Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

It was close to noon when Kawakaze woke up.

Unconsciously, he noticed the absence of the soft flesh next to him, prompting him to get up and laugh at himself. It was just as the old saying went: Only cows that die from exhaustion cannot plow bad fields.

After rising, Kawakaze felt a warmth in his heart when he saw the clean clothes neatly folded on the table. Once he had tidied up, he made his way to the dining room, which was far less crowded at noon compared to the morning. There, only Nayuki was present, holding Kakashi.

After finishing his meal, Kawakaze held Kakashi for a while before deciding to visit the Academy.

"Sister-in-law, I'm leaving." He returned Kakashi to Nayuki, greeted her, and walked out.

"You're such a bad principal..." Nayuki shook her head as she watched Kawakaze leave.

She had never seen such an irresponsible principal before. Fortunately, the Hokage had taken on the school's responsibilities before him. Without that, the Academy would likely have been in trouble.

Kawakaze left the house and headed toward the school. It had been expanded and now covered a larger area, with the four advanced classes already in session for a few days. Upon arriving, Kawakaze went straight to his office.

He pushed open the door and found the room clean and tidy, as it was cleaned daily. Sitting at his desk, he noticed there wasn't a single document needing his attention. Although Ei Onoda served as the vice-principal, he handled all the tasks expected of a principal.

Kawakaze was very satisfied with the arrangement. Tsunade had given him a position that suited him perfectly. He didn't have to follow a strict schedule, and no one bothered him when he left early. It was ideal.

Kawakaze remained in his office for a long time without disturbance. Gradually, he grew restless and decided to head to the Hokage Building. Without needing to report in, he made his way directly to the Hokage's Office.

Inside, Tsunade and Shōta were busy reviewing documents.

"You're just in time."

"Deliver this to the Anbu."

Before Kawakaze could say anything, Tsunade assigned him a mission.

"What is this?" Kawakaze walked up to take the document Tsunade handed him.

"This is information on the Yuki Clan of the Land of Water."

"I plan to add another clan with Kekkei Genkai to Konoha," Tsunade explained, her face full of pride.

"Ice Release?" Kawakaze asked. He knew this was the Yuki Clan but hadn't expected it to have any connection to Konoha.

"Yes, hurry and deliver it. Your brother is waiting for it," Tsunade said impatiently, urging Kawakaze to deliver the document quickly and safely.

"Very well, you can use me as a courier," Kawakaze said, amused, considering he had just arrived.

"What courier?" Tsunade asked, momentarily confused.

"Never mind, I'll deliver it," Kawakaze replied, shaking his head. Explaining it would be too much trouble.

Still, his mind wandered briefly. If there were Flying Thunder God Techniques in the modern era, delivering packages could make someone very rich. With that idle thought, he instantly disappeared from the Hokage's Office.

"Just go, and don't get caught," Tsunade muttered before bowing her head to resume processing documents.

The whole time, Shōta hadn't lifted his head, still stewing in anger. Every time he saw Kawakaze, he was reminded of his own sad and bloody history.

Originally, Shōta had wanted to recruit help, but none of his clan members were willing to assist. They all considered it too much trouble. Only his good friend from the Akimichi Clan had offered help, but his intelligence left much to be desired. When the time came, Shōta feared he would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Recently, he had been trying his best to persuade a good friend from the Yamanaka Clan. The results were beginning to show, and he was confident that good news would come soon.

"Bro-"

Kawakaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear directly in Sakumo's office. Before he could complete the word "Brother" after his greeting, Sakumo's short sword came slashing toward his neck.

Sakumo wasn't yet accustomed to sudden appearances, especially in a place as critical as the Anbu headquarters. A figure materializing out of nowhere was always a potential threat.

"It's me, it's me!" Kawakaze nimbly dodged the attack and quickly clarified.

The two Anbu teams present in the office had already surrounded him.

"Next time, use the door. This is Anbu, not your home," Sakumo snapped, putting his short sword away and returning to his desk.

"Sensei."

"Brother-in-law."

"Lord Kawakaze."

The eight Anbu members addressed him in their own ways. Kawakaze nodded and placed the file on Sakumo's desk.

"This is the file Tsunade asked me to deliver."

"You're on a mission to the Land of Water?" Kawakaze asked without hesitation. Konoha didn't need to keep secrets from him.

"Well, it's a confidential mission," Sakumo replied, deliberately showing off as he unpacked the file and examined it carefully.

The document contained contact information for the Yuki Clan, details about their current location, and a description of their dire situation. The remaining members of the clan were all ninjas; the ordinary civilians had been killed.

This was good news for Konoha, as ninjas generally possessed Kekkei Genkai, and rescuing them would be more practical than saving civilians. However, the bad news was that they were facing the full force of Kirigakure's Anbu.

The Yuki Clan was already in a precarious situation, and no one knew how long they could hold out.

"Go ahead, I'm listening." Kawakaze didn't ask any questions. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and casually took Sakumo's tea with him.

After a while, Sakumo finally spoke, having finished reading through all the intelligence. The eight Anbu members had been standing in silence the entire time.

"I've called you here this time because there is an important mission," Sakumo began. "I want you to go to the Land of Water and rescue the Yuki Clan."

"Bring them back to Konoha safely. Can you do it?" Sakumo put down the document and looked at the eight people before him with burning eyes.

"Yes," they responded in unison.

"Good. This mission does not have to be completed at all costs," Sakumo continued. "Once it becomes impossible, saving even one is better than none. If they really can't be saved, your priority is to ensure your own safety. Did you hear that clearly?"

Sakumo, following Tsunade's advice, emphasized the importance of the safety of Konoha's ninja above all else.

"I heard it clearly," came another unified response.

Only then did Kawakaze realize that this was the squads led by Minato and Nawaki.

"You're sending just these few for such a big mission?" Kawakaze asked, his concern making him overlook some considerations.

"How else can we blend in with the crowd?"

"The Land of Water has very little contact with the outside world, so fewer people means greater safety," Sakumo explained. He had given the matter a great deal of thought. Minato and Nawaki had experience leading teams deep behind enemy lines, and their strength made them the obvious choices for this mission.

"That's true; it's my fault," Kawakaze admitted after thinking it over. Sakumo's point made sense—too many people would only increase the risk of being discovered.

"Sensei, you have to trust us," Minato said, sensing that Kawakaze might not fully believe in their abilities.

"Yes, brother-in-law. We were trained by you," Nawaki chimed in.

"Don't give me that useless talk," Kawakaze retorted. "Just come back safely. Got it?"

"Got it," Minato and Nawaki answered in unison, their enthusiasm for the mission still evident. The Land of Water was also half of Nawaki's home turf, where his Water Release techniques could be used to their fullest potential.

"Alright, go to the store for anything you need. I'm leaving." Kawakaze stood up, waved his hand, and disappeared from view.

"What are you waiting for? Go shopping," Sakumo said, dismissing the group. He then turned to lock the mission letter he had just finished writing in the cabinet.