Chapter 406: Tobitake Saitama
In the blink of an eye, a year passed.
A child named Tobitake Saitama was born at the Konoha Hospital.
Waaah!
A sharp infant cry rang out, echoing through the halls of the entire Konoha Hospital so clearly that everyone could hear it. It was incredibly resounding.
"His breath is remarkably strong," Shizune remarked as she walked out holding the newborn, speaking directly to Tobitake Tonbo.
It was indeed remarkably strong. For a newborn baby to cry that loudly was something even Tonbo hadn't expected.
Before the birth, he had already sensed the vibrant life force inside Ayame. He just hadn't expected such an extraordinary phenomenon to manifest the moment the child entered the world. To make a sound capable of echoing through the entire hospital was nothing short of an anomaly.
Hearing the commotion, several nearby medical ninja began walking over to see what was going on, but Shizune quickly shooed them away.
"Tonbo, this child's life force is even greater than Naruto's was," Shizune said. Having personally examined Naruto's body in the past, she could clearly perceive the staggering vitality coursing through Tobitake Saitama, as well as the massive amount of chakra enveloping his chakra pathway system.
He was born naturally endowed with immense life force and chakra.
"It's high, alright. I'm just a bit worried he might be a little simple-minded."
Naming him Saitama was a reflection of the deep expectations Tonbo placed on his fourth son after sensing that tremendous physical vitality. However, the thought of him being a bit slow in the head also crossed his mind.
After all, his older twin children, Tianyu and Maki, had inherited his sensory talents, while Tobitake Keigo had inherited his intellect. This new child had been conceived after Tonbo's own body had evolved to a much more perfect state, meaning it was highly likely the boy had solely inherited his physical and taijutsu capabilities—especially that raw life force.
It felt like fate, considering Tonbo had just completed development on his Taijutsu Training System and was simply waiting for taijutsu ninja to arrive and test it out. If someone with such a powerful life force utilized that training system, their results would undoubtedly far surpass ordinary people. Taijutsu, unlike ninjutsu, relied heavily on the physical form. If a body could self-heal and sustain intense, grueling workouts without relying heavily on medicinal supplements, it would provide an absolute competitive edge.
Shizune was somewhat speechless at his comment. "Is there any father who disses his own child like that?"
Though she poked fun at him, Shizune couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. She had been far too busy over the last few years and still hadn't found a partner. It was practically driving her crazy. At thirty-four years old, she had officially become an older single woman entirely for the sake of Konoha's development—much like the Mizukage over in Kirigakure.
Sigh. Who could possibly date someone as relentlessly busy as her? She wanted to have a baby too.
She was well aware that her acquaintances from the newer generation, like Sakura, Ino, and Tenten, were all married now, and most were already pregnant. Naruto's child was also due in about seven or eight months. The sheer envy was killing her.
Maybe I should just settle down with Kakashi and get it over with? Shizune would occasionally find herself thinking this. But Kakashi wasn't exactly the type of guy cut out for romance; he wasn't her ideal partner at all. Besides, Kakashi didn't have that kind of interest in her either. It was truly a difficult situation.
"I'm not dissing him. By the way, how is Ayame doing? Should I use a medical ninjutsu to help her recover faster?" Tonbo asked as he took the baby into his arms. Looking down at the completely hairless, smooth head of the infant, he had a slightly ominous premonition. Nevertheless, his priority was checking on his wife inside.
Shizune replied, "No need. Just hold the baby for now. Let Ayame recover naturally. Relying on ninjutsu for every little thing isn't good for the body."
Since Ayame wasn't a kunoichi, Tonbo gave it some thought and decided it was fine to let her body handle it naturally, even if the recovery process took a bit longer.
"Good grief, just thinking about how many more babies I'll have to deliver in the future makes my head ache," Shizune complained, feeling utterly exasperated. Especially now, with Sakura and Ino both staying at home due to their pregnancies instead of working, every major and minor issue in the hospital fell squarely onto her shoulders. She was annoyed to death.
"Why don't you apply for retirement with Kakashi? It really is time for you to find a partner. Otherwise, when you're old, you'll just be watching everyone else raise their kids," Tonbo suggested, trying to offer some advice.
"No way. Lord Tsunade entrusted this position to me, so I have to do it well. Let's just wait a bit longer."
"Suit yourself. Either way, I'm only doing what I want to do these days. Living a retired life is absolutely wonderful." Tonbo chuckled.
Holding Tobitake Saitama, he channeled his chakra to examine the child's body. He discovered that aside from the overwhelming life force, there was indeed a specific pathway in the boy's head that seemed to constrict his brain, preventing the highly active mental state his siblings possessed.
However, this specific pathway was intricately linked to every part of his body, and that massive pool of vitality was surging directly out from it. It was remarkably similar to how the Uchiha's Sharingan stimulated a unique chakra secretion within the body to unlock specialized powers; this physical pathway functioned in the exact same manner. Once the boy began training his body in the future, a unique physical chakra would be generated, entirely unleashing his physical potential. He was a textbook taijutsu prodigy.
If ocular jutsu relied on visual prowess, should this physical pathway be called 'Life Power' or a 'Limiter'?
Tonbo promptly executed a sealing formula, temporarily sealing off this pathway. Because it completely suppressed other regions of the brain, he was worried it might severely bottleneck the child's IQ. Even under the seal, the pathway continued to exude power, though it was significantly muted compared to a moment ago.
"I'll undo the seal once he graduates from the Ninja Academy. Otherwise, I'm afraid he really will grow up to be completely single-minded."
Tonbo ultimately chose to seal away the child's innate power, planning to release it only after the boy had established a proper worldview and core values at the school.
Shizune noticed his movements but didn't intervene. She knew Tonbo would never harm his own flesh and blood; whatever he did was bound to be for the child's own good.
"Thanks for your help with the delivery. Honestly, any other doctor could have handled it," Tonbo thanked her.
Shizune's expression soured even further. "If it weren't for the fact that you're a hero of the Shinobi World..." She had lost yet another window of free time to look for a boyfriend. It was just too hard.
Seeing Ayame being wheeled out of the delivery room, Tonbo walked over. Noticing that she was fast asleep, he refrained from disturbing her. Instead, he cradled the crying Saitama and began strolling casually through the hospital, wanting to let the baby see a bit of the world.
"Tonbo-sensei, is this your fourth child? Why is he completely bald?"
Just then, Sai walked over, accompanying Ino. Spotting Tonbo, Ino stepped forward to greet him, her curiosity piqued when she caught sight of Saitama in his arms. Although she currently ran the Intelligence Division, she was also an exceptionally skilled medical kunoichi who had delivered babies herself. She had truly never seen a newborn with absolutely no baby hair.
Sai greeted, "Senior Tonbo."
Tonbo replied, "Yeah, I can't figure it out either. I have no idea why he's bald."
"Ah! My baby won't be born bald too, will they? Please, no!" Ino suddenly panicked, imagining herself in that scenario. If she gave birth to a completely bald baby, that image would be too much to bear.
Sai reassured her, "Not necessarily. But they should definitely have blonde hair just like yours."
"Blonde hair... alright, that's fine." Hearing Sai's words, Ino calmed down, realizing her family's genetics were incredibly dominant. Her child would definitely be a blonde.
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