Ryota was up the next morning, ensuring that the boy was fed and taken care of. His name was written on a card in his basket: Portgas D. Ace—a really strange name, but who was he to question the hand of fate or the spirit that he felt most likely had made a deal to bring this boy into his life? He would trust his wife, Tia, as well as his grandmother, Masuki, to keep an eye on the boy when he could not. That would mostly be when he was working at the shrine. He was grateful for their help, as he knew he would need as much support as possible.
As he received a summons that morning from the Hokage himself to go over the events of the previous day, Ryota got dressed quickly. He wore the loose flowing white, purple, and teal robes of the clan into which he was born. He was the last of five siblings alive, the others having died in the Third Great Ninja War. He headed to meet with Minato and discuss everything, knowing he would likely be instructed to keep the whole thing off the record, which was fine with him.
Ryota walked towards the tower, knowing that this would be another meeting and another battle that would go unnoticed by history and his own village, much like the many struggles and battles of his clan's history. He entered the tower and made his way into the office of the Hokage. There, he found the blonde young man at his seat and bowed slightly.
"Hokage-sama, you ordered me to report on the mission, correct?" he asked, then looked at him. The two were about the same age, both war heroes of the Third Ninja War. Ryota's achievements had gone mostly unnoticed by the world, unlike the man he was standing across from. However, that fact didn't bother Ryota in the slightest. He wasn't one to care about fame and glory; they were pointless to him. Long ago, he had accepted that none of that would ever come his way, and he had made peace with it.
Minato looked at him and nodded his head. "Yes, indeed. I want to know the details of what happened, and I want to know why you came back with a child, according to what I have heard from others," Minato asked, looking at Ryota with a great deal of curiosity in his eyes as he wondered what was going on.
"Yes, sir," Ryota said, pausing. "I went to the border with Kusagakure and ran into a group of rebels. They wanted to overthrow the system, and they had already destroyed a village. The boy I found in the village and I took the baby from his dying parents. I promised to protect the boy," Ryota said, pausing for a moment. "I then hunted down the rebels and defeated them at a canyon north of the small village of Unsa. It is a farming village of around 103 people, who grow a lot of plums in the area. I was lucky and defeated the group of bandits and a few missing-nin who were rather misguided in their actions. "I then returned here, and here we are today, Hokage-sama."
"I am going to raise the child with my wife, keeping my promise. If I need to retire from being a ninja to do so, that is fine. My wife is also expecting our firstborn child in the next couple of months, and I have no problem retiring as a genin and retreating to the life of the shrine keeper of the Shrine of Light, the shrine of my family," Ryota added, his eyes focused. The point of raising the kid was not something he was going to budge on in the least.
"Ryota, your dedication to your family and your willingness to fulfill your promise are commendable. However, retiring from the ninja life is a significant decision, one that shouldn't be made lightly. As a shinobi of Konoha, your skills and experience are valuable assets to our village. I understand your situation, but I urge you to consider all options carefully before making a final decision. We will discuss this matter further in due time. For now, focus on your duties and your family," Minato said, his words firm yet compassionate, embodying the wisdom and responsibility expected of the Fourth Hokage.
"I would only do so if I had to. I plan to follow in my late brother's path and take only local missions to help out in town so I can be around to help out with the two kids, maybe take up a role in teaching at the academy if you think I am worthy of a promotion to chunin, Hokage-sama. I can pass the exam for teaching easily; I am sure of that," Ryota reasoned, with Minato giving him a smile as he did so. He wanted to be close to help his family. Ryota also didn't want to chance his second chance at life. Yet, he wasn't going to turn away from helping the village.
"Ryota, your dedication to both your family and the village is truly commendable, especially considering your recent heroic actions. Your valor in stopping the rebellion and protecting the village has not gone unnoticed. Your bravery in facing overwhelming odds speaks volumes about your character and your abilities as a shinobi. Your contributions to Konoha are invaluable, and I have no doubt that you are more than deserving of a promotion to chunin and a teaching role at the academy. Your experiences and expertise will undoubtedly benefit our future generations of shinobi," Minato replied, his tone reflecting genuine admiration and respect for Ryota's remarkable achievements.
"Thank you. I will do my best to honor the village, my family, and ensure growth for both," he said as he bowed. "Take care, Hokage-sama," he added as he took his leave from the building and headed back towards his home. Along the way, he ran into his closest friend.
"Inoichi, how are things going?" A blonde young man said, walking over and giving him a smile. "I heard you were doing better, and that you adopted a kid. Are you sure you can handle that? I mean, Tia is going to have a kid pretty soon too, and dealing with two kids is going to be a real pain, I'm sure. I'm sure Shokaku would call it really troublesome."
"Inoichi, I know it is, but I am also going to do my best to raise them both and be the best father I can, as I am sure you and Shokaku will do as well," Ryota replied as he looked at his friend. "Your wife is due in a month or so, and it is about the same for Shokaku too. Plus, I hear that Choza had a kid a few days ago, giving you the next generation of your group."
Inoichi nodded thoughtfully, his expression serious yet supportive. "You're right, Ryota. Being a parent is a challenge, but it's also one of the most rewarding experiences in life. I've been preparing myself mentally for the sleepless nights and diaper changes," he chuckled lightly. "And you're correct about Choza's kid. It seems like our group is expanding rapidly. Guess we'll have our hands full with the next generation of troublemakers," he said with a grin.
Ryota smiled back, appreciating his friend's understanding and encouragement. "Indeed, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We'll all work together, helping each other out just as we have always done in the past, friends supporting each other,," he said, feeling a sense of reassurance knowing that he had friends like Inoichi by his side.
Ryota took his leave, waving to Inoichi. Having friends like the current generation of Ino-Shika-Cho was a blessing that he was grateful for. He walked home, observing his wife working at the shrine. The lovely building had been in their family for generations.
The shrine was a beautiful structure made of marble and other stones. It was an open temple with columns on all sides and an internal area for prayers under the roof. Inside, there was a beautiful room painted teal with purple and white trim. Statues of many great Togusa members adorned the interior and exterior of the room, crafted many years ago, as the shrine itself was hundreds of years old. The roof was painted the same teal as the room, signifying teal as the main color of the clan, along with supporting colors white and purple. Ryota looked at his beautiful wife, who despite her impending maternity leave, continued to work diligently, offering blessings and engaging with visitors. He remembered how he had fallen in love with her at first sight while out on a mission.
"I am a chunin, dear," he called out, smiling. Achieving chunin rank was a significant accomplishment for him. He was the first in his family to reach that rank, as his brothers had died in battle before they could, as had his own father, who passed away when Ryota was only twenty-six years old, before Ryota was even born.
"That is wonderful! We will throw a party when we can, for this and for Ace's coming into our lives," Tia called back, waving with a grin on her happy face. The raven-haired beauty smiled and waved to the man whom she loved so deeply and completely.
Ryota arrived home to find his grandmother, known as Ma, holding and swinging around the boy they had found. She was sitting in her rocking chair, a lovely middle-aged woman with a smile. Masuki was nearing fifty, but she had a lot of life left in her. She felt a renewal of life when she found this little one and heard about the coming birth of her first biological grandchild.
"The baby is really strong and active too. I think that this kid is really something, but nothing I can't handle," Ma said, smiling as she looked at Ryota while holding Ace in her arms. She had raised five children, and she was used to this type of thing, even if it had been twenty-three years since her youngest was born.
"I see, that is good," Ryota said as he sat down, looking at the dark-haired baby. He would have a brother soon, who he would be barely any older than, from what he could guess. "Let us hope that things continue to go well for us and the village."
Ryota's next two months would go quietly after that. He would work to pass the exam to teach, and he would start his role teaching at the academy himself. He would also become a father a second time as his first biological son, Kaza, was born. He was there for it all, supporting his wife in a difficult pregnancy and birth. It affected her, and while Tia survived the birth, it was advised that she never have another kid, as it was too risky with her slight frame. Ryota wondered if he had not been there, if she would have even survived.
Kaza Togusa was born with soft teal hair, a sign of the blessing of the spirit of light. He was in his father's arms along with his adopted brother when the attack came, when the attack of the Nine Tails happened, and the village was ripped asunder. The night of the Nine Tails attack had been tragic, but they were lucky. The Togusa shrine was far from the location of the attack and spared any damage, and his family was there away from the fighting when it happened as well.
As life went along, things became normalized after that, the Third Hokage taking over for the late Fourth Hokage. Ryota had adapted to teaching, and he was getting good as he would get another fellow teacher to join his staff, Iruka Umino, who was his junior. He would let Iruka take in the upcoming class of students, as he didn't want anyone to think he was playing favorites. In the next year's new class students, there were two members: his sons, his adopted son Ace, and his biological son Kaza.