Setsuna's P.O.V.

Three more months passed and, as it turns out, Tsunade's return from her escort mission was even more interesting than I expected. Of course, for the sake of some brownie points with teacher I waited until the day before she came back to inform her of Kushina's condition. The girl did not know I informed teacher, but Minato was already out on a mission to gather the funds for them to properly marry soon, so the Uzumaki would have to be happy that her boyfriend was safe from the fate of emasculation.

Needless to say, teacher flipped when she heard my report and made her entire squad dash to return to Konoha no stops. When she entered the village she didn't even go to report to the Hokage, dropping the responsibility of reporting to him and anything else onto Hizashi as instead she dashed to the Senju compound. The tongue lashing Tsunade gave Kushina was something I thought only someone named Karen with TPM could manage, but the last Senjuu managed to go well and beyond it.

Of course, for the sake of my own safety I threw the blame as to why I did not realize what was going on between Minato and Kushina on the fact I was too busy with my research on medicine and the rest (which really was not a lie). Add in that Kushina only ever did it with Minato while I was out in the forest there was no way for me to tell either way.

It was a lie, of course, but teacher did not need to know that and I would rather Kushina be thrown under the bus instead of myself. After several days of the two women yelling at each other at such heights that, if I did not know any better, I would believe they were practicing some form of sound based jutsu, things calmed down… not.

Tsunade, after she calmed down (and hunted Jiraya who got his dick literally broken by the woman) went from furious to pretty much a mother hen. She'd focus a lot of her time in taking care and making sure Kushina and the baby were safe and healthy. Teacher went so far as to do daily check-ins on Kushina and the baby to make sure things were going well and had thought of just how they were to make sure that Kushina was safe when giving birth.

Kushina was a jinchuuriki, after all. As the pregnancy advances, and especially during childbirth, the seals in her would grow weaker and weaker. If any other village tries to attack Kushina at that time and something unexpected happens, it would be a disaster. Tsunade talked with the third hokage about it and they seem to have come to some decision and they are quite sure that this should work.

Just hope they don't do the same thing as what happened in the other timeline when Kushina gave birth. I still have no clue why Minato didn't just let Kushina give birth somewhere like Mount Myoboku or something. If it was there, even if someone attacked there would be no risk of Konoha being damaged and even if the Nine Tails started to act up or try something there would be little risk of it accomplishing much. Not with the many giant toads there that could more or less keep it in check.

Anyway, teacher was far too busy with Kushina's situation and helping the woman prepare the couple's future house and their marriage. Pretty sure Minato's finances will go down to zero by the time teacher is done with it, but that seems like a sacrifice the yellow flash of konoha is willing to take.

At least teacher was extremely happy after all this. She does seem to crave a lot for having a family properly, after all, so a kid from Kushina was almost like a little niece for her and even before being born I saw that the two women were already preparing themselves to pamper the child.

Unfortunately, that all means that during these months teacher lacked the time to help me with my training. Fortunately, teacher arranged three things for me that had helped me quite a lot.

First, she brought along several puppets, some complete and some more parts than anything, for me to use. She even gave me a cut from the reward of the escort mission since I helped them with healing, something the rest of the members agreed after they heard that I was the one healing them during the fighting, so I had enough funds for me to make my own puppets after studying the designs from Suna.

They were certainly interesting designs, very intricate and it was clear that they were deadly as all heck, anyone who tries to dissect them would either die from doing so or get nothing as the whole thing was set up on a way to pretty much crumble the moment one does so without the right method.

Good thing the Byakugan was able to bypass all those silly things and help me, after a lot of time, understand how the puppets work. Shame it seems like it would be a huge pain to master it properly, but I can at least learn more on how the hidden weapons they use work to design some for my own use.

It cost quite the sum, sure, but my request back to the land of craftsmen should be made after a while. This should at least cover up somewhat for me and my awful shurikenjutsu technique, when the parts arrive I should be able to set them up properly to get my very own machine gun of senbons and such by using basic fuinjutsu and other things.

This, however, didn't mean I had more free time. If anything, my time grew even shorter since I could focus even more of my time on training sealing techniques. And, once more, teacher came in clutch by teaching me the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Yes, that shadow clone jutsu that Naruto would have as a signature technique and, after learning it, I can confidently say that Naruto was bullshit. Like, I can only make two shadow clones at most, and if I make two then I might as well forget about practicing any ninjutsu since my chakra reserves would be running on fumes.

I was honestly shocked I could even pull off two clones, this is a rather chakra intensive jutsu but then again I have been training my physique for a while now and have been advancing nicely in several ways. I estimate that in two or so more years I would have the same chakra amount as the typical jonin, maybe even a bit higher than that.

One for my research on medicine, Strange Force Technique, and trying to improve chakra control, the other for my research on sealing (with the war coming soon it is better I learn sealing in case a Bijuu shows up, even if I doubt I can seal one right now). As for my own main body? I spent my time doing tai chi, practicing gentle fist to improve my eyes, and the most important of all was that I started trying to figure out the Seven Breaths Method.

If some chump from Suna who had no help of background to create it could manage this technique, then so did I! I even used my Byakugan to analyze and try to create an ideal breath method for my own body, kinda like what we see in Kimetsu no Yaiba.

I even had Duy, Guy, and Sakumo helping me with that one since Guy was the sort of guy who was absurdly talented for Taijutsu, his father was not much less of a genius when it comes to it, and Sakumo was someone who has reached an extremely high level in kenjutsu which obviously had great care for how they breath.

Currently I was walking back home from my training with Duy and Sakumo. The two are making great advances on the technique based on the theory I gave them and in just two months they had already helped figure out the first two breaths. I helped, of course, by using my Byakugan and helping heal them whenever something went wrong, but it was still certainly an impressive growth rate. After experiencing it, both agreed that the boost, while not as extreme as that of the Eight Inner Gates, had the advantage that it could be used with much less drawbacks and that it did not affect the chakra flow itself so this technique could be used while allowing other jutsus to be used.

Duy even tried using it together with the Eight Inner Gates, the control became much harder and the drawback from the Eight Inner Gates became higher, but the compound boost effect was also much greater which made the two best friends (because of course they'd become that) grin in excitement over the prospects.

SWOOSH

"Huh? What was that?" I muttered as I saw a small shadow pass by so fast I barely managed to see it as it ran into one of the compound's buildings.

Maybe it is some sort of spy beast or something? It is surprising the seals around the compound did not catch whatever it is that came inside, but I should still go check what is going on.

Or, to be more exact-

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." I said as I created a third shadow clone. If there is some kind of spy, I should send a shadow clone while I personally go to check on teacher and inform her of the situation.

The clone, knowing what it should do, moved ahead sneakily as I dispelled one of my other two clones. I felt a sharp headache from all the experience it accumulated, but the more important thing is that I recovered enough chakra to be able to get going and reach teacher before anything may happen.

Good luck that Shizune went with teacher and Kushina as they went to… check for wedding decorations.

Is it too late to let the clone go to them and I risk my life facing the spy animal? It honestly sounds like the best idea for my sanity.

Clone's P.O.V.

Approaching the room where the shadow went I went as quietly as I could manage inside. I would have used my byakugan but this part of the compound was made in the time when Tobirama was around and the guy was far too paranoid to not make as much of the compound as he could immune to the Byakugan.

Sneaking in, I managed to see what exactly entered the place.

It was a twenty-centimeter long black mouse chewing on a piece of metal alloy from the puppets Tsunade brought over. And then, in the blink of an eye, the black mouse appeared tens of meters away in a different direction, and began to nibble on a piece of blue tile. The black mouse's fur appeared very soft. Its eyes were guileless, and its paws were furry. In a word, it looked super cute.

"What an adorable little fellow. And how amazingly fast!" Hiding by the doorway, I muttered in shock. Most mice wouldn't reach such a size, and most mice were loathsome creatures, but this mouse seemed particularly adorable, almost as if it was more like a fluffy toy instead of a regular rat.

But, most importantly of all… it was astonishingly fast. Like, I honestly never saw anyone moving that fast unless they were using some form of ninjutsu, but this fellow is just using pure speed for this.

"Strange, how can it be so fast? If it was a regular summon beast then it would be bigger if it can reach this speed, unless…."

My mouth dried as I closed the door and went as fast and silently as possible back to the Senjuu archives. Being a clan that has existed since the time of the sage of six paths and having a natural high affinity for nature in all its forms the Senjuu library included many things. Not only were there many ninjutsu available, but there were also many books on all sorts of matters including when it comes to many unique beasts and summon beast sub species.

That rat, considering its coloration and its speed, I am almost sure it is… THIS.

"It looks like it is a mixed blood of Shadow Mice and Stone rat. Considering its fur and its speed, as well as its trying to eat metal, this should not be any mistake."

I gulp as I read the description of both races. Shadow Mice are one of the subtypes of the Rat race, they are capable of blending in darkness and can move at high speeds, the top members of this race move so fast that unless they are being chased by someone using space-time ninjutsu it would be impossible to catch them. Meanswhile Stone Rats are a relatively much more common species, they love to eat stone and other metals, part of the durability of the metals and stone they consume is transferred over to their fur and teeth making them incredibly resistance to damage and being also able to chew through even the toughest of chakra metals given time.

That a mix of the two just showed up here like this, it is quite incredible. But, most importantly, it has a brownish tone of fur which indicates it is still extremely young, but its size is already bigger than the normal size for any of the two species' infants.

A benign mutation? If so, I am truly incredibly lucky. A creature like that, if it grows well, can help in many unique ways for sure.

I then start searching around for a contract scroll. There should be some in here somewhere, but I can't seem to find any!

Damn, damn, I need that scroll fast if I want to get that beast as a contracted one.

I spent the next twenty minutes searching all around, but there were no such empty contract scrolls I could use. Kushina should have some, but she seals her anex tight with seals after a small prank I did to her a while back (I just put some glitter on her shampoo, how would I know she had a meeting with all her friends that night?).

Think, think, if I just dispel then the main body would know what is happening and likely get Tsunade to help out, but who knows if they would be able to come back before that rat escapes.

No, there is still a way to do this. I just need to befriend the little critter and that should be enough. If I can keep it here until the main body returns with Tsunade and the others, it should be simple to get it as a contracted beast!

Checking the description of the book I see what the favorite food of the two species were. Moving fast, I darted to the treasury of the Senjuu compound, teacher already told me that I can get stuff there as long as it is not her gambling money, which is all of it.

The Senjuu family treasury can be divided into four parts. The first was where the art pieces they accumulated or made over the centuries, the second was where all the money they had accumulated is deposited (which is a ridiculously high amount, shame I can't touch it seeing as this is all to help pay for teacher's gambling spendings). The third was where all sorts of materials, unique things they got, and a bunch of other things are located, pretty sure some of the things here should include sealed things by the Uzumaki or Senjuu clan over the centuries. As for the final one, that was the armory where the weapons the clan created or obtained were stored. Many were broken though, but that was ideal for me. The materials are what I need here after all and even broken and rusted chakra weapons are still made of rare stuff.

Looking around I take one that looks like a spiked mace. It is rather heavy, but there are places that are clearly melted down and using my Byakugan I can see that the fuinjutsu matrix that should activate whatever effect this thing should have is completely broken.

Maybe one could melt it to rework it on something else, but I have no clue how to go about it as I have not yet tried my hand on crafting stuff. Still, this should be good enough for that rat, just move real quick to the third section of the Senjuu Treasury and look around until I find what I wanted to see.

"Snake blood, how interesting." I mutter as I open the thing and start pouring the blood onto the weapon.

As it turns out, according to the records the snakes and rats are extremely opposite to one another and there were plenty of wars between the two sides. It reached such a point that the favorite food of both sides are each other. The blood here is stuff that was obtained by the summoner who had the snake contract before the Second Hokage put it and many others in the hands of Konoha itself. The Senjuu only has a few left they can use exclusively, even if teacher only ever bothered with the one from the Slugs.

Anyway, with my bribe ready, I move towards where the rat was previously.

Arriving at the place I saw that some of the broken pieces of the puppets were gone and-

"Shit, get away from there!" I shout, making the rat's ears peak up as it turns to me, in his mouth was my newest design for a hidden weapon based on what I got from the puppets. That thing was the very first model I got of a hidden weapon concept using what seals I know mixed with what I managed to figure out from those puppets. How could I let that rat just eat it?

The rat, though, looked at the mace I had in hand with a lot of greed on its beady little eyes as it dashed not at the mace, but at my hand. Little fucker wants to make me drop the mace to probably run away with it.

I can't have that, if it runs away with the mace who knows if I would be able to find the beast again. I used shunshin to avoid the critter and soon both of us were on a game of tag of sorts as I did my absolute best to avoid him, using my byakugan to keep track of him, all while the baby rat kept up with my speed easily.

We continued with that for a time before I heard something in my head.

'Food… Give me… Food.'

As I notice the little guy has stopped I do so as well and turn to it. My eyes bulge out as beasts like it normally can't communicate when so young, especially mentally. Its spiritual power should be off the charts if it can do that when it should still be extremely young considering his fur coloring.

"... I can give it, but you must become my contracted beast." I state, trying to push my agenda forward. That was doubly so now that it shows mental abilities like what he just did, this thing is a monster just waiting to grow up!

'Contracted beast… What that…?'

"A contracted beast is-"

'Don't care… food, give me…'

Seeing that the little fellow was not gonna speak anything more and just cared for the 'food' I had in hand, I shrugged and presented him with the mace. The little guy scaled my body to get to it and opened it's little mouth wide to try and bite through the weapon.

Well, even if he did his best and with normal steel he could bite it as if it was bread of cheese, the mace was much tougher and it was unable to chew pieces of it as it intended.

This, however, did not make the little one discouraged at all. No, he just went ahead to chip away at the thing, using his teeth to try and get any chips he could manage from the mace. He was barely eating anything to be honest, but it was clear he was getting very satisfied by this act anyway.

'... Tasty… You good one… you friend?'

"I mean, I would like to be one." I said honestly, this thing is really quite cute and its potential is quite incredible.

It looked at me with innocence before speaking.

'Friend good… give me more… tasty things good.'

This little one, it is quite smart it seems.

In the end, I just spent the next several hours petting that little rat's incredibly soft fur while it ate away at that mace until it was satisfied and went to sleep on my thigh. By the time the original came back his eyes looked like he lost half his soul as he carried dozens of shopping bags while teacher Tsunade walked in with a smile and mentioned how she should have him helping them out more often.

I almost winced at that, the original better find some greater project soon or teacher might really take us as pack mules for their shopping sprees. A fate worse than death to be sure.

Thankfully we managed to find an empty contract scroll and signed up a contract with the little guy. After that, I just went ahead to continue some research on sealing techniques. We lost hours we could have spent researching it, we better put on the work to regain that lost time.