"Hagoromo, do you know what day it is today?"
A few months ago, the Third Hokage had officially stepped back from the front lines, and Minato Namikaze formally took office. The Yellow Flash had finally become the Fourth Hokage. This transition happened even faster than Minato himself had anticipated; after all, he was only twenty-four years old.
However, even though Minato had stepped into the spotlight, the Third Hokage's influence was still heavily at play.
"Today? Kushina-sensei, there's nothing special about today, is there?"
Meanwhile, in the near future, Kushina was going to give birth to a boy named Naruto. Although the couple didn't know it was a boy yet.
"It's undeniable that you're a very smart person, Hagoromo, but why do your reflexes and memory drop offline sometimes? It really makes me wonder if there's something wrong with you..." Despite her words, Kushina revealed a gentle smile.
A person's changes can be witnessed with one's own eyes, even by the closest people by their side. The Kushina of the past wouldn't have had such an expression.
"Happy sixteenth birthday, Hagoromo."
"..."
"Come to think of it, that's today?"
And just like that, Kamishiro Hagoromo was exactly sixteen years old.
But at this moment, regarding this kind of thing, he didn't really care.
There were many things occupying his energy, but clearly remembering which day his birthday fell on was obviously not one of them.
"What kind of reaction is that? Your sixteenth birthday is an important day in life; you should be a little happier." If it were the Kushina of the past, she would have reprimanded him heavily for this complete lack of self-care. But now, it was merely a gentle admonishment.
"I'm already happy enough. Thank you, Kushina-sensei."
He truly was happy enough. After all, there was still someone who remembered his birthday was today and would wish him well... even when he had forgotten it himself.
"Here you go."
"What's this?"
"A present, your birthday present... I really don't know what you're busy with every day. Your spacing out has noticeably increased lately. Mid-life laziness already? Are you starting to turn into an old man at just sixteen?"
"I've just been busy contemplating life lately," Hagoromo replied, spouting nonsense as he took the gift.
Though, to be fair, sixteen was indeed the first step, the very first stair, on the path to becoming an old man.
To Hagoromo, his teacher didn't need to know what he was actually doing recently.
"Even a jutsu like this can be sealed?"
It was a very practical gift. After all, he was a ninja, so the gifts he received still retained distinct ninja characteristics.
"Of course it can, although it took quite a bit of effort," she said.
Hagoromo's sealing jutsu was taught by her, after all. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, her own attainments went without saying. Things that ordinary people couldn't do merely took her "a bit of effort."
"This way, you can be a bit more at ease when facing certain enemies. Considering you seem to have a constitution that attracts certain things, I thought you might need it."
"Yeah, this will definitely be a huge help. But... it's time, Sensei. We should go out for a walk." He carefully put the gift away and addressed her.
This meant the topic of his birthday ended there. After all, it truly wasn't anything important.
Seeing him like this, Kushina wouldn't press the matter, although her thoughts on it differed from his. In her eyes, he was an orphan, after all, and probably didn't want to dwell on the topic of birthdays. It had been the same in previous years.
She felt empathetic toward him, even if her assumption wasn't the actual truth.
"You're too stiff. You shouldn't be so mechanical about the things you have to do every day," she said, playing along.
Despite saying this, she prepared to stand up.
The bulge of her lower abdomen made her movements cumbersome now, so Hagoromo quickly offered a hand to support her.
"It's not a matter of being mechanical. According to the professional textbook, Prenatal and Postnatal Care for Ninjas, you should maintain moderate exercise during this period."
"Is there really a professional book like that? Why haven't I ever heard of it? And... what kind of books are you even reading?"
"Actually... that book doesn't exist yet. But I plan to write one myself later, based on my experience taking care of a pregnant woman, to benefit the thousands of women in Konoha."
"It is one of my life goals."
"Your life goals are truly grand," Kushina rolled her eyes. "But if a book with that title ever really gets published, please keep the pregnant woman you cared for anonymous. I don't want to become the role model for thousands of Konoha women to imitate..."
"Understood. I highly respect a ninja's right to privacy."
Joking with each other, the two walked out the door, Kushina in front and Hagoromo following behind.
His current mission was to serve as her bodyguard during her pregnancy. Undoubtedly, as her disciple, he was the most suitable person for this job.
However, he was dressed in casual homewear, not at all looking like a vigilant bodyguard, but rather somewhat sluggish and relaxed.
Even if he was feeling tense, that was his own internal reaction. He wouldn't project those emotions outwardly, not even through something as simple as his clothing.
Out on the street, there were quite a few pedestrians at this hour. Kushina stopped and started as she walked; sights that previously wouldn't have attracted her attention now constantly caught her eye.
To a pregnant woman, children—especially infants—were highly appealing. Because of this, she would occasionally strike up conversations with people carrying children.
In these situations, Hagoromo mostly just followed silently behind her, not interrupting her interactions. If the person talking to his teacher cast a glance his way, he would maintain a polite smile.
Just like right now.
"Speaking of which, what is this child's name?" Kushina asked.
"I haven't introduced him yet, have I? His name is Sasuke."
Hmm... huh?
Wait, called what? Sasuke... Hagoromo certainly knew that name.
"Sasuke-kun? He's so cute."
He was quite cute. One couldn't possibly imagine that this baby would grow up to be a deeply edgy, chuunibyou teenager.
"He already has an older brother who's five years older. He really loves his little brother, too."
"An older brother... Once my child is born, he'll have an older brother too," Kushina replied, even though this "older brother" didn't look like someone who would like kids at all.
She was right about that; Hagoromo really didn't like brats.
"When is your due date?"
Just as Kushina was about to answer, Hagoromo preempted her. "My apologies, ma'am. The delivery date of the Fourth Hokage's wife is highly classified and cannot be disclosed."
He looked to be smiling brightly, and his tone was very gentle, but his meaning was crystal clear, and his gaze carried an inexplicable weight.
The woman's action might have just been a casual question, but as long as there was even a fraction of a possibility that it wasn't just a casual question, something like the due date absolutely could not be revealed.
Many disasters were triggered in exactly these kinds of careless moments. The time when the Nine-Tails' seal would weaken could under no circumstances be leaked.
"Is that so? I'm the one who should apologize. I misspoke." Mikoto Uchiha expressed her apology very sincerely. Her expression was completely natural, not looking like she had any ulterior motives.
However, Hagoromo still maintained a skeptical attitude. Statistically speaking, about forty percent of ninjas were master actors; surface appearances meant absolutely nothing.
Especially since this person was an Uchiha. Theoretically, the Sharingan possessed the ability to control Tailed Beasts, and the Uchiha clan was not very well-received within Konoha. Hagoromo wasn't clear on exactly what was hidden in the darkness, but he knew there was a lot.
A whole lot.
After the two women chatted for a little while longer, Mikoto Uchiha took her future edgelord son and said her goodbyes. Kushina then continued her stroll with Hagoromo.
"Hagoromo, aren't you being a bit too overly cautious?"
He remained silent and didn't respond.
Was he being overly cautious?
"Once this child is born, you'll be responsible for teaching him ninjutsu." Kushina naturally understood what was on his mind, so she didn't harp on his earlier reaction. Instead, she came up with this sudden whim.
"That... only if this child's learning ability is at least half as good as mine."
"Then there's no problem. Genetically speaking, he will be a smart kid."
Kushina, is it really okay to be so optimistic about your unborn child's IQ? Saying things like this makes it very easy to get slapped in the face by reality later.
From what Hagoromo remembered, Naruto didn't seem to belong to the category of ninjas who understood things the moment they were pointed out.
In every sense of the word.
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