"I'm only guessing. We'll know when the time comes."
Kawamine didn't say it outright, but he had a strong feeling that person would definitely make a move.
For someone who lurked in the shadows, this was a huge, uncontrollable variable. He would almost certainly try to crush it—destroy it completely before it could even sprout.
"I understand."
Whether Hatake Sokumo really understood or was merely pretending to, he nodded, as if observing to see what Kawamine would say next.
To avoid unnecessary family conflict, Sokumo had a good grasp of Konoha's power structure, and he had a pretty good guess as to who Kawamine was talking about.
He simply chose not to say the name aloud.
"I know too."
Tsunade didn't want to lose ground; she was simply being stubborn. She was clearly curious, but forced herself to suppress it for now.
Ever since Senju Tobirama ordered the Senju clan to merge into the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen had done everything possible to keep her out of political conflict—his way of showing affection and care.
Without his protection, Tsunade would never have lived so freely. The Uchiha alone could have made her life unbearable.
"Haha. Then let's just wait for the fish to bite."
"I won't move unless the enemy makes the first move."
Kawamine laughed heartily, without the slightest doubt. He thought everyone already understood what he meant.
After lunch, Tsunade left with Kawamine, still full of unanswered questions.
When Kawamine bragged about completing the Flying Thunder God, she didn't react too strongly. Her mind was entirely occupied by the mysterious "someone," thoughts swirling endlessly.
That afternoon, Netsu continued training at the Hatake estate. Orochimaru's experiments hadn't started yet—no one knew what he was busy with. He had no time at all to teach his prized student.
However, Kawamine had his own guess: as a leading candidate for the next Hokage, Orochimaru was likely extremely busy before the war.
After arranging Netsu's training plan, Kawamine left the Hatake estate and headed for the weapon forge.
Business was thriving as usual, full of shinobi.
When Old Iron—still shirtless—returned to the forging room, he spoke immediately:
"Second Young Master, the elder brother's sword isn't ready yet."
"It'll take at least three more days."
Spotting Kawamine, he quickly handed his work to an apprentice and hurried over, thinking Kawamine had come to pick up Sokumo's custom weapon.
"I'm not here to take my brother's weapon."
"I want you to forge some senbon for me."
It was sweltering inside. Kawamine wiped his forehead and snapped his fingers, stating his purpose.
What kind do you want?Old Iron was smart—normally senbon were kept at the front counter, so Kawamine wouldn't come to him unless he wanted something special.
"Lighter and faster."
Kawamine wasn't counting on them to kill anyone; he only needed them as Flying Thunder God markers—easy to carry and fast to throw.
"Then let me look into it. Reducing weight and drag will likely sacrifice penetration, right?"
Old Iron hit the point immediately—he understood exactly what Kawamine needed.
"Good. When they're ready, send them directly to my house."
Working with smart people was a pleasure—no need for long explanations.
"I can deliver within a week."
Old Iron set a timeframe. He cared deeply about both young masters—they were his bread and butter; how could he afford to be careless?
"All right, I'll head out first."
Having explained everything, Kawamine didn't want to stay any longer. The heat was unbearable.
When he returned home, Shengshu was still diligently practicing the basics of swordsmanship. He wasn't overreaching or asking for advanced techniques.
Kawamine nodded as he watched. With this diligence, how could he possibly die in the Second Great Ninja War? Something doesn't add up.
As his future brother-in-law, Kawamine naturally felt obliged to change Shengshu's tragic fate.
Another day passed. Shengshu didn't stay for dinner that night. He said goodbye and left before the meal.
Neither of them spoke that evening. After washing up, Kawamine sat down—and soon drifted into a beautiful dream. It was so delicious he almost drooled in his sleep.
He had no idea what kind of heavenly white-rabbit meat he was dreaming about.
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