Kaito POV

Kaito...Kaito! You have to make it Kaito, you are my one and only son. The rest of the clan is still here fighting but I don't know if this is a battle we can win. So that's why I'm sending you away Kaito. I'm sending you to the Leaf Village. You're gonna be upset about this because you always joked that the Leaf is full of bleeding hearts and wusses, well now you're going to live with them. It's only temporary my son, but go. Get stronger, when you get strong enough you will be able to come back and fight with the rest of us. You will become one of the strongest ninja the Mist ever produced if you keep up your training. You have good genes you can thank me for that. You inherited my Kekkei Genkai the Ice Release. That's why our family was hunted down. That's not the only thing that makes you strong my son. You have your mother's techniques too. The Hozuki clan's blood run's strong in you as well. They don't have a Kekkei Genkai but their Hydration Technique is quite fearsome. You have both so you should become a great ninja. Keep practicing with the Sword I gave to you. I know that ever since you were young you wanted to be one of the great 7 Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. You still can, just because you are going to the Leaf for now doesn't mean you won't ever be able to come back. We'll this is all I can say for now. They are still after us. Be strong my son, and never forget where you came from. I left a note for the Hokage to explain your situation so that they will let you stay there. Well son, I love you, now I got to go. Kaito stay strong, and get even stronger. We'll keep up the good fight here in Kiri.

I woke up on the boat with a cold sweat. My dad, he risked his life to save me. Why? I could still fight, I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay and fight for my family. We'll at least there's still hope, I don't know if everyone was killed off. The only thing that's with me are my clothes, my sword and some rations my dad left for me. They won't last me that long. If my dad said I'm going to the Leaf then I must be in the Land of Fire.

I get out of my boat and I grab my most prized possession, my sword and I put it on it's holster on my waist. If I got here by boat I have to move inland to get to the Leaf Village I think. I don't know for sure I've only seen the Village in pictures. Well I just gotta keep moving I guess.

Week long timeskip

I have been surviving in the Land of Fire for days, killing animals with my sword and eating them. It still seems like I'm nowhere near the Leaf Village. I'm jumping through trees and then I hear a voice and I immediately start hiding. "Okay our mission is to track down someone who's been wandering through the Land of Fire for around a week. Many people have seen him and they describe him as a 12-13 year old male with white-bluish hair that flows into his face and over his eyes. He's been seen to have silver eyes and carry a sword. He's dressed like a ninja from Kiri with camouflage pants and a Kiri flak jacket. He's also been noted to be short. Our mission is to take him in for questioning alive. So don't rough the kid up." A masculine voice rang out. He kinda coughed in between some of his sentences and it was weird. This guy sounded like he was ill.

But forget about him, they were coming for me. Their mission seemed like they would have to capture me alive but I don't know if he's lying because he knows that I'm near. I shouldn't let myself be captured so easily, but I'm in no condition to escape. I'm hungry and I've been in the wilderness all week. I'm exhausted. "Come on out kid, we've noticed you were around here like 5 minutes ago" Says the guy from before. I say nothing and I turn to run but the guy is right behind me. He's wearing a Konoha Flak Jacket. He has brown hair most of it covered up by his blue hat with a Konoha symbol on the front, but it hangs in his face. He has lines under his eyes like he hasn't slept for days.

I begin to draw my blade, and the man draws his own quicker than me. "Look kid, you don't want to fight me right now. You look hungry and tired. I'm sure you heard me say that we came to take you alive and bring you in for questioning. No harm will come to you I promise." The man says through coughs.

"How do I know I won't get harmed when I come with you? Tell your men to back off and I'll consider it." I say. I don't trust this Konoha ninja at all but I don't trust his men even more. If he really wanted to harm me he could've done so when he was behind me. I was completely unaware until he begin to speak. He's good. He waved his men off and begins to speak again.

"My name is Hayate Gekko, and I'm a jonin of the Leaf. Can you tell me your name?" Hayate says. "I'm Kaito….Hozuki. Now if you're going to bring me in can you at least bring me a warm meal when you do. Cause I'm starving." I say as my stomach is growling. I refrain from telling him my actual family name Kaito Yuki. We were purged because of our bloodline in Kiri so I don't want it to follow me here as well.

"Deal. I'll have to cover your eyes. I don't want you seeing the way to the Leaf until I'm sure we can trust you. I hope you can understand." Hayate says. This guy was no idiot. I could be a spy or something he doesn't know and I don't blame him for being cautious. He puts the blindfold over my eyes and we begin to walk.

15 minutes later we arrive I think because I begin to here a lot of voices. It sounds like a village at least. Once we get inside Hayate drops my blindfold and I see an old man. He seems to be a Kage though because he's wearing the Kage robes with a Fire Symbol. The man speaks up "Hello there I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi, and I'm the 3rd Hokage. Now what is someone so young doing around the Land of Fire alone? Your attire suggests that you're from Kiri. Are you a spy? Do you have malice in your heart?" the Hokage asks. I begin to reach in my shuriken pouch where my father's other note is and then I have a blade to my throat. "Watch your hands kid. Don't make another sudden move or it might be your last." Hayate growls. "I was just grabbing a note from my father. It'll explain everything." I say quickly. I pull the note out slowly and hand it to the Hokage. The Hokage reads over it multiple times, seemingly in disbelief.

"You're a refugee from the Mist? Your father is Takeo Yuki otherwise known as the Winter's Fangs?" The Hokage says skeptically. Wow, people from the Leaf know of my dad? I guess he wasn't lying all those times he said he used to be a hotshot in his day.

"Yeah my Dad's name is Takeo Yuki, and my true name is Kaito Yuki. Hayate I didn't give you my real surname when we met because of the Bloodline Purge. I don't know who'll still be after me." I say seriously.

"Well anyone can forge a letter and claim to be the son of Takeo Yuki but can you prove it?" The Hokage says. He has a coffee cup on his desk filled with coffee I put my hand on it and it freezes. "Hope you like Iced Coffee. Believe me now?" I say annoyed.

"What is this bloodline purge that you spoke of? I've never heard anything like that happening to Kiri." The Hokage asks. "Well the village doesn't just go around saying that they are massacring people with Kekkei Genkai's. They've been keeping it a secret from the other villages. Nobody outside of Kiri really knows what's going on in Kiri. At first they started to scrutinize people with Kekkei Genkai, then we became the outcasts, then they attacked. This is all during the reign of the 4th Mizukage Yagura. He condoned it." I say shaking angrily. I begin to calm down. What my family had gone through was rough, but some of us survived, that's more than I can say for some other clans.

My stomach begins to rumble and I remember Hayate's promise for my warm meal once I got here.

"Hey Hayate, where's my meal you promised? I'm starving half to death." I ask. "You'll get your meal soon enough. Just keep listening to what the Hokage has to say." Hayate responds.

"Well before I let you be in the village I need you to submit to one more thing. Inoichi come in please" The Hokage says. A tall man with a blonde ponytail and bangs framing his face comes in. "Yes Hokage" he says.

"I need you to use your expertise to see if our friend here is being truthful, and that he has no malice in his heart." The Hokage says. "Is this okay with you Kaito?" He continues. "Yes, I have nothing to hide." I say while taking some deep breaths trying to clear my mind to make it easier for him.

Inoichi makes a couple quick handsigns and says "Saiko Denshin" while placing a hand on my head. It feels a bit tingly it's weird. In a few moments Inoichi takes his hand off my head and smirks. "He's being truthful about what he said and where he's from. He hasn't come here to cause any harm to the village." Hiruzen smiles.

"Good now we're going to register your for the ninja academy. You got here all alone so you must have skill, and I saw you use your Kekkei Genkai. You'll become a ninja here in the Leaf for now." The ninja academy? I'm already a genin in the Mist. But I couldn't really prove it, the Mist doesn't have a ninja registration system.

"Alright, but will I have to start from the beginning? Could ya just put me in the graduating class. I'm already an elite genin if not low chunin. I wouldn't want to have to start all over." I say sighing. I hope I don't have to start the academy all over again. It would be so redundant.

"Yeah you'll be in the graduating class. They are taking their graduation exams soon. You'll take part and be assigned a Jonin Sensei if you pass." Hiruzen says.

"Alright, now can I be shown where I'm gonna live and get that meal already. I'm starving." I say as my stomach is rumbling. "Yeah, we'll cover your first month of rent because you aren't a ninja yet, but once you become one you are on your own. As far as food goes, your apartment will be stocked with enough food to last a month. Now Hayate go show him his way to his new home." The Hokage says.

Enough food to last a month? Wow the Leaf really are bleeding hearts, but in this case I'm thankful.

Hayato gestures for me to follow him and I go. We walk to what seems to be the lower class district and I've been on the receiving side of a lot of dirty looks and sneers. I guess the Leaf doesn't take so kindly to outsiders. Hayate tells me that the Academy is right across the street so I don't have to go looking for it. He unlocks the door and it's a one bedroom apartment, nothing too complex. My food is on the table. It's chicken and rice, while not my favorite I'll still eat it. I'm starving.

"How did you guys get that food prepped so quickly?" I say thinking out loud. "I sent out a messenger bird when we were traveling and while you were blindfolded." Hayate says. "This is your home for now. The cabinets have cereal, canned goods, bread, tuna, and other items. Don't wreck the place since you'll be renting it. The rent is 500 a month. It should be affordable for you because genin missions pay around that much. Here's the key" He says while tossing me the key. I catch it and put it in my pocket.

"Oh also, there is a copy of your outfit in the closet, yours is kind of ruined. See ya" Hayato mutters, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

I sit down and absolutely demolish the food on the table. I didn't look up from my plate until after my food was gone "Dad, I made it." I say. I lay on my bed my eyes start to drop immediately. It's been a rough week, I think I dropped a couple pounds I'm looking lankier than ever. That's what being in the wilderness does to you I guess. I fall asleep quickly.

Once I wake up the next morning I take a shower to wash the dirt out of my hair and my skin. I grab my new pair of clothing that they made for me and I head out. I walk across the street to the academy and it's still people staring at me. I can hear them talking to their friends "Who's the skinny freak with the white hair? And why is he here?" They say under their breath. People like that disgust me. If you have something to say to someone just tell them. I can't do anything to those idiots because the Hokage probably wouldn't appreciate me terrorizing the civilians. Even if they deserve it.

I continue walking into the academy and I ignore them. The man who is in front of the class notices me and he quiets his class. "Oh here is our newest class member. Kaito Hozuki correct?" The man says and I smirk. Hayato and the old man kept my secret. "Yes that's correct. And your name is?" I ask. "I'm Iruka Umino. Kaito is a transfer from Kirigakure. He'll be joining the graduating class, and taking the exam today." Iruka says.

"Why does he get to automatically join the graduating class? What even qualifies him to be here?" A boy speaks up. He has pale lavender eyes and long brown hair. I don't blame him. I did come out of nowhere. But who is he to question my qualifications?

"The Hokage himself said he'll be joining the graduating class and that's final, Neji." Line up in single file to take the exam. Everyone in the room gets up from their seats and quickly line up. I'm somewhat middle in line. I'm behind a girl who has brown hair in a ponytail with strands of it coming in her face. She also has warm brown eyes. She's wearing a blue skirt, and a blue vest to match. She has a white shirt under it and a necklace on with a Konoha symbol on it. I begin to make conversation. "Hey, what's your name. If you didn't already hear Iruka say it mine is Kaito." She looks at me and says "My name is Asami Sarutobi" I was gonna continue but then her name was called for the exam. "Good luck" I say. She seemed nice enough. Everyone in the village wasn't too bad.

"Trying to chat up the girl I see?" Someone calls out from behind me. He has curly black hair with mischievous onyx eyes. He's wearing a V-Neck Tee-Shirt with khaki pants. He's wearing steeled toed boots. "Nah, just being nice. Try it out sometimes." I retort.

"Kaito! It's your turn." Iruka calls out.

I walk into the room and it's 3 examiners there. Iruka speaks up. First, I need you to show some type of clone jutsu. I smirk. This is easy. I make the appropriate handsigns and say "Bushin no Jutsu" A perfect clone of me shows up.

"Great now can you show us something else? It's your choice, you can do anything as long as it's a jutsu that works." Iruka says. I turn around and turn my body into water. I go right through the bottom of the floor and form on the outside surprising my classmate. I see some astonished looks on their face as I become puddle on the floor and go right back in the room.

"A-amazing. What jutsu is that?" Iruka asks in surprise. I smirk proudly. "It's my clan's Suika no Jutsu. It allows the user to transform his full body or part of his body into water. It was very hard to learn" I say. I remember my mother using it all the time when I was young. She would use it all the time.

"Well you've definitely earned this." Iruka says holding up a Leaf Headband. "Do you got one in a lighter blue? Or gray?" I ask hopefully. I really wanted it in light blue or grey because that was Kirigakure's colors. Just because I wasn't happy with what's going on in Kiri doesn't mean I'm not a proud Kiri ninja.

"I knew you would ask seeing that you're from Kiri." Iruka says, while handing me a gray Konoha forehead protector. I put it right around my forehead like a proud ninja. "Thanks Iruka" I say. I walk out with my hitai-ite on and smiling proudly. My dad's probably proud of me. I go back to my seat and I sit and wait. 15 minutes later and the people who've passed have all sat down. It isn't many of us at all. Those who've failed walk out with their heads down. It has to be disappointing

"Congratulations on those who've passed. To those who didn't, there is always next year. Keep at your studies and your training and you too can pass." Iruka says while the remaining stragglers walk out. "I'll tell you your teams and then you can be introduced to your Jonin Sensei's. Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, and Ten Ten, you're with Maito Gai" A man with a green jumpsuit and a Konoha Flak Jacket walks in. He has eyebrows as big as centipedes. Weird, but I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Neji and his team go with their sensei and they leave. I'm glad I didn't get placed on a team with him. He seemed to be annoying. Now if I dodged the guy with the curly black hair, I'd really be happy. Iruka clears his throat "Hideki Morino, Kaito Hozuki and Asami Sarutobi" Iruka says loudly. I stand up, and so does the girl from earlier, Asami. Then just the guy I didn't want stands up. Eh, can't get everything you want, that'd be too easy. Life doesn't work that way. Now I'm wondering who's our Jonin Sensei?

"Your Jonin Sensei is Hayate Gekko."