"Waaah—"
A bright infant's cry gripped everyone's heartstrings, drawing all eyes to the delivery room door.
"The baby's finally here, yes!"
Kushina threw herself at Minato, jumping up and down in joy. She had once seen lives end, but this was her first time welcoming a new life into the world.
It wasn't just her—Mikoto and Nawaki couldn't help but smile too.
They understood better than anyone else how fragile life truly was in this world.
Countless lives had fallen before their eyes, and every time they went on a mission, their own lives were also at risk.
That's why ninjas valued life more than anyone.
"Screee—"
The delivery room door slid open, and a nurse cradled a wailing baby in her arms.
Seeing this, Sakumo instantly appeared by her side. The baby's face was still wrinkled, tiny—barely bigger than a palm.
By the time the nurse regained her composure, Sakumo and the others had already gathered around her. Kushina gently extended her slender index finger while Mikoto and the others curiously examined the newborn.
"Kakashi..." Minato murmured inwardly. This loud, bawling little brat was so different from the aloof silver-haired teen he would later come to know.
"Is it a boy or a girl? Can I touch his face?" Kushina asked.
"It's a boy," the nurse softly chuckled, adding, "and as for touching him... you'll have to ask the father."
Kushina shifted her gaze toward Sakumo, who smiled and said, "Of course you can."
With permission granted, she slowly extended her finger, delicately tapping the baby's cheek.
His previously loud cries stopped immediately—he beamed at Kushina.
"How cute!" Kushina exclaimed.
"Nurse, may we go in now?" Sakumo asked.
The nurse nodded, then turned and walked back inside with the newborn baby, stopping Kushina and the others from following.
"Just hang tight here for now. They'll come out soon."
...
In the hospital bed, Junko Watanabe's lips were pale and colorless. Her hair, soaked with sweat, hadn't fully dried yet.
Her gaze never left the infant lying in the crib beside her—a tender light filled her eyes, full of motherhood.
Meanwhile, Kushina and the others surrounded the newly born Kakashi like curious children, marveling at the baby.
Little Kakashi showed no shyness whatsoever, gazing around with wide eyes.
"Sakumo, have you decided on the child's name?" Only Minato stepped forward to ask.
At these words, Junko also turned her head, exchanging glances with Sakumo before looking back.
"Kakashi... Kakashi Hatake."
Minato immediately smiled. If nothing unexpected happened, he had always known this would be the child's name.
"Kakashi... such a strange name."
Kushina tilted her head slightly, murmuring softly.
Hearing this, Sakumo and his wife both gave awkward chuckles.
"You..." Minato looked at Kushina's innocent expression and smiled lightly while shaking his head.
...
Time flashed by like the fleeting shadow of a white horse—barely a moment gone. Nearly two years had passed since the end of the Second Great Ninja War that shook the world.
Normal order among the great ninja countries had mostly been restored to about seven or eight tenths.
The one-and-a-half-year agreement between Minato and the Third Hokage is reaching its final day today.
In the morning, Minato stepped outside. He had grown significantly taller and stood with a more upright posture.
His eyes squinted slightly as he spotted someone waiting in front of his house.
Dressed in tight-fitting black clothes, Yan Uchiha appeared especially sharp and charismatic. The contours of his face had become more defined, and most importantly, his eyebrows carried additional weight and maturity.
Minato hadn't seen him for quite some time. He vaguely recalled the Third mentioning that during this one-and-a-half-year span, Yan Uchiha had trained relentlessly and undertaken life-risking missions.
Two months ago, he officially became a Tokubetsu Jonin—a title he held as the second-youngest ever.
"It's been a long time," Minato said with a warm smile.
Unexpectedly, the usually proud Yan Uchiha simply returned a polite greeting, smiling as he said, "It really has."
"What brings you here?" Minato asked.
"You're practically like a sparring partner for Sakumo Hatake, so the Third Hokage told me about it," Yan Uchiha replied.
Minato's gaze immediately sharpened, yet he could still understand the Third's intentions.
"So, are you here to train with me then?" Figuring out the intention, it wasn't hard for Minato to guess why the other person had come.
Yan Uchiha paused briefly upon hearing this before saying, "Not training—a real fight!"
Instantly, the slight humility previously sensed from him vanished completely, as a powerful aura suddenly surged toward Minato.
Minato's eyes darkened; he never expected such remarkable progress from Yan Uchiha within just a year and a half.
Without question, his overall strength had truly reached the level of a fully accomplished Jonin.
"Chi!"
His originally black pupils instantly turned crimson red, with two tomoe spinning slowly inside.
Facing off against Minato, at one moment those blood-red eyes' tomoe rotated, seemingly freezing everything around them.
Shua!
A streak of darkness flashed across, and Yan Uchiha quickly appeared where Minato had stood, but by the time he extended his hand, all that remained was a faint afterimage.
[The Hypnotic Eye]—it seems your control over the Double Tomoe Sharingan is already sufficiently refined," Minato's voice came from behind Yan at that moment.
"You're right. It doesn't work on you," Yan Uchiha sighed. His Sharingan could no longer keep up with Minato's movements.
The instant he activated [The Hypnotic Eye], Minato had already vanished, leaving only a visual residue of his previous position for Yan to perceive afterward.
Minato's speed was at least twice faster than what his Double-Tomoe Sharingan could track, which created this very phenomenon.
Yan Uchiha balled both hands into fists; this was exactly what he had feared.
If Sakumo and Minato were to fight, he worried he might forever lose the courage to challenge Minato afterward.
Because every time he improved, Minato always seemed to grow at an even more astonishing rate, steadily widening the gap between them.
As if understanding his concerns, Minato glanced sideways and lightly chuckled, "The outcome between us hasn't been decided yet. But... If you defeat yourself first, I'll naturally win without a fight."
With that, he vanished from where he stood.
Yan Uchiha gazed in the direction Minato had gone, speechless for a long moment...
...
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