Chapter 75: Fraternal Twins
Konoha Hospital.
A young man paced restlessly in front of the delivery room, while two middle-aged men sat nearby.
Tonbo Tobitake had removed his bandages for the occasion, revealing his true appearance: snow-white hair and eyelashes, pale blue eyes that looked like they held a swirl of white mist, and a tall, upright stature. His presence caused several passing nurses to steal frequent glances.
However, seeing his anxious pacing and the worried look on his face, the nurses felt a pang of disappointment—he was clearly taken. They couldn't help but envy the woman inside for finding such a handsome husband.
"Tonbo, stop walking back and forth. You're turning my excitement into irritation," Teuchi finally spoke up.
He had been through this before and knew the feeling, but Tonbo's constant pacing was making everyone even more nervous about the situation inside.
Tosei Tobitake chimed in with a mock complaint: "Son, where's your composure? Did you buy your Jonin rank with coupons?"
Tonbo finally stopped and rolled his eyes. "This is the first time I'm having kids. It would be weirder if I wasn't worried, wouldn't it?"
He didn't believe for a second that his father or father-in-law hadn't felt the exact same way when he or Ayame were about to be born.
"Dad, Father-in-law... do you think it'll be a boy or a girl? What should we name them? I've been thinking for so long and I still can't decide."
Tonbo felt a genuine headache coming on. He had read countless memories on the battlefield without flinching, but this task had him stumped. His usually sharp brain felt like it was stuck in mud.
"You mean to tell me Ayame was pregnant for ten months and you haven't thought of a name?" Teuchi looked at him with disdain. Men.
Tosei pondered for a moment. "In that case, trust me. If it's a boy, call him Shoryu . It implies a mighty dragon soaring through the sky. Back then, I named you Tonbo so you could fly among the trees of Konoha, and look—you became a Jonin."
Having finished, Tosei felt quite impressed with his own naming skills.
"No, no, no," Teuchi interrupted. "I think a boy should be Tonkotsu and a girl should be Miso. That way, my grandchildren can inherit my legacy from birth."
Tonbo stroked his chin. Is that how naming works? Just find a reference and slap it on the family name?
"What if we call a boy Taicho (Captain) and a girl Bucho (Chief)?" Tonbo suggested after a long silence, looking quite pleased with himself. "That way they're high-ranking officials from birth."
He was met with two simultaneous glares.
"Why don't you just call them Hokage?"
"Why not Daimyo while you're at it?"
They had assumed Tonbo's brain was top-tier since he was a Jonin, but it seemed he was hopeless in this department.
Tonbo clapped his hands. "If the higher-ups agree, I'm not opposed!"
The two older men nearly collapsed. "Go, go! Stop talking. When Ayame comes out, the two of you will decide. You stay in the corner," Tosei barked.
Tch. Tonbo turned his head back toward the delivery room.
Suddenly...
Waaah!
A sharp cry rang out. The three men jumped with joy. The baby was here.
Then...
Waa-ee!
Another, distinct cry followed. Tonbo was overjoyed. It clearly wasn't just one child; it was twins, or perhaps fraternal twins. His main concern now was whether Ayame was okay.
A moment later, the doors opened. The medical staff walked out carrying two bundles.
"Congratulations! Fraternal twins—one boy, one girl. It was a natural birth, and both are healthy, chubby babies. The mother is doing great as well."
As the doctor spoke, Tonbo finally let out a long breath. Looking at the two children in the doctors' arms, a profound sense of blood-connection washed over him.
This... is my legacy.
A massive sense of responsibility surged in his heart. He felt his entire mindset shift, filled with a new, powerful energy. This, he realized, must be fatherly love.
The Hokage's Office.
"Tonbo, I truly apologize for cutting your time with your newborns short. But the mission is urgent. Most other Jonin are currently deployed, and we are short-handed. I have to ask this of you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at a visibly grumpy Tonbo and handed him a file.
Tonbo was indeed annoyed. His children were only a month old, and he was already being sent out! Such was the bitterness of the working class.
However, he didn't complain. The Hokage's own son had been sent out even earlier. According to the grapevine, Konohamaru had been born about a month before Tonbo's twins, and his father, Shinnosuke, had only stayed for two weeks before being deployed. He had to admire that; if he had the power, he certainly wouldn't be so selfless.
He picked up the document and read carefully.
Hiruzen continued: "This concerns the Hidden Rain Village. According to our spies' final reports, there was an internal upheaval about two years ago. This intel only recently reached Konoha. Your objective is to lead a team to investigate the internal situation of the Rain. Be extremely careful; I have already sent three elite intelligence squads... none of them returned."
He slowly revealed the gravity of the mission. Hiruzen was privately fuming—Danzo had intercepted the Rain's intel for two years. It was becoming excessive. After the repeated failures of the previous teams, Hiruzen decided only Tonbo would suffice. Having survived the Third War, Tonbo's abilities were unquestionable, and his "Will of Fire" was among the firmest in the village.
"It seems something very big is happening inside the Rain Village," Tonbo remarked.
Looking at the report, three elite squads had vanished. If they were caught, the difficulty was clearly off the charts. His mind flashed to the "Akatsuki"—the Rain was their birthplace, after all. Seven years after transmigrating, he was finally becoming entangled with them.
Hiruzen nodded. "I want you to uncover their goals and gather as much intel as possible. If it becomes too dangerous, I authorize you to lead your team in an early retreat."
Having lost three elite teams, Hiruzen realized this was no ordinary mission.
"Understood. And my teammates?"
"Your team will consist of your former student, Mibu Shinobu, and two elites from the ANBU."
Before Hiruzen could finish, a figure walked in from the door, a cross-shaped scar on his chin.
Shimura Danzo.
Tonbo looked at him. Danzo still looked energetic, his arms were intact, and he wasn't using a cane yet. He looked much like he did during the Nine-Tails incident. Tonbo then turned to Hiruzen, his eyes filled with confusion.
Noticing the look, Hiruzen explained: "This is the head of ANBU training, and like me, a disciple of the Second Hokage—Shimura Danzo."
"Lord Danzo," Tonbo nodded.
What is this old man up to now?
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