Feeling Yuzuru Uchiha's burning gaze, Mikoto lowered her head, her fingers gripping so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Kushina was doing slightly better, though the redness on her face had spread all the way down her neck.
As Yuzuru approached, Kushina's voice trembled. "Y-Yuzuru… shouldn't you say something first?"
Yuzuru's breathing grew heavy. "I'm a rough man," he said slowly, "so I don't really know what to say at times like this…"
He paused, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "If I have to say something… take a deep breath, relax. Feeling dizzy is normal."
——
——
The next day.
It was nearly noon before Yuzuru finally got dressed—with Kushina's help.
Mikoto was in no condition to move; she still lay sound asleep, her breathing faint, occasionally furrowing her brows and mumbling in her dreams.
Seeing that, Kushina gave Yuzuru's shoulder a light slap and scolded softly, "You bad man!"
This big brute hadn't lied—he really was a rough man…
After straightening his clothes, she hesitated before speaking. "Yuzuru, can I ask you something?"
He raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Biting her lip, she said quietly, "I… I want to see more of the world before having a child. I'm not ready yet."
Yuzuru chuckled, his tone warm. "That's fine. I respect your decision. We can wait."
Then, with a teasing grin, he tilted her chin upward. "Besides… there are plenty of ways to avoid having children."
Kushina's heart skipped a beat under his gaze. She quickly looked away and stammered, "Y-Yuzuru, you must be hungry. I'll go prepare food."
As she fled in flustered haste, Yuzuru laughed softly and shook his head, then focused inward, sensing the change in his body.
After the wedding last night, he seemed to have inherited the bloodline power of the Uzumaki clan.
——
——
Cloud Lightning Gorge.
A blur of movement—A and Sakumo clashed, lightning and steel entwining in blinding arcs.
Their speed was beyond human perception, the air crackling with explosive shockwaves.
Dodging Sakumo's strike, A suddenly caught him and twisted his body midair.
"Lightning Bomb!"
Boom!
Sakumo's body smashed into the ground—and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Lightning Release: Purple Electricity!"
A voice cut through the air, followed by a flash of swordlight. In the blink of an eye, countless slashes rained down on A, carving bloody lines across his skin.
Roaring, A unleashed his chakra in full. Blue-white lightning erupted around him as he entered his Full-Power Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
His defense, speed, and strength all skyrocketed. With a single punch, he shattered Sakumo's short blade.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
The massive impact sent Sakumo flying backward.
"Sakumo-senpai, this time I win!"
A clenched his fist in triumph. After years of training, he had finally surpassed Sakumo.
Though it wasn't a true life-or-death battle, it was still proof of his growth.
Sakumo smiled wryly. Since coming to the Hidden Cloud Village, his own strength had grown tremendously—combining the Hatake clan's swordsmanship with the Cloud's Flow Blade Technique and their powerful body-forging arts had refined his skills even further.
But compared to him, A's progress was extraordinary. In just a few short years, he had mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to perfection, reaching the peak of his ninja career.
His power, speed, defense, and endurance were all terrifying.
Facing such a well-rounded warrior, even Sakumo began to feel the pressure.
At that moment, Yuzuru appeared.
"Yo~," he greeted casually.
Sakumo bowed politely, while A gave a low snort. "Well, isn't this rare. A guy like you showing up here."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuzuru asked, puzzled.
"Ever since your wedding, you've been holed up at home for two months," A said with a smirk. "I was starting to think you'd drained yourself dry."
Yuzuru glared. "Nonsense! My little brother is undefeated!"
"And for the record, I've been training at home too."
A blinked at the mention of a "little brother" but didn't bother asking. Instead, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Then fight me, Yuzuru! I've surpassed Sakumo-senpai—next, I'll surpass you!"
Yuzuru chuckled and shook his head. "You just cleared the beginner's village, and now you want to challenge the final boss?"
That comment made both A and Sakumo's faces darken instantly.
So that was what he thought of their sparring? A children's game?
Sakumo frowned. "Don't be so arrogant, Yuzuru. We've both grown stronger these past years."
"Enough talk."
A activated his Lightning Chakra Mode again, immediately pushing it to full power.
"Yuzuru Uchiha—fight me!"
Seeing their determined eyes, Yuzuru sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll play along."
Sakumo leapt back while A lunged forward, lightning surging around him.
Yuzuru snorted softly—and in the next instant, his entire body was wrapped in lightning too.
Both A and Sakumo froze in shock as his figure vanished.
Bang!
Before A could even react, Yuzuru's fist sank into his stomach.
The impact was so immense that even A, in full Lightning Chakra Mode, couldn't withstand it.
Before he could counter, Yuzuru's figure disappeared again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His fists hammered A's body like relentless thunder, each blow landing with a heavy thud.
A's body bent under the pressure, blood spilling from his mouth.
Yuzuru appeared before him, legs set, arm drawn back.
"Serious Punch." (T/N; Saitama is that you xD)
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion, A's body shot through the air like a cannonball, carving a deep trench across the solid ground nearly a hundred meters away.