"!!!"
"Hurry, Konan is about to give birth! Does anyone have any experience?"
"..."
After a brief silence, the first to speak was the usually quiet one.
Uchiha Itachi: "I've only ever taken care of a baby…"
Kisame Hoshigaki: "I've never even taken care of a baby."
Deidara: "I am still a baby myself."
Sasori: "I used to be a baby."
Hidan: "I've killed a lot of babies."
Kakuzu: "I've sold a lot of babies."
White Zetsu: "I was never a baby."
Black Zetsu: "What's a baby? Does mud count?"
Pain: "..."
Indeed, each member was incredibly skilled in their own right, but none of their talents were of any use at the moment.
Konan could no longer hold back, her painful cries growing louder:
"Ah! Oh no, my...my water is breaking!"
"Water?"
Seeing the bedsheet getting soaked, Deidara naively shouted:
"Kisame, Kakuzu, aren't you both good with Water Style? Do something about this water, use your chakra to get rid of it! Yeah!"
"..." Kisame's blue face flushed, unsure how to explain. Seeing this, Itachi softly suggested:
"Kisame, come with me. Let's boil some water."
"I don't have experience in delivering babies, but I remember when my mother gave birth to my brother, they needed hot water to clean the baby…"
"Figures that Itachi is reliable." Kisame, eager to escape the room, quickly followed Itachi out to boil water.
The remaining members, no longer restless, looked at each other and then at Konan. Their expressions were tense and serious, ready to welcome the new life with their silent support.
"Ugh!"
With a painful cry from Konan, the baby's head began to appear under the thin blanket.
Pain reassured her, "Konan, don't be afraid. No matter what, I will ensure the safety of you and the baby. Breathe deeply, it will be over soon…"
The daunting task of delivering the baby fell to Pain. He didn't trust the others, who had no experience.
Deidara tore a piece of cloth from his clothes, "I'll wipe Sister Konan's sweat! Yeah!"
Sasori pulled out a vial from his arm mechanism, "This is an upgraded painkiller I developed from newly discovered herbs. It has no side effects. Konan can drink some to ease the pain."
Kakuzu said, "I'll use some funds to buy baby bottles and diapers. Consider it an advance on Konan's account. Hidan, come with me."
Hidan shook his head fiercely:
"No way! I've seen a lot of death, but I've never seen how life is born! Kakuzu, don't drag me away! Hey, Leader, can we lift Konan's blanket a bit? We're being treated like outsiders here. I can't see how much of the baby is out!"
Pain raised his hand towards the boundary-less Hidan, and said in a low voice:
"Shinra Tensei!!"
"What the—?"
Hidan was thrown by Pain's powerful force, crashing against the wall.
"Damn it, that hurt! Leader, what are you doing?" Hidan asked, rubbing the large bump on his head.
"Feel the pain, Hidan. Some things are not for you to see…" Pain said coldly. "Since you can't help, leave. You'll have plenty of chances to see the baby later."
Black Zetsu snickered, "Tsk tsk... Hidan, didn't you say you enjoy pain? How does it feel now? You should be thrilled."
Hidan snarled, "Damn it! I only enjoy pain that can be shared. This one-sided pain isn't what I want!!"
Seeing Hidan nearing madness, Pain raised his arm again:
"Shinra Tensei!!!"
"Boom!"
This time, Hidan was sent flying out of the bedroom.
"Damn it! Leader, this isn't over!!!"
Outside the bedroom, Hidan's rants echoed.
Pain ignored Hidan completely and instructed Kakuzu, "Kakuzu, go buy the baby supplies quickly. Take Hidan with you, he's too noisy."
"Alright…" Kakuzu nodded calmly, walked to the hall, and lifted the dusty Hidan onto his shoulder, heading outside.
"Hey! Kakuzu, what are you doing?"
"Put me down! I want to offer the Leader to Jashin-sama!"
On Kakuzu's shoulder, Hidan struggled, his body and mouth equally restless.
"Stop moving! Stay still, I'm saving you!" Kakuzu glared at Hidan, black threads emerging from his sleeve to bind him tightly:
"You're daring enough to attack the Leader? Aren't you afraid of death?"
Hidan retorted, "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't talk about death with me! It's useless!"
"Hmph!"
Kakuzu didn't want to waste any more words. He used a few thick threads to gag Hidan, carrying him out of the base.
"Mmm...mmm! Mmm!!!"