As a master of medicine, she shouldn't have made such a mistake. She should have been well aware of any changes in her body.
But Tsunade had been through a lot recently.
After leaving Konoha, she indulged in reckless gambling and drinking for a while, only for Jiraiya to show up againand tell her a great deal about the fate of the ninja world.
His words weighed heavily on her, to the point where she no longer even had the desire to enjoy herself.
Even when she borrowed money afterward, it wasn't because she was enjoying herself—it was simply out of habit. Now that she thought about it, her cycle had been late recently, but she had assumed it was due to drinking too much.
Tsunade clutched her lower abdomen, uncertain of what to do.
Just moments ago, the thought of erasing this life had crossed her mind. But in the ninja world, newborn children were considered the future.
No matter what the Third Hokage had done, the First Hokage had founded Konoha with the hope of protecting young children from war. That had always been his goal, even if the methods had changed over time.
Moreover, as a medical ninja, taking a life—even one still unborn—was a sin in her eyes.
And this was her child.
The very thought of getting rid of it was immediately dismissed.
But if she gave birth to it, could she take responsibility?
Should she tell Kushina?
Just thinking about it made her head ache.
Even though she was already in her thirties, this situation still felt completely foreign to her.
Tsunade's expression kept shifting.
She bit her finger, furrowed her brows, and unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach.
Sage Katsuyu, unaware of what was troubling her, asked,
"Little Tsunade, what's wrong?"
Tsunade quickly shook her head, panic flashing across her face.
"No, it's nothing, Katsuyu-sama."
But after a long pause, she finally made her decision.
She was going to have this child.
She simply couldn't bring herself to end a life.
And as she stroked her stomach, she almost felt a faint response from within her—though she knew it was likely just her imagination.
"Katsuyu-sama, I'll probably be coming to the Shikkotsu Forest often in the future," she said after a moment.
"But if Nawaki ever comes here to train in Sage Mode, I won't come."
If she was going to have this child, Shikkotsu Forest seemed like the safest place for her.
Still, facing this situation alone made her uneasy.
At that moment, a figure appeared in her mind—Yakushi Nono.
And then, her thoughts drifted to Kain.
That damn pervert.
First, her student.
And now, even her teacher.
Katsuyu spoke softly.
"Of course. Unlike Gamamaru, I don't have a way to contact the outside world. I would be happy if little Tsunade came here often."
Unlike Mount Myoboku's toads, there was only one Katsuyu in Shikkotsu Forest.
The only way it could learn about the outside world was through its contractors.
Although Nawaki had recently signed a contract, he was only here to learn Senjutsu, not to summon Katsuyu for battle or healing.
After leaving Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade performed another medical examination on herself.
And this time, she confirmed it without a doubt—
She was pregnant.
About a month along.
Alcohol was no longer an option.
As a medical ninja, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
But there was one major problem—
She was completely broke.
Miwa had given Tsunade several million ryo, but she had already wasted most of it within a few days. Borrowing more from her wouldn't be appropriate—after all, Miwa had her own family to support and only earned so much per year.
"I'll just borrow money from someone else. This time, I swear I won't gamble it away."
Tsunade made up her mind.
A few hundred thousand ryo should be enough to cover normal expenses for a year. Even factoring in the cost of raising a child, she estimated that it wouldn't exceed one million ryo.
If she could take on two S-rank missions, that would be more than enough to support her for the next three years.
However, in her current condition, taking on dangerous missions was out of the question.
She had a child to think about now.
Meanwhile, in the Daimyō's Mansion, a servant entered the Tenshō Pavilion to report to Kain.
"Master Daimyō, a ninja from the Land of Rain is outside, requesting an audience. He claims to be an old acquaintance of yours—his name is Yahiko."
Before Sky City had been relocated, Kain often resided here. The Tenshō Pavilion had the best surroundings in the entire Daimyō's Mansion—quiet, peaceful, and secluded.
Kain, who had been teasing Naruto, glanced over and said,
"An old acquaintance, huh? Let him in."
Kain had taken in the Uzumaki refugees from the Land of Grass.
Now that Karin had just been born, there was still time to save the surviving Uzumaki women.
Since the new arrivals happened to be people Kushina knew from her childhood, she was overjoyed.
After checking their conditions, she helped them settle in, leaving Naruto in Kain's care.
A short while later, Yahiko—dressed in the signature black cloak with red clouds—was escorted inside.
Unlike the energetic, outspoken child Kain remembered, Yahiko carried himself with a much calmer demeanor.
He bowed respectfully.
"Lord Daimyō, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to meet with me."
Kain smirked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"It's been a long time. Looks like you've matured. You weren't this polite back then."
Gesturing for him to sit, Kain continued,
"So, what brings you here? I've heard about what you've been up to. Your organization has grown quite well."
"Thank you for your kind words, and for the support of other like-minded allies," Yahiko replied, easing up slightly at Kain's familiar tone.
His confidence grew—he had a feeling that his request might actually succeed.
"I came today to ask for your assistance, Lord Daimyō."
Yahiko's voice turned serious.
"The Akatsuki organization has been targeted by Amegakure, and we're in dire need of resources. I was hoping you might be willing to aid us. In return, the Akatsuki would be more than happy to assist you with any tasks."
At the end of his plea, Yahiko dropped to his knees, bowing deeply.
The sudden movement startled Naruto, who let out a small cry in Kain's arms.
Kain sighed, waving a hand.
"No need to be so dramatic, Yahiko. I understand your situation."
Helping him back to his feet, Kain continued casually,
"I've always respected your organization for its ideals. That said, Akatsuki has grown powerful enough to pose a real threat—even Hanzo is wary of you now."
He chuckled.
"But I'm sure you already have a plan to deal with him."
Kain leaned back in his chair, then said,
"Alright. I'll give Akatsuki 20 million ryo as support. Additionally, I'll lend you another 30 million—so in total, you'll have 50 million ryo."
Yahiko's eyes widened in shock, and then his expression bloomed into pure joy.
"Lord Daimyō, I cannot thank you enough for your generosity!"
Fifty million ryo—that was nearly equivalent to Amegakure's entire yearly budget.
With the funds Akatsuki received, the organization could sustain itself for at least three to four years. Even if they continued helping civilians in need, they would still have enough for two years.
"My lord, the Akatsuki organization will not forget this kindness. Whether through hiring missions or other means, we will repay your generosity."
Before Yahiko could finish speaking, Kain clapped his hands and interrupted:
"Speaking of hiring missions, Yahiko, you should visit the newly established mission department here at the Daimyō's Mansion. The Land of Fire is undergoing a major development project, and we need skilled ninjas for assistance. If Akatsuki has spare manpower, you're welcome to take on some of these jobs."
"These are tasks that Konoha can't fully handle. And compared to the underground mercenaries at the black market exchange, Akatsuki is far more reliable."
Hearing Kain's acknowledgment of Akatsuki, Yahiko felt a surge of pride and unconsciously straightened his posture.
"Understood, Lord Daimyō. Thank you for considering us—I'll check it out later."
Kain smiled.
"If there's nothing else, I'll have someone take you to collect the funds. I'm sure you have a lot to do, so I won't take up more of your time."
"Yes, thank you very much, my lord."
Yahiko bowed deeply once more before following the appointed official out of the room.
As he made his way to the property management warehouse, Yahiko couldn't shake the feeling that everything had gone too smoothly—so much so that it almost felt unreal.
Because of what Jiraiya had told him, Yahiko had some reservations about Kain.
After all, when comparing the two—Jiraiya was their teacher, someone who had trained them for three years, whereas Kain was just someone who had helped them with food in the beginning.
But after today, Yahiko began to question his doubts.
Even if they had known each other before, who else in the entire ninja world would hand over 50 million ryo so easily?
The weight of his worries lifted instantly. With this money, he could purchase the supplies Akatsuki desperately needed.
Upon reaching the property management warehouse, the official leading Yahiko spoke briefly with the samurai guards before presenting Kain's written order.
Moments later, two large suitcases were brought out—each containing 25 million ryo.
A warehouse worker turned to Yahiko and asked,
"Do you have a sealing scroll?"
Yahiko paused for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, but I can carry it. It's not a problem."
However, following Kain's orders, the official retrieved a sealing scroll and handed it to Yahiko.
There were very few ninjas unfamiliar with sealing scrolls, and Yahiko was certainly not one of them. He quickly stored the two cases of money inside and, for a brief moment, felt a deep sense of gratitude.
After securing the funds, Yahiko followed the official to the mission department within the Daimyō's Mansion.
The current postings mainly involved large-scale infrastructure projects—one of which focused on building and expanding dirt roads throughout the Land of Fire.
Konoha had already accepted many of these missions, but there were still plenty of unclaimed jobs in more remote areas.
Scanning through the list, Yahiko realized that Akatsuki could take on these tasks in the future. However, with their current troubles in Amegakure, they had more pressing matters to resolve first.
Still, once those issues were settled, Akatsuki could accept a large number of these missions—ensuring a stable source of funding while also growing their reputation and influence.
This could be a major turning point for the organization.
After purchasing over 20 million ryo' worth of medical supplies, food, clothing, and other essentials, Yahiko sealed everything into scrolls and prepared to return.
His heart was filled with hope.
But the moment Yahiko set foot back in the Land of Rain, before he could even share the good news with Nagato and Konan—
he was met with devastating news.
…
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