"Husband, you're back."
Kushina and Mikoto—both still wearing aprons—walked out of the kitchen. Ryoma stepped forward and kissed each of them lightly.
"What are you doing? The child is watching!"
Kushina's cheeks flushed as she glanced at Naruko, who was pretending to cover her eyes but was obviously peeking through her fingers.
"Let her look. We're already an old married couple—what's there to be afraid of?"
Ryoma chuckled, then glanced at Mikoto, who was equally embarrassed.
"By the way, why don't I see Sako? Off training again?"
"Not this time."
Mikoto raised a finger with a gentle smile. "Sako went to a friend's house today. She hasn't returned yet."
"Huh?"
Ryoma was genuinely surprised. He understood his daughter well.
Sako's personality at this age was very different from the near-adult Sasuko who once traveled back in time. Instead, she resembled Sasuke from the original story—cold on the surface, warm underneath, and not easy to approach. Building friendships was… not her strongest suit.
"Whose house?"
"The Haruno household. Don't you remember? Our daughters' teammate—Haruno Sakura—her family."
Hearing Mikoto mention it, Ryoma recalled the pink-haired girl who had once asked for his autograph back in the Land of Snow.
"I didn't expect that…"
In the original timeline, Sasuke never escaped Sakura—and apparently, his daughter Sako wasn't escaping Sakura either.
"I'm back," a calm voice said as the door slid open.
Sako stepped inside.
"Sako! What were you doing with Sakura-chan today? Why didn't you take me!?"
Naruko immediately rushed over, waving her tiny fists. "Teammates are not allowed to exclude each other!"
"We were doing something serious. You'd only get in the way, you little fool."
Sako replied without even blinking. In truth, she had just gone to read shoujo manga with Sakura, but to protect her cool image… such a truth would never be spoken.
"Who are you calling a fool!?" Naruko lunged forward.
"Alright, you two—no fighting! Dinner's ready!"
Kushina and Mikoto placed their hands on their hips like fierce queens.
Seeing their mothers' stern faces, the two girls froze and immediately ran off to help.
Watching his wife and daughters bustling happily in the kitchen, Ryoma couldn't suppress his smile.
Three Days Later — Konoha Scientific Research Bureau
The moment Ryoma entered the laboratory, Orochimaru rushed toward him like a serpent in a frenzy.
Before Ryoma could speak, Orochimaru thrust a tablet into his hands.
"What exactly is that person you brought back!?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know very well."
Orochimaru's voice dropped. "You deliberately didn't explain anything. You wanted me to discover the anomaly myself, didn't you?"
On the screen was a video of Hidan's severed head, still alive and spewing curses nonstop.
"You don't expect me to believe this is normal, do you?"
Orochimaru laid out several stacks of data.
"You asked me to examine him three days ago. At first, all instruments showed normal physiology—nothing different from an ordinary shinobi. But once he began struggling against his restraints… I noticed his wounds healed far too quickly."
"In these last few days, I've tested the limits of his abilities. His self-regeneration is impressive but not enough for true limb regeneration. And yet, despite those limits, he possesses some form of undying core."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with manic excitement.
"His severed limbs still move. His head thinks and speaks even when detached. His body remains alive even when reduced to pieces. It's as if some external force—beyond science—keeps him alive."
"Ryoma… if we can unravel this power, true immortality might be possible."
Ryoma closed the documents after memorizing their contents.
"It's far too early for that."
He looked directly at Orochimaru.
"I asked you to analyze his abilities—not to replicate them. Whatever immortality this man possesses isn't natural. It's more like a curse."
Orochimaru fell silent, thoughtful.
Ryoma didn't elaborate further. Orochimaru was sharp—he would understand eventually.
Taking the compiled research reports, Ryoma left the Bureau.
Border of the Land of Wind — Night
The silver moon hung high. Along the wind-swept border, the clashing of metal and cries of battle echoed without pause.
The flames of a towering signal beacon cast flickering shadows of armored figures and Sand shinobi locked in brutal combat.
"Clang!"
A puppet's blade sliced through an armored knight.
Standing atop a sandstone outcrop, Kankurō surveyed the battlefield, puppets shifting around him.
Suddenly—the ground trembled.
A Sand shinobi shouted, "Everyone move!"
Kankurō and the others leapt into the air just as a surge of chakra rippled outward.
A roaring sandstorm erupted, sweeping countless armored knights off their feet and slamming them into the earth.
"Sand Waterfall Burial."
The ground sank violently, collapsing into a massive pit that swallowed the remaining knights.
"It's finished, Gaara," Kankurō said, landing beside the red-haired boy.
Gaara slowly lowered his hands, eyes sharp.
"Who are these people?"
"My lord, we don't know."
The Sand shinobi in front answered quickly,
"We were training in the wild when they suddenly appeared out of the sea and attacked us."
Seeing Gaara approach, the armored warriors realized the situation had turned against them. They slowly retreated, then leapt into the dark waves—plop, plop—disappearing beneath the surface.
Several Sand shinobi prepared to give chase, but Kankurō stopped them.
"Don't pursue recklessly! Poor Komo chases!"
Watching the mysterious warriors vanish into the sea, Kankurō's expression turned grim.
"This darkness works entirely in their favor. It's too dangerous for us."
"Signal flares," Gaara ordered calmly.
"Yes, sir!"
A few shinobi raised their flare guns and fired. With a sharp bang, bright light burst across the night sky and illuminated the vast black sea.
"What… is that!?"
A massive steel battleship appeared on the water, anchored just offshore. The armored soldiers who had attacked moments ago climbed aboard one after another.
"I've never seen a ship like that," Kankurō muttered, eyes narrowing.
Before Gaara and the others could process this new threat, a thick plume of white smoke erupted from the vessel's side.
Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
More than ten explosions rang out in quick succession. A barrage of flaming shells shot toward the coastline.
"Not good!"
Gaara slammed his hands together. A vast wave of sand surged forward, rising instantly into a defensive wall.
But it was too hastily constructed—too thin.
The first shell struck and shattered it instantly. The shockwave blasted the front-line Sand shinobi off their feet and sent them tumbling across the ground.
The fire tower behind them collapsed in a burst of flames.
And the bombardment had only begun.
Dozens of shells screamed through the night sky in a relentless cascade, as if intent on obliterating everything in front of them.
"Tch… damn it."
Gaara's eyes narrowed sharply as he braced himself for the next wave of explosions.
Hokage Building — Konoha
"Lord Ryoma, we've received urgent news from Sunagakure. An unknown enemy is attacking their territory."
Nara Shikaku stood before the desk, expression serious.
"Even though Kazekage Gaara has engaged them, we haven't received any response back yet."
Ryoma tapped his fingers lightly on the table, deep in thought.
If this were just a normal assault, Gaara's strength should be more than enough to suppress it. The damage shouldn't be this severe…
Something was wrong.
"Shikaku," Ryoma said, "send a nearby squad to investigate immediately."
"The closest team is my son's—Team 10."
Shikaku continued professionally:
"Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino—Haichi's daughter—and Akimichi Chōji.
They recently accepted a mission to escort a caravan and should currently be near the border between Kawano Province and the Land of Wind."
"Good. Contact them and have them head to the site at once."
"Yes, my lord."
Shikaku bowed and left swiftly.
Ryoma leaned back slightly, eyes sharpening.
What kind of enemy forces Gaara into silence… and commands a battleship like that?