Due to the increasingly aggressive actions of other nations, Konoha had begun preparing for war, sending many high-ranking shinobi to gather intelligence.
Only the elite members of the major clans remained in the village, resting and preparing for the conflict to come.
The Hatake clan's dojo was vast and imposing.
Two figures clashed fiercely in the training field—within the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged dozens of blows.
Two streaks of lightning flashed, and one figure was sent flying, sliding several meters across the ground before coming to a stop.
"Brother, you're still not good enough!"
The arrogant voice, paired with loud, unrestrained laughter, belonged to none other than Hatake Kawakaede.
He wielded an octagonal Han sword—an excellent chakra weapon—its blade still crackling faintly with lightning.
Sakumo got up and patted the dust off himself, ignoring his younger brother's mockery.
He was used to it. Ever since Kawakaede turned ten, he had never lost a sparring match.And Sakumo himself was not particularly renowned for his taijutsu.
Chakra flared in his hand, glowing white, and his form blurred as he flashed forward—appearing right in front of Kawakaede, short blade aimed directly at his throat.
Kawakaede's expression turned serious as he raised his sword to block.
When the attack failed, Sakumo quickly retreated, stopping a short distance away.
The Hatake clan upheld the philosophy of one-strike kill. Their transition from samurai to ninja never changed the fact that weapons were their most trusted companions.
"One Thunderclap."
Kawakaede bent his left leg and half-squatted, the octagonal cold blade resting at his waist as lightning chakra surged through his feet with a sharp crackle.
With a single explosive kick, he vanished—reappearing in front of Sakumo a heartbeat later.
Sakumo had seen this technique countless times, yet it still amazed him.Combining Lightning Release chakra with sword strikes looked simple… but matching his brother's speed and power was nearly impossible.
The only way to defeat martial skill was through speed—and he simply couldn't dodge in time.
He raised his chakra knife to block, praying the old family heirloom would hold.
A crisp snap rang out—the dagger shattered. Before Sakumo could even react, the octagonal sword was already resting against his neck, the cold edge prickling against his skin.
"Sorry, big brother."
"Go find that old friend of yours and get him to forge you another. We're not hurting for money."
His voice echoed through the dojo while the observing crowd had already backed away to the entrance.Kawakaede realized what he'd done and immediately bolted—faster than a fleeing rabbit.
"That was a family heirloom!"
"Kawakaede, you little brat! Get back here!"
Sakumo snapped out of his shock, tossed aside the broken dagger, and stood there trembling with rage. But Kawakaede was long gone.
Not knowing where to go, Kawakaede walked down the road, kicking pebbles until he eventually arrived at the Hatake Weapons Workshop.
The moment he entered, the workers bowed.
"Welcome, Second Young Master."
Kawakaede nodded casually; he had long grown used to his status.
His father had died on a mission, his mother during childbirth—leaving him and his overly dutiful older brother to depend on each other.Fortunately, the family business was large enough to sustain them.
To improve the household finances—and his own quality of life—Kawakaede had modernized the forge using knowledge from his previous life.
Thanks to this, the blacksmiths could now refine higher-quality materials, and the Hatake clan soon built the largest weapon workshop in Konoha.
Today, on the eve of war, business was booming.
Entering the forging room, Kawakaede frowned slightly at the heat.
A burly, shirtless man in his forties walked over with a smile.
"Second Young Master, what brings you here today?"
This man, known as Old Iron, had been "invited"—with a bit of force—from the Land of Iron.But the excellent working conditions and high salary had convinced him to stay willingly.
"I beat White Fang."
"Forge a new blade for my brother as soon as possible."
Kawakaede said it calmly.
Old Iron's jaw dropped wide enough to fit an egg. He knew how much the young master cared about that heirloom dagger.
"Don't panic. Use the best materials. It's not like it needs to surpass my sword."
"Otherwise I'll just break it again next time—too troublesome."
Kawakaede felt no sympathy for his brother. In his eyes, the real problem was the weapon quality affecting their sparring.
"Don't worry, Young Master. I'll put my full skill into it. But crafting something on par with your octagonal Han sword won't be easy."
His demeanor changed completely when discussing his craft—focused, intense, almost overflowing with passion.
"It's fine. I don't need it anyway."
"Well then, I'll leave you to it."
After waving the blacksmith off, Kawakaede wandered around the workshop, admiring the customers—no, the piles of silver they represented.
Since his brother was still angry, he might as well… go find Tsunade.
Kawakaede headed toward the Senju compound.Though the Senju clan had mostly blended into civilian life, Tsunade still lived in her family home.
He remembered clearly—her unfortunate younger brother, Senju Nawaki, would die in the coming war.
Thinking of this, Kawakaede decided he had to protect his future brother-in-law.
It was his first time visiting the Senju residence. As expected of Konoha's former most powerful clan, their main gate was grand and imposing.
Kawakaede knocked and waited patiently.
After a moment, an elderly woman opened the door.
"What business do you have with the Senju clan?"
Though clearly a servant, her tone wasn't the least bit humble. Kawakaede didn't mind.
"I'm Hatake Kawakaede. I'm here to see Tsunade. Please let her know."
He kept a polite smile.
"So you are Kawakaede-sama. Please enter. Lady Tsunade has given instructions."
This surprised him—he didn't expect Tsunade to have specifically told her servants to receive him.
However, the old woman didn't bring him inside the house; instead, she led him to the training field.
Tsunade was teaching her little brother taijutsu.
She lit up with joy when she noticed Kawakaede approaching, raising her arm to block Nawaki's incoming kick.
"Practice on your own for a bit. Someone's here for me."
Tsunade lowered Nawaki's leg and walked over.
"I didn't think you would visit today."
"I was planning to stop by the Hatake residence sometime myself."
She wasn't wearing her usual jonin combat uniform. Instead, she wore the casual outfit she normally used for gambling—and it highlighted her alluring figure perfectly.
Kawakaede was utterly mesmerized. His mind buzzed with neutrons, electrons, and…
"Ahem—I'm here because I needed a place to hide. Didn't even have time to change clothes."
He was still in full battle attire, sword strapped to his back—forming a sharp contrast to Tsunade's relaxed outfit.
"Oh? And what exactly are you hiding from?"
Tsunade's curiosity rose.
Kawakaede gave a bitter smile and explained how he broke the family heirloom and how Sakumo nearly exploded with rage.
Tsunade burst into laughter—she never imagined the famed weapon of Hatake Sakumo would meet such a fate.
"I can't hide here forever. Are you free to grab a drink with me later?"
Kawakaede stared into her eyes, gaze burning.
"Let's go later. Have lunch with me first—we can drink a little then."
Back then, Tsunade wasn't drinking in the mornings yet. She invited him to join her and Nawaki for lunch.
"In that case, I won't hold back."
"If you're free, I can also help Nawaki train."
Kawakaede had already assessed Nawaki's ability—barely genin level despite being eleven or twelve.
A complete waste of talent for the First Hokage's grandson.
Tsunade doted on her brother so much she never pushed him hard in training.
She had clearly never heard the saying: Sweat more in peace, bleed less in war.
"It would be good for Nawaki."
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there