Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

As the sky grew dark, the Konoha camp fell silent.

Sakumo had just left with a group of elite ninja—not too many in number—most of them proficient in Kenjutsu and a few with stronger senses. Their main objective this time was to create chaos and see if there was any opportunity, rather than launching a major offensive.

"I hope Big Brother has a smooth trip."

In Tsunade's tent, Kawakaze was dead set on not leaving.

"Are you leaving or not? If you're not, I am."

Tsunade ignored Kawakaze's words, which were clearly just an excuse.

"I'll just stay for a while, not the night," Kawakaze said. He didn't care much about the impact; after all, there were too many people in the camp.

"That's not possible either. It's time for rest."

Tsunade stared at Kawakaze. In some ways, she didn't have any trust in this man.

"Is that the kind of person I am in your eyes?" Kawakaze asked, unconvinced. He was clearly a good person.

"Haha~"

Tsunade sneered, and no words were needed—her attitude toward Kawakaze said it all.

Just as Kawakaze was about to defend himself, his expression suddenly changed. Then, they heard a sound coming from outside the camp.

Boom!

"Enemy attack!"

The sound of a huge explosion, accompanied by exclamations, broke the silence of the night.

"Chiyo played a good game of chess," Kawakaze muttered. He knew the Suna ninja had thought of the same strategy as him.

His voice faded as he disappeared from the tent.

Tsunade quickly left as well, and the Konoha ninja had already begun to gather.

"The Suna ninja are here. Meet the enemy!"

Tsunade led her forces toward the site of the battle.

At this point, Kawakaze had already arrived at the scene. The Suna ninja and Konoha ninja were locked in combat at the entrance to the camp. Various Ninjutsu clashed, puppets flew about, and people from both sides fell injured.

Kawakaze focused on the area where the Suna ninja were most concentrated. Lightning sparked around his body as he used his sword in combination with the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance.

Without using any special techniques, Kawakaze relied solely on the eight basic moves, and very few Suna ninja were his match. For those who were, Kawakaze never needed a second strike—they simply couldn't get up again.

"Kawakaze Hatake?"

A female voice filled with doubt accompanied a white puppet as it lunged toward Kawakaze.

Hearing the rapid sound of the puppet's flight, Kawakaze instinctively raised his sword and slashed horizontally, sending the puppet flying backward. Several poisonous steel needles shot out from its mouth, but Kawakaze dodged them with a quick Body Flicker Technique.

The puppet—a female one holding a pair of swords—retreated to the side of a middle-aged woman. Upon closer inspection, the attacker was none other than Chiyo.

"As a mere normal woman, you do have some courage," Kawakaze said, his movements never slowing.

"Thunderclap and Flash: One Flash of Lightning."

Facing Kawakaze as he rushed at her, Chiyo quickly unrolled a scroll and summoned another puppet. This puppet, responsible for defense, stood in front of her with its arms extended, successfully blocking Kawakaze's attack without taking a single step back.

"So that's all there is to it," Chiyo said with a smile, her hands moving fluidly.

The female puppet once again brandished its twin blades and charged at Kawakaze. Kawakaze marveled at the puppet's tenacity, raising his sword to parry. The puppet's attack came up empty again, and the two opponents drew apart once more.

"Kawakaze!"

At that moment, Tsunade arrived, unstoppable as she smashed through the Suna ninja with punches and kicks.

"Tsunade," Chiyo murmured softly, her face turning grave at the sight.

Tsunade's immense strength made her fists a particular threat to puppets, and her immunity to most poisons only added to the danger she posed.

"You go deal with the others, Chiyo is mine," Kawakaze said, his tone firm.

He had already realized that the situation in the camp was dire. The Suna ninja had come suddenly and in great numbers. Coupled with their widespread use of poison-tipped weapons, the gates of Konoha's camp were barely holding. If the Suna ninja broke through, the damage would be catastrophic.

"Okay," Tsunade agreed.

She leapt high into the air, her foot slamming down as she landed, sending the surrounding Suna ninja flying. Without missing a beat, she carved a path toward another section of the battlefield.

Chiyo, seeing Tsunade join the fray alongside a large group of Konoha ninja, acted immediately. She summoned the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets—her most powerful weapons. Chiyo knew she needed to defeat Kawakaze quickly so she could support the rest of her forces.

"Just in time."

Kawakaze also wanted to experience the famed puppet technique said to be capable of capturing a city.

Chiyo controlled one puppet with each finger, leaving the defensive ox-head puppet by her side. The other nine puppets charged at Kawakaze from different directions, their movements accompanied by a sharp "clickety-click" sound.

The nine puppets attacked in various ways. Double swords struck head-on, while iron whips lashed out from behind. Spinning Fūma Shuriken cut through the air, and for a moment, Kawakaze found himself surrounded.

Chiyo smiled as she watched her puppets close in on Kawakaze. She didn't believe anyone could survive such an attack.

Kawakaze, however, calmly nodded at Chiyo, smiled, and snapped his fingers.

Pop.

He vanished completely from Chiyo's line of sight.

"Flying Thunder God?" Chiyo murmured, her expression tense.

Having participated in the wars, she was no stranger to the Flying Thunder God Technique developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Anticipating the move, the ox-head puppet beside her shifted defensively.

Chiyo's control over her puppets was exceptional, and Kawakaze had only used the Flying Thunder God as a precaution. Unexpectedly, Chiyo halted her attack before her puppets collided, saving them from damage.

"Thunderclap and Flash: God Speed."

He had already placed Flying Thunder God Technique markers around the camp beforehand. Losing this battle was not an option.

Suddenly, Kawakaze reappeared behind Chiyo. The ox-head puppet reacted quickly, using its body to shield her, while Chiyo's modified right hand activated the Mechanical Light Shield Block—a chakra-based shield that materialized in front of the puppet.

The combined defenses barely managed to block Kawakaze's sword. The blade still bit half an inch into the puppet's body before losing its strength.

"It's a pity there's only one puppet like this," Kawakaze commented, genuinely impressed. He had never encountered such tough defensive material.

"Damn it! Do you know how much it costs to repair this?" Chiyo exclaimed, her face filled with pain. The Land of Wind was not wealthy, and puppet repairs were no small expense.

Taking advantage of Kawakaze's sword being momentarily lodged in the puppet, Chiyo retreated. Her left hand danced, fingers fluidly weaving commands, and five puppets charged forward again. Meanwhile, the ox-head puppet appeared to go out of control.

Clang!

Kawakaze yanked his sword free with all his strength. Sparks flew, the sound sharp like a blade being unsheathed.

"I'll destroy it for you so you won't have to mend it," Kawakaze said coldly.

"Sage Art: Sixfold."

As six puppets, including Chiyo, came at him, Kawakaze moved swiftly.

When the first puppet crumbled to powder, Chiyo's expression shifted. She knew things had taken a turn for the worse.

In an instant, Kawakaze's sword cleaved through her, slicing her body cleanly in two. Chiyo fell to the ground in pieces.

"You ran pretty fast," Kawakaze said, his golden pupils locking onto Chiyo, who reappeared not far away.

"Lady Chiyo, we can't get in anymore. Let's retreat!"

A Suna Jōnin rushed to Chiyo's side, holding a kunai at the ready and glaring at Kawakaze.

Chiyo's face darkened. After Kawakaze's devastating attack, only five of the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets remained. Another puppet required extensive repairs, and her strength had plummeted.

Chiyo glanced at the Jōnin before scanning the battlefield. The tide had already turned.