Kushina Uzumaki.
She was no longer just the Hokage's wife or the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—she was also Hakken's sensei's wife.
Since Hakken had promised Minato to look after Naruto as his older brother, he would never allow anything to happen to this lively, outspoken woman. Of course, beyond that, everything had already been decided the moment Minato stood in front of him at the ANBU headquarters.
It was the exclusive escort mission of Night Owl Squad.
As night fell, Minato continued tirelessly working in the Hokage's office.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of his home, several hidden figures had already entered their watch. The squad's level of skill and stealth was far beyond ordinary imagination. Without careful observation, no one would ever notice their presence.
"Come down for dinner!"
Unfortunately, the voice from the balcony made them all sigh helplessly as they emerged from hiding.
Well, so much for stealth.
After that shout, even an idiot would realize someone was hiding here.
What's worse, it was what Kushina said that truly struck fear into everyone—except Hakken and Guy.
Dinner?
You've got to be kidding!
Compared to Kushina's terrifying cooking, they'd rather eat soldier pills!
But when Kushina, her belly round and heavy, actually looked ready to jump from the balcony onto the roof, they had no choice but to climb down nervously and step into the room.
Don't be fooled—this pregnant woman was anything but ordinary. She really would try to make that jump if no one stopped her.
Naruto's bold, carefree personality clearly came from her.
Of course, she wasn't reckless for no reason. She was a mother now—no mother would willingly endanger her own child.
She simply trusted that the shinobi watching from above were strong enough to catch her if anything went wrong.
And while others couldn't guarantee that, with Hakken present, such an accident was impossible.
When everyone finally gathered around the dining table, they were caught off guard by what they saw.
In front of each of them was a steaming bowl of soup that actually looked… decent.
They didn't know what was in it, but at least it looked edible.
"Since Lady Kushina is treating us, I won't hold back."
On his first ANBU mission, Guy was already starving. Compared to endless soldier pills, this bowl of soup looked heavenly.
"Guy…"
Kakashi reached out, his face tense, his tone cautious. Clearly, he sensed trouble.
"What is it?"
Guy blinked in confusion.
Gulp.
As the two exchanged wary glances, Hakken had already lifted his bowl and downed the entire thing in one decisive motion.
"Not bad."
Wiping his mouth, Hakken nodded politely to Kushina.
Regardless of taste, the fact that she had gone out of her way to cook for them—while pregnant—was enough reason to finish the bowl without complaint.
Besides, his stomach had been trained by Anko's cooking since childhood. This kind of thing didn't scare him in the least.
In fact, Hakken thought Kushina's food tasted far better than Anko's.
"As expected of you, Captain! That's how a real man drinks soup!"
Not understanding the situation at all, Guy gave Hakken a thumbs-up before ignoring Kakashi's warning and lifting his own bowl.
Gulp.
The instant the mysterious liquid hit his stomach, Guy's expression froze.
His usually unbreakable face turned green, and then his entire body began to tremble as if he'd forgotten how to breathe.
A second later, the green shifted to purple, and tears welled up at the corners of his eyes before streaming down his cheeks.
"A man must endure."
Just as Guy was about to give in, Hakken calmly poured himself another bowl and downed it in one smooth gulp.
Impressive.
Guy gave Hakken a shaky thumbs-up, then pounded his chest with a fist. The purple tinge on his face had turned to a pale, sickly blue. Clearly, he was enduring a level of torment few could imagine.
Hakken shook his head. There was no point in pushing Guy any further.
Eating something like this might be torture, but it was also a kind of training.
Think about it—during a mission, if they were stranded with nothing to eat, they might have to choke down things a hundred times worse just to survive.
Eat, or die.
How would you choose?
Using Kushina's cooking to temper that willpower wasn't such a bad idea. Still, there were limits.
Standing up, Hakken tugged gently at Kushina's sleeve.
"Sensei's wife, I want to see the Nine-Tails."
The words "mother" or "father" would never come out of his mouth, but that didn't stop him from quietly cherishing this rare sense of warmth and connection.
The Nine-Tails?
Kushina blinked, momentarily stunned.
What was Hakken planning? What was there to see in that creature?
Yet, as Minato's wife, she understood—Minato treated Hakken like his own child, even naming him Naruto's older brother before the boy was born. It was an acknowledgment from the heart.
And ever since Hakken had first stood guard at her side, she had accepted his presence completely.
He wouldn't harm her. Kushina believed that with absolute certainty.
Could it be he wanted to reinforce the seal?
Naruto's birth was drawing near, and by then, her seal would be at its weakest.
Nodding slightly, Kushina took Hakken's hand and led him toward the inner room.
"...If you're gonna throw up, do it now. Otherwise, once Owl and Sensei's wife get back, it'll be too late."
Kakashi seized the moment, dragging Guy toward the balcony. He could tell Guy was suffering aftereffects worse than opening all Eight Gates at once.
...
The space resembled the one sealed within Naruto, yet there were subtle differences.
Before him stood the Nine-Tails, bound tightly in golden chains. Hakken stroked his chin.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains.
It was clear Kushina had done everything she could to reinforce the seal, ensuring Naruto's safe birth.
Perhaps when the Sage of Six Paths had divided the chakra among the Tailed Beasts, he had been distracted—or maybe biased.
Whatever the reason, it had left the Nine-Tails exceptionally powerful, even among Tailed Beasts. Its transformations alone outclassed the others.
Of course, it might also have been because Naruto, as Ashura's reincarnation, could awaken the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Anyone else using the Nine-Tails' chakra mode would never reach that level of strength.
"There it is—the Nine-Tails," Kushina said, pointing at the monstrous beast locked within the chains.
"Kid."
The Nine-Tails glared at him, its massive eyes filled with killing intent and wariness.
This was no ordinary child.
Its instincts screamed that this one had the power to kill it. Truly kill it—not the kind of death from which it could someday regenerate.
Actual death.
Hakken slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting the beast's enormous eyes.
Then he said something that made the Nine-Tails freeze completely.
"Release it for now, Sensei's wife."
This brat…
What was he planning to do?
...
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