Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

It didn't take long for a few people to arrive, and the butler was already waiting by the door.

"It's a good thing you're here. Go to the weaponsmith and tell Rōtetsu to forge two weapons."

"My weapons and Big Brother's were both destroyed in the battle," Kawakaze commanded directly. He and Sakumo really weren't used to being without weapons.

"Yes," the butler replied. Without needing further instructions, he promptly left to carry out the order.

"Sensei, Sensei's wife." The three Ame kids, who had been waiting for a long time, came running over, surrounding Kawakaze.

"You've all grown taller," Kawakaze said, patting the heads of the three children, making sure not to leave anyone out. "While I was gone, did you practice hard?"

"Did you practice Medical Ninjutsu diligently?" Tsunade asked with a smile, her gaze landing on Nagato. Before she left, she had given them plenty of scrolls on Medical Ninjutsu.

"Yes." Nagato held up her hands, and the light of the Mystical Palm Technique shimmered in her palms.

"Not bad, not bad," Tsunade said, her eyes full of appreciation. Kawakaze was also impressed by Nagato's natural aptitude. This wasn't due to the Rinnegan alone.

"I can fly, Sensei!" Konan said, not wanting to be outdone. Two paper wings unfurled behind her as she floated gracefully into the air.

Yahiko, unable to demonstrate his Water Release, stood to the side, watching his two friends eagerly show off. He frowned slightly.

"Okay, okay, you're all amazing," Kawakaze said with a laugh. "Go on in."

He led the children into the house. Everything felt so familiar, and it was only here that Kawakaze could truly relax.

"Where's Minato?" Nagato asked, looking around and noticing someone was missing.

"Do you even need to ask?" Yahiko muttered, questioning Nagato's intelligence.

"Haha, he went to find Kushina," Kawakaze said.

Meanwhile, Nawaki and Minato had already arrived at the Senju Clan mansion. After greeting Mito, the four young boys and girls gathered together.

"Misaki, are you getting used to life at home these days?" Nawaki asked in a generous tone.

"It's pretty good, and Grandma Mito is already teaching me Fūinjutsu," Misaki replied with a warm smile, her energy brighter than before. She had changed into a fresh outfit that highlighted the youthful charm of a young girl.

"That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't get used to it. How's the Fūinjutsu coming?" Nawaki scratched his head with a sheepish grin. He wasn't very talented at Fūinjutsu, which he felt was unfortunate considering his grandmother was a renowned expert.

"It's okay. Grandma Mito always says I'm talented," Misaki said modestly. As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, she had a natural affinity for Fūinjutsu and had been progressing rapidly.

"That's amazing! Grandma doesn't praise people easily," Nawaki said, giving her a playful pat on the back. His enthusiasm was infectious.

"No, Kushina is much better than me," Misaki added. Her learning time had been short, so she couldn't compare to Kushina's skill level yet.

"Nawaki, why are you never like this with me?" Kushina interjected, her tone suspicious.

Though she and Nawaki were close, their frequent fights often resulted in both being scolded by Mito without exception.

"You? Forget it." Nawaki's tone was laced with unmistakable disdain.

"Nawaki, how can you say that?" Minato, overhearing this, took Kushina's side and even stopped addressing Nawaki as brother a moment.

What's the meaning of this? What's wrong with Kushina? And if Nawaki thought Kushina was so great, what business would that leave for him?

"Exactly! What's wrong with me?" Kushina chimed in, and her attitude turned smug.

Nawaki didn't respond but lightly slapped Misaki.

"Nawaki, why did you hit me?" Misaki asked, confused. She had just been a bystander. Her tone was gentle and questioning as she looked at Nawaki with big, watery eyes.

Nawaki didn't reply. Instead, he stood up and hit Kushina.

"Why did you hit me?!" Kushina shot back, punching him in return. Nawaki clutched his stomach, letting out a cry of pain. "See? This is the difference between you two!"

Minato covered his face with his hand. The contrast was all too obvious.

"I, I…" Kushina stammered, struggling to respond.

"Don't mind him. I like you just the way you are," Minato said, stepping forward to comfort her. He knew that his fiery Kushina could only be spoiled by him.

"Tsk, tsk. Don't come crying to me if you get killed one day," Nawaki muttered from the side, still fanning the flames.

"Haha," Misaki finally pieced everything together and burst out laughing. They were genuinely funny.

"Sister Misaki, let's ignore him," Kushina said, glaring at Nawaki and rallying support.

"Okay, we'll ignore him," Misaki replied, glancing at Nawaki with a smile.

"You heard her. Misaki won't be talking to you anymore," Kushina declared, wrapping an arm around Misaki's shoulders in a show of solidarity.

"I heard you, I heard you," Nawaki said, completely unfazed by their childish tactics.

...

The four of them happily chatted, with Misaki mostly just listening. As the sky gradually darkened, it was almost time to eat.

Gululu~

A loud rumbling sound came from a stomach, and it seemed contagious, as the others' stomachs soon let out a series of similar sounds.

"Alright, I'll head back soon."

"Are you guys going together?"

Minato felt his stomach rumble and suddenly remembered his family.

"Of course, we're going. Grandma just asked why my sister wasn't back," Nawaki said. "I told her she went to the Hatake Clan, and Grandma's face didn't look so good. She murmured something like "that girl"."

Still looking forward to the big meal at the Hatake Clan, Nawaki readily agreed.

"I'll go too. I'll talk to Grandma Mito," Kushina said excitedly and dragged Misaki off toward Mito's bedroom.

After a while, the four of them left the Senju Clan mansion together and headed to the Hatake Clan.

Usually, when Kushina went to school, Misaki stayed home alone and rarely ventured out. She was always afraid of causing trouble for others, so she only went out occasionally, usually when Kushina had a holiday. Minato rarely visited the Senju Clan unless Kushina was there, so Misaki had never been to the Hatake Clan before.

"Is it alright for me to just show up like this?" Misaki asked hesitantly. The idea of going over at mealtime felt abrupt to her.

"It's okay. Brother-in-law is very generous," Nawaki replied nonchalantly. "A few more people won't be a problem for the Hatake Clan. As long as my sister doesn't gamble too much."

"Sensei won't mind," Minato added as he and Kushina walked behind the pair.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, their food is delicious," Kushina said, her eyes lighting up. She hadn't eaten at the Hatake Clan for a long time.

"Mm." Misaki nodded but didn't take Kushina's words to heart. For her, just eating until she was half full was enough. This was the difference between a child who had known hardship and one who hadn't. Kushina, despite leaving her homeland, had never experienced such struggles.

"It's just up ahead," Nawaki said, pointing to the sprawling mansion.

"It's huge," Misaki exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. The sight of the large estate confirmed the rumors she'd heard about the Hatake Clan. The Kawakaze-sama's household really was as wealthy as people said!

...

"I thought you weren't coming back for dinner."

In the Hatake Clan dining hall, Kawakaze was already munching on pig's trotters.

"Haha, I missed you and Kakashi," Minato said with a smirk, walking over to Nayuki and glancing at Kakashi.

"You're all talk. Why didn't I see you come home first?" Nayuki replied slyly, her tone mischievous as she mimicked Kawakaze's mannerisms. When he first came to the house, he had been such a good and proper child.

Minato was instantly silenced, unable to come up with a reply.

"Go sit down," Nayuki said, reaching out to pat Minato on the head.

"Misaki is here too," Tsunade said as she noticed Misaki nervously greeting everyone and then taking a seat.

Nawaki and Kushina greeted the elders politely before sitting down near the three kids. The group quickly started whispering among themselves, already immersed in their chatter.

Misaki sat next to Tsunade, greeted everyone softly, and then lowered her head, avoiding further conversation. The Hatake Clan's servants promptly brought out fresh bowls and chopsticks.

Nawaki and Minato, knowing better, wasted no time starting to eat. They were well aware that if they didn't fill up now, they might be called away to pour sake later.

Nearby, Nagato and Yahiko appeared to already be half full, while Konan slowly peeled shrimp at her own pace.

"Try this," Tsunade offered Misaki a piece of braised pork, ensuring it wasn't too fatty.

"Thank you, Elder Sister Tsunade." Misaki didn't mind fatty meat, and when she took a bite, the rich juices burst in her mouth, making her eyes light up.

"It's delicious. Eat more," Tsunade said with a laugh, clearly amused by Misaki's delighted expression.

"Come, let's drink first."

Today was a festive occasion, and Sakumo lifted his sake cup in celebration.

"Sip-sip~"

The room echoed with the unified sound of everyone finishing their drinks.

"That's comfortable."

Kawakaze wiped his mouth, savoring the flavor of the dish. This was a really good life. Fighting and killing all the time—what kind of life was that?

As the group exchanged drinks and laughter, the atmosphere at the table gradually warmed. Tsunade's face grew flushed from the sake, and her gaze lingered on Misaki beside her.

In Misaki, Tsunade saw a faint shadow of her own childhood, though her self-perception was far from accurate. If Nawaki knew what Tsunade was thinking, he would have refuted it fiercely. Where is the resemblance? he would demand. Gambling? Violence? I'll ask you where the resemblance is!

"Misaki, what do you think of Konoha?" Tsunade suddenly asked, catching Misaki off guard.

The piece of meat in Misaki's mouth hadn't been swallowed yet. "It's pretty good, I like it," she answered quickly after swallowing, unsure of Tsunade's intent.

"So, how about starting a family in Konoha in the future?"

The unexpected question made Misaki blush. She was, after all, only two years away from being of marriageable age.

"I haven't thought about it yet," Misaki replied shyly, her eyes darting toward Nawaki as she wondered why Tsunade would ask such an embarrassing question.

"What do you think of Nawaki?"

The moment Tsunade said his name, Nawaki's ears perked up, his full attention now on Misaki's response. Even the younger children stopped eating, eagerly tuning in to the sudden gossip.

"Nawaki is very nice," Misaki said softly, her face reddening further. The memory of Nawaki saving her had replayed in her dreams many times.

"That's good, haha," Tsunade said cheerfully, giving Misaki a firm pat on the shoulder. In her mind, she had already decided that Misaki was the perfect sister-in-law.

"Heh heh..." Nawaki giggled sheepishly, his grin stretching wide.

"Look at your stupid face."

Kawakaze grabbed a chopstick and threw it at him, snapping him out of his daze.

Nawaki didn't argue back. Instead, he picked up the chopstick, placed it aside, and kept smiling as if nothing had happened. His happiness was unmistakable.

He glanced at Misaki briefly, and his smile widened even more.

It was a fight worth fighting. No matter what anyone else said, Nawaki had found his future bride.

After this little episode, everyone had eaten their fill—except for Kawakaze and a few others who were still drinking sake. Eventually, even they started to feel unsteady, and the meal finally came to an end.

Having many disciples had its advantages. Kawakaze and Tsunade were carried back to their rooms by a few of the others.

"I want more to drink..." Tsunade mumbled, her eyes unfocused as she reached out, as though imagining a cup still in her hand.

This completely snuffed out Nawaki's fleeting idea of telling her to go home. There was no point. In this state, it made no difference whether she returned or not. On the contrary, seeing her like this would only make his grandmother feel worse, especially since Tsunade was planning to go back tomorrow.

"I'm exhausted," Nawaki muttered as he unceremoniously dropped Tsunade onto her bed. Dealing with an intoxicated older sister was no easy task.

"Sensei is no better," Minato said, carefully lowering the already-sleeping Kawakaze onto his bed. A moment later, soft snores filled the room.

"Forget it."

"Never mind, let's go," Nawaki said, taking the lead as he walked out. Konan, the last to leave, quietly closed the door behind them.

"We're going back," Nawaki announced, ushering Kushina and Misaki along as they prepared to return home.

"I'll see you off."

If not for Kushina, Minato would have likely just said, "Go ahead." After all, Nawaki knew the way perfectly well, and it wasn't in Minato's nature to accompany them unnecessarily.

"You guys go back and rest first."

Minato sent the three of them away.

"You want to see me off?" Nawaki asked with a snort, fully aware of what Minato was thinking. He led Misaki ahead without waiting for a response.

"Let's go," Minato said, ignoring Nawaki's tone. Quietly, he took Kushina's hand and walked with her toward the door.

"Remember to come find me tomorrow," Kushina said softly, her fingers lightly brushing Minato's palm.

"Okay, I'll come find you after I'm done training," Minato replied, his heart tingling from the fleeting touch.

"I'll be waiting for you," Kushina said with a sweet smile. Without her usual fiery temper, she was undeniably beautiful.

For a brief moment, Minato found himself dazed, captivated by her.

After leaving the Hatake Clan house, Minato reluctantly let go of Kushina's hand and waved goodbye. He stood there, watching until Kushina disappeared from sight before finally turning back toward the house.

He didn't plan to bother with the two drunkards, Kawakaze and Tsunade. Instead, he headed to his room, ready to call it a night.

Inside the room, however, Tsunade was still behaving like a drunk. She half-sat on the bed, her eyes glassy and unfocused, repeatedly slapping Kawakaze's chest while shouting for more sake. Kawakaze, in contrast, was sound asleep beside her, seemingly undisturbed by the commotion.

Eventually, the noise stirred Kawakaze from his slumber. Opening his heavy eyelids, he saw Tsunade, her disoriented state preventing her from settling down.

"What a mess," Kawakaze muttered, his willpower just barely intact. He sat up, fully aware that Tsunade wouldn't sleep peacefully unless she had more to drink.

"Let's go, I'll take you for a drink," he said, staggering as he got to his feet. His speech was slurred, and he nearly lost his balance as he helped Tsunade down from the bed.

The effects of the sake were still intensifying, and he almost toppled over with her. Somehow, they managed to stay upright, though both were clearly unsteady on their feet.

Kawakaze thought a shower might help him feel more grounded, so he decided to take Tsunade along, hoping they could both get some rest afterward.

Supporting each other, the two drunkards stumbled their way toward the bathroom.

The butler, noticing their state, discreetly moved the guard post farther away and quietly disappeared from the area near the bathroom, leaving them to their antics in private.