Deep within the damp shadows of an underground cavern...

A green candle flickered faintly against the walls.

An old man, withered and skeletal, sat atop a raised platform. Behind him loomed a monstrous statue—the Outer Path Demon Statue—its presence both ominous and oppressive. Thick, pulsating tubes were embedded into the man's body, sustaining his frail form, keeping him tethered to life.

This man was none other than Uchiha Madara, surviving through the power of the statue. Though aged and fragile, his aura radiated dominance—an authority that blanketed the entire ninja world. His gaze, calm and hollow, seemed to pierce through time itself.

Suddenly, White Zetsu emerged from the shadows.

"A powerful figure has appeared in the ninja world," White Zetsu reported. "First, he wiped out tens of thousands of Iwa shinobi. Then, he defeated Ōnoki, along with the Four-Tails and Five-Tails. After that, he was spotted staying at an inn in the Land of Bears. Now, he's heading toward the Fire and Wind border."

Madara's tired gaze flickered with life.

"You can't trace his identity?"

"No background, no records. It's as if he came from nowhere. His lightning-style ninjutsu is unmatched, and his taijutsu is frighteningly refined," White Zetsu said, shaking his head.

"I see..." Madara murmured, his expression unreadable.

"Madara-sama, do you think he'll interfere with the plan?" White Zetsu asked again.

"We watch. As long as he doesn't approach that child, we leave him be. But if he does... I'll erase him."

With those chilling words, the tension returned to silence.

"I understand, Madara-sama," White Zetsu replied before vanishing into the darkness once more.

Alone in the quiet, Madara's gaze remained fixed—lost in thought.

---

The Land of Bears, nestled between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, was quiet and remote.

Kaito traveled through the day, enjoying the different cultures of the ninja world. At night, he pushed his limits further, refining his strength and control. On the third day, he arrived near the border of the Land of Fire and Wind, catching sight of a small-scale battlefield between the Sand and Konoha forces.

It was labeled small not because of troop numbers, but due to the absence of high-ranking shinobi—most were Genin and Chunin. It was a battlefield for fodder.

Kaito barely gave it a glance before continuing toward Konoha's headquarters.

He'd heard the conflict with the Sand Ninja had reached a critical point. With the Third Kazekage still missing, command of Sunagakure had fallen to Chiyo and her brother Ebizo.

The war's spark was simple: vengeance. Chiyo had lost her son and daughter-in-law to the legendary Konoha shinobi, White Fang. Now with power in her hands, she sought revenge. But White Fang had taken his own life under Konoha's political pressure, and so, the hatred fell squarely on Konoha itself.

Known for her mastery of puppetry and poison, Chiyo's involvement made the conflict far deadlier.

To counter her, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, dispatched Tsunade as the commanding officer, with Nara Shikaku as her strategist.

Tsunade was famous, not only for her strength and medical prowess but also her temper. Kaito had no illusions—Shikaku was likely the real commander, while Tsunade focused on countering Chiyo's poisons.

Lost in thought, Kaito soon crossed into the Fire Nation's territory.

"Who are you?" a Konoha patrol stopped him, visibly alert at his odd attire.

Kaito eyed them. One wore the pale, featureless gaze of the Hyūga clan, another had large sunglasses—a clear sign of the Aburame—and the third, a woman on a giant hound, unmistakably Inuzuka.

"I'm looking for Senju Tsunade," Kaito said casually, rubbing his chin.

"Looking for Lady Tsunade?" Hyūga Tokugawa frowned, glancing at his teammates.

"Come with us," he finally said after a pause.

"No rush," Kaito interjected, pointing toward the horizon. "Looks like your comrades are in trouble over there."

"Byakugan!" Tokugawa immediately activated his dōjutsu and looked in the direction Kaito indicated.

"Don't bother," Kaito added. "With your chakra, your range is maybe a kilometer. This is farther."

The Hyūga narrowed his eyes at the stranger's confidence, unsure whether to believe him.

"That's one of our village's supply routes," Aburame Shida stated calmly. "Food and resources are scheduled to pass through there soon."

"So what now? Do we trust him?" Tokugawa asked.

Aburame Shida didn't answer. He simply left the decision to their captain.

"Inuzuka Tsumugi, you head back and report to Shikaku-sama. Shida and I will investigate. You," he said, turning to Kaito, "you're coming with us."

"Alright, alright. Since it's for Tsunade's sake," Kaito shrugged, his tone indifferent. Without another word, he led the way.

Tokugawa and Shida exchanged a brief glance and followed.

Inuzuka Tsumugi leapt onto her wolf and dashed toward the base.

---

Not far from the border, hidden in a valley, a battle raged.

Konoha, led by Namikaze Minato, was in trouble.

On the other side stood Ebizo, representing Sunagakure's elite.

Konoha's supply line had been ambushed, and most of the transport unit lay dead.

Minato, still an elite jōnin at the time, had already mastered the Flying Thunder God technique. But even with his speed, he was no match for the experienced Ebizo—a battle-hardened shinobi of Kage-level skill.

The situation was dire.

---

This timeline is different from the original timeline 'Kaito' came from.

It isn't the Future.

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