He's a Younger Brother!

Fewer and fewer villagers and ninja in Konoha Village had witnessed the Nine-Tails' terror firsthand. After all, both of its previous hosts had been exceptionally skilled in sealing techniques.

The Nine-Tails' life…

Didn't seem to be going too well…

"Its chakra nature is so strange…" Kushina, as a tailed beast management technician, observed the chakra of this crow. It gave her a feeling similar to that of a tailed beast…

"It feels like that stinky fox's chakra… No…" Kushina curiously stroked Beiyuan's feathers. A surge of chakra entered Beiyuan's body. This was one of the ways humans and ninja beasts communicated.

"Caw?"

"It really was just hunger from skipping breakfast, causing an illusion… How could I mistake the stinky fox's chakra for a crow…" Kushina slumped onto the table dejectedly, weakly calling out, "Boss Teuchi, if you don't hurry up, someone's going to starve to death in here…"

"…"

She really didn't act like an elder at all… Still, she had some pride as an elder and refused Itachi's offer to let her eat first.

Perhaps she was truly starving, because when her ramen finally arrived, Uchiha Itachi and Beiyuan watched her in stunned silence…

"I'm starting."

"Slurp, slurp…"

"Gulp, gulp…"

While Uchiha Itachi was still chewing on a piece of char siu, Kushina's bowl was already empty. The red-haired Nine-Tails jinchuriki elegantly wiped her mouth: "Thank you for the meal…"

"Caw…"

"Itachi, where are you going this afternoon?" Kushina poured a cup of hot water and placed it beside the young boy, offering a polite smile. "Shall we go to the hospital to see Mikoto together? It's been a while since I've seen her…"

"Thank you." Itachi turned his head, grabbed the cup, and nodded. "That's perfect. We're going to the hospital to pick up Mom this afternoon."

"You're so sensible, Itachi."

On the way to the hospital, Uzumaki Kushina was quite talkative, always giving Beiyuan the illusion that he was facing the source of verbal abuse.

Gulp, gulp…

Kushina skipped along, kicking small stones under her feet: "Does Itachi have any dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'll probably become a ninja…" Itachi pondered. He was certain he would become a ninja.

He had learned quite a bit of ninjutsu from Beiyuan during this time.

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

Her voice trailed off. Uchiha Obito… had died in the ninja wars, and his remains couldn't even be brought back.

The name Uchiha Obito had been appearing frequently in the clan recently. Itachi had learned about him; he died saving his comrades during the ninja wars…

"Auntie Kushina, no one wants to die… So why do ninja fight…"

"This is a question I'm also trying to answer. It's likely for benefits and such…" Kushina lowered her head, noticing the young boy's confused expression from the corner of her eye. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps we can't resolve these conflicts now, but that doesn't mean we're powerless. As long as we strive to become stronger and eliminate wars between nations, the ninja world will surely achieve peace!"

"…"

Miss, your statement has a slight issue… It sounds a bit strange… Although your logic is sound, your thinking is still in its early stages!

Uchiha Itachi, who had clearly just encountered the ultimate jutsu, "talk no jutsu," suddenly had a look of determination on his face… The young boy realized that strength was indeed a way to resolve conflict…

"…Become a powerful ninja… Learn more ninjutsu knowledge… Eliminate conflict between people… Eradicate war between nations…"

Kushina looked forward to Itachi's determination, but she was more interested in Itachi's current growth. "Huh? Itachi has already started learning ninjutsu?"

"Yes." Uchiha Itachi's basic ninjutsu practice had become increasingly proficient recently, and his hand seal speed was getting faster. Since he wasn't attending school yet, he had no one of his age to compare himself to.

"To learn ninjutsu at the age of 4, you're amazing, Itachi!" Kushina exclaimed with surprise, ruffling Itachi's hair.

The young aunt wanted to teach him something to show her encouragement, but most of her unique ninjutsu techniques were high-chakra-consuming, luxury jutsu… like Adamantine Sealing Chains and Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu…

However, teaching only ordinary ninjutsu would be misleading. According to tradition, the ninja world placed great importance on lineage and tutelage. If Uchiha Itachi learned ninjutsu from her, it would mean he would definitely 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, by the time Namikaze Minato returned, it would be time to decide the Fourth Hokage… Uchiha Itachi was not only the son of the Uchiha clan head but also the son of her best friend, Mikoto.

If she were to mess up someone's son… she wouldn't be able to forgive herself…

Konoha Hospital.

Uchiha Mikoto clutched her handbag tightly against her abdomen as she slowly walked out of the hospital doors, her face radiating the unique maternal affection…

Kushina and Itachi had just arrived. Seeing her appear, they both ran towards her excitedly… Beiyuan tightly gripped Itachi's clothes, worried about being left behind…

"Mikoto!"

"Mom!"

"Kushina, Itachi? Why are you together?"

"We ran into each other at Ichiraku Ramen at noon," Kushina replied casually, then grabbed Uchiha Mikoto's hand, asking anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

"N-no." Uchiha Mikoto shook her head, removed her handbag, and calmly revealed her abdomen. Her gaze shifted, and seeing the worried look on the young boy's face, she smiled softly. "Itachi, you're going to be a big brother!"

"Huh???"

Kushina followed her gaze to Itachi, then slowly shifted her gaze back to Mikoto's face. Her best friend was already pregnant with their second child…

Itachi, not quite grasping the adults' rhythm, froze for a second before looking at his mother. "Am I going to have a little brother?"

"A little sister would be cute too!" Kushina pushed Itachi aside and stroked Mikoto's slightly protruding belly.

"Yes, it would be much livelier if we had another daughter in the family!" Mikoto covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, then said to Kushina, "You and Minato... recently... have you gone for a check-up at the hospital?"

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

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

As the two future mothers whispered to each other, Itachi's presence felt a bit superfluous... He and Beiyuan were whispering behind them.

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

"Gah..." Beiyuan was quite sure it would be a brother... with the Uchiha surname, and the name Sarutobi Sasuke for his father, the Third Hokage...

"You think it'll be a brother too?" After a moment of thought, Itachi nodded. "I think so too, it'll be a brother."

Beiyuan didn't quite understand what Itachi meant. "..."

Was he agreeing with my answer, or was he mocking me? In front of Itachi, no matter how you looked at it... Sasuke was indeed a younger brother, the type of younger brother who was inferior to others...

A coolness on his forehead interrupted their conversation. Beiyuan looked up and saw snowflakes drifting down from the sky...

Konoha's winter had arrived.