"Waaah… waaah… waaah…"
At dawn, what roused Rei from sleep was not the long-lost warmth of sunlight, nor the cheerful chirping of sparrows clustered on the branches outside the window, but Naruto's sharp wailing from the cradle.
Rei sat up slowly from the sofa, unhurriedly pushed open the door, and lifted the wailing child into his arms.
The moment Naruto was held, his sobbing ceased. With a small finger still tucked into his mouth, his wide, ocean-blue eyes stared at Rei without blinking, as though trying to capture his entire being in his gaze.
Rei had already stepped into the role of a young father.
With one arm cradling Naruto, he moved into the kitchen and warmed up a small bottle of goat's milk. He always bought only a little at a time, afraid it would spoil—when it ran out, he simply went to buy more.
Minato and Kushina had left behind enough savings, more than enough for Rei to raise this little Naruto.
Once the milk reached the right warmth for a baby, he cut the fire, poured it into a bottle, and slipped the nipple into Naruto's mouth. His movements were fluid, practiced—seamless, almost like second nature.
Truly, he possessed a natural talent for fatherhood.
Afterward, Rei strapped on the baby carrier Kushina had prepared in advance, secured Naruto snug against his chest, and stepped outside. The little one, full and content, soon drifted into sleep, his breathing gentle within the cradle of cloth.
The streets of Konoha bore the scars of the previous night. Many houses had been reduced to rubble by the Kyubi's rampage, and already at dawn, villagers could be seen repairing and rebuilding, their hammers and voices echoing across Konoha.
Rei walked with purpose toward the Hokage Building.
Just as he reached the base of the stairs, Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared. The old man was once again clad in the robes of the Hokage, a pipe in his hand. At the sight of Rei, a warm, grandfatherly smile lit his face—as if he were just some kindly elder waiting to be helped across the street.
"You're here," Hiruzen greeted.
Hiruzen approached with the ease of familiarity. He lowered his gaze briefly to Naruto in Rei's arms and chuckled warmly.
"He sleeps so peacefully."
Rei said nothing. He only fixed him with a steady gaze, quiet yet edged with wariness.
Hiruzen, sharp-eyed, caught that hidden vigilance behind the calm exterior, but pretended not to notice. Instead, he suggested in a gentle tone:
"It's still early. The sun is kind today. Why don't we take a walk along the river?"
Rei followed silently behind him, their steps carrying them toward the river that wound its way through the heart of Konoha.
The riverbank was tranquil. Only the steady flow of water and the soft rustle of wind across the grass accompanied their walk.
At last, Hiruzen spoke, his voice mild but weighted:
"I know you do not wish to become a shinobi. To force this upon you, to betray Minato's last wish… for that, I am truly sorry."
The apology was delivered with sincerity and gravity—enough to make Rei falter for a moment.
He lowered his gaze, but still remained silent.
Hiruzen went on, voice heavy with regret:
"The Wood Release bloodline is far too important to Konoha. So important that even as Hokage, I could not turn a blind eye to the will of the shinobi, could not allow someone who inherited it to simply live as an ordinary civilian."
He let out a long sigh. "Using Naruto to force your hand… it was despicable."
Rei's eyes darkened. Despicable?
And was this not something Hiruzen himself had tacitly approved?
Hiruzen, however, continued solemnly:
"Once you become a shinobi, I will place you into the ANBU. You're close with Kakashi, aren't you?"
Rei looked at him, hesitated briefly, then gave the smallest of nods.
The old Hokage smiled, the wrinkles at his eyes deepening.
"Since you and Kakashi are on good terms, I'll assign you to his squad. Think of it… as my way of making amends."
He met Rei's gaze squarely. Though his face was marked by age, his eyes shone with clarity, unclouded and piercing.
Under that steady gaze, Rei nodded once more.
Hiruzen's attention shifted to the child in Rei's arms. "Naruto… his parents were heroes who gave their lives to save this village. From now on, he'll receive a monthly stipend. I'll leave him in your care."
As if on cue, the well-rested baby stretched out his chubby hands from the carrier, caught hold of a lock of Rei's curled hair, tugging and playing with innocent delight.
A flicker of pity crossed Hiruzen's heart. "This afternoon will be the funeral for Minato and Kushina. It will be held in the village square."
Rei's expression dimmed. "I understand."
The old Hokage placed a hand on Rei's shoulder, his tone gentle, almost fatherly:
"Do not dwell upon the sorrows of the past. What matters most is to look ahead. That is the only wisdom this old man has left to share."
With that, he turned and left.
Carrying Naruto close, Rei made her way toward Konoha Hospital, intending to find something to eat.
"Rei?"
The crowded hospital hall was nearly overflowing with patients and healers. Amidst the commotion, Honma Mei's sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of him and called out in surprise..
Rei threaded his way through the crowd until he stood before Mei.
"Do you need help?"
Her gaze lingered on him, then on the child resting against his chest. Her expression grew complicated.
After all, by now nearly everyone in the village knew that Rei had awakened Wood Release. Last night's battle had made it impossible to keep hidden—too many eyes had seen it firsthand. Even had the village elders sought to suppress the news, it was far too late.
Honma Mei was a woman of experience, sharp and perceptive. She knew very well that from the moment Rei's secret was exposed, Rei could never again live freely as before.
"Of course!" she replied warmly. She smiled and patted Rei's shoulder in encouragement, then pointed toward the first ward down the left corridor. "Same as before—start with that room."
The Nine-Tails' rampage had nearly crippled the hospital.Wounded shinobi and civilians streamed in without pause. Even grievously injured shinobi from the border had been rushed in at dawn.
The shortage of medical-nin was dire. Rei's help was nothing short of a blessing to Mei.
He nodded and went to work. With his immense chakra reserves, he could heal far faster than before. Yet even as he worked, he still accepted chunks of meat as his customary payment.
Something, however, gave him pause.
There seemed to be an unusually high number of severely wounded shinobi today.
After treating an entire ward of the gravely injured, Rei asked with feigned concern, "Why are there so many heavily injured shinobi being brought back from the borders today?"
A pale-faced ninja, only just able to stand, pressed his lips together before answering grimly:
"Last night, in the dead of the night, a squad of enemy shinobi suddenly launched a raid. Our losses were heavy. Though they wore no headbands, judging by their jutsu, they had to be from Kirigakure…"
"They must have learned what happened here."
"Those damned Mist-nin!"
"They struck only because the village was in turmoil—and with the Fourth Hokage… If not for that, they would never have dared act!"
"…"
The shinobi within the ward all raised their voices in anger.
And from their words, one truth became clear—
The shadow of war was gathering once more.
---