Chapter 129: The First Light of Konoha
At first, she thought her eldest son had fathered another child.
But then she sensed something was off. If it were her eldest son's child, her daughter-in-law wouldn't have kept it from her.
All along their journey from Konoha, her daughter-in-law had claimed her constant vomiting was just a lingering physical aftereffect.
If she hadn't finally noticed five days ago that her daughter-in-law's belly was starting to swell, she would've continued hiding it.
That wasn't normal.
Then Biwako took a moment to think back on the timeline — and suddenly realized with a shock that the period when her daughter-in-law had become pregnant matched exactly with the time she was captured and tortured by Li Yao!
So the child in her daughter-in-law's womb was Li Yao's.
In an instant, Biwako was consumed with rage.
She demanded to know if her daughter-in-law even knew who the father of her child was.
Originally, Biwako thought her daughter-in-law might be uncertain whether it was Li Yao's or her eldest son's, which was why she hadn't told her.
But Ayase had answered with full certainty — it was Li Yao's.
At that moment, Biwako had exploded.
Truly.
If Ayase hadn't been the daughter of a dear friend from her own clan — a friend she still owed deeply — she would've killed Ayase right then and there.
Though she had ultimately restrained herself, she absolutely could not tolerate her daughter-in-law choosing to give birth to the child of the man who had turned her eldest son into a cripple.
She had immediately attacked Ayase, but Dan Kato had stopped her.
She had to admit — this young man really was the spitting image of her husband's public persona: perfect, loyal to his comrades, cherishing them, worshipping Konoha as his faith, and ready to sacrifice his life for the village without hesitation.
His reason for stopping her? Simply that comrades should not attack one another.
While Biwako did admire Dan Kato's character, she couldn't help but harbor resentment. If it weren't for this boy, she would have… Never mind.
Then she remembered Ayase's display of the enhanced Super Beast Imitating Drawing technique. Biwako realized she alone could no longer subdue her daughter-in-law.
But with Dan Kato's help, it might be possible.
With that thought, Biwako's eyes glinted as she looked at Dan Kato's back, secretly smiling.
She had already sent word to her husband about the situation. If nothing unexpected happened, his reply should arrive today.
She didn't believe for a second that, once the Hokage gave a direct order, Dan Kato would dare disobey and refuse to help her terminate the cursed child growing in Ayase's belly.
Confident that her husband would agree with her, Biwako calmed down.
Sarutobi Ayase also descended from the sky. She understood Biwako's intentions, but she couldn't — and wouldn't — leave. At the very least, she had to stay near Dan Kato.
Dan Kato's soul-sensing range extended over a hundred kilometers. Over the past three months, the three of them had scoured the Sea of War. While they hadn't found Li Yao, they had confirmed he was no longer there.
They would still need Dan Kato's soul-sensing ability if they wanted to locate Li Yao as quickly as possible.
Seeing that the two women had calmed down, Dan Kato relaxed as well.
The trio rested on the island, waiting for a reply from the Hokage.
Before long, a messenger hawk arrived with a letter from the Third Hokage — but it wasn't addressed to Biwako. It flew straight to Ayase.
Ayase looked a bit surprised, but still stepped forward to retrieve the two small scrolls tied to the bird's leg.
Biwako's expression darkened. She glared sharply and warned her daughter-in-law, "Ayase, you'd better not destroy that letter. If you do, I can charge you with treason."
Dan Kato had somehow already moved into a flanking position beside Biwako. Destroying a Hokage's correspondence was indeed a treasonous act — and someone like Dan Kato, who aspired to be Hokage himself, would never allow that to happen.
This was a completely different situation than before. Dan Kato was ready to strike the moment Ayase showed any sign of destroying the scroll.
But to his surprise, Sarutobi Ayase simply glanced at the scroll, then casually tossed one of the two to him.
"This is a private message from Lord Hokage to me."
Ayase showed them the scroll she kept, which clearly bore her name in distinct handwriting.
"Understood," Dan Kato nodded after verifying it was indeed a personal message to Ayase. He didn't say anything further.
"What is Hiruzen playing at now?" Biwako had also seen it. Her brows furrowed tightly. She didn't understand why her husband had sent a private message to their daughter-in-law.
Then she noticed Dan Kato preparing to open the other scroll, and she snapped irritably, "Hey, brat. Hand it over. What, is this one for your eyes only too?"
"Ah, no, of course not." Dan Kato chuckled awkwardly and quickly handed the scroll to Biwako. "Lady Biwako, here you go."
"I want to see what that old man is up to now." Biwako opened the scroll and began reading. Dan Kato stood by patiently, waiting to read it once she was done.
Boom!
After only a few seconds, a fierce chakra burst erupted from Biwako's body. Her face was twisted in fury, and veins bulged on her hand as she gripped the scroll.
"Please calm down, Lady Biwako."
Dan Kato was genuinely worried she might destroy the scroll. He had no idea what the Hokage had written to provoke such rage, but his curiosity was killing him. He craned his neck slightly, trying to sneak a peek, but didn't dare press.
"Here!"
After a long pause, Biwako finally managed to restrain her anger. Seeing Dan Kato's eager puppy-dog expression only made her more annoyed. She tossed the scroll at him and stomped off to stew in silence.
Dan Kato eagerly caught it and began to read.
"I believe the child is innocent. Not only should we not terminate it, we must nurture and raise it well. When it grows up, it should be able to proudly say: 'I am an outstanding ninja of Konoha.'"
"Therefore, I've made my decision. I name the unborn child: Konoha Hatsushou. 'Konoha' as the surname, 'Hatsushou' meaning 'first light' — symbolizing that the child is of Konoha, and represents hope and the future. This child is Konoha's hope and future. We should welcome them into this world, not take their life so lightly."
"As Hokage, I hereby order Dan Kato and Biwako: you are to immediately escort Ayase back to Konoha and ensure the child in her womb is protected. The hope and future of Konoha now rest in your hands."
"I will give my life to protect Senior Ayase and the child she carries," Dan Kato murmured, moved beyond words, his chest swelling with resolve, his spirit elevated to new heights.
The words in the Third Hokage's letter spoke directly to his soul.
This — this was the Hokage he revered, the ideal he had dedicated his life to.
Once again, the Hokage had not disappointed him.
Life should never be so easily erased by hatred.
The Hokage truly cherished every citizen of Konoha.
"Konoha Hatsushou… Hope and future."
The Hokage's vision was still far beyond him — but he would strive with all his might to catch up.
"What a fool — just another boy being sweet-talked by her husband."
Off to the side, Biwako looked at Dan Kato, his eyes shining as he clutched the scroll, and silently shook her head.
As the Third Hokage's wife, who better than her to know what kind of man he truly was?
To say he loved Konoha — sure, he really did.
But to say his love was as pure as Dan Kato's? That was giving him too much credit.
She still didn't understand why her husband would want Ayase to give birth to Li Yao's cursed child. But since he had made the decision, she wouldn't disobey.
Still, she didn't believe for a second that her husband meant every word he wrote — let alone that he truly wanted to raise that child to be an excellent Konoha ninja.
She was certain he had an ulterior motive.
And whatever it was — it had to be very, very dark.
(END CHAPTER)
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