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"Yeah."
After experiencing the initial surge of joy, the leader of the Kaguya clan slowly calmed himself.
He understood the nature of his son's illness. He had sought help from countless individuals, only to meet with failure each time. How could anyone possibly claim to cure such a disease without even examining it?
That was simply unrealistic.
Even if this person could be found, whether or not they could truly heal his son was another matter entirely.
Still, the Kaguya clan leader had already prepared himself for the worst.
He knew what the most tragic outcome would be.
And yet… now there was a sliver of hope. Even a thread of it was better than nothing.
Besides, this came from Uchiha Haru.
With Haru's power and insight, anyone he thought of couldn't possibly be ordinary.
That, at least, gave him a sliver of comfort.
Even if it wasn't the first time he'd told himself that...
"Mr. Haru, please tell me," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "I understand how difficult it will be to cure my child's illness. No matter the outcome, I'm prepared to face it."
"Alright," Haru nodded, gazing at him. "You might have heard of the person I'm referring to. She's one of the Legendary Sannin of Konohagakure… Tsunade."
Tsunade!
The name alone caused an obvious flash of joy to appear on the Kaguya clan leader's face.
Yes, why hadn't he thought of that name before?
Tsunade, one of the Three Legendary Ninja of Konoha. Her fame stretched across the entire ninja world. Especially in the realm of medical ninjutsu, she was without equal.
During the Second Great Ninja War, who knows how many lives she saved on the battlefield with her remarkable abilities? There were even cases of shinobi clinging to life by a thread, whom she had brought back from the brink of death.
To call her the greatest medical-nin in existence was not an exaggeration.
He didn't know if there was anyone in the world who could cure Kimimaro's illness—but if there was, that person had to be Tsunade.
It had to be her!
The Kaguya leader immediately bowed deeply to Haru. "Thank you, Mr. Haru! If it's Tsunade… then perhaps there's still hope for my son!"
"Only…"
Halfway through speaking, the joy on his face gave way to a frown, as something occurred to him.
After the Second Ninja World War, Tsunade had vanished. She left the village, and even Konoha had lost track of her.
Even if she were capable of curing Kimimaro… could they actually find her?
"Only what?" Haru asked.
The Kaguya clan leader sighed. "It's just that… Tsunade has been in exile since the end of the war. She left Konoha and hasn't been seen since. No one knows her whereabouts. Looking for her would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Haru paused thoughtfully and replied, "I might have an idea where she is."
"Ah?" The Kaguya leader was stunned for a moment, then elated. "Mr. Haru… do you know where Tsunade is?"
"Yeah," Haru nodded.
There was no need to rack his brain. There was one place Tsunade was almost always associated with:
Casinos.
Sure, locating her in the masses was difficult. But there were only so many casinos across the land. Was it really so impossible?
The Kaguya leader quickly dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Haru, please—tell me where she is, so I can bring relief to my son's suffering as soon as possible!"
He gestured hastily for Kimimaro to kneel and bow beside him.
"This…" Haru didn't answer immediately. He seemed to consider something.
Seeing this, the Kaguya clan leader spoke quickly, "Mr. Haru, if you can give me her location, then regardless of the outcome—whether she can cure him or not—I will owe you a great favor."
"If the day ever comes when you need anything from me, no matter how dangerous or difficult, I will do my utmost to assist you. No questions asked."
Nothing in this world came free.
If one wanted something, one had to trade for it.
Having sat at the helm of the Kaguya clan for so many years, this philosophy was ingrained in his bones.
He had simply been too emotional earlier and hadn't thought things through.
Now, looking back, he realized he'd been hasty.
He made that promise without hesitation.
And for someone of Kage-level strength… such a promise carried incredible weight.
Especially since the Kaguya clan prided itself on never going back on its word.
But Haru only smiled and said, "There's no need. It's just information. I don't require anything in return."
"However—finding Tsunade, and persuading her to treat Kimimaro… won't be easy."
"If you go, it will probably be a wasted trip."
He wasn't trying to be cruel. It was the truth.
To locate Tsunade would require deploying large numbers of operatives across every known casino.
That alone demanded significant manpower.
But even that was just the beginning.
Convincing her to help… was an even more daunting task.
After the deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover Kato Dan during the Second Ninja World War—despite her best efforts to save them—Tsunade was left broken.
The trauma had scarred her deeply, leaving her with a crippling phobia of blood.
How could a medical ninja who couldn't even look at blood possibly treat the sick?
The Kaguya clan leader fell silent.
This was not something that could be easily solved.
"Then... what should we do?"
After so much struggle, they had finally glimpsed a sliver of hope—only to have it doused like a bucket of cold water poured straight over their heads.
The expression on the Kaguya clan leader's face darkened instantly.
Just as despair began to weigh down on him once more, he heard Uchiha Haru speak, his voice calm and resolute. "There's no rush. I will bring Tsunade back."
The Kaguya clan leader froze, momentarily wondering if he had misheard.
"Haru… Lord Haru, did you just say—you'll go find Tsunade yourself?"
"Yeah," Haru replied with a nod.
Of course, his decision wasn't solely out of charity for Kimimaro, the heir of the Kaguya clan. Haru had his own reasons—practical, strategic reasons that served a far greater purpose.
During their journey to the Land of Water, several Uchiha clan members had fallen ill—whether due to unfamiliar climates, sea travel, or simply the stress of relocation. But the most frustrating part? The Uchiha Clan didn't have a single trained medical-nin among them.
That was completely unacceptable.
Haru had made a mental note then and there: the Uchiha Clan must develop its own medical corps.
And to do that, they needed a teacher. Not just anyone—but the best. And in the shinobi world, there was no greater medical-nin than Tsunade Senju, the Slug Princess, one of the Legendary Sannin. Under her guidance, Haru was confident he could cultivate a new generation of Uchiha medical-nin—something that would benefit the entire clan, especially now that they were planting roots in Kirigakure.
Upon hearing Haru's confirmation, the Kaguya clan leader's eyes lit up.
Hope—real hope—finally shone in the gloom.
Uchiha Haru had said it. That meant it would happen.
After everything Haru had done in the Hidden Mist Village—the coup, the cleansing, the political rebalancing—he had earned the clan leader's unwavering trust.
"Lord Haru, thank you. Truly," the Kaguya clan leader said with a deep, solemn bow. "I will never forget this kindness. I swear I'll repay this favor, no matter the cost."
"It's not necessary to go that far," Haru replied, helping him to his feet. "I'm not doing this just for you. I also have my own reasons for seeking out Tsunade."
His words were blunt, honest—completely without pretense.
The Kaguya clan leader blinked, stunned by the admission.
Wasn't this the perfect chance to gain loyalty, to curry favor by pretending it was a selfless act?
Wasn't this the moment where people usually offer grand promises and try to win hearts?
Instead, Haru had cast aside all those superficial games.
The prepared speech of gratitude the clan leader had been rehearsing in his mind now died unceremoniously in his throat. He stammered, awkwardly trying to piece together a response, but in the end could only mumble out another thank you.
He was a clever man. Of course, he knew Haru wouldn't go to such lengths just for his son. There had to be something more important at stake.
But what caught him completely off guard was the way Haru laid it all out—direct and unembellished.
No masks, no flowery rhetoric.
And that, strangely enough, made the Kaguya clan leader respect him even more.
In all his years tangled in the Hidden Mist's web of power, betrayal, and backstabbing, it had been a long, long time since he'd encountered someone so straightforward.
At that moment, the clan leader knew—choosing to cooperate with Uchiha Haru had been the right decision.
Because of that choice… the Kaguya clan would have a future again.
After steadying himself, the Kaguya clan leader asked, "Lord Haru, when are you planning to leave?"
"There's no rush," Haru said evenly. "Once my clansmen arrive and everything is set up here, I'll go."
It wasn't just a casual excuse.
The Uchiha had only just begun to settle in Kirigakure. The village's security department still hadn't been formally established. Despite how carefree Haru appeared—sipping tea, watching dancers, occasionally throwing out perverted jokes—he had a mountain of work to do behind the scenes.
Leaving now would be irresponsible.
"Oh, yes, of course," the Kaguya clan leader quickly agreed. "I got ahead of myself. After all, the Hidden Mist has only just begun to stabilize. We can't afford for you to be absent now."
Haru patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You won't have to wait too long."
No matter how cold, ruthless, and brutal the Kaguya clan leader may have been in the past, at his core, he was still a father.
When it came to his son's life, he couldn't help but be anxious. That kind of emotional reaction was something even the most hardened shinobi could understand.
"I'm not worried," the clan leader said quickly, managing a nod. "Although the illness is strange, Kimimaro's condition isn't life-threatening in the short term. Lord Haru, it's best you settle things here first."
"Right," Haru replied simply.
Afterward, the two discussed the current state of Kirigakure—the village's operations, disputes between merchants, rogue shinobi sightings, and the like.
None of it was serious. And both Mei Terumi and the Kaguya clan leader had handled it all with impressive efficiency.
Haru didn't need to micromanage. He had chosen his allies well.
With the two of them managing village affairs, he could afford to be what others called a "hands-off Hokage."
After a while, the meeting ended, and Haru left with Kimimaro at his side.
Several days later…
A wood clone that Haru had dispatched returned—successfully leading the migrating Uchiha clan to their new home in the Hidden Mist.
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