The room fell into unusual silence.
Two minutes later, Chisa asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Wait. I'm calculating whether the child is mine."
Chisa's eyes widened behind her glasses, and she turned to smack Fox repeatedly.
Not only had this man disappeared for nearly two years without a word—now he was calculating paternity?!
Yako quickly pulled her into an embrace. "I'm joking. Of course I trust you."
Chisa thought to herself that she didn't have the courage to anger Konoha's Copper Fox. The Land of Rivers was too small, too weak to protect her if he truly turned against her.
Yako pulled out a scroll from his ninja pouch. When he opened it, sealing inscriptions covered the surface.
One seal bore the character "White."
After releasing it, a summoning contract scroll belonging to the White Porcelain clan appeared.
"Chisa, form a contract with the White Porcelain clan. If you're ever in danger, you can reverse-summon me."
Kyoi and Purple Cat were both pregnant; relying only on Yuka would be too much. With Chisa added, Yuka could share some of the burden.
Chisa's eyes lit up.
She was a woman who had longed to see Copper Fox countless times over the past year and a half. With this sealing contract, she finally had a way to reach him.
She bit her finger and signed her name.
The first name she saw already on the contract was Uzumaki Yuka.
A woman's name.
'Am I… the other woman?' she wondered.
Yako, meanwhile, thought that as a noble, she would understand that powerful men often had multiple lovers. Surely she wouldn't mind being fifth.
"Get dressed. I'll summon White Porcelain so you can meet."
Chisa hurriedly gathered clothes scattered across the floor and table and dressed herself.
Moments later, White Porcelain appeared.
Fox had already told him that this woman now possessed the authority to reverse-summon him.
White Porcelain privately understood that Uzumaki Yuka and this noblewoman should never meet—otherwise, things would become… lively.
Yako glanced at the stone panda's hand.
He had carved the Ten Seal into White Porcelain's hand as well.
"White Porcelain, how are the Ten Seal and Earth Release: Flying Bamboo progressing?"
"We're far clumsier than shinobi," White Porcelain admitted. "It took me months to master them. But their power is immense—I can instantly release five Earth Release: Flying Bamboo attacks across a wide area."
Yako nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Wait here for a bit. I'm stepping out."
Chisa asked quickly, "Fox, where are you going?"
"To see our child."
Before she could respond, his body sank downward and disappeared through the wooden floor.
The Mayfly Technique allowed extraordinary speed within underground organic networks—nearly five hundred kilometers per hour. Its movement resembled neural transmission rather than physical travel.
Normally, the journey from Teigu Town to the capital of the Land of Rivers required three or four days.
Yako arrived in just a few hours, resting briefly along the way.
The Daimyō's guards—including jonin descended from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, as well as a Hyūga Tokubetsu jōnin—never detected his infiltration.
Within the castle stood a princess residence belonging to Kojii Chisa.
Entering silently, Yako quickly located a child watched over by several maids and wet nurses.
Feathers filled the hall.
All attendants slipped into sleep.
Yako rose slowly from the ground.
The moment he saw the child, he knew.
His son.
Reddish hair…
Carefully examining the boy, he confirmed that the child carried Uzumaki bloodline traits.
Senju bloodline. Uzumaki bloodline.
Even if exposed, those were identities he could safely reveal. After all, he could claim to be a hidden agent of the previous Senju clan leader Senju Renju—who was already dead and unable to refute the story.
After watching the child for a while, Yako departed again using the Mayfly Technique.
By the time he returned to Teigu Town, it was nearly dawn.
Nothing had happened overnight. Chisa slept on the bed, fully clothed.
Yako kissed her awake.
"Chisa. What's our child's name?"
She rubbed her eyes and first put on the glasses he liked.
"No formal name yet. Just a nickname."
Yako thought for a moment.
"How about Kojii Yoruha?"
Chisa's eyes lit up. It sounded good—a name worthy of the child's heritage.
"Chisa," Yako said softly, "I'm Konoha ANBU. I have many enemies—powerful ones. If my identity is exposed, it could bring death to you and the child."
"So let him take your surname."
"When it's safe, I'll have White Porcelain notify you through contract chakra. You can summon him, then reverse-summon me."
"When he's older—around four—I'll come teach him chakra refinement, taijutsu, and ninjutsu."
"I understand," Chisa said. "ANBU identities must remain hidden. But… could you ever retire? I've heard ANBU casualty rates are high…"
"I don't have that freedom. I have my responsibilities."
He gently stroked her hair.
"Do you have any troubles lately? I'll handle them."
"Nothing major," she replied. "My brother's son—the eldest prince, eleven years old—has hinted that he doesn't want my child inheriting the Kojii surname. But my brother cares deeply for me. I've given much to the daimyo family—I believe he'll support me."
Yako thought coldly: First prince or second prince… if they truly cross me, they'll become dead princes.
"If that prince makes a move, tell me immediately."
Two hours later, the second negotiation between River and Wind began.
Chisa arrived aboard the Rain nobles' ship, leaning back in her chair, tired yet languid.
That troublesome Fox had insisted this morning that sunlight glinting off her glasses looked beautiful—and wanted to enjoy a different view.
Half an hour of swaying glasses later, she still felt weak.
After brief opening remarks from the Rain nobles urging peaceful resolution, Chisa unfurled a scroll marked with Fox's red circles.
"We'll negotiate somewhere else today."
At her request, the ship moved to the first marked location.
Panic flickered across the Wind noble's face.
Forming hand seals, Chisa summoned a Water Dragon Bullet. The dragon-shaped torrent surged upward and crashed into the water's surface.
The anti-vortex seal shattered.
A whirlpool formed—revealing an underwater outlet.
"Land of Wind," she said calmly, "how do you explain this?"
They moved to four more locations.
Each time, she precisely exposed another hidden intake.
The Wind noble surrendered, begging her not to hire Konoha shinobi. He promised to seal the outlets immediately.
Peace seemed within reach.
But someone did not wish for negotiations to succeed.
From the riverside forest, an entire squad of Iwa ninja burst forth—charging directly toward the noble ships.