The report made Torifu very satisfied; there were no shortcomings, and everything was moving in a better direction. This put Torifu at ease. All that was left was to entrust the remaining matters to Naori and the various clans in the village. For the prosperity of their clans, they certainly wouldn't dare to break this secure source of income. They would undoubtedly try every means possible to ensure the Aquaculture industry in the Land of Rain continued to improve. With their sincere efforts, Torifu could be completely relieved.
He stretched lazily, placed the report on a nearby table, and left the office. On the way, Torifu nodded in satisfaction at the various decorations along the street. An important day required the right atmosphere. He recalled that his own Hokage Inauguration Ceremony had been exceptionally lively as well. He hadn't failed the expectations of the villagers or the former Hokages, having successfully elevated Konoha to a higher stage. Now, he was about to retire and could enjoy the peaceful life he had dreamed of.
However, Torifu always had a faint premonition of something unsettling. He forced himself not to dwell on it, but the vague feeling lingered.
"Hokage-sama, are you heading home?"
"Yes, I'm off work. Going home for a meal." Torifu replied to a villager who greeted him on the road. He was now fifty years old, well into middle age. Yet, his appearance remained unchanged.
Upon returning home, Amado was sitting in the pavilion drinking tea. This guy was strange. Ever since he successfully courted Anka, he had rarely gone to help her process documents. After they married, he practically stopped going to the Hokage Tower altogether. Fortunately, all of his poor work habits and slovenly ways were corrected by Anka. Otherwise, Torifu would have worried that their marriage wouldn't last long.
"Didn't you go to the Research Institute today? Why are you relaxing at home?"
The bearded Amado now showed the maturity of a man, completely different from the sharp enthusiasm of his youth. "I recently assigned a task to the new trainees at the Research Institute, requiring them to complete it independently. All the senior researchers are on vacation, so I am naturally no exception."
The technology in Konoha was now the best in the entire Ninja World. The various facilities in Konoha were almost indistinguishable from those in a modern society. Tablet computers and desktop computers had all been realized according to Torifu's blueprints. The variety of games had also increased, giving young people more choices and no longer limiting them to just the Naruto mobile game. Of course, it was still the hottest game, bringing Torifu inexhaustible Peace Points every day.
"Has the experiment for cultivating prosthetic limbs using Hashirama's cells succeeded? I am quite concerned about that." Torifu had personally brought this idea up with Hashirama. When Hashirama learned that just a few of his cells could offer the possibility of a new life to disabled people, he immediately agreed. However, this experiment was secretly conducted by Amado alone. The power of Hashirama's cells was too great. If they were misused, many problems would arise. Therefore, the fewer people who knew, the better.
"Almost. It has now entered the 1.0 experimental phase. The subject is a death row inmate, and the limb has been attached for three days now. Currently, there has been no rejection reaction."
This result made Torifu nod with moderate satisfaction. "Very good, keep up the hard work." Torifu drank the tea on the table in one gulp, then turned and left.
Amado was left sitting dumbfounded. "My freshly cooled tea..."
Torifu turned and saw Naori talking and laughing with Kushina. Kushina, wearing loose clothing, was lying in the rocking chair, gently stroking her belly.
"Oh, Big Brother is back. How come you didn't make a sound?" Seeing this, Kushina started to get up because she was sitting in Torifu's rocking chair. But a wisp of cloud gently settled her back down.
"Just lie down and rest assured. I have plenty of chairs." With that, he took out another rocking chair and placed it on the ground.
Naori saw that Torifu was back so early and knew he couldn't stay put again. She shook her head and went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for lunch.
Torifu looked at Kushina's bulging belly, estimated the time, and figured little Naruto would be born next month. Kushina and Minato officially started dating when they were seventeen. The two childhood sweethearts confessed their feelings to each other, and their relationship quickly blossomed. After dating for nearly three years, the two registered their marriage at Konoha's civil affairs office when they were twenty. Torifu and Naori helped arrange a grand wedding, on the same scale as Amado and Anka's. Every notable person in the entire Ninja World came to offer their congratulations. Daimyo, Kage, and dignitaries from various countries all brought valuable gifts to offer their blessings. All of this was due to the current prosperity and strength of Konoha and Torifu's own power.
In the second year of their marriage, Kushina became pregnant, which delighted Minato and Kushina greatly. Torifu hadn't expected to become an uncle so soon, and Kushina hadn't expected to see a great-grandchild born in his lifetime. Aside from the two of them, the entire Kumotsuru Clan compound was overjoyed. With a new young member added, the clan was truly thriving.
"Kushina, how are you feeling these days? If you feel uncomfortable, call someone immediately, or even call Snowflake; she knows how to use a smartphone now."
Kushina chuckled. "It's fine, Big Brother, don't worry. I'm from the Uzumaki Clan; my constitution is very strong." With that, Torifu felt much more relieved.
But Snowflake, having been mentioned, flew over at the sound. "I seem to have heard someone call my name? What's going on?" Snowflake fluttered its white wings and landed on the eaves opposite Torifu and Kushina. Its soft, long feathers draped down naturally, making it look almost identical to the legendary Phoenix.
"Nothing, I was just saying I need Snowflake to keep an eye on Kushina's belly. If no one is home, we'll rely on you."
Snowflake nodded. "Of course. I've been watching Kushina every day for a long time, but human pregnancy time seems different from birds'..."