When she discovered she was pregnant, her relationship with Hayate was completely severed.
She simply couldn't bring herself to accept anyone else.
Because her body had already been completely claimed and ravished by that man.
Although it only happened once, he had subjected her to all sorts of shameful acts.
Now, it was time to start a new life. The money she had saved from her days as a ninja was nearly gone. Looking at the child beside her, her heart felt heavy with worry.
'Taking care of a child really isn't easy.'
She stopped her wandering thoughts and rested quietly.
These were matters she would deal with slowly in the future.
A few days later, Ryōsuke received a report from the Konoha Military Police Force.
He had previously ordered the police force to search the entire village. Yūgao had rented a house on the far side of the Leaf Village and settled down.
Hearing this, a dark suspicion crossed his mind.
'Could she have been on her own since giving birth until now?'
Although she had once been one of the Third Hokage's subordinates and he had fallen for her honey trap...
...he had truly been captivated by her beauty.
Thinking about it carefully, she was technically his woman now.
'I really messed up.'
He knew exactly how difficult it was to handle childbirth and recovery alone.
Even someone like Yakushi Nono, who was skilled at caring for orphans, had to hire help.
It seemed he would have to make some amends.
Carrying a small bag filled with money, he arrived at Yūgao's rented home and knocked softly on the door.
Inside, Yūgao was puzzled.
'Who could be here?'
She hadn't notified anyone she knew.
Carrying the baby to the door, her expression shifted instantly.
'Why is he here?'
She immediately tried to slam the door shut.
But how could Ryōsuke let her close it?
He reached out and blocked the doorway.
"Yūgao, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Yūgao's face soured. 'Invite you? In your dreams.' Yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge the door.
"What are you doing here?"
Ryōsuke sensed her hostile attitude.
"To see you, of course."
"I've been searching quite hard for you."
Yūgao was speechless.
'He actually claims he was looking for me? Please.'
The Leaf Village was massive.
If he truly wanted to find her, how could he have failed until now?
Now that she thought about it, could he have known her identity all along and treated her that way on purpose?
She had never received spy training; perhaps her acting had been transparent to him from the start.
At that thought, she spoke with even more anger.
"Please leave."
This man didn't care about her at all; at most, he viewed her as a plaything.
Naturally, she wanted no further involvement with him.
Ryōsuke understood her attitude. Was she being so fierce because she no longer had an undercover mission from the Third Hokage?
But no matter how fierce she was, it didn't change the reality.
Because there was already a child.
"Yūgao, this is our child, isn't it?"
Yūgao looked shocked. He knew? Had he investigated her in secret?
She replied coldly.
"This is my child. It has nothing to do with you."
Ryōsuke frowned, his voice taking on a hurt tone.
"Yūgao, have you had a change of heart?"
Yūgao was at a loss for words. She never gave him her heart to begin with.
On the contrary, she had felt immense pressure around him, constantly being played with like a toy.
"Just leave. You're not welcome here."
Ryōsuke sighed. This was probably her true self. Her previous submission had only been for the sake of the mission.
It seemed he couldn't keep indulging her. He pushed the door open and pulled both mother and child into his arms.
"Yūgao, you might be angry, but now that there's a child, our connection is permanent. From now on, you are truly my woman. I will take responsibility for you."
Holding the child, Yūgao initially tried to struggle, but hearing his words, her anger subsided slightly. 'Will he really take responsibility?'
Or did he just want to treat her like a toy again?
She feared he would start groping her as he used to, but finding his hands surprisingly behaved, she felt a wave of relief.
'I was terrified he'd start touching me inappropriately again.'
Still, becoming his woman was a difficult pill to swallow.
Despite having the child, did he actually love her? Without love, she refused to be nothing more than a tool for his desires.
Seeing Yūgao stop resisting, Ryōsuke felt there was hope.
"Why not move to the Uchiha Clan compound? I'll hire someone to look after you, so you won't be so exhausted caring for the child alone."
Hearing this, Yūgao rejected him immediately.
"No."
As if she would. Going to his home meant being completely at his mercy.
This was the man who loved dragging her into bedrooms more than anything.
And she would be powerless to resist.
Ryōsuke had to give up for now. He couldn't rush this, so he changed the subject.
"This child is quite wonderful. I can tell she'll be a great beauty when she grows up."
Although the baby was thin and her features were barely formed, he had to say something nice. He certainly couldn't say anything negative.
That would only provoke Yūgao.
Yūgao remained expressionless.
"Now that you've seen the child, please leave. I need to rest."
Ryōsuke was at a loss for words.
'Their relationship really is in a bad state.'
Fortunately, with the child as a foundation, he could still eventually make her his.
"Fine, I'll take my leave for now."
He took a small pouch from his waist.
"Yūgao, this is a gift for you."
"I'm heading out now."
He left immediately without looking back, not wanting to give her the chance to reject the gift.
If she accepted it, he could gradually win over her heart in the future.
Yūgao stared at the gift he had left, stunned.
Before she could even refuse, he had vanished without a trace.
'He said he'd take responsibility, and this is how he does it?'
She felt a flicker of annoyance.
Curiously, she wondered what the man had actually given her.
Opening the package, she found stack after stack of bills.
Her expression changed. If her estimate was correct, there were 10,000,000 Ryo here. That was a sum she would have to complete ten S-rank missions to even hope of earning.
And completing even a single S-rank mission was a monumental task for her.
'Does he really care about me that much?'