Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Chapter 27: Unexpected

Caught off guard, the masked man was unable to turn himself intangible and had to react swiftly to block Kaito's kunai. The very same kunai he had intended to use to harm Biwako and Taji. Sensing the imminent danger, Taji and Biwako, the latter still cradling baby Naruto, quickly jumped back, seeking safety behind Minato.

Seeing his attack was blocked by a kunai, Kaito promptly leaped back, creating some distance between himself and the masked man. In his mind, he pondered, 'I hope I've done enough, Dad can take it from here.' Kaito held onto the hope that preventing the masked man from taking Naruto hostage would be enough to change the outcome.

…

Kaito felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him as he successfully thwarted the masked man's attempt to seize Naruto as a hostage. It was this very act of taking Naruto captive that had allowed the masked man to effectively separate Minato from Kushina. Now that Naruto was out of harm's way, Minato could focus his attention on dealing with the masked man without any distractions. As Kaito sensed the presence of the masked man, a thought crossed his mind: "His chakra signature doesn't feel the same as Obito'... The Hashirama cell must have altered his chakra signature. That would explain why Dad couldn't figure out his true identity in the original encounter."

Just as Minato was on the verge of tightening the seal of the Nine Tails, the sharp clash of kunai meeting in combat caught his attention. He swiftly pivoted towards the source of the sound, only to find Lady Biwako and Taji, two members of the Anbu, landing behind him in a coordinated leap. They were closely followed by Kaito, who jumped back to create some distance between himself and the masked man.

"Dammit," Minato cursed inwardly, a mixture of frustration and gratitude swirling within him, "I was so fixated on maintaining the seal that I completely disregarded Kaito's premonition... Luckily, Kaito managed to thwart the masked man's attempt to take Naruto hostage." The weight of concern and confusion bore down on Minato's mind. "How did he breach the barrier?... Who the hell is he?" The relentless task of keeping the Nine Tails restrained had consumed Minato's attention to the point where he had unintentionally pushed aside any consideration of Kaito's earlier dreams.

Just then, Kushina's piercing scream echoed through the air, and Minato's gaze snapped back to her. The seal on her stomach contorted and swelled into a dark, ominous mass. "Kushina," Minato said urgently, concern etched across his face, "the Nine Tails seal is still..." His voice trailed off, filled with apprehension.

"I'll have to act swiftly to tighten the seal before dealing with that guy," Minato resolved, his mind racing with determination. He refocused his attention on the task at hand, urgently working to secure the seal.

Both Minato and Kaito were jolted by the sudden, chilling scream and the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. Naruto's cries of distress pierced the air behind them. They turned swiftly, dread settling in the pits of their stomachs. Before them lay Lady Biwako and the Anbu operative Taji, lifeless on the floor.

Their hearts sank as they took in the grim sight. Standing over the fallen figures was yet another masked man, sinister and foreboding. In one hand, he held baby Naruto, his grip unyielding, while the other hand hovered ominously over the infant.

"Lady Biwako! Taji!" Minato's voice rang out, laced with anguish, as he beheld their lifeless forms sprawled on the ground.

Kaito's shock was palpable as his eyes locked onto the second masked man. His mind raced in disbelief, "What?... Did he use a shadow clone?" The realization hit him hard; he had been so engrossed in the confrontation before him that he hadn't sensed the presence of this additional threat. Cursing himself inwardly, Kaito redirected his focus, honing in on the masked man holding Naruto, determination etched across his face.

"Fourth Hokage Minato, step away from the jinchuriki," commanded the masked man, his voice dripping with menace. He continued, his threat hanging heavy in the air, "Otherwise, this child's life will end in one minute." a kunai materialized in his hand, poised and ready to carry out his chilling ultimatum.

"Get away from the jinchuriki! Don't you care what happens to your kid?" the masked man sneered, inching the kunai dangerously closer to Naruto.

"Wait! Calm down!" Minato pleaded, his voice tinged with panic, his mind racing for a solution to defuse the deadly situation.

Meanwhile, Kaito observed with alarm as the masked man he had previously engaged vanished in a swirl.

"Speak for yourself, Minato. I'm as cool as can be," the masked man taunted, a chilling confidence emanating from him. In a swift motion, he hurled Naruto into the air above him.

Kushina's heart-wrenching scream tore through the air as she witnessed her precious son being flung into the air. "Naruto!" she cried out in sheer terror and desperation.

The masked man leaped into the air, kunai aimed with deadly precision at Naruto, ready to strike.

In a split-second decision, Minato used the Body Flicker Technique. He whisked Naruto away from harm's way, reappearing on the opposite side of the room with the infant securely cradled in his arms. "Well, I must hand it to the Yellow Flash," the masked man remarked, a note of begrudging respect in his tone, "but I wonder about this next one." With a swift landing, he activated explosive tags attached to Naruto,

Kushina's heart leaped to her throat as she beheld the explosive tags attached to Naruto. Panic surged through her, and she shouted, "Minato! Naruto!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Minato reacted with lightning speed. He swiftly activated his teleportation jutsu, whisking himself and Naruto to safety,. The room filled with a tense stillness, broken only by the distant echoes of Kushina's desperate cries.

As the masked man hurled Naruto into the air, Kaito was able to predict the masked man's next move.

With a swift and calculated motion, Kaito retrieved five shuriken from his pouch, poised for the opportune moment. As the masked man touched down on the ground, Kaito unleashed the projectiles, simultaneously forming a half-ram hand sign.

The five shuriken multiplied into an onslaught of fifty, hurtling toward the masked man with deadly intent

As the onslaught of shuriken hurtled towards him, the masked man swiftly sank into the ground, seamlessly melding with the earth as soon as he made contact.

Observing this evasion, Kaito couldn't help but find it peculiar. "If he wanted to avoid it, he could have simply let them pass through him," Kaito mused, a flicker of suspicion dancing in his mind.

Kaito's thoughts raced as he assessed the situation. He mentally bolstered his resolve, steeling himself for the task at hand. "I'll need to keep him away from reaching Mom for a few minutes... Obito shouldn't be that strong, it's his hax abilities that are troublesome... Just until Dad comes back... Yeah, no biggie. I can do that," Kaito affirmed, a surge of determination coursing through him.

Shortly after the mysterious masked man vanished beneath the earth's surface, a swirling portal materialized in close proximity to Kushina. Sensing its presence, Kaito swiftly employed the body flicker technique, emerging directly in front of the masked man just as he fully materialized. With a swift and determined motion, Kaito aimed his strike at the masked man's head, mirroring a move he had successfully executed afew minutes before. However, this time, the masked man displayed uncanny anticipation, skillfully ducking his head to evade the impending blow. "You're quite good, kid... but not good enough," he remarked confidently.

Kaito's strike was deftly evaded, prompting the masked man to counter with a swift strike of his own, slashing his kunai towards Kaito. The tense situation elicited a panicked cry from Kushina, who remained on the bed, desperately calling out, "Kaito!"

With grim determination, the masked man uttered, "Die," as the kunai neared Kaito's neck. However, to the astonishment of all present, the blade simply passed through Kaito, leaving him unharmed. "What?!" the masked man exclaimed, his confusion evident as he struggled to comprehend the inexplicable turn of events.

Anticipating the masked man's move, Kaito had already employed his Zanzo Shunsin, ( afterimage Body Flicker). In an instant, he materialized behind the masked man, swift and decisive, slashing at him with a triumphant thought, "Got you, you cocky shit."

Caught entirely off guard and unprepared for Kaito's swift maneuver, the masked man found himself unable to react fast enough.

As Kaito's kunai neared its target, a sudden figure emerged from the ground, intercepting Kaito's hand. "What!" Kaito thought, taken aback by the unexpected intervention.

Before Kaito could react, his hand was mercilessly crushed, and he was forcefully propelled into a nearby wall. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through his body.

Witnessing this brutal assault, Kushina's voice echoed through the room, a mix of fear and desperation, as she shouted and pleaded, "Kaito!... Leave him, please!" Her heartache and concern for Kaito were palpable, the urgency in her plea reflecting the gravity of the situation.

The masked man engaged in combat with Kaito, he muttered, "I underestimated him... Finish him off. If left unchecked, he'll become troublesome in the future." With that he swiftly reached out and touched Kushina, drawing her into his dimension before following suit.

The kick had been forceful, and Kaito's head collided with the unforgiving wall. He teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, his strength waning. With great effort, he managed only to mumble, "Mom," his voice filled with concern for his mother now taken away.

In his fading awareness, the last image that registered for Kaito was the masked man, the architect of his current plight, calmly approaching him, casting a foreboding shadow over his diminishing consciousness.

Author's Note: Kaito was only able to contend with Obito because Obito underestimated him. Additionally, Obito's surprise was due to his mistaken belief that Kaito had employed Kamui.

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