Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 437: Going to Battle

The meeting didn't last long. In the end, Iwa's forces still lacked sufficient strength.

"You don't need to concern yourselves with the covert posts. We'll make our move when the Kumo ninja act."

Ōnoki escorted Nawaki out of the meeting room, making it clear he had no intention of striking first.

"Alright, I'm off then."

Since it wasn't his problem, Nawaki didn't bother worrying about it. Right now, he was more interested in how much he could squeeze out of Ōnoki.

He gave the old Tsuchikage a lingering look before reluctantly leaving.

"This brat is definitely up to something."

Ōnoki muttered under his breath as he returned to the meeting room, where a few high-ranking officials remained.

"Lord Tsuchikage, is that kid really reliable?"

It wasn't surprising that the Iwa ninja held doubts about Nawaki—after all, the death of their Jinchūriki had shaken them to the core.

"That's not for us to decide," Ōnoki replied, glancing at the man before continuing forward.

"We'll find out after a battle."

"If he's useless and dies on the battlefield, that wouldn't be a bad thing for us."

A lean man sneered.

"Exactly—he's the Hokage's younger brother."

"If he dies, Konoha will have no choice but to become sworn enemies with Kumo."

Another man agreed, thinking the logic was sound.

"I don't want to hear this kind of talk again."

Ōnoki's sharp glare shut them up instantly.

If something like this happened naturally, he wouldn't care. But if external forces were involved... did they really think Kawakaze Hatake was someone to be taken lightly?

"Kumo hasn't made a move yet. They're probably still regrouping."

"That gives us a bit more breathing room."

Keiko steered the conversation back on track, avoiding dangerous thoughts.

"Mm, keep a close watch."

"Report any updates. Dismissed."

Ōnoki rubbed his temples, feeling completely worn out. If Konoha's reinforcements turned out to be weak, he had no idea what the future held for the Land of Earth.

"Understood."

No one dared disobey Ōnoki's orders. One by one, they bowed and left.

Meanwhile, as soon as Nawaki returned to the Konoha encampment, he was immediately surrounded by Ginji and the other kids.

"So? What's the word, Uncle?"

Ginji was the first to lean in and ask.

"What's the rush? My mouth's dry."

Nawaki made a show of it, as if playing a game, showing not even a hint of tension despite being on the frontlines.

"Here, have some water!"

Kai moved fast, quickly returning with a cup of tea.

"Now that's what I call considerate."

"Look at you guys."

Nawaki took a sip, making sure to tease Ginji and Satsuki while he was at it.

"Come on, just tell us already!"

Satsuki clung to Nawaki's sleeve, shaking it back and forth.

"Alright, alright."

Nawaki casually found a spot to sit, and the kids immediately formed a circle around him.

"Honestly, there's not much to say."

His opening words immediately made everyone want to punch him. If they weren't his juniors, his head would probably already be full of lumps.

"Ugh!!!"

The kids could only groan in frustration, making Nawaki laugh heartily.

"Alright, I won't mess with you."

"Iwa isn't planning to attack first. They're waiting for Kumo to make a move before sending us in."

"If I had to guess, I'm here to replace the Five-Tails Jinchūriki."

"Kumo has someone capable of taking down a Jinchūriki... sounds a little exciting, doesn't it?"

Nawaki didn't feel any pressure. A Jinchūriki? So what? Were they really that unbeatable?

Worst case, if he couldn't win, he could always run.

"That does sound pretty thrilling."

"Can I—"

Ginji barely got the words out before Nawaki cut him off.

"No. And don't use the Lightning Release Chakra Mode either."

Though he didn't say it outright, everyone knew he was really talking about Wood Release.

They were all close, and Ginji's little secret was no longer much of a secret.

"Why not?"

Ginji blurted out without thinking.

"What do you think?"

Nawaki didn't answer directly, instead throwing the question back at him.

This nephew of his really wasn't thinking straight today.

"Uncle Kawakaze stole it, and you want to use it in front of its rightful owner?"

"Who are you trying to draw hatred toward?"

As Orochimaru's daughter, Satsuki naturally knew how the Lightning Release Armor had been obtained.

"Uh..."

Realization hit Ginji, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"You already have enough techniques. It's not like you're expected to take down the Third Raikage."

Nawaki chuckled at his nephew's embarrassment—now that reaction was more fitting for a kid.

"Fine, I get it."

Ginji shrank his neck, feeling a little ashamed of his lapse in judgment.

"I know what you're all capable of." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"But this is your first time on a real battlefield, so focus on supporting the fight."

"That way, I'll feel a little more at ease."

Nawaki repeated his warning, unwilling to let anything happen to these little troublemakers.

"Understood!"

The kids didn't complain and answered in unison.

They all knew Nawaki was looking out for them.

"Alright, go have some fun. I'm going to take a walk."

Nawaki got up and walked out of the circle, heading toward the edge of camp.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Iwa, but as a commander, he'd feel uneasy if he didn't familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain.

As soon as he was gone, Ginji and the others started chattering again, excitedly discussing how many enemies they would take down.

Three days passed, and Kumo still hadn't launched an attack. Meanwhile, Iwa was starting to lose patience.

Being at a disadvantage, they couldn't stand the pressure of this looming threat.

Two more days passed. Just as Iwa was considering launching a preemptive strike, Kumo finally made their move.

"Lord Tsuchikage! Kumo is mobilizing!"

A scout burst into Ōnoki's tent, not even bothering to announce himself.

"Pass the order—assemble."

"And don't forget Konoha."

Ōnoki's gaze was serious as he issued his commands.

"Understood."

The scout quickly left, and the sound of retreating footsteps echoed outside.

"Let's see what this kid is really worth today."

"If he turns out to be useless, I won't be going out of my way to save him."

Ōnoki muttered to himself as he slowly walked outside.

Once the Iwa and Konoha forces had gathered, Nawaki and Ōnoki floated in the air side by side.

Ōnoki glanced at Nawaki with a strange expression but said nothing.

"Lord Tsuchikage, should we move out?"

Nawaki showed no sign of unease, his polite tone almost unsettling.

"Move out."

Ōnoki nodded and led the way toward Kumo's forces.

"Let's go."

At Nawaki's command, the Konoha ninja followed behind Iwa. They weren't here to take the lead.

As Iwa's forces marched out of their camp, Kumo received word.

"Father, the turtle's finally come out of its shell."

The Fourth A smirked, while the Third Raikage remained as stern as ever.

"Teaming up with Konoha? Ōnoki sure came up with something bold."

"It's like making a deal with a tiger."

The news of Konoha's reinforcements had already reached the Third Raikage, and he found it difficult to understand.

Kumo was already tough enough to deal with—did Ōnoki really think the so-called 'God of Konoha' would be so easy to summon and dismiss?