Konoha.
Behind the Uchiha Police Force headquarters, on the private training ground purchased by Bai Ye, the members of the force had gathered, divided into two brigades.
At the front of one brigade, Might Guy stretched his neck, waved his arms enthusiastically, and roared with a flushed face.
"YOUTH!"
The thunderous cry sent shivers down the spine.
Yet, the Uchiha guardsmen didn't flinch, nor did they feel embarrassed. Instead, they echoed his call in unison.
"YOUTH!"
From a distance, Bai Ye reclined lazily on a Taishi chair, sipping tea with an air of satisfaction.
Recruiting Might Guy into the Police Force had been a stroke of genius. His ability to ignite morale was nothing short of remarkable.
Of course, Bai Ye's gaze soon shifted to Uchiha Itachi, who stood among the trainees with a vacant, detached expression—his entire demeanor screaming: Who am I? Where am I? I want to go home.
A conflicted soul, but bound by duty.
Every new recruit in the Guard had to go through this phase.
"YOUTH!"
With effortless grace, Might Guy flipped into a one-handed handstand. His trainees, now fired up, immediately followed suit, mirroring his movements.
The scene was surprisingly harmonious.
"Brother-in-law, I want to join too!"
Nawaki, standing nearby, had been infected by the training's energy. His request was filled with anticipation.
Bai Ye, now donning black pupils, lazily leaned back. The occasional flicker of a single tomoe in his Sharingan affirmed his identity.
"Not so fast," he replied.
"Wait until your sister arrives—then tell her yourself."
At present, Nawaki was only a reserve member of the Guard. Like Itachi, he was still too young to be a full-fledged officer.
While Bai Ye had no problem with Nawaki training alongside them, it was essential to get Tsunade's approval first. After all, Nawaki was the only male heir of the Senju clan. The responsibility of revitalizing their bloodline would one day rest on his shoulders.
Bai Ye's gaze turned slightly complicated as he examined Nawaki.
"You… seem to like that boy, Uchiha Itachi?"
He had stumbled upon an amusing scene earlier that morning while on duty.
As a direct descendant of the Senju, Nawaki possessed an inexplicable affinity for others—something that aligned with the descriptions in historical records.
It made sense.
Tsunade had taken a liking to Naruto partly because he reminded her of Nawaki.
So naturally, Nawaki, drawn to familiarity, had gravitated toward Itachi.
"Yeah, Itachi-san is a great person. He just doesn't talk much," Nawaki said earnestly.
Bai Ye remained silent for a moment.
He wasn't concerned about Itachi influencing Nawaki's worldview. In fact, it was more likely that Nawaki's boundless energy would overwhelm Itachi.
Still… something about their dynamic piqued his curiosity.
"For the sake of the Senju lineage… it's best to avoid too much physical contact with him. Or rather…" Bai Ye paused. "…maybe there should be more physical contact."
His voice carried a hint of caution.
Earlier, he had skipped his usual morning routine at home, choosing instead to wash up in the large bathhouse at the Guard's headquarters.
That's when he and Might Guy had stumbled upon an unsettling sight—Nawaki, cheerfully scrubbing Itachi's back.
Bai Ye and Guy had exchanged a solemn look.
This situation required immediate intervention.
Coincidentally, as Bai Ye mulled over the issue, his eyes landed on Tsunade approaching with Shizune.
However, they weren't alone.
Trailing behind them was an uninvited guest.
One look at the Third Hokage's weary, dark-circled eyes was enough to confirm it—Hiruzen Sarutobi had barely slept the previous night.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye ignored the Hokage entirely and seized Tsunade's hand with a grave expression.
"Tsunade, we need to talk."
Tsunade's body tensed, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
She wanted to protest.
But the weight of the Hokage's scrutinizing gaze behind her was unbearable.
Yes.
For now, she had to maintain Nawaki's fabricated identity.
Yesterday, when Nawaki reported for duty, he had introduced himself as her and Bai Ye's illegitimate child.
And yet… even now, he still referred to Bai Ye as brother-in-law.
His reasoning?
"Even if I'm an illegitimate child, I'm still a brother-in-law," he had said.
That logic was baffling, but at this point, Tsunade didn't have the energy to argue.
"Uh… Baby's father… w-what is it?" she asked awkwardly, trying to withdraw her hand.
But even with all her strength, she couldn't break free from Bai Ye's grip.
"That kid is in love with Uchiha Itachi!" Bai Ye declared solemnly.
Uchiha Itachi?
A girl from the Uchiha clan?
Tsunade frowned in thought.
What was the problem?
She had been away from Konoha for years and hadn't kept up with clan matters.
From what she remembered, the Uchiha women were quite decent.
Mikoto, for instance, was gentle and well-mannered.
Tsunade blinked in confusion.
Coincidentally, as she puzzled over this revelation, Might Guy announced the end of the morning exercise.
The guards took a short five-minute break.
Itachi, noticing the presence of the Third Hokage, instinctively walked over, likely hoping to overhear the conversation.
But before he could get close—
"Nawaki!"
Nawaki's eyes lit up.
He stepped forward, intercepting Itachi.
"Itachi-san! Training must be exhausting! Here, have some water!"
Without hesitation, he unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and held it up to Itachi's lips.
"T-too close, Nawaki!"
Itachi flinched, stepping back in alarm.
He had no idea how to deal with this boy's bizarre, overenthusiastic behavior.
Compared to Might Guy's relentless passion, Nawaki's intensity was on an entirely different level.
Just as Itachi was about to retreat further, he felt a sharp gaze pierce through him.
The Third Hokage.
Hiruzen's gaze was unreadable, but his intention was clear.
He wanted Itachi to stay put—to gather information.
Itachi froze.
Through sheer force of will, he remained still.
With a deep breath, he reached for the water bottle.
And then—
He sighed.
A resigned, defeated sigh.
Nawaki beamed.
"Good brother!" he exclaimed, handing over the bottle.
He then took a sip himself.
A second later, his expression shifted to one of intrigue.
"Wait… this taste… Itachi-san, what have you been eating?"
With newfound excitement, he threw his arms around Itachi in a hug.
At that moment—
Tsunade was speechless.
Bai Ye was silent.
Shizune's mouth hung open, as if trying to process whether Bai Ye's head could physically fit inside.
The entire training ground fell into an eerie silence.
Except for Hiruzen.
His eyes gleamed with sudden realization.
Tsunade… has a baby?!
Is the child's father Uchiha Bai Ye?!
I haven't woken up yet, have I?!
And as for Nawaki and Itachi—
Thus began the great love story of Mr. Tree and Mr. Itachi.