Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

The Daimyō of the Land of Wind had sent supplies to Sunagakure. This time, he refrained from complaining about the shortage of provisions. However, if he were to lose another battle, even with a chance to make peace with the Land of Fire, these supplies alone would not suffice to resolve the matter.

Ren returned ahead of the convoy to report to the Third Kazekage, his expression devoid of joy. This outcome was not unexpected; the Daimyō was no fool, after all.

"How long until they arrive?" In the Kazekage's office, the Third Kazekage, looking weary and his voice hoarse, inquired about the supplies.

"I've instructed them to hurry. They should arrive in another week," Ren replied, standing respectfully in front of the desk.

"It's still too slow," the Third Kazekage muttered, shaking his head helplessly. He understood the logistical constraints; transporting such a large shipment of supplies was not as swift as a single person traveling ahead.

"Shall I send someone to speed them up?" Ren suggested cautiously.

"No need. Inform the village Ninjas to prepare to depart in a week," the Kazekage instructed before waving Ren off.

After Ren left, the Third Kazekage turned to a bald, middle-aged man standing nearby—Bunpuku, the Jinchūriki of Shukaku.

"Master Bunpuku, as you can see, this battle determines the village's fate," the Kazekage said gravely.

"I will do my best," Bunpuku replied calmly. Despite being the Jinchūriki of Shukaku since the Second Kazekage sealed the beast within him, Bunpuku maintained a serene demeanor. Unlike Gaara, he bore no dark circles under his eyes—a testament to the harmonious relationship he shared with the tailed beast.

"Please," the Kazekage said, folding his hands together and nodding slightly. He had full confidence in Bunpuku's abilities as a Perfect Jinchūriki.

"You honor me, Lord Third," Bunpuku responded with a slight bow before departing.

Moments later, a knock resounded at the door.

Knock knock~

"Enter," the Third Kazekage called out. A rare smile graced his face, suggesting he already knew who stood outside.

"Sensei."

A boy of about fifteen or sixteen stepped in. He had short brown hair and wore black Ninja attire over mesh-lined underclothing.

"Rasa, what brings you here?" the Kazekage asked warmly.

The young Rasa, who would later become the Fourth Kazekage and Gaara's father, had a determined expression. As the Kazekage's only disciple and a wielder of the rare Magnet Release, he was a true genius of Sunagakure.

"I want to go to war as well, to contribute to the village."

Rasa's eyes burned with determination as he locked eyes with his Sensei, unwavering.

"Good. You are indeed worthy of being my disciple," the Third Kazekage replied, a trace of pride in his voice. "Then prepare yourself—you'll go to war with me."

Initially, the Kazekage had intended to keep Rasa out of the conflict, preserving him as a symbol of hope for the village's future. But as his only disciple, it was Rasa's duty to stand by his side.

"Yes, Sensei." Rasa smiled brightly, turned, and left the room with purpose.

The Third Kazekage watched him leave, and once alone, let out a long sigh. The weight of the upcoming battle pressed heavily on his shoulders. Despite his brave front, he harbored little confidence in the outcome.

Land of Wind, Konoha Camp.

Duy had woken up but still needed time to recuperate. Temporarily immobile, he was left to rest. Meanwhile, the toxins in Sakumo's body had been fully purged, allowing him to recover to a healthy state.

After three days of rest, Tsunade convened a meeting with key personnel to discuss the next steps.

"Good news has already been sent back to Konoha, and Sensei is very pleased," she announced. "I hope we can take Sunagakure in one decisive strike. The victory in this battle is thanks to everyone's efforts, and I will ensure that your contributions are reported in detail."

Seated at the head of the table, Tsunade exuded the authority of a seasoned commander. She began by rallying morale, ensuring unity before delving into the meeting's agenda.

As expected, the discussion began with intelligence updates.

"Hayato, please share the latest information on Sunagakure," Tsunade instructed.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Hayato replied, standing to deliver his report.

"Based on our limited intelligence, the Third Kazekage is actively preparing for battle. It's highly probable that he will take the field personally. There's still no information on the Jinchūriki, but I suspect he may also enter the fray."

Hayato succinctly summarized the critical details, casting a glance at Kawakaze to gauge his reaction. It was clear the upcoming confrontation with the Third Kazekage would be unavoidable.

"As I anticipated, we've seized the initiative," Kawakaze remarked with a faint, confident smile. "The Third Kazekage has no choice but to fight."

The elite Konoha ninja present nodded in agreement. The situation had placed the Kazekage in a corner, forcing his hand.

"Shall we press forward into the heart of the Land of Wind?" Tsunade proposed, building on Kawakaze's analysis.

"I agree," Sakumo said firmly, voicing his support.

Duy, however, smiled wryly from his seat. "I'm afraid I won't be of much help for now."

"You should focus on resting at the camp," Tsunade reassured him. "We'll discuss your role once you've healed."

As the camp's chief medical authority, Tsunade understood the toll the Eight Inner Gates Technique took on the body. While Duy had shown remarkable resilience, she estimated it would take years of dedicated training before he could open the Seven Gates without suffering severe repercussions.

"Good, I'll be waiting for good news from you," Duy said with his trademark gleaming smile, the only part of his body that didn't hurt.

"The sooner the better. We'll set off tomorrow," Kawakaze announced decisively. "Shinku, you'll need to manage the camp again."

Kawakaze's decision was met without objection.

"Take care of yourselves," Shinku Yūhi replied calmly, already accustomed to his duties. Within the Land of Wind, the supply lines continued to stretch thin, but he handled them with practiced efficiency.

"Then go and prepare," Tsunade instructed. With that, the ninjas in the room began to withdraw.

Sakumo helped Duy to the door, leaving Kawakaze and Tsunade alone in the room.

"How is the Seven-Tails doing recently?" Kawakaze asked, his tone probing. He didn't know how much control Tsunade could exert over the Tailed Beast or whether there was a risk of it going berserk. A loss of control could be catastrophic.

"Fortunately, he just talks too much," Tsunade said with a sigh, rubbing her temples. She hadn't had a decent rest in days, constantly occupied with her duties and persistently harassed by the Seven-Tails.

"Is there a chance he might go berserk?" Kawakaze pressed. He didn't expect perfect control but needed assurance that the Tailed Beast wouldn't jeopardize their mission.

"He said he wouldn't," Tsunade replied, massaging her forehead again. She couldn't help but think of how peculiar the Seven-Tails was—disliking summons yet eager to engage in idle chatter.

"Well, that's a relief," Kawakaze said, scratching his head. This Seven-Tails truly had an unusually mild temperament.

"Is he willing to fight Shukaku?" Kawakaze inquired. He knew that Shukaku harbored significant resentment toward the Nine-Tails and often shouted insults whenever they crossed paths, always calling it a "stinking fox."

"He said that raccoon dog is grumpy by nature and enjoys breaking things," Tsunade relayed, her voice tinged with amusement. "Apparently, Shukaku's jealous of those with more tails than him."

"He might not be a match for Shukaku," she added, speaking as though the Seven-Tails had shared its unfiltered thoughts.

Is it really okay to be this self-aware?

Kawakaze chuckled lightly. "Don't bolster the enemy's morale while undermining your own." His tone turned encouraging. "You're the only Tailed Beast that can fly, and you have the third-largest Chakra reserve."

Although the Seven-Tails wasn't known for its combat prowess, Kawakaze wanted to keep it motivated—it was, after all, part of their team now.

"Chakra volume doesn't define combat strength," Tsunade countered, smirking. "He said that when you hit him, it didn't care whether he could fly or not."

Tsunade laughed as she finished speaking, shaking her head. The Seven-Tails was proving to be surprisingly entertaining.