Fanficbased on Naruto (by Masashi Kishimoto) and Bleach (by Tite Kubo). This is a fan-made story with no official affiliation. The content is shared as part of the creative rewards on my Patreon.
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Previous chapter:
I promise, love. I'll take care of her… I promise, Yoruichi. I'll protect you — even if it costs me my life."
He looked down at the baby in his arms with a warm, glowing smile, dry tear marks still streaking his cheeks.
"After all... I'm your father."
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Four Months Later
Time kept moving forward, and although the war was still ongoing, it had begun to show signs of a truce.
During those months, life in Kumogakure hadn't changed much for Yoruichi. She continued to grow, surrounded by those who cared for her, and trained her mind.
In fact, she often got so bored that she had found a way to run Doom (1993) in her imagination, using her brain as a processor and her creativity as the screen.
As the saying goes:
[Doom comes wherever he wants.]
But setting aside her peculiar ability to mentally emulate video games, that day was special.
Her father, Denji, carried her in his arms toward a spacious and quiet building where the medics worked in silence.
There were excited murmurs and restrained smiles around them, and even though no one said much, Yoruichi could feel that something important was happening.
In one of the main rooms, a woman was resting in bed, tenderly holding a newborn baby.
Neru, the bald shinobi who often reminded her of Nappa, was also in the room. However, he was missing an arm—evidence of his recent return from the battlefield in Kirigakure.
He had fought three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, managing to defeat the wielder of Nuibari and the one who held Kiba.
However, he had lost his arm in the process and had barely escaped the wielder of Samehada, taking the other two swords as trophies of his victory.
To survive, he had resorted to a jutsu known as Haipā Gādo, a much more limited version of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
While it slightly boosted his speed and defense, it lacked the original's advantages—such as stimulating the nervous system and speeding up neural synapses.
It was more similar to the style Sasuke used, surrounding himself with electricity to fight at high speed, but without a Sharingan to make up for the visual limitations.
Still, none of that seemed to matter to him at that moment. Despite the loss of his arm and his impending retirement, Neru smiled warmly as he gazed at his newborn son.
From her father's arms, Yoruichi stared at him curiously and wondered:
"Would Nappa have had this expression if he'd gone through with his plan to repopulate the Saiyan race with human-Saiyan hybrids?"
Shaking off that absurd thought, Yoruichi refocused on what mattered.
Denji looked at Neru and greeted him with a slight nod.
—"Congratulations, Neru."
The bald man nodded, his gaze firm yet full of emotion.
—"Thanks, Denji. Look... this is my son, Darui. He's got my beautiful white hair."
From her father's lap, Yoruichi watched the baby with curiosity. Darui, so small and fragile, showed nothing of the powerful shinobi he would one day become.
After observing the child for a moment, Denji made a lighthearted joke, a smile playing on his lips.
—"Let's hope that hair lasts."
The comment drew a short but genuine laugh from Neru as he gently stroked his son's head.
After a moment of calm, Neru looked down at the baby in his arms with a mix of pride and reflection.
—"I hope he turns out wiser than me, old friend" —he said with a faint smile.
Nehru's wife, Ren—a woman with a serene face, blue eyes, and dark hair—spoke up then:
—"Denji, thank you for bringing Yoruichi. I wanted both of you to meet little Darui."
Denji nodded, glancing at his daughter, who seemed fascinated by the baby. Yoruichi was reaching out with curiosity as if she wanted to touch him.
Noticing this, Denji placed her closer to Neru, who leaned in so the little ones could interact.
Yoruichi studied Darui closely, her thoughts drifting as she recalled stories of the future she knew.
"So this is Darui... An incredibly strong shinobi who, in the future, will defeat the Gold and Silver Brothers—two ninjas who fatally wounded the Second Hokage and killed the Second Raikage. He'll even be able to wield the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, weapons that would kill any normal ninja due to their massive chakra consumption..."
"...And when he becomes the Fifth Raikage, he'll join the fight against Momoshiki and Kinshiki, take a direct kick from Momoshiki after he absorbs Kinshiki, and get back on his feet after the battle like it was nothing."
As she pondered Darui's destiny, Yoruichi couldn't help but reach out and pinch his cheeks.
—"Wah, so cute!" —exclaimed Darui's mother, smiling at the interaction.
Darui, with instinctive reflexes, grabbed one of Yoruichi's fingers with surprising strength, causing the girl to giggle.
"Hohohoho, I'll make you call me big sister... Kumogakure's very own Kakashi," Yoruichi thought, laughing internally like a true ojō-sama.
Though Darui was just a baby, something deep inside told Yoruichi he would have an important role in her life.
...
...
...
[One Year Later]
Time moved on, and with it, the echoes of war began to fade in Kumogakure.
After years of conflict, the Third Raikage made a crucial strategic decision: Kumogakure withdrew from the battlefield to focus on internal recovery.
Realizing that there was little more to gain from this war, the village leadership chose to prioritize strengthening its ninjas to better prepare for future conflicts.
The streets of the village, once marked by tension and war preparations, were now filled with activity as homes, infrastructure, and hopes were rebuilt.
The streets of Kumogakure, once filled with military tension and preparations, were now marked by a collective effort to rebuild.
Families who had lost loved ones found comfort in the unity of the community, while ninjas returning from the front were welcomed as heroes, though also as survivors.
Denji played a fundamental role in this process. He frequently traveled to the battlefield to escort the ninjas back to the village.
Although he participated in a few direct battles, his presence symbolized strength and support for those returning.
The fact that a man who had lost his wife continued forward with determination and bravery inspired many not to give up and to keep moving forward with their lives.
During this recovery period, Kumogakure was not alone in its decision to withdraw from the war.
The news of the death of the Third Mizukage, who fell in a fierce battle against the forces of Konoha, shook the ninja world.
With their leader lost their structure weakened, and the recent loss of two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kirigakure also opted to withdraw from the conflict.
This left the opposing factions in a fragile configuration:
Sunagakure weakened but persistent, continued fighting with the hope of maintaining its strategic position, especially due to its alliance with Amegakure.
Iwagakure maintained its hostility toward Konoha, but signs of exhaustion were beginning to show, both in terms of resources and troops.
Amegakure, under the unyielding leadership of Hanzō, remained an unpredictable and brutal force, complicating the conflict for the other villages.
For Kumogakure, the retreat was not seen as a failure, but as a wise and strategic decision. The words of the Third Raikage resonated in every corner of the village:
—"The strength of a village is not measured solely by its victories on the battlefield but by its ability to protect its people and ensure their future. It is time to focus on our recovery and strengthen ourselves for what is to come."
Kumogakure had been one of the villages that suffered the fewest casualties in the war. However, the decision to retreat was driven by one key factor: numbers.
While other villages like Konoha and Iwagakure had large quantities of ninjas, Kumogakure stood out for the quality of its shinobi.
Their ninjas were extremely strong, but they couldn't be on every front at once.
This limitation became more evident when facing rivals like Konoha, which combined a large population with a powerful army, and Iwagakure, which had a numerically superior force and strategic commanders like the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, whose Dust Jutsu and ability to fly made him a formidable opponent.
Although Kumogakure could win individual battles, the losses in terms of shinobi were unsustainable in the long run. Each ninja they lost was equivalent to ten of the enemy, representing too high a cost to continue the war.
After much analysis, the Raikage decided to withdraw from the conflict. The war had stretched on for too many years, and this worked against them, so they devised a simple yet effective plan.
Allow the other villages to continue wearing themselves down in the war while Kumogakure focused on strengthening itself.
By prioritizing reconstruction and training new generations of ninjas, the goal was to balance the scales in future conflicts.
Kumogakure withdrew, focusing on consolidating its economy, recovering its strength, and, above all, preparing for a future where it would not be at a numerical disadvantage.
Meanwhile, the other villages continued fighting, with each battle consuming more resources and lives.
This strategy ensured that Kumogakure emerged from the war not only less weakened but also better positioned to face the challenges that the uncertain future of the ninja world would bring.
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End of Chapter 8