Dinner was at Tsunade's house.
As expected, the food was "soft"—perfect for Ebara's taste.
Under Mito's arrangement, Sawako and Kushina were settled nearby.
Mito hoped they'd visit often.
Sawako didn't agree outright but softened, not rejecting the idea.
Kushina, as planned, would join Ebara's class to study.
In a couple of days, once she settled in Konoha, Ebara would take her to school.
Kushina was thrilled—she thought Ebara was stronger than anyone she'd met.
Sawako worried Ebara might corrupt her but, considering his strength, held her tongue.
After dinner, Ebara returned home.
His father, Shokawa Ebara, sat on the porch, staring into space as usual.
As Ebara was about to greet him, three system options appeared:
[Option 1: Ask Father about his relationship with Chiyo. Reward: 200 Chakra Points!]
[Option 2: Only tell Father you encountered Chiyo. Reward: 10 Stamina Attribute Points!]
[Option 3: Hide the Chiyo encounter. Reward: 10 Mental Attribute Points!]
No-brainer. Option 1.
Ebara was dying to know about his father and Chiyo.
"Son, you're back!" Shokawa said cheerfully.
"Yeah," Ebara replied.
"No injuries, especially… down there?"
"Dad, don't you think your focus is a bit weird?"
"Weird how?"
"Why are you only worried about that and not other injuries?"
"As long as that's fine, the rest doesn't matter!"
"Not even my head?"
"Nah, you said your brain's messed up anyway. A little injury won't change much."
"…"
"Dad, do you know Chiyo from the Land of Wind?" Ebara asked.
Shokawa turned, eyeing him. "Why? Ran into her on your mission?"
Ebara nodded. "Yeah, she asked if I knew you. I tried denying our connection, but she saw through it. What's your deal with her?"
His gossip-fueled curiosity burned.
Shokawa had bragged about being a "sea god."
Chiyo's resentful look (Chapter 58) screamed scorned woman.
Ebara wondered if his dad had played her.
Shokawa's face grew nostalgic. "Our last… interaction was when you were five."
What the—?!
Ebara's jaw dropped.
His wild guess was right?
"Does Mom know?" he blurted.
Shokawa rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of interaction, you idiot."
"When you were four, the First Hokage died. At five, the First Ninja War broke out. That's when I killed her husband on the battlefield."
Ebara exhaled. Not THAT kind of relationship.
But then he caught something off.
"Dad, aren't you a genin? How'd you kill Chiyo's husband? Was he that bad?"
"And I clearly remember you were on the battlefield, but as a logistics guy!"
Ebara smirked, skeptical.
"What's wrong with logistics? You still meet enemies. Her husband? Decent, I guess. Jonin-level," Shokawa said casually.
"Pfft, now you're bragging. A genin killing a jonin?" Ebara scoffed.
"Son, didn't I tell you? Your old man was super brave back then!"
"Nope. You're only brave when you're smacking me!"
"…"
"So, it's just a grudge over killing her husband?" Ebara steered back.
Annoying, but better than his wild theory.
Chiyo, a prodigy, wouldn't fall for his deadbeat dad.
Though Wind and Fire were once close, they were worlds apart—sky and earth.
"Not just that," Shokawa said.
"There's more?" Ebara's eyes widened.
"Back then, Wind and Fire were tight. Some missions had joint teams," Shokawa recalled, a faint smile forming—a happy memory.
"So, you worked together?" Ebara asked, panicking.
"Yeah. Once, on a mission…" Shokawa paused dramatically. "We were taking a dump together. She forgot paper, asked to borrow mine, and I refused!"
Ebara: Shocka-lad!
But he quickly spotted the flaw.
"Wait, why were you… pooping together?"
Shokawa sighed, spitting out five words: "Because she was scared of the dark."
"I've got a question."
"Fine, the truth? We were into each other, kindred spirits."
"No, not that! What did she do without paper?"
"…"
Ignoring Ebara's curiosity, Shokawa continued, "But the world changes. The honeymoon ended, our contact faded, and so did the feelings."
Ebara, fixated on the paper issue, ignored the rest. "Dad, seriously, how did Chiyo—"
"Get lost!"
In a Land of Wind village, Chiyo—master of taijutsu, medical ninjutsu, puppetry, and sealing—tended to Murou Ichiro and Hana.
Their injuries, non-life-threatening, were nearly healed.
On a sickbed, Murou Ichiro asked, "That guy with the Second Tsuchikage's powers—is he really tied to my father's killer, Shokawa Ebara?"
Chiyo nodded. "Yes, he's Shokawa's son."
Murou Ichiro grinned. "I thought Shokawa would hide in Konoha forever, catching cats and walking dogs. No chance for revenge unless we stormed the village. But his son's a ninja now. Perfect."
Hana, less thrilled, said, "He's got the Second Tsuchikage's skills and insane talent. How do you plan to take him?"
Murou Ichiro sneered. "I don't know how he got those powers, but he can't sustain them long. Why else let us go?"
He wasn't a brainless vengeance-seeker.
Chiyo nodded. "True. When we escaped, only four of my Ten Puppets remained (Chapter 59). My strength was crippled, yet he didn't pursue. Suspicious."
"I'll kill him someday, for my father," Murou Ichiro vowed.
Hana, curious, asked, "Mother-in-law, wasn't Shokawa just a genin? How did he kill Father?"
Chiyo sighed. "That man's no mere genin. If you face him, be very careful."