Chapter 394: 394. Chapter 386: Entering the Finals

394. Chapter 386: Entering the Finals

"So, you're very wealthy now?"

Uchiha Gin tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with a peculiar light as he looked at Kakuzu. He loved making friends with rich people—

even though none of them could possibly be richer than him.

"Uh..."

Kakuzu was busy carefully counting the storage scrolls he carried on his person when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, a sense of being coveted rising within him.

Instinctively clutching the scrolls, Kakuzu looked at Uchiha Gin with a very wary expression.

"All my money is in the bank, in a fixed-term account."

Don't even think about squeezing a single copper out of me!

"Don't misunderstand. A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it through proper means."

Seeing Kakuzu's intense reaction, Uchiha Gin waved his hand immediately. Although he liked to swindle money, he always did it legitimately and in accordance with the heavens; he was hardly the type to resort to robbery.

Just as Uchiha Gin was pondering how to extract Kakuzu's gold coins through proper channels, Seeing Shenhuo, with a fluctuating expression, walked over with his wife.

However, compared to Seeing Shenhuo's troubled look, Zhenzi was much more interested in the Mixue Mixue Bingcheng milk tea in her hand. She puffed out her cheeks while chewing on the mellow, delicious drink, her half-closed eyes filled with happiness.

"Master Sword! This is delicious; I brought you a cup too~"

Zhenzi smiled and handed a warm cup of milk tea to Kakuzu, earning a slightly reproachful look from him.

"Why waste money on this? A cup costs 1,000 ryo; that's enough for my living expenses for a week."

"I won this cup in a lucky draw. It would be a waste if you didn't drink it."

"Waste is shameful."

After Zhenzi's explanation, Kakuzu, adhering to his philosophy of thrift, finally accepted the milk tea, though a hint of relief lingered in the corners of his eyes.

The heartwarming scene, filled with familial affection, was so dazzling that Uchiha Gin couldn't keep his eyes open. Since when did Kakuzu adopt a daughter?

"Are you two putting on a performance of 'strict father and filial daughter' for me?"

"I'm not close to her, it's just..."

Kakuzu, who was happily drinking his milk tea, instinctively retorted upon hearing Uchiha Gin's teasing tone.

However, seeing the look of disappointment on Zhenzi's face, his mouth paused, and he didn't finish his sentence.

Seeing Shenhuo stepped forward, standing before the gossiping Uchiha Gin. Under the latter's puzzled gaze, he performed a perfect *dogeza* with his butt high in the air.

"Please, I beg you, help Zhenzi!"

"Oh?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow, resting his chin on his hands, wearing an expression that said, "Continue, I'm listening."

"Zhenzi, she... she's pregnant."

"I know."

"Huh?"

"I'm not blind. Her belly is so big; it can't just be from overeating, right?"

"Crunch~ crunch~ crunch~"

Seeing Seeing Shenhuo's shocked expression, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but roll his eyes. But just as he started, an untimely crunching sound rose from the side.

"Master Sword, the corn I brought from home tastes good, right? I grew it myself~"

Zhenzi, having pulled a large parcel from somewhere, was munching happily on the corn she'd taken out. Not only did she stuff her own mouth, but she also generously shared an ear with Kakuzu.

"Thanks, I'm not hungry."

Looking at the plump kernels, Kakuzu waved his hand in refusal with a face full of black lines.

"Zhenzi, your appetite is as good as ever."

"Because I need to replenish nutrients lately."

As she spoke, a small mountain of corn cobs grew on the ground. If the Koreans saw this, they would definitely cry out about the waste.

"Of course, it's not impossible that it's just from eating too much..."

Seeing this scene, Uchiha Gin changed his tune, wearing the same expression as Kakuzu.

"Zhenzi is a bit gluttonous, but she really is pregnant."

Seeing Shenhuo looked at his wife, who was devouring food, and scratched his head in embarrassment. A flash of pity crossed his eyes, followed by deep worry.

"However, there's something wrong with our child."

"Tell me about it."

Uchiha Gin glanced at Zhenzi, who was eating like an ox, and spoke up.

"Wu told Zhenzi that the child she's carrying is a monster."

"What exactly is going on?"

Kakuzu, who had been eavesdropping from the side, couldn't help but interject, his worry appearing genuine.

"My Lord, that was just Wu's one-sided claim."

Zhenzi, who was chewing corn, leaned over, pouting unhappily.

"But your health has been getting worse every day since you got pregnant. Doesn't that match what Wu said?"

Seeing Shenhuo straightened his face, pointing at Zhenzi, who was covered in food scraps, and said with a pained expression.

"Uh... it's just that my body has become a bit weak. Isn't that similar to the early pregnancy symptoms the doctor in town mentioned?"

Zhenzi, not wanting her husband to worry too much, retorted stubbornly.

"Zhenzi, if you're really not feeling well, go to a proper hospital and find a good doctor to check it out."

Kakuzu finally understood Zhenzi's current situation. When they met earlier, he thought she was just pregnant,

and he had even planned to prepare a red envelope after the competition, but he hadn't expected there to be a problem with the child.

"Come here and let me take a look."

This situation was quite interesting. As someone with strong curiosity, Uchiha Gin naturally wouldn't miss such an unheard-of occurrence, and he beckoned to the indignant Zhenzi.

"It's not that I doubt your strength, Decade-bro, but when it comes to obstetrics and gynecology, do you really know anything?"

Zhenzi, who walked over very reluctantly, looked at Uchiha Gin with suspicion.

"I know a little, a little~"

As expected, handsome people are always met with inexplicable skepticism.

"I still think the gynecological expert in Konoha is more reliable."

"Uh... my technique is about fifty-fifty with his. If you don't believe me, wait until I'm done checking you, then go find him and see if we say the exact same thing."

He hadn't expected Zhenzi to doubt his medical skills. However, wearing this mask, he indeed lacked credibility. Uchiha Gin didn't get angry and signaled for her to extend her hand.

Placing his hand on Zhenzi's wrist, Uchiha Gin sent a wisp of sensory chakra into her body, passing through a long meridian path until it finally reached the cradle where the baby was growing.

"Eh?"

Uchiha Gin frowned. The child Zhenzi was carrying indeed had some issues.

In his perception, the newly formed infant was emitting an aura identical to that of the monster Wu.

Fearing he might have misdiagnosed, Uchiha Gin switched on his Byakugan, his gaze piercing through layers of obstacles until it reached the infant, seeing it clearly.

"It really is..."

After confirming it repeatedly, he deactivated his Byakugan, withdrew his hand, and began to ponder while stroking his chin.

Something was wrong—very, very wrong. Although Zhenzi had been possessed by Wu, after he sealed Wu into a card, she should have returned to being a normal human. How could she be carrying a child with Wu's chakra?

"What did that monster say to you?"

Lacking a lead, Uchiha Gin turned to ask what Wu had said.

"Uh... it said this child is its."

When asked this question, Zhenzi's face looked a bit unpleasant, but she answered truthfully.

"Huh? Kid, you've been cuckolded!"

Uchiha Gin turned his head, looking at the anxious Seeing Shenhuo beside him with a face full of consolation.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing Shenhuo was anxious. His love for Zhenzi was firm; he would never commit adultery.

"Exactly, exactly. Wu's voice was female, so how could I have had any... uh?"

Zhenzi also defended him, revealing a piece of information that no one else knew. But as soon as she said it, she froze in place, her face changing from red to green.

"Oho~ Kid, you truly are the successor of the Great Emperor Beifeng!"

With a strange cry, Uchiha Gin's eyes became gossipy. He scanned the bewildered Seeing Shenhuo several times, showing an expression of great admiration.

"I didn't! I don't!"

Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on him, Seeing Shenhuo panicked and waved his hands repeatedly to prove his innocence.

"Zhenzi, believe me, I have only loved you in my life!"

Seeing his wife's face becoming uglier, Seeing Shenhuo quickly raised his hand to swear.

"Seeing Shenhuo, I believe you, but I want to ask you a question."

Zhenzi's expression turned cold. Although she said she believed him, her address became somewhat distant.

"Don't say one; even if it's a hundred or a thousand, I will answer truthfully, without a single word of falsehood."

"Alright then, I'll ask you: how many times do we usually do it in a week?"

"Ah? Do I really have to answer this question?"

Seeing Shenhuo was stunned, his expression becoming awkward.

"You must answer!"

"Five times."

"Crunch!"

The corn cob in her hand instantly turned to powder. Zhenzi looked up, her face terrifyingly dark.

"Is that wrong? Actually, sometimes it's six times, and mostly in the middle of the night when I come back from my watch..."

Thinking he had answered incorrectly, Seeing Shenhuo tried to remedy it, but as he spoke, Zhenzi's expression became even more terrifying.

"Decade-bro, do you know how to perform a physical sterilization? I think Seeing Shenhuo needs a minor surgery."

Zhenzi felt she had been backstabbed. Clearly, the two of them only did it once or twice a week, and always when Seeing Shenhuo was resting during the day. Now he was telling her they were doing it every night—who could stand that?

"Sigh, he just committed the mistake that every man makes."

Uchiha Gin also understood the reason, so he started fanning the flames. Anyway, it had nothing to do with him~

Wu was indeed right; the child in Zhenzi's belly really was its, but it was the crystallization of it and Seeing Shenhuo. Wu must have taken over Zhenzi's body while she was off-guard to build a "small account."

"Go to hell! Seeing Shenhuo!"

Jealousy was burning. Zhenzi never dreamed that one day she would be NTR'd by a monster, and using her own body at that.

She didn't get to enjoy it, and she had to help this pair of adulterers give birth to a child. Who could she go to for justice?

The only way now was to cut it off!

So she swung her fists, picked Seeing Shenhuo up, and gave him a sound beating. The punches landing on flesh made everyone around feel a chill.

"Don't! Zhenzi, I was passive."

Enduring his wife's anger, the aggrieved Seeing Shenhuo couldn't help but appeal for himself.

No wonder Zhenzi was so active at night and so rough—it wasn't her!

"Alright, alright. If you keep hitting him like this, when will he ever die?"

Looking at the bruised Seeing Shenhuo, Uchiha Gin called a stop to the domestic violence.

"Hmph!"

Zhenzi snorted coldly, threw the pig-headed Seeing Shenhuo aside like a rag, and took out corn from her parcel to munch on.

After exercising, she was hungry again.

Ever since she got pregnant, Zhenzi's hunger had become more intense. Fortunately, her vitality was much deeper than an ordinary person's, or she would have been sucked dry by the child in her belly long ago.

"Decade-bro, can you help us?"

The dog-like Seeing Shenhuo crawled to Uchiha Gin's feet and raised his head tremblingly.

"There is a way, but this..."

Uchiha Gin had many solutions for Zhenzi's current situation, but if he told them easily, it would make his status seem cheap. He extended his finger and made a money gesture.

"We have it. This is all the money the two of us have saved over the years. Please, show us a way out!"

Understanding immediately, Seeing Shenhuo pulled out the scroll from his waist and respectfully handed it to Uchiha Gin.

Zhenzi was only three months pregnant, and she was already this weak. If it dragged on, she would likely die before the child was born.

"Tsk... just this much? Do you think I'm running a charity?"

Taking the scroll, Uchiha Gin probed it with anticipation, but his face turned ugly instantly. There was no mountain of gold or silver as he had expected, only a few stacks of banknotes, totaling less than one gold brick.

No, you two have hands and feet; how could you have only saved this little bit of money after all these years?

"Zhenzi's appetite is a bit large, so..."

Seeing Shenhuo scratched his head in embarrassment. He had been working two jobs in town all these years—earning bounties during the day and working as a night watchman at night. Life was considered affluent.

But his wife was too capable of eating. Even as a young girl, Zhenzi was a qualified glutton, and it was even worse after she got pregnant.

Her small body could hold several times its own weight in food, and the requirements weren't low—it had to be high-protein, high-calorie food.

"Are you saying I can eat? You weren't like this before!"

Zhenzi felt cold with anger upon hearing this. Sure enough, everything a man who made a mistake said was wrong.

"If there's only this much, I can't help you. It's not that I must have a lot of money; I just want an attitude~"

Throwing the scroll back, Uchiha Gin spoke with the famous quotes of a certain internet subculture, making people's blood pressure soar.

"This..."

The couple looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

"How much is missing?"

Just then, Kakuzu, who had been listening from the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Uh... Master Sword, you?"

"I have some here. I can lend it to you, but we need to sign a contract."

Kakuzu glanced at the stunned Zhenzi, turned his head away, and skillfully took out paper and pen from his bosom.

"Oh my~ Kakuzu, how much do you have?"

Uchiha Gin smiled and scanned Kakuzu from head to toe, his eyes very teasing.

"That depends on how much you want."

Shaking his head, Kakuzu asked in return.

"Then, for the sake of our acquaintance, just give me this scroll."

His gaze fell on the scroll Kakuzu was holding. Uchiha Gin wasn't greedy; he only wanted that one.

"Are you sure? There's nothing valuable in here."

Kakuzu frowned. The scrolls he was currently organizing contained things he had looted from the Takigakure treasury years ago. Anything that could be liquidated had already been liquidated; all that remained were some bottles and jars.

"That's right. You know, I actually don't love money. I'm not interested in money."

Taking the scroll from Kakuzu's hand, Uchiha Gin put on a grand show, then turned to look at the anxious Zhenzi.

"I have already received the reward from your old father."

"What are you calling me!"

Kakuzu stood up abruptly upon hearing this, his angry eyes carrying a hint of evasion and anticipation.

"What, did I call you wrong?"

"Master Sword, please accept my bow. From now on, you are my father."

Zhenzi bit her lip and walked to the angry Kakuzu, bowing respectfully. After looking up, her expression was very serious.

"Why are you joining him in making a mess? We are not the same kind of people."

Kakuzu frowned and took a step back to distance himself.

"It's not that. Actually, I have long regarded Master Sword as my father."

Years ago, after successfully resolving the Wu crisis, Zhenzi, who had regained consciousness, still had the mindset of a teenager.

Being an orphan, she had lacked familial affection since childhood. It just so happened that the older Kakuzu appeared, and under someone's coercion, he had taught her very seriously how to master the power of the Knight.

After a short period of getting along, the simple Zhenzi had come to regard this stingy old man, who was harsh in words but soft in heart, as her elder.

Even after Kakuzu left, Zhenzi still wrote to him often, asking for advice on cultivation and chatting about daily life. The connection between the two had never truly been broken over these years.

Kakuzu's experience was similar to Zhenzi's. He had also lost his parents in childhood, and after finally growing up, he had been betrayed by his closest partner.

So, thinking he saw through everything, he was only interested in money and deliberately avoided the familial affection Zhenzi conveyed.

On one hand, he was a wanderer with no fixed abode, and his hands were stained with blood; he didn't want to disturb Zhenzi's ordinary life. On the other hand, he was afraid of being betrayed again—a taste Kakuzu didn't want to experience a second time.

"Kakuzu, this is where you're wrong. You're about to have a grandchild, yet you insist on being a loner. Are you afraid of having to give red envelopes during the holidays?"

Looking at the struggling Kakuzu, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but push him.

The Kakuzu in this timeline was still a good person; he hadn't blackened into the miser who was good at backstabbing teammates in the original work.

It was hard to come by such a good bond; why not seize it?

Are you waiting to team up with that lunatic Hidan?

"Nonsense! I, someone, can afford the red envelope for my little grandchild!"

Not expecting the other party to look down on him, Kakuzu turned back to retort instinctively. But after turning around, he saw Zhenzi's excited, teary eyes, and the momentum he had just been holding softened instantly.

"Father~"

"Hey~"

"Father!"

Seeing the heartwarming scene of father and daughter reuniting, Seeing Shenhuo couldn't help but lean over and follow up with a call, putting on a thick-skinned face.

"Get lost! You bastard who bullied my daughter, see if I don't rip your heart out!"

"Alright, alright. Wait until I finish treating the illness, then you can deal with your unfaithful son-in-law~"

Seeing Kakuzu take out his driver with an unkind expression, Uchiha Gin immediately raised his hand to stop him.

"Hmph! Consider yourself lucky, kid. After Zhenzi is cured, I'll deal with you slowly."

Putting the driver away, Kakuzu glared fiercely at the trembling Seeing Shenhuo with his emerald eyes, then turned to look at the smiling Zhenzi, his tone rarely carrying a hint of softness.

"Don't worry, Father will have your back from now on!"

"Thank you, Father~"

Experiencing the feeling of having her family support her, the gloom in Zhenzi's heart vanished. She walked gracefully to Uchiha Gin and looked up, waiting for his solution.

"There are two plans to choose from. First, abort this child."

If this "small account" created by Wu continued to grow, Zhenzi, as the seedbed, would be sucked dry like Nagato, even with the vitality of the Senju clan.

Removing the child now would minimize the losses, and the lost vitality could be recovered by seven or eight-tenths after some recuperation.

Uchiha Gin's first plan silenced all three of them. Zhenzi's eyes were filled with deep reluctance, and she lowered her head to touch her slightly protruding belly, her expression extremely complex.

After all, this was the first life she had nurtured. Even if the main participant wasn't herself, it was ultimately going to come out of her belly. How could she accept it when told to abort it so suddenly?

"Abort! Now, immediately, must abort!"

On the contrary, Seeing Shenhuo, after some mental struggle, gritted his teeth and spoke.

This kind of "save the mother or save the child" question should be answered by any man by choosing to save the mother.

"Zhenzi, what do you think?"

Kakuzu didn't express his stance, instead asking for the opinion of the person involved.

"I want to hear the second plan."

This answer basically rejected the first plan. Uchiha Gin nodded and continued.

"The second plan is to strengthen your own constitution. As long as your health bar is thick enough, you can support the child until birth."

Zhenzi's current predicament was that her expenditure exceeded her income. She relied on consuming large amounts of food to barely maintain the child's needs in her belly, and when that wasn't enough, she had to add her own vitality.

In short, her constitution was too weak. If it were Hashirama, he could give birth to ten or eight of them in one go without any issue~

"Strengthen the constitution?"

A flash of thought crossed Kakuzu's eyes. He hesitated for a moment before asking,

"Can my Earth Grudge Fear technique..."

"It's not impossible, but the demand will be a bit higher."

He hadn't expected Kakuzu's imagination to be so wild, actually thinking of using Earth Grudge Fear to enhance Zhenzi's constitution. However, doing so would come at a very heavy price for this family.

Not only would they have to constantly scout for new hearts, but Zhenzi would also be reduced to a monster covered in black tentacles.

"Is the vitality of one more person enough?"

Suddenly, Seeing Shenhuo, who had been silent for a long time, raised his head and asked a baffling question.

This guy, could it be...

"Probably not enough. Looking at this child's appetite, the vitality of an ordinary person is just a drop in the bucket."

Uchiha Gin finally took a serious look at Seeing Shenhuo, who didn't have much presence. Since he could ask such a question, combined with his birthplace, he should have hidden some small bloodline limit.

"What should we do then?"

The three, rejected one after another, were at their wits' end.

However, just then, Uchiha Gin, who had been waiting for the best opportunity, smiled and raised the scroll he had just traded for.

"Actually, I have a miracle drug here. It just depends on how much you're willing to pay~" (End of chapter)

On the battlefield, the only one who hadn't transformed yet, Jin Jiao, looked at the backs of the few people leaving and curled his lips in disdain.

These weaklings weren't worthy of competing on the same stage as them at all. Mr. Gin was still too kind.

"The way you talk is quite cocky, I just don't know if your 'thing' is small?"

At some point, the white fox knight stood behind him, his words carrying a faint fighting spirit.

"My 'thing' is very big, do you want to compare?" (End of chapter)