Naruto: The Fate of Beasts

The first frost of winter had settled over Konoha, turning the training grounds into a glistening expanse of silver and white. Kaito moved through the katas Jiraiya had drilled into him months ago, his breath curling in the crisp air. The bandana sat secure against his brow, its edges stiff with cold. He didn't need it anymore—not really. The Yajuugan's glow had dimmed to a flicker under his control, but he kept the fabric tied out of habit, a shield against prying eyes.

Naruto's laughter echoed from the academy courtyard, mingling with the shouts of other children. Kaito ignored it. He'd grown adept at drowning out the noise.

"Not bad, kid."

Kaito froze mid-strike. The voice—rough, familiar—sent a jolt through his chest. He turned.

Jiraiya stood at the edge of the field, his traveling cloak dusted with snow. He looked older, the lines around his eyes deeper, but his smirk was the same.

"You're back," Kaito said, too flat, too quiet.

"For now." Jiraiya tossed him a canteen. "Hot chocolate. Don't tell the Hokage I'm corrupting you."

Kaito caught it but didn't drink. The metal warming his palms. "How long?"

Jiraiya sighed, the smirk fading. "Let's walk."

They ended up at the bridge, the same one where Naruto had once dragged Kaito to skip stones. The river below was half-frozen, its sluggish current carrying shards of ice.

"I'm heading out again," Jiraiya said, leaning against the railing. "Further this time. Borders of Rain Country."

Kaito's grip tightened on the canteen. "Why?"

"The red-and-white bastards—they're not just hunters. They're part of something bigger. A cult, maybe. Or a rogue nation." Jiraiya's gaze hardened. "They've been hitting small clans across the continent. Yours wasn't the first."

The words hung in the air, heavier than the frost. *Not the first.* Kaito's chest ached, but not for himself—for the faceless others, the families who'd burned while they slaughtered them.

"How long?" he repeated.

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck. "Years, maybe. Intel's thin. They're ghosts."

*Years.* The hot chocolate had gone cold. Kaito set it down. "Take me with you."

"No."

"I can fight—"

"You're 8."

"So?"

"So, you're staying here." Jiraiya's voice brooked no argument, but his eyes softened. "Konoha's got enough enemies without me dragging their shiny new clan heir into a warzone."

*Clan heir.* The term felt like a mockery. Kaito's "clan" was ash and memory.

"I'm not an heir," he muttered.

"You're all that's left," Jiraiya said quietly. "That makes you the heir."

"Now come on kid, it's cold, let's get you home."

Back at the apartment, Jiraiya rummaged through his pack, tossing aside scrolls and ration bars. "Ah. Here."

He handed Kaito a small wooden box. Inside lay a bracelet—simple, braided leather with a single bead carved in the shape of a wolf chasing the moon.

"Your Clans," Jiraiya said when Kaito stared. "Found it in the ruins. Figured you'd want it."

Kaito's throat closed. He'd thought everything had burned.

"And this." Jiraiya dropped a scroll onto the desk. "Advanced chakra theory. Don't blow up the village."

"You're terrible at goodbyes," Kaito said, his voice cracking.

Jiraiya chuckled. "And you're terrible at hellos. We all got flaws, kid."

They trained one final time at dawn, the world painted in hues of pink and gold. Jiraiya didn't hold back.

"Again!" he barked as Kaito staggered from a kick to the ribs.

Kaito lunged, channeling a sliver of "weight" something he recently started calling what happens when he focuses his eyes on something using chakra and intent. The air hummed, and Jiraiya's next strike slowed as if pushing through water.

"Good," Jiraiya grunted, breaking free. "Control, not force. Remember that."

When the sun crested the trees, they stopped. Kaito's muscles screamed, but he refused to show it.

"You'll keep the bandana on?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes."

"And watch Naruto?"

"He's hopeless."

"But he's a friend." Jiraiya clapped his shoulder. "Don't screw it up."

Naruto found him at the gates later, snowflakes clinging to his ridiculous orange scarf. "Where's Jiraiya?"

"Gone."

"Oh." Naruto scuffed his boot in the snow. "You okay?"

Kaito stared at the horizon, where the road vanished into mist. "I will be."

Naruto nodded, uncharacteristically solemn. "We'll be okay. 'Cause we're teammates, right?"

"Yeah, yeah we will be."

That night, Kaito stood at his window, the wolf-and-moon bracelet cold against his wrist. The full moon seemed to glow ethereally in the night.

"I am still alive Mama… I kept my promise."