There is no permanent peace in the ninja world; all peace is merely a pale, illusory facade upheld by treaties, and conflict perhaps will never truly cease. Inside a small wooden cabin in the Konoha forest, with its damaged walls and broken ceiling, a red-haired woman on the bed struggled to prop herself up, wanting to take a look.
"I... I want to see her..."
"Kushina, if I hadn't assigned ANBU to follow you, did the two of you plan to keep this a secret from me forever? You must understand that giving birth to a child is not merely a matter for the two of you as husband and wife; it is a major event for the entire Konoha," Biwako said sternly, yet she still carried the baby over to Kushina. Strict as she was, out of partiality, Biwako's heart still leaned toward this couple.
This was Kushina and Minato's first child, after all.
Biwako paused in thought, suddenly remembering that Mikoto seemed to be giving birth today as well. She wondered whether Mikoto's child would be a boy or a girl.
Kushina simply smiled. She felt truly happy; from being entirely alone in the world to now having friends and a family, the Nine-Tails had indeed brought her countless troubles, but it was precisely because of the Nine-Tails that she had been able to gain all of this. Just as Lady Mito had said, if one could possess love, even serving as a vessel was a blessing. She thought to herself that she was already filled to the brim with love.
*Stupid woman! Detestable! Freedom was just within reach!* the orange giant beast roared. It had not set foot in the outside world for a very long time, having remained confined within this cramped space for far too long, and the darkness and anger within its heart had nearly reached their breaking point. Just a little more—it was clearly just a little more! It loathed the Uzumaki Clan, and it loathed this damned Sealing Jutsu and these binding chains.
Kushina took the baby, her brow furrowing slightly. "What is this?"
Biwako sighed. "A birthmark, perhaps. For a little girl to have such a birthmark right beneath her left eye, who knows what the future holds for her?" A newborn girl bearing a strange red birthmark beneath her left eye—how difficult must that be for a young girl to accept?
"A birthmark? It's fine. We of the Uzumaki Clan aren't afraid of such things! Momoko, Mommy is right here." Kushina knew the road ahead might be fraught with hardships, but she believed that the child would surely persevere. It was merely an appearance; she herself had suffered plenty of bullying in the past on account of her red hair, but she knew that self-reliance was the true form of strength.
The Third Ninja War was still ongoing. Though the area near Konoha was relatively safe, no one could predict what might happen next.
"Senior, Mikoto-san is also giving birth today, right?"
"Yes, you don't need to worry about her; Fugaku is right there with her, so everything will be fine. Come to think of it, it really is a coincidence—her due date passed long ago and the baby refused to come, yet right as you go into labor, she goes into labor too," Biwako teased.
For reasons unknown, Mikoto and Kushina had unexpectedly become best friends, even though their personalities were worlds apart—one might even call them absolute extremes.
Mikoto was mature and calm, while Kushina was lively and hot-tempered.
Yet sometimes, being polar opposites was the best combination of all.
"Who knows? Perhaps that child was simply waiting for my little Momoko." Kushina lowered her head and gently kissed the forehead of the wrinkled little bundle in her arms. "Momoko, do you think that's going to be an older brother or a younger brother? Or perhaps an older sister or a younger sister?"
Naturally, the infant in her arms could say nothing in reply. A newborn baby could barely even open its eyes—just a wrinkled, tiny, pinkish bundle.
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly. Mikoto cradled that tiny bundle in her arms. "Ah, it's a boy. Fugaku, what do you think we should name him?" Though her body was still weak, Mikoto stubbornly held the child close. This was her and Fugaku's firstborn, brought into the world during this turbulent era of war. Mikoto had a premonition that Fugaku would force this child to face the cruelty of war far too early.
"Itachi," Fugaku said, looking out the window before turning his gaze back inside. "Uchiha Itachi, the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku."
"Itachi? Heh, Fugaku is as unimaginative as ever when it comes to naming."
"What does it matter? It's just a name. Itachi will surely grow up to be a powerful ninja."
"A ninja?" Mikoto looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms with a trace of sorrow. She whispered softly, "Well then, Itachi, welcome to this world. Mommy doesn't care whether you become some powerful ninja or not; I only hope you will always be happy and joyful. Oh, Itachi, my dear Itachi, your Aunt Kushina is having her baby today as well. I wonder what kind of child that will be."
No matter what kind of child it turned out to be, they would undoubtedly be utterly doted on by Kushina and Minato. Perhaps the child would have a head of red hair just like Kushina, or perhaps large, bright blue eyes like Minato.
The tiny bundle in her arms could not possibly understand her mother's words. Those eyes, even more exquisite than obsidian, made Mikoto's heart soften profoundly. Kushina always said that Mikoto could remain calm in the face of any difficulty, but upon experiencing motherhood for the very first time and laying eyes on Itachi, Mikoto suddenly felt a flutter of panic.
Why was he so small? Did he seem so fragile?
Mikoto's lips curved upward slightly. "My dear Itachi-kun, tomorrow is bound to be a sunny day as well."
I was born for you, and you came into this world for my sake.
***
Perhaps this place was known as the realm of the gods; perhaps it was a place known as the forgotten realm. All around was a boundless expanse of white, with the sun hanging eternally in the sky, casting its light over this desolate earth.
"Hagoromo, this is already the third time, isn't it?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"If we fail once more, this star will lose its sun and moon forever."
"Yes, My Lord. Lady Tsukuyomi-nomikoto seems as though she might finally approve of the child I have chosen this time."
"Is that so?"
Amaterasu-omikami looked out into the distant horizon. She knew that at the borders of this barren land lay the eternal night—the place where her dearest younger sister slumbered. Not just this star; should they fail again, Tsukuyomi-nomikoto might sink back into an endless slumber, perhaps never to wake again.
She flicked her fingertips, materializing a butterfly. "Go."
Radiating golden light, the butterfly slowly soared upward, its tail trailing pale golden dust. It shattered the fabric of empty space, gradually leaving the desolate earth behind.
Meanwhile, in the realm of eternal night, Tsukuyomi-nomikoto's raven-feather-like eyelashes trembled faintly...