After learning from Kakashi that Kushina Uzumaki was pregnant, Chinya immediately whooshed open the door to his home and quietly entered the bedroom.
She was six months along already, and Kushina Uzumaki's belly had grown significantly.
Kushina lay on her side on the bed, breathing evenly, looking peacefully asleep.
Chinya extended his slightly trembling hand, wanting to touch Kushina's belly.
But suddenly he withdrew his hand.
He feared waking Kushina up.
She was pregnant now, and her rest mustn't be interrupted.
Outside, Kakashi let out a yawn.
Finally, he could go have a peaceful sleep.
As Kushina's belly grew bigger each day, more and more everyday tasks became difficult for her. Although snakes guarded her, if something happened, Kakashi might not arrive in time.
So during this period, Kakashi had taken to hiding near Chinya's house at night.
Kakashi worked with the Konoha Defense Unit during the day and kept watch outside Chinya's house at night—no one could say how exhausted he must've been.
Now Chinya had finally returned, so Kakashi could properly rest.
Inside the bedroom, Chinya simply stood there, staring absentmindedly at Kushina's sleeping face.
He felt guilty now—he hadn't stayed by Kushina's side during her pregnancy; as her husband, he truly wasn't fulfilling his duties.
Fortunately, Kakashi and Orochimaru had helped take care of things, or else Kushina would've had it really tough all alone.
Chinya remained lost in thought while gazing at Kushina, until dawn.
When sunlight spilled into the bedroom, Kushina also woke up.
Opening her sleepy eyes, Kushina saw Chinya staring blankly at her.
"Eh? Chinya? Am I still dreaming?"
Kushina rubbed her eyes, trying to see more clearly.
Chinya replied in a hoarse voice, "Kushina, it's me—it's not a dream."
Kushina lowered her hands from rubbing her eyes and looked at Chinya, who was smiling at her.
"Chinya!"
Kushina jumped straight up from bed and threw herself at him.
Startled, Chinya nearly jumped out of his skin, but he managed to catch Kushina just in time. "Kushina, you're pregnant now—this kind of action is too scary!"
Chinya had never felt this nervous before—like his heart was about to burst right out of his chest.
Snuggling into Chinya's neck, Kushina murmured with a soft smile, "I just really missed you."
Gently embracing Kushina, Chinya rested his chin atop her head and murmured remorsefully, "I'm sorry, Kushina..."
Looking up at Chinya's face, Kushina realized that although he wore a smile, it looked forced and unnatural.
Puzzled, Kushina asked, "Why are you apologizing to me?"
Chinya said in a dejected tone, "When you needed me the most... I wasn't by your side."
Kushina Uzumaki giggled, "I'm fine, really. Besides, when I found out I was pregnant, you'd already gone to Ryuchi Cave for training. How could you possibly have known? It's not your fault at all. Actually, Chinya, you were working hard for our future, so there's no need to apologize, Dad."
The word "Dad" made Chinya's eyes gradually moisten.
Seeing this, Kushina Uzumaki immediately felt flustered.
This was clearly heading toward tears! From childhood until now, Kushina had never once seen Chinya cry.
"C-Chinya... please don't cry! Really, I'm fine and I'm not angry at all!"
Chinya pulled Kushina tightly into his arms, took a deep breath, and sincerely murmured, "Thank you, Kushina. Thank you so much for everything."
Wrapped in Chinya's embrace, Kushina felt incredibly safe. Smiling gently, she replied, "You're welcome. Our family will soon have a new member. Please take care of me from now on too."
Chinya nodded firmly. "Yes, please count on me from now on too."
Carefully, Chinya helped Kushina sit down.
Kushina shrugged helplessly. "You don't have to be *that* careful, you know."
Chinya insisted seriously, "That won't do at all! You're my top priority now—can't afford to be careless."
Looking at Kushina's rounded belly, Chinya asked hesitantly, "Kushina... may I touch it?"
Seeing how nervous Chinya looked, Kushina couldn't help smiling. "Of course you can. You are the baby's father after all."
Nervously wringing his hands, Chinya finally placed his palm over Kushina's belly.
Suddenly, he shivered. "Hey! Kushina, just now your stomach moved!"
Kushina explained, "That's the baby kicking. Maybe our child senses that Dad has returned and wants to interact with him."
"Really?"
Delighted, Chinya leaned forward and pressed his ear against Kushina's belly, whispering gently, "It's Dad. Daddy's back home."
Both Chinya and Kushina broke into happy smiles.
Then Kushina told Chinya, "By the way, since it's already six months along and the fetus is fully developed, Orochimaru has determined the baby's gender. We're having a boy, Chinya. Now you can start thinking about our child's name."
"A boy, huh? Choosing a name is important—I should think carefully..."
Sitting beside Kushina, Chinya fell into thought.
After prolonged contemplation, suddenly inspiration struck him. "How about we name him Sōnagi? Uzumaki Sōnagi. 'Sō' implies brightness and hope while 'nagi' means calm and tranquility. I wish our child smooth sailing while pursuing his dreams. What do you think?"
Kushina repeated the name a few times, her lips curving more naturally each time. Eventually, patting her belly fondly, she chirped joyfully, "Sōnagi... what a beautiful name! Little Sōnagi, did you hear that?"
"Your name has been decided, sweetheart," said the father. "From now on, you'll be known as Uzumaki Sōnagi."
Chinya got up and said, "Kushina, it's nice and sunny outside. Why don't we go out for a walk? I can swing by the store and grab something for dinner while we're out."
Kushina Uzumaki responded with concern, "Chinya, you must have just gotten back, right? Don't you want to rest for a while first?"
Chinya shook his head. "No, really—I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Previously, Chinya was indeed quite exhausted, since he hadn't slept after returning home and had simply stood there, staring at Kushina Uzumaki the entire night.
But now… Chinya felt like he could run a marathon.
Chinya helped Kushina Uzumaki leave their home.
Chinya and Kushina Uzumaki walked along the street together, chatting happily.
Suddenly, Chinya spotted Uzumaki Miyuki across the street—not too far away—her belly slightly larger than Kushina Uzumaki's. She was talking with a woman who was holding an infant.
This woman was Itachi's mother, Mikoto Uchiha, and the baby in her arms was none other than Sasuke Uchiha—the future storm destined to reshape the Shinobi World.
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