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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Kumogakure was cloaked in the stillness of the night, but inside Denji, chaos raged like an unrelenting storm.
His wife's words echoed through his mind, woven together with Yoruichi's soft babbling. And yet, for the first time since his return, something different stirred in his chest — a faint spark of hope.
That night, Denji couldn't sleep. He stood by the window with Yoruichi cradled in his arms, watching as the full moon bathed the village in silver light.
"How can I protect you?" he wondered, running his fingers gently across his daughter's soft forehead.
Memories paraded through his mind — promises made, mistakes burned into the past, and the ashes of a life he now had to rebuild.
But when his eyes met Yoruichi's — so full of innocence and quiet strength — he felt an odd calm settle over him. It was as if she was trying to tell him: "Everything will be okay."
A soft knock at the door broke the silence. Carefully, Denji laid Yoruichi in her makeshift crib and opened the door. On the other side stood Yuna, holding a tray with hot tea.
"Thought this might help," she said, stepping into the room without waiting for an answer.
Denji followed her in silence, took the cup, and sat back down beside the crib. The tea's warmth eased some of the tension in his shoulders.
"That little girl..." Yuna began, eyes fixed on Yoruichi. "Even now, she has a kind of strength. She's already changing people."
Denji glanced at her but said nothing. He looked down at his daughter, who seemed to be listening to every word as if she understood the weight of the moment.
"You need to be strong too, Denji," Yuna continued firmly. "She needs you."
He let out a long, heavy breath.
"I know," he whispered. "For her... I will be."
The night passed in a silence full of resolve. Denji didn't cry again, but something inside him began to shift. The shadows that had consumed him were slowly starting to lift.
As the first rays of sunlight poured through the window, he made a decision.
Holding Yoruichi close, he stepped out into the courtyard. The crisp air and golden light touched his face.
The broken man who had returned to Kumogakure was beginning to rebuild himself — piece by piece.
...
...
...
"Denji-sama, the Raikage is calling for you."
A masked figure dropped silently from the roof — an ANBU agent, who gave a slight bow as he addressed Denji, still holding his cup of tea.
Before he could reply, another ANBU appeared at his side — this one a woman — and gently took Yoruichi into her arms to nurse her.
"She's in your hands," Denji said as he stood up.
He lightly touched the shoulder of the ANBU now holding his daughter, then walked out of the house, activating the seal on the entrance — a mechanism only he and the Raikage could disable.
As he walked through the village streets, Denji greeted the villagers, who returned his nods with quiet respect. Some were repairing buildings; others dug into the mountainside, working to rebuild Kumogakure after the recent attacks.
When Denji reached the base of a nearby mountain, he stopped.
With a sudden burst, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and began leaping from one mountain to the next.
His destination was clear: the highest peak, wreathed in clouds and topped with a massive structure bearing the kanji 雷 (kaminari, lightning) etched into its face. The windows near the summit caught and reflected the morning light.
Without a hint of ceremony, Denji burst through one of the windows, landing in the Raikage's office.
"Yoo!" Denji greeted casually, ignoring the shattered glass around him.
"Damn it, Denji! Every time you come here, I have to replace that damn window!" the Raikage roared, hurling his desk through the already broken frame.
"Come on, old man, it's not my fault. It's something your kid and I have in common. Besides, we're the richest village in the shinobi world — who cares about a window?"
"Brats!" the Raikage growled, sighing as he remembered quieter days. "You used to be such sweet kids."
Denji gave a slight smile, then his expression turned serious.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
The Raikage's face grew somber.
"Denji... We've gathered intel. The medics managed to recover memories from some of the fallen — with their families' permission."
Denji's expression darkened. He sat across from the Raikage, locking eyes with him as his chakra began to turn a deep, burning red.
The presence of Matatabi emerged in a blazing aura that flickered around Denji's body.
"Settle down, kitty," the Raikage said calmly, speaking to the Bijū.
The pressure in the room lifted. Denji exhaled deeply, regaining control.
"Sorry, old man. Go on."
The Raikage nodded, his gaze heavy.
"When Sakura was attacked, the one behind it was Desu."
Denji's eyes lit with hatred.
"I know. I was told he was a spy," he growled, his fury unmistakable — though the aura remained contained.
"Desu took advantage of the trust Sakura had in him. After all, she saved his life when he was a child — the same as Senji. He lived among us for years, growing up in Kumogakure. But in the end... he stabbed her in the back."
Denji clenched his fists but said nothing. His whole body trembled with restrained fury.
—Sakura reacted instantly and killed him on the spot —the Raikage continued—, but she was poisoned during the attack. A poison so potent that not even she, at her best, could have cured it.
The Raikage paused for a moment, watching Denji, who seemed on the verge of emotional collapse.
—Aware she wouldn't survive, she used her medical chakra to protect Yoruichi inside her womb, preventing the poison from reaching her. This worsened her wound and spread the poison even faster...
"She maintained the technique as long as she could until the doctors found her. When they did, she ordered them to focus on saving the baby."
The Raikage swallowed before continuing.
—Yoruichi was born in the middle of chaos. Just then, Konoha launched its attack. The doctors were killed during the delivery, but Sakura, with a fatal wound and poison spreading throughout her body, fought with Yoruichi in her arms.
The Raikage paused. His voice became solemn.
—She managed to kill the attackers, but she was at her limit. She found a place to hide, and with her last strength, she wrapped Yoruichi in her arms. Shortly after... she died.
A heavy silence filled the room. Denji looked at the floor, his hands trembling as he processed the truth. Finally, he raised his gaze, determined.
—Thank you for telling me, old man. My wife... gave her life for our daughter. Now it's my turn to protect her.
The Raikage nodded, standing up and hugging Denji while giving a strong pat on his back.
—Don't forget it, Denji. Sakura trusted you. Don't waste that sacrifice.
[Three Months Later]
Time flew by as the war continued to wear down the shinobi world. New conflicts arose every day, but none of this affected Yoruichi too much.
She spent her days in the crib, moving as little as necessary and dedicating herself to mental training, the only thing she could do in her current state.
Over the three months, Yoruichi came to know well all those who cared for her.
First was her father, Denji.
Denji was a calm and cold man, with a distant aura that constantly surrounded him. However, beneath that facade, Yoruichi perceived a man with a noble heart, willing to give everything for those he loved.
He always worried about her well-being and the well-being of the village, balancing his role as a Shinobi and as a father.
Then there was Senji, whom Yoruichi considered almost like a second father.
Whenever Denji had to leave on escort missions to deliver supplies to the war camps, Senji would take care of her. He spent all his time with her, making sure she had everything she needed and pampering her whenever he could.
There was also the Raikage, her "great-grandfather." He was a kind and warm man who had spent almost a month with her before leaving for the front lines to lead the fight against Konoha.
Whenever he was with Yoruichi, he spoke proudly of her potential, assuring everyone that he saw great talent in her to master the Raiton style.
Among the occasional visits were Kimiko and Zoma. Yoruichi couldn't help but notice that they felt something for each other, even though they were too stubborn to admit it.
Zoma, in particular, seemed burdened with guilt every time he looked at her. Yoruichi knew that he blamed himself for her mother's death, but she couldn't blame him.
She had heard that her birth had occurred amidst a chaotic attack, born from an internal betrayal followed by a suicide assault by the ninjas of Konoha.
As the saying goes: "Betrayal always comes from the least expected person."
No one in Kumogakure could have predicted such a devastating blow, let alone that someone trusted would become the enemy.
Yoruichi understood that blaming Zoma wouldn't change anything. He had no way of foreseeing what would happen. More than anger, what she felt toward him was compassion, because she could see how much the past tormented him.
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End of Chapter 7
These chapters and the previous one are short, slice-of-life chapters, so I'm uploading them quickly. The next one will also be posted soon, probably when I finish editing chapter 17 for Patreon. (Right now we're at chapter 14 for Patreon, which marks the end of the current story arc (fast-forward the arc two more chapters, from chapter 12 above), once I finish editing, I'll post up to chapter 17).