"Die, Motherf*cker."

"Sigh~ Another defeat," Alex muttered, despair evident in his voice.

"Skill issue," Steven commented as he watched Alex lose once more in Elden Ring.

"Shut up, Steven," Alex shouted angrily before turning off his computer.

"A loser is a loser. By the way, your girlfriend tried to call you," Steven said while washing his hands before dinner.

"Huh... she's not my girlfriend anymore; we broke up last week," Alex responded, too lethargic to care.

"Really?" Steven asked, surprised. "I thought you two were good," he added as he sat down in the dining room for dinner.

"Well, I caught her cheating, so there's nothing left to say," Alex stated as he walked towards the dining room.

However, the moment he stepped through the dining room door, he lost consciousness.

***

"Are you stupid?" stated an elderly man with a white beard and hair.

"But... Father, I was just playing with my powers," the little girl whispered, fear in her voice.

"You will be grounded for a year. No playing, no sweets, only training. Albert, take her for punishment and train her," the old man commanded as he watched his daughter leave with his servant.

"Yes, Master."

"Nooooooo..." the small child screamed with all her might.

The old man considered how to handle the situation as he looked at the transparent screen in front of him.

***

In Konoha...

When Alex regained consciousness for the first time, he felt his body flutter and heard faint sounds. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. Shortly after, he slipped back into a deep sleep.

As he fell deeper into sleep, his soul entered a specific space.

A red-haired woman was looking at a huge fox at the time.

Uzumaki Kushina looked at the small body floating in the air, blinked, and asked the huge fox, "Nine-Tails, is this your child? So, you're a female fox, correct?"

Kyuubi was perplexed by the child's sudden appearance. However, upon hearing that phrase, he burst out, "How could I have a child?"

Kushina tilted her head. "You've been sealed for so many years..." Before Kyuubi could respond, she hit her palm with a look of "I've figured it out."

"Did you become pregnant before you were sealed? You're so enormous that the other-tailed creatures may have gotten you pregnant. How long is your mating period? Look at the marks on its face—they're the same as yours!"

Kyuubi shuddered in wrath, his hands and feet growing icy. If it weren't for the nails, he would have slapped her. How did this woman's brain function?

Kyuubi took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I cannot get pregnant! This kid is yours and that man's outside!"

"Really? I've only been pregnant for about three months... wait a minute..." Kushina murmured, exiting the sealed compartment and turning to the blond man next to her, who stared at her with concern. "Minato, what is a fetus like when it's three months old?"

Minato Namikaze was taken aback. "The fetus? According to Konoha Hospital records, a three-month-old fetus measures approximately 9 cm in length. Facial features have begun to emerge, limbs can be distinguished, fingers and toes have formed, and hair and nails have started to grow." Minato paused and questioned, "Why are you asking so suddenly?"

Minato had been researching Kushina's pregnancy since the day he discovered it, gathering information from Konoha Hospital. After several months of study, he had nearly caught up to medical ninjas in terms of theory.

Kushina dropped her head, one hand resting on her tummy, and beheld her child in the sealed space. "I just saw our child..."

"Child? What happened?" Minato inquired with concern. "You looked dizzy just now. I assumed it was related to the Nine-Tails change. Could it be the fetus?"

Kushina explained what had recently happened and concluded, "That must be the child's conscious body. I checked the seal—while there are signs of minor deterioration, it's still within the expected range. I'm concerned about the child entering the sealed space."

Minato frowned. "That's quite strange. I'll have Mrs Sarutobi look into this. I'll bring her to inspect our child."

"Yeah," Kushina responded softly, and her awareness returned to the conscious space.

"This is Minato's and my child," Uzumaki Kushina gently reached out to the fetus floating in the air, hesitant to touch it.

Nine-Tails looked at her puzzled. Was this still the 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' who was feared for her personality? Can giving birth to a new life transform a person? That expression... it was similar to how the old man looked at us...

"Hey, Nine-Tails!" Kushina proclaimed, word for word, "I will tame you. You will be utilized for the village and this youngster in the future!"

"A mere human!" Nine-Tails roared. It was to be expected—all humans wanted was to rule over him. In what way could she be like the old man? "I will surely kill you!"

Kushina ignored him and concentrated on the tiny life in her palm until Minato, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his wife Sarutobi Biwako materialized in front of her.

"Kushina, how are you doing? Are you okay?" Minato asked first, clearly worried.

"I'm fine." Kushina turned to face the Third Hokage couple after shaking her head. "I'm sorry for disturbing you both at such a late hour, Mrs. Sarutobi."

At this point, Kushina completed her account of the entire affair, and Sarutobi Biwako concluded her examination. "The fetus is very healthy, and nothing abnormal was found."

Beside her, Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth to place his smoking pipe between his lips, but Biwako stopped him. "There were no similar occurrences with Mito-sama, the previous host of the Nine-Tails when she was pregnant."

The Third Hokage replied, scratching his beard awkwardly. "So, there isn't a previous instance to refer to. Please keep a watchful eye on Kushina's condition going forward. We cannot afford to act irresponsibly."

Sarutobi Biwako gave a nod of agreement. "That's the only way."

"We won't disturb you any longer." Sarutobi Hiruzen said his goodbyes, realizing he couldn't assist them further.

Sarutobi Hiruzen is now in an "advisory" position. Minato struggled to gain the trust of the elders, including Koharu and Homura, after becoming the Fourth Hokage due to his youth.

Of course, interacting with his old friend Danzo was even more difficult.

As a result, he decided to stay temporarily to assist Minato and gradually strengthen his authority, smoothing the transition of power, With Kushina pregnant, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to help Minato and share the burden.

Though many thought he was power-hungry, he was approaching 60 years old and conscious that his strength and courage had significantly deteriorated.

He only wanted to guide the next generation of Konoha while he still had some peace.

After seeing the Third Hokage couple leave, Minato returned and tenderly embraced Kushina, assuring her, "Don't worry, I'll protect you and the child." Minato smiled gently.

"And you must be the luckiest mother in the world to get to see the baby ahead of time. Tell me more about Granny Mito."

Kushina couldn't help but remember what Granny Mito had once told her. "Being a tailed beast vessel is our destiny to counter the fox's hatred. We need to fill ourselves with love, but you will be very lucky if you encounter a man who genuinely loves you."

"I encountered that person long ago, someone as warm as the sun." Kushina described the fetal consciousness while smiling at Minato. "Though I can't tell the gender yet, I believe it's a boy. He'll grow up to be an incredible person!"

"Then how about naming him Naruto?"

"Naruto?"

****

Thank you for reading