Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"That's about enough," Kawakaze teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Gululu~" Kushina's stomach growled loudly.

"Haha, you're starving," Kawakaze laughed.

"Let's eat," Tsunade said, giving Nawaki a wink. He obediently led Misaki to the dining room. At that point, he didn't care about barbecue or anything specific—after the tension subsided, he realized he was hungry too.

"Orochimaru, you're finally back," Kawakaze said, stepping up to Orochimaru and pulling him into a big hug, patting him firmly on the back.

Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback, not used to being hugged. This was the second time someone had hugged him today. After a brief pause, he returned the gesture, patting Kawakaze's back without a word.

"You two big men are being mushy," Tsunade teased, a smile glinting in her eyes.

"Haha, aren't we happy?" Kawakaze said, letting go of Orochimaru. He was genuinely joyful.

It had been a long time since they'd last seen each other. He rarely saw Jiraiya these days. Kawakaze guessed that once Jiraiya finished his training, he would head off again in search of the Chosen One.

It was a worrisome lifestyle, though it was destined to be a fruitless journey for many years. Naruto had yet to be born, and neither of his parents were even adults. For now, Jiraiya could only kill time like this.

"Have you perfected your Senjutsu?" Kawakaze asked casually, glancing at Orochimaru.

"Well, I've made some progress," Orochimaru replied with measured humility. In truth, he had already mastered the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave; otherwise, he wouldn't have left his retreat.

"I haven't congratulated you on your victory in the war with Konoha," Orochimaru added, aware of the news of Konoha's success.

"It wasn't much of a victory—just got some money and the acting Kazekage in return," Tsunade said dismissively. She didn't consider it something worth celebrating.

"Forget it. Let's go drink," Kawakaze said, dragging Orochimaru toward the dining hall as if it were their own home.

Minato and Kushina followed them, trailing behind the three.

Mito wasn't alarmed by the sudden commotion. She had already finished eating and was now resting. Tsunade took the main seat at the table, assuming her role as the rightful host.

Kawakaze and Orochimaru sat to her left and right. Nawaki sat next to Orochimaru, with Minato beside Kawakaze, following their teachers' lead.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Orochimaru asked, his curiosity about Nawaki and Misaki finally surfacing.

Nawaki scratched his head, noticing his teacher's amused expression before responding slowly.

"Her name is Uzumaki Misaki," he began. "It's me…"

He then launched into a retelling of his heroic deeds, even gesturing animatedly as he recounted how he had kicked a Kusa ninja. The surprise attack mission sounded trivialized in his retelling, but his enthusiasm was clear.

"You're not bad," Orochimaru said with faint approval, before shifting his gaze back to Misaki.

"This is my Sensei, Orochimaru, whom I've told you about," Nawaki introduced him.

Misaki looked at Orochimaru's snake-like pupils and felt a flicker of fear. There was something deeply sinister about him, and for a moment, she wasn't sure how to address him.

"You can just follow Nawaki and call me Sensei," Orochimaru said, noticing her hesitation. He gave what he believed was his kindest smile, though it did little to ease her unease.

"Hello, Sensei," Misaki said obediently, and Orochimaru's smile widened further.

He truly cared for Nawaki, and Kawakaze could see this clearly.

"I don't have a suitable gift for you today, but come visit my house some other time," Orochimaru said. He wasn't merely being polite; he genuinely hadn't brought anything since he had been training.

"Okay, I'll bring Misaki tomorrow," Nawaki replied with a smile, not holding back.

Misaki, still embarrassed, gave Nawaki a little tap.

"It's okay, Sensei is very kind to me," Nawaki explained, but Misaki only glared at him.

"Haha~"

Everyone noticed their small exchange, which made Misaki blush even more.

"Dinner," Tsunade announced as the servants brought the food to the table. She invited everyone to eat, and the younger ones, already famished, began eating eagerly once the elders had started.

Kushina, especially cheerful, ate energetically, replenishing her strength after all the day's turmoil.

"Eat slowly," Minato said gently, even wiping a bit of food from the corner of Kushina's mouth.

"Tsk tsk," Nawaki teased, pursing his lips at Misaki.

Misaki, though shy, couldn't ignore him. Suppressing her embarrassment, she wiped Nawaki's mouth in front of everyone.

Nawaki gave Minato a triumphant glare, like a general basking in victory.

"Nawaki," Tsunade warned.

Showing off your love in front of your elders? You think you're impressive? She thought to herself, glancing at Orochimaru, who was still single.

Nawaki quickly stopped his antics under the amused gazes of Minato and Kushina.

"Does that Acting Kazekage you mentioned have a Kekkei Genkai?" Orochimaru asked, paying no attention to the children's antics. He had a drink with Kawakaze and shifted the topic.

"Yes, Scorch Release," Kawakaze replied. "It's a close-range ability that can instantly evaporate the water in an enemy's body."

As Kawakaze explained, he faltered slightly, unable to recall the exact combination of elemental attributes.

"She's quite pretty," Tsunade commented suddenly, causing Kawakaze to go silent.

Orochimaru had clearly chosen the wrong topic to bring up.

"That sounds quite interesting," Orochimaru said. "Is she being held in the Anbu prison?"

He seemed genuinely intrigued and pressed the point further.

Kawakaze chose not to answer, preferring to let Tsunade handle it. This way, he could avoid stepping into trouble.

"Yes, she's still being detained," Tsunade replied. "Sensei probably hasn't decided what to do with her yet."

Tsunade knew Pakura's exact location—they had brought her back themselves.

"If Sensei isn't going to deal with her, I'll take her over to study her," Orochimaru said, casually applying a bit of lipstick. His interest in Kekkei Genkai had been piqued.

Pakura, meeting his criteria as a subject with strength and unique abilities, was an appealing research prospect for him.

"No, what are you researching about Kekkei Genkai?" Kawakaze interjected anxiously. "Come and help Tsunade with a experiment—it's very important."

It hadn't been easy to get Orochimaru back, and Kawakaze was irritated that Orochimaru had already set his sights on his own project. Kawakaze's plans for utilizing Orochimaru's expertise were in danger of being derailed. His wishful thinking about working on Hashirama's Cells would now have to wait.

"Haha, no problem," Orochimaru said. "I'll research the limits of Kekkei Genkai in my spare time."

Orochimaru appreciated being needed and readily agreed, not even asking what the experiment was. This was Kawakaze's influence at work.

"That's more like it. I'll show you tomorrow," Kawakaze said, a satisfied grin on his face. "You'll be surprised, haha."

Kawakaze was clearly pleased to be able to put on a show in front of the research fanatic that Orochimaru was.

"I'll wait and see," Orochimaru replied, lifting his sake cup and drinking with Kawakaze and Tsunade.

"I suspect that the problem with Kushina is related to the Tailed Beast in Kumogakure," Kawakaze said, his tone revealing his thoughts. "I don't intend to let it go either."

He recalled that in the original story during the Third Great War, Orochimaru had gone to Kumogakure alone, successfully releasing the Eight-Tailed Beast. That event led to Blue B's death and the acquisition of the Eight-Tailed Beast's cells, which were later used to implant the giant horn into Blue B by Kabuto during the use of the Impure World Reincarnation.

"Oh, I'm also a bit interested," Orochimaru said, his curiosity piqued. How could he resist? A troublemaker by nature, he was immediately drawn to the idea. Even Tsunade seemed eager to hear Kawakaze's next words.

"Then will you accompany me?" Kawakaze asked, making it clear he didn't plan to bring Tsunade along. With the sense of another Tailed Beast, it would be too easy to detect her.

"Okay," Orochimaru agreed, raising his sake cup to clink it against Kawakaze's. The two smiled knowingly at each other, their tacit understanding complete.

"I'll let you know when I'm ready," Kawakaze said.

Both were highly skilled and fearless, and while going to Kumogakure was no simple task, they treated it like a minor challenge.

"Then you be careful," Tsunade said, knowing full well she wasn't suited for this mission.

"Kumogakure is just a village," Orochimaru said arrogantly. Clearly, the power boost from Senjutsu had significantly bolstered his confidence.

"Sensei is domineering," Nawaki chimed in, perfectly timing his flattery. Orochimaru's words stirred a sense of admiration.

"You brat…" Orochimaru scolded lightly, though he couldn't help but smile. His expression was one of both amusement and exasperation.

"Haha~"

The room filled with laughter once again.

...

The younger ones quickly finished eating. At first, they listened attentively as Kawakaze and the others discussed serious matters. However, the conversation soon shifted to bragging, and their behavior became increasingly unruly.

Tsunade's face was flushed from drinking as she approached Orochimaru with a sake flask, clearly ready to challenge him. Orochimaru, unwilling to let her get the better of him, accepted. He couldn't have anyone thinking he couldn't hold his liquor compared to Tsunade.

The two raised their flasks and began drinking, with Kawakaze applauding from the side.

Tsunade, clearly unable to distinguish between friend and foe in her drunken state, turned her attention to Kawakaze. A pot of sake was promptly placed in front of him, dragging him into the contest.

The three began a full-fledged drinking competition. The chaotic and noisy scene made the four younger ones tremble nervously. They worried that if the three disagreed, it might escalate into a fight. Breaking the house would be one thing, but what if someone got hurt?

In the end, Kawakaze, the weakest, was the first to collapse, bringing the competition to a close.

Orochimaru, despite his inconspicuous demeanor, proved to have far better sake tolerance than Kawakaze. However, it was Tsunade who emerged victorious, her capacity for drinking unmatched. She also became the most uninhibited as her drunkenness took over.

Watching the three stagger about, the four children could only band together to carry them out of the restaurant.

Nawaki used the Light-Weight Rock Technique on Orochimaru to make the task easier. Orochimaru, already dizzy, felt as though he were flying. His body felt weightless, and stepping on the ground seemed like treading on cotton.

"Nawaki, why does Sensei feel so light?" Orochimaru asked groggily.

He was completely defenseless against Nawaki, and with the sake taking full effect, he didn't even notice the strange chakra flowing through his body.

"Just be light and go to sleep quickly," Nawaki replied, knowing it was pointless to explain anything now. He carried Orochimaru into the guest room, unceremoniously dropped him onto the bed, and released the Ninjutsu.

"Nawaki," Orochimaru called out again.

"What is it, Sensei?" Nawaki asked, clearly at his wits' end. The last time his Sensei had been like this was at his brother-in-law's house. A group of big idiots had argued endlessly about whether the wall had moved, and Nawaki had laughed himself silly over it.

"I'll tell you, the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave is awesome," Orochimaru said. "When you're older, Sensei will take you to learn it."

Even in his drunken state, Orochimaru thought of Nawaki, always keeping him in mind when there was something worthwhile. True devotion.

"Okay, Sensei," Nawaki replied, genuinely moved. He covered Orochimaru with the bedding and shook his head. What kind of person drinks themselves into such a state? It's practically a sin!

Meanwhile, the other two "respectable" individuals were already in bed, embracing each other.

Kawakaze had begun snoring loudly, while Tsunade, having reached her limit, shifted into a comfortable position, closed her eyes, and promptly fell asleep.