Chapter 385: Yotsuki Mao
Ninja World Year 47.
Following the conclusion of the final battle, the ninja continent had once again entered a period of stability. In the past century, the world had seen several precious eras of peace, but beneath those surfaces usually lay the seeds of the next war.
This time, however, was different. The ninja world was undergoing a rapid, systemic unification—a transformation unseen in hundreds of years.
Under the orders of the Consul, the Federation prioritized taking over the major cities of every nation, meticulously sorting through property rights, taxation authority, and administrative power.
Within these cities, they constructed Ninja Academies, Heavenly Transfer Bases, and Administrative Offices. Once these three facilities were operational, a city was considered officially integrated into the Federation's grid.
As for the remaining territories, they would be handled one step at a time.
In October of Year 46, after the implementation of the Specialization System, the major hidden villages released a significant portion of their manpower. These ninja, moving away from traditional combat-only roles, participated in the Federation's administrative expansion. This greatly relieved the personnel shortage and accelerated the unification process.
Moving forward, Combat-type Ninja would become even more elite. Without a high degree of natural talent, one would not be permitted to follow the combat track. The Cloud Spire planned to transition more combat ninja into a professional Police Force over the next few years, structured similarly to the original Konoha Military Police Force, to act as guardians of order in every city.
This strategy maximized the liberation of labor, as the Federation currently faced no external pressure requiring a massive, standing wartime army. Naturally, the personnel drawn from the various villages followed the rule of "external posting" to prevent the resurgence of local provincial powers.
Taking the cities was only the first step. The small towns and villages were a massive undertaking that Dana estimated would take several more years to complete. Fortunately, the process was now on the right track with established rules, meaning he no longer had to manage every detail personally.
However, a personal matter had recently been weighing on Dana's mind—or rather, the entire Yotsuki Clan was on edge.
Natsu's due date had arrived.
Yet, there were no signs of labor.
Natsu had conceived around late January. According to the standard ten-month term, she should have given birth by the end of November. But it was now the end of December, with the New Year approaching, and there was still no sign of the child arriving.
Starting from the latter half of the pregnancy, Natsu's medical checkups had been frequent. By all accounts, there were no complications. They knew the baby was a girl and that she was exceptionally healthy. She just... wouldn't come out.
It was as if the child in the womb had simply forgotten she had the very important task of being born.
The Yotsuki Clan grew incredibly nervous, eventually calling in Old Man Yoshitoki to take a look. After his diagnosis, his conclusion was:
"The child is perfectly normal and still developing. This isn't a physical growth in size, but a maturation of her bloodline. It likely stems from Dana's unique genetic code."
Yoshitoki also emphasized that the fetus required a massive amount of energy, instructing Natsu to increase her consumption of Spirit Rice to ensure her nutrition could keep up with the demand.
With Yoshitoki's reputation, everyone felt slightly more at ease and waited with bated breath.
They didn't expect that "wait" to last for another six months...
Ninja World Year 47, June.
In the Yotsuki Clan grounds, Dana paced back and forth outside the courtyard.
"How long has it been?"
"An hour?"
"Shouldn't it be happening soon?"
The Third Raikage watched him, appearing calm on the surface while being quite tense himself. "How could it be that fast? When Satomi had you, it took about four hours. When Arashi was born, it was half a day."
Dana's daughter's case was truly unique. From conception to birth, nearly eighteen months had passed—almost double the normal human term. It was an absurdly long time.
According to the data, the infant absorbed a staggering amount of energy daily. The nourishing properties of the Spirit Rice were almost entirely siphoned off by the baby. Even with a dedicated nutritionist and a diet of Spirit Rice, Natsu had actually lost a little weight, proving just how "monstrous" the daughter in her womb truly was.
Beside them, Maki, who also had a slightly bulging abdomen, felt a wave of sympathy for Natsu-ane-san.
Being Yotsuki Dana's woman really isn't easy, she thought. At this rate, I'm probably looking at an eighteen-month pregnancy too...
Maki offered some comfort. "Kayo is inside; nothing will go wrong. If there's any danger, Kayo's unique Uzumaki constitution can help Sister Natsu pull through."
Dana could only nod.
Another half hour passed. Just as Dana was considering calling for Yoshitoki to oversee the room, a cry finally rang out.
A moment later, the door opened. Dana rushed inside to see a sweat-drenched Natsu and a newborn held in Kayo's arms.
Dana took Natsu's hand, his voice tender. "You worked hard..."
Natsu shook her head with a weary smile. "The little one was quite well-behaved. It was a smooth birth. Quick, let me see her!"
One could only say that a ninja's constitution was truly superior. Natsu was tired, but she was far from weak.
"Ouch!"
Kayo suddenly cried out in pain, nearly dropping the infant.
The Third Raikage, moving with a speed that belied his age, lunged forward and caught the baby.
"Let me! Was that electricity?! High-voltage right out of the gate! Good! I'm not afraid of a little shock!"
The Raikage held the baby steadily, then carefully turned her over to look at her back.
A faint, purple trace of a spine was visible through the skin.
The Raikage's old face wrinkled into a grin like a blooming chrysanthemum.
The Takemikazuchi bloodline had been passed down!
Dana's situation was so unique and powerful that the clan had always feared his bloodline would be impossible to inherit—much like the God of Shinobi before him. But now, the answer was clear.
The baby, perhaps startled by her grandfather, stopped crying and stared blankly at the Third Raikage.
Zzzzt!
A small arc of electricity flickered out, striking the Raikage. He laughed even harder.
"What a spark! She's even feistier than Dana was as a brat!"
Satomi grumbled as she snatched the baby away from her husband to give her to the father. "Swap! Dana hasn't even held her yet!"
"Be careful, the little one is live-wired!"
Dana took the infant with extreme caution. Newborns are wrinkled and generally not what one would call "pretty," but holding her felt like holding a fragile piece of warm jade. The two-meter-tall Consul stood as still as a statue, terrified of accidentally crushing her.
After a long daze, the reality finally set in. This was his blood. His mark on this world.
It felt... miraculous.
Was it love? He couldn't say yet. Was he moved? Mostly for Natsu's sake. But he knew that from this moment on, his identity had changed forever.
As he was spacing out, Dana suddenly felt the infant in his hands grow cold.
Her body temperature was plummeting at a visible rate.
Dana panicked instantly. She was just born! How is she already going cold?!
"Doctor! DOCTOR!"
The people around him panicked too, unsure of what was happening.
But the change was too fast! Before anyone could react, within a few breaths, the baby was stone cold.
Dana stood there, paralyzed. Horrible scenarios flashed through his mind like a slideshow: his daughter dying young, Natsu in tears, a bloodline defect, Maki's child suffering the same fate, a life without heirs—horrific images.
And then he realized his hands were actually frozen to her skin...
A flash of insight struck his brain.
Wait. Even if someone dies, they don't get this cold this fast...
He adjusted his hold, and in the palm that had been supporting the baby, a layer of white frost had formed.
Meanwhile, the baby was still squirming and lively. She wasn't cold; she was freezing everything she touched. Dana's hands were the ones suffering.
"Is this... Ice Release?"
The name of the Kekkei Genkai flashed in Dana's mind.
The Third Raikage leaned in to look, confused. "Ice Release?! Isn't that a bloodline from the Land of Water?"
Dana was puzzled too, until Natsu spoke up hesitantly.
"Um... my grandmother... she was originally from the Land of Water..."
Dana finally remembered. Natsu's grandmother from the mountains had been brought from the Land of Water to the Land of Lightning as a captive before being rescued by her grandfather.
It was highly likely she carried the Ice Release bloodline, but it had been dormant. Neither Natsu nor her mother had shown any signs of the ability.
Dana murmured, "Is this... the legendary Dual Kekkei Genkai? And they're both manifesting at birth...?"
The name for his daughter was already chosen.
Yotsuki Mao.