hadn't brought anything in yet.
She took a sip. "Hmm," she hummed, eyes closed as she mentally skimmed through the morning ahead.
The air shifted.
Kaito appeared in front of her desk without a sound.
Tsunade didn't flinch. She didn't bother opening her eyes. This wasn't the first time he'd done this. "You know," she said flatly, "most people knock."
Tsunade opened one eye after a few seconds and looked at him, lowering her cup slowly. "What do you want, brat?" she asked. "I thought you were going to get some sleep."
"That can wait," Kaito said. "I need you to come with me."
"Hm." She leaned back in her chair. "I've got work to get done. Whatever it is, it can wait."
"No," Kaito shook his head. "It's important."
That made her pause.
Tsunade studied him more closely now. He wasn't joking. He wasn't annoyed. And he wasn't barging in without a reason.
"…What happened?" she asked, setting her teacup down.
"It's Mom," Kaito said. "She's not feeling well. I need you to check on her."
Tsunade frowned. "If she's sick, you can bring her to the hospital."
"I already checked her," Kaito replied. "And I need your opinion."
That gave her pause.
"You don't drag me out of my office unless you're sure," she said. "What did you find?"
Kaito didn't answer right away, shifting slightly, uncomfortable. "You'll see when you check her."
Tsunade clicked her tongue. "You're being vague on purpose."
He didn't respond.
She sighed and pushed her chair back. "I swear, every time I think I'll have a quiet morning—"
Standing, she reached for her coat. "Alright. Let's go."
She took one step toward the door.
Kaito caught her wrist.
"Oi," Tsunade snapped, turning sharply. "I said I'd—"
And then the office vanished.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door.
"Lady Tsunade?"
The door slid open and Shizune stepped inside, clipboard in hand, eyes still on the papers. "My lady, we need to go over the—"
She trailed off.
The office was empty.
The teacup on the desk was still steaming.
Shizune blinked, looking around. "…Huh."
She frowned slightly. "I swear I just heard her voice."
…
One moment they were in the Hokage's office. The next, they were standing in the Uzumaki house living room.
Tsunade staggered half a step, then straightened immediately, and shot kaito a glare.
"…You couldn't have given me a warning?" she asked.
"Thought you would've gotten used to it by now, ya know," Kaito replied with a shrug.
She huffed. "You're lucky you're Kushina's kid."
Adjusting her coat, Tsunade looked down the hallway.
Voices came from the kitchen, and a moment later Naruto, Karin, Haku, Guren, and Kimimaro stepped out.
"Ah, Aunt Tsunade," Naruto said, "you're here to check on Mama, ya know."
"Yeah, yeah kid" Tsunade replied, already walking past them. "Let me go check what's wrong with your mother." She reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair as she passed.
Naruto scowled and stepped away. "Hey, don't do that," he muttered, before following after her.
The others followed as well.
They reached the bedroom. The door was already open from when Kaito had left.
Tsunade walked in and spotted Kushina lying on the bed. "Well," she muttered as she approached, "you look like you've been hit by a train."
Kushina managed a weak smile. "Feels like I was hit by one."
Tsunade crouched beside the bed. "Alright, let me see what's wrong with you." She placed a glowing palm against Kushina's stomach, activating the Mystic Palm Technique.
After a second, Tsunade looked from Kushina to Kaito. "Well," she said, "I can see why the kid looked uncomfortable."
Kaito nodded once. "So it is what I thought, huh."
"Yeah," Tsunade replied. "Pretty much."
Kushina frowned, clearly irritated now. "Hey. You two wanna tell me what you're talking about?"
Tsunade turned back to her, her voice gentler. "Relax. You're not sick."
Kushina blinked. "…Huh? If I'm not sick, then what's wrong with me?"
Tsunade met her eyes. "Congratulations. You're pregnant, Kushina."
The room went silent.
Kushina stared at her. "…W–What?" she stammered, eyes widening.
Naruto frowned, still stuck on the word. "Preg—what? What does that mean, ya know?"
Guren sighed. "She's pregnant, you idiot. That means there's a baby in her stomach."
Naruto froze. "Wait—what do you mean she has a baby in her stomach?" His face twisted in confusion. "How did she put a baby in her stomach, ya know?"
Guren groaned and rubbed her face.
Karin shook her head. "No, Naruto. That's just how babies are born. It means you're going to have a little brother."
Haku smiled slightly. "Or a little sister."
Naruto's eyes widened even more. "Wait… does that mean I'm going to be a big brother, ya know?"
Kimimaro nodded once. "Yes."
Naruto froze for half a second—then jumped, pumping his fist in the air. "Yatta! I'm going to be a big brother, ya know!"
Kushina turned back to Tsunade, still trying to process it all. "B–But… how?"
Tsunade shrugged. "Probably when you jumped on Minato when he got back."
Kushina's face instantly turned red. "Hey—there are kids here, ya know!" She sat up before immediately regretting it.
Her hand flew to her mouth as the nausea hit, and she slumped back against the pillow.
"You should stop moving so much," Tsunade said calmly. "You're just going to make the morning sickness worse by doing that."
Kushina swallowed hard, breathing through it. "…But I had morning sickness before," she said quietly. "When I had Kai-kun. And Naru-chan. It wasn't like this."
"Not every pregnancy is the same," Tsunade replied. "Each one's different. This time, you've got it stronger."
"Plus, you had the Nine-Tails back then, he probably helped" Kaito added. He looked at Tsunade. "Does she need to be taken to the hospital?"
Tsunade shook her head. "Not unless she can't keep food down at all. She'll be fine as long as she gets some rest."
She turned toward Kaito. "Come on, brat. Take me back. I'll give you some medicine for her." Then she looked back at Kushina. "Take it after you eat something. It should lessen the nausea."
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.
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