Chapter 258

"Let me see my daughter," Tsunade demanded as she was wheeled out of the operating room. Her strength had gradually returned, and she was now reaching out for her child.

"You need to rest for a bit, Tsunade," Yoichi said, holding their newborn daughter close. "I'll hold her for now."

There was no way Yoichi was going to let go of his daughter just yet. He signaled to Asami, the Jonin medic, to push Tsunade to her room before she could protest further.

"You…" Tsunade started, but before she could finish her sentence, Asami quickly wheeled her into the recovery room.

Yoichi stood outside for a moment, cradling his daughter in his arms, admiring her before bringing her in to show Tsunade.

The baby, who had been crying earlier, was now calm and wide-eyed, curiously observing her surroundings. Yoichi had a strong feeling that this might be his most gifted child yet.

With his life force at a Six Paths level and Tsunade's own powerful lineage and mastery of genetic energy, their child had incredible potential.

Yoichi could see that even without any special guidance, their daughter could one day reach the same Six Paths level through her own abilities.

When Yoichi entered the room, Tsunade was practically bursting with impatience, her hands stretched out to take her daughter. She hadn't held her child since the birth, and she was eager to bond.

Reluctantly, Yoichi handed over their daughter, seeing that Tsunade might leap out of bed if he didn't.

The moment Tsunade cradled her child, her entire demeanor softened. She gazed lovingly at the tiny life in her arms, cherishing the experience she once thought she'd never have.

"Have you decided on a name for her?" Tsunade asked, her eyes never leaving their daughter.

"Let's call her Yoko—Uchiha Yoko," Yoichi said with a warm smile.

"Yoko… it's perfect!" Tsunade exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. She lifted Yoko into the air playfully, but instead of crying, Yoko looked around in wonder, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Yoko will stay with me," Tsunade declared, her tone leaving no room for debate. "But you better make time to come and see her. At least as much as you did before!"

Tsunade's face flushed slightly as she mentioned Yoichi's visits, knowing that he spent more than five days a week with her, though it wasn't always just to see her—sometimes it was for other things.

"I plan to move to a new place soon," Yoichi said casually. "When it's ready, you and Yoko should live with me. There will be plenty of space for everyone, including her siblings."

At this, Tsunade hesitated. Seeing her expression, Yoichi continued, "It's a large estate, located upstream from Naka River. I got approval for it through my authority as Hokage."

Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle. "You're really not worried that the villagers and shinobi will overthrow you for abusing your Hokage powers like this?"

Yoichi shrugged. "It's perfectly reasonable use of the land. No one's going to complain."

Tsunade turned her attention back to Yoko, gently bouncing her in her arms. "We'll see once the new place is built," she said, though it was clear from her expression that she was already leaning towards agreeing.

Yoichi almost laughed at the sight of Tsunade—a woman in her forties, acting like a shy teenager. Thanks to the life energy he had given her, Tsunade's body was as young and vibrant as a woman in her twenties, essentially giving her a second youth.

"By the way, was there any trouble outside?" Tsunade asked, her senses still sharp. Even during labor, she had felt the intense chakra signatures, including that of her old friend Kushina's Nine-Tails chakra.

"Nothing serious," Yoichi replied. "Madara's followers tried to infiltrate the village to steal the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, but we were prepared. We turned the tables on them, and they've been captured."

Tsunade frowned slightly. "That old man is persistent."

"Don't worry," Yoichi reassured her. "I've already taken care of it."

Tsunade sighed. "Good. But I can't stand that guy."

After a brief pause, she looked back at Yoichi, her determination clear. "Once I've recovered, I want to resume my research on genetic energy. I have a few new ideas. I think I'm close to creating a genetic modification serum that would allow anyone to access the foundation of genetic energy."

Genetic energy was far superior to chakra in many ways. While chakra couldn't be stored, and even some Chunin struggled with extracting it during battle, genetic energy had no such drawbacks.

It could be stored within the body and refined over time, and those with talent could extend their lifespan by centuries through its cultivation.

"That soon?" Yoichi asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what about Yoko? Are you planning to leave her with Mikoto or Mina?"

Tsunade hesitated, clearly torn. After a moment, she said, "I'll bring Shizune on as my assistant. Yoko will stay with me while I work. But it'll be a few months before I can start again."

Yoichi nodded. "That sounds fair. Now let me hold Yoko again."

Tsunade, momentarily distracted by Yoichi's request, didn't notice as he gently but swiftly took Yoko from her arms. Flustered and red-faced, Tsunade reached to take her daughter back, but Yoichi firmly yet gently pressed her back onto the bed.

Elsewhere in Konoha, Fugaku had been rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life after the battle. Despite the severity of his injuries, the medics managed to stabilize him.

Once he was out of immediate danger, Fugaku was heavily sealed by the Sealing Team and handed over to the Interrogation Unit, where Inoichi would extract any information from his mind.

Shisui, having completed his part in the mission, decided not to follow Fugaku further. With four Uchiha watching over Fugaku, there was no chance he would escape.

Shisui soon found Itachi and reassured him. "Itachi, Fugaku has been handed over to the Interrogation Unit. They'll extract any intel they can before transferring him to the prison. Don't worry, everything is under control."

Itachi, still feeling conflicted about his actions, nodded quietly. "I understand, Shisui."

Sensing the weight of guilt on Itachi's shoulders, Shisui patted him on the back. "You did the right thing. Fugaku was in the wrong for trying to use you to disrupt the peace. Right now, the village is working on something that could bring lasting peace to the entire shinobi world."

Shisui, having overheard Yoichi's plans during a meeting in the Hokage's office, was fully supportive of unifying the shinobi world under one banner for the sake of peace.

Before he could say more, a figure approached. Shisui's expression shifted as he greeted the newcomer. "Orochimaru-sama, is there something you need?"

Orochimaru, smiling slyly, acknowledged Shisui. "I heard you captured Fugaku. I'm curious about the creature that was with him. I understand it's been sealed by the Police Force. Would you mind letting me take a look?"

Shisui scratched his head, feeling a bit uncertain. "Well, Orochimaru-sama, I'm not directly involved with the Police Force. That creature was handed over to them, so I'd have to ask Captain Seito for permission."

"I see," Orochimaru mused. "Then let's go find him together, shall we?"

Shisui agreed and quickly excused himself from Itachi. "I'll be back soon, Itachi. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

With that, Shisui led Orochimaru to the Police Force headquarters.

...

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure, tensions between two factions were at a boiling point. The situation had grown dire.

"Pakura! Is this your plan all along?" Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, glared at Pakura with unrestrained fury. He regretted not wiping out Pakura and her followers before the arrival of Konoha's forces.

Now, with the combined presence of the First and Second Hokages and a contingent of Konoha's strongest shinobi, Sunagakure had little hope of quelling the rebellion.

When word reached Rasa that five thousand Konoha ninja had crossed the Wind Country's borders, his legs nearly gave out.

Sunagakure was doomed.

Already weakened by Pakura's faction, the village barely had enough ninja left to field a force of four to five thousand, even if they included academy students.

Worse, Konoha's forces were led by the legendary Hashirama, the man who had once distributed the tailed beasts to the other hidden villages.

With Sunagakure having recently lost its One-Tails Jinchuriki, there was no way they could stand against Konoha.

"You're right, Rasa," Pakura replied coldly, her eyes burning with determination. "When I was supposed to die at the hands of the Mist's assassins, it was the Fifth Hokage who saved me."

The Sunagakure elders, including Chiyo, averted their eyes in shame as Pakura continued. "After spending time in Konoha, I realized how pitiful life in Sunagakure truly was. The people here suffer in poverty. And do you know what the Hokage said to me? He said that if the villagers were given a choice, they would rather be Konoha's dogs than continue living as humans in Sunagakure!"

"How dare you!" Rasa shouted, his eyes bloodshot with rage. The words cut deeply, and he knew they were true. The people of Sunagakure lived in squalor compared to Konoha.

"Konoha's dogs eat meat," Pakura sneered. "Meanwhile, under your leadership, Rasa, the villagers of Sunagakure can barely get three loaves of bread a day!"

Rasa's face flushed with shame and fury. "That's because of Konoha's blockade! They've cut off our supplies!"

"And what have you done to fix it?" Pakura shot back. "Sell out your comrades? Or let your people starve?"

With a mocking smirk, Pakura tossed a scroll onto the table in front of Rasa. "This is the offer Konoha has given. I'll make sure every villager knows the terms. You can either lead them into battle, or you can watch them starve."

The situation was dire. Sunagakure's current stockpiles could barely sustain the village for two more days. If they ran out of supplies, even Rasa, the Kazekage, would go hungry.

Rasa read the terms on the scroll, his hands trembling with anger. The offer wasn't generous, but it was something he couldn't provide. A place in Konoha's Green Zone, job opportunities, education for the children—it was more than Sunagakure could ever hope to give its people.

If the villagers abandon the village… how many of our ninja will stay?

If only I could kill her. If only I had killed her sooner.

"If you want war, Pakura, I'll give you one!" Rasa roared, though his words carried the weight of empty bluster.

Suddenly, the air in the room shifted, and Rasa felt a surge of overwhelming chakra.

Standing beside Pakura were two figures—the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and the First Hokage, Hashirama. They had teleported directly into the room, thanks to the Flying Thunder God mark Tobirama had placed on Pakura earlier.

Tobirama's intense chakra filled the room, causing even the most hardened ninja to break out in a cold sweat.

"Are you still planning on fighting?" Tobirama's cold voice cut through the tension, his eyes scanning the Sunagakure council with disdain.

Even Chiyo and Rasa looked stricken, the oppressive aura of the reanimated Hokages too much for them to bear.

"Let's not be hasty, Tobirama," Hashirama said, his voice calming the room. "There's still time for negotiations. Let's be patient."

Tobirama reluctantly pulled back his chakra, though his eyes remained fixed on Rasa. "Remember, this is your last chance."

With that, Tobirama, Hashirama, and Pakura left the room. Outside, a group of Sunagakure ninja had gathered, but they could do nothing as the three vanished in a flash of the Flying Thunder God technique.

Inside, Rasa seethed with rage, but all he could do was grit his teeth as he realized the futility of the situation.

"Curse you! Curse you all!" he bellowed in frustration.

(End of Chapter)

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