(The book ended at chapter 274, so I'll resume posting it daily until it reaches the end.)
— — — — — — —
"No need to say anything more! I've already taken care of all your enemies!"
"I know you still don't trust me. Right now, all you feel is fear."
"But that doesn't matter!"
"Time will prove that I mean you no harm—I'm really just here to save you!"
"Come with me!"
"Even though I've killed all the CP agents here, that'll only draw even more attention from the World Government. You should leave with me before they send more people!"
Kaito cut her off before she could respond, speaking in a firm tone. Then, without giving her a chance to react, he placed his hand on her frail shoulder. Ignoring the way her body trembled even more violently, he focused his mind—and in an instant, they vanished from the loft.
The next moment, Robin felt her vision blur, and when she came to, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment.
She couldn't help but glance around, quickly realizing this was no longer the same island.
The plants, the wind direction, the climate—none of it matched.
Combining that with the spatial teleportation Kaito had displayed earlier, a bold guess formed in her mind.
This wasn't just another part of the same island.
It might not even be in the West Blue anymore.
Everything—the wind patterns, the climate, the vegetation—was completely different.
As an Ohara scholar, Robin had read extensively and was well-versed in the climates and ecosystems of different regions.
Her years on the run had also sharpened her skills in using the wind to determine location.
"Where… is this?"
She couldn't help but steal a glance at Kaito, cautiously asking.
"The East Blue—Shimotsuki Island, one of my training grounds," Kaito replied, undoing his transformation technique and giving her a reassuring smile. "You're safe here! Come on, I'll set up a place for you to stay. You can wash up and rest first."
"For now, you'll live here."
"Later, I'll have someone teach you some training methods. From now on, you'll train with me and my companions."
"As long as you become strong enough—strong enough that even if the World Government or the Marines recognize you, they won't be able to do anything to you—you won't have to live in fear anymore."
As he spoke, he waved toward a figure watching them from nearby.
Tashigi immediately perked up and ran over eagerly. She glanced at Nico Robin, then looked at Kaito.
"Kaito-nii, do you need me for something? Also… is this Nico Robin?"
Since she had formed a contract with Kaito, she knew a lot about the future of this world—including details about Nico Robin.
So she recognized her at a glance.
Robin, however, was still reeling from the fact that she had just been transported from the West Blue to the East Blue in the blink of an eye. Hearing Tashigi call her name, she froze for a moment, surprised to see such a cheerful, pretty girl looking at her with familiarity.
How does she know who I am?
It can't be that Kaito told her…?
But we've never met before.
"Yes, it's her."
Kaito nodded with a smile. "I just rescued her from the West Blue. She'll be staying here for now."
"Take her to get settled in. Have the logistics team prepare a suitable place for her, along with all the necessities—clothes, toiletries, everything she needs."
"Then, after she's had a chance to wash up, bring her to the dining hall. I'll be waiting there."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Got it! Let's go, Robin-chan!"
Tashigi grinned, grabbed Robin's hand, and pulled her along.
As they left, Kuina and the others gathered around, curious.
"That was Nico Robin just now?" Kuina asked.
"Yeah."
Kaito nodded and briefly recounted how he had rescued her.
Everyone listened with a mix of emotions—sympathy, sadness.
"She really had it rough…" Kuina sighed. "Her homeland and family were wiped out by the Marines. Even though Aokiji let her go, she's been living on the run ever since."
"She's spent years constantly in danger, dealing with betrayals and schemes every single day."
"She's been running for six or seven years like this. If it were me, I don't think I could have survived."
Not everyone could endure being hunted and persecuted from the age of eight.
"Yeah…"
Mikoto and the others nodded in agreement.
Kushina, in particular, couldn't help but reflect on her own past. She had once thought her life had been cruel.
But compared to Robin…
She realized she had been much luckier.
And now, with her fate completely changed, she had nothing to complain about.
"We should take good care of her," Kushina said firmly. "Help her move on from the past."
"Agreed!"
Mikoto and the others all nodded.
But they knew it wouldn't be easy for Robin to lower her guard.
Anyone who had been hunted for seven or eight years—especially someone who had spent time with criminals, pirates, and all sorts of shady groups—would have a hard time trusting people again.
But they were confident in themselves.
They had no ill will toward her.
They didn't want anything from her.
They truly just wanted to help.
After that, Kaito and the others trained for about an hour.
Then, when lunchtime arrived, Tashigi brought Robin to the dining hall.
Everyone welcomed Robin and ate together.
Throughout the meal, they all showed kindness toward her, making an effort to help her feel at ease.
Robin, ever cautious, still picked up on their genuine goodwill.
Being so perceptive was precisely why she could tell—they weren't trying to manipulate her or deceive her.
That realization allowed her to relax just a little.
With her years of experience surviving in a cruel world, she responded to their kindness in a way that was polite and friendly.
That said, her interactions remained somewhat superficial—more of a polite courtesy than genuine connection.
Of course, everyone here had sharp senses. They could tell.
But given her past experiences, they chose not to push her.
From that day on, Nico Robin officially settled into her new life.
During the day, she trained under Kaito and the others, focusing on basic taijutsu and swordsmanship.
As for Kaito's more advanced techniques?
Unfortunately, those were off-limits. Without a contract, even someone like Robin—who Kaito sympathized with and saw great potential in—wasn't granted access. There was too much risk of these powerful techniques leaking to outsiders.
— — —
Three days later…
"I did it!"
After another cycle of Sage Chakra refinement, Kaito had successfully enhanced his own Sage Chakra reserves. At this point, he had officially refined the technique to a "minor mastery" level.
He could feel it—his control over the technique had reached a stable point, allowing him to integrate natural energy absorption seamlessly into his chakra refinement process.
Opening his eyes, his face lit up with excitement as he murmured to himself.
Now that he had reached this level, his ability to absorb and refine natural energy into Sage Chakra would greatly accelerate.
However, given the sheer volume of his chakra and the fact that it was still constantly growing, completely replacing his regular chakra with Sage Chakra would take a long time.
Perhaps when he refined the technique to the "major mastery" or even "perfected" level, it would finally be possible.
Then again…
By that time, his Primal Chakra Refinement Technique might have already advanced to the next stage.
When that happened, he would likely integrate Sage Chakra refinement into the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique, breaking past another limit and creating an even stronger technique in the process.
At that point, this Sage Chakra refinement method would become obsolete.
Of course, even if that were the case, the technique would still hold immense value for others.
After all, the stronger a technique, the higher the requirements for training it.
Even if he developed a superior version, others wouldn't be able to use it unless they first mastered this foundational technique.
Just like how the Life Force technique was a requirement for the Eternal Life technique.
Bringing his thoughts back, Kaito noted that it was still nighttime. Instead of rushing to teach his mother and the others, he chose to continue training for another two hours.
Only when his body reached its daily limit did he finally stop and get some rest.
— — —
The Next Morning
During breakfast, Kaito shared the exciting news with his mother and the others.
"What?! The Sage Chakra Refinement Technique is now at a level where we can start training it?"
Everyone was thrilled upon hearing this.
"Amazing! Finally, I can start training in Sage Mode! Hmph, just wait! I'm going to thoroughly humiliate Jiraiya, pay him back tenfold for all those years of mockery!" Tsunade exclaimed, clenching her fists in excitement.
"Uh…"
Kaito gave her a speechless look. "Tsunade-nee, have you forgotten? We can't let Jiraiya—or the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku—find out about this just yet."
Tsunade froze. "...Oh."
"Damn it! I really did forget! So that means I can't get my revenge just yet?!"
She let out a frustrated groan.
"No choice!" Kaito shrugged helplessly. "Until we have someone at Six Paths-level strength who can stand against the Sage of Six Paths himself, we have to lay low."
"Just bear with it for a few years!"
"By then, your training will be far more advanced."
"Wouldn't it be even more satisfying to crush Jiraiya at that point?"
Tsunade mulled it over.
"Wait… are you telling me to not take revenge on Jiraiya? No way! That idiot deserves to be humiliated!"
Besides, frustrating Jiraiya a little might actually work in their favor. If it made him more eager to improve his relationship with Kaito, it could push him toward forming a contract.
Without a contract, Kaito would never fully trust him.
And without that trust, Jiraiya's fate was sealed—he'd eventually be left behind, completely outclassed and irrelevant.
"Yeah, you're right! Let's go with that plan!" Tsunade smirked.
After finishing breakfast, Tsunade and the others eagerly urged Kaito to begin.
He obliged, raising a hand and lightly tapping each of them on the forehead.
Streams of light entered their minds, transmitting the full training method for Sage Chakra Refinement along with some key insights.
Everyone present had already spent two to three years practicing the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique and meditation techniques.
Whether it was their spiritual strength, experience with energy circulation, or chakra reserves—they were all more than qualified.
So, after digesting the information, they immediately began attempting to train in Sage Chakra Refinement under Kaito's supervision.
The first to succeed was Uchiha Naori.
Shortly after, Tsunade followed suit.
It had only taken them half an hour and an hour, respectively, to grasp the technique.
.
.
.