Not long after Uchiha Mikoto got pregnant, Kushina also became pregnant again.
At the same time, the clan heads of various major families in the Hidden Leaf Village also one after another received the joyful news that their wives were pregnant.
When Namikaze Minato heard the news, he wasn't particularly shocked, because he had already learned from Obito about the feud and entanglement between Indra and Asura, and he also knew when the next generation of Konoha's key figures would be born.
But as a father, he still felt joy at the thought that Naruto was going to be born.
Minato wasn't the only one feeling happy, Obito was also overjoyed.
That very day, he ran to Minato's house to visit Kushina, and while holding the one-and-a-half-year-old Naruko in his arms, he rocked her gently and pointed at Kushina's belly as he said, "Naruko, your little brother is about to be born. Aren't you happy?"
Naruko showed a bright smile, "Of course I'm happy."
Then she raised her little fist, "From now on, I'll protect my little brother! No one's allowed to bully him!"
Obito looked at Naruko's strong-willed attitude and thought, well, that's definitely something she learned from her mother.
Then Naruko suddenly asked, "Mama said that when I was born, Brother Obito, you put a warm baby patch on me. Is that true?"
Obito nodded, "Of course it's true. Though to be honest, most of them were actually put on by your dad."
Naruko waved her little hand, "Brother Obito, when my little brother is born, I want to put warm baby patches on him too!"
However, Obito refused.
"Naruko, putting the warm patches on Naruto, that's my job. You're not allowed to steal it from me!"
Naruko instantly widened her eyes and turned to Kushina, "Mama! Brother Obito won't let me put on the warm patches! He's bullying me!"
Kushina glared at Obito with feigned anger and raised her fist, "Obito, how dare you bully my precious daughter!"
Seeing this, Obito switched immediately into a pitiful act. He was, after all, now known by Rin as the scheming Obito.
His eyes instantly filled with tears, threatening to spill at any moment. He said in a wronged tone, "But Big Sister, we agreed before, Naruto's warm baby patches are supposed to be my responsibility."
Kushina snorted; she wasn't falling for that.
But while Kushina didn't buy it, Naruko did.
She quickly stretched out her little hand and gently wiped Obito's eyes, "Don't cry, Brother Obito. Fine, I'll let you do it."
Obito immediately grinned from ear to ear, lifting Naruko up and spinning her around, "I knew Naruko was a good girl! When you get a little older, Brother Obito will take you as my apprentice and teach you all my skills, okay?"
Naruko looked very interested and nodded in Obito's arms, "So will Brother Obito also take my little brother as an apprentice?"
Obito replied without hesitation, "Your little brother can be Kakashi's apprentice instead."
Naruko said at once, "But Brother Obito, you're not as handsome as Brother Kakashi. I want to be Brother Kakashi's apprentice too."
Obito felt a deep emotional blow, 'That guy Kakashi, handsome? Really? Even Naruko's smitten with him?"
He snorted, "That guy Kakashi isn't stronger than me! Naruko, don't you want to become a powerful ninja?"
Naruko looked up sincerely and said, "But being strong or not is hard to tell. Being handsome, you can see that at a glance."
Obito almost turned to stone on the spot.
Then Naruko's eyes flashed mischievously, and she giggled, "Uncle Obito, I was just teasing you. I'll be your apprentice when I grow up."
Obito blinked in disbelief, 'I have been tricked, by a little girl?'
'Wait a second… who did she learn that from?'
'Could it be from the greatest schemer in the entire ninja world, Namikaze Minato himself?'
'Judging by the jokes spread in other villages, Minato-sensei's political cunning is deep enough to hide six trillion explosive tags inside. Yeah, that sounds about right.'
Sigh, truly, one becomes like the people they spend time with. Even Obito, the head of Root, seemed honest and upright compared to outsiders now.
Obito chuckled and teased, "Naruko, don't you go learning bad things from your dad."
But Naruko just gave him a scornful look, "Learn bad things from Dad? Isn't Dad always kind of dumb?"
Obito laughed, "That's only what you think. In other people's eyes, beneath your dad's innocent smile, he's got a belly full of schemes."
Naruko waved it off, "If only he were really like that. I honestly don't know how Dad became Hokage. Maybe he bought the position?"
Well, every Hokage probably has a child who thinks their father bought the title with money.
At that point, Kushina couldn't help but speak up, "Obito! Stop joking about her father in front of Naruko!"
Obito immediately straightened up, "Yes, ma'am, Big Sister!"
———
Time kept moving on, and soon Kushina's belly grew big again.
Before giving birth, she moved once more into Obito's Kamui dimension. The security measures there were so strict that even Kushina herself had to admit, this current Root leader was managing her even more strictly than the last one.
Fortunately, under Rin's efforts, Obito's Kamui space had been decorated beautifully. There were cozy houses, mountains, and streams, an actual scenic paradise.
Otherwise, Kushina would have died of boredom.
And in this setting, Kushina finally went into labor. Just like before, everything went smoothly, and with Rin's help, Naruto was born.
Rin was the first to step out of the delivery room, handing Naruto over to Obito.
The baby was crying loudly, his voice strong and clear.
Rin smiled, "Obito, just by his crying, Naruto sounds very healthy."
Obito nodded and carried Naruto to the special warm baby patches Kushina had prepared. He tore them open one by one and carefully placed them on Naruto's body.
Naruto's crying gradually quieted, and then he looked up at Obito with pure eyes and began giggling.
Holding him gently, Obito said, "Naruto, this time, you don't have to drink expired milk anymore. You have your mom and dad now, and you can grow up under their care."
He paused, then added, as if remembering something, "But don't get too mischievous, okay? Try not to give Konoha any more farewell 'gifts.' Your dad's heart is much stronger than that weirdo Kakuzu's, but it can't take too many shocks like that."
Rin had been on the verge of tears, moved by the sight, but hearing that last line, she couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Seeing her laugh, Obito took the chance to lean in with Naruto still in his arms and plant a kiss on her cheek.
"Rin, you've worked hard. That's your reward."
Rin pushed him away in disgust, "Reward for who? Some people know exactly who it's really for."
Then she said, "And how long are you planning to hold Naruto? Go on, bring him back and let your teacher's wife hold him too!"
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