"The baby is developing well," Tsunade said as she led Nayuki out of the bedroom.
"I'm relieved to hear that. Thank you." Nayuki touched her stomach, a budding sense of motherly love showing in her expression.
"You don't need to be polite with me," Tsunade replied warmly.
"Haha, we'll be family soon enough," Nayuki said matter-of-factly, her straightforwardness causing Tsunade to blush slightly.
"Let's go. Kawakaze is waiting," Tsunade said, guiding Nayuki back to the living room.
"Don't worry, both the baby and your sister-in-law are perfectly fine," Tsunade assured Kawakaze.
"Stay for dinner tonight. It's been a while since we've had a drink together," Kawakaze suggested with a nod, his tone light but his motives unclear.
"Okay," Tsunade agreed without hesitation.
That evening, Tsunade and Kawakaze drank to their hearts' content, the lively atmosphere easing Nayuki's mood. It had been a long time since the household felt so cheerful. Unsurprisingly, both Kawakaze and Tsunade ended up drinking too much.
In the end, the scheming Kawakaze was too drunk to act on any malicious intent. Nayuki tactfully arranged for someone to carry the two drunks to Kawakaze's room.
The next morning, Tsunade woke up in Kawakaze's arms. She barely reacted—this wasn't the first time. With a calm expression, she pushed his large hand off her, only for it to find its way back as if it had a mind of its own.
"Is he awake?" Tsunade muttered, suspicious. She leaned close to his face and blew a puff of air. Kawakaze frowned and rolled over, now facing away from her.
"What a pervert," she said quietly, a small smile forming as she got up and went to the bathroom.
When Kawakaze woke up fully, he assumed he'd slept alone.
After breakfast, Kawakaze accompanied Tsunade to the hospital, sticking with her as she worked in the lab. Though his chatter was frequent, his lack of expertise made him more of a distraction than a help.
Meanwhile, time pressed on. Orochimaru and his forces eyed the town with growing intent. Ishikado, in turn, had arrived in the Land of Wind to seek out Hanzō of the Salamander.
"Lord Hanzō, Lord Yamaru has sacrificed himself," Ishikado reported, kneeling on one knee before Hanzō after removing his gas mask. His face was streaked with tears.
"We suffered a crushing defeat trying to intercept the main Konoha army. Lord Yamaru gathered the remnants of his troops and led them into the Konoha camp, each carrying a large number of Explosive Tags. The objective was to destroy their supplies. Judging by the absence of Konoha forces in our country's hinterland, it seems his plan succeeded. What are your orders?"
Hanzō sat silently for a moment before responding, his expression unreadable. "Yamaru was a good man. I have my own methods for dealing with Konoha. You are dismissed."
As Ishikado left, still visibly shaken, a shadowy figure stepped forward at Hanzō's signal.
"Contact the intelligence officer stationed in the Land of Fire. Use any means necessary—bribery, blackmail, whatever it takes—to bring down the minister in charge of supplies. Delay Konoha's logistics, and report back immediately if obstacles arise."
The figure nodded and vanished into the shadows.
The Land of Rain may be small, but it excels in assassination and intelligence gathering. Konoha could never have anticipated that Hanzō had embedded a spy within the Daimyō's mansion in the Land of Fire.
Despite his composed demeanor, Hanzō's clenched fist betrayed his inner turmoil. One-third of Amegakure's forces had fallen in battle. The loss weighed heavily on him, like a dagger to the heart.
Is peace through force nothing more than a dream? he wondered bitterly.
"We'll have to accelerate our battle with Sunagakure," he muttered before issuing a series of new commands.
The battle between the Amegakure and Sunagakure grew fiercer by the day, claiming numerous lives on both sides.
Chiyo's resentment toward Hanzō's poison deepened, driving her to study antidotes with unwavering determination. Whenever she clashed with Hanzō, no one dared to interfere. Only Hanzō could neutralize his own poison, and none of Chiyo's Ten Close-Combat Ninjas could get near him.
The fact that the "Demi-God of the Ninja World" struggled against a woman stoked Hanzō's growing irritability. Even with the aid of his Summoning Beast, he could barely gain a slight advantage. Injuring Chiyo, let alone killing her, proved a daunting challenge. Frustrated, Hanzō shifted his focus to other Suna Ninjas, but Chiyo countered by targeting Amegakure's forces.
In terms of sheer numbers, Hanzō faced a significant disadvantage. Without his wide-area poison, the Amegakure Ninja would likely have been wiped out. The war had reached a stalemate, with mutual destruction looming for both sides. Although Hanzō considered retreat, the thought of conceding humiliated him, compelling him to fight on.
Meanwhile, Konoha's Anbu arrived at the Daimyō's mansion and presented their request for supplies.
Though the Daimyō quickly approved, with backing from the martial faction, the supply minister delayed the process under various pretenses. The Anbu reported the delays to the Daimyō, but their concerns were met with silence, leaving the matter unresolved. Even the Third Hokage was powerless to expedite the supplies and urged Orochimaru to wait patiently.
While the supplies remained stalled, Konoha's Ninja found unexpected comfort in the town, enjoying the reprieve from war. Under the guidance of Sakumo, Duy, and Orochimaru, the two young men—Nawaki and Minato—dedicated themselves to training. Away from the battlefield, their progress was swift, and it was believed they would achieve Jōnin rank within a few years.
"Orochimaru, it's been months," Sakumo said during a quiet tea break. "Still no progress on the supplies?"
In the courtyard, Nawaki and Minato sparred under Duy's supervision. The veteran Ninja corrected their strikes and eliminated unnecessary movements with meticulous precision.
"Sensei told me to wait for news," Orochimaru replied, his sharp mind already suspecting deeper political issues. "I imagine the problem lies in the Daimyō's court. Whether Amegakure has a hand in it is uncertain."
"The delay is endless. How much longer can we wait?" Sakumo, naturally impatient, was growing restless after months of inaction. Were it not a mission, he would have returned to Konoha already.
"Our Sensei seems... restrained these days," Orochimaru observed. "The Daimyō refuses to send supplies, and Sensei isn't applying much pressure either."
Orochimaru could clearly see that the Third Hokage had lost much of the vigor he once possessed in his younger days. He wouldn't have voiced such an observation if he hadn't grown familiar with Sakumo.
"The Third Hokage may have his own difficulties. You should discuss it with him again," Sakumo said tactfully. Despite his words, his feelings toward the Third Hokage had soured, and he had even entertained the thought of Tsunade holding that position instead.
If it were her, the supplies might have already arrived. She's not exactly lenient.
"There's nothing we can do about it. I'll talk to Sensei again," Orochimaru replied.
"It's good that Kawakaze is comfortable staying home this time," Orochimaru remarked with a small shake of his head and a smile. He finished his tea and stood up.
"Yes, that brat," Sakumo responded.
"In a while, Duy and I are heading back for a visit and..."
"My wife is about to give birth," Sakumo announced, prompting Orochimaru to offer his congratulations and agree to join him.