"Danzo! Find him for me. Mobilize all the Root and Anbu forces. The mastermind behind this must be captured—our teacher's people cannot die in vain!" Hiruzen Sarutobi roared.

"Understood. And Tsunade?" Danzo asked.

"Keep it hidden for now," Hiruzen sighed.

With that, he waved his hand, signaling for Danzo and the others to leave.

Once they were gone, Hiruzen's expression shifted. The sorrow vanished completely from his face.

His eyes narrowed, deep and calculating. "… What a headache."

---

Land of Whirlpools.

In a secluded, shadowed corner of the ruins, Kaito sat cross-legged. Inside his mind, an electric drill made of lightning was hammering at the threshold of the Second Gate.

It had been half a month since he arrived here. But with time manipulation inside his training space, he'd been training for nearly six months.

After relentless training, Kaito had finally created a crack in the gate. All that remained was to advance entirely.

Throughout these two weeks, he remained wholly focused. Yet because of his disappearance, the timeline had shifted slightly.

Without Kaito in the picture, Rasa and his forces attacked Konoha's frontline leadership directly. The border troops were overwhelmed and pushed back nearly twenty miles toward Konoha.

Following Kaito's orders, Rasa didn't kill Shikaku and the others—instead, they were taken hostage. This resulted in Konoha being extorted for a large supply of resources. Only Minato Namikaze managed to escape.

By the time Danzo arrived, it was already too late. He narrowly escaped being captured himself.

With Shikaku and the others taken, Danzo alone was no match for Rasa and his four elite companions.

News of the debacle sent shockwaves through Konoha.

Hiruzen was forced to comply with the demands. Shikaku wasn't just a battlefield strategist—he was the Nara clan head. Alongside him were Inoichi, Yuhi Shinku, and Tsunade. Each one a key pillar of Konoha's future.

Smart as they were, Rasa and his men retreated after the exchange, not pushing their luck against the village's main force.

Once the hostages were returned, Hiruzen immediately redeployed them to the front lines. He even recalled Jiraiya from the Cloud-Nin border and stationed him there.

With Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Minato, proficient in space-time ninjutsu—Konoha's foundation had stabilized.

---

Two months later.

Kaito remained in quiet meditation within the ruins. The Second Gate was nearly fully opened; only a sliver remained. He estimated it would take two more days to complete the advancement.

Two days later, inside the training space—

A massive surge of chakra erupted from Kaito's body like a tidal wave, wild and seemingly endless.

Violent fluctuations of power caused violent gusts of wind to sweep through the entire kilometer-wide radius around him. The soil beneath him compacted and sank as if molded by invisible pressure.

Kaito opened his eyes, a soft smile on his face.

"Finally... the second gate is open."

With a thought, he commanded the training space to level the terrain. Then, he began focusing on stabilizing the vast influx of power now coursing through him.

The Second Gate had granted an overwhelming increase. His chakra now rivaled even tailed beasts, and his taijutsu abilities had scaled accordingly.

Even more astounding was the boost in his spiritual energy. Already among the highest in the ninja world, it had grown by another third.

"If I'm able to open all Gates… would that increase double?" he muttered, elated.

Without hesitation, Kaito summoned 500 shadow clones to help him acclimate to his enhanced body and chakra.

Half a month passed.

After rigorous, relentless training, Kaito finally mastered control of the energy. His body and power had become one.

The next step would be the final Gate, but there was no rush. His body still needed time to fully adapt.

Buzz! Buzz!

As he casually threw a punch, the air exploded with pressure. Kaito grinned.

He was just one step away from the level of the Sage of Six Paths—but that step remained the most difficult of all.

Opening his eyes, he looked up at the sunlit sky. A rare moment of peace settled over him.

"Finally… I can take a break."

"Next up is the Lightning Release: Chakra Mode technique used by the Cloud-Nin. I wonder if it'll further refine my body. Hopefully, it'll be worth it," he murmured.

(Bruh, you're lightning itself,what do you need that Jutsu for?)

Suddenly, Kaito's brows furrowed.

He sensed someone approaching—a chakra signature that was unmistakably special. Two chakra presences within one body.

A Jinchūriki.

He'd seen this before… in Naruto. In Gaara.

His eyes narrowed.

This is the Land of Whirlpools… and that chakra belongs to Uzumaki Kushina.

But why would Kushina be here? She was supposed to be in Konoha. There's no way Hiruzen would allow the Nine-Tails' host to leave the village.

She must have snuck out.

As if on cue, Kaito heard soft sobbing.

"Father… Mother… Grandfather… Grandmother… and all my clan members, I'm doing fine in Konoha!" Kushina's voice trembled. "Today marks the anniversary of the fall of Uzushiogakure. I brought food from Konoha for you all."

From her basket, she pulled out various dishes and white chrysanthemums. Her movements were practiced—this wasn't her first visit.

Kaito watched quietly from the shadows. He knew the Uzumaki clan's fate had been sealed in part by Konoha's silence, especially the decisions of the old guard.

He exhaled.

"What a pity," he muttered.

"Who's there?" Kushina suddenly shouted, alert. She had heard him.

Her eyes snapped toward his direction, her guard instantly up.

---

(Tl/N: the original author keeps saying "Seventh Gate", which is really confusing to me since he's opening the gates in reverse, I might have to edit it later on if it turns out to not be in reverse.)

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