Kaito Chapter 73

Kaito Chapter 73

The three of them walked back to their belongings, Kaito humming thoughtfully. "Well, I promised Naruto I would help him train so probably that," he said as he sat down and took out the bento that his mother had packed for him. He shared his lunch with Hotaru while Itachi ate his own.

After finishing their meal, they bid goodbye to each other and went about their separate ways. Kaito made his way back to the training grounds where Naruto was training with his shadow clone, he wanted to make Naruto stronger than his cannon counterpart.

….

As the warm afternoon sun shone down on the village hidden in the Leafs, life bustled as usual. Kaito and his team, Team 11, were currently gathered in the Nara clan compound, specifically in the house of their sensei and clan head, Shikaku Nara. The group sat comfortably on the porch overlooking a serene pond, its waters reflecting the dappled sunlight filtering through nearby trees. In front of them, three boards of shogi were set up between the students and their sensei.

It was the day after their training session had been cut short due to Shikaku being called off to the Hokage's office. Kaito had spent the rest of the day helping Naruto with taijutsu and then treated him and his mother to Ichiraku's ramen as he had promised earlier.

Shikaku deftly moved a rook on the shogi board, "Checkmate," he declared, turning to his students with a smug grin.

Kaito let out a frustrated sigh and flopped back onto the floor. "Oh come on, We can't even win once against you sensei. No matter what we do, you always have a counter measure ready."

Itachi, who was sitting beside Hotaru, nodded in agreement. "Hai, it doesn't matter what strategy we use, we always end up losing."

Hotaru sighed and shook her head, pointing out . "It's not fair, you are not even focused on us while playing, yet you always manage to win. I don't see the point in playing shogi against you anymore," she said with a pout.

Shikaku let out a tired sigh and ran massaged his forehead. "Even though you are not winning, I can see improvements in your strategies" he said in an attempt to offer encouragement to his students.

Kaito spoke up with a hint of desperation in his voice, "Can we please take a break, sensei? We've been at this for hours."

Both Itachi and Hotaru nodded vigorously in agreement.

Shikaku relented with another heavy sigh, "I think it's best if we end here for today." He glanced at his team, noticing the relieved expressions on their faces.

Kaito sat back up in relief, after hearing his sensei ending their shogi exercise. standing up shikaku looked at his Genin squad as his thoughts drifted back to the reason why he had been summoned by the Hokage yesterday.

….

As soon as their training session was over, Shikaku swiftly used the Body Flicker technique and left the training ground in a blur. Within seconds, he arrived at the base of the Hokage Tower, his feet lightly touching down on the stone steps leading to its entrance.

Reaching the top floor, Shikaku took a moment to catch his breath before approaching the door to the Hokage's office. He knocked once before entering, bowing respectfully to the Hokage who sat behind his desk.

"You called for me, Lord third?" Shikaku asked, keeping his voice even and professional.

Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork, taking a drag from his pipe and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Ah, Shikaku. I did call for you," he said, leaning back in his chair.

Taking another puff from his pipe, Hiruzen continued. "As the sensei of Team 11, I wanted to hear your assessment of their skills."

Shikaku let out a resigned sigh and muttered a familiar "troublesome" as he already knew what the Hokage was hinting at. Nodding, Shikaku replied, "Well, all three of them possess exceptional talent. They have been progressing rapidly in their training and their skills surpass those of their peers."

"I see," Hiruzen said with a nod, taking another drag from his pipe. He continued, "Based on your assessment, what level would you say they are at?"

Shikaku thought for a moment before answering, "I would say that all three of them easily surpass the level of an ordinary jonin."

"I see," Hiruzen repeated, handing Shikaku a scroll. "We received this earlier today. As you may have guessed, I would like Team 11 to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams held in our village."

Unrolling the scroll and scanning its contents, Shikaku muttered another "troublesome." Nodding, Hiruzen confirmed, "Yes, as you can see, four of the five major villages will be sending their Genin to participate in these exams."

Hiruzen let out another puff of smoke before continuing, his words laced with a sense of urgency. "As you are well aware, the tensions between the villages have been on edge since the Hyuga incident." He paused, gazing at Shikaku with a grave expression. "The upcoming Chunin Exams will be the perfect opportunity for each village to showcase their strength and prowess, and Konoha cannot afford to falter."

Shikaku sighed, knowing that Hiruzen was right. The Chunin Exams were a crucial event for all ninja villages, and Konoha needed to present their best Genin squads. He nodded in agreement at the Hokage's words. "Hai, Hokage-sama. I will make sure team 11 are prepared for the exams."

…

coming out his thoughts, Shikaku reached into his pocket and retrieved something, handing it over to his team with a serious expression. Kaito's curiosity sparked as he asked, "What are these?" He plucked one of the forms from Shikaku's outstretched hand, inspecting it closely.

Shikaku turned and handed the remaining two forms to Hotaru and Itachi, stating, "These are the application forms for the Chunin exams. I have already entered your names to participate." Excitement and nerves began to swirl within the trio as they held the forms in their hands.

Itachi's smile couldn't be contained as he eagerly accepted his form. "When is it, sensei?" He had been asking Shikaku to nominate them for the Chunin exams for the past two years, but their shikaku had always rejected the idea, not wanting them to burn out early.

Shikaku responded with pride in his voice, "It will be held in our village in one month's time."

Hotaru glanced at her form before looking up at Shikaku with a curious look. "Do you think we're ready, sensei?"

Shikaku nodded confidently and reassured them, "I wouldn't have nominated you if I didn't think you were ready."

He then continued, "For the next month, we will focus on preparing you for the chunin exams." The trio exchanged excited glances and eagerly nodded in agreement.

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