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The baby really couldn't stand watching Minato awkwardly fumble anymore, so he decided to help him out—by turning up the cuteness attack.
...Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work at all.
"So, where exactly did this super cute baby come from? I'd love to hear your explanation," Kushina said with a smile on her face… while cracking her knuckles.
"Uh… come on, don't get mad…" Minato scratched his head and quickly explained the whole situation.
"Oh, so that's what happened." Kushina finally relaxed her fists and let Minato come inside.
Seeing that the crisis had passed, the baby tried again—aiming another dose of cuteness at Kushina. He smiled sweetly, let out a few soft noises, and stretched out his little arms, asking to be held.
His vocal cords weren't developed yet, so even though he could technically talk, he couldn't actually speak out loud.
"Aww, how adorable!" This time Kushina did fall for it. She snatched the baby right out of Minato's arms and cuddled him, rubbing her face gently against his tiny cheeks.
As he breathed in Kushina's warm, comforting scent, the baby smiled—a real, genuine smile for the first time since arriving in this world.
And just like that, Kushina liked him even more.
"What an adorable little guy," she said as she carried him inside, sitting down on the living room couch with the baby in her arms. Minato followed close behind.
"So… we're gonna raise him now, huh? Should we treat him like a little brother or… our son?" Minato asked.
"But we just got married… it'd be weird if we suddenly had a kid."
"True, but if we call him a little brother, the age gap's gonna be pretty big," Minato reasoned.
"If he's our son, he's gonna need a name. What do you think of… Super Sparkling Spin Dance Style No. 1?"
"What kinda ridiculous name is that?! That's not a name for a person!" Kushina shot back.
"Okay, then you tell me—what should we name him? I think he should at least inherit his clan's last name."
"You mean 'Akir'... hmm, let's go with Akio," Kushina said after thinking for a moment.
"Akio? Does that name mean something special?" Minato asked.
"'Akio' means honest and trustworthy. I hope he grows up to be someone loyal and dependable."
"Ah, I see… Akio it is, then." Minato smiled, and Akio smiled right back.
"Looks like you really like that name, huh, Akio?" Kushina said as she gently poked his cheek with her finger.
"Mm-mm~" Akio cooed and nodded his little head.
"What a smart boy you are, Akio." Seeing him like this made both Kushina and Minato very happy.
"Let's invite Kakashi and Rin over for dinner. They should meet Akio too," Kushina said.
"Speaking of which… Akio hasn't had anything to eat since he got here…" Minato suddenly realized.
"..." Akio's smile disappeared instantly. Now that someone mentioned it, he realized just how hungry he was. Ever since arriving in this world, he'd been too excited to notice that he hadn't eaten anything.
"Well, what're you waiting for?! Go buy some formula!" Kushina didn't exactly have breast milk to offer, so Minato had no choice but to go shopping.
"Alright, I'm on it!" Minato quickly threw on his clothes and shoes and ran out the door. Watching him rush off like that, Kushina smiled sweetly to herself—she suddenly felt a warm, happy feeling inside.
Minato spent the whole afternoon shopping. When he finally got back, he had Kakashi and Rin with him, along with a ton of baby supplies—crib, stroller, formula, bottles, and more. It definitely wasn't cheap.
After feeding Akio, Kushina happily went to the kitchen to start cooking.
"He's so cute, Minato-sensei!" Rin said as she leaned over the stroller to look at Akio.
"I didn't think you two already had a kid, Sensei," Kakashi teased from the side.
"No, no, nothing like that—he's an orphan Hiruzen asked me to take care of," Minato said quickly. Since the Akio clan was classified information, he just said Akio was an orphan.
"I'm gonna help Kushina-nee in the kitchen!" Rin said, giving Akio one last look before heading off.
"She's really beautiful…" Akio thought as he watched her walk away. After seeing her up close, he realized just how pretty Rin really was. No wonder Obito was willing to destroy the world for her.
"When he grows up, take good care of him, alright Kakashi?" Minato said, patting Kakashi on the shoulder.
"What? Can't you take care of him yourself?" Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"Come on, the more people helping out, the better."
"Fine, fine. I'll look after him," Kakashi replied with a resigned nod.
"Mm… mm…" Akio reached his little hands out toward Kakashi.
"Ooh, looks like he likes you," Minato laughed.
"Really?" Kakashi leaned down and looked at Akio. The baby reached for Kakashi's mask, clearly trying to pull it down. Unfortunately, his tiny arms weren't strong enough. And to be honest, just staying awake as a newborn was already exhausting for him.
"Trying to see under the mask?" Kakashi stood up slightly so Akio couldn't reach.
"Mm… mm…" Akio let out a pitiful little whimper and gave him a sad look.
"…Geez, you're killing me here." Kakashi couldn't resist that face. He reached up, pulled down his mask to give Akio a peek, then put it back on. You could say he was already doting on the baby.
A little while later, Kushina and Rin finished cooking. Everyone went to eat, and with no one to play with him, Akio finally couldn't keep his eyes open and fell asleep.
"Rin, didn't you take a mission in the Hidden Mist recently?" Minato asked during dinner.
"Yeah, it's an infiltration mission in Mist Village. It shouldn't be too dangerous," Rin replied with a nod.
"Still, be careful. The Mist Village is unstable right now. The war just ended, and they're still on high alert."
"Don't worry, I got it!" Rin said with a smile.
"What about you, Kakashi?" Minato turned to him.
"Got a mission too—but it's classified," Kakashi replied coolly.
"Alright, alright, no more mission talk during dinner," Kushina said as she tapped the table.
"By the way, Kushina-nee, your baby's due soon, right? Got any names in mind yet?" Rin asked, looking at her belly.
"Not yet. Actually, now that we have Akio, it feels kinda nice—maybe they can look out for each other in the future." Kushina smiled and glanced over at the quiet little crib.
"Akio's not like other babies. He's way too well-behaved—doesn't cry, doesn't fuss, and he's so smart," Rin commented.
"Yeah, it's like he's already an adult," Kakashi added, quickly pulling his mask back on.
"You know… now that you mention it…" Minato and Kushina looked at each other, both a little surprised.
"....."