Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"Listen to me, everyone."

Hiruzen pressed his hands together, silencing the villagers once again.

"It's not that I don't want to go to war," Hiruzen said. "I just want to ensure the safety of the village—and yours. Think of how many died when the Iwa Ninjas fought and Kumogakure attacked. That's a situation I refuse to see repeated. While it's an honor for a ninja to die on the battlefield, you are the roots of Konohagakure—losses we cannot afford."

His words were full of righteousness, attempting to establish his own image of glory.

"It's just a way to fool these villagers who don't know anything." Fugaku sneered inwardly as he heard Hiruzen's speech.

"The Land of Earth has a vast coastline, while Konoha has little and is hindered by many waterways. How could this situation possibly happen?"

He was the first to frame the sentiment so eloquently about not wanting to go to war.

"That's not important. What's important is that someone believes it," Midori muttered, unable to help herself, gaining a clearer understanding of Hiruzen's audacity.

Hiruzen didn't wait for the villagers to dwell on the matter before continuing.

"I understand everyone's feelings," he said. "The war is over, and life must go on. Pensions have been arranged and will be distributed soon—this is the last thing I can do as Hokage. Let's look to the future together. I will continue to work with you to build a stronger Konohagakure, one that can prevent such tragedies. If anyone has concerns, feel free to speak with me privately."

He spoke all the words in his mind, then waited quietly for the villagers' reactions.

As he had expected, the dead were already dead, but the living still had to go on living.

The death benefits struck a chord with the vulnerable parts of most villagers' hearts. Most people quieted down and stopped objecting. Only a few individuals continued crying and protesting, but they were quickly dragged away by those around them. After all, if the benefits were affected because of them, it would be a significant loss.

Hiruzen's name echoed repeatedly in whispered conversations as the platform was dismantled, leaving everything as though nothing had ever happened.

"So he just fooled them?" Midori muttered, still incredulous. Were the villagers truly that easy to placate? In the past, the unruly people who caused trouble at the Konoha Military Police Force had been far more difficult to handle.

"What do you think? Do you think he became Hokage for no reason?" Fugaku's expression was grim. The elaborate scheme he had carefully planned had ended in failure.

"So, was all our work for nothing?" Midori asked, feeling a bit lost. He had handled this matter personally and put in significant effort.

"But don't worry, it's not over so easily." Fugaku gave an inscrutable smile. No wonder Lord Kawakaze didn't come. He seems to have understood everything already.

"Yes, Lord Fugaku," Midori responded, following Fugaku's lead as the two slowly walked away.

...

"You still carry a lot of weight in the hearts of the villagers."

In the Hokage's office, Homura smiled and gave Hiruzen a thumbs-up. Hiruzen's personal authority had been a key factor in successfully suppressing the matter.

"Arrange the compensation quickly," Hiruzen instructed.

"To avoid any more complications, just follow the share we previously decided on."

He didn't bother asking Homura about the next steps.

"Don't worry, I'll arrange it right away." Homura put away his smile and solemnly agreed.

"Pay more attention recently. I always feel that this matter is not over yet," Hiruzen added, pointing his pipe and taking a drag. His heart was unsettled. Although this incident had affected him, it wasn't enough to bring him down. He suspected Kawakaze still had a move left to play.

"Today, the Anbu didn't find any suspicious characters," Homura noted.

"They did a very clean job and left no traces." He sighed, seeing it as a missed opportunity to turn the tables or, at the very least, pin slander against the Hokage.

"He's smart. You don't need to put too much thought into this," Hiruzen replied. He had never underestimated Kawakaze.

"Understood. I'll go arrange the compensation then," Homura said, bringing the conversation to a close before turning to leave.

Hiruzen sat quietly, his thoughts wandering far and wide. Sleepiness slowly crept in after a long morning's work, while the one who had instigated it all hadn't even woken up yet.

...

"Get up."Tsunade woke up earlier than Kawakaze, her hands moving under the covers.

"Stop it, I can't take it anymore." Kawakaze didn't even bother opening his eyes, clearly exhausted.

"Weren't you being arrogant last night?" With a dissatisfied sigh, Tsunade pulled her hand out from under the covers and pried open Kawakaze's eyelids. His eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled to open them fully. A familiar, overwhelming sense of weakness hit him. He couldn't help but recall his ancestor's warning: Lust consumes the body and soul.

"I was wrong," Kawakaze admitted without hesitation. There was no point in arguing with Tsunade.

"It's already noon. Didn't you say there was a good show?"

"It should already be over by now," Tsunade teased, brushing her hair against his cheek.

"There's another one coming up; we don't need to rush."

Kawakaze sighed inwardly. He knew he wouldn't be getting any more rest. Blinking hard, he sat up abruptly.

"I'll go out first." Tsunade watched him as she got dressed and headed toward the door.

"That Succubus," Kawakaze muttered with a yawn as he slowly finished dressing.

When the two of them stepped out for a meal, the butler approached them with an update.

"Young master, the commotion at the Naruto Building has subsided. Lord Hokage apologized to the villagers and promised to distribute compensation funds in the near future," the butler reported succinctly.

"I see. Thank you for your hard work."

Kawakaze smiled, showing little concern for the news. If Hiruzen Sarutobi were removed from power so easily, it would indeed be surprising.

"It's only right. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work," the butler said, bowing before leaving to avoid disturbing their meal.

"Sensei really knows the villagers' minds," Tsunade remarked, biting into a pan-fried dumpling, her tone tinged with mockery.

"You should learn from that in the future," Kawakaze teased in return.

"I'm not learning any of that. If I do something, I'll do it properly," Tsunade replied, as straightforward as her personality.

"Whatever you say. My Hatake Clan only has a handful of people; we don't need your support," Kawakaze said casually, his words revealing more than they seemed.

"If I'm not making you foot the bill for everything, you should consider yourself lucky," Tsunade retorted with a sidelong glance, her reaction leaving it unclear whether she truly caught the underlying meaning or was just pretending not to.

After they finished eating, Tsunade headed directly to the hospital, unconcerned with any of these matters—Kawakaze would handle them naturally. Meanwhile, Kawakaze went to the Uchiha territory for a long conversation with Fugaku.