Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"Done, let's call it a day."

"Are you taking all these blades back with you?"

Nawaki had already abandoned his original blade and was carrying Samehada on his back. He wasn't interested in the other blades.

"Of course I'm taking them."

"If you don't want them, you can give them to someone else in the village."

Minato obviously knew how to live more frugally than Nawaki. Although he didn't want the blades either, he was more aware of the situation.

"Okay, okay, whatever you say."

Before Nawaki could give the order, he noticed the team already cleaning up the battlefield. The bodies were placed in special scrolls, even if they didn't yield any important information when taken back. This was still a significant achievement, to kill the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

The last few members approached Nawaki and Minato, carrying five ninja swords. The Shishi trio's wounds had been treated simply by Nagato, enough to avoid hindering their movements for now.

"Senior Brother, these people are ugly, and their weapons are strange," Konan said disdainfully, throwing the Kubikiribōchō on the ground before folding her wings and landing.

"Huh? I thought it was broken," Minato remarked, only now noticing the Kubikiribōchō had returned to normal. He curiously picked it up and swung it a few times. The sword felt extremely heavy in his hands, allowing him to perform only simple movements.

Using this sword as if it were an extension of his arm would be very difficult. Its recovery ability was intriguing to talk about but didn't seem practical. After all, who would feel confident fighting with a weapon that keeps breaking?

"This is the power of the Kubikiribōchō. It can absorb blood and repair itself. The seven swords were all left behind by the first Mizukage."

"There is also a Summoning Scroll."

"If you want to take it back to Konoha, I think it's better to seal it up first," the Clan Head of the Yuki Clan stepped forward and kindly reminded them.

"What do you mean, a Summoning Scroll?" Nawaki asked, not quite understanding. Everyone's attention turned to the Clan Head.

As an original resident of Kirigakure, the Clan Head definitely knew more than they did.

"To be precise, it is a Ninja Blade Summoning Scroll," he explained. "It can summon Ninja Blades from any distance. It should still be kept by the Hōzuki Clan."

"Is that okay?" Nawaki asked, his mouth hanging open in surprise. His Samehada was now in danger of being lost at any time. It had only just been warmed up! What a pity it would be to lose it now.

"Don't worry, Lord Nawaki," the Clan Head reassured him. "Your Samehada is an exception. It is the only one that is a living blade and cannot be summoned after it has recognized its owner."

"That's good. What a good blade it is!" Nawaki let out a sigh of relief and praised Samehada again.

Samehada happily stroked Nawaki's cheek with the handle of the sword.

"It's amazing how humane a sword can be," Minato marveled, even though it was the second time he had witnessed it.

"Other than being ugly, there's nothing humane about it."

Samehada's appearance made it hard for Konan to feel any affection for it; she still preferred Sensei's sword.

"Who's going to seal it?" Shishi interrupted the group's idle chatter. If the blades slipped away now, he wouldn't be able to accept it. There was no precedent for the Anbu's spoils being taken back.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Minato asked, bewildered. "Do I look like I know anything about Contract Seals?"

He was at a loss for words. What did they all take him for? He hadn't even married Kushina yet and hadn't dabbled much in Fūinjutsu.

"You spend every day with Kushina, and yet you've learned nothing," Nawaki teased, conveniently forgetting that he himself had a grandmother who was a sealing master.

"Haha, and what have you learned from Lady Mito?" Minato fired back, leaving Nawaki momentarily speechless.

Konan and the others laughed openly, enjoying the playful banter between the two—it was one of their simple pleasures.

"Go ahead, laugh it up," Nawaki retorted, glancing around before his gaze settled on Nagato. "But you're worse than me with that red hair of yours."

An Uzumaki, and you don't know Fūinjutsu? Aren't you ashamed to admit that?

"Well, Sensei didn't tell me to learn it," Nagato replied weakly. He was still a child—why did he have to learn so much?

"If I were counting on you, I'd be dead already."

"It's still up to me," Nawaki replied confidently.

Nawaki quickly thought of a solution. He bit his finger, formed a hand seal, and pressed it into the ground.

Bang!

With a puff of smoke, a massive python materialized before them. Coiled around its body was a scroll adorned with a strange black-and-white pattern.

"Lord Nawaki," the python said, its voice smooth and respectful. "I am Mao, born in Ryūchi Cave. We are a distinguished race, though few in number, possessing exceptional sealing abilities."

Nawaki nodded politely and gestured toward a pile of five ninja blades. "Mao, please take these knives with you."

"Glad to be of service," Mao responded graciously.

The summoning snake, used its mouth to open the scroll coiled around its body. The scroll was covered in intricate, mysterious incantations. Lowering its head, it bit down on all five blades, transferring them into the scroll. Instantly, the blades transformed into five distinct marks, securely sealed within.

"All done. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Nawaki nodded in approval, and with a puff of smoke, Mao vanished.

"That's really convenient," Minato remarked, his tone laced with envy. "Lady Katsuyu is great, but her abilities are a bit limited in comparison."

"You're right, I heard Sensei keeps a stock of food as well. I'll grab some and treat you sometime," Nawaki said with a raised an eyebrow at him.

That was a new species of snake, and Orochimaru had fattened it up. He had only tried it a few times when Kawakaze and Orochimaru got together. It was delicious!

"Me too, me too," Konan, the little foodie, eagerly chimed in, already looking forward to the next opportunity.

"One for all, all for one! If we miss out, we'll just take a beating," Nawaki said confidently, waving his hand as though deciding for everyone. Orochimaru wouldn't kill him anyway, so he figured he could always cling to Sensei's wife's thighs and be fine.

"Alright, we should retreat," Minato announced. The battlefield had been cleared, leaving nothing more to do.

"Let's go." Nawaki nodded in agreement.

Once again, the two of them took the lead, guiding the group toward the port in a grand procession.

The people waiting at the port had already heard the commotion. Outnumbered, they had stayed back and avoided getting too close. Now that the battle was over, curiosity got the better of them, and they cautiously approached.

At first glance, they saw a group rushing toward them and immediately panicked, scattering in all directions.

"We're on the same side!" Minato shouted, realizing the misunderstanding just before one of the men was about to jump into the sea. Recognizing the agreed-upon clothing, he called out to reassure them.

"You scared me," a middle-aged man said, patting his chest in relief.

"Sorry, we were rude," Minato replied with a kind smile.

"The Heavenly King Covers the Ground Tiger"," the man cautiously recited the agreed-upon secret code.

"Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms," Minato responded fluently. It was obvious from the phrasing that it was Sensei's handiwork, likely copied by Uncle Sakumo and put into use.

"Konoha Genin Ichirō Aso, at your service," the middle-aged man said, bowing respectfully.

"You've worked hard," Minato said with a nod, needing no introduction of his own.

"Let's go, just to be safe. We'll head to the Land of Waves first and change ships," the man explained as he led the group on board.

Minato and the others understood the precautions. Changing ships for safety was a minor inconvenience.

Before long, the sailors took their positions, and the ship slowly set sail.