"Kawakaze-kun, this camp is meaningless now."
"I'll lead the troops and relocate to a town within the Fire Country's border area."
"Once the supplies arrive, we'll set up a new camp."
After inspecting the ruins of the warehouse, Orochimaru approached Kawakaze and informed him of his decision.
It was clear he felt neither joy nor sorrow—his mental resilience far surpassed that of most.
The camp was now exposed, and with no supplies left, Orochimaru couldn't possibly sustain a large army in the wilderness without moving them to a town.
"This is all we can do for now."
"I'm curious—who do you plan to send back to Konoha?"
Kawakaze also agreed that remaining here was pointless. What mattered most now was when the supplies would arrive.
"You."
Orochimaru smiled faintly as he spoke.
"Me?"
Kawakaze wondered if he had misheard. Still… the thought of returning to see Tsunade wasn't exactly unwelcome.
It had been over a month. He missed her terribly.
"Yes, Kawakaze-kun. You're fast—you can deliver the message quickly."
"And besides… I'm sure you're missing Tsunade a little, aren't you?"
Orochimaru spoke with a teasing grin.
"Haha, then I won't refuse."
"I'll leave immediately and won't delay."
"Good. Be careful on the road."
Orochimaru turned away, preparing to lead his troops to the nearby town.
Kawakaze left the two children in the care of Shōma and Dai. If it were someone like Jiraiya, he wouldn't feel nearly as secure.
He then immediately set off for Konoha. Thankfully, he had been smart enough to carve many Flying Thunder God markers along his route.
It only took him a single day to return.
As he once again faced Konoha's great gates, it felt as though he had stepped into another world.
Perhaps everyone returning from the battlefield carries a yearning for peace.
He knocked on the gate. The two gatekeepers opened it, confirmed his identity, and respectfully allowed him inside.
Kawakaze, still somewhat professional, didn't go to see Tsunade first.
Upon reaching the Hokage Tower, he was questioned by ANBU before being escorted to the Third Hokage.
"Ah, so you've returned, Kawakaze."
Kawakaze bowed in respect. The old man had always treated Tsunade kindly.
"Kawakaze of the Hatake clan, why have you returned?"
Sarutobi frowned, pipe in hand. His instincts told him this wasn't good news.
"We won two major battles in Amegakure."
"We collected nearly a thousand enemy heads."
"That's excellent!"
Before Kawakaze could finish, the Third slammed his hand on the desk and shouted in excitement.
Kawakaze had submitted many reports before. You should always start with the good news first—leaders get much less angry afterward.
"But our supplies were destroyed. We've retreated to a town near the Fire Country border."
"Orochimaru sent me back, hoping you could request another shipment from the daimyō."
Kawakaze didn't claim the idea as his own. With Orochimaru's reputation, it would be foolish not to make use of it.
"What?"
The Third's expression soured again, his emotions shifting as wildly as a roller coaster.
If he weren't already old, his heart might not have survived this.
"The Rain ninja appeared suddenly. They had explosive tags strapped to their bodies. They blew themselves up the moment they saw someone. The stationed shinobi had no way of stopping them."
Kawakaze explained again—this wasn't a matter of Konoha being incompetent; the enemy's methods were simply too extreme.
"I see… I understand."
"I'll discuss it with the daimyō as soon as possible."
The Third sat down and waved for Kawakaze to leave.
As soon as Kawakaze exited the room, the Hokage summoned the two advisors, and the three discussed the matter.
ANBU were dispatched to the daimyō to request supplies. Since this was a war affecting the whole nation, the daimyō was obligated to support them.
But this no longer concerned Kawakaze. The moment he left the Hokage Tower, he used Flying Thunder God to teleport straight to the hospital's underground laboratory.
Just as he expected, Tsunade was alone, immersed in her research. Wearing a white lab coat, she truly looked like a scientist.
The moment he appeared, Tsunade noticed him. The lab wasn't large, and he hadn't concealed himself.
"Kawakaze-kun!"
Her face lit up with joy. She dropped the tools in her hands and threw herself into his arms.
Kawakaze embraced the beautiful woman passionately, gently stroking her hair.
He breathed in her scent deeply, then leaned close to her ear.
He whispered, "I'm back."
After a long, warm embrace, Tsunade reluctantly pulled away.
"I thought you were still at the battlefield?"
"Our supplies were destroyed. I came back to request assistance."
"I came to see you right after meeting the Third."
Kawakaze briefly explained his mission.
"Come, I'll show you my results."
Tsunade didn't care about battlefield matters. And from Kawakaze's expression, she could tell things weren't too dire.
She grabbed his hand excitedly and led him to the experiment table.
"I cultivated my grandfather's cells and managed to reactivate them."
"But they're still unstable, and they often destroy themselves."
"His cells are incredibly active. My next step is to stabilize them."
"Then we can try some fusion experiments."
"So don't be stingy with your blood later."
Tsunade's face beamed with pride—she was thrilled to share her accomplishments with the one she loved.
"Just don't drain me dry."
Kawakaze joked lightly.
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"I'll drain every drop if I have to."
With that, she decided she was done working and removed her lab coat.
"Let's go visit Natsuki-onee-san. She'll want to know how Shōma is doing."
"Okay. I'll take you home."
Kawakaze wrapped an arm around her waist—and in the next instant, they appeared inside the Hatake family's training hall.
The sudden appearance triggered the guards. Since Natsuki became pregnant, the Hatake family's defenses had been doubled.
Once the guard recognized Kawakaze and Tsunade, he quietly withdrew.
"Steward, where's my sister-in-law?"
Kawakaze called out, and the steward appeared.
"The eldest lady is in the living room."
"Alright, carry on."
Kawakaze and Tsunade entered the living room, where Natsuki was chatting with the ghost-fang hound.
Staying home alone was boring—but this was her way of passing the time.
"Kawakaze… is that really you?"
Natsuki had already smelled him, but she still couldn't believe it.
"It's me. I just got back."
Accompanied by Tsunade, Kawakaze's words didn't sound very convincing.
But Natsuki didn't care about the details. A sister-in-law was hardly on the same level as a husband.
After so long apart, she really had missed him a bit. Perhaps it was her maternal instinct.
The hound rushed over and rubbed against Kawakaze's leg.
Kawakaze crouched down gently, scratching the ghost-fang dog's chin until it lay down comfortably.
"Did you come back alone?"
Natsuki looked around. When she didn't see Shōma, disappointment flashed across her face.
"I came back on assignment. My brother is staying in a border town for now—he's safe."
Kawakaze reassured her. Only then did the tension fade from her face.
"He said he'll try to return before you give birth."
"No… the mission is more important."
Though she said that, the joy on Natsuki's face was obvious to both Kawakaze and Tsunade.
"Natsuki-onee-san, let me check on you again."
Since Kawakaze left for the battlefield, Tsunade had not visited the Hatake household. This was a perfect opportunity.
And since Kawakaze had mentioned it before, she had never forgotten.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there