Kushina's Home
"Great-Grandfather… who exactly was hurt? What do you mean someone died?"
Akio stood with his eyes closed, offering no reply.
Kushina and Minato exchanged confused looks, then both turned to Jiraiya. He lifted his hands in surrender, clearly just as lost.
After a long pause, Akio finally opened his eyes, smiling faintly.
"Minato, these past few days, helping Kushina get used to Sage Mode was it exhausting?"
He paused deliberately.
"Day and night."
Minato froze, then glanced at Kushina.
"Not really… we didn't train that much."
Kushina nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Just a little practice during the day. At night Naruto's home, so I can't train anyway."
Akio raised an eyebrow.
"Right. Nighttime is for resting."
He smirked.
"And giving your training partner a reward."
Jiraiya stiffened instantly. His eyes darted back and forth between Minato and Kushina.
"Wait, don't tell me…"
Kushina grabbed her hair, visibly on the verge of exploding.
"Great-Grandfather! What are you even saying?! What reward?!"
Akio burst into laughter.
"Hehehe. You two might want to prepare Naruto for a little brother or sister."
Minato froze, then slowly turned to Kushina, his face lighting up.
Kushina stood there stunned for several seconds. Then her cheeks flushed red, and she clasped her hands over her stomach, radiant with joy.
"Really?!"
Akio nodded.
"The life signature is incredibly faint, but I checked several times. I'm almost certain."
Barely a few days in, hardly even an embryo yet.
If not for Akio's extreme sensitivity to life energy, no one else in the world would've been able to detect it.
"Who would've thought my Sage Mode could do something like this," Akio said shamelessly, taking full credit.
"This is truly…"
The news of Kushina's possible pregnancy was kept quiet. After all, it was still too early even Naruto hadn't been told.
Despite being over thirty, Kushina behaved exactly like she had years ago: carefully guarding her stomach every day, as if she might damage it just by breathing wrong.
Akio, meanwhile, had to confirm things six or seven times a day under her hopeful gaze.
Only after a full week, when the life energy stabilized did he finally give a definitive answer.
Only then did they inform a few trusted people.
Kushina told Mikoto.
Akio went to find Tsunade.
This wasn't just happy news, it was dangerous. Childbirth was when Kushina would be at her weakest. With Tsunade present, they could ensure absolute safety.
The Casino
Inside the infamous casino, Akio cleaned the place out with ruthless efficiency before dragging Tsunade aside.
"You're still unbeatable, Great-Grandfather," Tsunade said, eyes full of admiration.
"As expected," Akio replied smugly.
"Now listen closely. Kushina… is pregnant."
Tsunade froze, then broke into a grin.
"Kushina?! When?"
Akio lowered his voice.
"Keep it down. About… ten days."
"Ten days…" Tsunade counted on her fingers.
"That means March next year. Got it. After the New Year, I'll have Daizan cover for me, I'll stay with Kushina."
"Stay with Kushina? What's wrong with her?"
Mito's cloaked figure appeared beside them.
Tsunade hesitated and looked to Akio.
Akio thought for a moment.
"It's fine. Tell Mito and Hashirama. That bastard will find out sooner or later anyway."
He paused mid-sentence.
"…Hide?"
Akio looked up at the sky.
"Right. Almost forgot. There's no safer place than the moon."
Evening
After spending the day talking with Mito and Hashirama, Akio returned straight to Kushina's house.
Naruto wasn't home yet, but the place was lively. Jiraiya was freeloading as usual, and Mikoto was already enthusiastically helping name the second child.
"Isn't this a little early?" Akio laughed.
"You've got until next year."
Minato sighed helplessly. Kushina had fully entered pregnancy mode and absolutely refused to trust Minato with naming anything.
Which was understandable after witnessing techniques like "Rasengan Flash Super Combo No. Three," faith was hard to come by.
"Great-Grandfather," Kushina asked eagerly,
"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?"
"Ten days in and you want gender confirmation?" Akio thought.
Aloud, he shook his head.
"Can't tell. But statistically speaking, it's probably a girl."
"Statistically?" Everyone exchanged blank stares.
Akio sat down casually.
"It's complicated. Just know this; she'll be a girl."
Internally, he was already praying to every higher power imaginable.
Naruto alone is more than enough. Another wild kid five years from now? No thank you.
Across the room, Jiraiya and the others were deep in thought, trying to come up with names.
Akio pondered for a moment, then looked at Jiraiya.
"You've written plenty of novels. Naruto's name came from one of yours, find a heroine name."
Jiraiya coughed.
"None of them really fit…"
Akio stared.
"Don't tell me all your books lack proper female leads."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes.
"And the novels you wrote"
"Cough!" Akio cut him off instantly.
"Focus. Name. Now."
"You write novels too?" Kushina asked curiously.
Akio waved it off.
"There's nothing your great-grandfather can't do. Those were… youthful mistakes. I'll write you a new one someday."
Kushina nodded, satisfied, her thoughts already drifting back to the child growing inside her.
Akio sighed inwardly.
Maybe telling her this early was a mistake…
"Girl's name…" he murmured.
"Princess of the Uzumaki… born under the moon… maybe it should have something to do with 'moon'…"
"Moon…?"
"Tsuki…?"
"Minato Suigetsu? No, that's a boy."
"Kushina… Natsuki?"
"That's not bad."
"…What other moon names are there?"
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