As the days passed, Tsunade's belly gradually grew rounder.
The entire Gekko family treated this unborn child with extre importance.
Tsunade had stopped all routine training, and even reduced how often she went outside. She devoted herself entirely to resting at ho for the pregnancy.
Worried she might get bored being stuck at ho, Hoshiyomi spent most of his ti accompanying her. Behind the scenes, he even asked Orochimaru to design a large, gachapon-style machine and brought it back ho.
Whenever Hoshiyomi wasn't around, or whenever Tsunade felt bored, she could go play with the gachapon machine.
Tsunade was instantly hooked. This gambling-like ga was completely tailored to her tastes.
And due to her terrible luck, she often spent the whole day cranking the machine and still couldn't pull the hidden grand prize Hoshiyomi had put in.
The boredom problem during her pregnancy was solved perfectly.
One day, after spending the entire afternoon clinging to Tsunade at ho, Hoshiyomi went out in the evening to buy ingredients for dinner—and unexpectedly ran into Jiraiya and his wife, Nonō, whom he hadn't seen for a long ti.
Seeing how travel-worn the two looked, Hoshiyomi pulled them aside, briefly told them about Tsunade's pregnancy, and was about to drag them ho for a al.
But Jiraiya didn't imdiately go with him. Instead, he explained:
"Hoshiyomi, you go on ahead. Nonō and I need to stop by the Hokage's office first. After we report what we encountered in Kirigakure to Minato, we'll head over to visit you and Tsunade."
Hearing that, Hoshiyomi raised a brow:
"Kirigakure? You ran into trouble there?"
"It wasn't exactly trouble. With around, who'd be stupid enough to cause trouble?
It's just that while we were traveling around Kiri, we noticed tensions rising once again.
The militant faction and the conservative faction have been clashing recently. Many kekkei genkai clans have been dragged into drawn-out battles, and so are on the brink of extinction.
Nonō can't stand things like that, so we planned to report it to Minato—maybe send soone to restrain their internal conflict. After all, Kirigakure is our ally now.
It took a lot of effort for the shinobi world to stabilize. If Kiri's internal fighting causes instability again, that would be bad."
Hearing this, a certain figure instantly surfaced in Hoshiyomi's mind.
The boy he had practically lived with day and night over those three years—
One of the only two people who had transmigrated like himself—
Kaguya Kimimaro.
Even though the Kimimaro of this world and the one from the original world weren't truly the sa person, they still shared the sa body.
Hoshiyomi absolutely could not stand the idea of watching this world's Kimimaro wilt away before blooming, just like in the original story.
He had to save him—if only to keep a mory.
So that when he grew old soday, seeing that face would remind him that in another world, there was another transmigrator just like him.
With that thought, Hoshiyomi made up his mind.
He had already bought the groceries, so he directly said to Jiraiya:
"Let's go. I'll go with you to see Minato. This matter interests . I'd like to take a trip to Kirigakure myself."
Hearing that, Jiraiya naturally had no objections, and the three headed straight to the Hokage's office.
Inside, after listening to Jiraiya's report, Minato nodded:
"Jiraiya-senpai, you're right. Kirigakure's situation really is deteriorating. Under normal circumstances, as allies, we should definitely intervene.
And that's not even counting the mysterious organization that Sensei ntioned before—
The one lurking behind the scenes, plotting sothing."
"It's better to avoid trouble whenever possible. If we leave them alone, and that mysterious organization uses the current internal conflict in Kirigakure as an opportunity to expand their power, things could get dangerous."
At this point, Minato hesitated for a mont and glanced at Hoshiyomi:
"Sensei, are you sure you want to go to Kirigakure at a ti like this? Your wife is still in her pregnancy period… And didn't you say before that you planned to hide your existence?"
Thinking of Tsunade, Hoshiyomi also felt this wasn't ideal.
But he really wanted to bring Kimimaro back. And besides him, there was also that foolish kid, Haku.
If the Yuki clan was going to be wiped out like in the original tiline, that child would most likely be taken by Zabuza or soone similar to be used as a tool. Instead of letting him beco a future enemy, it would be better to take him back and raise him properly.
After hesitating for a while, Hoshiyomi finally spoke:
"I'll make it quick. Go early, co back early.
As for exposing myself… that's not much of a problem. This ti, I'm not going alone. I'll only observe in secret, and unless absolutely necessary, I won't make a move.
If I do end up having to act, then I'll just kill everyone who discovers . That way, I won't be exposed.
For , that's hardly a challenge.
And even if I'm super unlucky and really do sohow get exposed, and I run into that guy again, it's fine. He's already shown all his trump cards last ti. I'm not going to fall for the sa trick twice."
Jiraiya and Minato both felt three bold black lines appear on their foreheads.
"Just kill everyone who discovers . That way, I won't be exposed."…
Was that sothing a human being should say?
As absurd as it sounded, both Minato and Jiraiya knew Hoshiyomi genuinely had the power to do exactly that.
Since his teacher insisted, Minato couldn't continue trying to dissuade him. After thinking for a mont, Minato said:
"If Sensei insists on going, then we'll do it your way. I'll organize an elite squad for this mission—we'll aim to finish everything within seven days, so your wife won't worry too much at ho.
Also, I'll send the Flying Thunder God squad I've been training the last two years. They can shorten travel ti, and if danger does arise, they can bring you all back imdiately."
...
That evening, after having dinner with Jiraiya and Nonō, Hoshiyomi briefly told Tsunade about his intention to go to Kirigakure.
At first, Tsunade was clearly unhappy. Hoshiyomi had promised before that after returning from Rōran, he would stay properly in Konoha and go nowhere.
Helpless, Hoshiyomi told her about Kimimaro. Tsunade rembered the na from the "modified" version of his three-year experience in the other shinobi world; she knew that Kimimaro had once helped Hoshiyomi there.
Tsunade wasn't an unreasonable woman. Hearing that her husband's benefactor's child-form might be in danger at Kirigakure, she reluctantly agreed to let Hoshiyomi go.
But she still warned him fiercely: seven days ans seven days. If he wasn't back by then, she would go to Kirigakure herself to find him.
There was no way Hoshiyomi would allow his pregnant wife to travel all the way to Kirigakure, so he imdiately swore he would definitely return within seven days.
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