Uchiha Chiga returned to his residence with little Sakuya in his arms.
The moment he stepped inside, Kaguya approached with graceful steps, her posture elegant as always. She gently curtsied toward Chiga and greeted him in a soft voice.
"Husband, you are back."
Among all the women Chiga had met, Kaguya was perhaps the most traditional. She valued proper etiquette deeply and always made sure he lived in comfort.
"Mom!"
Sakuya immediately leaped from Chiga's arms into Kaguya's embrace. The little girl was extremely attached to the two of them and spent most of her days moving back and forth between Chiga's arms and Kaguya's.
She even occasionally let Black Zetsu carry her.
Kaguya held Sakuya close with a warm, radiant expression. She looked every bit the devoted mother.
To be honest, Chiga sometimes thought that if she had shown even a fraction of this tenderness to Hagoromo and Hamura in the past, the two brothers might not have rebelled against her at all.
He also had a mischievous thought. If Hamura, still living on the Moon, could see him now, shouldn't he call Chiga his father?
The idea amused him so much that a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Kaguya noticed immediately.
"Husband, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing important."
Having a centuries-old man call him Dad was not something he truly wanted. It was just a fleeting thought.
While he was lost in those thoughts, Black Zetsu entered the room with Hoshina beside him.
"Sakuya, your older sister Hoshina is here to play with you," she said kindly.
Sakuya ran to Hoshina, and the two small girls, one with white hair and the other with golden hair, held hands affectionately.
They looked inseparable as always.
They wanted to go outside, and Chiga agreed with a smile.
With this pair together, no one in the village would dare bully them, let alone attempt to kidnap them.
---
On the streets of Konoha, Sasuke and Naruto walked side by side.
It was rare for the two of them to have a day without missions, and they had decided to relax together.
Naruto placed his hands behind his head and said casually, "Sasuke, Itachi seems really busy lately. He barely has any time to spend with you."
Sasuke scoffed lightly. "Stop talking like I am a child. Itachi is the Hokage. Of course he is busy."
"Yeah, yeah. It is just like how I will be the Hokage one day."
Sasuke shot him a sideways glance. "You love to fantasize. Who decided the next Hokage is going to be you?"
"Hmph. I am confident, believe it or not. Just wait."
"Tch. If that is how it works, then I could become Hokage too. Go wash your face and sleep."
"What? Sasuke, you want to be Hokage too?"
"What? Feeling threatened already?"
Naruto was about to argue when a small voice called out, "Brother."
He looked down to see Hoshina staring up at him. Beside her, Sakuya tilted her head adorably.
Sasuke's expression twitched slightly as his eyes landed on Sakuya's bright crimson pupils.
They glowed naturally, requiring no Chakra, and once again he felt the overwhelming pressure of her bloodline.
After all, she was Uchiha Chiga's child. Talent like hers could not be compared.
Naruto crouched and smiled warmly. "Hey, did you two come out to play?"
Hoshina nodded. "It was boring at home. No one was playing with me."
"Huh? I asked you before I left, and you said you did not want to go out."
"I did not want to go out with you, older brother."
Naruto froze like a petrified statue.
Even Sasuke, who normally kept a straight face, burst out laughing and patted Naruto's shoulder.
"It seems your sister is not fond of you at all. Someone even disliked by his own sister cannot become Hokage."
Then Hoshina added calmly, "That is not what I meant. I heard older brother say he was going to meet Sasuke, and I did not want to interrupt your date."
Sasuke's laughter stopped instantly. His smile froze.
"Hoshina, you cannot use that word for two men. Naruto and I are just friends."
Naruto quickly nodded in agreement. "Yes. Please do not say things like that. If someone else hears, it will be misunderstood."
Their reactions only made them look even more suspicious.
Sakuya pointed at Naruto and said, "Older brother Naruto, your face is red."
Naruto shot to his feet in embarrassment, completely defeated by the two girls.
Sasuke regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Where are you two going to play?"
"We do not know. If you are not on a date, can you take us somewhere?" Hoshina asked innocently.
Before Sasuke could speak, Naruto puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course we can. Tell us where you want to go. Older brother will take you anywhere."
"Hmm. Older brother often takes missions. Can you bring Sakuya and me to see some?"
"Sure. Anything you want."
Naruto did not think twice. He slapped Sasuke's back enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go!"
Sasuke sighed but had no choice but to walk with them to the Mission Office.
---
The moment Naruto and Sasuke entered, the receptionist greeted them respectfully.
One was the son of a former Hokage, and the other was the current Hokage's younger brother.
Both were practically royalty in the village.
But neither of them cared much about formalities.
Naruto puffed up his chest proudly in front of the two girls. "Older brother is a Chunin now. I have completed countless missions."
Sakuya blinked in confusion. "Chunin? Dad said I am a Jonin. Which is stronger?"
Naruto froze.
He had forgotten that Sakuya was Konoha's youngest Jonin.
He coughed awkwardly and grabbed a random C-rank mission scroll.
The mission was posted by Shizune.
Her little pig Ton-ton had gone missing.
Sakuya floated gently into the air and leaned closer to the scroll.
"The pig looks cute. Can I do this mission?"
Naruto hesitated. "You can, but it is a simple mission. Maybe we should look for something else?"
Sakuya shook her head.
The patterns in her eyes spun elegantly, and a transparent hemispherical barrier spread outward like a clear ripple.
A moment later, a pink pig wearing clothes appeared in the middle of the room with a soft pop.
It was Ton-ton.
Ton-ton looked confused.
Naruto looked even more confused.
Sasuke exhaled slowly.
He should have expected this much from Uchiha Chiga's daughter.
---