Tilct's Realm

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert chapter 8

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert chapter 8

Neville then looked up at the ceiling, expecting something magical. He saw candles floating above them, but otherwise, the ceiling looked quite ordinary. He thought, "Huh, I thought the ceiling was enchanted to show the sky outside… maybe that’s just at night."

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione calling out, “Neville, come on!”

He followed her to the right-hand side of the hall, where they sat down. As soon as they did, breakfast appeared on the table toast, sausages, and eggs.

They began eating, with Hermione continuing to explain the differences between the houses. Neville listened attentively, nodding along as she spoke.

As they ate and Hermione explained things to him, the Great Hall gradually filled up with more students coming in for breakfast.

…

Neville took some bacon and placed it between three slices of bread. As he took a bite of his sandwich, he turned to Hermione and asked, "So, what have we learned in Potions so far?" Neville knew that Snape would harass him, but he didn’t want to be caught off guard. If memory served him right, after Harry, Neville was always Snape’s preferred target.

Hermione nodded, pulling out her Potions book. "Well, let's go over what we've done," she said, ready to explain. She pointed to a page and slid the book over to him. "We’ve just covered the Cure for Boils potion."

Neville took the book and began reading about the potion. Hermione leaned in and added, "Chances are, we'll be asked to brew the next potion in the book."

 Neville flipped to the next page, revealing the Forgetfulness Potion. He hummed thoughtfully, scanning through some of the ingredients: "2 drops of Lethe River Water, 2 valerian sprigs..."

The Great Hall gradually filled with students as it always did. Harry and Ron came in and sat with the rest of the Gryffindor first years. Neville looked up from his book and saw them sitting a bit further away from him and Hermione.

Both Ron and Harry were deep in conversation about what the large three-headed dog might be guarding.

Hermione leaned over to Neville and whispered, "You should steer clear of those two. they’re always getting into trouble and don’t seem to care much about their studies." She then added, "I warned them that Malfoy would overhear, and they nearly got caught by Filch. They could’ve been killed!"

Neville smiled and replied, "Well, if you hadn’t snuck out last night, I’d have just stayed asleep on the floor." Hermione huffed and said, "Just make sure you don’t get tangled up in their shenanigans."

A few minutes earlier, a flock of owls had delivered the mail and newspapers. Neville smiled and nodded, finishing off his sandwich, then asked, "What time do classes start?"

She glanced at her wristwatch and replied, "Classes begin at 9 a.m., and it’s about 8:30 now, so we should get going." Neville looked surprised he hadn’t realized how quickly time had flown by.

They packed their books and got up to leave the Great Hall, with Neville following closely behind Hermione. On the way, Neville asked, "Which floor is the class on?"

Hermione replied, "For first years, classes are in room 1B, on the Ground Floor, near the Middle Courtyard." Neville nodded and followed her.

They were the first to get to the Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk, engrossed in some paperwork. Hermione knocked on the door and greeted, "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."

Neville followed her lead and added, "Um, good morning, Professor."

Looking up from her papers, McGonagall set down her quill and said, "Ah, good morning, Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom." She then focused on Neville and continued, "Hagrid informed me that Augusta dropped you off at the front gates rather late."

Neville scratched the back of his head and replied, "Ah, sorry, Professor. It was my fault; choosing the right wand took longer than we expected." McGonagall nodded, removing her glasses. "That’s alright. I hope everything has been sorted now." Neville nodded in agreement.

McGonagall then asked, "So, how have you found Hogwarts so far?"

Neville answered, "So far, so good, Professor," and added, "Hermione has been helping me a lot."

McGonagall remarked, "I see you’ve found assistance from Miss Granger. Use this opportunity to help you catch up with the rest of your year."

Neville nodded, and McGonagall directed him to take a seat, saying, “We’ll start the class as soon as everyone arrives.” As some of the first years began to filter into the room, Neville walked over to Hermione, who had been reading her Transfiguration book while he spoke with McGonagall.

"Is anyone sitting beside you?" Neville asked.

Hermione looked up from her book and shook her head. "No, you can sit next to me."

Neville took the seat beside her as more students with green, blue, and yellow ties entered and settled down. Hermione was seated in the front row.

As Neville took his place beside her, he noticed students with green, blue, and yellow ties coming in and finding their seats.

He turned to Hermione and asked, "Do we share classes with all the other first years from the other houses?"

Looking up from her book, Hermione nodded. "Yes, we share Transfiguration, History, Charms, and Astronomy with all the houses. We have Herbology with Hufflepuffs, Defence Against the Dark Arts with Ravenclaws, and Potions with Slytherins."

Neville nodded in understanding, then took out his notebook and Transfiguration textbook. After rummaging through his bag, he found some quills and a bottle of ink, placing them on the desk as he waited for the class to begin.

After a while, everyone had arrived, and the clock struck nine. Harry and Ron were seated at the back of the class, engrossed in a conversation.

As soon as the clock chimed, McGonagall stood up and announced, "Alright, class, today we’ll be reviewing the Match to Needle spell." She flicked her wand, and a matchstick floated from her desk to each student’s desk, one in front of everyone.

McGonagall continued, "Since only some of you have successfully cast this spell so far, we’ll spend the rest of the class practicing until everyone can do it. For those who have already mastered it, try to make the needle more intricate with engraved designs. It will be good practice. In our next class, we’ll move on to the next topic."

She added, "I’ll be walking around to assist you. Remember the incantation: 'Aku-sig-nis,'” she said, spacing out the words and repeating it a few times. Neville assumed this was for him, as he didnt know the incantation.

McGonagall then said, "Now, wands out."

Neville pulled his wand from his robe, and as soon as he grasped it, he felt a subtle thrumming sensation. Looking at the wand, he wondered, “Do all wands feel like this to their masters?” He turned it over in his hand, inspecting it closely.

He tried holding the wand with a full grip, much like one would hold a flag, but found it uncomfortable. Shifting his hold, Neville adjusted his grip to rest between his ring finger and index finger rested on and pushed the wand down while keeping his thumb near the ring finger and wrapping his other fingers around the base of the wand.

He thought, “Ah, it feels right holding it like this.”

Beside him, Hermione spoke the incantation and tapped her wand on the matchstick, transforming it into a needle adorned with intricate patterns. She beamed down at the needle, examining it carefully.

Neville smiled and said, “Congratulations, Hermione, you managed to change it.”

Hermione grinned at him and advised, “You should give it a go. Remember to say the incantation clearly and imagine the matchstick turning into a needle.”

Neville nodded, turned his attention to his own matchstick, and, gripping his wand firmly, closed his eyes. He visualized a needle with detailed engravings, then tapped the matchstick with his wand.

Neville felt a warm sensation flowing through his hand and into his wand as he touched the matchstick. As soon as his wand made contact, the matchstick shimmered and transformed into a shining needle with engravings, just as Neville had imagined it.

Neville stared at the needle, then at his wand, wondering, “Was it supposed to be that easy?”

Hermione, from beside him, exclaimed, “Well done, Neville! You managed to do it on your first try!”

At that moment, McGonagall arrived next to Neville, took the needle from his desk, and examined it. “Well done, Mr. Longbottom. It seems you just needed a change of wands. This is the finest piece of Transfiguration I’ve ever seen a first-year perform. Five points to Gryffindor for Mr. Longbottom,” she said, handing the needle back to him.

Neville smiled and scratched the back of his head.

Kaito Chapter 117

Kaito Chapter 117

I’d love to hear your feedback on this chapter

Shikaku, between bites, answered, "We’re near the Land of Tea’s border, about 25 kilometers from the town where Lady Tsunade was located at."

Kaito brought his chopsticks to his mouth, deep in thought. Suddenly, he stopped, he sensed three chakras rapidly approaching them.

Kaito abruptly stood up, facing the direction of the approaching chakras. The one leading had an enormous chakra level, almost as big as the Third Hokage’s.

Seeing Kaito’s reaction, Kushina, Shikaku, and Hotaru immediately became alert.

"There are three individuals heading straight for us, and they’re moving fast," Pakkun said, his gaze fixed on the direction they were coming from.

Both Karin and Naruto looked puzzled.

Kaito’s expression grew serious. "Two Jonin and one Kage-level," he said.

Just then, three figures landed in the clearing across from where they stood.

….

Shikaku's eyes narrowed as the shinobi landed in front of them.

Kaito tensed, eyeing the man who stood at the front of the group. He was a dark-skinned, muscular man with white hair slicked back, a small mustache, and a goatee. He wore a white haori with nothing underneath, revealing black fuma shuriken tattoos on both shoulders. His wrists were adorned with large golden vambraces, and a gold belt with a boar’s face engraved in the center around his waist.

Kaito instantly recognized him as the Fourth Raikage, Ay. the Unruly A, Kaito thought, frustration bubbling up inside him. "Of all the people to run into."

Kaito glanced at the two others beside the Raikage but didn’t recognize them.

His eyes flicked over to his family, gauging their reactions, before returning to the Raikage.

Kushina gulped, her eyes fixed on the imposing shinobi. "A," she whispered, her mind racing for a way out of the situation as she instinctively moved closer to Naruto and Karin.

Hotaru’s eyes narrowed, catching sight of their Kumo headbands.

Naruto and Karin looked confused by the Kumo shinobi but could feel the tension in the air.

Shikaku broke the silence, saying, “Lord Raikage, we weren’t expecting to run into you.”

The Raikage ignored Shikaku’s words, his gaze locking onto Kushina. “Kushina? You’re not dead? I thought you died with the Fourth during the Nine-Tails attack. Pretty sure the jinchūriki dies when the tailed beast is unsealed. Hmm... Must be your Uzumaki lineage that saved you.”

Kushina swallowed hard, keeping her composure. “As you can see, I’m very much alive.”

Naruto, stepping out from behind Kushina, couldn’t hold back his anger. “Hey, old man! Who do you think you’re talking to?”

The Raikage smirked as he noticed Naruto. “Huh, this must be yours and the Fourth’s kid. Got a big mouth, just like you.” His eyes glinted with amusement as he eyed Naruto.

Kushina quickly pulled Naruto back, positioning herself in front of both him and Karin, shielding them from the Raikage's gaze.

“Is there something we can help you with, Lord Raikage?” Kaito asked his tone even but with an edge of caution.

One of the Kumo jonin beside the Raikage spoke up, “Boss, the red-haired kid with the blue eyes. his the one who took down Yugito and captured the Jonin who tried to kidnap the Hyuga heiress. And that Hyuga over there, she must be the heiress.”

The Raikage grunted in acknowledgment. “I know.” He then turned his attention to Kaito. “So, you’re that brat. You’ve caused a lot of trouble for Kumogakure.”

Kaito shrugged, unfazed. “So what if I have?” he replied coolly, already formulating a plan but also eager to put the Raikage in his place. He had never liked Ay, especially after the attempted kidnapping of Hotaru. The man's arrogance was infuriating.

The shinobi standing next to the Raikage leaned in and murmured, “This is the perfect opportunity, Lord Raikage. We could capture not only the Uzumaki bloodline but also an unsealed Byakugan. We could breed them, and Konoha wouldn’t even know. Plus, we could take the Nine-Tails too—for all the humiliation Konoha has caused us.”

Raikage Ay nodded, his expression darkening. “You’re right. Those incidents have humiliated Kumo.”

Kushina instinctively moved closer to Naruto and Karin, shielding them with her body while internally cursing herself for being unable to use her chakra.

Hotaru’s eyes narrowed, her Byakugan activating as she prepared for a confrontation.

Shikaku’s eyes also narrowed as he tensed, cursing silently at the dangerous turn of events.

Kaito gripped his kunai tightly, anger surging through him. “Is this bastard really threatening to capture my mom, Naruto, Hotaru, and Karin? To breed them?”

Shikaku quickly stepped in, his tone calm but firm. “Threatening children, Raikage-sama? Let’s think this through rationally. Do you really want to provoke Konoha? Konoha and Kumogakure have maintained a fragile peace. Don’t shatter it over something as short-sighted as this.”

The Raikage scoffed. “It’s not like Konoha will find out it was Kumo. I doubt the Hokage would send the young jinchūriki out of the village... meaning you're out here without his knowledge.”

Kaito stepped forward, placing himself in front of the group. His voice was icy as he glared at the Raikage, his chakra flaring. “You really think you can pull that off? I’d like to see you try, old man.” His tone was completely disrespectful, reflecting his thoughts, “This bastard just threatened my family. I need to be put in his place.”

Kushina, worried, called out softly, “Kai-kun…”

Shikaku cursed internally. Damn it, Kaito’s taking the bait. He tried to stop the situation from escalating by calling out in a serious tone, “Kaito.”

Kaito glanced back at Shikaku from the corner of his eye and responded coldly, “Stay out of this, sensei. Hotaru, help sensei and protect them.” Hotaru nodded, moving closer to Kushina, and then Kaito turned his full attention back to the Raikage. “If you want to get to them, you’ll have to go through me, old man.”

Kaito created a shadow clone that quickly positioned itself near his family.

The Raikage smirked, taking off his haori. “You’re brave, kid. But bravery without strength is just recklessness.” With that, he powered up into his Version 1 Lightning Armor, a crackling cloak of lightning enveloping his body. “There hasn’t been a shinobi faster than me since the Fourth Hokage died. If you think you can take me on, I’ll crush that arrogance out of you!”

Kaito’s face grew serious as he thought, ‘He’s using his Version 1 cloak... He’s underestimating me. Good.’ He made a single-hand sign and released all of his resistance seals, allowing him to access his full strength.

They locked eyes for a brief moment before rushing at each other with their full speed.

Kaito dashed toward the Raikage, using his Body Flicker Technique to close the distance. In his right hand, chakra swirled as he formed a Rasengan the size of a basketball, its high-pitched whine cutting through the air.

Meanwhile, Kaito’s shadow clone threw a kunai towards the two Kumo jonin. It landed beside them, unnoticed, as their attention was entirely on the Raikage and Kaito.

The Raikage charged forward, a streak of lightning marking his path.

When they met in the middle, the Raikage roared, “Don’t get cocky, brat! Lightning Straight!” He threw a punch with all his strength, causing the ground beneath him to crack.

As the Lightning Straight punch connected with Kaito’s face, it passed through him completely at high speed, causing Kaito’s figure to flicker and vanish.

The Raikage’s eyes widened in shock. What? he thought as his attack passed harmlessly through Kaito’s afterimage.

...

Just as the Raikage's fist made contact with the original Kaito's face, Kaito’s shadow clone seized the opportunity. It quickly wrapped Kushina, Naruto, Hotaru, Karin, and Shikaku in its chakra chains, making a few hand signs before teleporting them away from the battlefield.

They landed roughly in a different location. As soon as his family and team were safely away, the shadow clone dispelled itself, returning the chakra to the original Kaito.

Kushina was the first to recover. Frantically, she looked around for her eldest son, shouting, “Kaito!” Her worry was palpable as she realized her son was facing the Raikage alone.

Naruto groaned, rubbing his face as he lay face-first on the ground, dazed from the rough landing.

Hotaru, her Byakugan still active, scanned the area while muttering, “Kai-kun…”

Shikaku, piecing together the plan, said, “So that was what he was planning.” He reflected on Kaito's earlier actions, realizing the purpose behind Kaito creating the shadow clone.

....

Before the Raikage could react, Kaito reappeared atop the Raikage. With his Rasengan fully formed, he slammed it into the Raikage’s back, shouting, “Wind Release: Rasengan!”

The impact of the Rasengan drove the Raikage forcefully into the ground, obliterating the clearing and creating a massive crater. The force of the Rasengan dispelled the Raikage’s lightning cloak as Kaito twisted his wrist, digging the Rasengan deep into the Raikage’s skin before releasing the jutsu.

The Raikage sprang back from the crater as soon as Kaito withdrew the Rasengan, landing next to his two subordinates. He clutched his right arm and coughed up blood, thinking, Did that brat just use the Hiraishin? No, it was his Body Flicker Technique. I underestimated him.

The two Kumo jonin shouted, “Raikage-sama!” seeing their leader injured and bloodied.

Before they could move to assist, all three were ensnared in chakra chains as Kaito appeared behind the Raikage. Holding a tri-pronged kunai poised at the Raikage’s head, Kaito had caught them completely off guard.

The Raikage’s mind raced as he tilted his head, noticing the kunai next to him. “So he mastered that technique at such a young age.” He glanced over at where Kushina and the others had been and realized, “So that was his plan from the beginning.”

The Raikage spoke with a hint of grim recognition, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?” He was reminded of his first encounter with the Yellow Flash, which had ended in a similarly outcome.

Kaito’s tone was icy as he said, “I’d kill you and be done with it, but that would just ignite the next shinobi war. Take this as a warning, Raikage: if you ever threaten my family or my friends again, I won’t hesitate to end even the Raikage.”

The Raikage’s eyes narrowed. “And what makes you think letting me live won’t start the next shinobi war?”

Kaito smirked. “You want to tell people that your ego was bruised by an eleven-year-old? Go ahead. It would only drag the Raikage’s reputation through the mud and make you a laughingstock.”

...

With that, Kaito released the chakra chains and teleported away before the Raikage could respond.

Back in the clearing, Kushina rushed to Shikaku, her face etched with worry. “We have to get back to Kaito, Shikaku! Kai-kun could be in danger facing the Raikage all alone.”

Hotaru shook her head, having scanned the area with her Byakugan. “Sensei, I can’t see them anywhere. Kai-kun must have teleported us farther than my Byakugan’s range.”

Naruto, standing beside Karin, asked anxiously, “Mom, where is Kai-niisan? Is he going to be okay?”

Karin, with a worried expression, just nodded.

Shikaku shook his head, frustration evident. “I can’t do anything, Kushina. We don’t even know where we are right now. This was Kaito’s plan from the start—teleporting us away while he distracted the Raikage.” He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “All we can do is have faith in him and wait.”

Kushina and Hotaru exchanged worried glances.

Suddenly, Kaito teleported into the field, landing in a crouched position nearby.

Seeing him, Kushina and Hotaru rushed to him, enveloping him in a tight hug, both shouting, “Kai-kun!”

Kaito patted them on the back as he said. “Guys, need air. I can’t breathe.”

Shikaku sighed in relief and asked, “So it was your plan from the beginning. using the Hiraishin to teleport us out while you kept the Raikage distracted?”

Kushina and Hotaru released Kaito, and Kushina shouted, “What were you thinking, fighting him alone like that?”

Kaito sighed. “It was the best plan I could come up with, Mom.”

Shikaku then asked, “Where did you teleport us to?”

Kaito replied, “We’re near Hachō Village.”

Author Note: Kaito was able to defeat the Raikage because the Raikage wasn’t taking him seriously and was only using Version 1 of his Lightning Armor. Additionally, Kaito’s strength should be around jiraya's level, or slightly lower.

Kaito Chapter 116

Kaito Chapter 116

Sorry for the late upload, guys. I had a really hard time editing this. I hope you like the chapter! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the story so far.

Shikaku looked at the kunai and asked, “You’ve mastered the Hiraishin?”

Kaito nodded. Then, addressing Pakkun, who had jumped onto the table, he asked, “Can you meet us outside the village tomorrow morning?”

Pakkun nodded. “Sure, what time?”

Shikaku replied, “We’ll meet around 7, near the east side of the village.”

Pakkun prepared to leave, but Kaito stopped him and handed him a sealing scroll. “I’ve got some treats sealed inside. Enough for you and the rest of the pack as well.”

Pakkun thanked him and reverse-summoned himself away.

Turning to Shikaku, Kaito said, “We’ll meet you at the entrance then, Sensei.” Shikaku nodded, and Hotaru waved goodbye as they left his office.

….

Kaito sat on his porch, putting on his sandals. Behind him, Kushina stood, watching him closely. "Got everything packed?" she asked with a gentle smile. Beside her was one of Kaito’s shadow clones, Naruto and Karin had already left for the academy with another clone.

Kaito stood up, nodded, and said, "Yep, I’ve got everything here." patting his ninja pouch He then gave his mother a warm hug. "Goodbye, Mom," he said softly before turning to his shadow clone, giving it a nod.

After saying his goodbyes, Kaito leaped into the nearest tree, making his way toward the Hyuga compound.

Kaito had already told Kushina about his plan to take her to Lady Tsunade for treatment, and that they’d be setting off tomorrow to find her. When Kushina learned that he had been searching for Tsunade for the past few years, she became emotional, hugging him tightly and crying for a solid 30 minutes. Once she calmed down, Kaito explained that they’d be leaving the village without informing the Hokage. He told her what Shikaku had told him that they might not allow her and Naruto, to leave, so he planned to use his Hiraishin to teleport them out. Kaito also shared his intentions of convincing Tsunade to take up the position of Hokage, explaining the current situation with the Uchiha clan. Kushina agreed with his plan.

Arriving at the Hyuga compound, Kaito landed in front of the main entrance and greeted the two guards stationed there with a friendly wave. "Hey there, Hiroki-san, Mitoma-san. How’s it going?"

The two Hyuga guards, familiar with Kaito, greeted him back. "Hey, Kaito-san," Mitoma replied with a nod. "here for Lady Hotaru?

"Are you both heading out on a mission?" Hiroki added, curious.

Kaito nodded. "Yeah, we are. Heading out with Shikaku-sensei."

Mitoma perked up, "Oh, with Shikaku-sama? What’s the mission?"

Kaito shrugged and said, “Not sure, Sensei just asked us to join him on this mission since it’s been a few months.”

The two Hyuga guards nodded and continued their conversation.

A while later, Hotaru walked out of the Hyuga compound in her usual shinobi attire and greeted Kaito. “Kai-kun, sorry I’m late. Father wanted to see me before I left.”

Kaito waved it off. “Don’t worry about it, Hotaru-chan. I just arrived a few minutes ago.”

Hotaru nodded and said, “Come on, Kai-kun, we shouldn’t keep Sensei waiting.” Kaito nodded in agreement and said to Mitoma and Hiroki, “Well I’ll See you guys later.” The two Hyuga guards nodded back.

Kaito and Hotaru leapt onto a tree and headed towards Konoha’s east gate, chatting along the way.

When they landed near the gate, Kaito spotted Shikaku waiting by the check-in booth. He pointed and said to Hotaru, “Looks like Sensei is already here.” Hotaru nodded and walked towards him.

As they approached, Kaito greeted Shikaku casually, “Yo, Sensei.” Hotaru bowed and apologized, “Sorry we’re late Sensei. Father wanted to speak with me before I left.”

"Good, you two are here," Shikaku said, waving off any concerns. "No problem, Hotaru. I’ve already checked us out, so we can head out whenever you're ready."

Both of them nodded and left the village, taking to the trees and moving.

As they covered some distance from Konoha, Pakkun jumped onto Kaito’s head and said, “You guys are late. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”

Hotaru bowed her head slightly and apologized, “I’m sorry, Pakkun-san. It was my fault we were late.”

“Here you go, Pakkun.” Kaito handed him a dog biscuit and then asked, “So, Sensei, what’s the mission you’ve picked for us?”

Shikaku replied, “It’s a simple B-rank mission to eliminate a bandit camp.”

Hotaru nodded and asked, “Is this bandit camp located in the Land of Tea?”

Shikaku confirmed, "Yes, the mission request is from Degarashi Port, located in the Land of Tea. Bandits have been causing some trouble there. It should take us about a week to complete the mission and return to the village." He tossed the mission scroll to Hotaru.

Pakkun added, “Lady Tsunade is in a town close to Degarashi Port.”

Shikaku nodded in agreement. “That’s good. We can finish the mission after meeting Lady Tsunade.”

Kaito suggested, “Or I could just send my clones to deal with the bandits, you know.”

Shikaku thought for a moment, then nodded. “That would be for the best. It’ll also give us more time to persuade Lady Tsunade.”

Hotaru turned to Kaito and asked, “When will Lady Kushina be joining us, Kai-kun?”

Kaito hummed and replied, “After we cross the border. I don’t want them spotted by any of the border patrols, and it’ll also give Naruto and Karin a chance to experience traveling.”

Shikaku sighed, already knowing he couldn’t change Kaito’s mind when it came to his family.

“Alright then,” Kaito declared, “we should increase our speed so we can reach the border by nightfall.” He accelerated and sped ahead, setting the pace.

Shikaku looked at Kaito with an exasperated expression and muttered, “Troublesome kid.” Then he picked up his speed to keep up with Kaito.

Hotaru giggled and called out, “Try to keep up Sensei!”

They traveled for the rest of the day and, as nightfall approached, reached a town near Konoha’s border with the Land of Tea.

Shikaku landed on the road leading to the small town, panting and hunched over as he caught his breath.

Hotaru landed beside him, looking winded but otherwise okay. “What’s wrong, Sensei?”

Shikaku gestured for her to wait while he caught his breath.

Kaito, lost in thought, had sped ahead. Pakkun said, “Hey, kid, your Sensei, and that girl stopped.”

“Huh?” Kaito, hearing Pakkun, stopped on a tree branch and sensed that both Hotaru and Shikaku had halted. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice they had stopped.

Landing next to them, with Pakkun still on his head, Kaito asked, “Why did you guys stop?” He glanced at the panting Shikaku.

Shikaku sighed and said, “We should rest here for the night.”

Hotaru nodded in agreement. “Hai, Sensei.” She was tired as well and thought resting was a good idea.

Kaito noticed both Hotaru and Shikaku looking exhausted and said, “Huh, you guys are already tired?” Realizing their state, he reluctantly agreed, “Alright, let’s rest here.”

Shikaku muttered something about the stupid Uzumaki's stamina and needing to get back into shape.

They decided to stay at an inn for the night.

...

Early the next morning, they left the small town and continued their way to the Land of Tea. This time, Shikaku set the pace of their travel.

They crossed the border that Konoha shared with the Land of Tea in just a few hours. Noticing the sun was approaching noon, Kaito asked Pakkun, “How far are we from the town?”

Pakkun responded, “About an hour and a half away if we keep up this pace.”

Kaito nodded. “Then we should stop for lunch.”

Both Hotaru and Shikaku agreed. Shikaku added, “I was thinking the same thing.”

They landed in a clearing, and Pakkun jumped off Kaito’s head and stretched.

Kaito looked around, then threw down a tri-pronged kunai a bit further away and said, “I’m going to get them. I’ll be right back.” He then disappeared.

Shikaku glanced at the spot where Kaito had been and muttered, “Troublesome.”

....

Kaito appeared in the center of his room and walked out of his room, and into the living room.

Reaching the living room, he saw Kushina, Naruto, Karin, and his clone sitting on the floor, playing a board game. They were all packed and dressed, ready to leave.

Kaito asked as he entered the living room, “Are you guys ready to go?”

Naruto, who was the most excited, jumped up and rushed over to Kaito. “Kai-nii, we’re ready! What took you so long? We’ve been waiting for hours! ya know”

He pouted and added, “You said you’d come get us in the morning, dattebayo?”

Kaito replied, “Hey, it’s not my fault the Land of Tea is so far away. We only just crossed the border a few hours ago.”

Kushina smiled as she got up from the floor. “We’re all set, Kai-kun. Just let me grab the lunch I packed.” She walked into the kitchen.

Kaito turned to Karin and Naruto. “So, are you guys excited for the trip?”

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to rub it in Sasuke’s face about how cool the place is!”

Kaito sighed and said, “You can’t tell anyone about this, Naruto. It has to be a secret.”

Naruto looked dejected and asked, “But why, kai-nii? What’s the point of visiting a new place if you can’t brag about it?”

Kaito sighed and said, "Naruto, kids aren't allowed to leave the village unless they're of age or shinobi. It's for your safety. If anyone finds out we left, they’ll arrest Mom, me, and Karin for breaking the law." He was bluffing, as Naruto didn’t yet understand the full truth about being a jinchuriki.

Naruto’s eyes widened in fear. "Then why are we going in the first place, dattebayo?"

Kaito knelt down to Naruto’s level and explained, "Because Lady Tsunade might be able to heal Mom. And Mom wanted to take you both sightseeing while she gets treated, ya know?"

Naruto’s expression softened, his sadness clear as he thought about Kushina’s chronic pain. "I won’t tell anyone. I promise to keep it a secret, believe it," he said, determined. Karin nodded in agreement.

Kaito smiled, ruffling both their hair, which earned him some playful protests. "That’s good."

Just then, Kushina walked out, carrying a picnic basket with a white cloth draped over it. "All set, Kai-kun?"

Kaito nodded. "Alright, come closer, guys." He wrapped all three of them in his chakra chains, securing them for the teleportation.

He then looked at his shadow clone and said, "You know what to do."

The shadow clone nodded and created three more clones, which transformed into identical copies of Kushina, Naruto, and Karin.

With one final nod, Kaito teleported them out of the house.

....

Back in the clearing, a few minutes had passed. Hotaru and Shikaku rested against a boulder, sipping water while chatting with Pakkun.

Just then, Kaito reappeared in the clearing at his marker, his family wrapped securely in his chakra chains.

Kaito released the chakra chains, gently placing Kushina and Karin on the ground, but Naruto wasn’t so lucky he tumbled face-first into the dirt.

Naruto quickly sat up, pointing an accusatory finger at Kaito. "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

Kaito smirked but ignored him, walking over to his team while Karin helped Naruto to his feet.

Kushina sighed at their antics before smiling and greeting Kaito’s team. "Hey there, guys! I brought lunch," she said, holding up the picnic basket.

Hotaru’s face lit up. "You’re the best, Lady Kushina!"

Pakkun sniffed the air appreciatively. "Hmm, that smells delicious."

Shikaku simply nodded, offering a grateful, "Thank you."

They all gathered around as Kushina served them her home-cooked meal.

"Here you go, Pakkun your favorite!" Kushina declared as she handed him his meal.

Pakkun licked his lips. "Smells as delicious as always," he said, clearly pleased.

Everyone chorused a quick "Itadakimasu!" before they began eating.

As they ate, Kushina casually asked, "So, where exactly are we?"

Shikaku, between bites, answered, "We’re near the Land of Tea’s border, about 25 kilometers from the town where Lady Tsunade was located at."

Kaito brought his chopsticks to his mouth, deep in thought. Suddenly, he stopped, he sensed three chakras rapidly approaching them.

Kaito abruptly stood up, facing the direction of the approaching chakras. The one leading had an enormous chakra level, almost as big as the Third Hokage’s.

Seeing Kaito’s reaction, Kushina, Shikaku, and Hotaru immediately became alert.

"There are three individuals heading straight for us, and they’re moving fast," Pakkun said, his gaze fixed on the direction they were coming from.

Both Karin and Naruto looked puzzled.

Kaito’s expression grew serious. "Two Jonin and one Kage-level," he said.

Just then, three figures landed in the clearing across from where they stood.

NOTE

Hey everyone, it's tilct here. I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to post the chapter today. i am experiencing the same problem as before. But I promise to upload it as soon as I am able to. Thank you for understanding

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 7

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 7

"yes. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something," Hermione said, standing up and glaring at them. “Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed—before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse, expelled."

Ron watched her leave and shook his head. "She needs to sort out her priorities," he muttered. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?" he added as they walked into the Gryffindor boys’ dormitories.

Entering the room, Neville saw a furnace in the middle of the room with some socks hung around it to dry, warming up the space. There were seven four-poster beds, all with red bed sheets, and three were unoccupied. Neville asked, “Which one is my bed?”

….

Neville lay on his back, his mouth slightly open as he breathed softly. The early morning light began to filter through the windows, gently rousing him from sleep. He groaned as he opened his eyes, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling above.

He squinted, trying to get a better look, and then it hit him, this wasn’t his usual room. He jolted upright, looking around in surprise. He found himself in a dormitory adorned in red and gold, with seven beds, each one occupied.

Glancing down at his hands, he thought, "So, it wasn't a dream after all. I really am in the world of Harry Potter," he mused, noticing how small and childlike his hands were.

His eyes drifted towards Harry's bed, and he thought, "So that did happen, then," recalling the events of the previous night. "That must be where Dumbledore’s hiding the Stone."

He turned his attention to the bedside table and spotted his wand still in its box. Slipping out of bed, Neville carefully took the wand out, and the moment he touched it, he felt a faint hum as if it was resonating with him. He had the urge to try out some spells but stopped himself. he didn’t know any yet, and he certainly didn’t want to wake the others.

Putting the wand back in its box, he opened the top drawer and found his Hogwarts uniform neatly folded inside. Noticing he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, he decided to take a shower, especially since his stomach felt a bit uneasy.

He found his towel in the bottom drawer, gathered his clothes, and quietly left the dormitory. As he stepped into the corridor, Neville thought, "Where's the bathroom?" He wandered down the hall for a few steps before spotting a door with a wizard's head carved into it. Guessing it might be the bathroom, he opened the door to find a communal space with several bathtubs.

After taking a bath and getting dressed for the day, Neville walked back into the first-year dormitory. As he approached his bedside, he noticed that his bed was already made. "Must be the house elves," he thought, slipping his wand into the designated slot in his trousers.

He glanced at the books on his table and wondered, "Is it a weekday or the weekend?" He wasn’t sure if he had classes or if he was free to explore.

With a sigh, Neville decided to leave the dormitory, still pondering what to do. He made his way down the stairs that led to the common room.

As he entered the common room, Neville took a proper look around for the first time. Yesterday, he’d been too tired to notice much, but now he saw that the room, like the dormitory, was adorned in red and gold.

The clock on the wall showed it was 6:28 in the morning. A few early risers were already up, some quietly reading while others chatted with friends.

Among those reading was the bushy-haired witch herself, Hermione. Recognizing her from yesterday, Neville thought, "I could ask her for help."

Neville walked over to where Hermione was sitting on a couch near the entrance and greeted her, “Umm... hello there. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name yesterday.” He played along with the amnesiac role since none of them had properly introduced themselves to him.

Hermione looked up from her book, and upon seeing Neville, she said, “Oh, Neville, it’s you. Right... I’m sorry, I’m Hermione Granger,” she said, extending her hand for a handshake.

Neville nodded and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Hermione. I’m Neville Longbottom, though you might already know that.” Gesturing to the empty spot next to her on the couch, he asked, “Is anyone sitting here?”

Hermione shook her head. “No, it’s free.” Neville sat down, and she asked, “So, you don’t remember anything from the past two weeks?”

Neville shook his head. “No, the last thing I remember is waking up in the Hogwarts hospital wing.”

Hermione then asked, “So, what were you doing out so late yesterday? I doubt Madam Pomfrey would’ve just let you leave without someone to escort you back to the Gryffindor common room.”

Neville shook his head and replied, “Madam Pomfrey discharged me yesterday after lunch. My grandmother took me to Diagon Alley to get a new wand since my old one broke when I fell off a broom. It took longer than expected to find a wand that suited me, so I ended up getting back to the castle quite late.”

Hermione nodded in understanding. “Oh, I see…”

“Can I ask you a few questions?” Neville asked. “What day is it, and do we have classes today?”

Hermione nodded. “It’s Friday. On Fridays, we have double Transfiguration in the morning, then History of Magic, and double Potions after lunch.”

Neville sighed inwardly, thinking, "Just great. I have to sit through Potions with that git, Snape."

He then asked, “Could you show me which books we need? I wasn’t sure which ones were for which subject.”

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. “Of course!” She reached down to grab her book bag, which was leaning against the couch near her feet.

Hermione took out the books and showed them to him. “This is for Transfiguration: A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch.” Then she pulled out another book, “Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger for Potions, and A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot for, well, History.”

Seeing the books, Neville nodded. “I think I saw them on my dresser.” He stood up and asked, “Could you wait here while I go fetch my books?”

Hermione nodded, and Neville quickly rushed up to the first-year boys' dormitory. Walking over to his bedside table, he found the three books. He also grabbed three notebooks labeled ‘Transfiguration,’ ‘History,’ and ‘Potions.’ After emptying his sling bag, he stuffed the books and notebooks inside.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Neville left the dormitory. On his way out, he noticed that some of the other boys were starting to stir and wake up.

Re-entering the common room, Neville walked back to where Hermione was still reading. When she saw him, she closed her book and said, “We should head to the Great Hall for breakfast.” She slipped the book back into her bag and stood up.

Neville nodded and followed her out through the portrait entrance.

As they exited the Gryffindor common room, Neville glanced back at the Fat Lady's portrait before turning to Hermione. “What floor are we on?” he asked, having lost track of where the Gryffindor common room was.

“We’re on the seventh floor,” Hermione replied.

Neville nodded, thinking to himself, "Seventh floor. no wonder I couldn’t find it on the fifth."

As they walked, Hermione began explaining that they were in the Gryffindor Tower, pointing out different floors and what was on each one.

Neville then asked about the room where they had run into Filch the previous day. Hermione told him it was the Trophy Room, where all the trophies people had won were kept, and it was located on the fourth floor.

As they continued down the corridor, Neville couldn’t help but notice that Hermione was quite the chatterbox. But instead of finding it annoying, he found her eagerness endearing. just a kid trying to make friends.

After descending a few flights of stairs, they arrived at the Great Hall and entered through the open doors.

As they stepped inside, Neville noticed many students already seated, eating with their respective groups. At the front of the hall, a few professors were having their breakfast as well.

Neville then looked up at the ceiling, expecting something magical. He saw candles floating above them, but otherwise, the ceiling looked quite ordinary. He thought, "Huh, I thought the ceiling was enchanted to show the sky outside… maybe that’s just at night."

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione calling out, “Neville, come on!”

He followed her to the right-hand side of the hall, where they sat down. As soon as they did, breakfast appeared on the table toast, sausages, and eggs.

They began eating, with Hermione continuing to explain the differences between the houses. Neville listened attentively, nodding along as she spoke.

As they ate and Hermione explained things to him, the Great Hall gradually filled up with more students coming in for breakfast.

Kaito Chapter 115

The Tsunade Arc Begins

Kaito Chapter 115

Kaito turned to Itachi and said, “It looks like Sasuke awakened the Sharingan, the same way you did, Itachi.”

Itachi nodded, observing his brother as the instructor asked him to make the seal of reconciliation.

Hotaru remarked, “Both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun put up a great fight.”

Naruto grinned and said to Sasuke, “Like I said teme, I’m stronger than you.”

Still frustrated from the loss, Sasuke retorted, “You got lucky, dobe. Next time, I’ll win.” He limped towards the waiting students, having sprained his ankle from pushing his body too hard.

Naruto, looking annoyed, replied, “Bring it on, teme. I’ll just pummel you every time we fight.” He then joined his friends, who congratulated him.

The last fight was between Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru, however, decided to forfeit the match.

…

Kaito leaped up just in time as a lightning arrow struck the spot where he had been standing, erupting into a sphere of electricity, but before he could catch his breath, another lightning arrow shot toward him with deadly precision.

This time, Kaito’s form flickered, becoming intangible as the arrow passed harmlessly through him. He reappeared a few meters away, skidding across the clearing, his eyes locked on the direction the arrow had come from. His hand gripped a tri-pronged kunai.

From his right, a barrage of smaller lightning arrows came hurtling towards him, each one larger than his lightning senbon. Thinking quickly, Kaito channeled wind nature chakra into the kunai and deflected the smaller arrows. However, hidden among them was a much larger lightning arrow.

Kaito’s eyes caught the flash of the larger arrow just in time. Without hesitation, he threw the tri-pronged kunai towards it, and the tri-pronged kunai whizz past the lightning arrow.

The arrow struck the ground where Kaito had been standing moments ago, exploding in a brilliant flash of light and electricity. Hotaru, who had been watching the scene unfold with her Byakugan active, noticed Kaito’s form disappear just as the lightning arrow hit. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Where did he teleport…?" she began, but before she could finish her sentence, she felt and saw kunai against her neck by Kaito.

Kaito’s voice was calm as he said, "It's over, Hotaru-chan." She felt the tension drain from her body as she nodded in acknowledgment. Kaito slowly removed the kunai, and both of them landed softly on the ground.

Hotaru and Kaito had been sparring since the early morning, the sound of their clashing techniques filling the air. By the time the sun reached its peak. They decided to take a break, the intensity of their training leaving them pleasantly exhausted.

Kaito handed Hotaru a water bottle as they settled onto a large boulder nearby. "You’re getting pretty good with that bow, ya know," he said, as he sat down beside her.

The bow in question, named “Raijin no Yumi” by Hotaru, Kaito had made himself. It had been one of his side projects, inspired by the Raijin no Ken. The bow was engraved with intricate seals that converted the user's chakra into lightning arrows. Some of these arrows could even split mid-flight, arcing and firing multiple smaller bolts.

Taking the bottle with a grateful nod, Hotaru twisted off the cap and took a long drink. "Thanks," she said, lowering the bottle and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I’ve been training hard with the bow, and using it with my Byakugan makes it a lot easier."

Kaito nodded thoughtfully, watching her as she spoke. "When you fully master it, you’ll be able to take down entire armies from a distance," he remarked.

Kaito turned to Hotaru, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Have you come up with any jutsu ideas using the bow?" he asked,

Hotaru nodded. "I’ve got a few ideas in mind," she replied, her voice laced with excitement.

"Good," Kaito responded, a smile tugging at his lips. "If you need any help with them, just let me know."

Hotaru reached into her bag, pulling out a large bento box wrapped in a cloth. "I made lunch for us," she said, unwrapping the box with a touch of pride. Opening it, she revealed a carefully arranged meal. "I made your favorite, chicken karaage with rice." With a shy smile, she handed the box to Kaito

Kaito’s eyes lit up at the sight and smell of the food. He accepted the bento with genuine enthusiasm, his stomach growling in approval. "Thanks, Hotaru-chan," he said warmly, taking the offered chopsticks. He clasped his hands together in a quick, respectful "itadakimasu" before digging in.

He took a bite and hummed in approval, turning to Hotaru with a look of genuine surprise. "Wow, Hotaru-chan, it tastes just like how my mom makes it."

Hotaru’s smile widened, a hint of pink dusting her cheeks. "Well, I learned how to make it from Lady Kushina," she admitted.

Kaito nodded, clearly impressed. "You learned well," he said, taking another bite with a contented smile.

After finishing the meal, Kaito leaned back and patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh. "That was delicious, Hotaru. Thanks so much," he said.

Hotaru nodded, her face lighting up with a pleased smile. "I'm glad you liked it. I was happy to make it for you," she replied softly.

Kaito stood up, stretching his limbs to shake off the post-meal drowsiness. "Well, back to the grind," he said, rolling his shoulders.

Just then, he sensed a small chakra signature approaching them. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source. Out of the bushes jumped a small pug with brown fur, a dark brown snout and ears, wearing a blue vest adorned with the heno-heno-moheji seal and a Konoha forehead protector.

Recognizing the pug immediately, Kaito greeted it with a smile. "Hey there, Pakkun."

Pakkun nodded, his gruff voice breaking the quiet. "Kaito good, I found you." He then looked over at Hotaru, assessing her with his keen eyes.

Seeing the interaction, Kaito decided to make introductions. "Hotaru, this is Pakkun, one of Kakashi’s summons. Pakkun, this is Hotaru, my teammate and best friend."

Hotaru nodded and smiled at Pakkun. "Nice to meet you, Pakkun-san," she said politely.

Pakkun looked up at her, his expression almost approving. "You’re polite. I'll let you touch my paw," he said, lifting his right paw slightly.

Kaito watched with amusement as Hotaru hesitated for a moment before awkwardly reaching out to touch Pakkun’s paw. The fur was soft, and Hotaru smiled, nodding as Pakkun remarked, "They're soft, aren't they?"

Kaito chuckled at the interaction before turning his attention to the matter at hand. "So, Pakkun, what brings you here? Did you find another lead on Lady Tsunade?"

Pakkun dropped his paw and shifted his focus back to Kaito. "Yes, we managed to find a lead, and we've located her."

Kaito’s eyes widened in surprise. "You found her? Where?"

"She's in a small town in the Land of Tea," Pakkun replied.

Kaito’s mind immediately raced with questions. "How long has it been? She hasn’t moved to another town yet, has she?"

Pakkun shook his head. "She arrived in the town this morning, and Akino is currently trailing her."

Kaito nodded, processing the information quickly. "If she arrived this morning, that means she’ll probably stay in town for at least the next two days. I need to inform Sensei," he thought, closing his eyes to focus. Using the Mind's Eye of Kagura, he extended his sensory range to locate Shikaku. Within moments, he sensed Shikaku in his office, about 25 kilometers away.

Opening his eyes, Kaito looked at Pakkun. "We have to move quickly. Follow me, Pakkun. You too, Hotaru-chan," he instructed, jumping onto a nearby tree branch and heading into the village.

Hotaru quickly followed, hopping onto the branches beside him. As Pakkun landed on Kaito’s head, she asked, "Where are we going, Kai-kun?"

"To see Sensei," Kaito replied, his voice steady with determination.

Hotaru nodded, already understanding the plan as they sped towards their destination.

It’s been six months since Naruto entered Konoha Academy, and now it’s October. A lot has happened during this time.

Six months ago, Itachi left Team 11, leaving only Kaito and Hotaru. Since then, they’ve primarily tackled B-ranked or lower missions on their own. Occasionally, they’ve teamed up with other shinobi for higher-ranked missions, including work with Izumo and Kotetsu, as well as with Shikaku-sensei. They’ve also had the chance to work alongside Kosuke Moroboshi, the so-called “eternal genin.”

Kosuke Moroboshi, despite being a genin in name, is as strong as any jonin even in his old age. Both Kaito and Hotaru have learned a great deal from him. It turns out that Kosuke was also a student of the Second Hokage. In Kaito’s opinion, Kosuke is the only successful student the Second Hokage ever had.

Kaito shared his plan to replace the Hokage with Lady Tsunade with Hotaru and Kakashi. Initially, Kakashi was hesitant but eventually agreed that it was necessary to resolve the Uchiha clan situation. Hotaru, on the other hand, trusted Kaito’s judgment and promised to help him persuade her father to support the Hyuga clan.

Recently, Itachi informed Kaito that he had spotted the masked man in the Uchiha clan compound. According to Itachi, the masked man managed to avoid both the cameras and Konoha’s detection barriers. Kaito was already aware of the situation and had been struggling to develop a barrier to counter space-time ninjutsu, which proved to be quite challenging.

Kaito asked Itachi not to disclose the masked man’s activities to anyone, as they were still unsure of his intentions in the Uchiha compound. Kaito vaguely remembered that Obito had connections with individuals who were pro-coup d'état. He advised Itachi to keep an eye on anyone with one who were the most vocal, suspecting that the masked man might be trying to incite a civil war within the village. Itachi agreed to Kaito’s suggestion.

Kaito and Hotaru arrived at the Konoha Intel Division and headed straight to Shikaku’s office. Shikaku was buried in paperwork when they knocked on the window.

Kaito, with a serious expression, said, “Sensei, we need to talk.”

Seeing the urgency on Kaito’s face, Shikaku sighed and nodded, inviting them in.

As they entered through the window, Hotaru greeted Shikaku with a warm smile and a cheerful, “Good to see you, Sensei.” Shikaku nodded in response.

After closing the window, Kaito walked over to the door, closed it, and placed his palm on it. A seal matrix spread across the room, sealing it securely.

Shikaku raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kaito and the dog perched on his head. “So, what brings you both here?” he asked. Noticing the dog, he started to piece things together.

Kaito gestured to Pakkun, who was sitting comfortably on his head. “They’ve found Lady Tsunade,” he said.

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully and asked, rubbing his chin, “Where?”

Pakkun spoke up, “She arrived this morning in a small town in the Land of Tea.”

Kaito nodded, then asked, “What do you think we should do, Sensei? If we leave in a few hours, we could reach the Land of Tea by tomorrow morning.”

Shikaku shook his head. “We should leave tomorrow. That way, I can arrange a cover mission near the Land of Tea.”

Kaito looked puzzled. “Why? We can just inform them that we’re meeting Lady Tsunade to heal my mother, since she’ll be coming with us.”

Shikaku raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on bringing Kushina, Naruto, and Karin?”

Kaito looked puzzled and said, “Yeah, that was the main reason I wanted to find Lady Tsunade—to heal her, ya know?”

Shikaku shook his head. “Kaito, do you really think the Hokage and the elders would allow your mother and Naruto to leave the village?”

Kaito’s face darkened. “You think they’d try to stop them from leaving? I’d like to see them try. They’re not prisoners in Konoha.”

Shikaku sighed. “They’re not, but Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. He’s a military asset of the Hidden Leaf. They won’t let him leave the village. And remember, your mother wasn’t allowed to leave even when your father was Hokage. Fighting them would only draw more attention to us.”

Hotaru nodded in agreement. “Sensei is right, Kai-kun.”

Kaito considered this for a moment. “So, you’re saying we should avoid drawing too much attention.”

Shikaku nodded. “Exactly.”

Kaito then pulled out a tri-pronged kunai. “Alright, we’ll go with your plan, Sensei. and I can still bring them along with this without them knowing.”

Shikaku looked at the kunai and asked, “You’ve mastered the Hiraishin?”

Kaito nodded. Then, addressing Pakkun, who had jumped onto the table, he asked, “Can you meet us outside the village tomorrow morning?”

Pakkun nodded. “Sure, what time?”

Shikaku replied, “We’ll meet around 7, near the east side of the village.”

Pakkun prepared to leave, but Kaito stopped him and handed him a sealing scroll. “I’ve got some treats sealed inside. Enough for you and the rest of the pack as well.”

Pakkun thanked him and reverse-summoned himself away.

Turning to Shikaku, Kaito said, “We’ll meet you at the entrance then, Sensei.” Shikaku nodded, and Hotaru waved goodbye as they left his office.

Kaito chapter 114

Kaito chapter 114

Nodding Kaito activated the Hiraishin no jutsu and vanished from the clearing, leaving behind Itachi, the unconscious Shisui, and the Mukai clone.

Itachi let out a sigh and turned his attention to waking Shisui, preparing for the next steps of their mission.

Kaito arrived in his room, landing in a crouched position as he surveyed the scene. His gaze fell on the clone sleeping on his bed. With a hand seal, he dispelled the clone into a puff of smoke. and the clone memories came to him. He stood up, reflecting on the day's events. “Alright, everything is in motion. Hope this goes well.” With a sigh, Kaito picked up a towel and walked toward the bathroom

….

Kaito woke up in the morning and glanced at the alarm clock. It was around 6:45 AM. "Damn, woke up late. I must’ve been more tired than I thought," he muttered to himself. Kaito usually woke up around 4:30 AM to train. He stretched before stepping out of his room.

Still yawning, Kaito walked into the kitchen and looked around. He saw Naruto and Karin sitting at the table, having breakfast. Karin was engrossed in a book on sealing while she ate.

"Morning, you two," Kaito greeted them with another yawn. "Where’s Mom?" he asked, glancing around the room.

"Morning, Kai-nii!" they both replied in unison. Naruto added, "Mom’s out back," before taking another bite of his breakfast. Karin nodded in agreement.

Kaito nodded, humming in acknowledgment, and left the kitchen, making his way to the back of the house.

When Kaito stepped out into the courtyard, he saw his mother, Kushina, hanging up the laundry.

"Morning, Mom," Kaito greeted her, still yawning as he walked over. "Let me help you with that."

"Good morning, Kai-kun," Kushina smiled warmly at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess I needed it," Kaito nodded and took some of the clothes, starting to hang them alongside her. "Why are you hanging the laundry this early, Mom? You usually do it around noon."

Kushina gave him a puzzled look. "Because we won’t be back until the afternoon," she explained. Then, noticing his state, she asked, "Why aren’t you dressed yet? Don’t tell me you’re not coming."

Kaito tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Coming where?"

Kushina shook her head with a slight frown. "Did you forget what day it is, Kai-kun?" She looked at Kaito, who appeared confused. "It’s Naruto and Karin’s first day at the Academy."

Kaito blinked. "Huh, it’s today? I thought it was next week," he said as they finished hanging up the clothes.

"The academy always starts on the 13th of April, so it’s today," Kushina reminded him. "Hurry up and get ready. We need to leave by 7:30, ya know," she added, lifting the laundry basket.

"Hai, hai," Kaito said, already hurrying back into the house.

A little while later, Kaito walked into the living room, adjusting his cuffs. He was dressed casually in a black long-sleeved shirt and grey pants.

He saw Naruto, Karin, and Kushina all ready and waiting for him. Kushina wore a red kimono, Naruto had on a white t-shirt with black shorts, and Karin was dressed in green pants with a grey long-sleeved t-shirt.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Kaito asked.

Kushina nodded with a smile. "Yes, we were just waiting for you."

After locking up the house, they all walked together toward the academy building next to the Hokage Tower.

....

As they arrived at the academy, they saw many kids along with their parents gathered around.

Naruto, noticing the crowd, exclaimed, "Wow, there are so many people here!" Karin nodded, equally surprised by the large number of attendees.

Kaito nodded in agreement. "It’s more than my intake."

"Come on, you two. Let’s get you registered," Kushina said, guiding them to queue up at one of the registration booths manned by a chunin.

After Naruto and Karin were registered, the chunin directed them to head to the academy's training grounds.

When they reached the training grounds, they ran into Hotaru and her family.

Seeing Kaito and his family, Hotaru waved enthusiastically and called out, "Kai-kun!" She walked over and greeted Kushina with a polite bow. "Good morning, Lady Kushina."

Then, Hotaru playfully ruffled Naruto’s and Karin’s hair. "How are you two?"

Naruto pouted, "Hey, cut that out!" but quickly added, "I’m fine."

Kushina hugged Hotaru warmly. "It’s good to see you, Hotaru-chan. I haven’t seen you in a while."

Hiashi and Hitomi walked over to them, with Hitomi carrying baby Hanabi in her arms and Hinata following closely behind her mother. Hitomi greeted them with a smile, "Kushina, Kaito-kun, Naruto-kun, how have you been?" Hiashi nodded in acknowledgment, while Hitomi, noticing Karin, added, "Ah, and you must be Karin. It’s nice to meet you."

Karin shyly nodded in response.

Kaito bowed politely and greeted them, "Good morning, Hiashi-sama, Lady Hitomi, and you too, Hinata-chan."

Hiashi nodded in return, and Hitomi smiled warmly while Hinata blushed and nodded shyly.

Kushina walked over to her friends. "Hiashi, Hitomi, Hinata-chan! How have you all been? Is that Hanabi-chan?" she asked as she peeked at the baby in Hitomi’s arms, cooing at the sight.

Meanwhile, Naruto walked over to Hinata and asked, "Hey, Hinata-chan, are you entering the academy this year too?"

Karin smiled and added, "I hope we’re in the same class." naruto nodded hearing that

Hinata smiled and nodded. "Naruto-kun, Karin-chan. Yes, that would be nice."

Just then, a chunin stood atop a podium and announced that all new students should come forward and line up, asking the relatives to stand at the back.

As Kaito and his group moved to the back, they ran into Mikoto and Itachi.

Seeing Mikoto, Kushina waved enthusiastically and called out, "Mikoto, over here!" She walked over to greet them.

"It’s good to see you, Mikoto," Kushina said, hugging her friend warmly. She then looked around and asked, "Where’s Fugaku-san? Didn’t he come today?"

Mikoto smiled softly. "He’s been busy with the police lately and didn’t have time to come today."

"Oh," Kushina replied, her smile faltering slightly, already aware of the rising tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village.

Kaito greeted them casually, "Yo, Itachi," not letting on that he had met with Itachi yesterday, as it was meant to be a secret.

Hotaru smiled and greeted Itachi as well, "Itachi-kun."

Itachi gave a small nod, acknowledging them both. "Hotaru," he responded, keeping it brief.

Just then, Hana and Tsume walked over, having come to support Kiba.

Tsume joined the conversation with Kushina, Hitomi, and Mikoto, while Hana came over to Team 11.

"Hey, guys! How’ve you been?" Hana asked with a bright smile.

"Hey, Hana," Kaito greeted her with a smile and a wave.

Hotaru smiled as well. "Hana-chan, it’s been a while," she said, while Itachi nodded in greeting.

Hana grinned and asked, "So, how’s life as a chunin been?"

After a bit of chatting, they filled her in on the status of Team 11 and mentioned that Itachi would be joining the Anbu. Hana asked, "What are you two going to do now that Itachi’s leaving the team?"

Kaito shrugged slightly. "Hotaru and I will just take on missions alone since we’re chunin, or we might be assigned to another squad. I’m not really sure yet."

As they continued talking to Hana, Kaito noticed Shikaku standing lazily with Inoichi and Choza, while their wives, including Yoshino, chatted nearby.

Seeing them, Kaito, Hotaru, and Itachi walked over to greet Shikaku.

"Yo, sensei," Kaito said with a grin.

Hotaru added, "It’s good to see you, sensei."

"It’s been a while, sensei," Itachi said, his tone respectful.

Looking to his left, Shikaku noticed them and smiled. "Oh, it’s been a while, you three. How have you been?"

"We’ve been doing great, sensei," Hotaru answered with a smile.

Shikaku nodded approvingly. "That’s good to hear." He then turned to Itachi and said, "I heard you’ve been recruited by the Anbu, Itachi. Congratulations Itachi that would make you the youngest person to be recruited by the anbu ." He patted Itachi on the shoulder.

Just then, the Hokage came over and took his place on the podium, beginning the usual speech.

As the Third Hokage droned on about his version of the ‘Will of Fire,’ Kaito sensed that Kakashi was one of the Anbu assigned to guard the Hokage.

After enduring the Third Hokage's usual "Will of Fire" speech, Naruto and the other students were led to their classrooms for introductions.

Kaito, feeling the time was right, excused himself and quickly body flickered to the location where he had sensed Kakashi.

Perched on a tree branch with a few Anbu members, Kaito appeared and casually waved, "Well, hello there."

The Anbu, startled by his sudden appearance, tensed up, ready to attack, but Kakashi quickly intervened. "Stand down, it’s just him," Kakashi said calmly, then turned to Kaito. "What do you want, Kaito?"

Kaito grinned. "I've been looking for you for the past two weeks. I’ve got something important to talk to you about."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Can’t it wait until this is over?"

Kaito shook his head. "It’s urgent. Why don’t you just send a shadow clone with me? You’ll get the memories once it dispels."

Kakashi considered for a moment before nodding. He created a shadow clone, which then turned to Kaito. "Lead the way."

Nodding, Kaito and Kakashi’s shadow clone body flickered away, reappearing atop the Hokage faces carved into the mountain.

Once there, Kakashi’s clone asked, "Alright, we’re here. So, what’s this about?"

Kaito shook his head. "Not here." He placed a hand on Kakashi and formed a one-handed seal, instantly transporting them outside the village.

Kakashi looked around. "Are we outside the village, " he asked, then eyed Kaito. "Was that the Hiraishin?"

Kaito nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, we should be safe here from any eavesdroppers."

Meanwhile, Naruto's class was led back to the training ground. Seeing Naruto, Hinata, and Karin, Kushina waved at them.

Naruto grinned and waved back.

The students were given an obstacle course to complete. Thanks to the intense training he'd been doing with Kaito, Naruto finished first, managing to put some distance between himself, Sasuke, and the rest of the class.

Karin and Hinata tied for the top spot among the girls, leading the female students.

After the obstacle course, they were asked to demonstrate their shuriken jutsu. Sasuke excelled, earning a perfect score and taking first place. Hinata followed closely behind, only missing two out of ten targets.

Naruto did fairly well within his friend group, but since Kaito hadn't started training him in shuriken throwing yet, he wasn't at the top. Karin came in last among their group.

Next, they were led to the sparring circle.

Hinata was matched against Ino and won the fight with relative ease. A single palm strike had Ino on the ground, after which Hinata profusely apologized to Ino, over and over.

After a few matches between civilian kids, it was Kiba's turn. He went up against another civilian kid and won easily.

Karin was then pitted against Sakura Haruno, another civilian girl. The match was over as soon as it began with Karin pinning Sakura down, winning with ease.

The Chunin instructor called for both Naruto and Sasuke to step into the sparring circle.

Kushina cheered loudly for Naruto as they entered the circle, shouting, "Do your best, Naruto-chan!"

Just then, Kaito appeared beside Itachi and Hotaru in a flicker and asked, "Good, I made it just in time. What did I miss, guys?"

Hotaru filled him in on what had happened so far.

Nodding, Kaito said, “So Naruto is facing Sasuke. Just like our orientation, huh, Itachi?”

Itachi shook his head and replied, “You asked our sensei to fight me; they were randomly selected.”

Kaito waved him off, saying, “All the same.”

The Chunin instructor asked, "Are you both ready?" Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded, holding the seal of confrontation. The Chunin jumped back, calling out, "Hajime!"

As soon as the match started, Naruto and Sasuke charged at each other, meeting in the middle of the ring.

Naruto threw a punch straight at Sasuke, who barely dodged to the side, surprised by Naruto's speed. Sasuke tried to sweep Naruto's feet out from under him, but Naruto reacted quickly, jumping back before rushing at Sasuke again.

Sasuke had a hard time blocking Naruto's heavy punches and kicks, finding himself on the defensive the whole time. Naruto wasn't holding back, and it showed in the relentless pressure he put on Sasuke.

From the sidelines, Kushina cheered loudly for Naruto.

Itachi, watching the fight closely, frowned as he saw Sasuke struggling to keep up with Naruto.

Kaito, observing with a smirk, thought to himself, "Heh, Naruto’s stronger than even Sasuke. This proves my point—Naruto just needed proper guidance, and Jiraiya was only half-assing Naruto’s training." This was the first time Naruto and Sasuke had sparred against each other without being interrupted. In the past, Kaito, Kushina, or others had always stepped in before they start fighting.

Sasuke was frustrated, struggling as Naruto continued to press him hard. He found it difficult to keep up with Naruto's speed.

Naruto aimed a kick at Sasuke's head, but Sasuke managed to tilt his head back just in time to dodge it. Seizing the moment, Sasuke threw a punch at Naruto's face, which Naruto blocked. Sasuke followed up with a punch to Naruto's stomach, catching him off guard, and quickly landed a roundhouse kick aimed at Naruto's face. Naruto ducked just in time.

Feeling the shift in momentum, Sasuke began to push Naruto back. He tried to kick Naruto in the abdomen, but Naruto attempted to sweep Sasuke's feet. Reacting quickly, Sasuke jumped up and kicked at Naruto, who blocked the attack and rolled away before charging back at Sasuke.

They continued exchanging punches and kicks, evenly matched. Sasuke aimed a punch at Naruto's face, only for Naruto to catch his fist and flip Sasuke over him. Sasuke landed hard, skidding outside the circle.

The Chunin instructor announced, "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sasuke looked down, realizing he had skidded out of the circle and lost the match.

Kushina cheered loudly for Naruto, shouting, “Well done, Naru-chan! That’s my boy, ya know!”

Mikoto smiled, noticing that her son Sasuke had awakened his Sharingan.

Kaito turned to Itachi and said, “It looks like Sasuke awakened the Sharingan, the same way you did, Itachi.”

Itachi nodded, observing his brother as the instructor asked him to make the seal of reconciliation.

Hotaru remarked, “Both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun put up a great fight.”

Naruto grinned and said to Sasuke, “Like I said teme, I’m stronger than you.”

Still frustrated from the loss, Sasuke retorted, “You got lucky, dobe. Next time, I’ll win.” He limped towards the waiting students, having sprained his ankle from pushing his body too hard.

Naruto, looking annoyed, replied, “Bring it on, teme. I’ll just pummel you every time we fight.” He then joined his friends, who congratulated him.

The last fight was between Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru, however, decided to forfeit the match.

Goten Chapter 5

Goten Chapter 5

Chi-Chi nodded. "Yes, both your Grandpa Gohan and the Ox-King trained under the same master when they were young."

Gohan was even more surprised. "You're kidding! Wow."

Goten, taking in the new information, asked, "So Dad learned martial arts from Grandpa Gohan?"

Chi-Chi confirmed, "Yes, Goku trained with him when he was young, but later, he studied under Master Roshi."

Gohan chimed in, "I remember him! Dad took me to his house when I was little to introduce me to everyone."

Chi-Chi nodded. "Yes, Master Roshi was also both your grandpas' master."

Goten’s eyes brightened with interest. "Really? So he trained Dad? Do you think he could train me and Gohan too?"

…..

Gohan paused mid-bite, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Goten. “Train under Master Roshi? But we’re far stronger than he is. Even when I was your age, I had already surpassed him.”

Goten shook his head with a small smile, meeting Gohan’s gaze. “Sure, we might be stronger than him in terms of raw power, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have valuable training methods and techniques we can learn. Remember, you told me that you only trained under Piccolo-san for a year.”

Chi-Chi, who had been quietly eating, nodded thoughtfully. “Goten’s right, Gohan. Your father learned a lot from Master Roshi, including the Kamehameha. There’s more to training than just brute strength.”

Goten turned to his brother with a curious expression. “Gohan, do you know where he lives?”

Gohan nodded slowly, his brow furrowing in thought. “Yeah, he lives on a small island, but I’m not sure if he’s still alive. We haven’t seen him since the androids attacked.”

Chi-Chi swallowed her bite of food and added with a smirk, “Oh, I wouldn’t count him out just yet. That old pervert is probably still kicking.”

Gohan chuckled, finishing his last bite. “You’re probably right, Mom. There’s no harm in checking it out.”

Chi-Chi agreed, “Yes, and after lunch, we should head over. But before we go, could you check on the crops, Gohan?”

Gohan nodded, pushing his plate aside. “Sure thing, Mom.” He then resumed eating.

Goten, meanwhile, couldn’t help but grin to himself. “Heh, that was easier than I thought it would be. I didn’t think they’d agree so quickly.” He took a bite of the chicken leg.

After they finished eating, Chi-Chi began clearing the table, efficiently stacking the plates and utensils. The familiar clatter of dishes filled the room as Goten stretched, letting out a big yawn while patting his full stomach. “Well… I’m going to take a nap, Mom,” he said, his voice sleepy as he shuffled towards the door.

Gohan stood up as well, offering his mother a quick smile. “I’ll go check on the crops, Mom,” he said, following Goten out of the house.

Once outside, Gohan glanced over at his brother, who was already making his way toward the large tree in front of their home. “Hey, Goten, do you want to come with me to check on the crops?” Gohan asked though he could already guess the answer.

Goten yawned again, shaking his head lazily. “Nah, I’m going to take a nap under the tree,” he replied, his steps slowing as he approached the inviting shade of the tree.

Gohan shrugged. “Alright, see you later, Goten,” he said, turning towards the fields.

Goten found his usual spot under the tree, the shade offering a cool respite from the warm afternoon sun. He sat down, leaning his back against the trunk as he settled in, he thought. “Hopefully, Roshi is still alive,”.

Within moments, Goten’s eyes grew heavy, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

About an hour later, after Chi-Chi had finished washing the dishes, she set about packing some food for their trip. The smell of fresh rice and carefully prepared dishes filled the air as she skillfully arranged everything into a large bento.

“Goten, come on, wake up!” Chi-Chi called out, standing just outside the house with the hefty bento in her hands.

Goten stirred from his nap, blinking groggily as he rubbed his eyes. He looked up to see his mother standing there, holding the massive bento she usually packed for their lunch.

“Goten, come on! We should get going,” Chi-Chi called again, waving him over with one hand while Gohan emerged from the house, quickly taking the heavy bento from her.

“Coming!” Goten replied, quickly getting to his feet. He walked over to them. “Are we leaving now?” he asked.

Chi-Chi nodded, smiling as she reached out to rub Goten’s cheek with her thumb, wiping away a bit of dried saliva from his nap. “Yes, we should get going,” she said gently.

Chi-Chi called out, “Flying Nimbus!” The yellow cloud appeared in front of her, and she climbed on.

Goten and Gohan took to the air, flying beside their mother as she rode the Nimbus. Gohan led the way.

As they made their way over the ocean, the familiar shape of Kame House came into view, nestled on a small island surrounded by water. Goten’s eyes widened as he spotted the iconic house. “That’s good, the androids haven’t attacked them yet,” he thought. “If I remember correctly, they did attack Kame House in that TV special, but Master Roshi escaped with Oolong and Turtle. It seems that hasn’t happened here yet.”

Goten pointed down at the small pink house. “Is that it? Is that where Master Roshi lives?” he asked, turning to Gohan and Chi-Chi, “I can sense three people inside.”

Gohan smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s Master Roshi’s house. It looks just like it did when I visited with Dad back then.”

Chi-Chi smiled as well, a hint of triumph in her voice. “See, Gohan? Didn’t I tell you the old pervert would have survived?”

They landed on the sandy beach, with Chi-Chi dismounting the Nimbus first, Goten followed suit, landing a bit behind them. He stayed a step back, feeling a bit out of place since, in this timeline, he hadn’t met the people they were about to greet.

Sensing their arrival, Master Roshi stepped out of the house, followed closely by Turtle and Oolong. The elderly martial artist squinted at the newcomers before his face lit up with recognition.

“Oh, Chi-Chi! It’s been a while. How have you been? And Gohan! My, how you’ve grown into quite the young man,” Roshi greeted them warmly, though his eyes quickly darted toward Chi-Chi with a familiar, mischievous glint.

Roshi took a step closer to Chi-Chi, smiling in a way that made Goten’s stomach churn. “Oh-oh, nice to see both of you,” Roshi said, his eyes lingering on Chi-Chi’s chest a bit too long.

Turtle, ever the polite one, chimed in, “Ah, it’s Chi-Chi and young Gohan! Wonderful to see you both!”

But before Roshi could get any closer, Chi-Chi’s expression turned stern. She produced a frying pan seemingly out of nowhere and whacked him on the head with it. “You seem as healthy as ever, old perv,” she said flatly, watching as Roshi twitched on the ground, clutching his head in pain.

Gohan chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Heh, heh, nice to see you again, guys.”

Meanwhile, Goten stood a little behind, observing the scene with a frown. He didn’t like the way Roshi had ogled Chi-Chi. Even though he was a transmigrant with memories of a different life fully aware of Roshi’s character and quirks, he still had Goten’s memories too, and they made him feel a deep sense of protectiveness toward Chi-Chi, she felt like his real mother.

Oolong waddled over to them, his eyes widening as he got a closer look at Gohan. “Is that really Gohan? That little pipsqueak has grown!” he exclaimed, clearly surprised at how much the young half-Saiyan had changed.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi, who was still recovering from Chi-Chi’s frying pan attack, stood up slowly, adjusting his broken sunglasses and nursing a now crooked nose. As his gaze shifted to Goten, Roshi’s expression changed to one of shock and disbelief. “G-Goku? Goku?” he stammered, rubbing his eyes as if to clear his vision before looking at Goten again.

Chi-Chi smiled, shaking her head gently. “This isn’t Goku, Master Roshi. This is Goten, our youngest son.”

“Goten, huh?” Roshi said, still a bit taken aback. “Well, nice to meet you, Goten.”

Goten waved politely, a small smile on his face. “Nice to meet you too, Master Roshi.”

Turtle, who had been observing quietly, moved a little closer to Goten, inspecting him with a curious gaze. “You look just like Goku did when he was young,” he remarked.

Oolong nodded in agreement, his eyes moving up and down as he took in Goten’s appearance. “He’s like a carbon copy of Goku when we first met him.”

Goten nodded politely, not entirely sure how to respond to the comparison.

Roshi, still a bit dazed, finally regained his composure and asked, “So, what brings you all here?”

Chi-Chi stepped forward and said. “It was Goten’s idea. Both Gohan and Goten want to train under you,” she explained, casting a glance at her youngest son.

Master Roshi looked at Gohan and Goten with a bewildered expression, his eyes wide with surprise. “Train under me? But you two seem to have far surpassed me,” he said, his gaze shifting between the two young Saiyans.

Goten was the first to respond. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to teach us.”

Gohan took a step forward and bowed deeply, his respect for the old master evident in his posture. “Please, Master Roshi, train us the way you trained our father.”

Seeing Gohan’s gesture, Goten quickly followed suit, bowing alongside his brother.

Roshi stood there for a moment, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he considered their request. “Hmm... alright, I’ll train you,” he finally said, a contemplative look on his face. But then, his expression shifted to something more mischievous, and with a perverted smile creeping onto his lips, he added, “But first, I want something...” He paused, letting the suspense build before continuing, “I want you two to find me a pretty girl!” He punctuated his request by groping the air with his hands, a trickle of blood escaping his nose as he grinned lecherously.

Before he could fully indulge in his fantasy, Chi-Chi’s fist came down hard on his face, sending him crashing to the ground. “What do you think you’re trying to do, you old pervert? Are you trying to corrupt my two babies?” she shouted, her voice full of righteous fury as she loomed over the crumpled Roshi.

As Chi-Chi continued to berate Roshi, Turtle, and Oolong exchanged a knowing glance and said to Gohan and Goten, “Man, this really brings back memories.”

Gohan chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he tried to diffuse the situation. “Uh, Mom, please don’t beat Master Roshi too much…”

A while later, a thoroughly bruised Master Roshi was dragged back by Chi-Chi, who had a firm grip on his ear, her expression still showing signs of lingering anger. “Ahem... as I was saying,” Roshi mumbled, trying to regain some dignity, “I will train you two.”

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 6

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 6

"Dammit, where is that portrait?" Neville sighed tiredly, turning yet another corner. His feet ached from all the wandering, and his mind was beginning to fog from exhaustion. "Not even Filch's cat," he muttered under his breath, referring to the creepy caretaker's ever-watchful feline companion that usually appeared in the movie to find the students out of bed.

Neville sighed, thinking, ‘Maybe I could just sleep in the Room of Requirement for tonight... but I don’t even know where it is, other than it’s on the seventh floor, opposite a painting.’

He was about to give up on searching for the Gryffindor common room and just sleep on the floor when he heard a voice coming from around the corner.

"Finally, someone," Neville thought, quickly rushing to the corner, not wanting to lose the person.

Rounding the corner in his haste, Neville bumped into someone, and they both fell down on their bums.

….

“Ouch," the other person hissed, rubbing his head where he had bumped into Neville.

Neville quickly stood up and looked at who he had bumped into. He saw a boy with black hair and glasses on the floor, and beside him was a brown, bushy-haired girl and a ginger-haired boy. They looked stunned, and Neville instantly recognized them as the Golden Trio.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Neville asked, extending a hand to help the boy up, though he seemed perfectly capable of managing on his own.

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry replied, as the ginger-haired boy helped him up. Brushing off his robes as he stood, Harry asked, "Why were you running?"

"Neville, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.

"Uh, well... I’m lost. I don’t know where the Gryffindor common room is," Neville admitted, hesitating before adding, "But do you guys know me?" He was trying to keep up the act of having amnesia.

"What do you mean, 'do we know you?'" the red-haired boy asked irritably. "Of course we know you, we stay in the same room."

Neville shook his head and said, "I don’t really remember anything. Madam Pomfrey said I have amnesia or something."

"Oh my," Hermione said, covering her mouth. "You can’t remember anything?" she asked, Neville shook his head again, confirming her question.

"Well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later—" Ron started to say.

"Can I come with you?" Neville interrupted. "I don't know where the Gryffindor common room is. I’ve been wandering around for the last hour, and you’re the first people I’ve come across.

"Fine," Ron muttered, glancing at his watch before glaring furiously at Hermione and Neville. "If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you.”

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

As they followed Harry and Ron, Neville whispered to Hermione, "Why are we sneaking around?"

Hermione replied in a hushed tone, "Malfoy tricked these two idiots into dueling him. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen. I wanted to return to the common room, but the Fat Lady had gone somewhere. Now, they're going to lose us a lot of house points," she ranted in a whisper. Neville nodded, absorbing the situation.

They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room. Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.

The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues shined by the light of the torches.

They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand, ready in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.

The minutes crept by. "He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered. Then a noise in the next room made them jump.

Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak, and it wasn't Malfoy. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." It was Filch, speaking to Mrs. Norris.

Harry waved madly at the others to follow him as quickly as possible. They scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice.

Neville, already tired from the day's events, followed them around the corner just as they heard Filch enter the trophy room. "They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter. "Probably hiding."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others. They began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor.

They could hear Filch getting nearer. Panic rising, they broke into a run, but Neville, exhausted, tripped and fell, toppling right into a suit of armor. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see if Filch was following. They swung around a doorpost and went down one corridor, then another, Harry in the lead, with no idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtling along it and emerging near what looked like a classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent over, wheezing.

"I -- told -- you," Hermione gasped, clutching at her chest. "I -- told -- you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," Ron said urgently, "as quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you. Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room. Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Let's go," Harry said, urgency in his voice. But it wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled, and something shot out of a classroom in front of them. It was Peeves.

He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight. "Shut up, Peeves—please—you'll get us thrown out," Harry pleaded.

Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please," Harry pleaded.

Neville froze, looking terrified. He knew there were ghosts at Hogwarts, but seeing one in person was a completely different experience.

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves. It was a big mistake.

Neville, still scared, whispered to Hermione, "He's not that bright, is he?" To Neville, that was the stupidest thing to do provoking someone who's blackmailing you.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, his voice echoing down the corridor. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door—and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, pushing helplessly at the door. "We're done for! This is the end!"

 Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Filch ran as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!" The lock clicked, and the door swung open. They piled in, shut the door quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

While the others were focused on the sounds outside, Neville was drawn to something far more terrifying. A giant three-headed dog that was slowly waking up. “Shit… shit… shit… that must be Hagrid’s,” he thought.

"Umm, guys," Neville said, tugging at the closest person to him to get their attention.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay—get off, Neville!" he shouted, as Neville had been tugging at his bathrobe for the last minute.

“That you f… idiot,” Neville nearly cursed, stopping himself just in time. The three-headed dog was fully awake now, staring down at them with menacing growls.

"What?" Harry turned around and saw, quite clearly, what had Neville so panicked.

Without wasting another second, Neville acted quickly. He yanked the door open, pulling everyone out, and then slammed it shut behind them.

The three of them ran as fast as they could, with Neville following closely behind. Filch must have hurried off to search elsewhere because they didn't see him anywhere but they hardly cared. All they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between themselves and the three-headed dog.

They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

Seeing the Fat Lady’s portrait, Neville sighed in relief, thinking, "Finally, I can get some sleep."

"Where on earth have you all been?" the Fat Lady asked, looking at their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that -- pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward.

Neville sat down on the couch, catching his breath and thinking, "Definitely need to exercise and get into shape." It was a while before any of them said anything.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron finally said. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had regained both her breath and her bad temper. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry asked. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

“A door,” Neville said, not really paying attention to the conversation.

"yes. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something," Hermione said, standing up and glaring at them. “Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed—before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse, expelled."

Ron watched her leave and shook his head. "She needs to sort out her priorities," he muttered. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?" he added as they walked into the Gryffindor boys’ dormitories.

Entering the room, Neville saw a furnace in the middle of the room with some socks hung around it to dry, warming up the space. There were seven four-poster beds, all with red bed sheets, and three were unoccupied. Neville asked, “Which one is my bed?”

Harry pointed to an empty bed in the top right corner next to a window. Nodding a thanks, Neville walked over, plopped down, and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

Kaito Chapter 113

Kaito Chapter 113

Mukai finished dressing the corpse and then asked, "What about them?" He pointed to Itachi and Shisui.

Kaito replied, "Itachi is my friend, and I trust him." He pointed at the body. "Itachi already has your corpse to return to the village."

Mukai then asked, "When will you relocate my family?"

Kaito hummed thoughtfully. "I just did. My clones have already relocated them." He created a shadow clone. "This clone will take you to them."

Mukai nodded and touched the shadow clone’s shoulder. The clone performed a few hand signs and transported them away.

Kaito turned to Itachi and asked, "So, what do you want to know?"

Itachi, eyeing Kaito intently, asked, "What did you mean by 'new Hokage'?"

……

Kaito’s shadow clone perched atop a sturdy tree, leaning casually against the rough bark, had been silently observing the area for the past two days. The clone had positioned itself about two kilometers away from Mukai’s home, using the Mind’s Eye of Kagura to carefully monitor Mukai’s family while keeping a vigilant eye on the Root ANBU spying on Mukai family.

As the clone kept watch, it noticed Mukai's own shadow clone, which had been spending time with his family, suddenly disperse in the midst of their lunch. The timing wasn’t lost on the Root ANBU either, they had clearly detected the sudden disappearance.

"It seems Mukai dispelled his shadow clone to regain his chakra to face Itachi and Shisui," Kaito mused to himself through the clone’s thoughts.

The shadow clone continued its monitoring, waiting patiently for the signal from the original Kaito. Then, a sudden rush of memories from the original flooded the clone’s mind. the signal had been given.

"Heh," the clone thought with a smirk, "it seems the boss has found a replacement for Itachi in the Akatsuki."

The shadow clone moved silently, darting through the dense foliage towards Mukai’s home, careful not to alert the Root ANBU.

Upon reaching the house, Kaito’s clone quickly created three additional clones. they slipped inside the home, moving with the speed and efficiency of seasoned shinobi. Before Mukai’s wife and child could even register their presence, the clones knocked them out gently, ensuring they wouldn’t feel any pain.

Without wasting a moment, three clones transformed themselves into perfect replicas of Mukai’s family members, seamlessly taking their places within the home. another of Kaito’s shadow clones wrapped Mukai’s wife and kids with his chakra chains and then lifted them close to him, nodding to the transformed shadow clones he made a few hand signs and activated hiraishin no jutsu, and in a blink, they were gone, reappearing in a secluded forest clearing near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Tea. The location had been carefully selected, it was remote, with little chance of being caught in the crossfire of any conflicts, yet close enough to Degarashi Port. Kaito had deemed Hachō Village safe for Mukai’s family to be relocated without leaving the Land of Fire.

The clone gently placed Mukai’s unconscious family on the soft grass, before dispelling itself, sending the memories back to the original Kaito.

Minutes later, another shadow clone of Kaito appeared in the same spot, this time with Mukai by his side. As soon as Mukai saw his family, he rushed over to them, as he knelt beside his wife, checking her pulse before doing the same for his child. Relief washed over him as he confirmed they were alive.

"They’re just unconscious," Kaito’s clone said calmly, watching Mukai’s reactions closely. " They should wake up in a few minutes."

Kaito’s clone looked at Mukai and said, “We’re near the Land of Fire’s border with the Land of Tea.” He pointed in a specific direction and added, “Hachō Village is that way.” The clone then tossed a scroll to Mukai, who caught it with practiced ease.

“This scroll contains the funds I promised you,” the clone explained. “Use it to purchase a house and set up a business so your family can support themselves while you’re on your mission. Spend a few months helping them settle into the village. They should be safe here.”

Mukai took the scroll, his expression serious as he listened. The clone continued, "My clones have made sure your family can't be tracked to this village. To Konoha, Your family died in an explosion,”

Mukai nodded, accepting the information. Kaito’s clone went on, “As I said before, the Akatsuki is composed of S-class shinobi. Make sure your new identity reflects that level of reputation. Also, be cautious ensure the Akatsuki don’t learn about your family”

Kaito’s clone handed Mukai a ring and said, "Channel chakra into this if you find yourself in something that you can't handle. It will transport you to this place."

As Mukai took the ring, Kaito’s clone sensed movement and noticed Mukai’s wife beginning to stir. “They’re starting to wake up,” he said. “I’ll leave it to you to explain the situation to them. Remember to give me a report every month.”

With that, Kaito’s clone dispelled itself, leaving Mukai and his family in the clearing.

…

Meanwhile, Kaito stood across from Itachi, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Itachi’s eyes focused on him as he asked, “What did you mean by ‘new Hokage’?”

Kaito replied with a calm demeanor, “Exactly that.”

Itachi’s gaze hardened, and he said, “Explain.”

Meeting Itachi’s intense stare, Kaito elaborated, “Most of the village’s current issues could be resolved by appointing a new Hokage.”

Itachi’s expression grew more serious. “Kaito, what you’re suggesting is treason.”

Kaito shrugged slightly, his tone unfazed. "Why does everyone seem to forget that The Third Hokage already retired even before the Third Shinobi War ended? He’s just a stand-in until a suitable successor is found. And since he hasn’t found a successor, us finding someone that has the approval of the Daimyo, the clans, and the Jonin council, isn’t treason."

Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair before continuing, "Itachi, what do you think would happen if the tension between the Uchiha clan and the village grows? I can only see two outcomes from this, seeing how stubborn both sides are. Scenario 1: the Hokage and the Elders wipe out the Uchiha clan, or Scenario 2: the Uchiha clan launches a coup d'état, and a civil war breaks out in the village. And I know that the Uchiha clan are already at a point that might think a coup d'état be their only solution."

Itachi’s eyes widened at the mention of a coup d'état. Observing Itachi’s reaction, Kaito thought to himself, "So the Uchiha clan have already started thinking of a coup d'état, or he hasn't thought of the possibility that the Hokage would wipe out the Uchiha clan."

Kaito nodded gravely and continued, “Ideally, appointing someone from the Uchiha clan as Hokage would be the most straightforward solution. However, with how the current situation with the village is, I don't think the other clans would support someone from the Uchiha clan being elected Hokage. That's why appointing a new Hokage who is well-liked by all and someone who is willing to give back all the Uchiha clan's rights with something that guarantees there won't be something like this in the future would solve the issue. Even Sensei agrees with me on this."

Itachi’s eyes widened further as he asked, “Are you saying that Shikaku Sensei is involved in this plan?”

Kaito nodded and said, "Yes, I have discussed this with Sensei, and he agrees with me. He has also offered to help in getting backing from the other clans since all of them are not that happy with the Third right now."

Itachi mulled over Kaito’s words, his expression thoughtful. "I don't really like the idea, but...," he began, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "I agree if the tension between the clan and the village grows... I can see things happening as you predict." With a resigned sigh, Itachi added, “I will assist you if it means we can resolve this issue. You and Sensei must have already identified a candidate.”

Kaito smiled and nodded. “That's good because I was planning on asking for your help in convincing the Uchiha clan, and as for the candidate, it's Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin."

Itachi nodded in understanding. “Lady Tsunade. She is indeed respected, even among the Uchiha clan.”

Kaito gave Itachi a nod before saying, "Well, I will leave you to your mission. When Shisui wakes up, tell him that Mukai just stabbed himself. Mukai had a seal that would cause him to suicide without leaking information when they are under genjutsu. All ANBU have this placed on them."

Itachi nodded in acknowledgment.

Kaito walked over to Mukai’s body double and, with a swift motion, stabbed it with Mukai’s tanto. He then tossed the tanto to Itachi, saying, Talk to Sensei if you still don't seem sure about this plan. I trust you, Itachi, you won't say a word to anyone about the plan or my deal with Mukai."

Itachi caught the tanto and replied, "Hai, I already figured as much when you knocked out Shisui.... I trust you, Kaito, I won't tell anyone."

Nodding Kaito activated the Hiraishin no jutsu and vanished from the clearing, leaving behind Itachi, the unconscious Shisui, and the Mukai clone.

Itachi let out a sigh and turned his attention to waking Shisui, preparing for the next steps of their mission.

….

Kaito arrived in his room, landing in a crouched position as he surveyed the scene. His gaze fell on the clone sleeping on his bed. With a hand seal, he dispelled the clone into a puff of smoke. and the clone memories came to him. He stood up, reflecting on the day's events. “Alright, everything is in motion. Hope this goes well.” With a sigh, Kaito picked up a towel and walked toward the bathroom

Goten Chapter 4

Goten Chapter 4

Gohan paused mid-bite and looked at Goten with a bewildered expression. Chi-Chi glanced over, her curiosity piqued.

Swallowing his food, Gohan finally replied, “Huh, sure, I can train you. But why?”

Goten shrugged and replied, “Well, you’re fighting the androids alone, so I thought I could help. Plus, don’t you want a sparring partner?” He took a bite of his food as he spoke.

Chi-Chi hummed thoughtfully and added, “I was actually planning to train you myself since both your father and I were martial artists.”

Gohan nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Alright then, we can start after lunch.”

….

In the middle of a desolate wasteland, the sounds of intense clashing echoed through the air, echoing like rolling thunder across the barren landscape. Goten and Gohan were locked in a fierce spar, their movements a blur as they zipped from one place to another, each strike causing the ground to tremble beneath them.

Gohan, in his base form, unleashed a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. His attacks were punctuated by powerful shouts “CACACACACA!” as he pressed his assault on Goten.

Goten, kept up with Gohan as he blocked and dodged each of his blows. seeing an opening and Goten landed a solid punch right to Gohan's face, sending him hurtling backward. Without pausing, Goten appeared above his brother, fists clenched together, ready to hammer down.

But Gohan was quick. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared above Goten, delivering a powerful kick that sent Goten crashing into a nearby rock, shattering it into pieces.

Gritting his teeth, Goten pushed himself up from the rubble, panting heavily eying Gohan. before he charged at Gohan, his fist aimed straight at him. Gohan blocked Goten’s punch and countered with a strike of his own, but Goten blocked it and proceeded to unleash a rapid series of punches and kicks.

Gohan blocked all of Goten's attacks, and countered with a kick to Goten mid-section, sending Goten skidding across the ground. As Goten regained his footing, Gohan raised his hands, gathered KI, and began firing a relentless barrage of ki blasts. Each blast hurtled toward Goten, making it clear that Gohan was not holding back in their sparring match.

Goten, seeing the ki blasts coming his way, darted to the side in a blur, expertly avoiding the energy attacks. He continued to evade the blasts while simultaneously closing the distance between himself and Gohan. but Gohan’s relentless assault made it a challenge.

As Goten approached, he aimed a kick aimed at Gohan’s head. However, Gohan sidestepped with ease, countering with a ki blast. Goten managed to evade the blast at the last second by shifting to the left, then countered with a punch aimed at Gohan. The two continued their intense exchange of punches and kicks, their training session stretching on for nearly three hours.

Goten’s stamina began to wane as fatigue set in. Goten overextension a punch that Gohan exploited. With a kick to Goten's midsection, Gohan sent Goten crashing to the ground, creating a crater upon impact.

As Goten groaned and lay in the crater, Gohan called out as he landed next to Goten, "I think that’s enough for today, Goten."

Goten, breathing heavily and exhausted, responded, "That’s good because I don’t think I can move anymore."

Gohan chuckled, his tone warm and encouraging. "Well, come on then. We should head home, or we might be late for lunch." He carefully lifted Goten off the ground and carried him on his back.

Goten, worn out from the rigorous training, quickly succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep during the journey back home.

After a short flight, they finally arrived back home. Gohan's landing shook Goten awake.

Goten, still half-asleep, let out a wide yawn and asked groggily, "Are we back?" He slowly slid off Gohan’s back, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, we're home," Gohan replied, opening the front door with a smile. As they stepped inside, he called out, "Mom, we're back!"

Chi-Chi, hearing their voices, appeared from the kitchen with a warm smile. "Welcome back, you two! I just finished making lunch. Come eat," she said, gesturing towards the dining table where a steaming meal awaited them.

Goten yawned again, his stomach rumbling at the sight and smell of the food. He walked over and plopped down at the table, still not fully awake but eager to eat. Gohan and Chi-Chi followed, each taking their seats.

Chi-Chi served them generous portions of rice and meat, the aroma filling the room. "Thank you for the food," both Gohan and Goten said in unison, their voices filled with gratitude before they began eating.

As usual, Gohan dug in with his typical Saiyan appetite, eating with incredible speed that never failed to amaze Chi-Chi. Meanwhile, Goten tried to keep up, though his pace was nowhere near as frantic as his older brother’s.

The sounds of clinking chopsticks and contented munching filled the room, a comforting backdrop to their simple but happy family moment.

While eating his food, Goten glanced over at Gohan, his thoughts beginning to drift.

It had been six months since Goten had found himself transmigrated into the Dragon Ball universe, landing in the future timeline. Over these past six months, he had been training with Gohan nearly every day.

During their time together, Goten learned that Gohan had only had about a year of formal training. if you could even call it that. It was more like four months under Piccolo's guidance since Gohan had spent the first six months fending for himself in the wild. Beyond that, Gohan hadn’t trained much after the Frieza Saga. There had been no warning about the androids from Trunks in this timeline, so Gohan had devoted most of his time to studying, aiming to become a scholar.

As a result, this version of Gohan never trained with Piccolo and Goku to prepare for the androids’ arrival. He hadn’t even learned the Kamehameha. It was a miracle that Gohan was as strong as he was in this timeline, considering how little he actually knew

Still, Gohan had been able to teach Goten the basics he’d learned from Piccolo. Goten couldn’t help but think, “No wonder future Gohan was so weak compared to the canon timeline. This Gohan barely had four months of proper training. It’s like how Goku was before he met Master Roshi.”

Then, a thought struck him, making his eyes widen in realization. “Wait a minute Master Roshi should still be alive. Gohan and I could go train with him!”

Beyond the basics, Goten had also been trying to transform into a Super Saiyan. He’d attempted the method Cabba had used, focusing on the tingling sensation in his back, but it didn’t work. He figured it was because his base power hadn’t reached the level necessary to ascend.

In the meantime, Goten had also started incorporating Whis’s training methods, which he had learned from his memories of the original timeline. He was attempting to keep his ki contained within his body without letting any of it leak out. So far, Goten hadn’t managed to achieve this. it was much more difficult than he had anticipated. Suppressing ki was one thing, that simply involved lowering the amount of energy his body naturally released. But stopping it from leaking entirely? That was a whole other challenge, as the body naturally emitted ki no matter what.

While Goten was lost in thought, Chi-Chi turned to Gohan and asked, "So, how's the training going? How is Goten's progress?"

Gohan paused mid-bite, swallowed his food, and replied, "Goten's doing really well, Mom. He's a natural at fighting. He's already catching up to me. I think in a few months, he might be as strong as I am without even going Super Saiyan."

Chi-Chi stopped mid-bite, her eyes widening in shock. "Are you sure, Gohan? He's only been training for six months," she said, her gaze shifting between Gohan and Goten, disbelief clear on her face.

Gohan shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, he’s much stronger than I was at his age. It actually makes me a bit jealous of how fast he learns. It’s motivating me to train even harder just to keep up with him. He kind of reminds me of Dad."

Chi-Chi looked at Goten, her expression a mix of shock, nostalgia, and a touch of sadness. There was a certain tenderness in her eyes as she observed her youngest son.

Feeling someone’s gaze on him, Goten glanced up and noticed Chi-Chi staring at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read. Confused, he asked, "What is it, Mom? Is there something on my face?" He instinctively touched his face, searching for any sign of what might have caught her attention.

Chi-Chi laughed softly and said, "No, nothing like that. Gohan was just telling me how well you're doing with your martial arts training. I hear you're quite the prodigy."

Goten smiled and scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's nothing, really. Gohan's just a great teacher."

Gohan, swallowing a bite of his food, added, "Don’t sell yourself short, Goten. You’re already giving me a hard time. At this rate, I might not be able to keep up with you without going Super Saiyan."

Goten just nodded, then turned to Chi-Chi with curiosity. "Mom, you mentioned before that you were a martial artist when you were young. Who did you train under?"

Chi-Chi's face lit up with a smile as she began to reminisce about her past. "I learned from my father, your grandpa, the Ox-King."

Gohan’s eyes widened in surprise. "Grandpa was a martial artist too?" he asked, clearly astonished.

Chi-Chi nodded. "Yes, both your Grandpa Gohan and the Ox-King trained under the same master when they were young."

Gohan was even more surprised. "You're kidding! Wow."

Goten, taking in the new information, asked, "So Dad learned martial arts from Grandpa Gohan?"

Chi-Chi confirmed, "Yes, Goku trained with him when he was young, but later, he studied under Master Roshi."

Gohan chimed in, "I remember him! Dad took me to his house when I was little to introduce me to everyone."

Chi-Chi nodded. "Yes, Master Roshi was also both your grandpas' master."

Goten’s eyes brightened with interest. "Really? So he trained Dad? Do you think he could train me and Gohan too?"

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 5

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 5

Augusta’s expression shifted between pride and concern. "What does that mean for Neville?"

"It means," Ollivander said, his gaze locking onto Neville, "that young Mr. Longbottom here has a special destiny ahead of him. This wand wouldn’t choose just anyone. There must be something remarkable about you, something that sets you apart."

Neville swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the responsibility. "Has there ever been another wand like this?"

Ollivander's voice dropped to a near whisper. "Only one. Many have tried to replicate it, but only my grandfather succeeded in creating a wand with this combination. but No one had ever gotten the wand to produce magic—until now."

….

"He's definitely talking about the Elder Wand," Neville thought to himself, glancing at the wand in his hand. The wand was humming with energy, a subtle vibration that seemed to resonate with his very core. "This wand must be an attempt to recreate the Elder Wand," he mused, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation. "Did the wand choose me because I've died and been transmigrated?"

"How much for the wand?" Augusta Longbottom's voice broke through Neville's thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment.

"Ah, yes," Ollivander said, his eyes twinkling with the excitement of a successful match. "Seven Galleons."

"Seven Galleons," Augusta repeated, as she reached into her purse with a practiced motion. She counted out the coins and placed them on the counter.

"Thank you, Mrs. Longbottom," Ollivander said with a respectful nod, sweeping the coins into his palm with a swift. "May your new wand serve you well, Mr. Longbottom."

"Come along, Neville," Augusta urged, already a few steps ahead. Neville hurried to catch up, clutching the wand box tightly in his hand he was still not used to this body.

As they stepped out of the shop, Neville noticed that the sky had darkened considerably. The once bustling alley was now quieter, the sounds of the day fading into the soft murmur of evening. The lanterns flickered gently, casting long shadows that danced on the walls of the ancient buildings.

"Oh my, we are already late," Augusta exclaimed as she stepped out of the shop, her eyes widening slightly. "We've already passed the time I told Minerva that I would bring you back."

"I'm sorry, Gran," Neville said. "I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

"It's quite alright, Neville," Augusta replied, her tone softening. "We just need to hurry. Minerva will understand, but it's best not to keep her waiting too long."

Augusta gestured for him to follow her, and they began to walk, weaving through the dimly lit streets of Diagon Alley. As they passed by the shops, they noticed that many were closing for the night, shutters being drawn and lights being extinguished.

"I'm sorry, Neville," Augusta said, breaking the silence. "We won't be able to buy those books today. I'll pick some up tomorrow and owl them to you."

Neville nodded, understanding but slightly disappointed. He had been looking forward to getting his hands on some books. As they continued walking, his stomach rumbled loudly, betraying his hunger. Augusta glanced back at him, her expression softening.

"Oh my, you haven't had your dinner yet, have you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

Before Neville could respond, she led him over to the shop where they had lunch earlier. The familiar scent of hearty food wafted through the air as they stepped inside. They quickly found a table and ordered a simple but satisfying meal.

After dinner, they made their way to the designated Apparition point. The night had grown even darker, and the streets were now almost deserted. Augusta turned to Neville, her expression serious.

"Hold on to my hand and don't let go," she instructed, extending her hand towards him.

Neville took hold of Augusta's outstretched hand, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness. With a final glance around, Augusta twisted on the spot, and Neville felt the familiar, uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed through a narrow tube.

The world around them blurred and twisted, and for a moment, Neville felt as if he couldn't breathe. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the sensation stopped, and they landed. Augusta landed gracefully, her feet touching the ground with practiced ease. Neville, on the other hand, stumbled and fell face-first into the ground.

"Are you alright, Neville?" Augusta asked, helping him to his feet.

"I'm fine, Gran," Neville replied, brushing himself off and trying to hide his embarrassment. "Just need to work on my landings."

"The first time Apparating is always the worst," Augusta chuckled softly. "You'll get the hang of it," she assured him. "Now, let's get you settled in. You've had quite a day." With a flick of her wand, she cast a silent cleaning charm, efficiently removing the dirt from his robes.

Neville glanced around, trying to get his bearings. They were standing in front of an enormous gate made of wrought iron. "This must be the Hogwarts gate," Neville thought, his heart racing at the sight.

"Come along, Neville," Augusta’s voice cut through his thoughts. She was already moving towards the gate. "We're already late."

"Right," Neville muttered, hurrying to keep up with her. The gravel crunched under their feet as they approached the imposing entrance.

Augusta reached the gate and rapped on it sharply with her knuckles. The sound echoed in the quiet night.

"Keep your chin up, Neville," she said, her tone softer than before.

"Professor McGonagall told me you would be here by 8," the man said, his voice deep and rumbling like distant thunder. "I was startin' to think you weren't comin'."

He towered over them, easily thrice Neville's height and his beard looked like it could house a family of birds. "This must be Hagrid," Neville thought, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation. "He's a lot taller than in the movies. Man, he looks scary in the dark like this."

"Sorry we are late, Hagrid," Gran sighed. "We were held at Ollivander’s. It took longer than we thought for Neville here to select his new wand. We must have kept you waiting."

Hagrid waved her off with a large, calloused hand. "It's alright, Mrs. Longbottom. I jus' finished feedin' the mooncalves," he said, his West Country accent thick and comforting. He opened the gate to let Neville in, his massive frame moving with surprising gentleness.

Neville felt Gran's hand on his shoulder, a steadying presence in the midst of all the newness. "Well, Neville, I'll see you during the winter break," she said. "Send me a letter if you need anything." She wrapped her arms around him in a brief but firm hug.

"Stay safe," she whispered, releasing him and giving a gentle push towards Hagrid.

Goodbye, Gran," Neville said awkwardly, not really knowing the woman well. He turned and walked past the gates.

"Better get goin'," Gran urged again. She gave him one last nod before turning back, twisting on the spot, and disappearing.

"Well, come along then," Hagrid said, swinging the lantern to light the way. "Got quite a trek up to the castle."

"Right," Neville muttered, falling into step beside him.

"Um, I'm Neville Longbottom," Neville said, breaking the silence. His voice sounded small next to Hagrid's looming presence, but he didn't want the walk to be filled with just their footsteps echoing in the dark.

"Ah, good to meet yeh, Neville," Hagrid replied, glancing down at him with a warm smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and the light from his lantern made them twinkle kindly. "Yeh know, my name's Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet you, Hagrid," Neville replied, trying to match his stride despite the difference in their heights.

"Got yer wand sorted then?" Hagrid asked, his curiosity genuine.

"Yeah, it's right here," Neville said, patting his pocket.

"You said you were feeding the mooncalves earlier? What are those exactly?" Neville asked, eager to keep the conversation going.

"Ah, mooncalves! Lovely little critters they are," Hagrid said, his eyes lighting up. "Only come outta their burrows during a full moon. Got these big, round eyes and smooth, pale skin. Fascinatin' creatures." Neville remembered seeing them in the Fantastic Beasts movies.

"Are there any other magical creatures here at Hogwarts?" Neville asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Plenty!" Hagrid replied with enthusiasm, his lantern swinging as he gestured animatedly. "We've got everything from hippogriffs to thestrals. The Forbidden Forest is full of surprises, though it's not a place fer wanderin' alone, mind yeh."

"Yeh'll learn all about 'em in yer Care of Magical Creatures classes," Hagrid continued, a grin spreading beneath his bushy beard. "And if yeh're ever interested in more, just drop by. i love introducin' students to the wonders of magical beasts."

"Almost there," Hagrid said, pointing ahead.

Neville breathed, unable to hide his awe. "Wow..." Seeing the castle at night was majestic.

"Impressive, ain't it?" Hagrid chuckled, clearly pleased with Neville's reaction.

As they neared the massive front doors, Hagrid announced, "Here we go." He pushed them open with ease, revealing the grand entrance hall bathed in warm, welcoming light.

"Go on in," Hagrid urged, stepping aside to let Neville enter first.

"Well," Hagrid yawned widely, his large hand coming up to cover his mouth. "That's me done for the night. Good night, Neville. Best get yerself to the Gryffindor dormitories and get some sleep."

"Wait, Hagrid—" Neville started to say, but Hagrid was already halfway out the door. With a heavy creak, the door closed behind him, leaving Neville alone in the vast, echoing hall.

"Great," Neville muttered under his breath as he stared at the closed door. The realization hit him like a Bludger to the head he had no idea where the Gryffindor common room was.

"Okay, think," Neville muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head. "I could just sit here and wait for someone to come... or I could go exploring the castle. If I remember correctly, the Gryffindor common room is in a tower behind the portrait of the Fat Lady."

With a heavy sigh, Neville decided to start walking down the hallway. "Maybe I'll run into one of the professors or something," he hoped out loud.

Neville spent the next hour wandering around the castle, feeling increasingly frustrated and disoriented. The twisting corridors and countless staircases seemed designed to confuse him. Every portrait he passed was asleep, and none of them were the Fat Lady.

"Dammit, where is that portrait?" Neville sighed tiredly, turning yet another corner. His feet ached from all the wandering, and his mind was beginning to fog from exhaustion. "Not even Filch's cat," he muttered under his breath, referring to the creepy caretaker's ever-watchful feline companion that usually appeared in the movie to find the students out of bed.

Neville sighed, thinking, ‘Maybe I could just sleep in the Room of Requirement for tonight... but I don’t even know where it is, other than it’s on the seventh floor, opposite a painting.’

He was about to give up on searching for the Gryffindor common room and just sleep on the floor when he heard a voice coming from around the corner.

"Finally, someone," Neville thought, quickly rushing to the corner, not wanting to lose the person.

Rounding the corner in his haste, Neville bumped into someone, and they both fell down on their bums.

Kaito Chapter 112

Kaito Chapter 112

He spun on the spot and used Eight Trigrams Rotation creating a dome of chakra, as the Phoenix flower Jutsu collided with it.

Quickly deactivating the Rotation, Mukai assumed the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms stance. Itachi tried to move back to create distance, but Mukai was too fast. He landed the first eight palms on Itachi before being interrupted by an attack from Shisui, aimed at the Byakugan’s blind spot.

Mukai grabbed Shisui by the throat and began to strangle him. Although Itachi was struggling to move due to Mukai's previous attack, he tried to intervene, approaching Mukai with his Sharingan active. Mukai warned him, “The Sharingan’s genjutsu won’t work on me.”

…

Kaito sat crouched 2 kilometers away, watching the fight with his Mind's Eye of the Kagura. He observed everything, muttering to himself, “He’s been hiding what he’s capable of,” as he recalled the information from Mukai’s file that he had taken from Danzo’s base.

Mukai blocked Itachi’s Phoenix Flower Jutsu with a Kaiten, then swiftly performed the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on him. Kaito was about to transport to the hiraishin marker he had placed on Itachi’s forehead protector the day before, ready to intervene, but he paused when Shisui interrupted Mukai’s attack by striking from the Byakugan’s blind spot.

Mukai sidestepped Shisui’s horizontal tanto strike and caught him by the neck. Holding Shisui there, Mukai taunted them, unfazed when Itachi attempted to use a genjutsu on him.

Using his Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Kaito noticed Shisui gathering a large amount of chakra in his eyes. Realizing what Shisui was about to do, Kaito decided to intervene. He disappeared from his spot.

...

Itachi, just a few feet away, struggled to get up after enduring 14 strikes from Mukai’s Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique. He stood up shakily, desperately trying to help Shisui. His Sharingan spun rapidly as he tried to use a genjutsu on Mukai.

Mukai, noticing Itachi’s attempt, warned him, “The Sharingan’s genjutsu won’t work on me.”

Shisui, meanwhile, was struggling against Mukai’s grip on his neck as he began to choke him. Desperation filled Shisui’s mind as he thought, 'Could that work?' He started channeling more chakra into his eyes, causing the three tomoe in his Sharingan to spin rapidly and begin to merge.

Just as the tomoe started to merge, Shisui felt something on the back of his neck. The next moment everything went dark, and the last thing he saw was Mukai’s hand still gripping his throat.

Kaito appeared out of nowhere right in front of Mukai, catching him completely off guard. With a swift kick to the face, Kaito sent Mukai skidding across the field.

As Kaito delivered the kick, he placed his left hand on Shisui’s neck, sending a small jolt of lightning chakra that knocked him out. Kaito caught Shisui’s unconscious body before it could fall to the ground.

Mukai came to a stop after sliding some distance, his mind racing. 'Where did he come from?'

Itachi, still struggling to stand, looked at Kaito in surprise. “Kaito… h-how…” His eyes then shifted to the unconscious Shisui.

“Yo… Itachi, you okay?” Kaito asked as he knelt down, and gently placed Shisui next to Itachi. “Don’t worry, he’s just unconscious.”

Itachi nodded, then asked, “What are you doing here?”

Kaito stood up, turning his attention toward Mukai. “Oh, I’m actually here for him,” he replied, pointing to Mukai.

Mukai, now back on his feet and eyeing Kaito warily, sneered. “So they even sent the Fourth’s brat after me... heh, it won't make a difference.” He readied himself for combat and then rushed at Kaito, intent on taking him down.

Kaito raised his left hand in a one-handed half-ram seal. Mukai, mid-rush, suddenly stopped in his tracks as his body stiffened. Lines of kanji began to spread across his body, immobilizing him completely.

Mukai panicked internally, 'A paralyzing seal? When did he place it on me?' He struggled, trying to break free, but his efforts were in vain.

Kaito, observing Mukai's futile attempts, calmly said, "You’re probably wondering when I placed the seal on you… It was when I kicked you. And don’t bother trying to break through it, it’ll only get stronger the more chakra you use."

Kaito, sensing Mukai’s chakra closely, continued, “You were part of the ANBU squad when Team 11 escorted the Daimyo two years back, weren’t you?” Kaito recalled sensing Mukai among the ANBU guarding the Daimyo alongside Kakashi.

Mukai smirked, despite his predicament. “Heh, so you recognize me.”

Itachi, managing to stand up, interjected, “We should take him back to Konoha.”

Kaito shook his head. “Like I said, I’m here for him, Itachi. This isn’t part of your mission.”

Itachi looked at Kaito, puzzled by his sudden actions.

Without warning, chakra chains burst from Kaito’s back, erecting a dome barrier around them, similar to the one Kushina had used during the Nine-Tails attack, though on a smaller scale.

Turning to Mukai, Kaito asked seriously, “Why did you sell the Konoha’s secrets to Kirigakure? Was it to pay for your son's medical expenses? Or is there some other reason? Don’t even try to lie to me, I can sense when people lie.”

Mukai sighed heavily and confessed, “I only sold the information because I couldn’t afford my son’s medical bills. I tried asking for help from Konoha, but I was denied because I don’t officially exist as a Konoha shinobi…” He paused, a sense of resignation in his voice. “Kill me. I take full responsibility. My wife and kids don’t know anything about this and have nothing to do with it.”

Kaito nodded, his expression unreadable. “Do you really think that confessing and taking all the blame will save your family? Do you really believe Danzo will leave loose ends that could come back to bite him in the future?”

Mukai’s eyes widened with worry. “The Hokage wouldn’t let Danzo do that.”

Kaito asked, “Do you really believe that? The same Hokage who did nothing when Danzo was caught with a Sharingan in his left eye socket?” Shaking his head, Kaito continued, “Your house has been monitored by Root ANBU for the past two days… They’re still there right now as we speak.”

And Kaito wasn’t lying. He had one of his shadow clones monitoring Mukai’s house for the past two days and had sensed the presence of multiple ANBU keeping watch over the family.

Mukai's expression shifted to one of concern, realizing the gravity of the situation. He looked at Kaito and asked, “What do you want? I doubt you came all the way out here just to tell me this. You placed a barrier around us, you clearly want me alive. If not, you would have killed me by now.”

Kaito nodded, confirming Mukai's suspicions. “Hai, I'm not here to gloat or to kill you... I want you to become my spy.”

Itachi's eyes widened in shock at Kaito's proposal, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. Mukai's eyes also narrowed, clearly wary of the offer.

Kaito continued, “What do you know about the Nine-Tails attack?”

Mukai blinked, confused. “What the Hokage had us briefed.”

Kaito nodded and elaborated, “Well, the Third might have told you that a masked man was behind the nintails attacked.”

“Do you remember the Daimyo mission? well, he was also the one who attacked the Daimyo,” Kaito added, making Mukai's eyes go wide in realization.

Kaito continued, "And recently, I discovered that he's been forming an organization of S-ranked shinobi. Their goal is to capture all nine Bijuu."

Mukai nodded, processing Kaito's words, and then asked, "So, you want me to infiltrate this organization?"

Kaito nodded again. Mukai hesitated before asking, "Why should I? You already said my family and I are as good as dead. What do I have to gain from this?"

Kaito leaned in slightly. "What if I told you that if you agree to work as a spy for me, I'll save your family and relocate them far away from Konoha?" He pulled out a sealing scroll. "This scroll has 100 million Ryo for them to start a new life, and for your son's treatment. When your mission ends, I'll personally ask the new Hokage to pardon you, and you'll be welcomed back to Konoha as a hero."

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the mention of a new Hokage.

Mukai considered the offer and asked, "How can I trust you? What's the guarantee that you'll keep your word?"

Kaito shrugged. "You can't. But what other choice do you have? but just so you know I never go back on my word."

Mukai then asked, "What do you mean by 'new Hokage'?"

Kaito shrugged again. "That's not your concern. You'll find out soon enough."

Mukai stared at Kaito for a long moment, then asked, "How do you plan on getting my family out of the village without alerting anyone? Like you said, my house is already being watched."

Kaito took out a tri-pronged kunai and held it up, letting it dangle from his ring finger through the kunai’s hole. " Does this look familiar?"

Mukai's eyes widened at the sight of the kunai. "So that’s how he appeared in front of me without me noticing," he thought.

Mukai stayed silent for a moment, contemplating, before he nodded. "Alright, I’ll spy on the organization for you, but you have to keep your promises."

Kaito created a clone and dispelled it before walking over to Mukai. "Good. Now, open your mouth and stick out your tongue." He loosened the seal that held Mukai in place, allowing him to move his head.

Mukai complied, and Kaito examined the cursed seal on Mukai’s tongue. "This is a lousy seal. The design is pathetic. I could make a better one in my sleep," Kaito muttered before placing a finger on the seal and breaking it.

He then placed his own seal on Mukai’s tongue, a spiral pattern appearing as it took hold.

Kaito stepped back. "That’s to make sure you don’t speak of this to anyone." Mukai nodded, fully aware of the consequences of a cursed seal.

Kaito released the paralysis seal holding Mukai, allowing him to stretch.

Mukai turned to Kaito and asked, "So, what are my orders?"

Kaito nodded. "As of today, Mukai Kohinata is dead. You’ll be taking on a new identity." He tossed a sealing scroll to Mukai. "You’ll be hunting some bounties and creating a name for yourself." Kaito then took out another scroll and opened it on the ground.

Kaito unsealed a corpse and placed it on a seal matrix. He pointed to a spot on the matrix and instructed Mukai, "Smear some of your blood here."

Mukai complied, cutting his palm and smearing the blood onto the indicated spot.

Kaito made a series of hand signs and then placed his palm on the scroll. The scroll lit up, and the corpse began to glow and transform into an identical copy of Mukai.

Kaito pointed at the newly transformed body. "Dress this body in your clothes. There’s a set of spare clothes in the scroll as well."

As Mukai removed his uniform, Kaito continued, "They call themselves Akatsuki. As I mentioned, they’re primarily made up of S-class shinobi. The masked man is their leader, and Orochimaru is also a member. they wear long, black cloaks with red clouds "

Mukai paused, processing the information, and asked, "Orochimaru one of them?"

Kaito nodded. "Among others. I want you to get recruited into their ranks and provide me with information on their plans through this." He handed Mukai an ear clip. "Put this on your ear. It will let you communicate with me. Just push chakra into it and speak it in your mind."

Mukai finished dressing the corpse and then asked, "What about them?" He pointed to Itachi and Shisui.

Kaito replied, "Itachi is my friend, and I trust him." He pointed at the body. "Itachi already has your corpse to return to the village."

Mukai then asked, "When will you relocate my family?"

Kaito hummed thoughtfully. "I just did. My clones have already relocated them." He created a shadow clone. "This clone will take you to them."

Mukai nodded and touched the shadow clone’s shoulder. The clone performed a few hand signs and transported them away.

Kaito turned to Itachi and asked, "So, what do you want to know?"

Itachi, eyeing Kaito intently, asked, "What did you mean by 'new Hokage'?"

Kaito Chapter 111

Kaito Chapter 111

Kaito looked at Shikaku in silence for a few moments. Shikaku’s eyes widened as he crossed his arms. “No, I’m not becoming Hokage, Kaito.”

Kaito looked surprised. “Huh? Who said anything about you becoming Hokage, Sensei?” then He started laughing. “Sensei, you thought it was suggesting you to be the next Hokage. “wiping away some tears he continued “I know the paperwork would be too troublesome for you.”

Shikaku coughed, a bit embarrassed. “Ahem, forget what I just said. You still haven’t answered my question.”

Kaito smirked. “I have someone in mind who’s well-loved in Konoha, so getting approval shouldn’t be an issue. I’d still appreciate your help, Sensei.”

Shikaku sighed, contemplating Kaito’s words. “Alright, Kaito. I’ll hear you out. Who is this candidate?”

Kaito took a deep breath. “Tsunade Senju.”

….

When Shikaku heard Tsunade’s name, he gave a thoughtful nod. “Lady Tsunade, hmm... she would indeed be a good candidate for the Hokage position. she’s one of the legendary Sannin. and she’s highly respected in Konoha, even among the Uchiha clan,”

Shikaku moving a piece on the shogi board, he continued, “However Lady Tsunade has been away from the village for quite some time now. For all we know, she could be anywhere, and I doubt even the Third Hokage has a clear idea of her current whereabouts. But that’s not our biggest problem.” He turned his gaze toward Kaito. “The real question is: how do you plan to convince her to take up the mantle of Hokage?”

Kaito met Shikaku’s gaze and nodded. “I've already sent out some of my shadow clones to cover more ground, and Kakashi’s also lending a hand. He’s using his dog summons to track her down. We’ve managed to find a few leads, but right now, the trail seems to have gone cold, and as to convincing her I have a plan that might work.”

Shikaku’s eyebrows raised as he hummed and asked. ” So, Kakashi’s already in on this plan?"

Kaito shook his head, looking at Shikaku with earnest eyes. “No, Sensei, you’re the first person I’ve shared this plan with. He’s been helping me find Lady Tsunade to heal my mom, I haven’t had the chance to discuss it with Kakashi yet. and I thought it might be a good opportunity to address both issues at once. I would have told him but I haven’t seen him for a while. I’ll fill him in the next time we meet."

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully, then raised an eyebrow. “So, what exactly do you need from me? It sounds like you’ve already put a lot of thought into this.”

Kaito took a deep breath before responding. “I still need your help, Sensei. I don't have much of a connection with the other clans and the Jonin. That’s where your influence comes in. With your experience and the relationships, you’ve built over the years, I’m sure we can make this go smoothly, ya know?"

Shikaku considered Kaito’s words in silence for a moment. After shifting a shoji piece thoughtfully, he finally spoke. “I’ll help you with this. As you said the situation with the Uchiha clan is already creating a lot of tension, and a change of Hokage could be just what we need to stabilize things. I agree that it’s worth a shot.”

Kaito moved his shoji piece, and Shikaku glanced up, his expression thoughtful. “As you mentioned, we need to offer something to pacify the Uchiha clan. Do you have anything specific in mind?”

Kaito nodded, glancing up from the board. “I do have a plan, but we need to discuss it with Lady Tsunade first. I would appreciate it if you be willing to come with me when I meet her sensei. Having you there would definitely lend more credibility to the proposal, rather than just me, an eleven-year-old. ya know”

Shikaku agreed with a nod. “Hai, I'll come. Discussing the offer with Lady Tsunade before making plans around it is smart. I’ll start making subtle suggestions to get things moving on the political side. However, we might not have much time, so finding Lady Tsunade and convincing her to take the position should be our main priority. If she agrees, getting the other clans to follow suit won’t be that hard. Most of the clans in Konoha aren’t too happy with the Third right now." He then checkmated Kaito in shoji with a final move. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with those rumors swirling around, would you?”

"Not sure what you are talking about, Sensei," Kaito smirked slightly, standing up from his seat."I’ll see you later, Sensei. I’ll let you know when we locate Lady Tsunade."

Shikaku sighed and nodded, his tone serious. "Be careful who you share this plan with. It could easily brand you a traitor to Konoha."

Kaito nodded seriously, then body flickered out of his sensei’s house.

Kaito flickered out of the Nara clan compound. As he glanced up, he noticed that the sky had turned dark. He began his walk back home at a relaxed pace.

while walking back home, Kaito received memories from one of his shadow clones. The clone had been tailing Itachi, Kaito knew that Itachi would be sent out on a mission as part of his ANBU evaluation. Kaito recalled some of the details of Itachi’s mission were related to someone with the last name that ended with Hinata in the original timeline, this individual had managed to defeat both Itachi and Shisui simultaneously. If Kaito’s information was accurate, this Hinata was at least on the level of a low Kage.

Kaito had conducted a thorough search through Konoha’s shinobi roster, including the ANBU roster, which he had accessed through files raided from Danzo’s base. Kaito was able to identify him as Mukai Kohinata. Mukai was a shinobi from a civilian background who had joined Root. Unfortunately, Root's meager compensation and the exorbitant medical bills for his son had driven Mukai to make a desperate decision. He had been leaking sensitive information to Kirigakure to cover his son's medical expenses.

From the memories of his shadow clone, Kaito saw that Mukai had created another clone to take his place around Konoha, spending time with his sick son. Meanwhile, the real Mukai had left the village to meet his Kirigakure contacts.

Kaito created a shadow clone to head back home while he himself used the Hiraishin to teleport outside the village to a marker that his clone had placed before dispelling.

Picking up the tri-pronged kunai, Kaito closed his eyes and used Kagura's Mind Eye to locate Itachi. He then began to follow both Itachi and Shisui, who were tracking Mukai.

Kaito maintained a distance of 2 kilometers as he followed Itachi. using Kagura’s Mind Eye to observe the scene. He could see everything clearly. As Mukai met with his Kirigakure contacts, the meeting spot was 50 kilometers from Konoha.

Mukai suddenly ducked his head and channeled chakra into his right eye. Kaito watched as Mukai activated a Byakugan in his left eye.

With his Byakugan active, Mukai spotted Shisui and Itachi tailing him. Realizing he had been discovered, Mukai swiftly killed the Kirigakure informant with a palm strike to the chest, ending his life instantly.

Mukai mused that he would need to come up with an explanation for his son. He then threw kunai toward where Itachi and Shisui were hiding.

Both Itachi and Shisui leaped away, creating some distance. standing opposite him Itachi called out, “Please surrender. We don’t want to fight.” Mukai, however, shook his head and declined, knowing that he had betrayed too many of the village's secrets to expect any mercy from Konoha’s government. Activating his Byakugan, Mukai rushed at Itachi and Shisui.

Itachi jumped back but despite Itachi’s attempts to keep his distance, Mukai quickly closed in and attempted a disemboweling maneuver. However, the Itachi he attacked turned out to be a crow clone.

Shisui from his side blew out a Great Fireball Jutsu at Mukai, but Mukai used his Gentle Fist technique. cutting through it with a vertical swipe of his hand and disperse the flames. He rushed at Shisui and began sparring but soon noticed that Shisui seemed to be guiding him towards something.

Suspecting that Itachi had concealed himself to catch him in a genjutsu, Mukai discreetly located Itachi's hiding spot to avoid the trap. He waited for the right moment to strike. Shisui attempted to cut Mukai off, but it was only a shadow clone. The real Mukai had sneaked up behind Itachi and began attacking his tenketsu.

However, Itachi’s form burst into crows again. The real Itachi then appeared in mid-air behind Mukai, unleashing multiple small fireballs that engulfed his shuriken. He called out, “Fire Style: Phoenix flower Jutsu.”

Seeing the Phoenix flower Jutsu with his Byakugan, Mukai said, “Impressive,” his eyes flicking between them. “But not enough.”

He spun on the spot and used Eight Trigrams Rotation creating a dome of chakra, as the Phoenix flower Jutsu collided with it.

Quickly deactivating the Rotation, Mukai assumed the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms stance. Itachi tried to move back to create distance, but Mukai was too fast. He landed the first eight palms on Itachi before being interrupted by an attack from Shisui, aimed at the Byakugan’s blind spot.

Mukai grabbed Shisui by the throat and began to strangle him. Although Itachi was struggling to move due to Mukai's previous attack, he tried to intervene, approaching Mukai with his Sharingan active. Mukai warned him, “The Sharingan’s genjutsu won’t work on me.”

Goten Chapter 3

Goten Chapter 3

Goten paused and asked Chi-Chi, who sat down to eat as well, "Um, Mom, where's Gohan?" He looked around. Chi-Chi sighed and said, "You know that brother of yours, always training. I wish he didn’t have all that weight on his shoulders," she said, looking sad.

She then muttered to herself, "I should bring Gohan his lunch, or that boy might forget to eat again," turning to Goten she asked, "Goten, honey, I will be bringing Gohan lunch later. Do you want to come with me?"

Goten, swallowing a mouthful of food, nodded eagerly. "Sure, Mom. I can come." He thought to himself, "I can ask Gohan to train me."

….

Finishing her breakfast, Chi-Chi cleared the table and began making lunch.

"Finish your breakfast. I've got a lot to do," she said as she gathered ingredients from the cupboards.

After finishing his meal, Goten remained at the table, lost in thought. Okay, now I need to come up with a plan, but first... He looked down at his hand, clenching it as he thought, I should test what this body is capable of. Recalling some of Goten's memories, he considered, I can lift heavy stuff, but... He glanced out the window, then turned to Chi-Chi.

"Mom, I'm going to head outside for a bit!" he called over his shoulder, rushing to the door, eager to test his new body.

Chi-Chi paused, a knife poised over a freshly washed vegetable. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "Ah… sure, Goten. Just don't wander off too far!"

"Okay, Mom!" Goten called back.

As Goten made his way outside, he looked around and spotted a river flowing beside the house, with a tree nearby. He walked over to the river and thought, “First, I need to figure out how to use Ki.” He recalled the scene from the anime where Gohan taught Goten and Videl how to harness Ki.

Closing his eyes, Goten focused inward, feeling for the energy within himself. He held his hands out, palms facing each other. As he concentrated, he began to feel the energy stirring within him. Slowly, he drew it out, focusing it between his palms.

Goten heard a faint buzzing sound as the energy gathered in his hands. Opening his eyes, he saw a small ball of Ki floating between his palms.

A grin spread across his face as he made the ball larger, watching it grow to the size of his head. “Hehehe, I'm doing it. I'm really doing it,” he chuckled to himself, his excitement palpable. Looking up at a tree in the distance, Goten shot the Ki ball toward it. The Ki ball sped towards the tree, and on impact, it exploded, completely destroying the tree.

Goten grinned widely, thrilled that he could actually shoot Ki blasts. Hearing the explosion, Chi-Chi came running out of the house, a frying pan in hand. "Goten, come! We have to leave, quickly!" she shouted, looking around frantically, thinking the androids had attacked.

Goten glanced over at Chi-Chi, a sheepish smile spreading across his face as he scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, Mom,” he said, trying to sound casual. “That was me. Look, I learned a new trick.” he created another Ki blast that blasted through a nearby tree, sending debris flying.

Chi-Chi’s face twisted into an annoyed frown as she marched over to him. Without a word, she reached out and pinched his ear, her voice rising. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, mister! I thought the androids were attacking us. Do you have any idea how scared I was?”

Goten winced at the tug on his ear, letting out a pained yelp. “Sorry, Mom! I didn’t mean to scare you!”

She released his ear, but her irritation was far from over. “What were you thinking, shooting Ki blasts so close to our house?” She scolded him thoroughly, emphasizing how dangerous and thoughtless his actions were. “Don’t do that again, understand?” With a final huff, she turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

Rubbing his sore ear, Goten sank down under the tree and muttered to himself, “Note to self: don’t get Mom angry. Man, that really hurt.” Despite the newness of his body, he found it easy to call Chi-Chi “Mom” thanks to the memories of the original Goten.

He sighed. “I can’t really blame her, though. The androids do attack randomly.”

Goten sat beneath the tree, contemplating his situation. “I need to be extra careful in this timeline with the androids,” he thought. “ If anyone dies, we can't revive them since Piccolo is gone, and the Dragon Balls are no longer active.”

He sighed “ Alright, I need to plan this out.”  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Ok first things first, I need to start training. Ki manipulation comes naturally to me, which is a relief. But I need to get as strong as Super Saiyan 2 before Gohan is killed by the Androids. If I can reach that level, I can prevent his death.”

“After defeating the androids, we’ll need the Dragon Balls to revive the others, especially since the mortal level in this universe is already so low,” Goten thought, “ But I don’t think Bulma knows where New Namek is. If I remember correctly, Goku had to ask King Kai for the new Namek’s location. But how am I supposed to contact King Kai? I don’t know where his planet is, other than the fact that you get there by Snake Way… and to do that, I’d have to die, which is definitely not an option.”

Goten stared at the sky, lost in thought. “The only way to find the location is to use the Dragon Balls from the past. But if we defeat the androids early, Bulma might not have a reason to create the time machine. I can’t just let Android 17 and 18 go unchecked but there’s a real risk that someone could die.” He scratched the back of his head. ”Maybe I can convince Bulma to build the time machine earlier in this timeline. That might be our best shot.”

Goten’s considered his options. “Okay, that might work. If Gohan and I can both reach Super Saiyan 2, we should be able to handle the androids with ease.” He then shifted his thoughts to the future. ”After the Android saga comes the Buu saga. I don’t want to waste time trying to learn Super Saiyan 3 since it’s a flawed transformation. Maybe I can aim for Ultimate or even Super Saiyan God before the Buu saga kicks in.”

Suddenly, a realization struck him. “Wait a minute! if I want to perform the Super Saiyan God ritual, we need six Saiyans. But there are only three of us left: me, Gohan, and Trunks. We might be able to revive Vegeta, but Dad can’t be brought back since he died of natural causes.” he thought. “Maybe the Namekian Dragon Balls could bring him back…” 

Then another thought hit him. “Wait, if I remember correctly, Vegeta didn’t go through the ritual and still managed to achieve Super Saiyan God by training under Whis. How did Whis train them to achieve Super Saiyan God? Man, that name is ridiculous—it should just be called ‘Saiyan God,’ since it’s basically the base form with God Ki.“ Goten mentally ranted about the stupid naming, then recalled. “I remember that besides physical training, Whis told them to keep their Ki from leaking and focus on compressing it within their bodies.”

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Goten shrugged. ”Well, at least that’s what I think Whis had them doing. It won’t hurt to give it a try.”

Just then, Chi-Chi emerged from the house and called out, “Goten, come on, let’s go!”

Goten looked at Chi-Chi, who was struggling to manage a towering stack of bento boxes—about ten in total. Each box was neatly stacked on top of the other.

“Alright, help me carry these, Goten,” Chi-Chi said, handing him the huge bento boxes.

As Goten took the boxes, he noticed they were surprisingly light. He could easily carry them without any trouble. Just as he was about to ask how they were going to get to where Gohan was, Chi-Chi called out loudly, “Flying Nimbus!”

Goten’s eyes widened in excitement. He had always wanted to fly on the Flying Nimbus, remembering it from the original Dragon Ball series.

A bright yellow cloud appeared and floated down to them, coming to a stop right in front of them. Chi-Chi climbed onto the cloud and called out for Goten to join her. “Come on, Goten, climb on!”

With a broad smile, Goten jumped up onto the Nimbus, but instead of floating gracefully, he slowly began to sink into the cloud and eventually fell to the ground.

As he picked himself up, Goten sighed, thinking, “Well, that was expected. While the original Goten was pure of heart, I’m not, since I’m merged with him.” He felt a pang of sadness at not being able to ride the Flying Nimbus, but he understood why.

Seeing Goten fall to the ground, Chi-Chi frowned in confusion. “Huh… why can’t you sit on it? Maybe it’s because your father has to give permission or something.” She then looked at Goten and said, “Well, never mind. Come sit on my lap, Goten. Since you can’t ride the Nimbus, you won’t fall,” patting her lap reassuringly.

Goten nodded, a little embarrassed, and climbed onto Chi-Chi’s lap.

With Goten settled comfortably, Chi-Chi took off, and they began their journey from the house toward Gohan’s training site near Mount Paozu.

As they approached, Goten could sense the immense amount of Ki Gohan was expending. He spotted Gohan in the distance, training fiercely in his Super Saiyan form. Gohan was performing rapid punches and kicks in the air, moving from one spot to another so quickly that Goten had difficulty keeping up with his movements.

Gohan ended his training session when he sensed them approaching, powering down and looking over as they came to a stop near him.

At around 15 years old, Gohan looked much like he did during the Buu saga, but he was shorter and had longer hair. Seeing them land, he asked, “Mom, Goten, what are you doing here?”

Chi-Chi smiled warmly and said, “We brought you lunch since you always get carried away and forget to eat. We thought we’d bring it to you.”

Gohan scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, Mom.”

Chi-Chi beckoned him over. “Come on then, let’s set up.”

They all sat down for lunch, and Chi-Chi handed both Goten and Gohan a bento. Gohan wasted no time digging in, shoveling food into his mouth with the same rapid enthusiasm he showed in the anime.

Goten turned to Gohan and asked, “Hey Gohan, can you train me?”

Gohan paused mid-bite and looked at Goten with a bewildered expression. Chi-Chi glanced over, her curiosity piqued.

Swallowing his food, Gohan finally replied, “Huh, sure, I can train you. But why?”

Goten shrugged and replied, “Well, you’re fighting the androids alone, so I thought I could help. Plus, don’t you want a sparring partner?” He took a bite of his food as he spoke.

Chi-Chi hummed thoughtfully and added, “I was actually planning to train you myself since both your father and I were martial artists.”

Gohan nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Alright then, we can start after lunch.”

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 4

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 4

"Damn, that looks cool! This will be my first-time doing magic," Neville thought. He reached into the sack of Floo powder, stepped into the fireplace facing McGonagall, took a deep breath, and threw down the powder, calling out, "Diagon Alley!"

Green flames erupted around him and consumed him.

Neville soon found himself stumbling out of a fireplace, some soot patch covering his clothes. His grandmother caught him and said, "Easy there! The first time using the Floo can be a bit jarring." She patted the soot off his clothes.

Looking around, Neville saw himself in an alleyway lined with multiple fireplaces on both sides of the wall, with wizards appearing and disappearing through them. It reminded him of the scene at the Ministry of Magic in the fifth Harry Potter movie.

….

Patting the soot off Neville, Augusta gestured for him to follow her. “Come on, Neville.”

Neville followed her out of the alleyway and into Diagon Alley.

His first thought was, 'Wow, it’s massive.' Unlike in the movies, Diagon Alley wasn’t just an alley; it was more like a bustling district filled with people and shops.

Walking down the main street, Neville spotted an imposing snow-white, multistoried marble building and thought, 'That must be the wizarding bank, Gringotts.'

As they made their way through the bustling street, Neville noticed a bookstore with a sign reading Flourish and Blotts. Seeing the bookstore, he thought, 'I wonder if I could get Gran to buy me some books. Some books on defensive magic might help, though I could always read them in the Room of Requirement.'

They walked past the bookstore and eventually arrived at a small café.

Neville slid into the wooden chair, the legs scraping against the stone floor of the café. Augusta settled herself across from him with a gracefulness that seemed at odds with her stern demeanor. The table between them was small and round, its surface slightly worn, as if it had witnessed countless conversations over tea and pastries.

The waiter approached their table, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. His eyes darted between Augusta and Neville, awaiting their orders.

"Good afternoon," Augusta began, her voice steady and commanding as always. "I'll have an Earl Grey tea and the fish and chips, please."

The waiter jotted down her order with a swift nod before turning his attention to Neville. Neville hesitated. What did wizards even eat?

"I'll... I'll have the same," he finally said, hoping he didn't sound too unsure. The waiter nodded again, scribbling down the duplicate order before retreating to the kitchen.

"Fish and chips is always a good choice," Augusta remarked, bringing Neville back to the moment.

"Alright, Neville," she began after setting down her cup. "Since you don't remember anything, let's start from the beginning."

"Your name is Neville Longbottom," Augusta said, her eyes softening just a fraction. "You were born on July 30, 1980. That makes you eleven years old now."

Neville nodded.

"Your father's name is Frank Longbottom, and your mother's name is Alice Longbottom." Augusta's voice grew softer, tinged with a note of sorrow. "I am Frank's mother, which makes me your grandmother. We are wizards. With me so far?"

"Yes, Gran," he nodded.

"Now, your parents were war heroes," Augusta continued, her voice filled with emotion. "They were injured during the war, rendering them unable to take care of you. You were just one year old when that happened, and since then, I have been raising you."

"We can visit them this winter break," she added softly, her eyes softening for the briefest moment before she straightened up again, her usual stern demeanor returning.

Augusta peered at him over her spectacles, her eyes softening just a fraction. "Are you finding this overwhelming?"

Neville shook his head.

"Good," Augusta replied, offering a rare smile. "We'll take this one step at a time."

Their food arrived, and they ate in relative silence.

"Gran," Neville ventured, breaking the silence, "what were my parents like?" he asked wanting to sound like a kid who wanted to know about his parents.

Augusta paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. Her eyes misted over, and for a moment, Neville thought she might not answer.

"Brave," she finally said, placing her fork down gently. "They were both very brave."

"Let's finish our meal," Augusta said, her tone firm once more. "We have much to do today."

"Right," Neville agreed, taking another bite of his fish and chips.

"Gran," Neville ventured again, more confidently this time, "do you think we could stop by Flourish and Blotts on our way back? I saw some books that might be helpful... for school, I mean."

Augusta's eyebrows rose slightly, a rare sign of approval. "Of course, Neville. It's good to see you’re taking an interest in your studies. Knowledge is power, after all."

"Thanks," Neville said, thinking, I can get some advanced books on spells; that would come in handy.

"Alright, let’s finish up," Augusta said, her eyes flicking to the ornate silver stopwatch she drew from her robe. "It’s half past two; we should get going."

They left the café and walked past Gringotts, making their way to a small, run-down shop with an old sign reading Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.

The shop’s display featured a single wand lying on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

“After you,” Augusta gestured, opening the door.

As they entered, the bell above the door rang. The shop was tiny, and empty except for a single, spindly chair in the corner. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were piled right up to the ceiling, and the whole place had a thin layer of dust about it.

“Ah, Madam Longbottom,” he greeted Augusta with a slight bow. “Eight inches, willow, and dragon heartstring. Slightly bendy.”

“And, young Mr. Longbottom,” a soft rasp echoed around the room as a man emerged from the back. “I was expecting you a lot earlier.”

“Mr. Ollivander,” Augusta nodded back, her voice calm and respectful. She reached into her bag and produced Neville’s broken wand, handing it over with a sigh. “My grandson broke his wand. Can you fix it?”

Ollivander took the fractured pieces, turning them over in his hands with a delicate touch, almost reverent. His eyes flicked up to meet Neville’s, and for a moment, it felt as though he was peering into Neville’s very soul.

“Let’s see what we can do,” he murmured, his attention already shifting back to the broken wand.

Ollivander’s fingers traced the jagged edges of Neville’s broken wand. He turned it over with a curious expression, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Ah," he said softly, "English oak and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. If this is the same wand I sold to your father, Frank Longbottom."

"Can you fix it?" Augusta asked, her voice tinged with hope.

Ollivander looked up, meeting her gaze with those pale, penetrating eyes. "I can fix it," he said carefully, "but it won’t work for young Mr. Longbottom. This wand is bonded to its owner."

"English oak is known for its loyalty to its owner. It will not work for anyone but its original master," Ollivander explained, turning to Augusta, who nodded gravely. "The wand chooses the wizard, my lady. If Mr. Longbottom tries to use this wand, it will resist and fight back, making it quite difficult for him to keep up with his peers, as he might have noticed already."

Neville thought 'It was just like how Neville struggled in the books with the wand.'

"Well, if that’s the case, then we would also like a new wand for Neville," Augusta said with a resigned sigh. "And how long would it take to fix this one?"

"I can have it done by the end of the week," Ollivander replied, his pale eyes examining Neville closely. "Please hold out your wand arm, Mr. Longbottom."

"Now let’s see," Ollivander muttered, disappearing into the rows of towering shelves. Dust motes floated in the air, catching the light as he moved.

The measuring tape, seemingly alive, continued its task, looping around Neville’s chest and shoulders.

"Try this," Ollivander said, emerging with a wand. "Cherry and unicorn hair, 13 inches, slightly bendy. Give it a wave."

Neville took the wand cautiously, feeling its smooth surface against his palm. The cherry wood was warm, almost inviting, but as he lifted it, there was no spark, no sense of connection. Still, he gave it a hesitant flick.

Nothing happened.

"Not quite right," Ollivander muttered, snatching the wand back with practiced speed. His pale eyes narrowed in concentration as he rummaged through another stack of boxes behind the counter.

Ollivander reappeared, clutching another wand. "Here, try this one," he said, thrusting it into Neville's hand before he’d even had a chance to brace himself. The wand felt heavier, more solid.

"Yew and dragon heartstring, 12 inches, unyielding. Go on, give it a wave."

Neville lifted the new wand, hoping this time something would be different. But as he swished it through the air, it remained stubbornly inert, like a piece of dead wood. No sparks, no magic.

"Interesting," Ollivander murmured, taking the wand back with a thoughtful frown. He seemed unfazed, as though this were all part of some intricate puzzle. "Very interesting indeed..."

"Try this one," Ollivander said, handing Neville yet another wand.

"Willow and phoenix feather, 11 inches, quite flexible."

Neville took it, feeling its smooth surface under his fingers. He gave it a tentative wave, but nothing happened. Not even a flicker of light or a puff of smoke. The wand was as lifeless as the others.

"Next," Ollivander said without missing a beat, taking the wand from Neville’s hand and replacing it with another.

"How about Holly and dragon heartstring? 10 inches, swishy."

"Alright," Neville muttered, giving it a try. Again, nothing.

"Interesting," Ollivander murmured to himself, his eyes glinting with curiosity. He handed Neville another wand. "Aspen and unicorn hair, 12 inches, rigid."

Neville sighed, waving it through the air. It felt wrong, like trying to write with your non-dominant hand. Still, no magic.

"That’s alright, Mr. Longbottom," Ollivander said, not losing his enthusiasm. "We have plenty more to go through."

"Six hours," Augusta whispered beside Neville, her voice barely masking her tiredness. "We've been here for six hours."

"One more," Ollivander insisted, almost gleefully. "Maple and phoenix feather, 13 inches, pliable."

"Okay," Neville said, though his hope was waning. He waved it, expecting the same result. And that’s exactly what he got—nothing.

"Curious," Ollivander repeated, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Very curious indeed."

"Still no luck, I’m afraid," Neville said, glancing at the piles of rejected wands. They seemed to mock him, each one a reminder of his failure.

"Ah, but sometimes, the best matches come after the longest searches," Ollivander said cryptically. He paused, a sudden look of bewilderment crossing his face. His eyes widened, then narrowed thoughtfully. "Maybe that might work..."

"What’s that?" Neville asked, curiosity piqued despite himself.

"Wait here," Ollivander instructed, disappearing into the depths of his shop.

Augusta and Neville exchanged puzzled glances, neither sure what to expect.

Minutes felt like hours before Ollivander reappeared, carrying an old, dusty wand box. It looked ancient like it had been forgotten on a high shelf for centuries. He placed it gently on the counter before them, treating it with a reverence Neville had never seen before.

He carefully opened the box, revealing a wand with dark, rich wood and intricate carvings along its length. It looked both delicate and powerful.

"Go on," Ollivander urged, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Give it a try."

Neville took the wand from the box, feeling the warm pulse of magic as he gripped it. As he raised it and gave a tentative flick, a soft, golden glow flared from the tip, illuminating the shop with a warm light. The air seemed to hum with a newfound energy, and for a moment, the dusty shop felt alive.

Ollivander's eyes widened in amazement, his pale face breaking into a rare, genuine smile. "Curious... curious indeed," he said softly, clearly awed by the wand’s reaction. "A most remarkable match, if I may say so."

He stepped closer, his voice almost reverent. "This wand is made of Elder wood and Thestral tail hair, 11¾ inches. A most unusual combination."

Neville’s eyes widen knowing the significance of Elder wood and Thestral tail hair. "Why is that...?" he asked hesitantly.

Ollivander nodded slowly. "Elder is one of the rarest wand woods, known for its immense power but also its fickleness. Thestral tail hair is incredibly difficult to master. Only a witch or wizard who has truly come to terms with death can wield it effectively."

Augusta’s expression shifted between pride and concern. "What does that mean for Neville?"

"It means," Ollivander said, his gaze locking onto Neville, "that young Mr. Longbottom here has a special destiny ahead of him. This wand wouldn’t choose just anyone. There must be something remarkable about you, something that sets you apart."

Neville swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the responsibility. "Has there ever been another wand like this?"

Ollivander's voice dropped to a near whisper. "Only one. Many have tried to replicate it, but only my grandfather succeeded in creating a wand with this combination. but No one had ever gotten the wand to produce magic—until now."

Kaito Chapter 110

Kaito Chapter 110

Itachi sighed and nodded. "Hai, there is something else that is bothering me." He looked at both Kaito and Hotaru and explained,"It's just that there hasn’t been any Uchiha in the ANBU, and the village higher-ups and the Uchiha clan aren’t in the best situation right now."

Kaito’s expression grew serious. "So you’re worried this might be a ploy by the village higher-ups for something?"

Itachi nodded.

Kaito thought to himself, "So Danzo is still influencing the old monkey. He's still planning a massacre." He knew Danzo was behind the push for Itachi’s ANBU placement.

The three of them fell silent, finishing their meal. Afterward, they parted ways, promising to meet up every few weeks to keep in touch.

….

It was late noon, and Kaito's shadow clones had long been dispelled, their accumulated experience and fatigue returning to him. Having recovered, Kaito opened his eyes and looked at the sky as a flock of birds flew over the training ground. He sighed, thinking about on what had happened the previous day.

Kaito thought to himself, “Sigh, I thought that exposing Danzo in front of Shikaku-sensei and Fugaku would solve the problem and make Danzo lose his influence, but… “ he trailed off “It seems Danzo still has influence… “

"What's the point of doing anything if everything just remains the same or gets worse?" he sighed, thinking, “It's like in the original timeline, Danzo only lost his power on the surface but was still in control of Root. Hiruzen is really a useless and selfish Kage.“

Kaito caught a falling leaf and stared at it, thinking, “It's almost like a fixed point in time that can't be changed.“

He then thought about the Nine-Tails attack. “Do certain events in the timeline just can't be changed? Like the Nine-Tails attack. even after I gave Dad a warning and stopped Obito from killing Biwako and taking Naruto hostage, everything still happened following the plot. “

Channeling wind chakra into the leaf, he slit it in half. “It's like everything corrects itself no matter what I do to change it. “

thinking of his mother's smiling face "No, that isn't right. I saved Mom, I changed the timeline. She was supposed to die during the Nine-Tails attack," Kaito shook his head.

Kaito sat up and looked at the tri-pronged kunai at his feet. Plucking it from the ground, he sighed. "I need to clear my mind." Looking up at the sky, Kaito saw that it was late afternoon.

He stood up, he collected all the scatted tri-pronged kunai and walked out of the training ground. Walking down the streets of Konoha, Kaito wandered around, contemplating the village's current situation.

Kaito knew that the main problem right now was the third Hokage and the stupid elders. While the Uchiha clan resented the village higher-ups for choosing Minato over Fugaku for the position of the fourth Hokage, they hadn’t done anything to be ostracized. For heaven’s sake, Konoha was co-founded by the Uchiha Clan.

He knew that getting rid of the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the shitty elders would solve most of the village's problems, but the four of them were power-hungry and didn’t want to let go of it. The only reason Minato was chosen to be Hokage was because everyone put pressure on Hiruzen for villages lost during the Third Ninja War and forced him to step down.

Even though after Kaito had exposed Danzo, the Hokage gave the Uchiha clan's back it powers and said he would stop the surveillance of the Uchiha clan. Everyone knew that the Uchiha clan was still being monitored.

As Kaito strolled absentmindedly down the busy streets of Konoha, he suddenly stopped at the sound of shouting behind him. Turning around, he noticed two civilian men engaged in a drunken brawl. The fight quickly escalated and soon onlookers were being pulled into the chaos. In an instant, a team of Konoha police officers appeared, sprinting towards the scene to restore order. With swift movements, he pinned down both fighters and declared them under arrest for causing a public disturbance.

The intoxicated men began to plead with the officer to let them go, but their requests fell on deaf ears as he firmly stood his ground. Suddenly, one of the onlookers shouted, "You're quick to arrest people for petty things, but where were you when the Nine-Tails attacked?!" Another chimed in, "Yeah, you're supposed to protect us citizens, but you ran away when we needed you!" The mention of the Nine-Tails attack struck a nerve with the Uchiha police officers, and they grew visibly angry. Without hesitation, they arrested the person who had spoken out against them while others continued to handle the drunkards. This was just another day on the bustling streets of Konoha.

Kaito's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the tense scene between the village and the Uchiha clan. He signed to himself, "It's gotten worse." Suddenly, Kaito felt a familiar presence next to him. Without turning to look, he greeted him. "Sensei." Shikaku Nara come to a stop beside Kaito

Shikaku not looking at Kaito looked at the scene. "It's been a while, Kaito," he said.

Kaito nodded, signing back. "Hai, it has. How have you been, Sensei?" Shikaku nodded in agreement next to him, not taking his eyes off the situation before them.

As they started to walk away from the tense situation, Shikaku asked, "Have somewhere to be?"

Kaito shook his head. "No, nowhere specific."

Shikaku glanced down the street and suggested, "Then would you mind joining me for a game of Shogi?"

Kaito shrugged. "Sure, why not? At your place?" he asked, knowing they were close to the Nara compound.

"Hai." Shikaku nodded and they made their way there. As they walked, he asked Kaito about recent news. "I heard that Itachi was recruited by the ANBU,"

Kaito nodded. "Hai, he told us yesterday. He said he has some sort of test before he becomes one."

Shikaku nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "So, you and Hotaru planning on forming a team?"

Kaito nodded and replied, "Hai, I think we might just do missions the two of us, ya know," Then he added with a smirk, "But you're always welcome to join us once in a while sensei."

Upon reaching Shikaku's house, they entered as Shikaku announced, "I’m back."

Yoshino poked her head out from the kitchen and, looking at the clock, said, "Huh, you’re early."

Shikaku sighed and said, "I ran into someone on my way," gesturing to Kaito, who entered the house after him.

Seeing Kaito, Yoshino smiled and greeted him back. "Ah, Kaito, it's been some time. How have you been, and how are your mother and brother doing?"

Kaito bowed politely and said, "Good afternoon, Yoshino-san. We are doing well, thank you for asking."

Shikaku cut in, "Can we get something to drink while we play shogi, Yoshino?"

She nodded, "Yeah, sure. I'll have it ready in a few minutes."

Shikaku led Kaito to his back porch, where they sat down with a shogi table in the middle. Kaito took his place opposite Shikaku, and they began arranging the shogi pieces on the board.

Yoshino came out while they were setting up the board, saying, "Here you go," as she poured them each a cup of tea and handed them over.

Taking the offered cup, Shikaku asked, "Where's Shikamaru?"

Yoshino replied, "I chased him out of the house to hang out with his friends. That boy is too lazy and is always sleeping."

Kaito thanked her for the tea. Yoshino then asked if he would be staying over for dinner.

Kaito shook his head, "No, I promised my mother I'd be back for dinner."

Yoshino said, "Oh, alright then. I'll leave you two alone," and got up to do some house chores.

After Yoshino left, Kaito and Shikaku played shogi in silence for a while. The only sound was the soft clink of shogi pieces being placed on the board.

“You’ve got something on your mind,” Shikaku said finally, breaking the silence as he moved one of his pieces. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kaito sighed and moved a piece of his own. “Sensei... what do you think of Konoha’s current situation?”

Shikaku hummed thoughtfully. “That depends… If you’re asking about the shinobi world, I’d say it’s holding up alright for now.” He moved another piece and added, “But if you’re talking about internal affairs, then things are not looking that great.”

Kaito’s brow furrowed. "What would you do if something you thought would make it better only made the situation worse?"

Shikaku glanced at him while moving a piece. "You’re talking about the Uchiha clan’s situation?"

Kaito nodded. "You know what's going to happen if things don’t change, right, Sensei?"

Shikaku sighed, took a sip of his tea, and looked at Kaito seriously. “Yes, I know. There are two possible outcomes,” he said gravely. “But there’s not much we can do about it.”

Kaito moved a piece on the board. “But what if there was something we can do?”

Shikaku looked at him intently. “Other than naming someone from the Uchiha clan as the fifth Hokage, I don’t see any peaceful options. And with the Uchiha clan’s current reputation and the higher-ups’ disapproval, that’s not going to happen anytime soon,” he said moving a piece on the shogi board.

"Hai, I know that," Kaito met his gaze. “But what if the new Hokage was someone the Uchiha clan wouldn’t have a problem with? What if they were given back all their rights and something was put in place to prevent this from happening again?”

Shikaku shook his head. “What you’re suggesting is treason, Kaito. You can’t just overthrow a Hokage.”

Kaito shook his head. “Who said anything about overthrowing a Hokage?” He moved a piece. “The Third Hokage already retired before the Third Shinobi War ended. He’s just a stand-in until a suitable successor is found. Since the Hokage is too busy to find one himself, what if we found someone who has the approval of the Daimyo, the clans, and the Jonin council?”

Kaito ran a hand through his hair. “You have to admit it, Sensei, the current situation is mostly the fault of Konoha’s higher-ups.”

Shikaku sighed. “Who is this Hokage candidate you have in mind, and how do you plan on getting the approval of the clans, the Daimyo, and the Jonin council?”

Kaito looked at Shikaku in silence for a few moments. Shikaku’s eyes widened as he crossed his arms. “No, I’m not becoming Hokage, Kaito.”

Kaito looked surprised. “Huh? Who said anything about you becoming Hokage, Sensei?” then He started laughing. “Sensei, you thought it was suggesting you to be the next Hokage. “wiping away some tears he continued “I know the paperwork would be too troublesome for you.”

Shikaku coughed, a bit embarrassed. “Ahem, forget what I just said. You still haven’t answered my question.”

Kaito smirked. “I have someone in mind who’s well-loved in Konoha, so getting approval shouldn’t be an issue. I’d still appreciate your help, Sensei.”

Shikaku sighed, contemplating Kaito’s words. “Alright, Kaito. I’ll hear you out. Who is this candidate?”

Kaito took a deep breath. “Tsunade Senju.”

Goten Chapter 2

Goten Chapter 2

Glen's words confirmed Jack's hopes. "Ah, Son Goten. A very good choice. He has the most potential among all the characters that aren't broken but sadly wasn't used that well in the story. I guess that won't be an issue with you taking over as Goten."

Overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, Jack could hardly contain himself. "Thank you, thank you so much!" he blurted out.

Glen smiled warmly at him before walking over to the door. "Good luck in your new life, Jack," he said gently before opening the door and adding with sincerity, "May you find the happiness and fulfillment you seek." With those final words, Glen left the room.

As if in response to his departure, a blinding flash of light filled the room and engulfed Jack. His consciousness began to drift away, and he felt himself losing consciousness.

…

As the morning sun began to rise over Mount Paozu, its gentle rays filtered through the window of a small house nestled in the serene mountainside. A small kid with spiky black hair slept peacefully on the edge of a large bed, his right hand dangling off it as the sun shined on his face.

Feeling the sunlight on his face, his face scrunched up in a grimace as he tried to rub trying to stop the annoying sensation. Still feeling the sun's rays on his face, he rolled over to escape them, only to fall off the bed, landing face-first on the ground with a thud.

"Ow... what the...?" he groaned, rubbing his face as he sat up. That's when he noticed his hands. They were smaller than he remembered. Looking down at them, he muttered, "Why are my hands so small?" He quickly jumped up and looked at his body, panic rising. "No way... is this real? Did I... did I actually die?"

Looking around the bedroom, Goten spotted a mirror attached to the dressing table. He quickly ran to it to see his reflection. The reflection was of a five-year-old kid with spiky black hair and a face that looked like a younger version of Goku and not that of Jack. He thought, "I am Goten... I'm really Goten. Then that wasn't a dream. All that happened in that place was real," he whispered, touching his face.

Just then, he felt a wave of information entering his mind, or more like this body's memories were coming back to him. He remembered being raised by Chi-Chi, and playing with Gohan when Gohan wasn't busy training.

He had memories of Goten and Chi-Chi visiting Goku's grave, which was near their house. He remembered celebrating Goten's birthday with Chi-Chi and Gohan. He relived all of Goten's memories in what felt like hours but was just a few seconds in the real world, all these memories were from Goten's perspective.

As Goten's memories assimilated, he felt and remembered everything Goten had been through up until yesterday, their souls merging and becoming one. Goten sat down on the floor in front of the mirror, feeling overwhelmed as both Goten's and Jack's memories merged.

As each one of Goten's memories played one after another in his mind, he noticed something peculiar. This version of the Dragon Ball world wasn't the same as the one from the Dragon Ball anime.

this world was different as Goten had memories of a beaten-up Gohan coming home with multiple injuries, with his mother Chi-Chi treating him. Gohan would then go back and get injured again, training hard.

The most important detail he noticed in Goten’s memories was that in this world both android 17 and 18 were evil and were wreaking havoc across the globe. They also killed the other Z fighter after Goku's death, leaving only Gohan alive.

Gohan had pushed himself hard to avenge his fallen friends, only to fail and get beaten up by the androids over and over again. That's when everything clicked in Goten's mind. "This is the future timeline... shit."

Just then, he heard his mother Chi-Chi calling him, "Goten, dear, wake up, or you're going to miss breakfast," as she opened the door to the room. Seeing Goten on the floor in front of the mirror, she asked, confused, "What are you doing there, Goten? Get ready, or you're going to miss breakfast."

Goten nodded and said, "Ah, I just woke up and... I rolled off the bed," he said with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of his head. "Well, hurry up then, mister. Go take a bath and make sure to brush your teeth," she said, shooing Goten to the bathroom.

Goten quickly rushed to the bathroom, the muscle memory helping him find it easily. While brushing his teeth, his mind raced. "Damn, I was transmigrated into the future timeline."

Spitting out the toothpaste, he muttered, "Okay, think. What do I know that happens in this timeline? First, every Z fighter except Gohan is dead. Gohan trains Trunks, then gets killed by the androids. Trunks is the last survivor. Then in the future, Zamasu comes, and the timeline is erased."

"First things first, I need to stop Gohan from dying in this timeline, and I need to take care of the androids as soon as possible," he thought, taking off his clothes. "If I remember correctly, Gohan was at least as strong as one of the androids when he died and only died because he had to fight them two-on-one."

"After that, I need to make sure Beerus is still alive to deal with Zamasu. If I remember correctly, the Supreme Kai is killed by Babidi or something, and because Beerus and the Supreme Kai are linked he dies. So, all I have to do is keep the Supreme Kai alive, and Beerus can deal with Zamasu," he thought while taking a bath.

Goten then paused and said, "But Goten isn’t born in the future timeline. Only Trunks was born in that timeline. That means either this is an alternate timeline or the original timeline was altered to include Goten."

"Either way, I have to get stronger. If I remember correctly, a seven-year-old Super Saiyan Goten was as strong as a base Gohan in the Buu saga after he slacked off." Quickly drying himself, Goten got dressed in the black and orange gi that Chi-Chi had set out for him on the bed.

Coming out of the room, Goten saw Chi-Chi plating up a big breakfast. Seeing Goten, she called him over, "Come eat, Goten, while it's still hot." Walking over to the table, Goten saw a mouth-watering spread of breakfast and started to eat.

Goten paused and asked Chi-Chi, who sat down to eat as well, "Um, Mom, where's Gohan?" He looked around. Chi-Chi sighed and said, "You know that brother of yours, always training. I wish he didn’t have all that weight on his shoulders," she said, looking sad.

She then muttered to herself, "I should bring Gohan his lunch, or that boy might forget to eat again," turning to Goten she asked, "Goten, honey, I will be bringing Gohan lunch later. Do you want to come with me?"

Goten, swallowing a mouthful of food, nodded eagerly. "Sure, Mom. I can come." He thought to himself, "I can ask Gohan to train me."

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert: Chapter 3

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert: Chapter 3

But before he could react, Dumbledore stumbled back with a surprised expression on his face. "My apologies, my boy," he said with a slight frown, regaining his footing. "It seems I have lost my balance.

Neville realized that Dumbledore had been trying to delve into his mind without his consent. his mind raced “That old bugger, did he just try to use Legilimency on me? I need to be careful with this old coot. He's always manipulating everything. He was the reason why Harry was so unprepared."

Meanwhile, Dumbledore regained his composure and told Neville that he should not worry about losing his memories, Neville just nodded solemnly and averted his gaze, feigning sadness and disappointment. Inside, he made a mental note "I need to learn Occlumency. as soon as possible."

…

As they waited for Pomfrey and McGonagall to return, Neville wanting to keep his amnesiac act going turned to Dumbledore with a furrowed brow. "Who are you?" he asked warily.

Dumbledore replied, "I'm Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. You're a first-year, so don’t worry. The new school year is just starting, and you won’t be too far behind your peers."

Neville nodded, still feeling uneasy being alone with Dumbledore.

Just then, Madam Pomfrey returned and approached Neville with a kind smile. ” How are you feeling, dear? Any discomfort? Is that headache still bothering you?"

Neville shook his head, relieved that the pain had subsided. "No, ma'am."

Right then, Professor McGonagall stormed back into the hospital wing with another person in tow. She was tall, thin, and bony, sporting a hat with a stuffed vulture on it and carrying a bright red handbag.

Seeing the woman beside McGonagall, Neville thought, "That must be Neville's grandmother”

Dumbledore, noticing both McGonagall and the woman, said, "Ah, Augusta, glad you could make it."

Augusta nodded, muttering, "It's only been a week since he got to Hogwarts and already I've been summoned." She then turned to Dumbledore and said, "I came as soon as I heard my Neville was in the hospital wing."

She looked at Neville and seeing him alright she asked confused, "What's wrong with him? He looks alright to me."

McGonagall sighed and said, "Augusta, Mr. Longbottom took a tumble off his broom during this morning’s flying lesson. He lost control of his broom and fell bashing his head on the ground. It seems he’s lost his memory."

Hearing McGonagall explanation, Augusta's eyes widened. "What? How could this have happened?" worriedly

She moved to Neville's side and asked, "Neville, do you remember who I am?"

Neville, wanting to keep up his amnesia act, shook his head. "Who are you, ma'am?"

Augusta looked shocked. "You don't remember me, Neville? I'm your gran."

Neville, still confused, asked, "Gran?"

Augusta turned to Madam Pomfrey. "There must be a way for Neville to get his memories back."

Pomfrey shook her head. "I’m afraid there’s no way to force it; that might make things worse. But there’s a chance his memories could return with time."

Augusta sighed, rubbing her head. "Ah, Neville, what am I going to do with you? It's only been a week, and you've already lost all your memory. There are seven more years to go!"

Neville felt a pang of sympathy, knowing how much of a klutz he was in the books.

Dumbledore chimed in, "It's not all that bad, Augusta. While Mr. Longbottom has lost his memories, he's young and just starting out in life."

Augusta sighed again. "So, what are we going to do now?"

Dumbledore stepped in. "Well, considering it's only been two weeks since the school year started, Mr. Longbottom shouldn't have any trouble catching up with his peers."

He added, "But I think, for today, you should spend some time with Mr. Longbottom, letting him get to know you since you're his guardian." Dumbledore then took something off a small table and handed it to Augusta. "And you might want to get Mr. Longbottom a new wand. It seems his wand was broken in the fall."

Looking at the wand, Augusta almost had tears in her eyes and whispered, "Frank," referring to her son's wand. She gently took it.

Neville, seeing the broken wand, thought, "Ah, so my wand is broken. This is good. I can get a wand that suits me and won't have to be held back by an incompatible wand."

Hearing the name, Minerva connected the dots, realizing it was Frank Longbottom's wand. She looked a bit sad and said, "You should take it to Olivander’s. He might be able to fix it."

Sighing, Augusta nodded, carefully placing the wand in her handbag. "If there's nothing else keeping Neville here, we'd like to depart."

Pomfrey shook her head. "No, everything else is fine with Mr. Longbottom."

McGonagall offered, "You can use the Floo in my office."

Augusta nodded and turned to Neville and said, "Come on, Neville, let’s go," helping him get off the bed.

Neville got off the bed and trailed after Augusta. leaving behind the hospital, he asked, "Where are we going?"

Augusta sighed and replied, "We are heading to Diagon Alley to get you a new wand."

Neville nodded, already having figured that part out.

When they reached the office, McGonagall asked, "When can we expect Mr. Longbottom back, Augusta?"

Augusta said, "Around 8 in the evening. That should give us enough time to sort everything out."

McGonagall nodded and said, "Well, when you're done, use the main entrance. I'll let Hagrid know to expect Mr. Longbottom."

Opening the office door, McGonagall added, "Since Mr. Longbottom has forgotten everything, we should teach him how to use the Floo first."

Augusta nodded and said, "I'll go first." Turning to Neville, she explained, "Grab a handful of the powder and step into the fireplace. Throw down the powder while clearly saying the name of the place you're heading to. Make sure you say it clearly."

Seeing Neville nod at her instructions, Augusta said, "I'll go first, then you follow. Watch carefully, alright?"

Augusta proceeded as she’d instructed, tossing the powder into the fireplace and calling out, "Diagon Alley!" She was enveloped in green flames and disappeared.

McGonagall then held up the Floo powder and said to Neville, "Say the destination loudly and clearly, Mr. Longbottom. It's 'Diagon Alley.'" punctuating the name

"Damn, that looks cool! This will be my first time doing magic," Neville thought. He reached into the sack of Floo powder, stepped into the fireplace facing McGonagall, took a deep breath, and threw down the powder, calling out, "Diagon Alley!"

Green flames erupted around him and consumed him.

Neville soon found himself stumbling out of a fireplace, some soot patch covering his clothes. His grandmother caught him and said, "Easy there! The first time using the Floo can be a bit jarring." She patted the soot off his clothes.

Looking around, Neville saw himself in an alleyway lined with multiple fireplaces on both sides of the wall, with wizards appearing and disappearing through them. It reminded him of the scene at the Ministry of Magic in the fifth Harry Potter movie.

Kaito Chapter 109

Kaito Chapter 109

Kaito put away the scroll and sighed. He told her everything, how he overheard a Kusa shinobi talking about a red-haired woman with the healing bite ability, how he infiltrated Kusa, and how he found Karin and her mother.

By the end of the story, Kushina looked angry at how her clansman had been treated. She also bonked Kaito on the head.

Rubbing his head, Kaito complained, “Hey, that hurt, ya know.”

Kushina huffed. “That was for infiltrating a hidden village. What were you thinking, you Baka?” Then she hugged him. “But I’m glad that you did.”

Kaito sighed in relief and returned the hug. "I couldn’t just leave her there."

Kushina smiled softly, her eyes filled with warmth. "You did the right thing, Kai-kun. We'll take care of her."

….

The early noon sun shone brightly over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets filled with villagers going about their daily lives. In a training ground close to the Uzumaki residence, Kaito could be seen panting heavily, crouched over a tri-pronged kunai in the middle of a circle formed by six similar kunai.

A bit further from him, a group of shadow clones were doing the training assigned to them. Four of the shadow clones were focused on mastering the second step of earth nature transformation, kaito had a hard time mastering earth nature transformation since earth release was not one of his natural affinities. Despite having four shadow clones helping him, it was taking longer to master than his other elements.

Two other clones worked on improving his medical ninjutsu, specifically trying to incorporate his heal bite kekkei genkai into his Healing Jutsu. Nearby, another two clones sat meditating on top of earth spikes trying to maintain balance as to not fall off, mimicking Naruto's training for Sage Mode. Kaito aimed to master sitting still and meditating, knowing it would make learning Sage Mode easier in the future. He recalled how it had taken Jiraiya years to sense nature energy, while Naruto had to use a shortcut by using toad oil to let him sense nature energy.

Kaito had six shadow clones working on improving his Rasengan. Three of these clones focused on creating a larger elemental Rasengan, akin to Naruto’s Chōōdama Rasengan. Currently, Kaito's regular Rasengan matched the destructive power of Minato’s, surpassing what he remembered Naruto’s regular Rasengan was capable of.

The other three clones concentrated on adding nature transformation to his Rasendan. This task was proving more difficult than expected. Compressing a full-sized Rasengan to the size of a small pebble and then adding nature transformation made the Rasendan unstable, often causing it to explode during the process. Despite the challenges, Kaito had managed to recreate the Vanishing Rasengan in Rasendan form, though perfecting it remained a work in progress.

Kaito stood back up, gripping a tri-pronged kunai tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself. Then, with a sharp exhale, he opened his eyes and disappeared from the middle of the circle of kunai, reappearing at one of the tri-pronged kunai. He slashed before disappearing again, then reappeared at another kunai, slashing and vanishing once more.

He repeated this three more times before losing his balance and crashing face-first onto the ground. Groaning, Kaito flipped onto his back, panting heavily.

"Five times," he muttered to himself, his chest heaving as he lay on the ground.

One of his clones walked over and said, "Boss, you managed to use the Hiraishin five times consecutively. That's your personal best so far."

Kaito, still catching his breath, looked at his clone. "Yeah, but it still takes a lot of concentration and a ton of chakra," he replied.

Looking up at the sky, Kaito closed his eyes to rest. "I think I'm done for today."

He dispelled his clones one by one, gaining back their experience and knowledge. As the memories and fatigue from their tasks flooded back to him, Kaito felt both the strain and the small victories of the day's training.

It had been a few months since Kaito saved Karin and brought her back to Konoha.

The next day, they had a small funeral for her mother. Kaito, Kushina, and Naruto also visited Minato's grave, bringing him flowers. After the funeral, Kushina decided to take them shopping for clothes, since Karin didn’t have any, and to cheer her up.

It had taken some time for Karin to open up to them, but she grew very close to Kushina, seeing her as a mother figure. Kushina, in turn, loved having Karin in the house, as she had always wanted to have a girl.

Kaito tagged along when Kushina brought Naruto and Karin to the park. Naruto introduced Karin to his friends Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Ino, and Hinata. Karin quickly became close friends with Hinata and Ino, as they were the only girls in the group.

Kushina also started teaching Karin fuinjutsu, since it was what the Uzumaki clan was famous for. Karin excelled in it, unlike Naruto, who couldn’t focus and often fell asleep during lessons.

After a few weeks of her staying with them, Kaito decided to train Karin along with Naruto. Kaito knew that Karin had immense potential due to her having all three of the Uzumaki kekkei genkai. It was better for her to get stronger to protect herself; she couldn’t count on someone to save her every time she was in trouble. Kaito’s mother, Kushina, agreed with him on this.

When Kaito told Karin that she would also be training to be a shinobi, Karin readily agreed, having already lost her mother due to their lack of strength.

For now, he only focused on improving her physical strength and building stamina. Unlike Naruto, she wouldn’t have a hard time controlling her chakra.

Other than that, things had been going smoothly until yesterday.

Team 11 had returned to the village after a week-long B-ranked mission. Kaito and Hotaru had noticed that Itachi looked sad when they met up for the mission. Both Hotaru and Kaito also noted that Itachi was a bit absent-minded during the mission. He was quieter than usual and seemed to be in deep thought.

They arrived back and handed in the mission report. As they were leaving the Hokage Tower and walking down the streets, Kaito saw that Itachi was still lost in his thoughts.

Kaito suggested, "Hey, why don't we go out and eat something?" Both Itachi and Hotaru nodded in agreement.

After ordering their food, Kaito asked while waiting, "So, what's gotten you so upset, Itachi?"

Hearing Kaito's question, Itachi sighed and said, "I was offered to join the ANBU."

Hotaru looked shocked but quickly congratulated him, "Wow, congratulations, Itachi-kun! You will be the youngest to be recruited by ANBU. When do you join?"

Itachi nodded and said with a sigh, "Yeah, I have a test soon, and if I pass, I'll be joining them immediately."

Hotaru’s smile faded as she realized, “That means you won’t be part of Team 11 anymore.”

Itachi nodded sadly. Hotaru frowned and turned to Kaito, asking, “Does that mean our team will be disbanded?”

Kaito nodded and said, “Yeah, most probably. Or someone new might be assigned to Team 11.” Noticing the sad look on Hotaru’s face, Kaito added, “We already knew this would happen, Hotaru-chan, the day we got promoted to chunin. But even without Itachi, we should be able to take on missions, ya know.”

Hotaru sighed, looking down, “Well, even if you aren’t part of Team 11 anymore, we should meet up at least every few weeks.”

Itachi and Kaito nodded. Kaito then turned to Itachi and asked, “But that isn’t what’s really troubling you, is it, Itachi?”

Itachi sighed and shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder if you have some sort of mind-reading ability like the Yamanaka.”

Kaito looked at Itachi and said, "We’ve been best friends for years, Itachi. I know you’d be happy to join the ANBU because you’ll be able to take on higher-ranked missions. And while you'd be sad about leaving us behind, I don’t think it would cause you to be this distracted during a mission."

Itachi sighed and nodded. "Hai, there is something else that is bothering me." He looked at both Kaito and Hotaru and explained, "It's just that there hasn’t been any Uchiha in the ANBU, and the village higher-ups and the Uchiha clan aren’t in the best situation right now."

Kaito’s expression grew serious. "So you’re worried this might be a ploy by the village higher-ups for something?"

Itachi nodded.

Kaito thought to himself, "So Danzo is still influencing the old monkey. He's still planning a massacre." He knew Danzo was behind the push for Itachi’s ANBU placement.

The three of them fell silent, finishing their meal. Afterward, they parted ways, promising to meet up every few weeks to keep in touch.

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert: Chapter 2

A Neville SI: Chapter 2

"Where am I?" he asked desperately, clutching his head as if trying to hold onto reality.

"We are in the Hogwarts hospital wing, Oh my, don't you remember anything?" The nurse gasped as she pulled out her wand and muttered something under her breath. The wand’s tip glowed and flashed, seeing the wand’s tip glow, it confirmed Mark's suspicions. He had been transmigrated into the world of Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom.

Mark's mind raced as he tried to process this new reality. How was any of this possible? One moment he was driving through the snow, and now he was in a completely different world. The constant throbbing in his head reminded him that this was no dream; it was all too real.

….

Pomfrey's voice cut through Neville's thoughts. "What's the last thing you remember?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

Neville brought a hand up to his aching head and winced. "I don't know, waking up here," he said after a moment of silence. he looked at Pomfrey. "Who are you?"

The matron introduced herself as Madam Pomfrey, her expression softening as she saw Neville's confusion. "I'm the matron of Hogwarts," she explained gently. "You don't remember anything?"

Neville shook his head, wincing again at the sharp pang in his head. "No," he muttered.

"Oh my," Pomfrey exclaimed, examining him closely. "That fall must have caused amnesia." She handed him a small vial filled with a thick, foul-smelling liquid. "Here drink this, it will help ease the pain."

Neville's face twisted in disgust as he forced himself to gulp down the thick, bitter potion. The taste lingered on his tongue like a foul curse. Madame Pomfrey gently helped him lay on the bed.

"It'll take a few minutes for the pain to subside," she assured him, her voice soft and soothing. "But it will pass, and you'll feel better soon."

With a reassuring pat on his shoulder, Pomfrey turned to leave.

"I need to fetch someone, please don’t leave," she said before disappearing out of the infirmary.

As Neville lay there, feeling his headache begin to fade and his thoughts became clearer, he couldn't help but think, "Bloody hell, did I really die from that fall? Is this some kind of afterlife or strange dream?"

Frustration and confusion welled up within him as he closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to cry in front of anyone. "And now I've been transmigrated into the Harry Potter world as Neville, just like in those fanfictions."

Lying still on the bed, Neville gazed up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. "Okay, I need to calm down and think logically," he thought to himself.

Glancing down at his hands and body, he noted their small size and realized that he must be around 11 or 12 years old. "That means I'm at the beginning of the story," he thought with a nod. "Either the Philosopher's Stone or the Chamber of Secrets."

A sense of relief washed over Neville at this realization. "That's good," he mused to himself. "I won't be too far behind the others, and I can use my knowledge of what's to come to change the timeline in my favor."

 "It's a good thing Pomfrey thinks I have amnesia," he thought. " I should maintain that so I won’t raise suspicion about Neville’s sudden change in attitude or the fact that I don’t remember any of my classmates. That should give me cover.”

His mind was already buzzing with ideas for the future. "I need to plan for the future. What do I remember from the books and movies?” he pondered. “In the first book, it was Voldemort after the Stone. In the second, it was the bloody basilisk. The third has the werewolf and those creepy Dementors. The fourth is when Voldemort comes back. The fifth year, I don’t really remember, something about Dumbledore and his group. In the sixth year, Dumbledore dies, I think. And the seventh year is Harry on the run and the final battle.”

After a few minutes, Pomfrey returned with a tall, stern-looking witch. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her sharp features were framed by square-rimmed glasses. As they approached, Neville recognized her as Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. She was dressed the same as in the movies, but her face was different from the actress.

McGonagall's voice was concerned as she asked Pomfrey, "How could this have happened?"

Poppy explained, "This morning Madam Hooch brought him here after he suffered a head injury from falling off his broom." She added, "Mr. Longbottom appears to have amnesia. He doesn't remember anything except waking up here."

Hearing that Neville had fallen from a broomstick and been brought to the hospital wing, Neville thought to himself, "If I remember correctly, this is before Malfoy goaded Harry into chasing him and McGonagall made Harry the Seeker in the first book. So, I'm at the beginning of the story. That's good...that's good."

He continued to ponder, "I can make sure Harry isn't just cannon fodder that gets by on sheer luck. If I remember correctly, Neville was the other chosen by the prophecy and has the same potential as Harry if given proper training."

McGonagall turned her attention to Neville and asked him gently, "Mr. Longbottom, do you remember anything that happened earlier today before you woke up here?"

Neville shook his head sadly. "I only remember waking up here."

McGonagall's expression grew even more worried as she asked Pomfrey, "Oh my, Poppy, is there a chance Mr. Longbottom will regain his memories?"

Poppy responded reassuringly, "There's a chance he might get his memories back."

Neville raised his hand and asked, "May I know who you are, ma'am, and where I am?" He didn't want to blow his cover as an amnesiac by calling her Professor McGonagall before she introduced herself.

McGonagall let out a sigh and answered, "I am Professor McGonagall. I am your Head of House and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. And you, Mr. Longbottom, are in the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Just then a tall and thin man with long silver hair, and a long beard entered the hospital. It was none other than Albus Dumbledore, Neville instantly recognizable him thanks to his appearance similar to the movies.

"Ah, good evening, Minerva, Pomfrey, Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore greeted them with a smile before turning to Pomfrey and asking, "May I cast some diagnostic spells on Mr. Longbottom?" With a flick of his wand, he cast several spells and said, "Everything seems fine with Mr. Longbottom. You said that he had lost memories.?

Nodding McGonagall asked with concern, "Do you think it's possible that his memory loss is permanent?"

Dumbledore's expression turned thoughtful as he replied, "It's difficult to say. But I don't believe it will be too much of a problem for Mr. Longbottom. He is still young and even if his memories do not return, he can make new ones."

Turning to McGonagall, Dumbledore suggested, "Minerva, I think we should inform Augusta of Mr. Longbottom's situation." Then he turned to Pomfrey and requested, "Poppy, please allow Minerva to use your Floo."

Pomfrey nodded in agreement and said, "Certainly, Headmaster," before leading McGonagall to her office where she could use the Floo network.

Once they were gone, Dumbledore turned to Neville with a gentle smile and said, "My boy, could you spare a moment to look at me?" Neville nodded and looked up at Dumbledore expectantly.

As soon as their eyes met, Neville felt a prickling sensation in his mind. It was as if someone was digging around in his thoughts and memories.

But before he could react, Dumbledore stumbled back with a surprised expression on his face. "My apologies, my boy," he said with a slight frown, regaining his footing. "It seems I have lost my balance.

Neville, realized that Dumbledore had been trying to delve into his mind without his consent. his mind raced “That old bugger, did he just try to use Legilimency on me? I need to be careful with this old coot. He's always manipulating everything. He was the reason why Harry was so unprepared."

Meanwhile, Dumbledore regained his composure and told Neville that he should not worry about losing his memories, Neville just nodded solemnly and averted his gaze, feigning sadness and disappointment. Inside, he made a mental note "I need to learn Occlumency. as soon as possible."

Kaito Chapter 108

Authors note: Hey everyone, sorry for the rough chapter. I had to use ChatGPT instead of my usual editor because the site is down again. Thanks for understanding!

Kaito Chapter 108

Finishing his own porridge, Kaito replied with a reassuring tone. "Well, like I said, we are from the same clan, so you will be coming with us to the Hidden Leaf. You'll stay with me. It’s just me, my mom, and my little brother. He’s the same age as you, you know, and Mom would be really happy to see another Uzumaki," he said, attempting to lift Karin's spirits.

Seeing the fear and hesitation in Karin's eyes at the mention of the Hidden Leaf Village, Kaito added with a warm smile, "Don't worry, Karin-chan. Big brother Kaito won't let anything bad happen to you." His words seemed to comfort Karin and she nodded in response, a small smile forming on her face in return for Kaito's genuine kindness.

….

The sun was high in the sky, casting warm late afternoon rays over the forest surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village. Three blurs could be seen rushing steadily towards Konoha’s gates: Itachi and Hotaru, while Kaito carried Karin on his back as they made their way back to the village after completing their mission.

They landed in front of the village gates, and Kaito gently set Karin down. “Welcome to Konoha,” he said with a reassuring smile. Just then, Itachi and Hotaru landed beside them.

Karin looked up in awe at the huge gates and walls of Konoha, whispering softly, “It’s bigger than Kusagakure.”

Kaito nodded. “Hai, Konoha is one of the Five Great Villages. Now that I think about it, it might be the biggest among them.”

Itachi added, “Let’s get checked in. We need to hand in the mission report to the Hokage.”

“Yeah, the sooner we do that, the sooner I can sleep,” Hotaru said, yawning.

“And I have to introduce Karin to my mom,” Kaito said. They all nodded and followed Itachi to the guard booth. This time, it wasn’t Kotetsu and Izumo on guard duty but two older chunin.

Team 11 checked back into the village and registered Karin as a visitor. Once the formalities were done, they headed straight to the Hokage Tower to report the details of their mission and Karin’s situation.

When they arrived at the Hokage’s office, the secretary asked Team 11 to wait as she informed the Hokage of their arrival.

Letting Karin down from his back, Kaito made a shadow clone and asked Karin, “Karin, can you stay with my shadow clone while we give the mission report, okay?” Karin nodded.

The secretary returned after a minute and said, “The Hokage is waiting for you.” She ushered Team 11 into the office. Kaito knocked on the door, and a voice from within called them to enter. They stepped inside to see the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at his desk.

Hiruzen puffed out a plume of smoke and said, “Ah, Team 11, you’re back. I take it you didn’t have much trouble tracking down the bandit group.”

“Hokage-sama,” Itachi and Hotaru greeted with a bow while Kaito greeted him with, “Lord Third,” bowing. Itachi said, “Hai, Hokage-sama, we located them in the western part of the Land of Fire. They weren’t just a group of bandits; they were led by a rogue jonin and two chunin from Takigakure.” Stepping forward, Itachi handed the Third Hokage a scroll. “This scroll has the heirloom.”

Receiving the scroll, the Third Hokage puffed out a cloud of smoke and said, “Well done, Team 11. Your mission pay will be deposited into your accounts. If that is all, you are free to go.”

“Actually, Lord Third, there’s something important I need to discuss with you,” Kaito said. Receiving a nod from Hiruzen, Kaito continued, “During the raid on the bandit camp, we came across a 5-year-old girl and her mother who were kept prisoners. Unfortunately, the mother died a few hours before we arrived.”

The Third Hokage puffed out some smoke and said, “I presume there is something special about the girl and her mother?”

Kaito nodded. “Hai, they are both Uzumaki. The mother had the same ability as me.”

“That ability?” Hiruzen asked, his eyes widening as he rubbed his chin. He then nodded and asked, “I assume the mother died due to them abusing her ability, and I presume you brought the girl with you and she is currently waiting outside?”

Kaito nodded. “Hai, since she’s one of the last living members of the Uzumaki clan, I’d like to ask your permission for her to stay in Konoha.”

Hiruzen hummed and said, “I will allow her to live with you.” He chuckled and said, “Kushina would be happy to see another Uzumaki alive.” He then asked Kaito to bring her in.

Kaito opened the door and let Karin in. She hid behind him as he introduced her. “This is Karin Uzumaki.”

The Hokage smiled. “Welcome to Konoha, Karin-chan. I’m sorry you had to go through what you did. Konoha has always been an ally to the Uzumaki clan, and it will always be a home for you. The First Hokage’s wife and the Fourth Hokage’s wife were both Uzumakis.”

Karin bowed and stuttered out a “Thank you.”

Kaito then asked the Third Hokage for permission to bury Karin’s mother’s body in the Konoha cemetery.

Hiruzen nodded. “That should be alright.” He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Kaito. “Give this to the secretary, and she will arrange it.”

Kaito accepted the paper and said, “Thank you.” Karin echoed his thanks.

Hiruzen said, “If that's all, you may leave.”

Coming out of the Hokage’s building after giving the paper to the secretary, Itachi said, “Well, I'll see you guys later,” and started to walk away.

Hotaru and Kaito waved to him and walked in the opposite direction with Karin.

Hotaru yawned and said, “Well, I'm heading home too, Kai-kun. I'll see you later.”

Kaito asked if she wanted him to walk her home.

Hotaru shook her head. “its ok kai-kun, you should help Karin settle in.”

Kaito nodded. “Yeah, I need to introduce Karin to my mother and explain her situation.”

Hotaru hugged Kaito goodbye and then hugged Karin. “I’ll bring my sister to meet you. She’s about your age.”

Kaito decided to walk home slowly so Karin could adjust to Konoha. As they walked, she saw many food stalls with foods she had never seen before.

Noticing her interest, Kaito decided to buy some takoyaki. He bought a few dozen for them and his family, handing Karin a tray. “Have you ever had these before?”

Karin shook her head. “No, what are they?”

Kaito smiled. “Try them. They’re called takoyaki.”

Karin took a tentative bite and hummed in delight at the taste.

Kaito chuckled. “They’re great, aren’t they? My mom makes them really well. Maybe she can teach you.”

They happily munched on the takoyaki as they walked to the Uzumaki residence. Kaito slid open the door and called out, “Mom, I'm back,” gesturing for the nervous Karin to follow him inside.

“In the kitchen, honey,” Kushina called out, busy making dinner.

Kaito walked into the kitchen to see his mother cooking and his brother Naruto working on calligraphy at the dining table. Naruto seemed very focused.

Hearing Kaito enter the kitchen, Kushina turned and said, “Welcome back, Kai-kun.” She then saw Karin hiding behind Kaito and paused, stirring the pot.

“Kai-kun, who is this?” Kushina asked, seeing a girl with red hair and tattered clothes.

Kaito gently pulled Karin from behind him and said, “Mom, I’d like you to meet Karin Uzumaki. Karin, this is my mother, the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Kushina Uzumaki.”

Hearing the name, Kushina looked stunned. Karin bowed nervously and said, “Um, it’s nice to meet you.” Naruto looked over from his calligraphy.

Kaito continued, “Mom, I found Karin in a terrible situation during our mission. Her mother was killed, and she had nowhere to go, so I brought her back here since she’s an Uzumaki.”

Kushina’s eyes softened as she walked over and knelt down to Karin’s level. “Hello, Karin-chan. My name is Kushina. You can stay with us. Aunt Kushina promises no one will hurt you anymore.” She gave the little girl a hug. Karin stiffened but, after a moment’s hesitation, fell into her embrace, tears streaming down her face.

Naruto walked over, curious. “Hey, who’s she?” he asked, his blue eyes wide with interest.

Kaito smiled and ruffled Naruto’s hair. “This is Karin-chan. She’s going to stay with us. Think of her as a friend or a sister since she’s part of our Uzumaki clan. She just lost her mother, so you have to be nice to her, okay?”

Naruto's eyes widened even more. “Really? She lost her mother?” Kaito nodded solemnly.

Kushina released Karin from the hug and said, “Oh my, you look so thin. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, but before that, we should get you cleaned up. I have some of my old clothes that might fit you. We can get you some new ones tomorrow, okay?” She pulled Karin along to the bathroom, excitedly.

Kaito’s clone shook his head and smiled, seeing that his mother had forgotten about the food on the stove. He asked Naruto, “You wanna help me finish dinner?”

Naruto nodded eagerly. While Naruto helped Kaito’s shadow clone cook, the real Kaito took a bath.

Kushina returned after a while later with Karin following behind her meekly, now clean and in fresh clothes.

She came back to see Naruto setting the table and said, “Karin-chan, why don’t you help Naru-chan set the table while I serve dinner?” Karin nodded and walked over to Naruto.

Smiling, Naruto said, “My name is Naruto Uzumaki,” and Karin introduced herself. They helped each other set the table.

Kushina and Kaito’s clone served dinner just as the real Kaito walked in, toweling his hair. “Come sit down, Kai-kun, it's katsu curry.” Kaito joined them and sat beside Naruto, while Karin sat beside Kushina. They ate dinner together.

After dinner, Kushina showed Karin to her new room and gave her a spare futon. She tucked both Karin and Naruto in for the night.

After tucking both Karin and Naruto in, Kushina walked back to the living room to see Kaito sitting there with a scroll, studying it. She walked over to him, sat down opposite him, and asked, “Kai-kun, what happened to her mother?”

Kaito put away the scroll and sighed. He told her everything—how he overheard a Kusa shinobi talking about a red-haired woman with the healing bite ability, how he infiltrated Kusa, and how he found Karin and her mother.

By the end of the story, Kushina looked angry at how her clansman had been treated. She also bonked Kaito on the head.

Rubbing his head, Kaito complained, “Hey, that hurt, ya know.”

Kushina huffed. “That was for infiltrating a hidden village. What were you thinking, you baka?” Then she hugged him. “But I’m glad that you did.”

Kaito sighed in relief and returned the hug. "I couldn’t just leave her there."

Kushina smiled softly, her eyes filled with warmth. "You did the right thing, Kai-kun. We'll take care of her."

Goten Chapter 1

authors: Hey guys, This is another fanfiction that I've been wanting to write for some time now and Let's see how it goes!

Goten Chapter 1

The rising sun cast a soft orange glow over the neighborhood park, still quiet and peaceful at 5 am. a figure could be seen running. It was Jack, an overweight teenage boy who had been struggling with his weight for as long as he could remember. Today, he had started a new workout routine and was determined to push himself harder than ever before. Beads of sweat dripped down his face as he ran laps around the park, his breath coming in heavy gasps. His heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to give up, his mind set on achieving his goal of becoming fit and healthy.

"Just one more lap," Jack muttered through gritted teeth, wiping the sweat from his furrowed brow. "I can do this."

As he rounded the final bend, Jack felt a sharp, stabbing pain shoot through his chest. He stumbled, clutching at his heart as the pain intensified. His vision blurred and darkness threatened to consume him as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Panic seized him as he realized something was seriously wrong.

"No, no, this can't be happening," Jack's thoughts raced frantically. "I can't die here, not like this." The world seemed to spin around him as he struggled to stay conscious and fight against whatever was causing this excruciating pain.

The pain became unbearable, and Jack collapsed onto the ground, his vision fading to black. He felt a strange sense of weightlessness, as if he were floating away from his own body. The last thing he remembered was the sound of his own heartbeat, slowing to a stop.

When Jack opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar room. The walls glowed softly with a warm light, and he felt an overwhelming sense of peace and calm wash over him. In front of him sat a man wearing a sleek suit.

"Welcome, Jack," the person said in a soothing voice, opening a folder and scanning its contents. "My name is Glen and I am the reaper assigned to process you."

Jack stared in awe at the being before him. "Who... who are you? And where am I?" he asked in disbelief.

"I am Glen, as I mentioned before," the man replied with a gentle smile. "And you are currently in the office of the afterlife - yes, Jack, you have passed away."

the realization hit Jack like a ton of bricks. "So, I'm dead," he said, his voice heavy with sadness. "I really died."

Glen nodded solemnly. "Yes, Jack. You died from a sudden cardiac arrest while trying to improve your way of life. Your body couldn't handle the strain."

Looking down at his hands, Jack whispered, "I just wanted to be better. I wanted to live a healthier life."

Sighing, he asked Glen what would happen next.

"Well, you will be judged," Glen replied, flipping open a folder and carefully flipping through its pages.

Hearing that he was about to be judged, Jack gulped and sat there nervously.

"Let's see here," Glen began as he looked over the contents of the folder. "You have lived a life that neither leaned towards good nor bad - a neutral life." He flipped to another page and continued, "You have helped some people and animals but have also killed ants and bugs. It seems to balance out in the end."

Jack couldn't believe it. "Killing bugs is a sin?" he asked in disbelief.

Glen shrugged and explained, "A life is a life. If you kill something indiscriminately, it counts as taking a life. And before you ask about chickens, fish, and other animals we consume for food - killing for survival or sustenance is acceptable as long as it serves a purpose."

He flipped to another page in the file, his expression contemplative. "Hm, based on your record and actions in life, I can say that you fall under section 811-B2." Jack furrowed his brows in confusion. "What does that mean?" he asked.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Glen's lips as he answered, "It means you will be given a choice: move on to the afterlife - specifically heaven - or reincarnate into a fictional world." He paused, his eyes scanning over Jack's file once more before adding, "Of course, since your karma is not particularly positive, the world you would be transmigrated into would be randomized."

Jack's excitement was palpable. "Wait, so I get to choose which fictional world I go to?" he exclaimed. Then, a thought occurred to him and he asked eagerly, "Will I be able to keep my memories?"

Glen nodded with an amused glint in his eye. "Yes, you will retain your memories as you will be transmigrated rather than reincarnated - the latter requiring a complete rebirth." He paused for dramatic effect before asking slyly, "So I take it that you want to be transmigrated?"

With an eager nod from Jack, Glen stood up and made his way towards a closet hidden in the corner of the room. From it, he pulled out a large spinning wheel adorned with various symbols and names of fictional worlds such as Harry Potter, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Avatar, Star Wars, and many more.

Glen pulled the spinning wheel towards the center of the room. He motioned for Jack to join him and said, "When you are ready, pull this lever to find out which world you will be transmigrated into."

Jack's eyes lit up with anticipation as he walked over to Glen and whispered a silent prayer under his breath. "Please let it be a good one," he thought as he reached out and grasped the cold metal lever. he pulled it down and watched as the wheel began to spin.

One minute passed by before the wheel finally slowed down and came to a stop on the name Dragon Ball. A grin spread across Jack's face as he exclaimed, "Yes! Dragon Ball!"

Glen nodded approvingly as he looked at the wheel now displaying names of characters from the world of Dragon Ball - Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Mr. Satan, Raditz, and many more. "A good choice indeed," he said with a hint of excitement in his voice. "A world where you have knowledge is always advantageous."

"Now onto who you will be transmigrated as," Glen said.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked, "Wait, I'll be taking over the lives of one of them?"

Glen hummed thoughtfully before responding, "In a sense, yes. But no, you will be transmigrated as them - merging your consciousness with theirs and living their life."

With a gesture of his hand, Glen indicates that Jack should pull the lever once again.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Jack pulled the lever with trembling hands. "Please be a good one," he chanted under his breath, anxiety building as he waited for the wheel to stop spinning. After a solid minute of suspense, it finally landed on Son Goten.

Seeing the result, Jack couldn't contain his excitement. "Yes! I got Goten!" he exclaimed, dancing around in glee.

Glen's words confirmed Jack's hopes. "Ah, Son Goten. A very good choice. He has the most potential among all the characters that aren't broken but sadly wasn't used that well in the story. I guess that won't be an issue with you taking over as Goten."

Overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, Jack could hardly contain himself. "Thank you, thank you so much!" he blurted out.

Glen smiled warmly at him before walking over to the door. "Good luck in your new life, Jack," he said gently before opening the door and adding with sincerity, "May you find the happiness and fulfillment you seek." With those final words, Glen left the room.

As if in response to his departure, a blinding flash of light filled the room and engulfed Jack. His consciousness began to drift away, and he felt himself losing consciousness.

Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert : Chapter 1

authors: Hey guys, I have a fanfiction that I've been wanting to write for some time now and I'm excited to share it with you all. Let's see how it goes!

A Neville SI: Chapter 1

Mark, an 18-year-old with dreams of studying electrical engineering, was on the journey of a lifetime. In a few weeks, he would be starting college, having enrolled for the winter term. This meant a long drive across the country through snowy landscapes, all the way to California. As he drove, he kept himself entertained by singing along to Ed Sheeran, the familiar melodies filling the car and helping to pass the time.

The snowy road stretched out before him, a ribbon of white winding through the mountains. His car's heater was working overtime to keep the chill at bay, and the windows were fogged up from the warmth inside. Mark's thoughts drifted between the excitement of college life and the sadness of leaving home. His parents had wanted to come with him to see him off, but they had caught COVID-19 at the last minute and were now quarantined at home. It was a bittersweet moment, but Mark was determined to make the best of it.

As he sang along to another Ed Sheeran song, his phone rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced over at the passenger seat where his phone lay, its screen lighting up with an incoming call from his mother. Pausing the music, he picked up the phone and answered with a cheerful, "Hey, Mom."

"Don't worry, Mom. I can make it there on my own," he reassured her. He could hear the worry in her voice, even through the phone. "It's okay, Mom. You and Dad can come visit me after you guys are cleared," he said, turning a corner on the winding road. "Yeah, I will let you know when I reach the campus," he promised as he continued driving. "Yeah, love you too. Bye," he said before hanging up.

Mark then checked his phone to see a message his friend had sent him. The glow of the screen was a brief distraction from the snowy road ahead. Just as he finished reading the message, he looked up and saw a deer standing directly in his path. "Oh shit," he muttered, his heart racing. Instinctively, he jerked the steering wheel to the left, trying to avoid the deer. The car swerved violently, and Mark could feel the loss of control.

"Shit, shit, shit, “ he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic as the car skidded on the icy road. He struggled to regain control, but it was too late. The car careened off the road, the wheels losing their grip completely. “no, no, no, no!" Mark's stomach lurched as the car plunged off the edge of the cliff, tumbling nose-first into the void.

"Ahh!" he screamed, his voice a mix of terror and disbelief as the world around him seemed to slow down. The rocky bed of the cliff rushed up to meet him, and Mark's life flashed before his eyes in a series of rapid-fire images and memories. He saw his childhood home, his parents' smiling faces, his friends, and the countless moments that had shaped his life.

The car hit the ground with a sickening thud, the impact jolting him violently. The last thing he remembered before everything went bright was the sharp pain as his head struck the steering wheel, followed by an overwhelming wave of blackness.

As soon as the pain came, it was gone. Mark found himself numb to all sensations, floating in a blank white space. He couldn't feel his body or see anything; there was just the sensation of floating in nothingness. Time seemed to lose all meaning. He didn't know how long he floated there—it could have been hours, years, or just minutes. It was as if time was passing and not passing at the same time.

Suddenly, Mark felt a sharp pain in his head. He woke up with a gasp, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch his forehead. "What happened?" he asked, his voice sounding different to his own ears. His eyes widened as he looked around and realized he was lying on a hospital bed. But what caught his attention most was his body—it was way too small to be his.

He looked at his hands and touched his face, feeling the unfamiliar contours. "What's happening?" he whispered, panic starting to rise in his chest. He glanced down at his clothes, which seemed to be some sort of uniform. "How is my body smaller?" he thought to himself, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Alright, I need to calm down," he told himself, taking a deep breath. "This must just be a dream. But if it were a dream, I wouldn't be feeling the pain." He closed his eyes and tried to focus, recalling the last moments before everything went dark. "I fell down that ravine and blacked out hitting the steering wheel," he remembered.

"First, I have to figure out where I am," he decided, looking around at his surroundings. He was in a medical room of sorts, with multiple beds, all of them empty. The room had an old-fashioned feel to it, with high ceilings and large windows letting in the morning light.

He tried to sit up, but his head hurt too much to move. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see a middle-aged woman dressed in a Victorian-era nurse's uniform, complete with a cap similar to those worn by British nurses. She walked over to him, placing a tray on his bedside table.

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom, I see you are awake. How is your head? Is it still hurting?" she asked, her voice kind and soothing.

Hearing the name, Mark asked out loud, "Longbottom?" He was confused. He didn't understand why she was calling him that. Was this some sort of Harry Potter-themed hospital? He winced as the pain in his head intensified.

The nurse stopped preparing something and looked at Mark with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that is your name, isn't it? Mr. Neville Longbottom?" she asked, her tone a mix of concern and curiosity.

"My name?" Mark repeated, struggling to comprehend what was happening. And then it hit him all at once—the smaller body, the old-fashioned beds, the nurse dressed in clothing from another time period. He was overcome with shock.

"Where am I?" he asked desperately, clutching his head as if trying to hold onto reality.

"We are in the Hogwarts hospital wing, Oh my, don't you remember anything?" The nurse gasped as she pulled out her wand and muttered something under her breath. The wand’s tip glowed and flashed, seeing the wand’s tip glow, it confirmed Mark's suspicions. He had been transmigrated into the world of Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom.

Mark's mind raced as he tried to process this new reality. How was any of this possible? One moment he was driving through the snow, and now he was in a completely different world. The constant throbbing in his head reminded him that this was no dream; it was all too real.

Kaito Chapter 107

Kaito Chapter 107

Hotaru and Itachi sat waiting for Kaito near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. They had reconvened at 12 o'clock after scouring for any leads on the bandit group. However, they had been waiting for over an hour for Kaito to return.

Hotaru deactivated her Byakugan and sighed, "No sign of Kai-kun." She shook her head and turned to Itachi, "Do you think something might have happened?"

Itachi prodded the fire with a stick before responding, "It's possible that Kaito got sidetracked by something. We'll give him a few more hours before we go searching."

Agreeing with Itachi's plan, Hotaru nodded and both of them continued to wait anxiously for their missing teammate.

Twenty minutes later, Kaito landed gracefully beside them with a sleeping Karin still on his back. His expression was serious as he spoke, "Sorry I'm late, guys."

…..

Hotaru and Itachi looked at each other with questioning expressions as they watched Kaito carry the sleeping kid toward his tent. Hotaru followed after him and asked, "Who is she, Kai-kun?"

Kaito sighed and replied, "Just a minute, Hotaru-chan." He carefully tucked Karin into his tent before standing up to address them.

Creating a shadow clone to watch over the sleeping Karin, Kaito gestured for both of them to follow him further away from the camp.

Running a hand through his hair, Kaito began to explain, "Her name is Karin. Uzumaki Karin."

The two of them couldn't help but widen their eyes in surprise at her last name.

Kaito nodded and continued, "When I was collecting intel, I overheard two Kusa shinobi talking about a red-haired woman being used by Kusa to heal their injured shinobi."

Itachi's eyes narrowed in understanding as he realized what Kaito had done. "You infiltrated the Hidden Grass Village," he stated gravely.

Kaito's voice grew sharp as he snapped, "What, did you want me to just leave her there? To let her suffer the same fate as her mother. Karin and her mother possessed the same kekkei genkai as me. When we are bitten, our chakra can heal the person biting."

Showing Itachi the bite mark on his wrist. "Do you know what they did to her? They used her to heal hundreds of shinobi every single day until her body could take no more. Her skin was covered in bite marks, not a single inch left untouched. She was nothing but a healing cow to them." His voice shook with emotion as he continued, "They killed her and then moved on to her daughter. Karin is barely five years old, and they were forcing her to heal their shinobi... If only I had reached them a few hours earlier. Her mother might still be alive..." Tears welled up in Kaito's eyes before he closed them tightly, trying to contain his emotions. The image of Karin's mother, covered in bite marks and treated like an animal, haunted him.

 Hotaru walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, saying softly, "You can't blame yourself, Kai-kun. You couldn't have known." But Kaito turned away, thinking bitterly, "If only you knew..."

After Kaito's outburst, They stood there in silence for a while. Kaito's shoulders slumped as he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, Itachi," he said, as ran a hand through his hair.

Itachi nodded, his expression softening. "I wasn't against you saving her. I was just surprised you were able to infiltrate a hidden village," he explained. "You know what could have happened if you were caught. The village could have branded you a rogue shinobi or even sparked another great ninja war."

Kaito nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know. That's why I used my stealth seal and wore a disguise when I infiltrated. I made sure to eliminate anyone who saw me and covered my tracks. But I think it would be best if no one knows about me infiltrating kusa, not even the Hokage."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Hai, we should keep you infiltrating kusa a secret. If you cover your tracks well, kusa won't suspect a thing."

Hotaru chimed in with her own suggestion, "And we can say that we found Karin-chan in the bandit camp as prisoners or something."

Kaito nodded in approval. "Hai, I was actually thinking of a similar cover story for Karin. Speaking of the bandits, did you two manage to locate their hideout?"

 Itachi nodded. "Hai, one of my crows found the camp roughly 20 kilometers west from here." He crouched down and traced a rough map of the bandit camp on the ground with his kunai. "They are quite a big group, and as we suspected, they are being led by rogue shinobi."

Kaito and Hotaru leaned in closer, as Hotaru asked, "How many shinobi?"

Kaito glanced between Itachi and Hotaru. "Are you both up for this, or do we need to rest first? We can finish this by dawn if we push through."

Hotaru and Itachi nodded. Itachi pointed to the map and said, "Hai, I was thinking the same. We can catch them off guard if we use the night as cover."

As Itachi went into detail about the layout of the bandit camp, Kaito listened intently before giving a confirming nod. "Yeah, if everything goes according to plan, we can return home by noon."

Hotaru asked. "What about Karin-chan"?" looking over at the sleeping Karin.

Kaito replied calmly, "We can leave her here with one of my shadow clones to watch over her. She should be safe here, and if everything goes to plan, we will be back before she wakes up."

Itachi stood up and said, "Hai, then we should get going."

Everyone nodded and left, with Itachi leading the way, leaving Karin in the camp with Kaito’s shadow clone to watch over her.

….

As the sun rose in the morning sky, its golden rays spilled over the dense forest of the Land of Fire. Team 11 sat around a campfire, cooking breakfast after their successful raid last night. They had managed to recover the stolen heirloom and all the goods that were taken from the caravan.

The raid had gone according to plan, thanks to Kaito's stealth seal which allowed them to sneak into the bandit camp undetected. With swift and precise strikes, they took down every bandit, catching them off guard and leaving no room for escape.

the leader of the bandits was a jonin from the Hidden Waterfall Village, accompanied by two chunin as his subordinates. Despite waking up when Kaito attempted to assassinate him, the jonin was easily taken down by Kaito's using his chakra chains to pierce through his chest and killed him instantly.

With their mission completed, Team 11 returned to their camp, after sealing all their recovered items into a storage scroll for easy transport.

Kaito, Hotaru, and Itachi were now seated around a small fire, cooking breakfast. Kaito glanced towards the tent where Karin was still sleeping, ensuring the shadow clone he had left to watch over her was still in place.

Hotaru turned to Kaito and asked, "How is she doing?"

Kaito nodded, "She’s still asleep. I think it’s best to let her rest a bit more before we move out."

Itachi added, "We should be able to reach the village by noon if we leave soon."

Kaito agreed, "Yeah, once we’ve had breakfast and packed up, we’ll head out."

Kaito sat on a log in deep thought after refilling everyone's water bottles from the nearby river. Itachi sat opposite him, tending to the firewood, while Hotaru was in charge of cooking. She stirred the pot of porridge and ladled a bowl to Itachi. "Here you go, Itachi."

"Thank you," Itachi replied, accepting the bowl.

Just then, Karin woke up screaming, "Mom!" She frantically looked around, clutching her sleeping bag and calling out for her mother.

Karin's scream brought Kaito back to the present. He looked over at her and walked to her side. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked gently.

Karin, seeing Kaito, understood that it wasn’t just a dream but had actually happened last night. She cried but nodded to Kaito. "Hai, I’m fine," she sniffed.

Seeing her crying, Kaito sighed and patted her on the head. "You are safe now, Karin." Karin sniffed and nodded, wiping her tears away. She asked, still looking at the ground

Just then, Hotaru approached with a steaming bowl of porridge. With a warm smile, she handed it to Karin and said, "Here you go, Karin-chan." Karin looked up at Hotaru and then glanced at the porridge.

Kaito beamed proudly and introduced, "Ah, this is one of my dearest friends, Hotaru Hyuga." He wrapped an arm around Hotaru before gesturing towards another figure. "And that's my other best friend, Itachi Uchiha." Itachi waved at Karin and she returned the gesture.

Accepting the bowl gratefully, Karin muttered, "Thank you."

Hotaru nodded and added, "You can have more if you'd like," before excusing herself to get Kaito his own bowl.

Gesturing for Karin to follow them, Kaito led the way back to their campfire where they settled down on some logs. Hotaru served Kaito his bowl before getting one for herself.

Between bites of porridge, Karin finally mustered the courage to ask, "What's going to happen to me now?" Her voice was timid and uncertain.

Finishing his own porridge, Kaito replied with a reassuring tone. "Well, like I said, we are from the same clan, so you will be coming with us to the Hidden Leaf. You'll stay with me. It’s just me, my mom, and my little brother. He’s the same age as you, you know, and Mom would be really happy to see another Uzumaki," he said, attempting to lift Karin's spirits.

Seeing the fear and hesitation in Karin's eyes at the mention of the Hidden Leaf Village, Kaito added with a warm smile, "Don't worry, Karin-chan. Big brother Kaito won't let anything bad happen to you." His words seemed to comfort Karin and she nodded in response, a small smile forming on her face in return for Kaito's genuine kindness.

Kaito Chapter 106

Kaito Chapter 106

Karin, terrified, tried to run away but was caught by her wrist and pulled back by the Kusa ninja and handed over to the medic-nin.

"No! Let me go! No, please, let me go!" Karin shouted, but the medic-nin dragged her off towards an injured shinobi who was writhing in pain.

"We are letting you stay here," the Kusa ninja said. "We know you have nowhere left to go, but you still have to earn your keep."

"Please, let me go," Karin pleaded again and again, but the medic-nin grabbed her arm and instructed the injured shinobi to bite. The injured shinobi bit down on Karin as she cried and pleaded.

….

As the injured kusa shinobi bit down on her arm, his teeth dug into Karin’s skin as she tried to pull away. The medic-nin held her by her arm, as he kept her still, Karin couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. She turned away.

Just then, Karin stopped feeling the injured kusa shinobi’s teeth on her skin and realized that he had released his bite. She quickly turned back to see a person wearing a hood and a blank mask standing behind the injured kusa shinobi. a tanto was stabbed through the injured shinobi, killing him instantly.

The medic-nin let go of Karin's hand as he stepped back in shock, stuttering out "Wha—who are you?" But before he could finish his sentence, the hooded ninja’s body flickered, and he disappeared. The injured Kusa ninja fell to the ground lifeless.

In a flicker, the hooded ninja reappeared behind the medic-nin and slashed him with his tanto, cutting off his head. With his body flickering again the hooded ninja disappeared and reappeared all around the room, killing every last person in sight without hesitation or mercy.

Karin's heart pounded in her chest as she watched everyone around her fall to the ground, lifeless. She stumbled and fell on her butt, trembling with fear as the medic nin's head rolled towards her.

As she tried to process what was happening, Karin noticed the hooded ninja flickering into existence in the middle of the room. his tanto dripping with blood. He had single-handedly killed all of the others, leaving only Karin and the one Kusa shinobi who had brought her here.

The Kusa nin looked stunned as he realized the danger he was in. He turned to run out of the room and alert others of the intruder, but before he could even open his mouth, the hooded ninja flickered in front of him and he drove his tanto through the Kusa ninja's chest, looking directly into his eyes as he did so.

With a tanto buried deep in his chest, the Kusa ninja gurgled blood in his mouth as the hooded ninja twisted the blade and pulled it out. The ninja's body fell to the ground, lifeless and still.

the hooded ninja flicked the blood off his tanto before sheathing it smoothly back into its scabbard. The room was silent except for Karin sobbing, Karin couldn't help but feel terrified.

Karin's heart raced as she gazed upon the gruesome scene before her, her eyes wide with fear. Dead bodies littered the room, their blood staining the walls and floor. She instinctively backed away, trembling and muttering "Please don't hurt me." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to make herself smaller on the ground.

The hooded ninja stood over the Kusa nin's lifeless body, his head turning towards Karin as she cowered in fear. He approached her slowly, his footsteps resounding in the stillness of the room.

Karin squeezed her eyes shut and continued to plead through her tears "Please don't hurt me. I didn't do anything wrong."

The hooded ninja knelt down next to her and spoke in a gentle tone, "Hey, hey, please don’t cry. I’m not going to hurt you. Please calm down." He reached out a hand towards her trembling form.

Karin recoiled slightly and opened her eyes to see Kaito's hooded figure before her, still scared "Please," she whispered, "I didn't do anything."

Kaito gently lifted his hood and removed the blank Anbu mask that concealed his identity. "Hey, please calm down," he repeated softly. "My name is Uzumaki Kaito. We are from the same clan, ya know? I'm here to rescue you."

Karin sniffled, her tears blurring her vision as she looked up at Kaito. Her voice was small and shaky as she asked, "Rescue me?"

Kaito's expression softened as he replied, "Yes, I was on a mission nearby when I heard about a woman with fiery red hair and abilities similar to mine." He lifted his wrist to show her a bite mark.

Karin's eyes widened at the sight and she looked back up at Kaito, who gave her a sad smile.

Kaito spoke again in a gentle tone, "What's your name?"

Karin sniffled and wiped her cheeks before answering, "Karin."

Nodding, Kaito asked "Karin-chan, are you hurt anywhere? Let me check." She shook her head slowly

Kaito's heart sank as he asked the question he already knew the answer to, "Do you know where your mother is, Karin-chan?"

Hearing about her mother, Karin's eyes welled up with tears and she let out a small sob before managing to say, "Sh-she's dead. They killed her." Her words were punctuated by sniffles and sobs.

Feeling a sense of failure wash over him, Kaito placed a comforting hand on Karin's head and said softly, "I'm sorry. If only I had..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, knowing that if he hadn't forgotten about them, both Karin and her mother might still be alive.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kaito then asked Karin, "Can you show me where your mother is?" She nodded silently and stood up as she wiped her tears.

Kaito made a series of hand signs and placed them on the floor, as a seal matrix appeared and spread throughout the room. Rising to his feet, he donned his mask and hood before handing Karin an ear clip. Confused, she asked, "What is this?" Kaito replied calmly, "It will hide your chakra and allow us to leave the village without being noticed."

Kneeling down, he said to Karin, "Climb on my back so we can move faster." With trembling hands, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as Kaito carried her out of the room stealthily. Together, they made their way towards the spot where Karin's mother was being kept.

Reaching the room, Kaito gently set Karin on her feet and she rushed over to her mother, tears streaming down her face as she hugged her.

As he walked over to join them, Kaito couldn't help but notice the numerous bite marks covering Karin's mother's body. A lump formed in his throat and tears stung his eyes as he said softly, "I'm so sorry."

Kaito placed a comforting hand on Karin's back and spoke to her in a hushed tone. "I’m sorry, Karin-chan, but we have to leave before they find out I’m here."

Karin nodded through her tears, understanding the situation. She sniffled and whispered, “Goodbye, Mama,” before reluctantly letting go of her mother.

Kaito gently picked up Karin's mother and placed her on the floor. Seeing this, Karin asked with confusion, "What are you doing?" as she wiped away her tears.

Kaito pulled out a scroll from his pocket and opened it, "I’m going to seal her body so we can give her a proper burial later," he explained. and sealed her mother's body into the scroll.

Turning to face Karin again, Kaito asked her to climb onto his back as he said, "Karin-chan, we have to hurry."

Without hesitation, Karin climbed onto Kaito's back and held on tight. She nodded, indicating she was ready.

Kaito's body flickered and they disappeared from the hospital room.

Kaito and Karin’s figure flickered onto a rooftop at a safe distance from the hospital. He quickly made a hand sign and the two rooms where he had placed the seal erupted in flames, the fire rapidly spreading. with that done their figures flickered again as Kaito increased his speed and zipped out of the village in the same direction he had entered.

In just a few minutes, Kaito and Karin exited the hidden grass village, with Kaito's shadow clone he made earlier joining them shortly after. The clone handed over a scroll before creating more clones to create false tracks and divert attention away from their escape. heading towards the spot where he was supposed to meet his team.

....

Hotaru and Itachi sat waiting for Kaito near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. They had reconvened at midnight after scouring for any leads on the bandit group. However, they had been waiting for over an hour for Kaito to return.

Hotaru deactivated her Byakugan and sighed, "No sign of Kai-kun." She shook her head and turned to Itachi, "Do you think something might have happened?"

Itachi prodded the fire with a stick before responding, "It's possible that Kaito got sidetracked by something. We'll give him a few more hours before we go searching."

Agreeing with Itachi's plan, Hotaru nodded and both of them continued to wait anxiously for their missing teammate.

Twenty minutes later, Kaito landed gracefully beside them with a sleeping Karin still on his back. His expression was serious as he spoke, "Sorry I'm late, guys."

Kaito Chapter 105

Kaito Chapter 105

One of the Kusa-nin asked, “Hey, Sanji told me that you were injured pretty badly in your last mission just a few days ago.”

The other Kusa-nin replied, “Hai, I broke my arm and had pretty bad internal bleeding.”

Kusa-nin 2 asked, “Huh, then how are you well enough to be here now?”

Kusa-nin 1 said, “Oh, that. My injury was deemed serious enough to use that red-haired bitch’s body for healing. Say what you will about her, but her healing ability is top-notch.”

Hearing the Kusa-nin mention a red-haired woman with exceptional healing abilities, Kaito’s mind immediately connected the dots. “Shit, Karin,” he thought, recalling the only other member of the Uzumaki clan still alive.

…..

Still holding his cup, Kaito's mind raced. "Shit," he thought. "That's definitely Karin's mother." and he cursed himself for forgetting about Karin and her mother. "How did I forget about Karin and her mother? For fuck’s sake, I have the same ability as her!"

He closed his eyes, trying to remember everything he knew about Karin. "If I remember correctly, Karin’s mother sought asylum in the Hidden Grass Village during or after the Third Shinobi War. She was killed because they overused her heal bite ability, and then they moved on to Karin as soon as her mother died. Karin was used similarly until after naruto’s the Chunin Exams.”

The cup he was holding started to crack.

Kaito then calmed himself down and thought, “Okay, okay. No point in beating myself up for forgetting about her. According to this guy, he was healed by Karin’s mother just a few weeks ago, so there's a high chance she's still alive right now. I need to come up with a plan.”

Placing his cup back down, Kaito thought, “I have to infiltrate the Hidden Grass. If i remember correctly they lived on the outskirts of the village.”

Then he thought, “But I don’t know where the Hidden Grass is located. Hmm... I can just tail one of them since they look like they just came back from a mission and seem to be heading back to their village after this.”

In Kaito's opinion, Karin had one of the worst childhoods in the Naruto verse. She was kind and shy when she was young much like hinata, but after her mother died, she was treated like nothing more than a healing mule. She was so hopeless that she clung to Sasuke, who accidentally saved her in the Chunin Exams, becoming obsessed with him since he was the first person to show her kindness. After the Chunin Exams, she was sent back to the Hidden Grass. She gave up on life and stopped caring about others' lives after Orochimaru took her in. She adopted that annoying, careless personality as a defense mechanism.

With a plan in place, Kaito finished his tea and quickly left the tea house, while he left he used Kagura's Mind's Eye to keep track of the two Kusa shinobi.

Entering an alley, Kaito made a half-ram hand sign and activated his stealth seal, and then created a shadow clone to continue the mission while the real Kaito infiltrated The Hidden Grass Village to rescue Karin and her mother

As the clone left, Kaito thought, “, I need to make sure I'm not seen in the village. I don't want to cause unnecessary problems. Get in and get out with them, hopefully without any refusals.“ Kaito took out a blank black ANBU-like mask and a dark hood, wearing them both before he blended with the shadows, waiting for the Kusa shinobi to finish their tea. He kept an eye on them from a distance using Kagura's Mind's Eye.

The sky had already started to darken as day turned to night. Kaito patiently waited for the two Kusa nin. After an hour of waiting, the two Kusa Shinobi finally emerged from the tea house, still chatting.

”Finally,” Kaito thought.“If they'd taken any longer, I might have just captured them and interrogated them for the location of their village myself.“ They walked in the same direction, exiting the village and starting to tree-hop deeper into the Land of Grass.

“Just hold on,” he thought as he trailed behind the two Kusa shinobi to their village. Kaito discreetly followed the two Kusa shinobi using his kagura’s mind eye while keeping a 1 km distance between them.

After an hour of following them, they made it back to their village. Kaito stopped 1 km away from the Hidden Grass Village, Kaito closed his eyes to sense with Kagura's Mind's Eye. “The village is big, and there are several guards stationed around the borders and walls,“ he thought. “There doesn’t seem to be a sensing barrier like in Konoha. That’s good. It means I can enter the village without being detected. “

Opening his eyes, Kaito thought, “If I could use the Hiraishin, this would be easier.“Before he headed towards the east side of the village which he sensed had the weakest defense

Upon reaching the village wall, Kaito created three shadow clones to take out the guards and take their place, making the escape easier. The clones used the stealth seal to their advantage, eliminated the guards stationed in the area, and used the transformation jutsu to disguise themselves as the guards, taking their places. Kaito didn't want to leave any loose ends, so he opted to kill instead of just knocking them out.

The real Kaito made his way past the wall into the village. “Okay, phase one completed infiltrate without being detected. Now on to phase two locate Karin and her mother.” He created another shadow clone, and both rushed in opposite directions around the outskirts of the village to locate Karin's house. “If I remember correctly, they lived on the outskirts of the village since Karin and her mother were just prisoners with benefits.”

Rushing around the village, Kaito and his clone were careful not to let their presence be detected.

After a while of searching, Kaito and his clone came upon a house at the very edge, in the back part of the village. Sensing that no one was inside, Kaito got a bad feeling. “Damn it,” he cursed. He turned to the clone and instructed “Search the house and seal everything they own inside this scroll.” he tossed the clone a storage scroll.

Kaito then turned towards the center of the village and rushed to the hospital, repeating to himself in his mind, “No, no, no, don’t be late, don’t be late,” moving as fast as he could without revealing himself.

early that day

The noon sun shone relentlessly over the Hidden Grass Village. At the edge of the village, in a small house, a young girl's voice could be heard shouting, "I told you she’s not feeling well!" as she tried to close the door on a Kusa shinobi.

The girl, who looked around five, had the bright red hair of the Uzumaki clan. She wore tattered plain clothes and glasses. The Kusa nin pushed the door open forcefully, throwing the girl back. "I said she is needed at the hospital," he growled.

The little girl stood back up defiantly and repeated, "And I said she isn’t feeling well!" Just then, a woman emerged from the bedroom, coughing. "Cough, cough, it's okay, Karin," she said.

The little girl, named Karin, had tears in her eyes. "No, you said you weren't feeling well," she protested. The Kusa shinobi, losing his patience, snapped, "Hurry up."

Karin’s mother walked over to her, gently rubbing her cheek. "We have to help. We need to, or we won't be allowed to stay here," she explained softly.

Karin, tears streaming down her face, replied, "Yeah, but..." Karin's mother hugged her tightly and reassured her, "It’s okay, Karin. Mama will be right back, alright? Be a good girl, okay?" With that, she left with the Kusa ninja.

Karin watched her mother leave, tears in her eyes. "No, Mom, please come back!" she shouted, rushing after them. But she tripped and fell in front of the house, watching helplessly as her mother walked further away.

Tears streamed down Karin's face as she whispered, "Please don't go, Mom.", she sat there, crying and waiting for her mother to come back. She waited as the sun set and the moon rose, her head down, still waiting. Hearing footsteps approaching her, she looked up to see the Kusa ninja standing over her. "Stand up," he ordered.

Karin, confused, asked, "Huh? Where is my mother?" The Kusa ignored her question and grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet, pulling her along without a word.

Karin struggled, repeatedly asking where her mother was. The Kusa ninja ignored her until they reached the hospital. "There was a surprise attack. The village took huge losses. The place is overflowing with the wounded. Your mother alone isn’t enough this time," he explained as he dragged her.

As they passed by a room, Karin saw her mother lying lifeless on a bed. "Mom!" Karin shouted, breaking free from the Kusa ninja’s grip. She rushed into the room to her mother's side, gently shaking her. "Mom, Mom!" she cried, seeing her mother's lifeless body. Her mother's arm fell limply to the side, covered in countless bite marks. Seeing her hand, Karin covered her mouth in horror and cried even harder.

The Kusa ninja grabbed her by the shirt, dragging her out of the room as Karin shouted, "No! Let me go! That's my mom!" She struggled desperately. But the man took hold of her hand and dragged her away. "There was no other choice. We have to protect the village. We don't have time to waste with your mother. Now come."

He dragged her to a patient ward filled with injured shinobi, all in critical condition. A medic-nin approached and asked, "Where is the woman?"

"She's dead," the Kusa ninja replied, shoving Karin towards the medic-nin. "But this one is going to take over for her."

"This child? Can she handle that?" asked the medic-nin.

"Well, she's that woman's daughter. She possesses the same ability," the Kusa ninja said.

Karin, terrified, tried to run away but was caught by her wrist and pulled back by the Kusa ninja and handed over to the medic-nin.

"No! Let me go! No, please, let me go!" Karin shouted, but the medic-nin dragged her off towards an injured shinobi who was writhing in pain.

"We are letting you stay here," the Kusa ninja said. "We know you have nowhere left to go, but you still have to earn your keep."

"Please, let me go," Karin pleaded again and again, but the medic-nin grabbed her arm and instructed the injured shinobi to bite. The injured shinobi bit down on Karin as she cried and pleaded.

Kaito Chapter 104

Author note: I apologize for the delayed upload. The website I use for grammar editing was down until a few hours ago. My sincerest apologies.

Kaito Chapter 104

Ignoring the commotion around him, Kaito led Kushina out of the delivery room. Once outside, Kushina turned to her son with concern etched on her features. "Are you okay, Kai-kun?"

A faint smile graced Kaito's tired face as he replied, "Hai, I’m fine Mom. Just exhausted and hungry, that's all."

Kushina smiled back at her son with pride and affection. "Well, let's get you something to eat and then we'll make sure you get some rest, my little hero." She glanced out the window and noticed that night had fallen while they were preoccupied with helping Hitomi deliver her baby.

Kushina exclaimed. "It's already nighttime. We should hurry back home."

….

The early morning sun shone brightly over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a warm glow on everything it touched. Kaito lay sprawled on the ground of his usual training ground, panting heavily as he caught his breath. The field around him had multiple three-pronged kunai strewn about.

"Damn, this is harder than I thought," Kaito panted out.

Sighing, he stood back up and said, "Alright, let’s try this once again." He stood with a wide stance. Taking a deep breath, he gathered a large amount of chakra before making a few hand signs, ending with the ram hand sign. Kaito disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared, crashing face-first into the ground near one of the three-pronged kunai.

"That hurt," Kaito groaned as he flipped over to lay on his back. wiping the dirt off his face.

Kaito sighed and said out loud, "How was Dad able to react after reappearing? It is disorienting."

Murmuring to himself, Kaito added, "Dad’s notes say it's all about maintaining awareness."

Looking at the sky, Kaito closed his eyes to rest for a bit and recover the large amount of chakra he had used training the Hiraishin.

The morning had started as usual. He had come to the training ground with Naruto and made a clone to supervise Naruto's training while the real Kaito focused on his own. His clone worked on mastering Earth Release.

After that, he sent Naruto back home with his clone and started to work on the Hiraishin.

He threw the tri-pronged kunai around with some distance between them. The kunai had Kaito’s marker on the handle, the kanji 迅速打撃 (Jinsoku Dageki), meaning Swift Strike. kaito found a few sets of his father's tri-pronged kunai without the marker and decided to use it for himself.

While he was able to perform the Hiraishin no Jutsu, he had a hard time adjusting to the perception change. The jutsu also required a large amount of chakra to perform.

Just a few uses of the jutsu left him panting, and it also required him to concentrate intensely.

The Flying Thunder God Jutsu wasn’t teleporting per se, it was transporting through a wormhole between the user and the mark, allowing the user to move through space to reach the marker.

A sharp cry of a hawk pierced the air, drawing Kaito's attention. He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, spotting a hawk circling above him. Recognizing the signal, he sighed, understanding it meant an urgent summons by the Hokage.

Sighing again, Kaito sat up and gripped the tri-pronged kunai beside him, dislodging it from the ground as he stood. He pocketed the kunai and proceeded to collect all the others scattered around the training ground. Once he had gathered them, his body flickered out of the training ground, heading towards the Hokage Tower.

Kaito moved swiftly, jumping from one rooftop to another, racing towards his destination. As he landed near the Hokage Tower, he spotted Itachi and Hotaru waiting for him.

"Yo, guys, how are you doing?" Kaito greeted them with a casual wave.

Itachi nodded in acknowledgment, while Hotaru cheerfully smiled and replied, "Hey, Kai-kun."

Stopping in front of them, Kaito asked, "So, do you guys know why we've been summoned?"

Itachi shook his head. "Probably a mission. It's been a week since we were last assigned one."

Hotaru stepped closer to Kaito, noticing some dirt on his cheek. "You got some dirt on you, Kai-kun. Here, let me," she said, reaching out with her right hand to gently wipe it away.

Kaito smiled sheepishly. "Ah, thank you, Hotaru-chan."

Itachi, reminded them, "Come on, we shouldn't keep the Hokage waiting." Nodding in agreement, Kaito and Hotaru followed him to the Hokage's office.

As they walked, Kaito turned to Hotaru. "So, Hotaru-chan, how is your mother doing? Hope she is well, ya know."

Hotaru smiled warmly. "Hai, Mother is doing great. The doctors actually discharged her the very next day."

Kaito smiles. "Well, tell her that I said hi."

Hotaru nodded, her eyes shining. "I will, Kai-kun. She’ll be happy to hear from you."

They reached the Hokage’s office and were promptly ushered in.

Upon entering, Team 11 bowed and greeted the Hokage with a polite, “Hokage-sama,” and Kaito with a, “Lord Third.”

Looking up from his paperwork, Hiruzen said, “Ah, Team 11, good, you arrived swiftly.” He took his smoking pipe, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a plume of smoke.

He then tossed them a scroll and said, “I am assigning you three to this mission. This morning, we received an urgent mission request from a member of the Land of Fire. Daimyo’s court.” Taking another drag from his pipe, he continued, “A caravan moving from the Land of Fire towards Taki was hijacked by a group of bandits. The caravan was transporting a precious family heirloom that has been in the client’s family for generations.”

Expelling more smoke, he added, “While this might regularly be a normal B-ranked mission, due to the client’s connection to our Daimyo, they have asked for the item to be retrieved as quickly as possible, thus making this mission a high-priority A-ranked mission.”

The members of Team 11 nodded. Hotaru asked, “Where was the caravan hijacked, Hokage-sama?” She peered over Kaito's shoulder to look at the scroll, as did Itachi.

Hiruzen replied, “It was hijacked within our borders. The exact coordinates are in the scroll.”

Itachi looked up from the scroll and asked, “How long has it been since it was stolen, and how long do we have to retrieve the heirloom?”

Hiruzen puffed out another smoke cloud and said, “It was stolen late morning yesterday, and the client has given us the next four days to locate and retrieve the heirloom.”

Nodding, they accepted the mission with a unified, “Hai.”

As they left the Hokage’s office, Kaito said, “We’ll meet up at the main gate in 30 minutes.” Both Hotaru and Itachi nodded, and all of them body-flickered away to prepare for the mission.

....

Thirty minutes later, they met at the main gate, checked out with the village guards, and set off. Kaito took point as Hotaru and Itachi followed his lead.

After a few hours of tree hopping, they reached the place where the bandit group hijacked the caravan. They landed, and Itachi, observing the surroundings, said, “This must be the place.”

Kaito crouched down and ran his fingers through the soil. “The trail is faded," he remarked "Probably because of the rain."

Turning to Hotaru, Kaito asked, "Hotaru, can you use your Byakugan to see if there are any clues about which direction the caravan might have gone?"

"Already on it," Hotaru replied before making a hand sign and activating her Byakugan. With her enhanced vision, she scanned the surrounding 2 kilometers.

“It was reported that the bandits moved towards the Land of Grass,” Itachi stated, looking at the mission scroll.

Hotaru confirmed this by saying, "There are tracks leading in that direction."

Kaito nodded and turned to Hotaru. "Lead the way."

With a nod, Hotaru jumped onto a nearby branch and began heading in the direction of the tracks. Kaito and Itachi followed closely behind.

After an hour of tracking the trail, Hotaru spoke up. "The trail ends in about a kilometer, it appears to lead to a cliff."

"They must have looted the caravan before throwing it off the cliff," Kaito deduced.

Hotaru deactivated her Byakugan and confirmed, "Hai, the caravan is at the bottom of the cliff."

"Let's go see if they left any clues behind," Itachi suggested.

....

Kaito deduced, "We are definitely dealing with skilled shinobi here."

Itachi nodded in agreement, adding, "They have covered their tracks well, it’s unlikely for a group of bandits to hide their trail this well."

Kaito noted, "We're near Konoha's border with the Land of Grass. It's possible they may have come from there."

Glancing up at the sky, Itachi saw that it was approaching late noon. He suggested, “We should split up to cover more ground “.

"I can send some crows to search for leads," Itachi decided. "And Kaito, send out a few clones to scout as well."

He instructed Hotaru to head south while Kaito would go west. “We’ll meet back here at midnight.” 

With a nod, Kaito reached into his ninja pouch and handed out two ear clips one for each, and explained, “These will allow us to stay in contact. Just send some chakra to them to speak, and the others can hear.”

Hotaru examined the ear clip and asked, "Do they work like radios?"

Kaito confirmed with a nod, “Hai, like that, but without range limitations.”

Kaito then reminded them, “Only find the location and do not engage the enemy. Scout if you can. don’t engage them without knowing who we’re facing.”

Both Hotaru and Itachi nodded before wishing each other luck and body flickering away.

Kaito watched them leave before creating several shadow clones to send out in different directions. He also created another clone and tasked it with following Hotaru while remaining hidden from her Byakugan sight and keeping her safe. With the tasks done, Kaito body flickered to the west, heading into Kusa.

....

After an hour of travel, Kaito came upon a town.

Kaito thought to himself, “I should look around here and see if I can find any leads.”

Using the transformation jutsu, he transformed into a middle-aged traveler. With his disguise in place, he entered the town, keeping his ears open for any useful information as he walked past many people.

Finding a tea house, Kaito decided to drink some tea and walked in, sitting behind a Kusa-nin. He ordered some green tea and waited for it to arrive. Another Kusa-nin soon entered the tea house and greeted the one seated behind Kaito.

Kaito thanked the waitress as she served him his order, while he overheard the conversation of the two Kusa-nin.

One of the Kusa-nin asked, “Hey, Sanji told me that you were injured pretty badly in your last mission just a few days ago.”

The other Kusa-nin replied, “Hai, I broke my arm and had pretty bad internal bleeding.”

Kusa-nin 2 asked, “Huh, then how are you well enough to be here now?”

Kusa-nin 1 said, “Oh, that. My injury was deemed serious enough to use that red-haired bitch’s body for healing. Say what you will about her, but her healing ability is top-notch.”

Hearing the Kusa-nin mention a red-haired woman with exceptional healing abilities, Kaito’s mind immediately connected the dots. “Shit, Karin,” he thought, recalling the only other member of the Uzumaki clan still alive.

Note

Hey guys I'm sorry but the chapter will be posted later than expected. the grammar editing site I use is currently down and I will upload the chapter as soon as the site is back. Thank you for understanding.

Kaito Chapter 103

Kaito Chapter 103

From the peak, they gazed over the village while diccussed. After some time, Itachi split from Hotaru and Kaito after they agreed to meet up tommorw for their first mission as chunin at their usual meeting spot for tomorrow.

Kaito then escorted Hotaru back to the Hyuga compound before heading home himself. As he made his way back, Kaito thought about the future. "in the canon timeline, things with the Uchiha clan got worst after Itachi's Chunin Exams," he thought to himself with a sigh. "I don't know how much has changed or if things have gotten worse." Taking a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair. "I need to focus on what's in front of me and continue to grow stronger."

…

The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows on the ground as three figures rushed through the trees surrounding Konoha, hopping from one branch to another. They sped towards the towering gates of the village.

Kaito was the first to land just past the gates, followed closely by Itachi then Hotaru. He turned to the two "Well, I guess I won," grinning and he exclaimed, "That means this time it's your treat because you were the last, Hotaru-chan."

Hotaru puffed her cheeks in annoyance and turned her head away. "Neither me or Itachi-kun agreed to anything," she retorted. "You just ran off after shouting that the loser pays for the rest." Itachi nodded in agreement with Hotaru.

Kaito shook his finger playfully and retorted, "Don't be a spoilsport now, Hotaru-chan. It's an unspoken rule."

Hotaru simply turned her head away once again while Itachi spoke up. "Again, we never agreed to that," he stated calmly before starting to walk towards the gate guards. Hotaru followed closely behind him, leaving Kaito behind.

 Kaito let out a comical sigh. "Oh, I see how it is," he joked. "You two banded together against me." With a grin on his face, he hurried after them.

Hotaru smirked mischievously and replied, "So what if we did?"

Kaito grumbled something unintelligible under his breath as they approached the check-in booth. Spotting Kotetsu and Izumo, Kaito greeted them "Yo, Kotetsu -sempai, Izumo-senpai how have you two been?" The duo smiled in response, with Kotetsu adding "Oh hey, Kaito. We're doing well." He took the paper form from Itachi, while Izumo asked curiously, "So, what mission were you on this time?" Turning the check-in booth towards Kaito for him to sign.

Kaito replied, "You know, just the usual B-ranked escort mission." As he finished signing his name and passed the pen to Hotaru, Kotetsu let out a low whistle and commented, "A B-rank mission. Sounds like quite the thrill." But then he sighed and grumbled, "And here we are, stuck here all day," referring to himself and Izumo.

Having completed all their signatures and approvals, Izumo announced with a smile, "Alright then, you're all cleared."

Kaito smiled and said his thanks before turning to leave with his team. As they walked away, he tossed a scroll over his shoulder to Kotetsu. "Well, we will be off then. Here's something for you both to keep you company."

Curious, Izumo asked, "What is it?"

"It looks like a sealing scroll," Kotetsu said

Izumo urged him to open it "Open it then."

Curious about the scroll's contents, Kotetsu unseal it on the desk. To their surprise and delight, inside were two steaming bowls of ramen. Both Izumo and Kotetsu couldn't contain their excitement as they dug in with loud shouts of "Itadakimasu!"

...

After they left the village gates, Team 11 made their way to Hokage Tower to submit their completed mission report. The chunin at the mission desk received the report and informed them, "Your mission pay will be deposited into your bank accounts."

Nodding in gratitude, Kaito, Itachi, and Hotaru left the Hokage Tower. As they walked through the bustling streets of Konoha, Kaito turned to his teammates and asked, "So what are you guys going to do now?"

Itachi turned to them with a tired smile. "I think I'll be heading home to rest. I promised Sasuke I would help him train after our mission."

Hotaru hummed in agreement. "I just want to take a long hot bath before collapsing into bed. I'm exhausted."

Kaito nodded thoughtfully. "Since we were on the mission for a week, we should rest the next few days, ya know."

Both Hotaru and Itachi nodded in agreement as they parted ways with Itachi and As Kaito walked Hotaru back to the Hyuga compound. On their way, Kaito bought some treats for his mother and brother as well as for himself and Hotaru to share while they walked.

It had been several months since Kaito, Hotaru, and Itachi had been promoted to chunin. During this time, they had taken on numerous high-ranked missions without the their sensei. Shikaku had dropped by a few times to inquire about their progress.

Kaito had made significant breakthroughs in his elemental Rasengan. He could now create a full-powered elemental Rasengan with just one hand. So far, he had successfully created wind-release, water-release, and lightning-release Rasengan, following Minato's 3 to 1 ratio.

Aside from his advancements in the Rasengan, Kaito had also started learning the hiraishin no jutsu - the improved version that his father had given him. Learning hiraishin was extremely difficult as it required a large amount of chakra and incredibly fast perception to use effectively.

With the help of Minato's notes and Kushina's guidance, Kaito managed to create his own FTG mark. However, using the jutsu proved challenging due to its high chakra cost and speed perception requirements. Nevertheless.

As they reached the gates of the Hyuga compound, one of the guards spotted Hotaru and immediately rushed towards her. "Hotaru-sama, Lady Hitomi has gone into labor and was taken to the hospital," he exclaimed urgently.

Surprised, Hotaru nodded her thanks before swiftly jumping onto a nearby tree and speeding towards Konoha Hospital. Seeing her leave, Kaito quickly followed suit, easily keeping pace with his friend. "I'm coming too, ya know," he called out to her.

In just a few minutes, they arrived at the bustling hospital. Hotaru headed straight for the receptionist and inquired about her mother. She was immediately directed toward the appropriate room.

Meanwhile, Kaito closed his eyes and focused on sensing Hiashi or Hitomi's chakra signatures. He also sensed his mother Kushina's chakra presence outside the delivery room, accompanied by his clone. With a slight frown, he followed Hotaru towards the delivery room.

Upon reaching their destination, Hotaru anxiously approached Hiashi and Hizashi. "Father, is Mother okay?" she asked in concern.

Kaito went over to where his mother was seated on a chair and gently asked her, "What are you doing here, Mom? And where's Naruto?"

With a warm smile, Kushina replied, "Oh Kai-kun, I was with Naruto at the park when we ran into Hitomi who was there with Hinata and Neji. She suddenly went into labor and luckily Hizashi was there to help us bring her here to the hospital. As for Naruto, he's currently at our house with Hinata and Neji, being looked after by Clone-kun."

Kaito dispelled his clone as he absorbed its memory.

As the doctor emerged from the delivery room, his face was grim and tired. He approached Hiashi with a heavy heart, knowing the news he had to deliver. "Lord Hiashi," he said solemnly, "we have done everything we could, but Lady Hyuga's condition is worsening. She is growing weaker by the hour, and it's uncertain if she will survive." He paused, then added quietly, "There is a chance we can save the baby, but..."

Hiashi's stoic facade cracked at the news of his wife's declining health. "There must be something we can do," he pleaded with the doctor.

But the doctor could only shake his head sadly and offer his condolences.

Hotaru stood nearby, her eyes welling up with tears as she heard Her mother was going to die...

Kushina gasped in shock and brought a hand to cover her mouth, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Kaito realized "Now that I think about it, I've never seen Hitomi-san before in the anime or manga. She must have died during Hanabi’s birth. That would also explain why Hiashi was colder in the anime and manga compared to what I know of him in real life."

His gaze turned to Hotaru, who was crying and clinging to her father for comfort in this dark moment. Seeing her crying saddened Kaito deeply.

He closed his eyes and tapped into his kagura's mind's eye to sense Hitomi's life force. It was slowly dwindling as she struggled to give birth to her child.

An idea formed in Kaito's mind as he thought, "That just might work."

Opening his eyes, Kaito said, "There might be a way to save her." His words caught the attention of everyone present, including Hiashi.

All eyes turned to Kaito as they awaited his explanation. Hiashi spoke up, his tone serious. "What do you mean?"

Kushina, understanding what Kaito was implying, asked with concern, "Are you sure about this? Last time you attempted something like this, you almost..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

But Kaito reassured her with a gentle touch on her cheek. "I'm sure, Mom. I can't let Hitomi-san die when there's something I can do about it. I know how it felt when I thought I was about to lose you," he whispered softly before continuing. "And you don't have to worry about me. My chakra is much larger now compared to last time."

Kushina sighed but nodded in understanding. She knew that when Kaito was determined to do something, nothing could stop him. But she also couldn't help but worry for her son's well-being. "Alright, but please don't push yourself too hard," she urged.

Turning towards Hiashi with determination in his eyes, Kaito spoke up once again. "I might be able to save Hitomi-san."

Kushina took the opportunity to inform Hiashi and the others, "Kai-kun may be able to save Hitomi. There's a reason why I'm still alive, you know."

Hiashi looked hesitant, but Hotaru, who had been watching Kaito intently with tears in her eyes, turned to her father and pleaded, "Father, please allow Kai-kun to help. I believe he can save Mother. Please."

Hotaru's plea seemed to sway Hiashi's decision, and he finally nodded his approval. "We don't have much time," Kaito reminded him.

Understanding the urgency of the situation, Hiashi relented and said, "Alright, do what you can."

But before they could move forward with their plan, the medic nin interjected with a warning. "Hold on there! If four highly trained medic-nin couldn't save her, what makes you think a kid like you can?"

However, Kaito didn't hear the medic nin's words as he strode towards the delivery room. When the medic-nin tried to stop him, chakra chains sprang from Kaito's body and wrapped around the man, effectively silencing him.

"I need your help, Mom. You too, Hiashi-sama, Hotaru-chan," Kaito said determinedly as he swung open the doors to the delivery room without hesitation.

Before anyone had a chance to protest or intervene, they were all ensnared by Kaito's chakra chains and forcibly thrown out of the room. With only Hitomi remaining inside, Kaito turned back to Hizashi and instructed him, "Please don't let anyone enter." Hizashi simply nodded in understanding.

Once inside the room, Kaito quickly said "Alright, Mom, Hotaru-chan, I want you to help Lady Hitomi with the delivery. Hiashi-sama, I want you to comfort Lady Hitomi." while he performed a series of hand signs and placed his hand on the door. Seal marks appeared and spread across the entire room before glowing brightly.

Curious about the purpose of these seals, Hiashi asked, "What is this for?"

Kaito explained to Hiashi in response to his curious gaze, "It's a privacy seal because what I'm about to do is only known to my family and the Hokage."

Kaito took a deep breath before confidently replying, "I have a rare Kekkei Genkai of the Uzumaki clan. It's called Heal Bite. By converting my chakra into life force, it can heal anyone who bites me instantly." He then moved to stand near Hitomi's head, with Hiashi and Hotaru looking on in shock and disbelief.

Confirming Kaito's explanation with a nod, Kushina stood by ready to assist as Kaito placed his hand near Hitomi's mouth and instructed her to bite down. "But because this healing happens rapidly, it won't be enough to save Hitomi-san since she is dying from childbirth. In order to keep her alive throughout the labor, I need to supply a small, steady stream of my chakra. I'll have to concentrate hard, so I'll leave the rest to you,"

With that, Kaito left the rest in their capable hands as he focused all of his energy on keeping Hitomi alive.

As the hours ticked by and the cries of a newborn baby could be heard throughout the room, Kushina carefully wrapped the tiny bundle in blankets. "It's a girl!" she exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face.

With the baby safely delivered, Kaito increased the flow of his chakra and rapidly healed Hitomi before finally releasing his hand from her mouth. In a weak voice, Hitomi asked to see her baby with tears in her eyes, Kushina brought the infant over to her.

"Mother first," Kushina insisted as Hiashi reached out to take the baby. He deflated at her words and stepped back as Kushina gently placed the baby in Hitomi's arms. "We will call her Hanabi," Hitomi whispered, a small smile gracing her lips.

Kaito's exhaustion was evident as he stepped back from Hitomi, sweat trickling down his face. Keeping up a steady stream of chakra had taken its toll on him, but seeing Hitomi and the baby healthy was worth it. Hotaru, their eldest daughter, hugged Kaito tightly and whispered thank yous repeatedly.

In need of fresh air, Kaito patted Hotaru on the back and "Hotaru I need air..." Hotaru let go with a happy smile and turned to her mother and new sister.

Hiashi approached Kaito and bowed deeply. "I am indebted to you once again and I promise to keep your Kekkei Genkai a secret."

Kaito waved it off and nodded at Hiashi. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep now. You should call in a medic to check on Hitomi-san and the baby, just to be sure."

Quickly opening the door, Hiashi called in a medic-nin to tend to the new mother and child.

The medic-nin's rushed in with urgency, shouting for everyone to leave the room immediately under threat of being reported to the Hokage for interfering.

As the medic checked on Hitomi, he looked up at Hiashi with astonishment. "It's a miracle, all her vitals are good."

Ignoring the commotion around him, Kaito led Kushina out of the delivery room. Once outside, Kushina turned to her son with concern etched on her features. "Are you okay, Kai-kun?"

A faint smile graced Kaito's tired face as he replied, "Hai, I’m fine Mom. Just exhausted and hungry, that's all."

Kushina smiled back at her son with pride and affection. "Well, let's get you something to eat and then we'll make sure you get some rest, my little hero." She glanced out the window and noticed that night had fallen while they were preoccupied with helping Hitomi deliver her baby.

Kushina exclaimed. "It's already night time. We should hurry back home."