Tobirama didn't linger in the village for long after his resurrection. Even though Tsunade invited him to stay for a meal, he declined and immediately set off for the Sand Special District.
He was concerned that Urashiki might launch another surprise attack on Hashirama, and there were still many matters to deal with in the Sand Special District.
Sunagakure had fully submitted to Konoha, but over 300 of Rasa's loyalists had been sealed and imprisoned. These individuals would be transported to Konoha's prisons, where they'd have their will broken down before being assigned to labor.
Among the 5,000 Konoha ninja, two large squads of 2,000 were prepared to be sent to the border of Amegakure to assist Konan, Shikaku, and Shisui in keeping Hanzō at bay. Should Hanzō dare to provoke a war with Konoha, it would only lead to Amegakure's downfall.
Another 1,000 shinobi were tasked with guarding and transporting prisoners, while the rest, alongside the Sand Special District ninja who had merged with Konoha, would focus on subduing the aristocrats and daimyos of the Land of Wind, and organizing a town security force.
Soon, Konoha's ninja would take responsibility for national security, enforcing Konoha's laws across the land.
Tobirama fully supported this policy, recognizing that Yoichi's plan was to consolidate power. Previously, taxes were collected by local prominent families, leading to the emergence of hereditary nobility.
Now, Konoha aimed to centralize resources and manpower, vastly increasing the possibilities of what could be achieved.
Tobirama, witnessing Konoha's evolution, felt as if his own intellectual barriers had been lifted.
He had always been a visionary, creating new departments and institutions within the village, such as the Ninja Academy, the ANBU, and the hospital. Other shinobi villages had modeled themselves after Konoha, following Tobirama's innovations.
During wars, Tobirama had also experimented on captured enemy shinobi, developing various forbidden techniques—earning him Orochimaru's admiration, even though their research diverged, with Orochimaru focused on immortality while Tobirama developed forbidden jutsu to enhance power.
Now that Tobirama understood Yoichi's strategy, he offered his quiet support. Unlike his older brother, Hashirama, who was often oblivious to political subtleties, Tobirama had no hesitation about how daimyos were being controlled with genjutsu. As long as it served the interests of the Land of Fire, he considered it acceptable.
In the coming year, the Senju brothers would remain in the Sand Special District—one managing governance, the other overseeing the construction of oases.
Within a year, the Land of Wind would be fully integrated into Konoha, bringing prosperity to the region.
After having lunch at Tsunade's house, Yoichi continued with his work.
At midday, he asked Tsunade to help him create a new clone—this time focusing on the Byakugan gene to facilitate his adaptation to the Tenseigan.
Tsunade agreed but also warned him that repeatedly creating clones could damage his soul. Unlike ordinary clones that could be reabsorbed, these would be permanent separations of a part of his soul.
However, Yoichi wasn't concerned. He was still practicing the mental cultivation technique, and his spiritual energy grew stronger each day. Losing part of his soul to the clone wouldn't significantly affect him.
Reluctantly, Tsunade agreed, finding the task simple enough. She had also made significant progress in developing a genetic modification serum, based on her research into the differences between Yoichi's and her own abilities when practicing the gene-based techniques.
Once perfected, the serum would allow more shinobi to cultivate these genetic abilities.
It was exciting news. Ordinary people, and even some high-level shinobi, struggled with gene-based techniques. Unless their genes were optimized to a certain extent, they couldn't even begin practicing. Orochimaru himself had been unable to master it until he modified his own genes.
Leaving the Senju compound, Yoichi found himself with little to do. He was merely waiting for his new villa to be completed, where he could finally move in and relax. The house he was currently living in had been built when he was still single, and it wasn't designed to accommodate so many people.
Since his wooden clone was handling everything at the Hokage's office, and Rumi had been giving him strange looks lately, Yoichi decided to visit Kushina instead.
"Maybe I'll tell her about Urashiki while I'm there," Yoichi thought. Whenever he thought of Kushina, a feeling of conquest stirred within him. While her words were often defiant, her body had always obediently followed his commands. Now, he just needed her mind to follow her heart.
As Yoichi sensed Kushina's home, he smiled. "Perfect. She's home, and Naruto isn't. I can avoid unnecessary distractions."
With that, Yoichi used the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport directly into Kushina's room.
"Hmm, not in the room?" he wondered aloud.
"Who is it? Naruto?" Kushina's voice called from the bathroom.
A moment later, she emerged, and upon seeing Yoichi, her expression shifted to anger. Her eyes turned red with rage, and she rushed forward, attacking him with fists and kicks.
Although the blows didn't hurt—Kushina hadn't even channeled any chakra—it was more of an emotional outburst than an actual attack.
Given Yoichi's current strength, even without chakra or genetic energy, his skin was as tough as diamond. He could withstand hours of gunfire without so much as a scratch.
After about ten minutes, when Kushina was breathless and exhausted, Yoichi finally spoke. "Kushina, what's gotten into you?"
"You bastard!" Kushina shouted, grabbing Yoichi by the shoulder and attempting to bite his neck. However, her teeth, no match for his hardened body, left her with aching gums instead.
Cradling her mouth, she glared at Yoichi and held up a pregnancy test in front of his face, demanding, "Explain this!"
"What's that?" Yoichi asked, feigning confusion, though he already knew.
"Don't play dumb with me! You switched my medication! I went to check, and it's just vitamins!" Kushina accused, holding up a bottle of pills she'd been taking.
Lately, she had been feeling nauseous, fatigued, and worried. As a widow, she hadn't dared go to the hospital directly, so she'd used a shadow clone and transformation jutsu to purchase a pregnancy test.
To her shock, the result had been positive. She had tested herself multiple times, and each time, the results had been the same. Unable to believe it, she had nearly collapsed in panic.
For all her precautions—taking medication that sometimes made her feel too sick to eat—she had still ended up pregnant.
How would others react to the news that she, a widowed kunoichi, was pregnant?
After her initial panic, Kushina had carefully examined the pills she had been taking and discovered they had been tampered with. The pills looked identical to contraceptives, but someone had swapped them with vitamins. And who else could have done it but the man standing in front of her?
"Alright, I did it," Yoichi admitted, his face showing a hint of 'guilt'. "I didn't plan this from the start, but I've come to care for you, Kushina. I truly like you, and that's why I did it. I'm sorry."
"I love Minato!" Kushina immediately interrupted, her voice firm and resolute, as if reminding herself. "I loved him before, and I love him now!"
"Kushina, you're lying to yourself."
"No, I'm not! Mmph—!"
Before Kushina could finish her retort, Yoichi silenced her with a kiss. Stunned, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Even now? How could he even think of doing something like this?
She struggled fiercely, pushing against him with all her might, but without using chakra, she was no match for him. In no time, she found herself pinned down on the bed, unable to move.
As her resistance waned, Kushina's mind became overwhelmed with helplessness, tears streaming down her face.
'How could he say he liked me and still do something like this?' she thought, utterly defeated.
Just as she was about to give up completely, Yoichi suddenly pulled away and met her tear-filled gaze. "Don't worry, Kushina. I know better than to do something like this right now. It wouldn't be good for the child."
"Excuses! Then what the hell are you doing right now?" she demanded, furious.
"I was just testing if you'd resist. If you truly loved Minato, why didn't you use the Adamantine Chains or Nine-Tails chakra to escape? I wasn't even using much strength. Even a chunin could have pushed me off."
Yoichi's words struck a chord as he stared into her evasive eyes. "Why didn't you fight back, Kushina?"
"I did! You're just too strong!" she insisted, though her voice lacked conviction.
"Kushina, I've told you, I wasn't using much strength."
As Yoichi spoke, he kissed her again. Though she was pinned beneath him, Kushina didn't turn her head away or struggle as much. It was as though her body had grown accustomed to his touch.
"See, even now, Kushina, you've gotten used to it."
"That's not true! You're lying! I was only enduring because I didn't want Naruto to find out. This time, I definitely won't let you have your way—I'll... I'll…"
She tried to muster up the words to say she would terminate the pregnancy, but no matter how hard she tried, the words refused to come out. Instead, she broke down, crouching on the floor in despair.
"You know that's not possible, Kushina," Yoichi said, lifting her back onto his lap. Seeing her blank expression, he continued, "Just give birth to the child. I'll take care of everything."
"No, no! Minato would never forgive me! I'm not a good wife…"
Tears streamed down Kushina's face as she lamented her guilt.
"No one has to know, Kushina. When Minato is revived, we'll pretend this never happened. I'll tell Mina it's my child from outside, and she'll only blame me. You can return to your normal family life."
Yoichi's words were meant to comfort her, but in reality, they were part of his plan. Once the child was born, Kushina would be even more deeply tied to him, unable to sever their bond.
"Besides, you don't know medical ninjutsu, and there's no one who would perform such a procedure. What are you going to do, ask Mina or Tsunade?"
Kushina shook her head vigorously at the thought. She would never let anyone else find out she was pregnant.
"No, no… I shouldn't do this to Minato," she murmured.
"He won't know, Kushina. As long as you don't say anything, Minato will never know."
Holding her hand, Yoichi pressed his point further. "Think carefully, Kushina. This is the best solution."
Kushina fell silent, her mind spinning in turmoil.
After her initial panic and outburst of anger, she began to calm down. Ending the pregnancy was nearly impossible; in the shinobi world, no one would do such a thing. And despite herself, she couldn't help but place a protective hand on her stomach. She didn't want to end a life before it even began.
No matter how hard she thought, there seemed to be only one path forward: to have the child.
But to follow Yoichi's plan? The thought of handing over her child and pretending it wasn't hers gnawed at her, something she couldn't fully accept.
"I need to think. Please, just leave me alone for now," Kushina finally said, wanting time to process everything.
"I actually came here for another reason today. But this news was an unexpected surprise."
Seeing her glare, Yoichi quickly raised his hands. "Alright, alright, I'll get to the point. Your situation has become more dangerous, Kushina. You need to move to the Uchiha compound. I'll arrange for a house near mine, or I'll build one for you and Naruto."
"I'm not moving there!" she shot back.
"You should listen to the full explanation first, Kushina."
Yoichi interrupted her, explaining, "There's another enemy targeting the Nine-Tails. He's likely someone on par with the Sage of Six Paths. Tobirama came back to warn me, and this enemy also has space-time abilities. We need to set up a sensory barrier around your home."
Ordinary barriers couldn't stop space-time ninjutsu, much less a technique as powerful as Urashiki's Yomotsu Hirasaka. The only way to counter it was with a sensory barrier that could detect chakra signatures. If a powerful chakra appeared, Yoichi could use the Flying Thunder God technique to rush to the scene.
"An enemy like the Sage of Six Paths?" Kushina repeated in disbelief. It sounded too far-fetched, and she suspected Yoichi was simply making an excuse to move her closer.
Sighing, Yoichi said, "Tsunade knows too. Tobirama informed me and then immediately returned to the Sand Special District because the enemy is also targeting Hashirama. He's looking for powerful chakra sources."
"Even without today's events, you would have needed to move to the Uchiha compound. Once the enemy is defeated, you can return. This isn't up for debate."
Kushina could tell Yoichi wasn't joking, and despite her rebellious streak, she had developed a habit of obeying him over time. With a huff, she relented. "Fine, I'll move, but only for Naruto. Don't think I'm forgiving you!"
"Whatever you say. I'll have Mina and Mikoto come by later to help you pack. But I'm telling you the truth, Kushina."
"Who would believe that? Mmph—!"
Her protest was cut off again as Yoichi kissed her. Though she struggled at first, she quickly found herself being swept up in the moment. Her body was so accustomed to his touch that it responded automatically, even if her mind protested.
Within moments, Yoichi's hands had expertly found all her sensitive spots, and soon enough, Kushina's face flushed with a deep red, her breathing becoming ragged.
A while later…
Yoichi felt Kushina's arms instinctively wrap around his waist, her body responding eagerly despite her earlier resistance. Satisfied, he pulled back.
"That's enough for today. Your body isn't in a condition to handle anything more. Be sure to tell Naruto that some people will help you move tonight," he said.
Kushina, still dazed from the encounter, blinked in confusion for a few seconds before her anger flared up again. "I know! I don't need you to remind me!"
"Good. I'll leave now. Start packing your things," Yoichi said before teleporting out of her room.
"Packing my things… Wait, no! He tricked me again!" Kushina yelled, realizing too late that she had let him distract her.
She had intended to confront him about tampering with her medication, which had led to her pregnancy. But now, after everything that had just happened, she found her anger toward Yoichi had softened. What remained was a deep sense of guilt toward Minato and a fear of others finding out.
"What am I supposed to do, Minato?" she whispered, glancing toward the bedside table where their wedding photo had once stood. But the photo wasn't there anymore. She had put it away, tired of Yoichi making crude jokes about it during their time together.
Thinking back, she realized she had almost forgotten where she had hidden it. It must have been in one of the boxes under the bed.
"No… There has to be a way," Kushina muttered to herself, biting her finger as she tried to think of a solution—some way to make it right for everyone involved.
But before she could dwell on it any longer, a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.
"Kushina, we're here to help!" Mikoto's voice called out.
"I-I'm coming!" Kushina replied hastily.
She was about to head downstairs when she noticed the discarded pregnancy test on the floor. Panicked, she ran to the bathroom to throw it away, wrapping it up in layers of garbage bags before rushing to open the door.
"What took you so long?" Mina scolded playfully, standing with her hands on her hips. "Were you cleaning the house?"
Kushina nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah, I was just tidying up upstairs…"
"Well, you know the drill. We're here to help you pack up. With the enemy targeting you again, it's best to move to the Uchiha compound for now. We'll set up a sensory barrier too," Mina said with a sigh, placing a comforting hand on Kushina's shoulder. "It's tough, isn't it? Always being a target because of the Nine-Tails."
Kushina shook her head. She was used to it by now. After all, she'd been kidnapped once as a child. Letting her friends into the house, she added, "Come on in. I just need to pack a few essentials."
...
"This era seems to have quite a few powerful individuals. That chakra over there… it's familiar."
Urashiki used Yomotsu Hirasaka to exit his pocket dimension. He had originally planned to head straight for Konoha, but he had sensed an even stronger chakra source along the way—one that stirred memories within him.
"This chakra… It's from the God Tree? But how…? How could the God Tree exist in this timeline?"
Urashiki couldn't believe his senses were wrong. He had consumed a God Tree fruit once, but it had been from a weak world, barely comparable to the moon of this planet. Even after devouring all life on that planet, the fruit had only marginally increased his power.
"I need to see this for myself. Could it be Kaguya's God Tree?"
Urashiki made a decision and changed his course, using Yomotsu Hirasaka to head toward the source of the God Tree's chakra.
In a hidden cave on the coast of the Land of Fields…
Uchiha Madara formed hand seals, controlling the Gedo Statue to absorb the chakra of the Two-Tails.
With the absorption complete, five of the Gedo Statue's eyes had now opened.
"Only three more to go, Madara-sama. The White Zetsu clones are doing their best to locate the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
Before Madara could respond, a voice echoed through the underground space.
"I can't believe it… There really is a God Tree here!"
Madara's Rinnegan immediately locked onto a specific point in space, his face calm as he spoke. "Come out, you coward."
"Haha, are all the natives of this planet so arrogant? No, wait… You also possess Ōtsutsuki blood. But that just makes you another native."
Urashiki stepped out of Yomotsu Hirasaka, grinning as he addressed Madara.
"I am Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, of the same clan as Kaguya. I sensed the chakra of the God Tree and came to investigate. I must say, this is quite the surprise, native."
(End of Chapter)
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