"Am I in the wrong place once again?" Kaida muttered after scanning the surroundings for something—anything dangerous. With his recent experience, he didn't want to even think about taking any risk any longer, his hands were ready to form the seal to teleport back to Konoha at any sign of danger.
It may be paranoia, but facing something like that, one can't help but fall for that paranoia.
While scanning the surrounding, Kaida noticed a higher concentration of chakra at the top of the mountain he was standing on.
"Hah, this is ridiculous. If I don't even search around in fear, what's the reason behind all this last try and all," Kaida muttered, taking a deep breath to shake off the fear in his heart.
With a calm mind, he started climbing the mountain to reach the top. With all the new flora and fauna around, soon his wariness also decreased, though he maintained a constant vigilance, but his paranoia did reduce on the hike.
After a couple of hours of hiking, he finally reached the top of the mountain. It was not a very tall mountain, maybe 3 to 4 thousand meters max, but the view from the top was breathtaking. Being one of the tallest mountains in the mountain range, the view from the top was unhindered, with all other mountains clearly visible from there.
But Kaida was looking toward the opposite direction. At the top of the mountain, aside from the unnaturally placed space, there was also a cave present.
"Not once again," Kaida muttered. Normally anyone else at his place may get confused, frightened, or curious about the cave, but with 3 tomoe sharingan active and a mind able to process the input of even Mangekyo Sharingan, Kaida could easily perceive few things in his surrounding.
The subtle claw marks around the cave showed presence of a predator, with various holes around the area. With their surroundings scorched, it showed that the predator also had fire as well as wind affinity, and with how connected the traces were, there is no doubt it may very well be a kekkei genkai, a kekkei genkai with fire and wind.
'This doesn't look like scorch release though,' Kaida realized. That means he was dealing with some unknown kekkei genkai, and from the depth of the holes in the rocky ground, quite a deadly one as well.
"I know you can hear me. The traces of your movement are still fresh. If you don't want me here, just say the word and I will leave," Kaida stated.
"Oh! This was not something I was expecting you to say. Are you scared?" a deep voice came from inside the cave with thumping sounds accompanying it. Whatever was inside the cave was coming out.
"Scared? Not really. I was actually trying to be respectful, you know. From what I can see, this is your home, and I am intruding here, so if you don't want me here, I should leave," Kaida explained, though there was still little fear in his heart, but that was not related to the current situation rather the earlier encounter with the monstrous behemoth.
"Hoh! You got quite a silver tongue there, though do tell me, why are you here, 'in my home?'" Now the source of the voice was visible to Kaida.
From the shadows of the cave, a figure emerged—large, powerful, and exuding an overwhelming sense of regal authority. At first, Kaida saw only the gleam of golden eyes, calm and steady, watching him with a presence that demanded respect rather than fear.
Then he stepped into the light.
A colossal white tiger, easily the size of a carriage, walked forward with graceful, measured steps. His fur was impossibly pristine—snow-white and shimmering faintly beneath the sunlight, as if untouched by time or dirt. Every strand of fur moved with the wind in perfect unison, clean and dignified, like the robes of a high priest. His frame was built with solid, quiet strength—broad shoulders, powerful legs, and a poised posture that spoke of ancient wisdom and unshakable pride.
There was no aura of menace—only nobility. The air around him was warm and dry, tinged faintly with the scent of heated stone and scorched earth. Where his massive paws touched the ground, faint trails of heat marked his steps—not violent or destructive, but a quiet reminder of the raw chakra within him. His claws were long, smooth, and looked sharp enough to carve stone, while his eyes remained fixed on Kaida with measured curiosity.
Kaida stood there, unmoving for a moment, his Sharingan spinning gently in his eyes. What held him still wasn't fear, but awe. The sheer majesty of the beast before him caught him off guard. Not terrifying... just magnificent. He had seen monsters, demons, and abominations. This was none of those.
This was someone who didn't need to roar or bare his fangs to command attention.
"Didn't you hear me?" the tiger said.
Kaida let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his gaze still fixed on the tiger's regal form.
"No... no, I heard you perfectly." He exhaled slowly, steadying his thoughts. "Hah... I'm Kaida Uchiha, from Konohagakure—the Hidden Leaf Village, in the Land of Fire."
The tiger tilted his head slightly, golden eyes narrowing with a flicker of curiosity.
"Hmm, so you're from that side. That explains your unfamiliar scent. Tell me, boy—how did you manage to come here?"
Kaida blinked, trying to organize his thoughts.
"I used a jutsu—some kind of space-time technique that... well, it teleported me here. But honestly, this whole situation is kind of random. I don't even know where I am."
The tiger's voice rumbled, surprise cutting through his normally composed tone.
"So, people from your land already know how to teleport?"
Kaida quickly shook his head.
"Not exactly. There was one person who could do it properly, but he's long gone now. No one else really understands that level of technique. And as for the jutsu I used... it's unstable. We can't choose where we end up. It's more like a gamble than real teleportation."
There was a brief pause, then Kaida asked the question that had been building in the back of his mind.
"Can I ask you something too?...."
The tiger nodded.
"Byakko. My name is Byakko."
Kaida inclined his head slightly in respect.
"Then, Byakko... what did you mean by 'that side'?"
Byakko turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, his voice quieter, more thoughtful.
"Right... you truly don't know where you are. You're on the other side of the world, boy. This land—this continent—is across the great sea. As far as I know, there's been no connection between our two continents for decades, maybe longer."