"What do you all think of Tsunade's proposal to assign a medical-nin to every mission squad?"
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, spoke in a deep and steady voice. His calm seriousness filled the entire operations meeting room.
The audience began murmuring among themselves.
Among the jonin stood Hatake Kawakaede, eyes sharp and fixed on the front stage.
He looked to be in his early twenties—silver-haired, tall at over 1.8 meters, with thick eyebrows and bright eyes. A rare, strikingly handsome man.
The crowd discussed for a while, then turned their curious gazes to Tsunade.
Standing in the front row, Tsunade looked dazzling. Her presence was unmistakable, her figure graceful—she drew the attention of nearly everyone in the room.
Also in her early twenties, her blonde hair was tied into twin ponytails, with two soft bangs framing her forehead. She seemed completely unfazed by the attention.
Kawakaede nudged his older brother, Hatake Sakumo, with his shoulder, his eyes never leaving Tsunade.
"Big brother, Princess Tsunade is really beautiful."
Tsunade's jonin combat uniform covered her generous chest more than usual, making Kawakaede feel a bit… regretful.
Can you be quiet for a second?
Sakumo shot his brother a cold glare. He didn't want to talk about such things—he was already married.
He had no intention of giving an opinion on the proposal. Medical-nin or not, the mission simply needed to be completed.
"You're really no fun."
Kawakaede wasn't surprised by his brother's response. Sakumo was old-fashioned and stubborn.
Around them, the jonin continued debating the pros and cons of Tsunade's idea. Kawakaede found the whole thing boring.
The Second Great Ninja War hadn't begun yet—he already knew her proposal wouldn't pass.
Then he changed his mind.Maybe this was the perfect chance to make an impression on her.
"I believe Lady Tsunade's suggestion is an excellent one. It will reduce casualties within mission teams."
"Konoha has lost far too many shinobi who died simply because they couldn't receive timely medical treatment."
Kawakaede dropped his playful expression and spoke loudly, his voice carrying through the entire hall. Silence fell instantly.
Even Sakumo stared at him in surprise.The Hatake clan rarely involved themselves in political voting to avoid unnecessary clan conflict.
What's gotten into him?His brother always acted indifferent toward these matters. Yet today, he openly supported the Senju princess—risking resentment from the Uchiha.
Though surprised, Sakumo didn't scold him. He acknowledged his brother's intelligence.
Tsunade also turned to look at him, offering a grateful smile.
She knew of this Hatake prodigy—rumored to have jonin-level strength before the age of twelve.
Now he stood almost the same height as Sakumo, though they had never interacted until now.
She never expected him to be the first to speak up for her—not even Jiraiya or Orochimaru had responded yet.
"Thank you for your support, Kawakaede-kun."
Her voice was sweet yet sincere. Kawakaede responded with a bright, sunny grin.
"You considered everyone's safety. Supporting you was the obvious choice."
Hiruzen remained silent, simply observing the room and each person's reaction.
"I also support Tsunade's proposal,"Kato Dan said at last, sounding regretful.He hesitated too long—the opportunity to impress her had already been taken by Kawakaede.
Tsunade nodded politely at Dan, though the warmth she showed Kawakaede was noticeably absent.
More jonin spoke afterward.The Uchiha clan voted against the proposal, while the Senju allies voted in favor.
Neutral clans abstained.The result ended in a tie.
"Tsunade, that's enough for today. We'll discuss your proposal again next time."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was satisfied with the outcome—not opposed to the idea, but intentionally postponing it to keep the balance of power steady.
Since Tsunade was his student, she didn't argue.
"…Yes, sensei."
She frowned slightly, wanting to say more, but ultimately gave a simple reply.
Due to the imbalance of economic development among nations and rising tensions across the continent, the military meeting was held. A large-scale war seemed inevitable.
Once the meeting ended, Hiruzen left first, followed by the jonin one after another.
Sakumo noticed his brother lingering by the doorway but wasn't sure what he was waiting for.
Just as he was about to call him over, Tsunade walked out—with Kato Dan right behind her, looking troubled.
"Even though the proposal didn't pass, I still want to thank you, Kawakaede-kun."
Tsunade expressed her gratitude once more, clearly wanting to get to know this handsome young man better.
"Nice to meet you. I usually enjoy drinking… and gambling."
"If there's a chance, let's have some fun together."
A faint smile lifted Kawakaede's lips, glowing in the evening light. Tsunade was momentarily stunned.
He was truly handsome—and shared her hobbies. A flutter of excitement stirred in her heart.
"All right, Kawakaede-kun. Let's have a drink sometime."
"Then I'll hold you to that. If I show up at your house and you turn me away, I'll be disappointed."
He joked, saying exactly what he wanted to do.
"That won't happen. You're welcome anytime."
She waved eagerly, making it clear she wasn't just being polite—she genuinely wanted to be friends.
From beneath a distant tree, two figures watched the scene.
"Looks like Tsunade has taken an interest in that Hatake Kawakaede."
"Orochimaru, you've gained a new rival in love,"the pale man with snake-like eyes hissed.
"As long as she's happy, that's enough."Jiraiya sighed and walked away, his lonely silhouette fading.
Orochimaru watched briefly and left without another word.
Tsunade and Kawakaede chatted for a while longer; her cheeks were faintly flushed before she finally departed.
Watching Konoha's strongest woman disappear from view, Kawakaede clicked his tongue and walked back to Sakumo.
"Let's go, big brother."
It had been 22 years since he reincarnated into the Naruto world, yet he still had no idea how it happened.
He remembered one moment he'd been happily writing a Naruto fanfic—then everything went black, and he woke up as a crying infant.
Traveling to the Naruto world wasn't bad, but ending up with an older brother prone to suicide? That was terrifying.Still, he supposed the heavens had been kind.
The Hatake clan was skilled in kenjutsu, but they lacked any powerful bloodline limit. Surviving in a world as dangerous as this was no easy feat.
If he remembered correctly, the Second Great Ninja War would soon erupt in the Land of Rain.
When the time came, as a veteran Hatake ninja, he would play a crucial role on the battlefield.
Maybe due to the time-travel, he had also gained a rather unusual cheat—hyperactive cells.
This gave him faster strength growth, greater speed, incredible recovery, and monstrous physical output.
Because of this, he far surpassed even his older brother Sakumo at the same age—nothing like the exaggerated rumors claimed.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there