Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

Tsunade landed gracefully, folding her wings, her expression grim.

Duy had opened the Seven Gates for the first time, putting immense strain on his body, and was then stabbed in the chest by Ebizō's puppet. His pallor had turned a sickly black, a clear indication that the puppet's blade was laced with poison.

"Summoning Technique."

Tsunade bit her finger and formed the seals. With a puff of smoke, Lady Katsuyu, the Slug, appeared by her side. Without needing instructions, Katsuyu's clones split off and began tending to Duy's chest wound. Slowly, the gash healed under Katsuyu's meticulous care, and the bleeding subsided.

Tsunade examined his injuries carefully, and relief flickered across her face.

"How is he?"

Kawakaze, filled with concern, stepped closer. Though their time together had been short, the bond between the Kawakaze family and Duy had grown strong. His worry was palpable, second only to the moment he had rushed to aid Sakumo.

"Fortunately, he can be saved," Tsunade said, her tone steady. "The chest wound didn't reach his heart. That's no longer an issue. As for the poison in his bloodstream, it's manageable."

She retrieved an antidote pill, placed it into Duy's mouth, and activated her chakra to help dissolve it, ensuring it was absorbed into his system. "This isn't a perfect antidote, but it will slow the toxin enough for me to neutralize it completely. If I can handle Chiyo's poisons, Ebizō's will be no problem."

"That's a relief," Kawakaze murmured, lowering his guard as he carefully lifted Duy into his arms. His movements, however, jostled Duy slightly, prompting a pained groan.

"Be gentle!" Tsunade snapped, glaring at Kawakaze. "His muscles, bones, and tendons are all damaged."

"I know," Kawakaze said, nodding obediently. He adjusted his hold on Duy, making sure his movements were smooth and steady.

They turned their gaze back to the battlefield. Reinforcements had shifted the tide of the fight, and the Konoha ninja had decisively won. The remaining Suna forces retreated into the depths of the Land of Wind, abandoning their positions. The battle ended with Konoha's forces breaking through Suna's defensive line and officially entering the Land of Wind territory.

After ensuring the battlefield was secured, the Konoha ninja gathered in front of Tsunade.

"Send a message to Shinku Yūhi —have him lead a team to meet us," Tsunade ordered.

Several shinobi broke away to deliver the instructions to the Land of Rain's border, while the rest marched behind Tsunade toward the central line. When they arrived, Sakumo had already led his unit in scouting the remnants of the Suna camp. The seriously injured had been brought together, awaiting Tsunade's treatment.

Kawakaze carried Duy in his arms, following a Konoha ninja's guidance to a sand hut where Sakumo was resting.

"Big Brother," Kawakaze called as he entered.

"Kawakaze, ah…" Sakumo replied, his voice weary. His gaze quickly fell on Duy. "What's wrong with Duy?"

Sakumo, who had just risen from his bed, froze at the sight of his unconscious friend. Alarmed, he moved to check on him.

"Don't move," Kawakaze interjected firmly. "He just fainted from his injuries. Like you, he'll need to wait for Tsunade's antidote."

Relieved, Sakumo let out a breath and lay back down as Kawakaze carefully placed Duy on the bed beside him.

"That's good," Sakumo murmured, his tension easing. "His son is still so young… He couldn't bear to go first."

"You're not even dead yet. How could he leave before you?" Kawakaze quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

But as usual, his teasing grated on Sakumo's nerves. "You brat, don't start."

Before Sakumo could say more, Kawakaze had already darted out of the room, leaving him shaking his head in exasperation.

"I'll go find Tsunade," Kawakaze's voice called from outside, fading as he left.

Sakumo chuckled helplessly. "This kid…"

After a moment, Sakumo sat up, his concern for Duy lingering. He checked to make sure his friend was alive, then lay back down with a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Kawakaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside Tsunade, who was busy in Chiyo's medicine room. The space was cluttered with an array of unassembled poisons and dismantled puppet parts.

"What are you doing here? You're just in the way," Tsunade said brusquely, not even looking up as she examined a row of herbs and vials.

"Haha, I just wanted to see if there's anything I can help you with," Kawakaze replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. His attempts to assist her had been rejected countless times before.

"No need," Tsunade replied curtly. "If you're bored, go help Shinku. He should be arriving soon."

Realizing she wasn't going to relent, Kawakaze shrugged. "Okay, I'll go then."

He lingered for a moment, glancing back at her repeatedly, hoping she might change her mind and call him back. But Tsunade didn't even spare him a glance, fully engrossed in her work.

Defeated, Kawakaze left the medicine room. "Ungrateful~" he muttered under his breath, careful not to raise his voice.

He headed off toward the Land of Rain, though without using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had no clue where Shinku might be.

As Kawakaze approached the border of the Land of Rain, he spotted a large group of Konoha ninja carrying their belongings, led by the warehouse manager, Shinku Yūhi. They were marching steadily toward the center line.

"Shinku," Kawakaze called as he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Yūhi Shinku. The latter barely reacted, accustomed to Kawakaze's sudden arrivals.

"Kawakaze, this battle was fought beautifully," Shinku said with a faint smile. He hadn't expected such a swift victory, especially against the forces of the Land of Wind, one of the Five Great Nations.

"Thanks to you holding down the rear," Kawakaze replied with a teasing grin, tossing him a compliment in jest.

"Haha, then don't forget to give me credit for this great achievement," Shinku quipped back, matching Kawakaze's tone. The two shared a hearty laugh, their camaraderie evident.

"I heard Chiyo and Ebizō are both dead?" Shinku asked, his tone turning serious.

Kawakaze nodded. "Mm," he confirmed. The news would spread quickly across the ninja world, no doubt shaking alliances and strategies.

"The Third Kazekage is going to lose it," Shinku mused.

The Third Kazekage's direct appearance on the battlefield had become an inevitability.

"It's war—blame swords, not people," Kawakaze replied pragmatically. Shinku nodded, letting the matter drop.

When the main force reached what had been the Suna ninja camp—now the Konoha camp—Shinku immediately began organizing. He directed medical personnel to treat the wounded and ensured the medicines were delivered to Tsunade's medicine room. After wrapping up his tasks, he bid farewell to Kawakaze and returned to managing the warehouse, his usual post.

Tsunade, bolstered by the newly arrived supplies, expedited her production of antidote pills. By evening, she had finished preparing the pills for both Sakumo and Duy. She handed them to Kawakaze before resuming her work treating other injured shinobi, even eating her dinner in the wounded area to save time.

With the antidote pills in hand, Kawakaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Sakumo and Duy's room. He handed one pill to Sakumo, who took it without issue, but Duy remained unconscious. Administering the pill to him turned into an ordeal as neither Kawakaze nor Sakumo had Tsunade's deftness.

After much effort, they finally managed to get the pill down Duy's throat. The strain left Kawakaze huffing, as if he'd just been through another battle.

"Usually, you eat so much, and now you can't even handle a pill," Kawakaze grumbled, casting an exasperated look at Duy. He slumped into a chair by Sakumo's bedside, exhausted. First time I've ever had to give medicine to a guy. It's harder than I thought.