Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 414: Such a Huge Appetite

"I see. So, at most, we'll be fighting Iwagakure."

"After all, this isn't their problem. Ōnoki won't go all out," Nonō said. Having spent a long time in Iwagakure, she had a good grasp of Ōnoki's way of handling things.

"That's right. That old man is downright sinister."

"Don't hold back when we fight," Tsunade added, her anger flaring as she recalled how Ōnoki had attacked Konoha first during the Second Shinobi World War.

"Understood."

...

After chatting for a while, the group reluctantly ended the visual sharing.

Kawakaze and Tsunade remained lounging in the sun, exchanging idle conversation. Meanwhile, Nagato's team placed Two-Tails down and headed toward the village, walking at a brisk pace, laughing and chatting along the way.

The rest of the day passed peacefully in Akatsukigakure, and the calm persisted for half a month—until the sudden arrival of A shattered it completely.

This time, A arrived alone, fully armed, exuding an unmistakable air of severity.

"Long time no see," Yahiko greeted, smiling brightly as he sat in the main seat of the parlor. His eyes flicked over A's attire, and a guess formed in his mind. "What brings you here?"

"There's no time for small talk, so I'll keep this short." A's tone was crisp and direct. "Two days from now, I expect you to send troops to attack the Land of Earth. My father will launch his offensive at the same time."

The weight of his words froze the room for a moment.

"So urgent?" Nagato was the first to recover. This wasn't what Sensei had predicted.

"Swiftness is key in war. My father has already mobilized troops and positioned them near the waters of the Land of Earth. In two days, there will be heavy fog."

Although fog could be created using ninjutsu, it would draw too much attention. The Third Raikage believed it was safer to rely on natural conditions.

"What? Already?" Yahiko's mouth, which had just closed, fell open again.

This wasn't a request—it was a notification.

"It is sudden, I admit," A said, inclining his head slightly in apology. "But it's necessary to prevent any leaks. I ask for your understanding."

"Iwagakure won't be easy to deal with," Nonō noted, her voice carrying a hint of concern. "Why not start with the Land of Wind?"

"Haha~" A chuckled instead of answering immediately. "I asked my father the same thing."

He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"Kumo has spent years strengthening its military. Everyone in the Ninja World knows that sooner or later, we would start a war."

"On paper, the Land of Wind should be our first target. It was nearly destroyed by Konoha in the last war and hasn't fully recovered. Anyone with common sense would expect us to go after them first."

"And that's exactly why they've likely made early preparations."

A's expression hardened slightly. "My father wants to catch them off guard. That old man Ōnoki would never expect us to attack the Land of Earth first. Once we take it, we can deal with the Land of Wind at our leisure."

Admiration flickered in his eyes as he spoke, clearly impressed by the Third Raikage's strategy. His disdain for the Land of Wind, however, was just as evident.

That musclebound brute actually has a decent brain, Nonō mused inwardly, though she had to admit this was shaping up to be an interesting show.

"The Third Raikage really has remarkable insight," Yahiko said, forcing a polite compliment. In truth, he was still digesting the scale of the plan and unsure how to respond.

Sensing his hesitation, Nagato quickly stepped in. "Time is short. I'll step out to gather information." He gave Yahiko a meaningful look before getting up and leaving in a hurry.

Yahiko immediately caught on and began stalling. "You should've come earlier—we haven't prepared that much."

...

After about half an hour, Nagato returned to the reception room with firm steps.

"Lord Nagato, how is it?"

By this point, A was already suffering from a headache from Yahiko's endless chatter. The moment he saw Nagato enter, his eyes lit up with relief.

"Don't worry, I've already given the order."

"Two days should be enough."

"We will be at the border of the Land of Earth on time."

Hearing Nagato's certainty, Yahiko and the others didn't need to guess—he had clearly contacted Kawakaze.

"I told you not to worry, didn't I?" Yahiko smirked, shamelessly taking credit. His tone had changed subtly, reflecting how much he had grown as a politician.

"Yes, yes," A replied, beaming, too pleased to even argue. His mood had shifted drastically from frustration to satisfaction the moment Nagato arrived.

"I also have an immature suggestion," Nagato said after taking a seat.

"Go on."

Everyone, including A, focused their attention on him.

"Lord Raikage said that attacking simultaneously was meant to reassure us," Nagato began. "But we trust that he wouldn't use his allies as mere cannon fodder. We understand and appreciate this goodwill."

He paused here, showing A some respect while building suspense.

"As allies, we should also show our sincerity. Two days from now, Akatsukigakure will launch the first attack. Once we draw out Iwagakure's main forces, your troops can then strike. This will ensure an even greater victory, wouldn't you agree?"

Nagato fixed his gaze on A, confident that Kumo would not refuse such an offer.

Whether Akatsukigakure was actually being used as a decoy didn't matter. No matter what, someone would cover for them.

"Good."

Just as expected, A got so excited that he stood up before realizing his slip and awkwardly sitting back down, scratching his head.

"Lord Nagato, your proposal is excellent."

"I believe we will have a very successful cooperation."

His excitement was impossible to conceal. This arrangement was better than he had anticipated. No matter how hard he tried to suppress his grin, the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward. In his mind, he could already see his father leading the final charge into the Land of Earth.

"Happy cooperation," Nagato responded politely, finalizing the combat mission.

"Our Akatsukigakure is small and isolated, making this a great risk for us," Yahiko added, his expression serious. No one listening would doubt Akatsukigakure's sincerity in this alliance. "I only hope that Lord Raikage will choose the right moment to strike."

"Rest assured, I will personally oversee everything," A promised without hesitation.

Naive, Yahiko thought, but outwardly, he smiled. "That's reassuring to hear." His words pleased A, subtly acknowledging his strength.

"Well, we've discussed business enough." Yahiko leaned back slightly. "You've had a long journey. Would you like to unwind?"

Before A could reply, Yahiko gave him an ambiguous look.

"Thank you for your generosity," A said with a knowing smile. "But my father is waiting for my report, so I won't trouble you any further."

As a man, he was well aware of Amegakure's notorious nightlife scene.

"What a pity. Don't put it off next time—when you have more time," Yahiko said smoothly as he stood. free𝑤ebnovel.com

With that, the group escorted A to the outskirts of the village, seeing him off.