Before even officially entering the Land of Lightning, the Konoha Allied Forces, led by Minato, had already crushed Kumogakure with overwhelming force.
All of Kumogakure's high-ranking officials perished in the battle.
The only survivors were the weaker Kumo Ninja, now left defenseless like shrimp without their shells, who had no choice but to surrender.
When Minato and the others eagerly delivered this triumphant news to Kawakaze, his response was unusually calm.
"I see."
Then, in an indifferent tone, he added, "Well done. Keep up the good work."
Minato and the others exchanged puzzled glances.
Keep up the good work? What else is there to do? We've practically taken over the entire shinobi world!
But as his disciples, they deeply respected Kawakaze.
Even though they had their doubts, they didn't dare to question him directly. Instead, they simply nodded and responded, "Yes."
...
"What are you even pretending for?"
"Trying to act all high and mighty?"
Tsunade scoffed at the display, finding Kawakaze's attitude insufferable.
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking, she reached over and pinched his waist—hard.
"Hiss—!"
"Have some mercy!"
Caught completely off guard, Kawakaze sucked in a sharp breath.
He quickly swatted Tsunade's hand away, but the cool and composed façade he had been trying to maintain instantly shattered.
A moment later, he couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.
Finally, Konoha's era was here.
...
"That's more like it."
"You guys did an excellent job this time."
"We'll have a proper celebration when you return."
Tsunade didn't hold back her praise, a bright smile never leaving her face.
"Thank you, Sensei's wife!"
Minato and the others hurriedly expressed their gratitude, completely ignoring Kawakaze.
Tsunade, however, suddenly remembered something.
Her smile faded, and she adopted a more serious expression.
"The people of the Land of Lightning are fierce and proud."
"Be careful how you handle them."
"They're just civilians—don't be too heavy-handed."
Her voice was firm. Too much bloodshed would only make future governance more difficult.
"Don't worry, Sensei's wife. We understand."
Minato took her words to heart. He was never the kind of person to be ruthless or cruel.
"I trust you."
...
After discussing a few more key matters, Tsunade made sure they understood all the necessary details before ending the call.
Minato continued leading the Konoha forces toward the Land of Lightning's capital, while back in the office, Tsunade and Kawakaze were practically humming with joy.
The only one who wasn't happy was Shōta.
Far from feeling relieved, his frown deepened.
With Konoha expanding at an unprecedented pace, his workload had become unbearable.
And it was all tedious, administrative nonsense—nothing that required Tsunade's personal judgment.
The worst part? He was the one stuck dealing with it.
At this point, he had practically moved into the Hokage's office.
Thinking about the incoming flood of reports from the Land of Lightning, Shōta felt like his life was falling apart.
"Don't look so miserable. Anyone would think I was torturing you,"
Tsunade commented, shooting him a glance.
Her tone was anything but sympathetic.
"You might as well be!"
"Do you see this?"
"This is just one-third of it!"
The moment Tsunade spoke, Shōta could no longer hold back.
Pointing at the towering pile of paperwork on his desk, he shouted so loudly that Kawakaze nearly jumped.
Holy hell—where did all that frustration come from?
Not wanting to get dragged into the mess, Kawakaze wisely decided to stay silent and just watch from the sidelines.
"Hey hey~"
"You're capable, so you should do more work!"
Tsunade took one look and immediately realized she had messed up. She let out an awkward chuckle, trying to smooth things over.
"Cut the crap."
"I'll give you half."
Shōta picked up a stack of documents and started walking toward Tsunade's desk.
"I just remembered—I have something to take care of. Gotta go."
Before Tsunade could say a word, Kawakaze had already disappeared, faster than a rabbit.
Staring at the spot where Kawakaze had just been, Tsunade gritted her teeth in fury.
Weren't they supposed to share hardships and joys together?
And now, when things get tough, he ditches her like it's every man for himself?
Just wait until she gets home—she'll make him pay for this!
Marking down Kawakaze's betrayal in her mental ledger, Tsunade had no choice but to deal with Shōta.
In the end, under the threat of Shōta resigning, she somehow ended up with three times her usual workload.
She deeply regretted running her mouth earlier.
All the excitement she had felt over Minato's victory against Kumogakure had now been completely crushed.
As she buried herself in paperwork, she couldn't help but curse herself—this Hokage position had no dignity whatsoever.
...
That night, when she dragged herself home looking completely lifeless, it was as if her soul had been sucked away.
But the moment she saw Kawakaze, it was like she was injected with new energy—she immediately greeted him with a flurry of "love taps."
After a solid round of punishment, Kawakaze, now black and blue, finally surrendered and promised to help with the workload.
Only then did Tsunade let him go.
Sakumo and Nayuki had been watching the entire time, but neither dared to interfere.
In fact, Sakumo was secretly amused, hoping Tsunade would hit even harder.
For him, watching this was nothing short of a visual spectacle.
...
The next day, when Kawakaze showed up at the Hokage's office and quietly started handling paperwork, Shōta flashed a knowing, almost smug smile.
Everything was going according to plan.
Even if Kawakaze could outmaneuver the entire shinobi world, it didn't mean Shōta couldn't trap him in a bureaucratic nightmare.
"Hahaha~"
Shōta laughed wildly in his heart, but his face remained completely neutral.
...
This routine continued for several days. Meanwhile, Minato had arrived in the capital of the Land of Lightning.
Just as Tsunade had warned, the people here were fierce and unyielding, refusing to acknowledge the overwhelming difference in strength between the two sides.
Minato summed it up in one sentence:
"If you dare to come at us, we'll take you on."
The soldiers of the Land of Lightning embodied this sentiment completely.
Had Minato not exercised extreme restraint, the Konoha forces might have massacred the entire capital.
Fortunately, the final outcome was a success. Minato and his team spent a great deal of effort, using various strategies and tactics.
In the end, without unnecessary bloodshed, they managed to force the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning to sign the surrender agreement and publicly announce it.
...
On this day, the Land of Lightning fell.
The Third Shinobi World War, which had raged for two years, had finally come to an end.
And with it, Konoha had accomplished the unprecedented feat of unifying the shinobi world.
Not just Konoha— the entire Land of Fire was immersed in celebration.
When the warriors who had fought on the front lines returned home, Konoha would welcome them with a night of nonstop festivities.
Every Konoha ninja stationed abroad eagerly awaited their return.
They would bring back the remains of their fallen comrades, honoring their sacrifice and embracing the victory they had fought for.
...
Even after securing the Land of Lightning, Minato and his team still had work to do.
Post-war cleanup was always tedious, and things moved a little slower than usual in the Land of Lightning.
But it didn't matter. Minato and the others tackled each issue with patience.
Once the appointed officials from the Land of Fire arrived to take over, they could finally begin their journey home.