Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

Boom~

A loud noise reverberated across the battlefield, shaking the Ninjas to their core.

Kawakaze, who had been preparing to deliver the final blow to Shukaku, froze in his tracks. The pyramid shattered in a deafening explosion as a massive Tailed Beast Ball with a crimson glow collided with the spinning Iron Sand.

Before Kawakaze's eyes, a huge beetle with three pairs of wings emerged—Tsunade had fully transformed into a tailed beast.. The Third Kazekage instantly chose to retreat, moving out of the blast radius. Even so, he was thrown back by the shockwave, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.

"Tsunade."

Kawakaze's relief was short-lived, replaced by worry. He feared the Seven-Tails might go berserk. Without the Tailed Beast's approval, full control of the transformation was impossible. The Jinchūriki's will would eventually be consumed, leaving them to attack indiscriminately, friend or foe, until their inevitable demise.

"I'm here, don't worry." Chōmei's voice spoke with the tone of a human—Tsunade's voice. She had become a perfect Jinchūriki.

"I thought you were going to go berserk." Kawakaze exhaled a long sigh of relief, his focus shifting. He no longer cared about Shukaku, who was wheezing from the explosion.

In an instant, Kawakaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear directly on Chōmei's body. Even after a complete Tailed Beast Transformation, the Flying Thunder God Technique's mark had not dissipated.

"Er, Chōmei said he didn't want to get rid of it," Tsunade s voice echoed in Kawakaze ears.

Kawakaze opened his mouth, only to find himself at a loss for words. He decided to shift the conversation to the battlefield instead.

"It's time to deal with them."

"Hm." Chōmei flapped its massive wings and lifted Kawakaze into the air.

"This feels really good! Take me for a ride next time you get the chance," Kawakaze said with a grin.

"You think I'm your mount?" Tsunade replied, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

Kawakaze remained calm and steady, unmoved by her reaction.

"Haha, it's just a little wish."

"You are simply exploiting my kindness."

As they bantered, Chōmei ascended higher into the air. On the ground, the Third Kazekage had already regained his footing. His figure was unsteady, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The repeated use of powerful Ninjutsu and the effects of the Tailed Beast Ball explosion had left him gravely injured—far worse than during his last one-on-one battle with Kawakaze.

Without hesitation, the Third Kazekage pulled out a brightly colored pill from seemingly nowhere and swallowed it in one swift motion.

"Ahhh..." Powerful Chakra suddenly erupted from his body, and his agonized screams made it clear he was in immense pain.

This was Chiyo's forbidden medicine—a concoction that was both a powerful enhancer and a deadly poison. The pill was precious, with only one in existence. After taking it, the user would unleash an incredible surge of Chakra at the cost of burning through their life force.

As the Third Kazekage's Chakra intensified, his body began to hunch over. Wrinkles appeared on his face, and his hair turned gray in an instant.

"No good, he's going to fight to the death!" Kawakaze exclaimed, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes. The saying goes, a man with nothing to lose has everything to gain. Now, with the Third Kazekage fighting with no regard for his life, Kawakaze felt a twinge of unease.

He wasn't skilled in defense, and the Third Kazekage excelled at wide-range attacks. While Kawakaze was confident in his ability to escape unharmed, he knew the Konoha Ninjas on the battlefield wouldn't be so fortunate.

"Kenjutsu: Thunder God Speed." Kawakaze temporarily ignored the suppression of the Magnet Release and leapt off Chōmei's body. He moved like a flash, drawing a straight line in the air and aiming directly for the Third Kazekage's throat.

Chōmei couldn't see his expression, but the sudden burst of speed made Tsunade's impatience evident.

"Spear Attack Shining Horn!" Chōmei launched forward like a massive missile, its colossal horn aimed at the Third Kazekage with devastating precision.

"Hahaha~" The Third Kazekage let out a crazed laugh, his voice echoing through the battlefield. "I want the Ninjas from Konoha to die with me!"

He made no effort to dodge or avoid the attack, fully aware that his own death was inevitable. His resolve was set—if he could eliminate the majority of Konoha's forces, Sunagakure might have a chance to survive this war. What would happen after that was no longer his concern.

This was his final act as Kazekage.

"Master Bunpuku, take Rasa with you," he muttered grimly.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Funeral!" The Third Kazekage roared, forming hand seals before slamming his hands onto the ground.

His entire Chakra reserve surged into the earth, his body trembling under the excruciating strain.

Meanwhile, the Sunagakure ninjas fighting against the Konoha forces had no choice but to endure. The attack would not distinguish between friend or foe—this was an indiscriminate final strike.

"Die." The yellow sand in front of the Third Kazekage turned black, with him at its center. The black iron sand surged high in a fan-shaped wave, crashing onto the battlefield like a massive tide.

Kawakaze's sword descended from the sky, piercing the Kazekage's throat, while Tsunade's massive horn smashed his body in two. The Third Kazekage's mouth curled into a faint smile in his final moments. His lower body remained kneeling on one knee, while his upper body shattered with a deafening noise. Blood spilled onto the yellow sand, releasing white smoke as it corroded the earth.

"Go!" Chōmei roared. With a powerful flap of his wings, he carried Kawakaze onto his back and left the area.

"What a powerful poison," Kawakaze muttered, feeling unwell after merely breathing in the air. He quickly took the antidote pills Tsunade had prepared from his ninja kit and swallowed them, bringing some relief.

"Oww~" Kawakaze groaned as his Sage Mode dissipated.

The massive wave of iron sand swept away the Red Torii Gates, and Shukaku regained his ability to move. Drawing on his immense Chakra, Shukaku reached out to grab Rasa mid-air.

Bunpuku, without hesitation, turned and ran.

"Sensei~" Rasa cried out, his voice breaking as he gazed at the distant, shattered remains of the Third Kazekage's body.

"This was Lord Third's last wish. You must live on," Bunpuku said, his words strained as he struggled to control Rasa, who fought against his grip.

"Sensei~" Rasa repeated over and over, his struggles fading as grief overtook him.

"I should rescue them." Kawakaze's figure flashed as he appeared next to two young boys.

"Sensei / Brother-in-law!"

The two were being pursued by Rasa in mid-air, an unpleasant situation, but they had managed to flee a considerable distance. With Kawakaze's help, they climbed onto Chōmei's back, successfully avoiding the iron sand.

Looking back at the battlefield, it was engulfed in a black torrent. Cries of anguish filled the air as many ninja lay covered in iron sand, writhing in agony.

Tsunade soared across the battlefield alongside Kawakaze, rescuing the surviving Konoha ninja. The black plates scattered in the yellow sand burned into her eyes.

"The Third Kazekage has a ruthless heart," she muttered, her heart aching. Most of the Konoha ninja were either dead or gravely injured. This could only be called a tragic victory.

"Big Brother." Kawakaze noticed Sakumo approaching.

"Pakura escaped, but I managed to kill two of the Shadow Guards," Sakumo reported. He had remained calm amid the tide of iron sand, finding a critical flaw and eliminating two of the Shadow Guard.

"Shukaku got away as well," Kawakaze admitted, his tone tinged with regret. He now had a clearer understanding of the lethality of Kage-level ninja. How strong would the Third Raikage be in a battle against ten thousand enemies?

"There's no point in dwelling on it. I'll organize the rescue."

With a Body Flicker Technique, Sakumo vanished, clearing out the surviving Suna ninja and gathering the remaining Konoha ninja for immediate rescue.

By nightfall, all the Konoha ninja who had survived the tide of iron sand were retrieved. Yet, so many had perished. The Third Kazekage had sacrificed his life, but with a single move, he had buried the military strength of Konoha.