Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 129 The Rise of Konoha

At first, she thought her eldest son had another child.

However, she soon realized something was wrong. If it was her eldest son's child, her daughter-in-law shouldn't have kept it from her.

On the way out of Konoha, the daughter-in-law vomited from time to time, but she just lied and said it was a physical aftereffect.

If she hadn't finally noticed her daughter-in-law's protruding belly five days ago, her daughter-in-law would have kept it a secret from her.

This is not normal.

Then Biwa Lake checked the time again and suddenly realized that the time when her daughter-in-law planted the seed was the same time when she was captured and tortured by Li Yao!

Therefore, the child in the daughter-in-law's belly is Li Yao's.

In an instant, Lake Biwa was enraged.

She questioned her daughter-in-law, "Do you know whose child you're carrying?"

Biwa Lake originally thought that her daughter-in-law might not be sure whether the child was Li Yao's or her eldest son's, which was why she didn't dare to tell her.

As it turned out, the daughter-in-law was very certain that it belonged to Li Yao.

Lake Biwa was furious at that time.

Really.

If Ayase hadn't been the daughter of a close friend from her clan, and if she hadn't felt indebted to this deceased friend, she would have wanted to kill Ayase on the spot.

Although she didn't kill Ayase in the end, she absolutely could not tolerate her daughter-in-law's decision to give birth to the child of Li Yao, who had turned her eldest son into a human stick.

She immediately tried to forcefully attack her daughter-in-law, but was stopped by Kato Dan.

It has to be said that this guy really is just like the image her husband projects to the outside world—so perfect, loving and cherishing his comrades, regarding Konoha as his faith, and willing to sacrifice his life unconditionally for Konoha.

The only reason she was stopped from harming her daughter-in-law was that companions shouldn't attack each other.

While admiring Kato Dan's character, Biwako also harbored a secret resentment. If it weren't for this kid, she... never mind.

Suddenly remembering the extraordinary super-beast imitation painting technique her daughter-in-law had just displayed, Biwa Lake knew that she alone could no longer subdue her daughter-in-law.

If we add Kato Dan to the mix, then it might be possible.

Thinking of this, Biwako's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Kato Dan's retreating figure and smiled inwardly.

She had already informed her husband about her daughter-in-law's situation, and if all went well, she would receive his reply today.

She refused to believe that, given the Hokage's orders, Kato Dan would dare not cooperate and remove the bastard child from Ayase's womb.

Biwako, confident that her husband shared the same thoughts, stopped causing trouble.

Sarutobi Ayase also descended from mid-air. She knew Biwako's thoughts, but she couldn't leave and couldn't leave, at least not by Kato Dan's side.

Kato Dan's soul perception range exceeds 100 kilometers. Over the past three months, the three of them have traveled all over the Sea of ​​War. Although they did not find Li Yao, they were certain that Li Yao was not in the Sea of ​​War.

Next, she will have to rely on Kato Dan's soul perception to find Li Yao as quickly as possible.

Kato Dan felt relieved when he saw that the two had stopped arguing.

The three rested on the island, waiting for the Hokage's reply.

Before long, the hawk brought a reply from the third generation, but it wasn't for Biwako, but for Sarutobi Ayase. The hawk flew directly into her hand.

Ayase looked somewhat surprised, but she still took the two small scrolls at Nobuta's feet first.

Biwako, who arrived a step later, had an uncertain expression and an unfriendly look. She warned her daughter-in-law, "Ayase, you'd better not destroy the reply, or I can treat you as a traitor."

Kato Dan's figure had somehow formed an encirclement around Biwako. Destroying the Hokage's reply was an act of treason, and Kato Dan, who aspired to become Hokage, would never allow anyone to commit such a traitorous act.

This is completely different from the previous situation. Kato Dan is prepared to take action if Ayase-senpai makes any move to destroy the reply.

To Kato Dan's surprise, Sarutobi Ayase took down the reply letter, glanced at it, and then tossed one of the scrolls to him.

"This is a secret letter from the Hokage."

Sarutobi Ayase showed the unique "Ayase" characters on the scroll of reply she had left behind to Kato Dan and Biwako.

"Understood." Kato Dan nodded upon seeing this, and after confirming that it was a secret letter for Ayase-senpai, he said nothing more.

"What is Hiruzen up to?" Biwako saw it too, her brows furrowed, wondering why her husband had sent a secret letter to his daughter-in-law alone.

Just then, she saw Kato Dan preparing to open the reply in his hand, and immediately said irritably, "Boy, give me the reply. Is this some kind of secret letter that only you can see?"

"Ah, no." Kato Dan smiled awkwardly and quickly handed the reply to Biwako. "Lord Biwako, look."

"I want to see what this old man means." Biwako opened the scroll of her reply and started reading, while Kato Dan waited to the side until Biwako-sama had finished reading before he looked at his own reply.

boom!

After only a few seconds, Biwako suddenly unleashed a burst of chakra, her face contorted with rage, and the veins on her hand gripping the reply scroll bulged.

"Calm down, Lady Biwako."

Kato Dan was a little worried that the scroll would be destroyed. He wondered what the Hokage had said in his reply that made Biwako so angry. He was curious and unconsciously craned his neck to peek, but he was too embarrassed to do so.

"Give!"

After a long while, Biwako suppressed her anger. Seeing Kato Dan looking like a curious child, she became furious. She threw the scroll of her reply at the boy and went to sulk on the side.

Kato Dan took the reply and quickly read it.

"I believe the child is innocent. We should not only not abort him, but also raise him well so that when he grows up he can proudly say, 'I am an excellent Konoha ninja.'"

"So I've decided to name our unborn child Konoha Hatsushige. Konoha is the name, and Hatsushige is the name. It means that the child is a child of Konoha. Hatsushige also represents hope and the future. This child is the hope and future of Konoha. We should welcome him into this world instead of taking his life away at will."

"In the name of the Hokage, I order Dan Kato and Biwako that you two immediately escort Ayase back to Konoha. You must protect the child in Ayase's womb. The hope and future of Konoha are in your hands."

"I will protect Ayase-senpai and the child in her womb with my life." Kato Dan's emotions surged beyond measure, his chest heaved, and his intuition and spirit were elevated at this moment.

The Third Hokage's reply resonated deeply with Dan Kato.

This is the Hokage he admires, and the one he pursues throughout his life.

As expected, the Hokage did not disappoint him.

Life should not be something that can be easily erased by hatred.

The Hokage truly loves every villager in Konoha.

"The rising sun over Konoha symbolizes hope and the future."

The Hokage's mind is indeed beyond my current level, but I will definitely strive to move in that direction.

"Another son who's been fooled by his husband."

Watching Kato Dan's eyes light up as he held the reply, Biwako secretly shook her head.

As the wife of the Third Hokage, how could she not know what kind of person her husband was?

If you say he loves Konoha, then he truly does.

But to say that his passion is as pure as that of Dan Kato would be to overestimate him.

Although she still couldn't understand why her husband wanted Ayase to give birth to Li Yao's bastard child, she wouldn't disobey him since he had made the decision.

But she absolutely refused to believe that her husband would be as good as he described in his reply, and that he would raise their illegitimate child into an excellent Konoha ninja.

She believed that her husband must have ulterior motives, and that motives must be very dark.

(End of this chapter)