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"Crap, I think Minato might've figured out who I really am."
As he watched Minato's team leave to report their mission, Akio wore a bitter expression.
"If Minato knows, Kushina will know. And then⌠the whole world will know."
"Let's hope Minato's not sure yet."
Akio sighed helplessly. Perhaps it was his eccentric and carefree natureâmore and more people were beginning to discover his identity as Hagoromo.
Thankfully, whether Minato hadn't confirmed it or was keeping it secret for Akio's sake, Kushina had yet to come confront him.
As time passed, Mikoto Uchiha's belly slowly grew larger. This child meant a great deal to Akioânot just because it was a union of the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines, but also for other personal reasons.
Among all the changes Akio had brought to the shinobi world, two stood out the most: the fate of Uzushio, and this unborn child of Nawaki and Mikoto.
This would also be the first descendant five generations removed from Akio himselfâsix generations in one household. Akio honestly didn't even know what the child should call him.
"Great-great-great-grandfather?" Akio frowned.
Because he took the child's birth so seriously, Akio had even calculated Mikoto's due dateâaround June. It was February now, meaning there were about four months left.
As the day drew closer, Akio began to let his thoughts run wild.
"What if the baby is born with a pair of Rinnegan?"
A baby version of the Sage of Six Paths popped into his mind, giving him a fright.
"As the great-great-great-grandfather, shouldn't I prepare some kind of gift? For the 100-day celebration? Or maybe the first birthday? I can't keep using the Slug Summon for everything..."
Akio fetched a block of wood and began carving absentmindedly. After a long while, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"I'm losing itâŚ"
"Father, what's wrong?"
Sara pushed the door open and walked in. This was the first time in days Akio hadn't gone to pick her up from work, even though she worked right next door.
Akio's eyes lit up.
"Sara, what kind of gift do you think is good for a newborn baby?"
"A baby? Is it a boy or a girl? My little brother or sister?"
Akio gave a wry smile.
"Probably your great-great-grandnephew or niece."
Sara froze for a moment before remembering how ridiculously high her father's generational rank was.
"In RĹran, boys like puppet soldiersâthe big, towering kind. Girls, well⌠I liked musical instruments when I was younger."
"Puppets and instrumentsâŚ"
Akio nodded thoughtfully, then shook his head.
"Even if it's a girl, she'll still walk the path of a shinobi. With bloodlines like that, it'd be a waste not to."
He had already forgotten that when he helped found the Konoha Academy, he specifically established a music roomâto cultivate the students' spirits.
"But puppets⌠now that's not a bad idea. What if I made a Transformer?"
Inspired by the suggestion, Akio came up with the idea.
"Then what about for a girlâa Barbie doll? Neither of those would be easy to makeâŚ"
Even with his Level 10 carving skill, Akio couldn't make a functional Transformer just by carving wood. That kind of thing required complex joint mechanisms.
As for a Barbie doll, maybe there was a doll shop in the Fire Capital, but a Barbie? That was stretching itâŚ
After a long moment of thought, Akio looked at Sara with a serious expression.
"I'll be heading out tomorrow. Might be gone for a while. Take care of yourself. For small issues, go to Teuchi. If anything serious happens, go to Mito at the Senju estate."
Sara blinked in surprise, then nodded.
"Don't worry, Father."
The next day, Akio set off for the Land of Wind. After thinking it through, if he wanted a proper puppet, he'd need to go to the experts in Sunagakure. If that didn't work, he could always try to learn a bit of puppet ninjutsu himselfâactivating the skill might not even require too many Witness Points.
"What identity should I use?"
As he traveled, Akio fell into indecision again.
Going as Uzumaki Akio would probably get him through with no problemâbutâŚ
"Me, the great Uzumaki Akioâan elder of the shinobi worldâgoing to Suna just to ask a puppet master to make a toy? Isn't that⌠humiliating?"
He could go as Hagoromo, but no one recognized that face either, and he'd still have to commission it like any regular customerâŚ
In the end, Akio stopped at a town in the Land of Wind and bought a long robe and a turban. Using Transformation Jutsu, he disguised himself as a middle-aged "Arab-style" travelerâŚ
Once fully equipped, Akio continued on foot to Sunagakure.
Among the Five Great Villages, Sunagakure had the most unique terrainâsurrounded by steep cliffs, it could only be accessed through a narrow pass. It was easy to defend, difficult to attack.
Back in the Second Great Ninja War, even when Konoha had pushed all the way to the outskirts of Suna, they couldn't break through. In the end, they had to settle for a truce.
Akio blended in effortlessly. His Level 9 sealing arts allowed him to suppress his chakra signature with ease. To the Suna guards, he was just a civilian clientâvery welcome indeed.
As his shadow clone had previously reported, Sunagakure was incredibly poor. Or rather, the entire Land of Wind wasâa harsh desert where villages could only form around oases.
"No wonder they're always trying to attack Konoha. Compared to this, Konoha is paradise."
Akio sighed as he walked the streets of Suna.
"Sir, this way please."
A young Suna shinobiâone of the gate guardsâcame to escort him, responsible for guiding task clients through the village.
Akio nodded and followed him.
The trip was smooth. At the entrance to the Kazekage's tower, they encountered two ANBU guards, but since he had already been cleared at the gate, they let him through easily.
"So easy to get in⌠I could assassinate the Kazekage if I wanted."
Akio muttered.
The young guide froze.
"Sir, please don't joke like that."
"Right, of course." Akio smirked faintly.
He'd been joking about killing the Kazekageâyet to his surprise, he was granted an audience with the Third Kazekage himself.
Sunagakure didn't receive as many missions as Konoha, so the Kazekage reviewed them all personally.
At the door of the office, the guide stopped. Akio entered on his own.
"You're here to issue a mission?"
The Third Kazekage asked coolly.
"Yes. I'd like to commission a puppet toyâfor my soon-to-be-born grandson."
"A puppet... toy?"
"Understood. D-rank mission. Fee: 1,000 ryĹ."
Akio's face twitched.
You think I came all this way for some rookie genin-level puppet maker to slap together a wooden doll?
"I've got money."
Akio pulled out ten 1-million ryĹ notes.
"I want something high-quality. Best materials. No shortcuts."
The Third Kazekage was dumbfounded.
"Maybe it's time our puppet masters switched careers⌠to toymaking?"
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