Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

Tsunade couldn't help but smile as she pulled Kushina into a hug and planted a few loud kisses on her cheeks. 

Kushina squirmed in mock disgust, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Sister! Stop it!" 

"Since you've all been so well-behaved," Tsunade announced, ignoring Kushina's protests, "I'll treat you all to a big meal. Let's go get barbecue! Minato, you're coming too."

She looked at her younger brother and sister, expecting smiles of excitement, but was instead met with unenthusiastic expressions. 

"No thanks," Nawaki muttered, crossing his arms. 

"Not interested," Kushina said, shaking her head. 

Even Minato smiled awkwardly, not seeming thrilled about the idea. 

---

### Barbecue Fatigue

Tsunade blinked, confused. *I'm offering you barbecue, and you're not happy?* 

"If you don't want barbecue, then what do you want?" Tsunade asked, exasperated. "I'm not exactly a gourmet chef like Shinki, you know." 

Kushina sighed dramatically. "Ah, it's just... we're tired of it." 

"Yeah," Nawaki chimed in, "it's a bit greasy. Let's wait for Minato to cook." 

"...What?" Tsunade's jaw dropped. 

It turned out that after Shinki left, the three had been eating out almost every day. Kushina, being the self-proclaimed "rich one" among them, often treated the group. As a result, they had frequented the village's barbecue restaurants so much that they couldn't stand the thought of eating it anymore. 

Thankfully, Minato's cooking skills had improved enough to be passable. When they didn't eat out, Minato became their de facto cook, with Kushina buying groceries and Nawaki helping out. 

---

### A New Plan

"Fine, if you don't want barbecue, forget it!" Tsunade grumbled, clutching her chest theatrically as though their rejection physically hurt her. "Here I am, trying to treat you to something nice, and this is what I get in return?" 

The three exchanged sheepish glances but held their ground. 

Realizing she wouldn't win this argument, Tsunade joined them in waiting for Minato's cooking. 

Later, as they all sat down to eat, Tsunade begrudgingly praised the meal. "Well, not bad, Minato. Your cooking's really improved!" 

Minato smiled shyly, grateful for the compliment, while Kushina and Nawaki nodded in agreement. 

---

### Summoning Beast News

As they ate, Tsunade remembered something. "Oh, by the way, your teacher is preparing a summoning beast for you, Minato. When he gets back, you'll be able to sign a contract. The scroll is here at home, so you can practice summoning when you're ready. Just ask Nawaki for it." 

"Summoning beast?" Kushina's ears perked up. She leaned forward eagerly. "What about me? Do I get one too?" 

Tsunade shook her head. "This one isn't suitable for you, Kushina." 

"What? Why not?" Kushina pouted. 

"What about me?" Nawaki asked, sitting up straight. "If it's good for Minato, it must work for me too, right?" 

Tsunade sighed, looking at Nawaki. "Shinki wanted to prepare one for you, but I stopped him. You'll have to wait for Jiraiya to return and sign a contract with the toads of Mount Myoboku instead." 

Nawaki's face fell. "Why? I don't like toads, and I don't like Jiraiya!" 

"Really?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Who was it that used to follow Jiraiya everywhere, doing whatever he did?" 

"That wasn't me! It must have been Minato!" Nawaki protested, his face turning red. 

Kushina burst out laughing, and even Minato chuckled. 

Embarrassed, Nawaki slammed his hand on the table. "That was a long time ago! I don't like Jiraiya anymore, and I definitely don't want a toad!" 

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way. We'll wait for Jiraiya to sort this out when he's back." 

---

### Jiraiya's Musings

Far away in the Rain Country, Jiraiya sneezed suddenly, startling the children he was with. 

"Teacher, are you sick?" Konan asked, looking up at him with concern. 

Jiraiya chuckled, rubbing her head affectionately. "Sick? Never! Your teacher, Jiraiya, is the strongest toad sage in Konoha! It's probably just someone talking about me." 

"Have you learned the ninjutsu I taught you?" he asked, changing the subject. 

"I have!" Konan said proudly. Then she added, "Yahiko's so slow—he hasn't figured it out yet." 

"Konan! That's not fair! I've been trying really hard!" Yahiko protested, stamping his foot. 

Nagato, standing silently to the side, chimed in softly. "You are a little slow." 

"I'm not slow!" Yahiko shouted, glaring at both of them. 

Jiraiya sighed, watching the children bicker. Despite the chaos, he felt a sense of pride seeing how much they had grown. 

His thoughts drifted to Nawaki. *I wonder how that kid is doing. With Shinki looking after him, he's probably fine...* 

But then, another worry crept in. Would Nawaki forgive him when he returned to Konoha? 

---

### Orochimaru's Calculations

Back on the front lines, the inquiry letter from Konoha arrived at the camp. Orochimaru glanced at it briefly before tossing it aside, uninterested. 

To him, rescuing the two elders was a waste of resources. It was a critical moment in the war, and pulling a unit from the battlefield would weaken their position. 

Orochimaru's focus was on the bigger picture. The Sand Village's forces were shrinking, and their resources were dwindling as winter approached. Supply lines would become increasingly difficult to maintain, giving Konoha a significant advantage. 

He shared his thoughts with Shinki, who nodded in agreement. "You're right. Their supply chains will be their undoing. With the weather on our side, there's no need to rush." 

Orochimaru smirked, pleased that Shinki shared his vision. "Exactly. Let's tighten the noose and force them to surrender on our terms." 

Meanwhile, Konoha's elders continued to struggle in the Bear Country, their desperate plight growing more precarious with each passing day.

--- 

>>>>>

200 Chapters ahead available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)

Gimme power stonesssss

Also, leave a review please and check out my new story

[Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki]