After learning from Kakashi that Uzumaki Kushina was pregnant, Sora gently opened the door and entered the bedroom quietly.
She was six months pregnant now, and Uzumaki Kushina's belly was already quite large.
Uzumaki Kushina was lying on her side on the bed, breathing evenly, and seemed to be sleeping soundly.
Sora stretched out his slightly trembling hand, wanting to touch Uzumaki Kushina's belly.
But he suddenly pulled back.
Sora was afraid of waking her.
Now that Uzumaki Kushina was pregnant, her rest couldn't be disturbed.
Outside the room, Kakashi yawned.
He could finally get a good night's sleep.
With Uzumaki Kushina's growing belly came many inconveniences. Although she was guarded by summoned snakes, if something happened, Kakashi might not arrive in time.
That's why Kakashi had simply been hiding near Sora's house every night during this period.
He had to work in the Konoha Defence Force during the day and guard Sora's house at night. It was exhausting.
Now that Sora was back, Kakashi could finally get some proper rest.
In the bedroom, Sora just stared at Uzumaki Kushina's sleeping face in a daze.
He blamed himself for not being with Uzumaki Kushina during her pregnancy. He felt like a failure as a husband.
Thankfully, Kakashi and Orochimaru had helped take care of her. Otherwise, Uzumaki Kushina would have had a difficult time alone.
Sora stared at Uzumaki Kushina until dawn.
When sunlight streamed into the bedroom, Uzumaki Kushina began to wake up.
She opened her sleepy eyes and saw Sora staring at her.
"Eh? Sora? Am I still dreaming?"
Uzumaki Kushina rubbed her eyes, trying to see clearly.
Sora's voice was a little hoarse as he said, "Kushina, it's me. This isn't a dream."
Uzumaki Kushina lowered her hands and looked at Sora, who smiled at her.
"Sora!"
She jumped up from the bed and rushed toward him.
Sora was startled—every hair on his body stood on end. He caught Uzumaki Kushina just in time. "Kushina, you're pregnant now. You shouldn't move so suddenly!"
Sora had never felt so nervous; his heart was racing.
Uzumaki Kushina buried her head in Sora's neck and said softly, "I missed you."
Sora gently hugged her, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry, Kushina..."
Uzumaki Kushina looked up at Sora's face. Only then did she realise that although he was smiling, his smile seemed forced.
She asked in confusion, "Why are you apologising to me?"
Sora said in a disappointed tone, "When you needed me most, I wasn't by your side..."
Uzumaki Kushina chuckled. "I'm fine. When I found out I was pregnant, you had already gone to Ryūchi Cave to train. You didn't know about it. How could I blame you? Besides, Sora, you're working hard for our future. You don't need to apologise to me, my child's father."
The words "child's father" made Sora's eyes gradually turn red.
When Uzumaki Kushina noticed this, she immediately became concerned.
He was on the verge of tears. Since they had known each other as children, Uzumaki Kushina had never seen Sora cry.
"S-Sora, don't cry. I'm really fine, and I'm not angry!"
Sora hugged Uzumaki Kushina tightly, took a deep breath, and thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Kushina. Truly, thank you for everything."
Uzumaki Kushina, held in Sora's arms, felt secure and said with a smile, "You're welcome. There will be a new member in our family soon. I'll be giving you lots of advice in the future."
Sora nodded vigorously. "Yes, please guide me."
He carefully helped Uzumaki Kushina sit down.
Uzumaki Kushina said helplessly, "You don't have to be so careful."
Sora replied seriously, "That's not possible. You're the one who needs to be taken care of now, so we can't be careless."
Sora looked at Uzumaki Kushina's bulging belly and asked, "Kushina, can I touch it?"
Uzumaki Kushina wanted to laugh, seeing how cautious Sora was being. "You're the father of the child. Of course you can."
After nervously rubbing his hands together, Sora placed them on Uzumaki Kushina's belly.
Suddenly, he trembled. "Hey, Kushina, your stomach just moved!"
Uzumaki Kushina explained, "That's the baby moving. Maybe our child knows his father is back, so he wants to interact with you."
"Really?"
Sora was amazed. He put his ear against Uzumaki Kushina's abdomen and whispered softly, "I am daddy. Dad is back."
Both Sora and Uzumaki Kushina wore happy smiles.
Uzumaki Kushina said to Sora, "By the way, since it's been six months and the baby has developed enough, Lord Orochimaru helped me check the gender. It's a boy. Sora, you can think of a name for our child now."
"It's a boy? Choosing a name is important. I need to think about this..."
Sora sat next to Uzumaki Kushina and pondered.
After thinking for a long time, a sudden idea came to him. "The boy's name will be Sonagi. Uzumaki Sonagi. 'Sona' means brightness and ambition, and 'gi' means calm. I hope our child will pursue his dreams and overcome all obstacles smoothly. What do you think?"
After repeating it several times, Uzumaki Kushina found the name flowed more and more smoothly. She smiled and touched her belly. "Sonagi... this name is perfect. Sonagi, do you hear? Dad has chosen a name for you. From now on, your name will be Uzumaki Sonagi."
Sora stood up and said, "Kushina, the weather is nice outside. Let me take you for a walk. I'll buy some groceries and cook for you later."
Uzumaki Kushina looked concerned. "Sora, you must have just rushed back, right? Why don't you rest first?"
Sora shook his head. "I'm not tired, not at all. Don't worry about me."
He had been very tired before. After all, he hadn't slept since returning—he'd stood there watching Uzumaki Kushina all night.
But now... Sora felt full of energy.
He helped Uzumaki Kushina leave the house.
Sora and Uzumaki Kushina talked and laughed while shopping together.
Suddenly, Sora noticed that not far away, Uzumaki Miyuki, whose belly was even larger than Uzumaki Kushina's, was talking to a woman holding a baby.
This woman was Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi's mother, and the baby in her arms was Uchiha Sasuke, who would one day cause great upheaval in the ninja world.
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