It had been five months since Kakuzu was captured.
He had completely given up hope. Initially, he had waited for Kawakaze to come, but the higher his expectations, the greater his disappointment. He hadn't even caught a glimpse of Kawakaze.
Later, he tried striking up conversations with the guards, even mentioning Kawakaze's acceptance of bribes. However, the guards remained indifferent, always giving the same cold response:
"You think you can see Lord Kawakaze whenever you want?"
No matter what else Kakuzu said, they ignored him.
He began to feel that if nothing changed, he would die here. His body's heart was failing, unable to hold out much longer. Unfortunately, no one cared about his condition.
Perhaps Kawakaze would remember him someday. If he happened to still be alive, there might be a slim chance he'd see the light of day again. But one thing was certain—it wouldn't be now.
Kawakaze had no time to think about Kakuzu. His mind wasn't even on himself.
At Konoha Hospital, a silver-haired man anxiously paced in front of the delivery room.
"Kawakaze, stop spinning around. You're making my head spin," Sakumo said from the rest area nearby. These were the exact words Kawakaze had once said to him. Now, their roles were reversed.
"I'm worried!" Kawakaze paused for a few seconds but quickly resumed pacing.
At last, he understood how Sakumo had felt back then—it was indescribable. Though he knew the chances of something happening to Tsunade were extremely slim, he couldn't stop worrying.
"It's fine. Don't you trust Tsunade by now?" Nayuki spoke calmly, sitting next to Sakumo. She wasn't worried at all.
If it hadn't been for Tsunade, Nayuki might not even be alive today. With Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu, there was no way anything could go wrong.
"Uncle, Auntie will be fine. Here, have some candy."
Kakashi obediently approached and took a lollipop out of his pocket.
"Our Kakashi is such a good boy." Kawakaze smiled, petting Kakashi's head. "Your aunt will give birth to a little brother for you, so you can't bully him in the future."
Kawakaze took the unwrapped lollipop and popped it into his mouth. For a moment, the tension seemed to ease.
"Uncle, don't worry. I will definitely protect my little brother," Kakashi said, puffing out his chest, his small face filled with determination.
"I believe in you," Kawakaze replied with a warm smile, taking Kakashi's hand and leading him over to sit with Sakumo.
"It should be coming soon. I can hear a baby crying," Sakumo said, pressing his head against the wall as if listening.
Little did he realize that it wasn't even a delivery room on the other side of the wall.
"Do you take me for a three-year-old?" Kawakaze rolled his eyes, knowing from the building's blueprints what was actually there.
"I was just trying to comfort you, wasn't I?" Sakumo admitted, a bit embarrassed at being caught.
"Thank you," Kawakaze said dryly, his tone hinting at exasperation. "I feel better now. I'll just wait."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and settled into quiet patience.
The atmosphere grew dull for a moment.
On the other side of the room, Nawaki, Minato, and a few others were huddled together, whispering in the rest area.
"Why hasn't Sensei's wife come out yet?" Konan frowned, glancing between the delivery room and Kawakaze.
"It's only been a short while; it can't be that fast," Kushina said casually, though her tone revealed a hint of worry. Tsunade had always shown her so much care, like a real sister.
"Kushina's right, Konan. Don't worry," Misaki said, her tone reassuring. Like an older sister, she comforted Konan. Misaki had full confidence in Tsunade. Though she wasn't a Medical-nin, she understood enough to trust Tsunade's unmatched skills.
The boys remained silent, except for Nawaki, who finally spoke up.
"Just relax. My sister could give birth by herself if she wanted to," he said nonchalantly. "Not to mention, the delivery room is fully equipped."
Nawaki's indifferent tone made it clear he wasn't worried at all. To him, giving birth was a straightforward matter. The idea that it could harm his sister seemed utterly absurd.
...
Kawakaze was in no mood to pay attention to what they were saying.
The hallway was still crowded with people, though everyone remained quiet. The area was surrounded by ninjas.
It was only natural for the Hokage's child's birth to have such a significant presence. On the other hand, it was also a precaution to ensure Tsunade's safety, as she was a Jinchūriki.
To prevent any mishaps, even Mito was present in the delivery room to provide protection.
"The head is coming out."
"Tsunade, use a little more strength," Mito said, glancing between Tsunade's legs without a hint of worry.
Her calmness was in stark contrast to Kawakaze's anxiety outside. Mito had been concerned that the seal might weaken and Chōmei, the Seven Tails within Tsunade, could cause trouble. But Chōmei remained obedient, not leaking a single trace of Chakra. Even the Nine-Tails within her seemed content and showed no intention of provoking Chōmei.
"Yes, just a little more effort, and it will be out," Koharu Utatane, a Medical-nin, encouraged, stepping in to assist.
Tsunade didn't refuse; the offer was clearly made with goodwill, even if she felt she didn't need help giving birth.
"I know, I'm pushing, right?" Tsunade muttered, her fists clenched and her face scrunched in determination. She was clearly giving it her all.
"Come on, half of the body is out," Mito announced like a live commentator. With Tsunade's legs covered by a cloth, she couldn't see the progress herself.
"It's not that difficult!" Tsunade said through gritted teeth, exerting herself again. In an instant, the baby moved a significant way forward.
"Success is within sight," Koharu said, now able to see a small tuft of the baby's hair.
"Hooray!"
With one last push from Tsunade, the baby's cries filled the room.
"Oops, it's a big boy," Mito exclaimed, swiftly cutting the umbilical cord before wrapping the baby in a prepared towel.
Despite the baby being covered in water and secretions, Mito showed no sign of disgust. She wiped the baby carefully, a kind smile lighting up her face.
"Let me see," Tsunade said eagerly, unable to wait to see her child.
"What's the rush? He can't run away yet," Mito replied, glaring at Tsunade as she slowly wrapped the baby in a cotton cloth again.
Mito held the baby in her arms for a while until the crying subsided, then finally handed him to Tsunade.
"He really looks like you," Koharu Utatane remarked, standing to the side and feeling slightly awkward.
"He looks more like Kawakaze," Tsunade said, brushing her fingers through the baby's silver hair. It was a striking trait of the Hatake Clan, as all its members shared the same hair color.
"It doesn't matter who he looks like. You two are both good-looking," Mito said casually. "This child won't be ugly in the future."
Mito moved to clean up Tsunade, acting with her usual efficiency. While Mito didn't think anything of it, Tsunade started to feel shy.
"Grandma, I'll do it myself. You tell Kawakaze to come in," Tsunade said quickly, handing the baby back to Mito. She felt no discomfort physically but still couldn't quite accept this kind of help, even from her grandmother.
"Really, what are you embarrassed about with your grandmother?" Mito scolded lightly, tossing the towel back into the basin.
Does she really think I want to do this? Mito thought to herself. It's only because you are my granddaughter.
Holding the baby securely, Mito walked toward the maternity ward door.