Chapter 110: Katō Shōzan

He guessed for a long time, and the more he guessed, the more curious Torifū became. So, he decided to ask directly; otherwise, he might feel uncomfortable all day.

"Auntie Mamiko, you usually don't seem to like wearing this style of clothing, do you? Why today..."

Mamiko chuckled, surprised that Torifū had even noticed that. "Because Auntie is expecting a baby, it's been three months."

Goodness, Torifū had thought of many possibilities but had forgotten about pregnancy. That made perfect sense. From the first time Torifū saw Mamiko wearing such loose clothes, she must have only recently discovered it herself. This was joyful news for the Katō family, and Torifū congratulated Mamiko.

By this logic, Mamiko's second child should be Shizune's father. After all, Shizune is Katō Dan's niece. Shizune's father never appeared in the anime, presumably having died in some war. It truly felt like a pity. If Katō Dan hadn't died, the Katō clan might really have produced a Hokage. Even if not a Hokage, with the Spirit Transformation Technique, he would surely have secured a place among Konoha's many clans in the future.

However, now that Torifū had arrived in this world, he certainly wouldn't let tragedy happen again. And the Katō couple had taken such good care of Torifū, basically acting as his semi-parents. Though for some reason, Dan had always been a little afraid of Torifū, Torifū thought it might be because young children are often shy around strangers. After all, he hadn't spent much time with Dan.

"Does Auntie Mamiko hope for a boy or a girl?"

Mamiko thought for a moment when Torifū asked this, then smiled and said, "I hope for a daughter, but Dan has always wanted a brother. Either way, I'll love them very much."

Torifū chatted with Mamiko for a while longer, and then they returned to the Katō home together. Torifū had visited countless times since childhood and felt completely at ease, as if it were his own home. Dan was in the yard, tinkering with something. Seeing his mother return, he immediately rushed over.

"Mom, you're back so soon! Did you miss Dan?"

Mamiko stroked Dan's head. "Mom met your Torifū-nii on the way. He gave Mom some very fresh vegetables, and he's also here to eat at home." Hearing Mamiko say Torifū was also there, Dan tilted his head slightly, just enough for his eyes to see behind Mamiko. Indeed, Dan saw Torifū standing behind Mamiko, smiling at him.

"Hello, Dan, do you remember me?"

Dan hugged his mother's hand even tighter. "Y-Yes... I remember, you're Torifū-nii."

"Such a good boy. Here, have a dango."

Seeing Torifū pull a dango from his ring, Dan swallowed hard. After much internal debate, he finally let go of Mamiko's hand and slowly walked towards Torifū. Mamiko watched her son's expression from the side, barely suppressing her laughter. Dan took the dango, quietly mumbled "thank you," and began to eat. Torifū then realized that this blue-haired little boy was quite cute and didn't have a troublesome child's temper.

As Dan ate, he secretly observed Torifū. The little boy who had always been a bit afraid of Torifū was defeated by a single dango. After eating, Dan even started chatting with Torifū on his own, though the topics were limited to the 'little treasures' he had discovered in the yard. When Torifū went to look, he found they were just small insects. Children truly are adorable.

Torifū wasn't impatient at all and followed Dan on a tour of his various 'little treasures' in the yard. This completely dispelled Dan's fear of Torifū, and the two gradually grew familiar with each other.

Not long after, Dan's father, Katō Shōzan, returned. He was very happy to see Torifū at home. "Torifū, it's been a while since you last visited."

"Yes, Uncle Shōzan, I've been on missions lately. I finally get to rest for a few days."

Shōzan smiled. "You should still pay attention to getting enough rest. You're still young, don't overwork yourself." Shōzan had always been quite worried about Torifū. After all, a child so young going on various dangerous missions was truly unsettling. Shōzan was also a first-rate ninja in the village, but some of Torifū's missions, even he wouldn't dare to take on easily after seeing them, because he wasn't confident he could complete them.

Occasionally, Shōzan would sigh, wondering why Kumotsuru-san's son turned out so exceptional. He glanced at his own son, and the comparison was truly stark; the gap immediately became apparent. However, Shōzan wouldn't force his son to reach any particular height. Not all children were Kumotsuru Torifū.

Shōzan only hoped that Dan could surpass him in the future. It wasn't an insurmountable task, after all, there were many ninja in the village with strength similar to Shōzan's. If Dan couldn't even reach that level, then he would only be a lower-to-middle-tier ninja. Developing the Katō clan would be out of the question.

"Shōzan, you're back! Hurry and wash your hands, dinner's ready." Mamiko's voice echoed from inside the house. Shōzan responded upon hearing her. The couple's relationship was very good; they almost never argued and were still very much in love after so many years of marriage. Torifū believed that perhaps such a family was the reason Dan grew up to be such an excellent ninja.

Not long after, Mamiko had finished cooking and called everyone to eat. Shōzan was the first to sit at the table, sniffing the array of dishes. He praised Mamiko's cooking profusely. Dan was still reluctant, wanting to continue showing Torifū the things in his yard, but Torifū forcibly pulled him to the dinner table.

Torifū felt a warmth like home then. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. Was it since he transmigrated? Or since his parents sacrificed themselves? He couldn't remember anymore. However, Torifū was a relatively optimistic person and didn't like to constantly look back.

After eating a hearty meal, he was incredibly full. He had to admit, Mamiko's cooking was truly excellent. These past few days, Torifū had been eating meals bought from outside, which couldn't compare to Mamiko's. After dinner, Torifū chatted with the couple for a while longer, telling them about the interesting things that had happened these past few days. Time passed quickly, and it was already nap time, so Torifū didn't bother them anymore.

After saying goodbye to the Katō couple, he returned to his own home. Aokumo and Ryūfū were still not home, off God knows where. The old hen lay leisurely sunbathing in the yard. A peaceful and harmonious scene.