The three chatted and laughed in the house while Tsunade slept soundly, undisturbed.
Around noon, Misaki volunteered to go out and buy food, and Kawakaze specifically instructed her to bring back plenty of meat. From experience, he knew it would help Tsunade regain her energy once she woke up.
Time passed, and Kawakaze suddenly heard Tsunade let out a soft grunt. He quickly walked over to her.
"Are you awake?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"I'm so hungry," Tsunade mumbled groggily as she opened her eyes. Her stomach growled loudly, emphasizing her words.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Orochimaru asked from behind Kawakaze, his tone cautious.
"No, I'm just hungry," Tsunade replied, carefully assessing her condition. She didn't notice anything unusual.
"Let's eat first," Misaki said, not even waiting for Tsunade to get out of bed. She handed her some food right away.
"Let me help you sit up," Kawakaze offered when he saw Tsunade looking a bit weak. He stepped forward and gently helped her into a sitting position.
"Go tell your brother that I'm fine," Tsunade said as she took the food from Misaki. She remembered the promise Kawakaze had made to Sakumo the day before and suspected he had completely forgotten.
"Oops, look at my memory," Kawakaze admitted, slapping himself lightly on the head. He had indeed forgotten.
"I knew it. Hurry up and go," Tsunade said with a small smile, nibbling on her food.
"Wait for me, I'll be right back." Kawakaze snapped his fingers and vanished from the spot. He wasn't about to waste time walking now.
"Luckily, the fusion was a success this time," Orochimaru said, a faint smile on his face. The success gave him even greater confidence. "Do you remember the Wood Release you used?"
"No memories," Tsunade replied, shaking her head. She had no memory of tearing apart the operating room.
"Let's talk about it after we eat. You've definitely awakened Wood Release," Orochimaru said firmly, his certainty backed by what he had seen with his own eyes.
"Big brother, big brother!" Kawakaze called out as he burst into the office, only to realize that many pairs of eyes were fixed on him. Embarrassed, he smiled awkwardly and said no more.
"This mission is not an easy one, so take it seriously. That's it, go," Sakumo said, addressing the Anbu members in the room. Seeing Kawakaze's cheerful expression, he guessed that Tsunade was fine.
"Yes, Lord Commander," the Anbu members replied, sensibly retreating.
"Fuzzy-headed as always. When will you mature? What do you want?" Sakumo said, putting on his big brother act as he scolded Kawakaze. Though he pretended ignorance, he already knew what had happened.
"Tsunade is fine. I came here as soon as I could to tell you," Kawakaze declared shamelessly, taking credit for himself. If not for Tsunade's reminder, he might have completely forgotten about it.
"Really? That's good. I knew she would be fine," Sakumo said calmly, his expression completely neutral. He acted as though he had expected it all along.
In some ways, the two brothers were remarkably alike. Their performances were, without a doubt, highly convincing!
"Let me tell you, big brother," Kawakaze said, lowering his voice as he leaned across Sakumo's desk and sat on its edge. He was in a good mood, or he might have ended up sparring with Sakumo for a few rounds. "Tsunade should have also awakened Wood Release."
You've got the nerve to act like you're not pretending, but what about me?
"Really?" Sakumo's expression finally shifted at the mention of Wood Release. If Tsunade's Wood Release was as strong as Kawakaze's, it would be a tremendous asset to Konoha. Wood Release was, without question, a Kekkei Genkai capable of altering the tide of a war.
"Really, I saw it with my own eyes," Kawakaze replied, his eyes widening to emphasize his point. How could I lie?
"Good." Sakumo pounded the table with a heavy hand, the sound startling Kawakaze.
"Just speak properly—what's with the pounding?" Kawakaze said, exasperated, rubbing his forehead.
"I really can't deal with this," Sakumo muttered, his face full of helplessness.
"I'll go with you to take a look," Sakumo said, standing up. He hadn't seen it happen last time, and he wasn't going to miss it again.
"Hurry," Kawakaze said, but before he could finish his sentence, he felt himself being whisked away by Sakumo's Flying Thunder God Technique. In the blink of an eye, they reappeared near the hospital. Kawakaze blinked in surprise, wondering when Sakumo had managed to plant the seal.
"It's in the lab, right?"
"Yes." Sakumo released Kawakaze's hand, ignoring the curious stares from passersby.
Kawakaze nodded, noting his brother's improved mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Let's go." Sakumo adjusted his clothes and strode toward the hospital with authority. Kawakaze followed behind, looking every bit the younger brother, which, to be fair, he was.
After a short walk, they pushed open the door to the laboratory. Inside, Tsunade was already on her feet, reviewing Misaki's experiment records with attention.
"Sakumo, why are you still here? I'm fine now," Tsunade said as she noticed Sakumo, setting down the scroll in her hands and walking toward him slowly. Orochimaru and Misaki also greeted Sakumo politely.
"I just came to take a look," Sakumo replied, unwilling to admit that his real purpose was to see Tsunade demonstrate her Wood Release.
"How is it? Are you done? Go test your Wood Release," Kawakaze said bluntly, skipping any pretense.
"There's nothing else to do. I've been waiting for you!" Tsunade admitted honestly. With Kawakaze present, she could still get some guidance. She wasn't particularly skilled when it came to techniques, and the idea of failing to release Wood Release properly was enough to make her wish she could disappear into the ground.
"Let's go. It'll be interesting to see how Tsunade's compares to Kawakaze's," Orochimaru added, his tone laced with curiosity. From a research perspective, he knew Tsunade's Wood Release would likely be weaker, but to what extent? Only firsthand observation could answer that.
"Let's find a secluded place," Sakumo suggested, recalling the chaos Kawakaze had caused during his last demonstration.
"Alright," Tsunade agreed. She didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for others, especially after Kawakaze's previous Great Buddha statue had startled the patrol ninja. Even if her release wasn't as intense, Wood Release was bound to attract attention.
"I know a good place," Kawakaze said, thinking of an old, abandoned training ground that would suit their purpose perfectly.
"Let's go!" Tsunade said, taking Kawakaze's hand. The group linked together, and with a pop, they disappeared from the laboratory.
They reappeared at the edge of the village. Tsunade looked at the dilapidated training ground in front of her, clearly unimpressed. The wooden targets for blade training were rotting, and the entire area showed over a decade of neglect.
"You found this place?" Tsunade asked, her tone speechless.
"Hey, that's not important. First, see if you can release the branches," Kawakaze urged, his impatience clear.
"I'll try," Tsunade said, closing her eyes. She focused inward, feeling the chakra flow through her body. As her water and earth chakra merged, a branch extended outward from the center of her palm.
The remaining four watched silently, holding their breath as they witnessed the moment.