The conference room in Konoha was tense, every shinobi's heart still weighed down by the memory of Pain's invasion.
What if you don't know? The consequences are unimaginable, one of the elders thought grimly. That power is probably even greater than Hokage-sama's.
Even though Pain had retreated, the village still carried deep scars. Many worried he would return with vengeance, striking Konoha when they were at their weakest.
And then, in the midst of those fears, Kaito appeared with a mysterious space–time ninjutsu, calmly announcing that Pain had been killed. Relief washed through the room like a wave.
"As expected of Kaito," Nara Shikaku was the first to find his voice. Though shocked at first, he quickly composed himself. He already knew Ayanami Kaito's identity. To have destroyed Pain while away from the village—it spoke volumes of his strength.
Worthy of being called the God of the Ninja World, Shikaku thought, quietly exhaling.
The others soon followed, their voices rising in admiration and awe. The once solemn atmosphere of the council chamber turned lively as they discussed his incredible achievement.
---
That night, Kaito returned home. The house was quiet; only Kushina was there, sitting barefoot in the corridor, sipping tea leisurely.
When she saw him, her face lit up with undisguised joy. "You're back!"
Kaito smiled faintly, stepping forward and picking up her teacup, taking a sip as though he had never left. "Hmm. What about Hinata and the others?"
"Everyone's out helping with repairs. Even though the enemy was defeated, Konoha suffered heavy damage. The cost of rebuilding alone will give Tsunade-san quite the headache."
"Indeed," Kaito nodded. On his way back he had seen countless ruins where once familiar homes and streets had stood.
"I'm heading into training. The duration is uncertain."
"Again?" Kushina frowned, confused. To her, Kaito's strength was already unmatched in the ninja world. Why was he so obsessed with pushing further? Still, she knew well—once Kaito made up his mind, nothing could stop him.
"Where?" she asked softly. "Somewhere in Konoha?"
"No," Kaito replied. "A different space entirely."
Space twisted and rippled around them, and before Kushina could react, they vanished.
---
They reappeared in a barren dimension, cold and silent, with massive stone pillars stretching endlessly into the void.
Kushina's eyes widened. "This… This is your own dimension? Since when did you master such space-time ninjutsu?"
"Not long ago," Kaito admitted. "I'll train here from now on. If anything happens, Tsunade can use Katsuyu to contact me."
Kushina's joy faded slightly. She had hoped he would remain home for a while, not vanish into training once more. Her expression dimmed.
Kaito reached out, brushing her hair gently. "Don't worry. This time my retreat won't be long."
His gaze lingered on her face, the warmth of the moment pulling them together until, before long, the two shared an intimacy that words could not capture.
Exhausted, Kushina drifted into sleep, and Kaito left a Shadow Clone behind to protect her while he returned to the void.
---
There, upon a massive stone column, Kaito sat cross-legged, holding two glass bottles. Inside each floated a pair of purple eyes—the Rinnegan.
Unsealing them, he held one in each hand. As he felt the immense power radiating from the eyes, he began to absorb the pupil energy.
Black streams of spiritual energy flowed into him, refined by the lightning within his body before being devoured by the essence of his own spirit. His once-blue eyes deepened, faint traces of purple rings forming and solidifying within them.
A new power awakened. Attraction… Repulsion… The abilities of the Rinnegan revealed themselves in his mind, mirroring what he had once gained from the Tenseigan.
He had hoped for more—perhaps the ability to absorb chakra or revive the dead—but he accepted the gift nonetheless.
Without hesitation, Kaito threw aside hesitation and began training. His Shadow Clones divided their efforts: some mastering Yin-Yang Release, others adapting to his evolving body, and others still testing new forms of lightning techniques.
Kaito himself focused on a far greater task—the Truth-Seeking Balls.
Guided by fragments of memory and instinct, he carefully tried to forge one, balancing Yin, Yang, and the five elemental chakras. But the moment the energies fused, danger exploded.
He vanished just as the space detonated.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar split the void. Flames and shockwaves tore the dimension apart, leaving a hundred-meter crater where he had once stood.
Kaito reappeared at the edge, his face grim. "So much power… if I'd attempted this in Konoha, the village would have been destroyed."
System, restore this place.
A blinding glow enveloped the devastation. Before his eyes, the shattered terrain mended, returning to its pristine state. Without surprise, Kaito resumed his efforts.
Again and again, explosions rocked the space.
System, Restore.
System, Restore.
Each failure taught him balance, control, and patience. Days melted into nights, and a week passed before he stood once more before a vast crater. His face remained calm, neither frustrated nor eager.
"System, restore," he said evenly, preparing once more to refine the forbidden orbs.
---
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