Ever since Pakura got pregnant, Kazuyama had completely changed—he was grinning all the time.
He'd already informed Sakumo Hatake at the Ninja Academy that he'd be handling two classes himself now: the stealth class and the ninjutsu class. As for Pakura, she'd just be resting nearby.
Of course, there were exceptions... like right now.
"Bastard! Hayate Gekkō!"
"You idiot! Put that sword down!"
"Agh!"
Kazuyama cursed while punching his younger brother across the room, sending him flying. Then he snatched the sword out of his hand.
He was furious—absolutely livid.
"Hayate Gekkō! As your sensei, and as your older brother..."
"I'm putting you on trial right now!"
"Obito!"
A flash of lightning struck as Obito Uchiha suddenly appeared, wielding the dual blades Kiba, crackling with thunder like the god of lightning himself.
"Sensei, got it!"
Obito grinned and immediately grabbed Hayate, dragging him out of the academy while continuing to discharge lightning.
Both of them were getting zapped—clearly, this wasn't the first time.
...
On weekends, Kazuyama took Pakura out traveling and sightseeing, believing it was good for both her and the baby.
Their first stop had to be the Land of Frost—after all, two of Kazuyama's disciples were training there.
"Kakashi! Catch this!"
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
Terumi and Kakashi were already sparring intensely. Kakashi, as always, remained the same emotionless log.
"Kakashi, Terumi, that's enough."
Kazuyama raised his hand to call them off, simultaneously summoning Ichikishimahime back into his body.
That move alone signaled the end of their special training.
"Sensei, you're here—Pakura-sensei too."
"Whoa, this is your wife? Seriously? Teacher, how'd you land someone this gorgeous?!"
Whack!
Terumi's blunt remark earned her a fist to the head from Kazuyama.
"Come on, your training's over."
"Kakashi, Terumi—this wraps up your session here."
"I've got new assignments for both of you. Don't worry, they're tailor-made."
...
The group sat around a table at a local restaurant.
When Terumi heard that her teacher was about to become a father, she was so shocked she couldn't speak.
Kakashi, on the other hand, took it in stride. His teacher had been married for a while now—having a kid was only natural.
"What? We're leaving already? But the Land of Frost is so nice!"
"Hey, hey... I'm not ready to go yet."
As she said this, Terumi stole a glance at Kakashi, who—as usual—was totally oblivious.
Pakura no longer cared when Kazuyama suddenly brought back new kids.
She understood. Kazuyama was a Jinchūriki, his actions were always mysterious—but no matter what he did, she supported him.
Soon after, Kazuyama tossed Kakashi back into the Ninja Academy to sub for his classes.
This left both Sakumo and Kakashi stunned.
Sakumo looked at his newly-bulked-up son, ready to praise him, only to be told by Kazuyama that Kakashi would be teaching now.
Sakumo was so mad he nearly coughed up blood.
With a substitute teacher secured, Kazuyama took Pakura and went on an extended vacation.
He didn't even bother asking for Minato's approval—he just left.
...
Land of Waterfalls, halfway up a mountain.
"So, I'm going to be a grandmaster now?"
"Sure, that's one way to look at it. Oh, Terumi—let my teacher draw a few tubes of your blood. Being proactive won't hurt."
Terumi stared at the sinister-looking Orochimaru and immediately ducked behind Pakura.
Pakura glared at Kazuyama, then gently reassured Terumi.
"It's okay. Just a few tubes. We've all done it."
Terumi: ... What kind of twisted world is this?
"This girl?"
"She's got two Kekkei Genkai. Mind training her here for a bit?"
At the mention of two Kekkei Genkai, Orochimaru's interest spiked. He stared at Terumi like a scientist who'd found his next test subject.
The look alone made her skin crawl.
"Fine. How do you want me to train her?"
"Keep in mind, Nonō is helping me too—but she brought a bunch of kids. If Takigakure hadn't taken them in, I'd be overwhelmed."
Nonō Yakushi was currently living in Takigakure—not as a ninja, but as a villager. She came by to help Orochimaru with research every so often.
"Just keep an eye on her for now."
"Later, send her to Takigakure. Even though things are calm now..."
"There's still unrest beneath the surface."
"You've heard about the Daimyō's assassination, right?"
"As for the one who did it—let's just say... not someone you'd want to mess with."
That piqued Orochimaru's interest even more. He had a good sense of Kazuyama's current strength.
Even relying only on Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu, he was already Kage-level.
Add two Kekkei Genkai to that, and ordinary Kage wouldn't even be able to match him.
For someone like that to say "not easy to deal with" meant the enemy must be monstrous.
"Details?"
"Next time. Pakura's pregnant. I don't plan to return to the village until the baby's born."
That was Kazuyama's plan—Konoha was stable now, and traveling with Pakura made more sense than hanging around the village.
Orochimaru nodded.
He, too, knew the Land of Fire had grown unstable.
If Kazuyama stayed in the village, he'd likely be assigned some dangerous mission.
"Hmph. One of the reasons you came was for medicine, right?"
"Here. These are health supplements—no side effects."
Kazuyama grinned, took the bottle, and grabbed Pakura's hand, ready to leave.
"Terumi, train hard. You'll be going to Takigakure later. Your senior there is waiting for you."
"I hope I hear news of you becoming a Jōnin soon."
"Let's go!"
Kazuyama activated Flying Thunder God and vanished with Pakura.
Leaving behind a trembling Terumi... and Orochimaru, grinning with syringe in hand.
Terumi: Dear heavens! Somebody save me! My irresponsible teacher left me in a den of nightmares!
Orochimaru: Hehehe... Den of nightmares? I like that term. I'm adopting it. Now, let's draw some blood!
...
After leaving Orochimaru's lab, Kazuyama took Pakura to Takigakure. From there, they began a tour of various scenic cities.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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