Ebizo narrowed his eyes, tone cautious, voice edged with suspicion.

"You don't look like you're from Konoha... Why are you interfering in our battle with the Leaf?"

He had observed carefully during the skirmish with Minato Namikaze. The man with the Byakugan and the one wearing shades—at best, they were Jonin. There was no way the two of them could have instantly killed three Sand Jonin.

It could only have been the masked stranger—the one whose strength he couldn't gauge.

To eliminate three elite Jonin in a blink... this was no ordinary shinobi. His calm demeanor suggested more than just Jonin-level skill. This man was at least Kage-level.

As the Kazekage's trusted aide, Ebizo wasn't like his brash sister. He was a strategist—sharp and meticulous, like Nara Shikaku. But unlike Shikaku, Ebizo also had the power to back it up.

"I came here to speak with Tsunade. Wasn't planning to get involved," the masked man said, touching his chin thoughtfully. "But... let's just call it a gift."

Ebizo scoffed. "A gift? Hah! In all my years, this is the first time someone's offered Sand Ninja heads as a greeting."

He sneered, eyes narrowing. "At least give us your name. The Sand won't forget this."

The masked man paused, then answered, "Just call me Kaito."

Ebizo's lip curled into a snarl. "Fine. We'll remember this... Kaito."

With a cold huff, he turned. "We're leaving! Retreat!"

They had no choice. As long as Kaito was present, they couldn't take down Minato Namikaze. At the very least, they had succeeded in burning the Leaf's food supplies.

Minato, bloodied and breathing hard, bowed slightly. "Minato thanks Kaito-sama for saving us."

"No need for thanks," Kaito said calmly.

His gaze briefly swept over Minato.

Still looks the same as in the original story... just a little more battered now.

Hyuga Tokugawa and Aburame Shida approached, puzzled.

"Minato, do you know him?" Tokugawa asked.

"We just met," Minato replied vaguely, giving no further explanation.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Multiple figures landed nearby, clad in Konoha flak jackets and forehead protectors. Leading them was none other than Nara Shikaku. Among the group, Kaito spotted another familiar face—Yamanaka Inoichi.

"Minato! Are you alright?" Shikaku called, his sharp eyes briefly assessing Kaito before turning back to Minato.

"I'm fine, Shikaku-sama. Just a bit worn out after the battle," Minato replied with a soft smile.

While Minato was undoubtedly strong enough to fight Ebizo, Shikaku still outranked him as the garrison's deputy commander.

Shikaku nodded. "Good. I heard the supply team was attacked and rushed here with reinforcements."

Minato looked down slightly. "I'm sorry, Shikaku-sama. The supplies... were destroyed."

Shikaku sighed, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. No one expected the Sand to send such a force—not to mention Ebizo himself."

He glanced toward Kaito. "And this is...?"

"My name is Kaito. I came to speak with Tsunade," he answered coolly.

"Looking for Lady Tsunade?" Shikaku frowned. "May I ask why?"

"This battle... let's just say it was a gift for our first meeting," Kaito said with a dismissive wave.

Then, without warning, he vanished in a flash.

Shikaku's eyes widened slightly. "That movement technique... Minato, how does your speed compare?"

"There's no comparison," Minato replied with a wry smile. "I could barely track him."

"Indeed... not someone ordinary," Shikaku murmured.

He looked around at the aftermath, his head already aching. Though Minato was safe, the supplies were lost.

Shikaku quickly gave orders. A team would remain behind to clean up, another would search for any scattered Konoha forces, and the rest would return to report to the Hokage. Replacement supplies needed to be sent immediately.

---

At the Fire Country border, outside Konoha's temporary command post…

Kaito scanned the sparse crowd ahead. Activating electromagnetic induction, he located Tsunade's bioelectric signature and disappeared again with a flicker.

Inside one of the largest tents—nearly as wide as a strategy hall—a curvaceous blonde woman was surrounded by stacks of glass containers, focused intently on her medical research.

Two guards stood outside, but before they could react, Kaito silently incapacitated them with precision.

He stepped in—just in time for a bottle to fly straight at his face.

Crash!

He ducked and twisted aside, the container shattering behind him and splashing its contents across the floor.

The liquid hissed and bubbled, scorching the tent fabric and filling the air with a caustic, bitter stench.

Kaito's brow twitched. Seriously?

He hadn't even spoken yet when another threat came hurtling toward him—Tsunade's fist.

Of course...

He activated [Soru], dodging just in time.

As Tsunade's punch missed, the force of it struck the ground like a meteor.

Boom!

Spiderweb cracks splintered beneath her feet, the floor fracturing around the point of impact. Chunks of soil flew upward from the sudden shockwave.

Kaito landed lightly nearby, a deadpan expression on his face.

She didn't even ask what I'm doing here... Typical.

---

100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter

200 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters.