After a night of heavy drinking, Zou Hyuga opened his eyes, glanced at Oto sleeping against his arm, and gently rose from the tatami.
They had fallen asleep in the living room after drinking last night, leaving the coffee table littered with the aftermath.
Oto's sleeping face was still flushed, as though she had yet to sober up, and her lips moved as she mumbled in her dreams.
Zou Hyuga felt his collar and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he found his clothes intact.
Thankfully, he had not been ambushed in the night. It was not that he was afraid of Oto, but rather that they lived in this cruel shinobi world.
Once a female ninja became pregnant, her strength would plummet. Oto, who had Kage-level strength, might well be reduced to the level of a jonin. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina, was a perfect example.
Under normal circumstances, Kushina had possessed Kage-level strength, but while giving birth to Naruto, she had been weaker than even an ordinary person.
Otherwise, Obito would never have dared come to Konoha to cause trouble.
And now, Oto and Zou himself were clearly being targeted by Obito and the Akatsuki.
That was also why he had always kept himself in check.
Stepping onto the balcony, Zou Hyuga glanced at the nearby Shadow Clone and greeted it.
Always accustomed to staying on guard, he had left a Shadow Clone to keep watch before drinking.
He received the Shadow Clone's memories. Nothing significant had happened last night; all was well.
Still, seeing his drunken behavior from the Shadow Clone's perspective was truly embarrassing. It felt like being publicly humiliated.
Just then, an ANBU appeared before Zou Hyuga.
Zou Hyuga stared at the ANBU, who immediately removed his mask to reveal Yamato's face.
Only then did