Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

A pleasant lunch concluded, and the members of the expedition were finalized. Sakumo set off with the advance guard, which included representatives from each clan. Kawakaze and Tsunade accompanied them to see them off.

At the town's entrance, there was no one in front of the Land of Fire.

"Sakumo, have a safe trip," Tsunade said, offering her blessings. Sakumo was always at the forefront of dangerous missions.

"Don't worry, Big Brother. Even if you can't win, you can escape," Kawakaze remarked casually. As he pointed out, Sakumo, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, could indeed retreat even if outmatched.

Kawakaze's comment earned a sharp glare from Tsunade, who found his words particularly inauspicious.

"No need to see me off. I'm leaving," Sakumo said bluntly, treating Kawakaze like air. His younger brother's lack of tact clearly irritated him.

"I'll be waiting for good news," Tsunade said, ignoring the tension.

Sakumo nodded silently and led the team toward the Land of Rain.

"Let's go back," Kawakaze said, watching Sakumo's figure fade into the distance.

"Okay, let's get ready as well," Tsunade replied, turning around to lead the way back. They planned to wait for Sakumo to establish a foothold in the Land of Rain before launching a major offensive. Above all, they could not allow the war to reach the Land of Fire.

Sakumo and his troops pressed forward into the Land of Rain, moving at an emergency pace. The country was in shambles from civil war, now a place where anyone could enter and leave freely. Without its unique geographical position, it would have been absorbed by neighboring nations long ago.

The rain poured steadily as Sakumo slowed his pace in the deep forest. His senses sharpened.

"Lord Sakumo, they're Iwa Ninjas," a Hyūga clan member reported, having spotted them despite their careful concealment.

"Bring them alive," Sakumo ordered in a low voice, continuing to walk as several Konoha ninjas slipped away from the group.

Moments later, three Iwa Ninjas were captured and brought before Sakumo.

"Have your troops entered the Land of Rain?" Sakumo asked, his cold eyes fixed on the Iwa Ninjas. His voice carried no trace of emotion.

"Hmph, don't even think about getting a single piece of information out of us," one of the captured Iwa Ninjas scoffed defiantly.

Their resilience didn't faze Sakumo. He wasn't interested in wasting effort. "Hayato, it's up to you," he said, delegating the task.

Hayato Yamanaka had accompanied Sakumo on this mission to gather critical intelligence.

"Yes, Lord Sakumo," Hayato replied. He stepped forward and led the prisoners into the shadows.

Moments later, agonized screams echoed through the forest, but Sakumo's expression remained unchanged. The cries gradually weakened until they fell silent.

When Hayato reemerged from the shadows, he was visibly pleased, having secured the information they needed.

"Lord Sakumo, Iwagakure has not yet entered the Land of Rain," Hayato reported. "Ōnoki is currently returning to the village from the Land of Birds to rest. For now, they've only dispatched scouts. Sunagakure, on the other hand, has set up camp at the border of the Land of Wind."

The information was substantial—two villages' movements revealed through the interrogation of a single group. Hayato's satisfaction was understandable.

"This is just what we've uncovered," Sakumo said thoughtfully. "There are likely more enemy units that remain undetected. We can't conceal our position for long. Find a good place to set up camp and notify Tsunade to move out as soon as possible."

Arriving ahead of the Iwagakure and Sunagakure forces would give them a critical advantage.

"Yes, Lord Sakumo," Hayato replied. He gestured to an intelligence officer, whispered instructions, and the man swiftly departed to relay the message.

"Let's go," Sakumo said, resuming their march.

Two days later, the group found an ideal location. The site was strategically advantageous, allowing both defense and offense. Sakumo established the camp and settled in, waiting quietly for Tsunade to arrive.

"Mad, this hanging place—it rains 300 days a year, right?" Kawakaze muttered as he walked through the rain in a raincoat, feeling rather helpless.

"It was my sister that provoked you, so why are you blaming the rain?" Nawaki replied quietly, walking beside him.

Kawakaze had recently taken a punch from Tsunade after provoking her, and now he was looking for an outlet for his frustration.

"You've been acting a bit secretive lately!" Kawakaze said, glaring at Nawaki with a menacing look that made him flinch.

"Sister, my brother-in-law is bullying me," Nawaki called out dramatically, seeking refuge in Tsunade's favor.

"Come here, don't let him bother you," Tsunade said, stepping aside to let Nawaki pass. She shot Kawakaze a sharp look, her expression clearly saying, Is this all you've got? Bullying a child? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

"Sensei, you've really gone too far," Minato added, his voice calm but pointed. Before Kawakaze could even think of retaliating, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly appear at Nawaki's side.

"Little brat, you've really pissed me off," Kawakaze grumbled. For a moment, he fully understood how Sakumo felt when he'd been frustrated by him in the past.

Meanwhile, the large Konoha army marched onward toward their rendezvous point with Sakumo. The journey was uneventful—they didn't encounter a single scout or face any provocations.

"Lord Kawakaze's disciple is very interesting," the Uchiha Clan Head remarked with a smile as he walked beside Kawakaze.

"He's just a child—spoiled," Kawakaze replied with a smile of his own, showing no trace of lingering irritation.

"The weather in the Land of Rain really is unpleasant," the Uchiha Clan Head added, clearly uncomfortable. As a master of Fire Release, he was particularly affected by the perpetually damp environment.

Ninjas like Nawaki, however, benefitted from the conditions, as their Water Release techniques were enhanced by the rain.

"Once we reach the camp, we won't have to worry about the rain anymore," Kawakaze said.

"I hope it'll be sunny when the fight starts," Kawakaze understood his concern; in battle, even minor mistakes could mean the difference between life and death.

"I hope so," the Uchiha Clan Head didn't say anything further.

Meanwhile, Iwagakure had received word of the large Konoha army entering the Land of Rain. Without hesitation, Ōnoki led Rōshi and the troops toward the region.

Han, now barely able to use the Tailed Beast's outerwear due to weakened strength, had been left behind in the village to guard it.

"Lord Third, why must there be war? Our Iwagakure can stay out of it," Rōshi said, dressed in purple clothes with a breastplate, his hair tied back in a ponytail, and a full beard framing his face.

As soon as he spoke, the question made Ōnoki's head ache. It was no surprise that Ōnoki disliked taking Rōshi on expeditions, though there was no alternative this time.

"You're a ninja. Just follow orders, got it?" Ōnoki replied lazily, unwilling to engage further.

But Rōshi was not one to let it go. "Do you know how many people will die in this war? These are your people. Our village is doing pretty well right now," he said stubbornly.

To him, war was the ultimate evil. His role as a Jinchūriki was to protect the village from external threats, not to serve as a weapon of war.

"Fine, stop talking and mind your own business," Ōnoki snapped, flying higher to avoid the conversation.

Rōshi looked up at him, disbelief written all over his face. It was no wonder he eventually left Iwagakure to become a wandering monk.

"Lord Rōshi, Lord Third was also forced into this," an Iwa Ninja stepped forward cautiously, trying to mediate.

"Forced? He's just too ambitious," Rōshi shot back, his voice rising. "Isn't Iwagakure doing fine as it is?"

The mention of ambition enraged Rōshi, and his unyielding demeanor left everyone speechless.

"You're right," the Iwa Ninja muttered, backing away helplessly. Covering their foreheads in exasperation, they silently vowed never to meddle in Rōshi's affairs again. His stubbornness was simply unmanageable.