Hinata nodded with a blushing face, a hint of happiness in her expression.
After more than a year of training, Hinata's ability to handle pressure had improved significantly. She no longer fainted at the slightest touch.
Things like having her cheeks pinched, nose tapped, or head patted were all within her tolerance now.
At that moment, Iruka walked into the classroom, and their whispering came to an end.
Kaito quietly nudged Ino awake beside him.
Still drowsy, Ino stretched and yawned. "Kaito… What do you want? Is class over already?"
Kaito: ...
Before he could respond, Iruka barked, "Yamanaka Ino! What did you just say?"
"N-No! Nothing!" Ino snapped awake at the sudden roar.
"Hmph! If you've got nothing useful to say, then stand there quietly and listen!"
With that, he pulled out a book and began to lecture.
The book was titled On the Development History of Konoha, written by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The students sat dazed as the lecture dragged on for more than half an hour. They were still children, after all—unaccustomed to such intense classroom learning. Tired and hungry, they could barely focus.
Eventually, Iruka received some sort of instruction and announced, "Alright! That's it for today. Make sure to come early tomorrow!"
Amid cheers and chatter, the students left the classroom in high spirits.
By the time Kaito returned home, it was almost 9 p.m. As soon as he walked in, he eagerly pulled out a sealed scroll he had hidden away.
It was a scroll containing Wind, Fire, and Lightning Release ninjutsu. Kaito focused on memorizing the Fire Release techniques first. After committing five C-rank fire-style techniques to memory, he entered his personal training space to practice them.
When he emerged, he had already mastered all five techniques.
---
Meanwhile – The Hokage's Office, Late Night
The Hokage's office was brightly lit.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with a solemn expression, reviewing the report in front of him.
A masked Uchiha wearing a swirling-pattern mask… and an Anbu capable of using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
He knew the man in the mask was likely the one responsible for the Nine-Tails' attack years ago—the same one who killed Minato and Kushina.
But the Anbu who had displayed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was suspicious. That technique was a well-guarded secret of Kumogakure—no one outside their village should know how to use it. That so-called Anbu was clearly an imposter—likely a spy from the Hidden Cloud.
The Raikage had actually sent a Kage-level shinobi into Konoha to act as a spy.
If not for the Uchiha Clan Massacre, who knows how long that infiltrator would have remained hidden?
And that masked man, elusive and unpredictable, had somehow slipped under the radar of even Kage-level sensors. Hiruzen felt deeply unsettled.
Konoha was no longer the powerhouse it had been during the Second or Third Great Ninja Wars. Back then, it had been home to multiple elite shinobi at the Kage level.
But many had died, left the village, or gone rogue. Now, only he and Danzo remained. And honestly, Hiruzen knew—they were past their prime.
After pondering for a while, Hiruzen made a decision: he needed Jiraiya back.
A Kage-level threat from the Hidden Cloud lurking within the village? That was not something he could ignore.
He penned a detailed letter explaining everything.
"Someone, come!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" An Anbu appeared silently.
"Deliver this letter to Jiraiya. Tell him to return to the village immediately."
"Yes!" The Anbu vanished without a trace.
Looking up at the blood moon in the sky, Hiruzen murmured grimly, "Troubled times…"
Unbeknownst to him, Kaito was still training—completely unaware that his earlier encounter with Obito had caused such a stir in the Hokage's office.
If he had known, he probably would've just shrugged and said, "I'm just practicing ninjutsu. Not my problem."
---
The Next Morning
Kaito and Ino walked to school together. Strangely, Ino didn't ride piggyback on him like she usually did.
She was unusually quiet, a sad look in her eyes.
"What's wrong? You seem out of it. That's not like you, Ino."
"Kaito… Did you hear? The Uchiha clan was wiped out." Her voice was low.
"I didn't. But now I do. So? Does it affect you somehow? Do you have family in the Uchiha?"
"You're not shocked at all? The Uchiha were one of the most powerful clans in Konoha—on par with the Senju!"
Kaito's calm expression didn't change. Ino stared, confused by his indifference.
"Shocked? A little. But honestly, what does that have to do with us? Whether it's the Uchiha or the Senju, those are matters beyond us."
"Even if the sky falls, the Third Hokage is the one who has to hold it up. Our job is to study hard and graduate from the Academy."
Kaito tapped her lightly on the forehead.
"We're just seven-year-old kids. We shouldn't be trying to act like grown-ups. Now's the time for us to be carefree."
"If you really want something to think about, how about thinking up a name for our future child?"
"Hmph! You hit my head again. What if I become dumb?"
Before she could finish, Ino's face turned bright red, like a ripe cherry.
"And what about 'in the future'?" Kaito teased, smirking as he saw her reaction.
"Hmph! You're just bullying me again! I'm tired—carry me!" Ino stamped her foot, embarrassed.
"Sure thing. Hop on." Kaito squatted down.
Ino wrapped her arms around his neck and rested against his back naturally.
And so, Kaito's days continued: eating, sleeping, attending the Academy, and practicing Wind, Fire, and Lightning Release ninjutsu.
---
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