The Baby Was Born Safely, and Orochimaru's Research Made Progress

Tsunade glanced at him.

"Her water had already broken. Of course we couldn't just put the baby back."

"We needed a special Sealing Jutsu to seal the baby and recreate conditions like those inside the mother before delivery."

"Otherwise, the baby would die in her womb before long."

"So that's how it works..."

The Hyuga Clan members in the delivery room looked as though they finally understood.

There was even more awe in their eyes when they looked at Tsunade.

It sounded absurd.

Yet she had just pulled it off.

As expected of Konoha's greatest medical ninja!

She even knew how to do that!

Tsunade shook the water from her hands and continued.

"The priority now is helping her recover."

"Lady Hoshina has lost too much blood. She's extremely weak and needs plenty of nourishment."

"She needs to eat well, and bed rest is essential."

"I'll stay here for a while and keep a close eye on her."

She pointed at Hoshina's still-swollen belly.

"And I need to maintain the Sealing Jutsu and adjust the baby's position."

"Nothing can go wrong during this period."

Sōwa Hyuga could barely contain his excitement.

He stepped forward and was about to bow to Tsunade.

"Tsunade, thank you for all your hard work! The Hyuga Clan will never forget what you've done for us!"

"All right, enough of that."

Tsunade waved a hand, cutting him off.

"I did what I should. Now find me a room. I need a bath."

She tugged at her medical ninja uniform, stained with blood, amniotic fluid, and sweat.

It was sticky and reeked.

She hadn't noticed before.

Now she could hardly stand it.

Sōwa Hyuga immediately turned to a clan member beside him.

"Quick, take Tsunade to a guest room. Prepare the best bathing tub and hot water, and bring her a fresh set of clan clothes!"

"Yes!"

The Hyuga Clan member bowed and gestured respectfully for Tsunade to follow.

Tsunade didn't stand on ceremony and went with him.

At the door, she turned back and tipped her chin toward the Hyuga medical ninja.

"You lot, take turns using the Mystical Palm Technique to help Lady Hoshina recover her strength. Be gentle."

"I'll teach you the exact steps tomorrow."

"Oh, and send someone to tell my grandmother I'll be staying with the Hyuga Clan for a while, so she won't worry."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade soaked in a hot bath.

Then she changed into the clan clothes the Hyuga had provided.

She felt alive again.

Much better~

For the next month, Tsunade made her home at the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

She settled into a steady routine.

Each morning, she got up early and adjusted the baby's position in Hoshina's belly.

She checked the seal and the baby's condition.

She also instructed the Hyuga women working as medical ninja.

In the afternoons, she found time to study Sealing Jutsu.

At night, she tended to Hoshina and the baby once more before bed.

Under her care, Hoshina Hyuga recovered at an astonishing pace.

Time flew by.

A month passed.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

A baby's loud cries filled the room.

"It's a girl. She's very healthy."

Tsunade wrapped the baby in a clean cloth and brought her to Hoshina.

Hoshina Hyuga leaned weakly against the headboard, her face wet with sweat and tears.

With a trembling hand, she gently touched her daughter's wrinkled little face.

Then she looked up at Tsunade, her lips quivering.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Tsunade... thank you... thank you..."

"Without you... my daughter and I would have..."

"That's enough. You've just given birth. Don't get worked up."

Tsunade carefully laid the baby beside her.

"Take a good look at your daughter. You came back from the brink of death for her."

The Hyuga medical ninja beside them were deeply moved.

"Lady Hoshina, Lady Tsunade is right. You were incredibly lucky."

"Given how things stood, even if we'd done everything we could, the best outcome would probably have been... saving one of you."

"Lady Tsunade performed a miracle."

At that, Hoshina Hyuga cried even harder.

She held her daughter close and thanked Tsunade over and over.

All that crying made Tsunade a little uncomfortable. She waved it off.

"We're both women. If I didn't help you, who would?"

"Was I supposed to stand by and let you both die?"

"All right, all right. You've just given birth and need rest. Stop crying."

She gave a few more instructions about postpartum care.

Only then did she leave the room, with Hoshina Hyuga gazing after her in tearful gratitude.

Outside, Sōwa Hyuga waited with a group of clan members.

When Tsunade emerged, they all bowed.

"Tsunade, words can't express how grateful we are!"

"We'd like to name my daughter Hiyomi Hyuga, to honor the beautiful new life you gave her. What do you think?"

Sōwa Hyuga's voice caught in his throat.

"Hiyomi? That sounds lovely. It's your decision."

Tsunade nodded, feeling a real sense of accomplishment.

She had saved two lives and earned the friendship of the entire Hyuga Clan.

Not a bad outcome at all.

Maintaining the seal and caring for Hoshina over the past month had set her Yin Seal training back considerably.

But her practical skill and understanding of Sealing Jutsu had advanced by leaps and bounds.

And she now had the Hyuga Clan, an important bloc of votes in a future Hokage election.

It was worth it!

She stayed with the Hyuga for one more day.

Once she was sure Hoshina and her daughter Hiyomi were both stable, she said goodbye.

On her way home, Tsunade stretched.

She hadn't done much physical labor that month, but she had been on edge the whole time.

At last, she could relax.

First I'll go home and get a good night's sleep. Then... heh heh heh...

She was happily making plans.

A figure appeared without a sound at the intersection ahead, blocking her path.

Pale skin, long black hair, and golden eyes with slit pupils.

"Orochimaru?"

Tsunade stopped, surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

Orochimaru's voice was as flat as ever.

"Me? If you needed something, why didn't you come to the Hyuga estate?"

Tsunade walked toward him.

"The Hyuga estate wasn't the right place."

Orochimaru kept his answer brief.

Tsunade gave Orochimaru a curious look.

Not the right place?

Then this can't be anything good.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Three days," Orochimaru said. "I thought you'd come out sometime soon."

"Three days? What's so urgent?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

Orochimaru turned his golden, slit-pupiled eyes toward her. A flicker of suppressed excitement showed in them.

"I've made progress analyzing the blood sample you gave me."

"Already?!"

Tsunade's eyes lit up.

Before leaving, she had given Orochimaru some of her blood to study her constitution.

She hadn't expected progress in just over a month.

I picked the right person!

"But..."

Orochimaru's tone grew grave.

"I've hit a bottleneck."

"The samples and data I have can only take me so far."

"To test my theory and get past it, I need a more advanced, more active cell sample for comparison and stimulation."

"More advanced cells?"

Tsunade froze.

One possibility flashed through her mind.

She looked at Orochimaru and swallowed before speaking uncertainly.

"You mean... you need cells from my grandfather, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju?"

Orochimaru looked at her.

Slowly, with absolute certainty,

he gave a firm nod.

"That's right."