Heir and Heir

Konoha Year 2, February. (Land of Night Year 11)

Since November of the previous year, the situation among the nations had become extraordinarily tense because of Konoha, causing the other four great nations to enter an active state of war preparation.

It was as if the Ninja World's first Shinobi World War could erupt at any moment.

However, this state did not last long. As Konoha fell silent, tensions gradually eased.

After the Konoha talks in November had ended in complete failure, Konoha had merely expressed its apologies and delayed taking any further action.

Naturally, the other four great nations could not maintain such an intensely strained state of war preparation forever. It would not only slow the nation's development but also undermine domestic stability.

Thus, in January of this year, after vaguely sensing that Konoha truly would not do anything, the ninjas of the four great nations could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Their attitude toward war preparations was no longer as taut as it had been at the start.

Still, the state of war preparation had not been entirely lifted. Basic precautionary measures remained in place.

At this time, in the Land of Night.

As the General, Yayoi had paid no attention to the international situation these past few days.

Compared to the international situation, he had something far more important on his mind.

Because today was the day Kicho officially went into labor.

"Ahhhhhh!"

A painfully muffled cry made Yayoi instinctively rise from the bench outside the Medical Division's delivery room.

The pain in that cry sounded utterly wrenching, yet it carried an incomparably strong resilience, as though she were gritting her teeth and forcing herself to endure.

"Lord Husband, don't worry. Lady Kicho has always been strong. She'll definitely be all right in the end. Besides, Aoi and Irori are inside with her."

Seeing Yayoi rise from the bench, Rinko noticed a rare trace of restlessness on his normally calm face despite his efforts to suppress it.

As his secondary wife, Rinko stood as well and comforted Yayoi, telling him not to worry about what was happening in the delivery room.

"Mm, I know."

As if affirming Rinko's words, Yayoi took a light breath and slowly nodded.

Though the restlessness had faded from his face, the anxiety and worry in his heart were not so easily dispelled.

Aside from Kicho, the mother, Irori, Aoi, and Keika, the head of the Medical Division, were the only ones in the delivery room.

Irori and Aoi were there to help in case of an accident and to put Kicho at ease.

The one mainly responsible for delivering the child was Keika, a female medical ninja.

To be honest, Yayoi had not felt this tense and uneasy even during his battle with Madara last year.

It was as though he would rush inside the instant anything went wrong.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Kicho was still in tremendous pain.

Those heartrending cries unsettled Yayoi, and a deep worry appeared on Rinko's face as well.

She could not imagine what kind of pain could make Kicho cry out so agonizingly.

Kicho was a Jonin and possessed a Kekkei Genkai. Her physique was stronger than that of many Jonin. Under normal circumstances, it should have been impossible for her to cry herself hoarse from childbirth like an ordinary woman.

Could something really have gone wrong?

Rinko could not help wanting to rush into the delivery room at once, but remembering that Irori and Aoi were inside looking after Kicho, she dismissed the thought.

Since they had not called for anyone, it meant Kicho was not in any mortal danger.

Just as Kicho's anguished cries continued and the two outside were beginning to grow impatient—

"Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!"

The continuous, piercing cries of a newborn were like sunlight breaking at dawn, scattering the clouds over Yayoi and Rinko's hearts before striking deep into their chests.

Not long afterward, Keika emerged with a smile, her long wavy hair swaying as though she had just let out a great sigh of relief herself.

"Lord Yayoi, congratulations. Both mother and son are safe. Hurry inside."

Whoosh.

Before Rinko could react, Yayoi swiftly pushed open the door and entered the delivery room.

The first thing he saw was his wife, Kicho, lying on a white nursing bed specially made for mothers. Her face was frighteningly pale, bearing the weak expression that only came after every last bit of strength had been exhausted.

Cold sweat streamed down her face, soaking her cheeks. Her glossy black hair clung to them in a disheveled, bedraggled mess.

"Lord Husband, he's a very healthy baby..."

As if she had waited for this very moment, Kicho smiled weakly yet blissfully. She tried to force herself up, but Yayoi stepped forward and gently pressed her back down, making her lie still.

"Mm, I know. You've worked hard, Kicho. You're tired, so sleep for a while."

Yayoi held her cold, fair little hand and gently stroked it, trying to give her a trace of warmth.

"Mm..."

Kicho obediently nodded. She did not force herself any longer. The moment she saw Yayoi, she completely relaxed and closed her eyes in exhaustion.

"Lord Yayoi."

"Lord Husband."

The calls came from Irori, Aoi, and Rinko respectively.

Kicho's newborn child was now in Irori's arms, wrapped in a soft, warm, milky-white swaddle.

After crying and fussing at first, he had now completely quieted down and was sleeping peacefully in Irori's embrace.

Yayoi released Kicho's little hand, gently tucked it back beneath the blanket, and walked over to Irori to look at the swaddled infant.

It was a boy.

Moreover, this baby was sturdier than ordinary infants... Well, sturdy was not quite the right word for a baby, but that was the impression he gave Yayoi.

Yayoi was not a sensory-type ninja and could not deeply perceive the child's exact condition. Yet even from appearances alone, one could tell at a glance that this baby boy's vitality was not something an ordinary infant could compare to.

No wonder Kicho's delivery had been so difficult, and why she had cried out so heartrendingly. A baby with such tenacious vitality truly was no ordinary child.

If he had to describe it, the child could serve as a sealing vessel for a Tailed Beast.

But Yayoi would never do such a thing. He would not even turn his own subordinates into Jinchūriki, those tragic existences, much less his own son.

Yayoi took the infant from Irori's arms. He had learned how to hold a baby during this time, but since it was his first time actually doing so, he could not help feeling nervous.

Fortunately, he did not wake the baby, who continued sleeping peacefully. Yayoi quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the child's tranquil, adorable sleeping face and could not help smiling.

He did not hold the baby for long before handing him to Rinko so that she could hold him too.

"When I came out earlier, Lady Kicho's child opened his eyes. He has the same Byakugan as Lady Kicho. Perhaps he'll become an outstanding ninja who surpasses Lady Kicho in the future."

Aoi added from the side, her expression also brimming with delight.

This was only natural. Although Yayoi, as the General, dearly loved and cherished Kicho, his primary wife, without an heir, her position was like a castle in the air.

After all, women from the Uzumaki Clan would enter the household next year. They might threaten Kicho's position.

As Kicho's personal attendants, no matter how innocent they might be, they understood that only if Kicho's status was secure could they, as her attendants and secondary wives, have a place here as well.

As for challenging Kicho's position... all that could be said was that the ninja world ultimately spoke through fists.

Their own caliber and talent simply did not qualify them to occupy the position of the General's primary wife.

The General was the nation's daimyo, as well as the leader of its ninjas and samurai—the one who wielded the Land of Night's greatest force.

That meant the position of the General's primary wife was not one an ordinary woman could hold securely.

Now things were different. Kicho, their mistress, was not only the primary wife but had also given birth to such a healthy, strong heir. Her position would become even more unshakable.

"Let's talk about the future when it comes."

Yayoi put on a stern expression as he refuted her, but everyone still caught the joy in his heart, because there was no need for him to hide it.

"Aoi, go announce this child's birth."

Yayoi quickly adjusted his emotions and returned to his usual serious demeanor from work.

This child's arrival did not merely mean that he had a direct heir. It was also key to stabilizing the hearts of the people within the country.

He was a child's father, but he was also the ruler of a nation. That proved just how complicated his identity was.

"Ah, yes."

Aoi froze for a moment, then did not think further and quickly left the delivery room.

With the international situation so tense, the General, the Land of Night's supreme ruler, having a direct heir was undoubtedly the best remedy to calm the people's concerns.

Such a meaningful political signal truly needed to be released as soon as possible.

After staying in the delivery room for a while, Yayoi and the others came out.

"Lord Yayoi, I'll get back to work first. There are still many matters to handle at the Tenshu Tower."

Irori spoke softly, gave a slight bow, and turned to leave.

"Lord Husband, I'll take the child back to the Inner Court as well. We need to settle Lady Kicho's child as soon as possible."

Holding the child in her arms, Rinko also intended to take her leave and return to the Inner Court to make arrangements.

"I'll take you and the child back first."

Yayoi paused, intending to personally escort Rinko and the child back to the Inner Court.

Rinko did not refuse. Under Yayoi's personal escort, she safely returned to the Inner Court.

Ever since Kicho had become pregnant, a nursery specifically meant for caring for infants had already been prepared in the Inner Court.

"Now that I think about it, this child really isn't ordinarily heavy. And his breathing is so steady—it doesn't seem like that of a newborn at all."

Rinko placed the child in the crib and wiped away sweat that was not actually on her face, yet she was indeed immensely astonished by this extraordinary child.

Yayoi nodded. Although the child was the same size as a normal infant, his weight was strangely abnormal. He was much heavier than an ordinary baby.

Yayoi had already noticed this anomaly when he held him in the delivery room.

Still, Yayoi did not consider the child ominous because of it. Rather, such traits only further proved how extraordinary he was.

This was an innate talent for ninjutsu.

Perhaps, at the same age, his accomplishments will surpass mine.

Yayoi began assessing and predicting in his heart.

It was not because he believed his talent would lose to his child's, but because his starting point had been extremely low.

The wandering ninja who had once adopted him was no expert. Moreover, Yayoi had already been seven years old when he first learned the Chakra Refinement Technique.

Many of his early abilities, including cultivating Irori's life embryo, had also taken countless detours before he completed them through trial and error.

Generally speaking, any ninja born into a ninja clan in this era would formally begin encountering the Chakra Refinement Technique at the age of three.

At the latest, they would begin learning chakra refinement at four.

Starting at seven had put him a full three or four years behind ninja clan children.

On top of that, he had not received systematic training in ninja techniques, causing many of his abilities to develop along wild and unconventional paths.

This child was different. He would encounter chakra refinement at a very early age and possess incomparably high-quality educational resources. It would not be an exaggeration to say he had been born with a golden key in his mouth.

"By the way, Lord Husband, have you thought of a name for this child?"

Rinko teased the baby, then seemed to remember something and turned to ask.

"As for that, there's no need to rush. I need to think it over carefully." Yayoi paused before continuing, "I'll leave this place to you, Rinko."

"Yes, Lord Husband."

Yayoi left under Rinko's gaze.

After leaving the Inner Court, Yayoi headed to the Tenshu Tower. Rather than going to his usual office, he made his way to the observation deck atop the tower.

This was the highest point of the entire Tenshu Tower. Beyond its symbolic significance as a seat of power, it was also an open place for surveying the scenery. Above the observation deck was a spotless sky.

From here, one could see the entire General's Residence at a glance, and even part of the streets beyond it.

Whenever work had exhausted him in the past, Yayoi would occasionally come here to relax. Sometimes, he would even take a lazy afternoon nap.

However, Yayoi was not the only guest here at the moment. Someone had arrived before him.

Silver hair danced in the wind. Dressed neatly in an icy-blue kimono, the young girl still had some childishness in her face. Her purple eyes gazed into the distance, seeming to reveal emotions entirely unlike her usual ones.

It was Irori.

Yayoi walked behind her and, without a word, wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so lonely?"

The instant she was held, though the girl hid it well, Yayoi still clearly noticed her body tremble for a moment.

"N-Nothing, Lord Yayoi. I just wanted to come here and clear my mind alone."

Irori lightly bit her lip.

"You... really are like a child."

Yayoi chuckled softly.

His broad hand gently gathered her silvery-white hair, exposing the snowy skin of her neck. It was fairer, softer, and more translucent than that of a human girl, and together with her silver-white hair, it gave off a sweet, enticing fragrance.

"Are you afraid that after this child is born, I'll unconsciously neglect you?"

"No, I never thought that. He's Lord Yayoi's child, and I like him too. I just..."

"So you still feel lonely, don't you?"

Yayoi interrupted Irori and sighed softly. He released her, turned her around, and faced her toward him.

Irori seemed afraid to look directly at Yayoi as she had in the past. Her purple eyes began darting from side to side.

Yayoi raised a hand and stroked Irori's cheek.

She was clearly a Puppet Lifeform, yet her skin was as real as a human's—no, it surpassed human skin.

Yayoi could clearly feel its living texture.

"Lord Yayoi, you..."

A blush spread across Irori's young face, and her body began trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't speak, Irori. Feel the connection between us."

Yayoi spoke softly and stopped stroking Irori's cheek.

Then he pulled her back into his embrace, letting her smooth, snow-white forehead rest gently against his broad, warm chest.

"As you think, Kicho, Aoi, and Rinko are my women. That child is my heir by blood. So are you denying yourself because of that, thinking you're an unnecessary outsider here? That's not true, Irori."

Yayoi's voice was full of acceptance and gentleness. Then, in a firm tone, he continued into the silver-haired girl's heart:

"My relationship with them is built on love, family, and blood. I love them, and I will love that child as well, treasuring him as something precious. But that does not mean I don't love you. You are precious to me too."

"Lord Yayoi..."

"You don't need to worry, you don't need to feel lost, and you certainly don't need to grieve over this. Only you, to me, are an existence that transcends love, family, and even blood."

"Mm..."

Irori slowly closed her eyes. The sorrow faded from her soft voice, replaced by the peace of a bird returning to its nest.