"Ahhhh!!!"
Inside the room, Terumī Mei's screams grew louder and louder. Outside the door, Kiyosuke paced back and forth, sweat pouring down his forehead. Running beside him in anxious circles was Mei's father.
After staying in Kirigakure for several months, it was finally time for Mei to give birth. To ensure her safety, Kiyosuke had gone all the way to the Land of Fire to bring Tsunade-sama out of retirement. He had also invited Karin and Sakura to assist, determined to make sure both mother and child would be safe.
Ah, you're wondering why he didn't ask Rin?
Because Rin herself was about to give birth—there was no way she could come.
"You two, stop pacing like that, you're making me dizzy."
Mei's mother grabbed her husband and son-in-law, saying, "Tsunade-sama is inside. Everything will be fine."
"I can't help it!" Kiyosuke clapped his hands anxiously, speaking to his mother-in-law. "Mei's screaming so loud—it must hurt like hell! She's never suffered like this before!"
He was worried sick. As Terumī Mei's husband, hearing her cry out like that made him feel like an ant on a hot pan—completely helpless and dripping with sweat.
"All women go through this. Mei will be fine." His mother-in-law patted his hand reassuringly, though Kiyosuke still darted around like a headless chicken—he was just short of setting himself on fire and taking off like a rocket.
"Ahhh!!!"
Then came Mei's final scream—followed by the piercing cry of a newborn. To Kiyosuke's ears, it was like music from heaven. He turned toward the door, heart pounding, and moments later, Karin emerged, holding a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket. Smiling, she said,
"Congratulations, Kiyosuke-sama—it's a healthy baby girl."
"My little princess!" Kiyosuke leaned over eagerly, but when he saw the baby's wrinkled face, he muttered, "Wow, she's kinda ugly…"
His mother-in-law shot him a glare as she took the baby.
"All newborns look like this. Give it a few days. Have you two thought of a name yet? Huh? Where did he go?"
"He went inside."
Her husband walked over and said, "Let's go too."
"Mei!" Kiyosuke burst into the room, ignoring the heavy scent of blood. He rushed to the bedside, where a completely exhausted Mei lay, her beautiful face slick with sweat and strands of hair sticking to her cheeks. When she saw him, she managed a tired smile.
"Where's the baby?" he asked.
"Mother's holding her," Mei replied softly. "You worked hard too, Kiyosuke. Let's not do this again."
Seeing how much she had suffered, Kiyosuke's heart ached. He didn't want her to go through such pain ever again.
But Mei shook her head. "We're having one more. Just one. I still want a son."
"Isn't having a little princess enough?"
"I want a son!" Mei insisted stubbornly.
"Alright, alright." He turned toward Tsunade-sama, who was still using her medical ninjutsu.
"Tsunade-sama, how's Mei?"
"She's fine," Tsunade replied. "She just needs to rest properly."
After Tsunade finished her treatment, Mei, with Kiyosuke's help, got out of bed and walked over to her mother. The moment she saw her baby, her heart melted.
"This is our child."
"Yeah. Let's name her Yuka," Kiyosuke said, smiling fondly. "She'll grow up to be a kind and beautiful princess! Just like in that Infinite Tsukuyomi world—though this time she came first, but who cares?"
"Yuka, huh? That's a lovely name." Mei took her daughter into her arms and began caring for her with gentle hands.
Kiyosuke wrapped his arms around his wife and child, filled with pure happiness.
...
From that day on, their home was filled with warmth. Kiyosuke cooked whatever Mei craved, and their little Yuka, once a wrinkled newborn, grew into a chubby, soft baby with fair skin. Every time she laughed, Kiyosuke felt like his heart might burst from joy.
"Come on, say it—say papa, papa!" He lifted his daughter high in the air, teasing her with a grin.
"Waaah!" Yuka was only a month old—how could she talk yet?
She babbled incoherently, making little noises that didn't mean anything but were impossibly cute.
"She's only a month old, silly," Mei said with a smile, her whole being radiating the gentle glow of motherhood. Cradling Yuka in her arms, she cooed, "Our little Yuka is the cutest, isn't she?"
"Heehee!" The baby laughed, and Kiyosuke couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy.
At that moment, a maid knocked on the door.
"Kiyosuke-sama, Mei-sama, there's a shinobi from Konoha here to see Kiyosuke-sama. He says he's from the Uchiha clan."
"Probably Obito," Kiyosuke muttered, standing up in confusion. "Didn't that guy's son just get born? Why's he here?"
He followed the maid and soon found Obito waiting.
The moment Obito saw him, he blurted out, "Kiyosuke, something's happened! Not long ago—Hinata and Hanabi were kidnapped!"
"What?!" Kiyosuke's expression darkened instantly. "Who has the guts to do that? Are they tired of living? Where's Naruto?!"
Both his disciples kidnapped—he was livid, ready to fight whoever was behind it.
Obito explained quickly, "Naruto's been out of the village, meeting with Jiraiya-sama to prepare for his wedding. It's the New Year season, and our Uchiha clan was in the middle of a family meeting. No one was around. By the time we got word from Kakashi, it was already too late."Obito clenched his fists in frustration.
"I can't believe this happened while you were away… Naruto's already been informed and is rushing back to Konoha. Kakashi wants you to come help with the mission."
"Got it. I'll get ready right away. Whoever did this—I'll beat them to a pulp."
"Oh, and… one more thing. Konoha was hit by a meteor not long ago."
"A meteor?" Kiyosuke frowned. "What do you mean, a meteor hit Konoha?"
"It fell from the moon."
Kiyosuke turned his head upward, staring at the night sky. The moon looked different—massive, far larger than usual.
Which could only mean one thing—the moon was getting closer to Earth.
At that moment, Mei came out, holding Yuka in her arms.
"Kiyosuke, take care of Yuka for a while. I need to attend the Five Kage Summit."
A sudden summit? That could only mean something serious was happening. Cradling his daughter, Kiyosuke nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Mm."
Mei quickly changed clothes and hurried out. Watching her leave, Kiyosuke muttered,
"Something's definitely wrong. No wonder they called me in."
Obito, meanwhile, was eyeing the baby curiously. "That your daughter?"
"Yeah. Asakawa Yuka. Cute, right? Way cuter than your brat."
"Hah! My son's way cuter!" Obito huffed proudly. His son, Sora, had been born not long ago, and he treated the boy like the most precious thing in the world—terrified of dropping him, afraid he'd melt if he breathed too hard.
A classic doting dad.
"Hang tight for a bit," Kiyosuke said. "My in-laws are out visiting other clans tonight. Once Mei's back from the summit, we'll head out together."
"Alright."
About half an hour later, Mei returned, her expression deadly serious.
"Kiyosuke," she said quietly, "the world is about to be destroyed again."
Huh?
Why "again"?