When Tsunade returned home, Nawaki and Kushina were already asleep. She herself was exhausted from sword practice.
She entered the bathroom, undressed, and sank into the hot water.
Her mind replayed the scenes from their drinking earlier.
After she had pressed Kawakaze's head against her chest and kissed him, her face reddened again, and even Shūmāo had looked shocked.
She splashed water onto her face, but it only seemed to turn redder.
Thinking of how Kawakaze had held her as they slept peacefully, Tsunade covered her face in shame and slid her head beneath the surface of the water.
After soaking for a long time, she finally calmed down.
She was convinced that nothing improper had happened between her and Kawamine, and even if she took a step back, he had been willing to take responsibility. He really was a good man.
She hadn't even had time to eat. The alcohol hadn't fully worn off, and there was still a faint soy-sauce taste in her mouth. Tsunade returned to her room and fell asleep almost immediately.
She rolled up her blanket into a ball and hugged it tightly. It felt embarrassing, but it was all she could do.
The next morning
Nawaki came to ask Tsunade to accompany him to the Hatake household, but Tsunade refused—she had important matters to attend to.
Kushina had been kept home by Mito to learn sealing techniques. The Academy was currently on break; otherwise she wouldn't have this much free time.
So Nawaki went to the Hatake house alone. No one in Konoha dared lay a hand on him publicly—not even Root. Danzo, after all, had been Tobirama's disciple.
Kawamine had risen early and was in great spirits.
Although he was a little disappointed not to see Tsunade, it didn't affect the friendly relationship he had formed with Nawaki.
He warmly welcomed the boy, taught him horse stance and basic swordsmanship, and then resumed practicing the Flying Thunder God Slash.
He remained very interested in this technique.
He unrolled the scroll and studied it carefully.The core of the Flying Thunder God was the ability to use marked tools imbued with the technique to travel through space into an enemy's blind spot and deliver a lethal strike.
It was similar to the Hatake clan's one-strike kill technique, but far more advanced in its handling of power.
One relied purely on speed.The other relied on spatial manipulation.
The first step was mastering the formula and markings of the Flying Thunder God. The scroll explained it in detail, and it wasn't difficult to replicate.
The tools were even easier—Kawamine could have his friends forge any kind of weapon he needed.
So the first true challenge was learning the technique required to achieve spatial movement.
Kawamine began by tracing the technique exactly as it appeared on the scroll, learning how to create the markings.
It only required excellent chakra control, which wasn't difficult for someone of his level. The next step, however, was the real test.
He raised his hand, and an octagonal Han sword appeared in his palm. Without even moving, the crossed emblem of the Senju clan manifested on the sword's hilt.
He threw the octagonal sword toward a distant tree. It embedded itself in the trunk with a clean thud.
Kawamine tried to sense the Flying Thunder God mark he had left on it, but could only detect the faintest thread of connection.
As for spatial movement—it was completely out of reach. He couldn't sense even a trace of spatial power.
Tsunade's side
Having refused Nawaki's invitation, Tsunade washed up and headed to meet her teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
When she arrived at the Hokage building, no one stopped her. She walked straight to the third floor, where Hiruzen's office was located.
Hiruzen, having just finished knocking out his pipe, already knew from the sound that Tsunade had arrived, and he set the pipe aside.
With a smile, he said, "Come in."
Tsunade opened the door. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, piles of paperwork neatly stacked before him. On either side of the desk sat two talented young advisors—Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
"Good morning, Sensei. Good morning, advisors," Tsunade greeted politely. She held a special respect for Hiruzen—not only her teacher, but the inheritor of her grandfather's and granduncle's wills.
"Tsunade, what did you want to discuss today?"
"Are you still proposing that medical-nin be included in every mission squad?"
Hiruzen smiled kindly, his demeanor full of elder-like warmth.
"No, Sensei."
"I'm here today to request approval for a large enough plot of land… to build a hospital."
Tsunade was never one to mince words, so she stated her purpose directly.
"A hospital? Why?"
"Besides, I doubt you have that much money."
Hiruzen frowned. His first thoughts were of the potential impact on Konoha—and whether it would pose a threat or bring benefit.
The two advisors paused their work, looking toward Tsunade with curiosity. This was not the sort of thing they expected from someone known for gambling.
"We're not exporting a hospital abroad," she said.
"The Hatake clan will be cooperating with me to build it."
"First, it will benefit Konoha. Second, it will train medical-nin."
"This will bring a hundredfold benefit to the village with no harm."
Reckless as she was, Tsunade could still distinguish between good and bad.
"The Hatake clan? They have grown wealthy these years."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed even deeper. "Are they trying to expand their influence?"
"I can't give you an immediate answer."
"This is a major matter. I need to report it to the upper council."
"And even if the land is approved, you will still need to pay full price. Konoha's land belongs to all its citizens."
Hiruzen set the tone. Whether it succeeded or not would be discussed later—but if it did succeed, they would pay the proper cost.
"Sensei, this benefits the villagers, too."
"Is there anything unclear about that?"
Tsunade was about to argue, but Hiruzen interrupted her, sighing helplessly.
"You've never experienced my position, so you don't understand my difficulties."
"I cannot make decisions entirely on my own."
Those two sentences left Tsunade speechless. If she said anything more, it would cross the line. After all, her teacher wasn't scolding her without reason.
"Very well. Then I will wait for your decision."
Her expression had turned serious. After saying this, she turned and left the office.
She glanced back with restrained frustration, not understanding why something so beneficial had to encounter so many obstacles.
"What do you two think of Tsunade's proposal?"
Hiruzen asked his advisors.
"I don't think it's a big deal," Homura replied. "The Hatake family has money, yes, but few members. They can't become a major clan. No matter how wealthy they get, their numbers are too small."
"That's not entirely true," Koharu said. "Kawakaze and Shūmāo are both outstanding jōnin."
"With more financial backing, building a hospital would raise the village's reputation—and possibly win them new supporters."
"But I don't believe it threatens you, Hiruzen."
"This is more something Danzo would worry about."
She had her own reasoning. Hiruzen was already Hokage. The growth of the Hatake clan would pose more of a threat to Danzo, who sought the position, than to Hiruzen.
"Koharu is right. Then we should choose a suitable plot of land."
"The money from selling it can be used to improve infrastructure for the villagers."
"This benefits both the village and the Hatake clan."
Hiruzen smiled faintly and took a puff from his pipe.The three quickly settled the matter and returned to their work.
plz support me if you can
patreon.com/fatimasoomro123
All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there