After leaving Konoha Hospital, Kaito headed toward the still-standing Yūhi Clan compound.
He'd stayed home for days, pretending the incident had triggered old trauma—
maintaining his long-term persona as a "genin with psychological damage" unfit for chūnin promotion.
But today, he went out because Shiranui Genma had visited and told him:
Ryūun had something important to tell him.
"…Don't tell me she's planning to confess."
Kaito felt a headache forming.
Still, he went.
The Yūhi Clan District
Located near the outskirts of Konoha, the Yūhi district sat close to the Hatake grounds. A little further out were the Uzuki and Hayate clan areas.
A shared training field lay nearby—a small public space used by minor clans to build bonds.
Unlike the enormous Uchiha compound with its private stadium-sized training arena, minor clans had to cooperate to maintain their resources.
"Hey, isn't that— you know, that kid?"
"Kaito-kun, right? Hello, Kaito~!"
"Good afternoon, Auntie Mika, Auntie Tsuki."
Yūhi Tsuki nodded calmly.
Hatake Mika, however, looked seconds away from exploding.
"A-Auntie?! I'm twenty-two!!"
Kaito's eye twitched.
Her outfit… looked suspiciously like loose maternity clothing.
So Kakashi is already… now?!
"Mika-auntie, are you pregnant?"
"Of course~ I can't wait for little Kakashi to come out! Heehee~"
Shinobi usually named children within the first month.
Hearing the name "Kakashi," Kaito nearly choked.
So I'm actually witnessing the birth of the future Sixth Hokage? Not bad.
Tsuki gestured toward the houses.
"You're here for Ryūun, right? She's inside."
"Thank you, Aunt Tsuki."
As Kaito walked away, Mika jabbed Tsuki's shoulder.
"Tsuki-nee, is that boy still ignoring Ryūun's feelings?"
Tsuki sighed softly.
"Maybe Kaito has someone better in mind."
"When I look at him… even as a widow in her thirties, I almost feel my heart skip."
Mika deadpanned.
"Tsuki-aunt, that's messed up."
Tsuki pouted childishly.
"I'm kidding! Obviously, I wouldn't do something like that."
Then she muttered under her breath:
"Besides… someone like him wouldn't look twice at an old woman like me."
"WHAT?!"
"Nothing. And Mika, you don't need to ask me now about helping you raise your future baby."
"I do! Who knows when Sakumo will return—I really want him here before the baby is born!"
Kaito ignored their auntie gossip and headed deeper inside.
He rarely visited—only during chūnin exam periods.
Otherwise, he usually passed by on missions and nothing more.
The compound gate was closed—meaning nothing for a ninja.
Kaito looked around, picked a low white-brick wall, and climbed over effortlessly.
He landed near a sturdy willow tree—and found Ryūun reading under the sunlight.
Late February's warm breeze brushed across her cheek.
Her white dress couldn't hide her slender, youthful figure.
They had known each other for two years.
She was at the age of adulthood now.
Ryūun heard his movement and smiled faintly—pretending not to notice him as she continued reading a small booklet on Yūhi clan genjutsu.
"Ryūun. You look beautiful today."
"What do you need?"
Kaito's greeting was blatantly half-hearted.
Ryūun's eyebrow twitched; she shot him a fierce side-eye and tossed the booklet at him.
Kaito caught it, puzzled.
"What's this?"
"It's something very important to the Yūhi clan."
"Normally, it isn't passed to outsiders.
But you saved my uncle.
…and you saved me."
Arms folded, she looked away, cheeks tinted pink.
"If it weren't for you…
the Yūhi clan might really have ended."
With only Ryūun showing potential to reach jōnin—and perhaps little Kurenai in the future—the clan's hope rested on them.
"I see."
Kaito himself knew only basic genjutsu: sleep, release, and a D-rank binding technique.
Binding genjutsu was simply brute-forcing chakra to freeze the opponent's body.
Sleep genjutsu required delicate chakra control to interfere with the target's consciousness.
He wasn't good at it.
Controlling Kitada Mana had taken seven days and countless setups.
When he opened the booklet—
Kaito's eyes brightened.
So genjutsu can be used like THIS…?
A slow grin crept onto his lips.
"Sit down and read.
Why are you standing like that?" Ryūun muttered, face red.
"Mm."
Entirely absorbed, Kaito sat beside her.
Under the soft spring sunlight, the two looked like a peaceful young couple enjoying a quiet afternoon.
Meanwhile—Across the Sea, in the Land of Whirlpools
As Uzumaki descendants of Ashina, Uzumaki Hikonosuke had once led Uzushio as village head.
He eventually passed the role to his son—Uzumaki Ryōta, the father of Uzumaki Kushina.
Uzushio was nearly as well-built as Konoha, thanks to the mutual support between the two nations during their founding eras.
The capital and the shinobi village shared a single city—Uzu no Miyako, the City of Whirlpools.
Even the Daimyō was an Uzumaki by blood, though not a shinobi.
And then—
Half a month ago, disaster struck.
The Daimyō had immediately summoned Hikonosuke and stressed the importance of repairing relations with Konoha.
Now, on a clifftop overlooking the sea, two figures stood.
Hikonosuke paced in frustration, glaring at his son.
"Ryōta!!
How could you be deceived this badly?!"
"Two Mist-nin spread false intelligence—
and you, the leader of Uzushio, swallowed it WHOLE?!"
"Do you understand the disaster this brings upon us?!"
Ryōta, almost thirty, bowed his head in shame, unable to reply.
At that moment, an ANBU of Uzushio appeared—
the rare elite assigned only to homeland defense.
Red hair.
Uzumaki armor.
"Report!"
"A Mist-nin from the Land of Water requests an audience!"
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