Uzumaki Aonagi
Upon hearing from Kakashi that Uzumaki Kushina was pregnant, Chi Yu immediately whooshed open the door and tiptoed into the bedroom.
At six months pregnant, Kushina's belly was already quite prominent.
She lay on her side on the bed, breathing evenly, seemingly in a deep sleep.
Chi Yu stretched out a trembling hand, wanting to touch her stomach—then suddenly pulled back, afraid of waking her.
Kushina was pregnant, and her rest could not be disturbed.
Outside the house, Kakashi yawned. Finally, he could get a peaceful night's sleep.
As Kushina's pregnancy advanced, many things became inconvenient for her. Although Orochimaru was officially one of her guards during this period, Kakashi often kept watch nearby at night. If anything happened, he needed to respond instantly.
By day, Kakashi still carried out duties for Konoha's security, while at night he hid near Chi Yu's home. It was exhausting. Now that Chi Yu had returned, Kakashi could finally rest properly.
Inside the bedroom, Chi Yu just stared blankly at Kushina's sleeping face.
He felt guilty. During her pregnancy, he hadn't been by her side—truly an incompetent husband. Thankfully, Kakashi and Orochimaru had helped take care of her. Otherwise, Kushina would have suffered alone.
He remained like this until dawn, when sunlight streamed into the room. Kushina stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked and rubbed them groggily. "Eh? Chi Yu? Am I dreaming?"
Chi Yu's voice was hoarse. "Kushina, it's me. You're not dreaming."
Her eyes focused on him, and his strained smile became clear. "Chi Yu!"
With surprising speed, Kushina leapt from the bed and threw herself into his arms.
Startled, Chi Yu nearly panicked, quickly steadying her. "Kushina, you're pregnant—you can't make sudden moves like that!"
He had never been so nervous; his heart raced wildly.
Burying her head in his neck, Kushina murmured, "I just missed you."
He embraced her gently, resting his chin on her hair. "I'm sorry, Kushina…"
She looked up and noticed his smile was forced. "Why are you apologizing?"
"When you needed me most, I wasn't here…"
Kushina chuckled softly. "Don't be silly. When I learned I was pregnant, you were already training at Ryūchi Cave. How could that be your fault? Besides, you're working hard for our future. You don't need to apologize to me… baby's dad."
The words baby's dad made Chi Yu's eyes sting red.
Kushina flinched in surprise. She had known Chi Yu since childhood, yet had never once seen him cry.
"Chi Yu, don't cry! I'm really fine, I'm not angry at all."
He pulled her back into his arms, voice steady but trembling. "Thank you, Kushina. Thank you for everything."
Feeling safe in his embrace, she smiled. "Our family is about to grow. Please continue to guide us from now on."
"Yes," Chi Yu nodded firmly. "Please continue to guide us."
He carefully helped her sit down.
Kushina sighed. "You don't have to be so careful."
"I must," Chi Yu replied seriously. "You're my top priority now."
Looking at her rounded abdomen, he hesitated. "Kushina… may I touch it?"
Amused by his nervousness, she laughed. "Of course. You're the baby's father."
Chi Yu rubbed his hands nervously, then placed one on her belly. Suddenly, he froze.
"Kushina—it just moved!"
She smiled warmly. "That's fetal movement. Maybe our baby knows Daddy is back."
"Really?" Chi Yu's face lit up. He pressed his ear to her stomach, whispering, "Daddy's here. Daddy's back."
Both of them smiled happily.
"Oh, right," Kushina remembered, "since it's been six months, the fetus is developed enough. Orochimaru already confirmed the gender—it's a boy. Chi Yu, you should think of a name."
"A boy, huh? Naming is important…" Chi Yu fell into deep thought.
After a long silence, inspiration struck. "How about Uzumaki Cangna? Cang for brightness and hope, Na for calm and peace. I want our child to pursue his dreams smoothly, without hardship."
Kushina repeated the name a few times, her smile growing. She caressed her stomach. "Cangna… It's wonderful. Did you hear that, Cangna? Daddy's given you a beautiful name."
Chi Yu stood and stretched. "The sun's nice outside. Let me take you for a walk, and afterward I'll buy groceries and cook for you."
"Chi Yu, aren't you tired? You just returned."
He shook his head. "Not tired at all. Don't worry about me."
Though he had been exhausted after watching her all night without rest, seeing her again gave him boundless energy.
Supporting Kushina, Chi Yu led her outside. They strolled down the street, chatting and laughing.
Suddenly, Chi Yu noticed Miyuki Uzumaki on the opposite side of the street, her belly slightly larger than Kushina's, speaking with a woman carrying a baby.
That woman was Uchiha Mikoto, and the infant in her arms was none other than Uchiha Sasuke—the child who would one day shake the ninja world.
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