Chapter 315: To the Hospital

Tsunade landed in front of them.

The moment she confirmed the man’s identity at close range, her entire body went rigid.

It really was Nawaki.

Nawaki looked at that familiar face and weakly pulled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

“Sis… Sister…”

Tsunade opened her mouth, but no words came at first.

Her hand trembled slightly as she rested it on his shoulder.

“It really is you…”

Kaede watched the siblings.

He knew this wasn’t the time to let them collapse into an emotional reunion.

“He just pushed his body through an extremely high-intensity battle. He’s already at his limit.”

“You can catch up later. Right now, you need to take him back and begin comprehensive treatment immediately.”

Kaede’s words forced Tsunade to suppress the storm of emotions inside her.

She nodded heavily and carefully took Nawaki from him, supporting her brother with both hands.

Once Nawaki was steady, Tsunade turned back to Kaede.

Her gaze swept rapidly over him.

There were no obvious wounds on his body, but the exhaustion caused by massive chakra consumption was impossible to hide.

Concern flooded her eyes.

“What about you?”

Kaede raised a hand and pointed into the distance.

Seven Tailed Beasts stood dazed across the plain after losing the control imposed on them.

The White Zetsu and the terrain transformed by Wood Release also needed to be dealt with.

“The battlefield still needs to be cleaned up. I’ll come find you once I’ve finished here.”

Tsunade glanced in the direction he was pointing.

For once, she didn’t immediately object.

But her expression quickly turned stern.

“Then the moment you’re done here, you come straight to the hospital!”

Her voice sounded fierce, but the concern beneath it was obvious to everyone.

“You fought alone for so long tonight. You’ve burned through far too much chakra.”

“Once you get there, you’re getting a full-body examination. If you dare leave yourself with even the slightest lasting injury, I won’t forgive you!”

Hearing that familiar scolding, Kaede knew she was simply worried about him.

He obediently nodded and agreed to everything.

Nawaki, leaning against Tsunade’s shoulder, hadn’t said a single word through the exchange.

That didn’t mean his eyes and ears had been idle.

He looked at his sister, whose concern was practically overflowing from her eyes, then at his master, who had been thoroughly cowed by her scolding.

A thought immediately formed in his mind.

‘Judging by the way these two act around each other… they must be together already, right?’

Once he recovered, he decided he would find a chance to properly interrogate his sister and learn exactly how their relationship had developed.

Tsunade didn’t notice the strange look in his eyes.

She activated the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared with Nawaki.

After confirming they were gone, Kaede turned toward the battlefield.

He looked at the seven enormous creatures in the distance and clapped his hands together.

Thick Wood Release vines erupted from the ground, forming enormous cages that separated the Tailed Beasts from one another.

The cleanup officially began.

Several days later.

Konoha, Hokage Building.

Inside a spacious, brightly lit conference room, the Kage and senior representatives of the major villages sat together with their guards once again.

The atmosphere was completely different from before.

There was a strange silence in the room now, mixed with the exhaustion of people who had survived a catastrophe.

Minato Namikaze sat at the head of the long table.

A calm, gentle smile rested on his face as his gaze swept over everyone present.

“Since no one has any objections to the follow-up plan, we’ll proceed with it.”

“Everyone has worked hard during this crisis.”

“Your forces can remain in Konoha’s camps and recuperate without concern.”

“As for the supplies consumed during the battle, Konoha will cooperate fully and replenish as much of the shortage as possible.”

“Regarding the Tailed Beasts that were rescued…”

“They will be returned according to their ownership before the war. Each village may take its Tailed Beast back and reseal it.”

Minato made Konoha’s position perfectly clear.

Faced with such an unexpectedly generous arrangement, even Ay, whose temper was usually the most explosive, said nothing.

He simply nodded in silence.

Onoki and Rasa immediately followed, both expressing complete agreement with the plan.

The meeting went so smoothly that there wasn’t even an argument.

In truth, every senior shinobi in the room understood the situation perfectly.

They had personally witnessed Kaede stopping seven Tailed Beasts by himself that night.

Konoha’s current strength had reached a level so terrifying that they couldn’t even bring themselves to feel jealous.

If Konoha had truly wanted to take advantage of the situation and keep all seven Tailed Beasts, the four Kage together would not have been able to stop them.

Instead, Konoha was returning the beasts and even volunteering to replenish everyone’s supplies.

That was already more generosity than anyone could reasonably ask for.

Anyone foolish enough to complain now would practically be asking for their own village to die sooner.

With the broader matters settled, the meeting came to an end.

Representatives from the other villages rose and left one after another, each carrying complicated feelings with them.

The moment all the outsiders were gone, Jiraiya abandoned every trace of seriousness.

He stood, stretched until his joints cracked, and let out an exaggerated yawn.

“I’m exhausted!”

“Now that all this troublesome stuff is finally over, it’s time for me to continue my great research!”

He chuckled shamelessly, destroying what remained of the solemn atmosphere in the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat nearby and rubbed his aching lower back with a sigh.

“Age really doesn’t spare anyone.”

“It’s been a long time since this old man fought at such intensity. These old bones are practically falling apart.”

“Minato, I’ll leave the rest to you. I need a hot bath and some rest.”

With that, Hiruzen slowly walked out of the conference room as well.

Once the older generation had left, Minato’s dignified and composed expression finally cracked.

Unrestrained joy spread across his face.

He walked quickly over to Kaede, so excited that even his voice trembled slightly.

“Kaede! Mother and child are both safe!”

“It’s a very healthy boy. We named him Naruto!”

Kaede smiled sincerely at the news.

Minato rubbed his hands together excitedly.

“I’m about to go see Kushina and the baby. Want to come with me?”

The smile hadn’t even fully faded from Kaede’s face when a nerve in his head seemed to twitch.

He suddenly remembered everything waiting for him at the hospital.

Mei was lying there after nearly sacrificing her life for him.

Pakura had remained at her side without leaving.

What kind of attitude Pakura would have now was a massive unknown.

One floor above them, Tsunade was still waiting to give him his “full-body examination.”

And now there was Nawaki, newly reunited with his sister and carrying mysteries of his own.

Just thinking about it made Kaede feel as though he still had an endless list of things to deal with.

He cleared his throat and put on a very serious, regretful expression.

“I’ll pass for now.”

“Mizukage Mei was badly injured. She ended up like that defending the line, so both personally and diplomatically, I need to check on her condition first.”

He produced an impeccable diplomatic excuse in an attempt to conceal his inner unease.

“I also have a few private matters involving the defense handover to deal with.”

“Once I’ve finished all that, I’ll buy some gifts and pay a proper visit to Kushina and little Naruto.”

Minato immediately noticed the faint stiffness in Kaede’s expression.

His mind turned for only a moment before he remembered some of the gossip circulating through the camps over the past few days—particularly rumors involving the Mizukage and Konoha’s princess.

Understanding dawned instantly.

A knowing, amused smile spread across Minato’s face.

He stepped forward and gave Kaede a heavy pat on the shoulder.

“All right. Go on, then.”

“Young people having their own things to keep them busy is a good sign.”

Minato smiled as he urged him to leave, his eyes full of teasing amusement.

Looking at that expression, Kaede was certain this man simply enjoyed watching other people’s drama.

But he had no time to complain.

With a sigh, he turned and left the conference room.