The moonlight hung like a hook, casting a seductive glow over the night.
"Jiraiya is moving tomorrow."
"Let's go join the fun," Tsunade said, leaning on Kawakaze's shoulder. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes unfocused, and she had yet to fully recover from the battle.
"That's good. It's been a long time since we last got together."
Kawakaze had no objections. Moving to a new home was a joyful occasion, and this custom was also common in their land.
"Moving to a new home means Jiraiya's wedding is probably near," Tsunade said, smiling faintly. She was happy for Jiraiya, relieved that his attention had finally shifted away from her.
"Yes, Orochimaru's is coming soon too," Kawakaze replied. He had spoken to Orochimaru and knew it wouldn't be long.
"Good things are happening one after another, which is a good sign," Tsunade said, her smile growing, her charm lighting up the moment.
"When will our good things come?"
"Maybe we're not trying hard enough," Kawakaze teased as he leaned closer, his large hand venturing mischief beneath the quilt.
"How much harder do you want to try? You want to kill me?" Tsunade glared at him, though her exhausted body could muster no real resistance.
"Haha~ that's too much," Kawakaze said, stopping his antics. He, too, was more worn out than he wanted to admit.
"Okay, go to sleep."
Tsunade adjusted herself, finding a comfortable position, and closed her eyes.
"Good night, my dear wife."
Kawakaze tucked her in snugly, wrapped his arms around her, and soon drifted to sleep himself.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, the two woke up feeling refreshed. During breakfast, the family chatted about Jiraiya's move. Sakumo, being on good terms with Jiraiya, naturally wanted to join in the festivities.
"I heard that Jiraiya bought a pretty big house," Sakumo said, starting the conversation. He had only heard rumors, as Jiraiya hadn't mentioned anything to him directly.
"It should be quite big. He emptied his entire savings," Tsunade replied, knowing more about the situation and confirming Sakumo's information. Jiraiya had accumulated significant wealth over the years through his missions.
"Haha, then you can really pressure him now," Kawakaze joked. Jiraiya hadn't been assigned any official duties yet—partly because he returned late, and partly because he insisted he couldn't focus on work until after the wedding. Tsunade hadn't pushed him on it.
"You're such a greedy overlord," Nayuki said, feeding Kakashi a bite of food while shooting Kawakaze a sidelong glance.
"Sister-in-law, you're wrong about me."
"I just want Jiraiya to earn more money." Kawakaze shoved a bun into his mouth and ran his mouth off.
"So Jiraiya should be thanking you, huh?" Sakumo chimed in, suddenly taking on the role of a sarcastic old man.
"That's not necessary. I'm the kind of person who tells their friends their innermost thoughts." Kawakaze went further astray, frantically trying to flatter himself.
"Pah." Sakumo spat, expressing his contempt for his younger brother.
"I probably won't need to exploit him. He plans to write novels to supplement the family income." Tsunade was a little surprised. She hadn't realized Jiraiya was also capable of this.
"Writing novels? Can that make money?"
This obviously touched on a blind spot in Sakumo's knowledge. Most people can't make money outside their field of expertise.
"Why not? Do you read books that fall from the sky?" Nayuki, with her long hair but limited patience, snapped at Sakumo.
"I think he could write something men would enjoy reading." Kawakaze's eyes were strange, but he had a point.
In truth, Jiraiya's first book wasn't a bestseller, but Icha Icha Paradise became his famous work. Kakashi, his biggest fan, was never without a copy of it.
"Disgusting." Tsunade gave Kawakaze a sideways glance. What kind of stupid suggestion is that?
"I was just saying," Kawakaze muttered awkwardly, scratching his head and burying it in his rice bowl.
"I think Kawakaze has a point." Sakumo, ever sly, instantly understood what Kawakaze meant.
"Eat your rice." Nayuki stuffed a meatball into Sakumo's mouth to silence him.
Indeed, these two brothers were cut from the same cloth. They must have read plenty of those books!
...
The sun set in the west, casting a golden cloak over Konoha with its afterglow.
A large, single-family compound was bustling with activity. The mansion, located not far from the lively streets of Konoha, was worth a fortune.
This was Jiraiya's new house, and the housewarming banquet had already begun. The dining room was packed with people. Fortunately, the house was large enough to accommodate them; otherwise, it would have been impossible to fit everyone.
Although only close friends were invited, the gathering still included roughly 30 to 40 people. Just from the gifts received today, Jiraiya had already gotten his money's worth.
"Thank you all for coming," Jiraiya said.
"You're welcome. Enjoy your meal."
Seated at the head of the table, Jiraiya skipped lengthy formalities, raising his sake cup and beginning to drink with everyone else.
"I'm not leaving until I've eaten and drunk my fill," Tsunade declared, taking a sip from her sake cup, showing none of the airs of the Hokage.
She wanted to ensure that no one felt overly formal or restrained, as it could dampen the lively atmosphere.
"Exactly!"
Everyone joined in the commotion, and the mood instantly brightened.
"There's plenty to go around," Maki added with a smile, knowing the jokes were all in good fun.
What followed was a lively game of tag, and the sound of laughter filled the air without end.
"Lord Kawakaze, here's to you."
"In the Kirigakure mission—you have greatly increased the prestige of Konoha." A Konoha Jōnin slightly bowed, toasting Kawakaze.
In the meantime, news of Kirigakure had spread throughout the ninja world. Kawakaze had single-handedly invaded Kirigakure, demonstrating the power of Wood Release. He had even killed the Mizukage, the Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, on the spot.
This news left countless jaws dropping. The few shinobi who had faced Kawakaze were all shaken. Their guard against Konoha had risen sharply.
Konohagakure now loomed like a mountain weighing on the hearts of all the ninja villages. Kirigakure, however, kept the news of the Mizukage being controlled under wraps—it was simply too humiliating. Losing to Wood Release was understandable, but the Mizukage of an entire village being controlled? Unthinkable!
Kawakaze, hearing all this, did not adopt the air of a great master. Instead, he stood, raised his cup, and drank.
"It's not worth mentioning—it's all thanks to the leadership of Lady Hokage," he said.
After finishing his drink, he casually gave Tsunade a pat on the back, drawing laughter from everyone. This further highlighted his infamous henpecked man reputation.
"Typical," Tsunade said, giving him a glare, though her smile was hard to hide.
"You're not being fair—you didn't even invite me," Duy joked, his bright smile as dazzling as ever.
"I was in a rush!" Kawakaze quickly defended himself, knowing full well Duy was just teasing him.
"Your reputation is not average these days. God of Shinobi, wow." Orochimaru's voice was sinister, with not a hint of envy in it. Kawakaze's strength only made him happy.
"It is also a fitting story for the First Hokage's title to be inherited by Kawakaze," Jiraiya said, raising his glass and clinking it with Orochimaru's.
"He doesn't quite measure up to Grandpa," Tsunade added. To her, Hashirama was an unstoppable force.
"You are right in everything you say," Kawakaze replied, not refuting her. There was no doubt about Hashirama's strength—he was the unquestioned No. 1 in the ninja world during his time.
"I don't think you would ever dare to say she is wrong," Shinku Yūhi teased Kawakaze. In truth, Shinku wasn't much better than him—a henpecked husband and a doting father.
"We're good friends, after all—we see right through each other," Kawakaze said with a laugh, raising his sake cup to toast with Shinku Yūhi.
"No need to say anything—everyone can see that," Fugaku chimed in as he joined the conversation. While he and Jiraiya weren't particularly close, they both knew their paths would inevitably cross in the future.
This comment drew laughter from everyone.
"Lord Kawakaze, your title of God of Shinobi has resounded throughout the Shinobi world. This is a blessing for our Konoha."
Everyone felt a sense of pride. Having someone so strong in the village gave them more confidence when stepping outside its borders.
"You're too kind. Let's drink."
Kawakaze didn't want to steal the limelight from Jiraiya—this wasn't his victory celebration, after all. Fortunately, everyone was perceptive and quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic.
Before long, Jiraiya announced the wedding date. As an orphan, he could make his own decisions freely, unlike Kawakaze and Tsunade, who had waited so long.
Then came the drinking game, which made the atmosphere even more lively. The banquet didn't end until the moon was high in the sky, and the well-fed crowd began to disperse.
Kawakaze and Tsunade staggered home under the moonlight. Ahead of them, Sakumo and Nayuki were also swaying as they walked. Minato and the others followed, holding onto Kakashi as they trailed behind.
In the moonlight, their shadows stretched long across the ground. The scene was surprisingly warm and harmonious.