A Little Brother!

The villagers and ninja of Konoha who had witnessed the Nine-Tails' terror were growing fewer and fewer. After all, its two landlords had both been extremely skilled at sealing techniques.

The Nine-Tails' little life...

Really did seem rather miserable...

"Its Chakra nature is so strange..." As a tailed beast management technician, Kushina noticed that the Chakra this crow gave off felt somewhat like that of a tailed beast...

"It feels like that stinking fox's Chakra... No..." Curious, Kushina stroked Kitahara's feathers as a stream of Chakra entered his body. This was one of the ways humans communicated with ninja beasts.

"Caw?"

"So it really was just because I was too hungry from skipping breakfast that I hallucinated... How could I think that stinking fox's Chakra resembled a crow's..." Kushina dejectedly flopped onto the table and weakly called out, "Teuchi, if you don't serve the noodles soon, someone's going to starve to death in your shop..."

"..."

She really did not look like an elder at all... Still, she retained a little of an elder's pride and refused Itachi's offer to let her eat first.

Perhaps she truly was starving. When her ramen arrived, Uchiha Itachi and Kitahara could only stare at her in shock...

"Thanks for the meal."

Slurp, slurp...

Gulp, gulp...

While Uchiha Itachi was still biting into a slice of chashu, Kushina's bowl had already been scraped clean. The red-haired Nine-Tails Jinchuriki elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth. "Thank you for the meal..."

"Caw..."

"Itachi, where are you going this afternoon?" Kushina poured a cup of hot water and set it beside the little boy, revealing a proper smile. "Let's go visit Mikoto at the hospital together, shall we? I haven't seen her in a long time..."

"Thank you." Itachi turned, grasped the cup, and nodded. "Perfect. We were going to the hospital this afternoon to bring Mom home."

"What a sensible child, Itachi."

On the way to the hospital, Uzumaki Kushina was exceptionally talkative, constantly giving Kitahara the illusion that he was facing the source of all evil speech.

Rumble, rumble...

Kushina skipped along, kicking pebbles beneath her feet. "What dreams do you have, Itachi? What do you want to do when you grow up?"

"I'll become a ninja, I suppose..." Itachi pondered it. He was certain that he would become a ninja.

Over this period, he had learned quite a few ninjutsu from Kitahara.

"I thought you would say you wanted to become Hokage!" Kushina chuckled, clearly disapproving of Itachi's modesty. "Most children in the village dream of becoming Hokage, right? Protecting everyone and their comrades, like that little brat Obito from your clan..."

Her voice lowered. Uchiha Obito... had died in the ninja war, and even... his body had not been brought back.

The name Uchiha Obito had been appearing frequently in the clan lately. Itachi had learned about him: he had died in the ninja war while saving his comrades...

"Aunt Kushina, nobody wants to die, right... Then why do ninja fight?"

"I'm searching for that answer too. It's probably nothing more than interests and things like that..." Kushina lowered her head. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the little boy's confused expression and reached out to press a hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps we cannot resolve such conflict now, but that does not mean we are powerless! As long as we work hard to become stronger and eliminate wars between countries, the ninja world will surely know peace!"

"..."

Girl, there was something a little wrong with what you said... Why did that sound so strange... Though your logic was sound, your thinking was still at a rather elementary level!

Uchiha Itachi, clearly experiencing the ultimate technique of Talk no Jutsu for the first time, suddenly had a determined look on his face... The little boy realized that strength truly was also a way to resolve conflict...

"...Become a powerful ninja... Learn more ninjutsu... Eliminate conflict between people... Eradicate wars between nations..."

Kushina was rather expectant of Itachi's resolve, but she was even more interested in his current progress. "Huh? Itachi, have you already started learning ninjutsu?"

"Yes." The basic ninjutsu Uchiha Itachi had been practicing recently were becoming increasingly familiar, and his hand seal speed was growing faster and faster. Since he had not yet started school, he had no one his age to compare himself to.

"Learning ninjutsu at four years old? That's amazing, Itachi!" Kushina excitedly ruffled Itachi's hair.

The young aunt wanted to teach him something as encouragement. However, most of the unique ninjutsu she knew were extravagant techniques that consumed an enormous amount of Chakra... Adamantine Sealing Chains, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the like...

But teaching him only ordinary ninjutsu would be leading him astray... By tradition, the ninja world placed great importance on teacher-student lineage. Once Uchiha Itachi learned ninjutsu from her, it meant he would certainly become her disciple in the future.

As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she was unlikely to have opportunities to leave the village on missions. As for Minato, once Namikaze Minato returned, the Fourth Hokage would probably be decided... Uchiha Itachi was not only the Uchiha clan head's son, but also her best friend Mikoto's son.

It would be rather embarrassing if she led her friend's son astray...

Konoha Hospital.

Uchiha Mikoto held a handbag tightly against her lower abdomen as she slowly walked out of the hospital entrance, her face carrying the unique tenderness of a mother...

Kushina and Itachi had just arrived. At the sight of her, they eagerly ran over... Kitahara clung tightly to Itachi's clothes, afraid of being thrown off...

"Mikoto!"

"Mom!"

"Kushina, Itachi? Why are you together?"

"We ran into each other at Ichiraku Ramen at noon." Kushina answered casually, grabbing Uchiha Mikoto's hand as she anxiously asked, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No... no." Uchiha Mikoto shook her head and moved the handbag away, openly revealing her lower abdomen. Her gaze shifted to the worried look on the little boy's face, and she smiled softly. "Itachi, you're going to be a big brother!"

"Huh???"

Kushina followed her gaze toward Itachi, then slowly looked back at Mikoto's face. Her best friend was already pregnant with her second child...

Clearly not understanding the rhythm of adults, Itachi froze for a second before looking at his mother. "Will I have a little brother?"

"A little sister would be adorable too!" Kushina shoved Itachi aside and stroked Mikoto's rounded belly.

"That's right. If there were another daughter in the family, it would be much livelier!" Mikoto covered her mouth and chuckled, looking at Kushina. "You and Minato... recently, have there been any... Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup?"

"...I don't feel anything... I... I'll go see Grandma Biwako in a few days..."

"If you need any help, you must tell me..."

The two future mothers whispered to one another, making Itachi seem a little superfluous... He and Kitahara whispered together behind them.

"I don't know whether it'll be a little brother or little sister, but I still hope I'll have a little brother..."

"Caw..." Kitahara was certain it would be a little brother... The Uchiha surname, and the name Sasuke, the Third Hokage's father Sarutobi Sasuke...

"You think it'll be a little brother too?" After thinking for a moment, Itachi nodded. "I think so too. It'll be a little brother."

Kitahara could not quite understand what Itachi meant. "..."

Was he agreeing with my answer, or was he insulting Black people? In front of Itachi, no matter how one looked at it... Sasuke truly was a little brother, the little brother of little brothers...

A burst of coldness on their foreheads interrupted their exchange. Kitahara raised his head and watched snowflakes drifting through the sky...

Konoha's winter had arrived.