When Tsunade and Kawakaze returned with the Konoha ninja, Sakumo and Duy had already gone back to the camp to rest. The injured ninja were all gathered together, and Tsunade was immediately busy as soon as she arrived. It was no exaggeration to say she was the busiest person after every battle.
The two children followed her around, helping where they could, while Kawakaze summoned Slugs to assist.
It was late at night when Tsunade finally returned to her room, dragging her tired body. This was far more exhausting than her fight with Ōnoki. Rescuing people required meticulous effort, which had drained her energy completely.
Tsunade approached the bed with a weary expression, lacking any desire to converse with Kawakaze.
"Why don't I give you a massage?" Kawakaze offered, sitting down by the bed with a look of genuine concern. "A proper massage, not the kind in the hot spring. I swear!"
Tsunade cautiously opened her eyes. What a jerk! He was just as exhausted, yet still thinking about those kinds of things. She shot him a fierce glare, making Kawakaze visibly uncomfortable.
"I really didn't mean it," he said defensively, his tone almost pleading. Kawakaze felt as though his character had been unfairly tarnished. He truly meant well.
"Heh heh..." Tsunade rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "I'm telling you, what kind of thoughts are these...?"
Before she could finish, Kawakaze stopped trying to explain and got to work. He gently turned her over and placed his glowing Chakra-infused hands on her back. While he didn't know any advanced Medical Ninjutsu, he could stimulate tenketsu points with chakra.
Tsunade had intended to put him in his place and show him why blood is red. But as the pleasant sensation spread across her back, she closed her eyes with a mix of annoyance and relief.
Perhaps she had misjudged him, but what did it matter?
"Lady Tsunade, is this strength okay?" Kawakaze asked with a smile, watching Tsunade, who had closed her eyes in comfort.
"Have you not eaten yet?" Tsunade's soft lips parted, and her voice came out cold.
"What?" Kawakaze blinked in surprise and increased the pressure, not expecting her to be so unimpressed. "How's this?"
"Mmm..." Tsunade let out a faint, almost inaudible nasal sound.
"Sleep peacefully," Kawakaze said as he continued massaging. Before long, he heard the sound of Tsunade's steady breathing—she had fallen asleep.
Kawakaze stopped, carefully covered her with a blanket, and quietly left the room.
Creak.
The sound of the door closing brought a faint smile to the corner of Tsunade's mouth.
After leaving, Kawakaze found he wasn't sleepy and decided to head to Sakumo's room. Whether his older brother was asleep or not wasn't his concern.
As he entered the room, he noticed Duy was there, chatting with Sakumo.
"Why are you here?" Sakumo asked, a little surprised. Shouldn't his younger brother be with Tsunade?
"Kawakaze," Duy greeted him warmly.
"Why wouldn't I have time to be here?"
"Are you really going to say that? Are you still my brother?" Kawakaze said, raising an eyebrow as Kawakaze walked over, sat cross-legged, and nodded at Duy.
"Forget it," Sakumo said, pouring Kawakaze a cup of tea but still not letting him off the hook.
"With such an unlucky younger brother, does it really matter if I keep you or not?"
"You're breaking my heart when you say that. We're related by blood..."
"Stop, don't say anymore," Sakumo interrupted, reaching out as if to block Kawakaze's words. His tone carried a tired edge, as though he'd heard it all before.
"Haha."
Duy laughed as he watched the two brothers banter. Meanwhile, he was contemplating whether to give Guy another sibling. Now that the family's financial situation had improved, they could afford to raise another child.
"How did you feel after fighting Shukaku today?" Kawakaze asked, taking a sip of tea and steering the conversation toward serious matters.
"I'm still lacking in killing power," Sakumo admitted without hesitation. He was still young and had plenty of room to grow. At least he could open three more of the Eight Inner Gates. By then, dealing with Shukaku wouldn't leave him feeling so helpless.
"That was the full-body form, after all," Duy added. He had fought Han before, and even with seven gates opened, his clash with the half-Tailed Beast had only resulted in mutual injury. He had a good sense of just how powerful a fully-formed Tailed Beast could be.
"Didn't you try attacking its weak points?" Kawakaze asked, recalling that Tsunade had personally explained Shukaku's vulnerabilities to Sakumo.
"Of course I did! Shukaku was on full alert," Sakumo replied, his frustration evident. "It never once lifted its tail!"
"Okay, so Shukaku was just being cautious." Kawakaze nodded. Tailed Beasts were intelligent, and it made sense for Shukaku to protect itself. Not that it mattered much to him—he could fight Shukaku without relying on its weak points.
"We've won both battles, but the casualties are really troubling," Duy said, his tone somber. He had tallied the losses earlier, and the numbers had left him shaken. Without Tsunade's help, the figures would have been even more devastating.
Even though Konoha's ninjas were equipped with Tsunade's poison, the numerical disadvantage was insurmountable. After two battles, the gap had only widened further.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Kawakaze sighed. "After all, we're facing two villages." If Konoha didn't have so many strong shinobi, the losses would have been catastrophic.
"None of the Clan leaders looked happy today," Sakumo said. He had noticed the heavy losses suffered by each Clan. The bond between Clan members was deep; their grief over fallen comrades was palpable. Smiling was out of the question.
"We'll see what arrangements are made for tomorrow," Kawakaze said, shaking his head. He didn't have any clear solutions yet and hoped to hear some constructive ideas during the meeting the next day.
...
Time passed quickly. The next day, Tsunade got up feeling refreshed and energized.
After breakfast with Kawakaze and the others, she made her rounds to check on the wounded. Once that was done, she gathered everyone together for a strategy meeting. The council chamber, which Sakumo had specifically built, was finally being put to use.
Not long after everyone arrived, Tsunade began with a brief summary of the recent battle situation.
"Now that Iwagakure has retreated, Sunagakure has also returned to the Land of the Wind," she said. "How do we fight next?" With that, she left the question open for discussion.
Kawakaze remained silent, glancing toward Shōta Nara to see if he had any good suggestions.
"Can we focus our firepower on taking the Land of the Wind first?" suggested a member of the Inuzuka Clan. His tone was a bit impulsive, as his beloved dog had been killed in the war.
"Not a good idea," Shōta Nara responded, shaking his head. "Iwa and Suna ninja are positioned to the north and the west. If we head west, Iwa will undoubtedly take the opportunity to invade the Land of Fire."
The Inuzuka Clan member grew visibly anxious, pointing a finger and raising his voice. "So what do you suggest?"
Everyone could understand his eagerness for revenge, but his tone was aggressive.
"This is a strategy meeting, not an argument. Let's communicate properly," Kawakaze still showed respect to his sister-in-law; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easygoing.
At Kawakaze's words, the Inuzuka member immediately stopped arguing and fell silent.