Chereads / Don't Come Home Just, Yet | Naruto x JJK / Chapter 23 - 23 : The Trial

Chapter 23 - 23 : The Trial

Red Hot-Blooded Habanero Vs Monkey of The Zenin Clan

"Let's go out first, let's look for ramen!" Kushina said, transforming back into Minato while gently pulling Naoya.

"Be careful on the road And don't forget to buy me extra spicy!" Wasuke said, his gaze still fixed on the TV showing a football game at night.

"I need something to match the intensity of this match."

"Okay, Wasuke-Jiji! Yuna-chan, do you want me to buy you something too?" Kushina asked in a fairly loud tone, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Don't worry, I'm still full," Yuna replied in a low tone, trying to hide a smile.

"WHAT?"

"I said, I'm still full! Thank you for asking!"

"OKAY!"

"OI, don't yell too loud Some of us are trying to get some sleep here!" a patient scolded from nearby room.

"Sorry, Dattebane!"

"Aish, that girl," grumbled Wasuke, shaking his head.

Yuna chuckled softly seeing Kushina seem flustered, apologizing to the disturbed patient. Before pulling Naoya's hand, who was now silently judging with his eyes, they quickly got out of the hospital building to find dinner again.

If they didn't tell her about their backstory, and Kushina's ninja skills that can made her doings something seem out of logic sense. Yuna was probably thinking they were just one big weird loud heretic family.

To be honest, she's still quite in shock about their backstory, especially Kushina's.

Kushina apparently came from a village where ninjas are the norm, but now she can't go home because she doesn't know where it is or how she got here. Now, Kushina lives with Itadori's family as a kind of fulltime maid + babysitter.

Yeah, she knows, it sounds bizarre.

It's like Kushina's backstory is one of the manga comics she used to read in high school! But, two weeks ago, her husband told her about Jujutsu World, and she's only just learning and then seeing cursed spirits for the first time.

Maybe this is just actually normal, where invisible monsters are everywhere, and normal people can't see them. Why can't there be a village filled with ninjas who can do magic tricks too? Maybe this was the actual norm of the world we livin, but she just realized it now.

Yuna shook her head, feeling a headache from thinking too much. She refocused on putting Megumi to sleep. The trick was to get her son to sleep better without waking up in the middle of the night. She held him, rocking him gently in her arms for 15 minutes after he drank a sip of milk. Once his eyes were closed, she waited another 10 minutes to make sure he was really asleep before putting him on the mattress.

It took Yuna and Toji a while to get this trick right when their son was first born. However, just as Megumi's eyes had closed, Yuna felt cramps in her stomach.

She needed take a dump.

or maybe her period cramps were coming.

"Oi, kid, don't hold it in," said Wasuke, interrupting her thoughts. "You'll get hemorrhoids. Here, let me carry Megumi."

Yuna nodded gratefully, handing over her son. As Wasuke took Megumi from her arms, she let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Thanks," she said, trying to smile despite the discomfort. And with quick steps, Yuna immediately headed to the toilet to take care of her emergency business.

Yuna had just sat down when there was a sudden jolt, almost making her slip into the toilet. Luckily, she had time to grab tightly onto the IV pole beside her. The stomach cramps were immediately replaced by fear and anxiety.

' Earthquake?'

BAMM

"Put your pants on, we gotta get out of here!" Wasuke shouted, breaking down the toilet door and quickly pulling Yuna's hand, while carrying Megumi as fast as they could towards the exit of the hospital building.

When they left the patient room, the hospital corridor was filled with people – patients, doctors, and nurses – all running out to save themselves. Some doctors and nurses were helping carry patients who couldn't move to be evacuated, while the Chief of the Hospital shouted for everyone to evacuate orderly and not to push each other for the safety of all.

Just as they were trying to make sense of the chaos, the hospital building shook again, this time with much more force. A loud cracking sound echoed around them, and the building felt like it was tilting to one side slowly.

"SHIT!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

"EVERYONE, THIS WAY!"

The panic in the hospital intensified, and people ran, pushing each other to get out.

A patient fell to the floor due to being pushed, but a doctor quickly helped him up and they continued running. Meanwhile, a female patient rushed into an incubator room, broke the glass with a stone, and carried a baby left alone in the room.

Her heart was racing as she followed Wasuke and Megumi through the chaotic corridors. She couldn't believe how quickly things had escalated.

They had to get out of there – fast.

The thought of being trapped in a collapsing hospital with her baby was unbearable. She pushed through the crowd, her eyes fixed on Wasuke's back as he led them towards safety.

She clung tightly to Wasuke's hand, not wanting to be separated from the crowd. But in the chaos, she was accidentally pushed to the side, where the building's cracks were more pronounced. When the cracks hit her with her weight, they shattered instantly, sending her tumbling from the 4th floor.

"KID!"

Luckily, before she fell all the way to the ground floor, Yuna's hand managed to grab the iron balcony on the 3rd floor. Now her body was dangling, one of her arms dislocated, and she barely held on.

"KID?! JUST STAY RIGHT THERE I'LL GET YOU OUT I'LL FIND A LADDER OR SOMETHING!" Wasuke yelled, his voice filled with urgency.

"No, Wasuke-san! Just leave me be! Save yourself and my son first!" Yuna pleaded, feeling her grip slowly slipping away.

" WHAT?! Are you fuckin' nuts, kid?! Just hold on for a I'll figure something out!" Wasuke shouted back, his face etched with worry. Just then, another violent shaking hit Yuna, making her grip on the balcony iron even looser. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

'This is it. This is my day,' she thought, accepting her fate to die at the age of 20. She held her head and looked at Wasuke one last time, seeing him panicked as he carried her son.

'At least, Megumi is saved,'

"YUNA!"

Wasuke's scream echoed through the chaos as he watched Yuna's grip finally loosen and her body fall freely towards the ground.

"GOTCHA!"

She suddenly felt someone catch her falling body. When her eyes opened, Kushina's face, this time in her original form, greeted her.

" Kushina?! How-..?!"

"Just ninja stuff! But first, let's get out of here!"

"Wait! What about Wasuke-san and my son?! They're still on the fourth floor!"

"Don't worry, my other clones and Naoya are all ready on their way. They'll be fine!"

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Exactly 15 minutes ago, in the hospital parking lot, the Monkey of the Zenin Clan had finally had enough. He decided to slash the blonde fucker who had been messing with his wife behind his back with the Inverted Spear of Heaven.

Toji expected the blonde to just die from having his head chopped off. But, he didn't expect the blonde cunt to easily dodge his slash and then punch him hard in the face, sending him crashing through multiple walls.

Hurt.

His face really hurt.

He looked at his hand and saw blood dripping from it. After nearly a decade from the last time he's getting chuck into the disciplinary pit at the Zenin Clan, Toji had stopped feeling pain.

His heavenly restrictions had grown stronger with age, to the point where he no longer felt pain or got hurt. Now he was feeling pain again, after getting punch by the blonde cunt.

"What do you want? Who sent you?" asked the blonde, like he was some innocent guy and not a gigolo who liked to fuck with other people's wives.

Toji laughed mockingly at him, slowly pulling out another weapon from his cursed worm spirit. He had modified Playful Cloud by connecting each part together and attaching the Inverted Spear of Heaven at the end, making it look like a spear.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

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Kushina grumbled softly under her blanket. Minato, who had just entered the war tent, looked confused by his girlfriend's behavior.

"Why are you pouting?" Minato asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Tsuna Baa-chan is going to Kirigakure to fight in a few days," Kushina replied, her voice laced with worry.

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried about her safety?"

" Heck No! I feel sorry for the Kiri ninja who's going to fight her!" Kushina said, her expression turning more distressed.

"Then why do you look so upset?" Minato asked again, still not understanding the connection between Kushina's anxiety and Lady Tsunade's departure.

"I just remembered that Tsuna Baa-chan said she'd spar with me, before she goes to the front line. I didn't realize it was today! I haven't trained at all or thought about a new strategy! She's going to be so angry and then just pummel me to death again with her punches!" Kushina said, already imagining the pain she'd endure after sparring with Tsunade.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Minato asked, curious as he saw Kushina suddenly wake up from the floor bed and search for something in her bag.

"I'm looking for my medicine seal. There are healing balms I can use after training with Tsuna Baa-chan," Kushina said in an anxious tone.

Minato walked towards his lover and held her hand gently to calm her down. "Don't worry too much. You're the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. You'll be fine."

He gently pinched her cheek, making it turn red. Kushina's eyes widened, but she couldn't help smiling at Minato's playful gesture.

"Easy for you to say. You're really smart. I'm just mediocre. Even after extra training from Dai Maito-Sensei, I'm still not good enough to defeat Tsuna Baa-chan And if she finds out I'm not improving my skills, she'll fold my butt into the ground with her punches and maybe throw my body into the mountain again!"

Minato chuckled softly at his girlfriend's antics. She was really cute when she was like this.

"What fighting technique do you usually use to fight Tsunade-sama?" Kushina raised her eyebrows at the sudden question.

"Why did you ask that out of the blue?" she replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Just humor me, sweetheart," Minato said with a playful smile.

" Well, I do the usual stuff," Kushina began, her expression turning thoughtful. "A bit of punch, some shadow clones, water style jutsu, and a couple of kunai for distraction. And my chains, of course."

"And what's Tsunade-sama's fighting technique when you two train together?"

"She mainly uses her fists to punch and sometimes kicks," Kushina explained, her brow furrowed in concentration. "And then she uses her Chakra Scalpel to mess up my chakra system. Why are you asking this, Dattebane?"

Minato looked deep in thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. " Hmm... It seems Tsunade-sama is more of a short-range fighter."

"So?" Kushina asked, still not understanding the connection.

"How good is your water style jutsu and genjutsu?"

" Umm... I usually practice with Fugaku and Mikoto, so I'd say I'm pretty good at it, I guess?" Minato grinned at Kushina's answer, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I got a plan. Here's what you need to do..."

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"LOOK OUT!"

"DAMN MANIAC!"

Pedestrians yelled as an SUV barreled through, ignoring the red light. Jin brushed off their shouts. Moments ago, a frantic message from Naoya flashed on his phone: a manic was attacking Kushina at hospital parking lot, and debris was destabilizing the hospital where his father is.

His knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel, the world outside a blur.

With each gear shift, Jin felt a surge of adrenaline. He slammed into fourth gear, the hospital looming closer.

The urgency of the situation fueled him; his family was danger, and time was running out.

He shifted into fifth, the engine roaring as he pushed the car to its limits. He could almost see the panic on the faces of those he nearly hit, but he couldn't afford to think about that now.

All that mattered was reaching the hospital before it was too late.

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That bastard was a tricky unknown curse user. Every time Toji managed to land a slash or stab on the blondie, he would just turn into a log, vanishing before reappearing and attacked him from behind.

The air was thick with anticipation; it felt like a storm was brewing. But this time, when Toji finally scored a hit on the guy's torso, he could sense the shift.

That fucker is slowly losing his stamina.

With a feral smile, he anticipated the counterattack, shifting his weapon just in time to stab the blonde right in the stomach. Blood gushed out, painting the ground crimson, and Toji's adrenaline surged. He was the kind of guy who took things personally, and the sight of that blood lit a fire in him.

With a makeshift spear, Toji slammed the blonde's body with such force that it penetrated several layers of the building's walls, sending dust and debris swirling into the air. The sound echoed off the brick, a thunderous reminder of their brutal clash.

Then, in one fluid motion, he hurled his spear like an athlete launching a javelin. As the blonde spun through the air, Toji whipped out his other weapon—A Chain Of A Thousand Miles—and expertly wrapped it around the guy mid-flight, yanking him back and sending him soaring again. The atmosphere crackled with energy, the world around them fading into a blur as the fight consumed all.

Toji leaped after him, using the edge of the building to gain height, the wind whipping through his hair. He delivered a powerful heel kick right into the spear still lodged in the blonde's stomach. The force drove the guy down like a missile, crashing him into the ground and smashing into a nearby fire hydrant.

Water erupted from the broken hydrant, shooting up like a waterfall and creating large puddles that reflected the chaos around them. The splashing water mingled with the remnants of the fight, adding to the surreal atmosphere.

Toji walked slowly toward the blonde, who was slumped against the hydrant, gasping probably for his very last breath.

The distant sounds of the city seemed muffled, as if time had slowed down just for them. With a steady hand, he raised his Glock, aiming it squarely at the guy's head.

Ready to end this.

"I thought you'd be more of a challenge," Toji sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You know, your punch isn't half bad. But in the end, you're just like the rest—mediocre. I honestly don't know why she even bothered with you. But hey, no hard feelings. You're just not good enough."

He locked eyes with the blonde cunt, whose ocean-blue gaze reminded him unsettlingly of the infamous Six Eyes from the Gojo Clan.

An evil grin spread across Toji's lips as he gripped the Glock in his hand, ready to draw blood. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, an instinctual warning shot through him. He spun around, the barrel of his gun now aimed behind him.

A special-grade cursed spirit—a massive serpent—was poised to devour him whole, its gaping maw ready for the kill.

Without a second thought, Toji fired, hitting the snake squarely in its eyes. It shrieked, blinded and enraged, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to bite him again.

Toji reacted with lightning speed, unfurling his thousand-mile chain.

He wrapped it around the creature's head, pulling tight. The chain sliced through flesh like butter, severing the serpent's head into bloody chunks. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, mingling with the water gushing from the nearby fire hydrant.

He stood there, panting, victorious—like always. But a nagging voice in the back of his mind whispered that this was too easy.

Cursed spirits weren't supposed to be vulnerable to ordinary weapons. So why the hell had his Glock blinded the snake?

He glanced back, searching for the blondie. But the bastard was gone—along with his spear.

What the fuck was going on?

Suddenly, the lifeless body of a cursed spirit snake dissolved into smoke, enveloping Toji in a thick, swirling fog. On high alert, Toji scanned the area, his eyes darting from left to right, searching for any sign of his enemy.

He strained to catch a whiff of his opponent, but a frustrating emptiness filled his senses. Not even the metallic tang of blood that guy had reached him, leaving him quite disoriented.

Without warning, the blonde figure materialized above him, poised to strike with Toji's spear in hand. Instinct kicked in; Toji ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the spear whizzed past.

Regaining his composure, he seized the spear with a firm grip and executed a swift heel kick, driving his foot into the blonde's face. The impact sent the blonde reeling, and the spear slipped from his grasp, returning to its rightful master.

Just as Toji began to celebrate his momentary victory, the blonde—who should have been incapacitated—transformed into a puddle of water. A sudden chill ran down Toji's spine as he felt a sharp pain pierce through his back.

He glanced down, realizing that his own weapon had stabbed through his stomach. The spear he thought he had reclaimed was merely a clever illusion; the blonde had concealed himself within it, taking advantage of Toji's momentary distraction.

Before he could react, a pair of golden chains shot forth, snaking around his limbs and piercing his hands and legs. They coiled tightly, wrapping around his body and rendering him immobile.

For the first time in his life, Toji felt utterly powerless. Throughout his existence, even when his strength wasn't at its peak, his unmatched stamina had always pulled him through.

He had never known fatigueuntil now.

A deep, gnawing exhaustion settled in, creeping through his limbs and weighing heavily on his chest. He could feel the stab wounds starting to throb, each pulse a brutal reminder of his vulnerability.

His knees trembled, threatening to give way beneath him. Toji barely noticed as they buckled, making him look like he was about to kneel in fucking submission before the blonde.

A surge of frustration coursed through him; he was willing to bet his life that something in the mist—or those goddamn golden chains—was making him feel so completely powerless.

Slowly, he raised his gaze to the figure in front of him. To his dismay, he watched as the injuries he had inflicted on the blonde began to heal, the wounds closing up as if they had never existed.

'So this fucker knows how to use Reverse Cursed Technique. Damn it!' he thought, anger bubbling beneath the surface.

The tension in the air was thick, each breath heavy with the weight of the confrontation.

Toji clenched his fists, determination battling against his exhaustion, but the harsh reality of his situation pressed down on him like a suffocating fog.

"W-what the fuck are you waiting for? Just fucking kill me already!" Toji spat, fresh blood trickling from his mouth, a defiant smile on his face.

The blonde leaned in closer, his ocean-blue eyes piercing into Toji's green ones. "You still haven't answered my question. Who sent you? "

Toji grinned, defiance radiating from him as he spat blood in the blonde's direction, though it missed its intended target. The blonde's expression darkened, rage simmering just beneath the surface. Toji relished the moment, finding satisfaction in the flicker of anger that crossed the blonde's face.

The blonde stood up, brushing Toji's blood from his clothes with a cold, dismissive gesture. He quickly formed hand signs.

"Suiton: Water Prison!"

A torrent of water erupted from a nearby broken fire hydrant, swirling into a massive sphere that encased Toji, leaving only his head exposed.

"I'll ask you one more time," the blonde said, his voice icy. "If you don't tell me the truth, I'll drown you and crush your body into pieces. Who sent you, and why are you attacking me?"

"... f-fuck you," Toji replied, his voice steady despite the looming threat. He hadn't begged for mercy from the Zenin Clan when they tortured him, and he wasn't about to do so now, especially not for this blonde gigolo.

With a resigned flick of his eyes, he closed them, ready to accept his fate.

As the water rose around him, he felt the weight pressing in, his body constricted from all sides. Panic clawed at his throat as the water surged into his nose, invading his lungs.

His vision blurred, but in those last moments, he caught sight of his future ex-wife rushing toward the blonde, a look of sheer panic etched on her face.

Then everything faded to black.

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Yaga let out a deep sigh as he finally settled onto his soft sofa, the cushions enveloping him in a comforting embrace. Today had been particularly dull. He had just wrapped up seven missions involving second graders and one with a first grader, all in a single day.

The higher-ups seemed more preoccupied with whatever elusive goal they were pursuing than with recruiting new members. It was frustrating; they desperately needed more personnel, especially Jujutsu Sorcerers.

As he sank deeper into the cushions, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He couldn't help but wish Shizuka were still around to help him tackle these missions like they used to. Maybe then, things wouldn't feel so monotonous.

He glanced around the dimly lit room, the weight of solitude pressing down on him. The only reliable Sorcerers left in Tokyo could be counted on one hand, and the thought made his heart sink a little.

He looked at the clock and noticed it was almost midnight. A pang of hunger reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything all day, aside from a small piece of bread for breakfast. With a resigned groan, he slowly rose from the sofa and shuffled towards the kitchen.

The floor felt cool beneath his feet, and he opened the cupboard to retrieve the bread he had bought days ago. He spread peanut butter on a slice, the rich aroma filling the air as he took a bite.

It wasn't exactly a satisfying meal, but it would have to do for now. He was too exhausted to even contemplate making instant ramen, and the idea of washing up afterward felt overwhelmingly tedious.

Ring..

Ring...

Suddenly, Yaga's burner phone rang, catching him off guard while he was busy chewing on some bread. He quickly fished the phone out from behind a pile of clothes, unlocked the screen, and saw a new message from Shizuka.

"Hey, Yaga. You there?" - Shizuka

"Yeah, I'm awake. Just wrapped up some missions and just got home. How's Utahime? Is she okay? Has she made any friends in the village yet?" - Yaga

"Hime's good. She hasn't found any friends her age yet, but she's been working as a part-time babysitter. By the way, have you eaten?" - Shizuka

"I'm eating right now." - Yaga

"Don't go overboard on the bread with peanut butter. You need some veggies or fruit too. Mix it up a bit! Your body needs those vitamins." - Shizuka

Yaga chuckled a bit at Shizuka's message. She was still the same as ever.

"Yes, mom," - Yaga

"You better be eating right, or I'll come over and womp your ass! Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you about that thing we talked about two weeks ago. Remember?" - Shizuka

"Yeah." - Yaga

"Great! Any updates?" - Shizuka

"I tried to dig up some info, but it's pretty slim. What I found in the reports about Sendai from two weeks ago isn't much. You know, after that incident a month back, the higher-ups are pulling resources toward the bigger cities, leaving Sendai with just a couple of part-time windows. There used to be five part-timers working in Sendai, but after the first week of this month, four of them got taken out by a second-grade cursed spirit that had been tracking them. So now there's only one still active. I've got one report from Sendai dated exactly two weeks ago." - Yaga

"Can you write it down for me?" - Shizuka

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"Cursed Spirit Sighting Report"

By: Ijichi Miyoko

Code: 0992

Date: June 06, 2001

Location: Unregistered Building on Fuyumi Street, North Side

City: Sendai, Miyagi

Time: 11:50 p.m. - 12:03 a.m.

To the Respected Jujutsu Manager,

I hereby submit my report regarding the recent manifestation of cursed energy. This occurrence appears to have been linked to a newly born Special Grade Cursed Spirit.

Notably, within a few minutes, the cursed energy suddenly dissipated without leaving any trace of residue, suggesting that the unidentified curse user successfully neutralized the threat.

The aftermath of the encounter includes several cracks in the highway, likely resulting from the confrontation between the Special Grade and the unknown curse user.

That concludes my report.

Respectfully,

Ijichi Miyoko

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"I knew I wasn't paranoid! It was a special grade after all! But isn't it a bit weird that the battle with the unknown curse user didn't leave any cursed energy residue? Maybe the curse user isn't actually a curse user but has Heaven's restriction?" - Shizuka

"The only person besides Natsuto who had Heavenly restriction was Toji from the Zenin Clan." - Yaga

"Do you think Toji was the one who took it out?" - Shizuka

"I'm kinda skeptical about that. He's not the type to do this for free, especially not against a newborn special grade cursed spirit. Plus, the last time any Jujutsu members saw him was about three years ago in Kyoto before he vanished without a trace. No one's seen him since." - Yaga

"Maybe Natsuto knows where he is now." - Shizuka

"Probably, I guess? Anyway, we're getting off track. Do you have any more questions? My eyes are already so tired from trying to stay open." - Yaga

"Is there any new report from that part-time window?" - Shizuka

"Well, there is one." - Yaga

"Well... can you write it up for me, please?" - Shizuka

"..." - Yaga

"Pretty please, Yaga-kun." - Shizuka

" Ugh... fine. Be right back. My throat is dry. I need a drink." - Yaga

"Okay dokie!" - Shizuka

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"Cursed Spirit Sighting Report"

By: Ijichi Miyoko

Code: 0992

Date: June 20, 2001

Location: Sendai City Hospital, Kiyotake Street.

City: Central Sendai, Miyagi

Time: 00:20 a.m - 00:30 a.m

To the Esteemed Manager of the Jujutsu Sect,

I hereby submit my report dated today regarding the sighting of cursed spirits, ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 2, within the Sendai City Hospital located in the heart of the city.

During this incident, I observed these spirits exhibiting highly unusual behavior, as they suddenly surged out of the hospital en masse, akin to a flock of sheep being herded by a shepherd onto the roadway. They then scattered in various directions without a clear destination.

Fortunately, from my observations, there were no casualties resulting from this incident. The reasons behind the erratic behavior of the cursed spirits remain unclear; it is uncertain whether they were fleeing from a pursuing Special Grade Cursed Spirit or if other factors were involved.

However, I did not detect any significant cursed energy emanating from the area, nor did I sense the presence of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, which I encountered two weeks prior.

Additionally, I would like to inform you that this will be my final report, as I am submitting my resignation as a part-time window attendant for the Jujutsu Sect along with this document.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Ijichi Miyoko

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"That's quite weird! What do you think about that, Yaga-kun?" - Shizuka

"I have no idea either. Maybe you can ask Natsuto if he's not too busy. Maybe he knows something." - Yaga

"I heard he's still busy preparing for his wife's birth." - Shizuka

"I still can't believe that man is finally going to be a dad. I thought he would never get married, or maybe marry his collection of horrible porn trash." - Yaga

"It's novel books," - Shizuka

"It contains most horrific unbelievable sex scene that ever written. It's a porn. You can't change my mind," - Yaga

"Alright, I get it! But I'm happy he's finally settled down. Oh shit, I just remembered I boiled some water and still haven't turned it off yet. Bye, Yaga. Tell Panda I said hi!" - Shizuka

Yaga turned off his burner phone and put it back in its original place. He slowly walked toward his bedroom as quietly as possible so he wouldn't wake up his son. He carefully turned the handle to avoid making any sudden loud noises.

"P-papa?"

"Hey, pup. Why are you still awake? It's past your bedtime," Yaga asked while carrying Panda, who seemed to have woken up after falling asleep on the bedroom floor.

"I want... Papa."

"Alright, Papa is here. Now let's go to bed. A big boy needs sleep if he wants to grow bigger."

Yaga then laid his son on the bed before gently hugging him so that he wouldn't fall off. As he finally closed his eyes, he thought to himself,

' I hope everything will be okay.'

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Author Note :

I apologize in advance if I'm a little late posting this chapter. I hope you guys like it, especially the fight scene! It was my second attempt at writing one, and I have zero martial arts knowledge. Sorry if the pacing and POV still aren't quite right. Like I mentioned in the tags, it's a slow burn (which also means slow pacing). English isn't my first language, so sometimes even with Google Translate, it can mess up my writing and change the meaning completely. I'm really sorry if some of you are confused about the POV and whether it's first or third person. Even I am sometimes confused by it!