"But Naruto still hasn't woken up!"
Kushina looked worriedly at Naruto, who was still sitting cross-legged atop the stone forest.
Since Naruto had begun his final training session that morning, he hadn't woken up once.
"That's why we came over, too. We just went to ask the Patriarch, the Great Toad Sage, but we got the same answer."
Fukasaku spoke.
"'Naruto's chakra is very stable right now. His training is going smoothly.' That senile old fool just kept repeating that one line. We can't count on him at all!"
Sage Shima didn't hold back her complaints.
"Dear, you should show the Patriarch some respect..."
"You're such a nag. Keep it up, and I won't let you into bed tonight!"
"What are you saying in front of the children?"
The two Toad Sages bickered as casually as a middle-aged married couple.
Of course, Kushina knew they were only trying to put her at ease.
After all, unless something was wrong with their senses, anyone could feel Naruto's chakra steadily growing from before dawn until now.
It was just...
Watching Kushina, whose worried gaze remained fixed on Naruto, Minato seemed to remember something and grew distracted.
It was a scene that had surfaced in his mind countless times.
In his memories, it was the moment when Kushina had been at her most vulnerable and helpless.
The Nine-Tails had been forcibly torn from her, and her life was fading, yet she had felt not the slightest anger or resentment toward her husband, who had failed to save her despite being Hokage.
At that moment, Kushina had lain in bed, struggling even to breathe, yet she had still done her best to reach out, just to stroke the face of the newborn Naruto, just to softly call his name one more time.
Back then,