As soon as he finished speaking, a tremendous pressure erupted from Kaito. He stood tall, exuding an overwhelming aura that crushed the air around him. It was as if an ancient, divine mountain had descended, suffocating every Anbu present.

His killing intent became tangible. The air reeked of blood—thick, suffocating, endless. To the Anbu, it was as if they had fallen into a crimson sea, and Kaito was a Shinigami rising from it, ready to reap all life in his path.

Gulp.

Faced with such a monstrous presence, even the elite Anbu couldn't help but swallow nervously. Fear crept into their eyes.

'This is insane! This guy defeated the Sand's high-ranking officers single-handedly? Just this presence alone... it's enough to crush us. If he actually attacks, we won't last a second. Not even the Hokage radiates such raw killing intent…'

The thought echoed silently among several Anbu. They cast subtle glances toward their captain, awaiting his decision.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is Konoha's asset. We cannot allow anyone to take her," a Root agent said flatly, his tone unwavering even under the crushing pressure from Kaito. "I advise you to stand down," he paused, "or we will attack."

Root operatives were known as weapons—loyal only to Danzō, who had given a clear order: Retrieve Uzumaki Kushina at all costs.

Had this man been anyone other than Kaito, the Root agents would've acted long ago.

"Attack?" Kaito scoffed.

The next instant, his figure blurred.

Boom!

A sickening crack echoed. Kaito's palm had slammed the Root agent's head straight into the ground. Dust scattered. The earth split, a crater forming beneath the impact. The Root agent's mask shattered. His lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, blood and brain matter soaking the dirt. Dead—instantly.

Lightning sparked around Kaito's hand, searing away the blood like divine punishment.

He calmly drew a kunai from his gear pouch, his tone cold and final. "Let me see how you plan to take Kushina away from me."

"Ka–Kaito-sama! We truly mean no hostility!" the Anbu captain stammered, his voice strained.

Inwardly, he cursed the dead Root agent. You knew nothing of this man's power, yet even after seeing what he did to the Sand's top brass, you still provoked him? Are you trying to kill us all!?

Even as a jōnin, he couldn't see how Kaito had moved. If Kaito wanted them all dead, they wouldn't last a second.

What a goddamn idiot…

The Root operatives, enraged by the death of their comrade, erupted all at once. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, kenjutsu, taijutsu—they unleashed every form of attack at once, converging on Kaito like a storm.

Kaito narrowed his eyes. His figure vanished.

Even with Kushina in one arm, his movements didn't slow.

In the next heartbeat, blood painted the night sky.

Kaito weaved through the battlefield like a reaper. Kunai in hand, he struck with ruthless precision. One by one, Root agents fell, their eyes wide with fear, their bodies lifeless before they even understood what was happening.

Screams pierced the air. Blood flowed freely. Within ten seconds, over a dozen Root operatives lay dead—including elite jōnin. None of them had a chance to fight back.

Silence followed.

The few surviving Anbu trembled, drenched in cold sweat, their bodies frozen in place.

"Kaito-sama! Please! We never intended to be your enemy!" the Anbu captain shouted, his voice cracking. Panic had completely taken over.

"No need," Kaito replied with a sneer. "Since you came together, you'll stay together."

With those words, he vanished once more.

Splatter!

Screams returned—and vanished just as fast.

The Anbu captain stood alone, frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. His entire squad… gone.

You monster… The Hokage will never forgive you… he thought, dazed and shaken.

"Go tell the Third Hokage," Kaito said, walking past him, "Kushina will remain here with me for a while. She'll return on her own when she's ready. Oh, and—"

He stopped and looked back with a chilling smile.

"Tell him I'll be visiting soon… to settle the debt he owes me."

Without another word, Kaito nodded at Uchiha Mu and carried Kushina into the distance, toward the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. Behind them lay corpses, blood, and the heavy stench of death.

A breeze swept through the clearing, carrying the scent of iron.

The Anbu captain finally moved. "Kaito… I will relay your words. That, I swear."

---

That night, a crescent moon glowed gently in the sky, stars scattered across the vast dark canvas.

Kaito sat by a campfire, his hands glowing faint green. He carefully healed Kushina's injuries—burns from her partial transformation into the Nine-Tails.

Once he finished, he slowly pulled his hands away.

His gaze shifted to the roasted suckling pig he'd prepared.

Crackle…

"Mmm… smells so good…" Kushina murmured groggily. Her eyelids fluttered open, her gaze hazy. She looked around in confusion before spotting the masked figure by the fire.

"You again… why am I here?"

Then suddenly, her eyes widened. A chill ran down her spine.

She looked down.

Her face turned red.

Then blue.

Then red again.

"AAAAHHH!!"

"You—! You bastard! Where are my clothes!?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she screamed at Kaito.

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Really? Do I look like that kind of guy to you? Even if I was starving, I wouldn't choose you. Honestly, isn't Tsunade a hundred times better? You're not my type."

He gave her a casual glance.

Kushina caught the look—and exploded.

"You—!!"

She sprang to her feet, furious, ignoring the blanket wrapped around her—

Fwump!

The cloth slipped off.

She froze mid-charge.

Her face turned a shade of crimson that even the Sharingan couldn't replicate.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

She scrambled to cover herself, grabbing the blanket in a panic.

But it was too late.

Kaito had already seen everything.

Clear as day.

---

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