The room was brightly lit. Kushina was drenched in sweat, lying exhausted on the bed.
Listening to the baby crying beside her, she laboriously turned her head and saw Shin holding a newborn infant who was crying without pause.
In an extremely faint voice, she said, "The child..."
Shin immediately leaned over and placed the child beside her.
Unlike ordinary babies, after the blood was washed away, the child had a healthy complexion. He had soft black hair plastered flat against his head and six whisker-like marks on his cheeks. He was not ugly at all—rather, he was exceptionally adorable.
Kushina turned her head to look at the child who had cost her half her life to bring into the world. She could not tell whether the feeling swelling in her heart was sorrow or bitterness. At that moment, she understood the things Mikoto had once told her. This was her own child—how could she possibly hate him?
Kushina suddenly wanted to cry, and tears pattered down her cheeks.
"Naruto..."
Naruto, your future must not be as miserable as mine.
The door was suddenly knocked on at a most inappropriate moment.
A knock at a time like this meant something must have happened. After giving the medical staff a few instructions, Shin left.
Outside the delivery room, Ayari and the others were waiting anxiously as well. When they saw Shin emerge, they said, "Kamado is here."
Shin nodded lightly. "Kushina needs rest. Keep quiet when you visit her."
Shin walked out into the living room. Outside, the night was deep, with a waning moon hanging alone in the sky. Kamado was waiting in the courtyard.
"Hokage."
Shin did not respond. Instead, he suddenly looked toward the distant Sunlight Tower, as if he had sensed something.
His sensory ability instantly spread