Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

Land of Lightning, Kumogakure Village.

Bang!

In a remote area near the edge of the village, a young man dressed as a Kumo ninja was destroying everything in his path. The only house behind him had already been reduced to ruins, with embers still smoldering.

Amidst his rampage, the ground was in complete disarray. Pits, at least half a meter deep, were scattered everywhere. His scarlet red eyes glowed with madness, and blue Nekomata Chakra patterns pulsed across his body. A blue tail of energy flicked behind him, while his hair stood on end, whipping in the wind.

As he opened his mouth, a ball of blue flames burst forth, hurtling into the distance.

Bang!

The blue flames exploded against a red barrier, causing it to ripple momentarily before stabilizing. Seeing his Fire Release fail, the young man immediately prepared another attack.

"Oww~" A low, beast-like growl rumbled from his throat. With a sudden burst of force from his feet, he shot forward like a cannonball toward the barrier.

Several masked Kumo ninja stood surrounding the red barrier, maintaining it without a hint of concern. His right fist, encased in blue Chakra, struck the barrier with immense force, but it showed no signs of breaking.

"Why is the sealing team so slow?" one of the masked ninja asked casually.

Another, unbothered, replied, "They come every month. This is the third time this month."

"It's a wonder if they're even motivated," another scoffed, spitting to the side.

"I'm afraid the Two-Tails Jinchūriki won't last much longer."

"It's not our problem. Anyway, we've already reported it to Lord Raikage."

...

It wasn't long before the Sealing Team from Kumogakure arrived. A group of ninjas subdued the Two-Tailed Jinchūriki and sealed him once again.

After being re-sealed, the boy fainted and was carried by a Kumo ninja toward the Raikage Building. A short time later, they reached their destination and entered the Raikage's office without issue.

"How is Jonah?" asked the Raikage, seated at his desk. Blue B stood silently beside him.

"Lord Raikage, he can't hold on much longer," the Kumo ninja reported. "Jonah can't control the Two-Tails at all, and it's going berserk more and more frequently. At this rate, he..." The ninja trailed off, giving a truthful account of the situation.

"This is a difficult situation. It's hard on him," the Raikage said, his eyes showing a glimmer of pain. Jonah's inability to hold on meant his life was nearing its end.

As for what would happen after the Two-Tails broke free, the Raikage wasn't concerned. Two-Tails was no threat to him. At worst, it could be sealed into the Amber Purification Jar. The real issue was finding a suitable candidate for the next Jinchūriki.

"You don't need to blame yourself. It was his choice from the beginning," the Raikage added.

"We don't want to see this happen either," Blue B said, his voice laced with empathy. As a Jinchūriki himself, he could relate deeply. He had lived in fear of losing control too many times.

Fortunately, Blue B was more resolute than Jonah, which had spared him a similar fate.

"Take him away and take good care of him," the Raikage said with a wave of his hand. A Kumo ninja picked up Jonah again and carried him out the door.

"That plan needs to be put on the agenda."

"It's not going to be easy," Blue B replied, understanding the risk Raikage was referring to.

"There's no choice. We need a perfect Jinchūriki."

"Has the candidate been decided?"

Raikage had already given instructions to Blue B regarding this matter long ago.

"It's already been chosen—three Jōnin proficient in stealth and assassination."

Blue B pulled three ninja profiles from a stack of documents on his desk. He had reported this previously, but the Raikage had carelessly forgotten.

"Okay, send them to Konoha," Raikage said after glancing at the profiles. "Bring them back alive."

The profiles detailed the three men's exceptional mission records. They excelled in kidnapping and had proven their abilities time and again. Blue B had chosen well.

"Yes," Blue B acknowledged and left the room after receiving his orders.

Raikage rubbed his temples in thought. If he had any other viable options, he wouldn't resort to targeting Konoha at this time. The villages were still on edge after the recent great battle, and such actions carried significant risks.

He could only hope the team would return safely after completing the mission. To support this effort, he had mobilized all of Konoha's spies, pouring significant resources into ensuring success.

However, the Raikage knew that after this mission, it would be far more difficult to gather intelligence from Konoha again.

...

Kawakaze went straight to the bathroom after returning home and took a shower, still feeling a faint buzz from the craziness of last night. Unfortunately, Tsunade wasn't around today.

He finished quickly, changed into clean clothes, and headed to the Dojo. Before he reached it, he heard Sakumo's voice, tight with anticipation.

"Say 'Daddy,' say 'Daddy.'"

Looking up, Kawakaze saw his big brother sitting at the stone table with Kakashi in his arms, while his sister-in-law smiled warmly at them. Nearby, Onimaru was playing with a white dog that had grown noticeably larger.

Kawakaze walked over and grabbed the white dog, which seemed to have been trained to greet him. The dog behaved obediently in Kawakaze's hands, not barking or biting. Its eyes stayed fixed on Onimaru, as if silently pleading, "Dad, help me."

Onimaru glanced away, clearly unwilling to intervene.

"This puppy is much cuter than Onimaru. Is it really Onimaru's cub?" Kawakaze asked, flipping the puppy over to rub its belly.

"Woof woof woof..."

Hearing this, Onimaru turned his head back toward Kawakaze, growling softly in apparent protest.

The dignity of being a male dog must not be trampled upon!

Kawakaze, scratching his ear in confusion, asked. "Sister-in-law, what did he mean?"

Nayuki stifled a laugh, amused by her brother-in-law's infectious humor.

"Blood is thicker than water. This is his son. Onimaru would stake his life on it."

"Good guy, betting on dignity, huh?" Kawakaze quipped. "I believe you."

He looked at Onimaru, who stubbornly held his ground. Determined to prove his honor, Onimaru had dared to bark at him.

Satisfied, Onimaru finally stopped growling and turned his head away again. His expression seemed to say, Out of my reach, my son. Just bear with it for a while.

"Have you named the puppy yet?" Kawakaze asked, continuing to pet the dog. The puppy's fur felt exceptionally soft and pleasant.

"No, I'm going to wait until Kakashi is older and let him choose a name himself," Nayuki replied, watching Kawakaze's interaction with the puppy. She couldn't help but wonder why someone who liked dogs so much didn't have one of his own.

"If you really like dogs, I could get you one?" she offered. However, she wasn't thinking of finding him a Ninken. For someone like Kawakaze, what kind of Ninken could keep up with him in battle? A regular pet dog might suffice as a gesture of affection.

"Woof woof~" Onimaru's eyes lit up, his tail wagging as if volunteering to go fetch a dog right away.

"No thanks, I just like petting other people's dogs," Kawakaze replied decisively, rejecting the idea. He enjoyed the interaction but wasn't interested in owning one.

"Okay," Nayuki shrugged, and the light in Onimaru's eyes dimmed slightly.

"Here you go, stingy." Kawakaze handed the white dog back to Onimaru, satisfied after stroking the pup for a while.

Meanwhile, Sakumo remained focused, holding Kakashi and gently coaxing him to say, "Daddy," but with no success.

"Kakashi hasn't called you that yet?" Kawakaze asked teasingly, poking at Sakumo's persistence. It had been two days since Sakumo started trying, but Kakashi still hadn't uttered the word.

"Just shut up," Sakumo snapped, glaring at Kawakaze briefly before turning his back to him, resuming his efforts to teach Kakashi to call him "Daddy."

"Has he been like this for the past two days?" Kawakaze asked, already knowing the answer. His brother's determination was unmatched.

"Yeah," Nayuki said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth. "If Kakashi doesn't call him soon, he's going to go crazy. He's even been distracted during training these past two days."

Her husband's competitive streak was endearing, though occasionally overwhelming. At least it had taken some of the burden of holding the baby off her. Still, it was unnerving when he muttered "Say Daddy" in his sleep at night.

"Big Brother, I'll teach you a good idea," Kawakaze said, a mischievous glint in his eye as he turned his head.

"Let go," Sakumo replied flatly, not even sparing him a glance. He was understandably cautious of Kawakaze's so-called "good ideas."

"You keep saying 'Say Daddy, Say Daddy,' but that's no good," Kawakaze continued, undeterred. "Children don't understand things well at that age. Just say 'Daddy' by itself, and he'll imitate you."

Kawakaze spoke with a tone of genuine earnestness. Sakumo paused, considering it, and eventually nodded. It seemed to make sense.

"I'll give it a try."

"Go ahead, it's free," Kawakaze said, his expression turning serious. Sakumo face exuded exaggerated fatherly love as he stared at Kakashi, making the young boy's eyes roll.

Kakashi glanced at Kawakaze, then said clearly, "Uncle."

The word made Sakumo's face darken in an instant.

"Would you please get out of the way?" Sakumo growled, his love reserved solely for Kakashi, while Kawakaze only evoked irritation.

"Okay, I'll step back," Kawakaze said, taking a deliberate step backward while still lingering within Sakumo's view.

Nayuki subtly reached over and removed the cup in front of Sakumo, knowing it was quite expensive and didn't trust what might happen next.

"Daddy, Daddy," Sakumo said softly to Kakashi, his face lighting up with a warm smile as he tried to win over his son's heart.

"Hey, Sakumo's doing great~" Kawakaze teased before making a quick exit, clearly aware he might face his brother's wrath if he stayed any longer.

"Haha~" Nayuki burst into laughter. No matter how hard Sakumo tried to maintain his composure, his brother-in-law's antics always managed to get the better of him.

"I'll kill you," Sakumo muttered under his breath. He was hugging Kakashi and couldn't move, so he instinctively reached for the glass on the table.

When his hand found it empty, he froze. Kakashi, startled by the sudden motion, let out a wail.

"Owwww!"

"Oh, my son, don't cry," Sakumo said, his tone softening immediately as he tried to comfort him. "I'll deal with your uncle later when I have time," he added under his breath, suppressing the frustration that Kawakaze's antics always seemed to stir.

This younger brother of his truly pushed him to the edge sometimes. Sakumo felt that it was only thanks to his good heart that he was still alive—otherwise, his grave would have been several meters high by now.

"Why didn't you remind me?" Sakumo asked, noticing that Nayuki had casually returned the glass to its spot on the table.

"You blame me for not paying attention?" Nayuki replied, tilting her head slightly and blinking her big, innocent eyes. Her playful expression immediately disarmed him.

"Fine, blame me," Sakumo said with a resigned smile, pulling Kakashi closer in his arms.

As if sensing the deep love between his parents, Kakashi opened his mouth and said, "Daddad."

The soft, clear word stunned Sakumo for a moment before joy overtook him.

"Did you hear that? Kakashi can say 'dad'!" he exclaimed, lifting Kakashi high into the air with excitement. Beside him, Nayuki's smile brightened even more.

"I heard it," she replied, her voice full of warmth.

"Hey, good boy, say it again," Sakumo coaxed.

"Daddad."

Sakumo's happiness knew no bounds. He was practically ready to jump for joy, completely forgetting Kawakaze's earlier mischief.