Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"It seems to have worked."

Tsunade looked at the steady data on the monitor, but uncertainty lingered in her heart.

"You're right. Kawakaze has succeeded," Orochimaru said, his affirmative answer finally putting Tsunade's mind at ease.

Her legs gave out, and she sat on the ground, feeling weak. If Kawakaze had met with an accident, she couldn't imagine how she would go on living.

"Okay, let me help you rest. I'll watch over here," Orochimaru said, helping Tsunade to her feet.

He was exhausted as well—not physically, but mentally strained. If Kawakaze had died, he might have found himself pondering the meaning of life once more.

"Okay," Tsunade replied, leaning on Orochimaru as he guided her to a chair nearby. Even as she sat, her eyes never left the monitor.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Kawakaze, oblivious to it all, seemed to be lost in a deep dream.

In his dream, everything was beautiful: blue skies, white clouds, green grass, and vibrant flowers. Tsunade and their child were there, their faces radiant with happy smiles.

...

"Kawakaze is smiling," Orochimaru reported, observing the subtle change.

The fact that Kawakaze could smile indicated that he was conscious, even if only involuntarily. It was a sign of good news.

"That's good," Tsunade said, her energy somewhat restored after a brief rest.

She stood and walked over to Orochimaru, joining him in front of the operating table. Together, they silently observed Kawakaze for a long time.

Gradually, the curve of Kawakaze's mouth grew wider. Suddenly, he mumbled a few words.

"Come here, Daddy will hug you."

Orochimaru chuckled at the unexpected remark. "It seems Kawakaze is having quite the pleasant dream."

"I wonder how many cubs you gave birth to in Kawakaze's dream?" Orochimaru joked, turning to Tsunade with a smirk he couldn't conceal.

Kawakaze's awakening was only a matter of time.

"Screw you! You're the one with a litter," Tsunade retorted, glaring at Orochimaru, though her expression softened.

"Haha, having more kids isn't so bad," Orochimaru replied, his thoughts drifting to Pakura. Perhaps it was time to move their wedding plans forward—he shouldn't fall too far behind Kawakaze.

"Jiraiya's getting ready to buy a big house. Looks like he's planning to get married," Tsunade said, steering the conversation in a new direction. "What about you? What are your plans?"

Jiraiya had lived alone in a small, old apartment for years, but his return with Maki Nadeshiko marked the start of a new chapter. Preparing to start a family, buying a larger house was a natural step, and thankfully, he had saved plenty from his missions.

In contrast, Orochimaru had purchased a large home long ago, but Pakura's status in Konoha remained sensitive. Her ties to the Second Shinobi World War, during which she had killed many Konoha ninja, complicated the situation.

Even though the killings weren't personal, a grand wedding for Orochimaru and Pakura was still inconvenient under the circumstances.

"I heard about it too. Once he buys a house, we'll go and have a good time."

"As for me, I can only put Pakura through a lot. But we still need to go through the formalities, which means we should invite fewer people."

Orochimaru understood Tsunade's point and had already thought it through. He was confident Pakura would understand.

"I'll prepare a big gift for you guys," Tsunade said, genuinely happy. The three of them, who had grown up together, had now all found their partners. In the future, their children could carry on their bonds. Perhaps that was true inheritance.

"I won't be rude then," Orochimaru replied with a smile. Everyone knew Tsunade was quite wealthy now.

"Don't get too happy—you have to pay it back," Tsunade teased. She could be surprisingly childish. As if Orochimaru would ever be stingy.

"Haha, I'll wait for that day."

The two laughed, and the once-oppressive atmosphere in the operating room lightened considerably. With their shared vision for the future, they continued chatting animatedly.

Time passed without them realizing, and hearty laughter echoed through the room from time to time.

"Ugh..."

Kawakaze stirred awake, slowly opening his eyes.

"You're awake? How do you feel?"

Tsunade was the first to rush over, holding his hand tightly. Kawakaze immediately felt a warm current flow from her palm into his body.

Orochimaru walked over as well, confirming that the data on the monitor remained stable.

"I'm fine, but I feel really hungry," Kawakaze said. No sooner had he finished than his stomach let out a loud "gurgle."

"This is normal. Cell fusion has consumed a lot of your strength," Orochimaru explained. "Do you have the energy? Let's go eat."

He removed the cables connecting Kawakaze to the instrument.

"I should be able to."

Kawakaze pushed himself up with his hands and sat upright. However, the effort left him momentarily dizzy, likely due to the significant energy loss.

A few minutes later, Tsunade helped Kawakaze out of bed.

After taking a few steps, she saw that he was fine and let go of his hand.

Outside the operating room, Misaki was quietly reading a book. Thankfully, the room was soundproof, so she hadn't heard Kawakaze's earlier screams and remained undisturbed.

"Let's go, let's grab something to eat," Orochimaru said, inviting Misaki to join them.

"Yes, Orochimaru Sensei," Misaki replied. She put her book back in place, closed the study room door, and quickly trotted after them.

By the time the four of them left the hospital, it was already dark. Seven hours had passed since Kawakaze had been injected with Hashirama's Cells.

"Let's go eat barbecue. I feel like I could eat a cow right now," Kawakaze said as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Okay, whatever you say," Tsunade replied with a light laugh.

The four of them arrived at Konoha's most famous barbecue restaurant, which was still bustling with people.

Being regulars, they were warmly greeted by the owner, who quickly seated them. Many guests who recognized them also waved and greeted them, to which Kawakaze and the others responded politely before settling at an empty table.

Soon, the owner began bringing out plates of barbecue, the tantalizing aroma filling the air and whetting Kawakaze's appetite.

"I'll start eating first," Kawakaze said, immediately launching into a state of gluttonous frenzy.

He admitted to himself that he had never felt this hungry in his life. His astonishing speed and enormous appetite drew attention from everyone in the restaurant.

The onlookers, unaware of the reason for his behavior, began whispering among themselves.

"Lord Kawakaze is so strong; it must be because he eats so much," one person remarked.

"That plate is stacked so high—it could feed me for three days," a Konoha Jōnin exclaimed in awe.

"What do you know? This must be some mistake he made at home. Lady Hokage has probably been starving him for days," another ninja speculated, referencing Kawakaze's reputation for being henpecked.

"I think that makes sense," someone else chimed in. Surprisingly, this outrageous comment earned unanimous approval from a few henpecked men nearby.

"That's too bad. Even though Lady Hokage is good-looking, I definitely won't marry someone like that in the future," a young, acne-faced Ninja said, dreaming about his own prospects.

"Lady Hokage is looking over here!" someone suddenly whispered, prompting the group to fall silent.

Everyone quickly pretended to be absorbed in their food, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

"Am I that scary?" Tsunade asked, passing another plate of meat to Kawakaze as she glanced at Orochimaru across the table.

"What do you think?" Orochimaru replied, nervously touching his head. After all, how many people in Konoha would dare to hit him?