As she spoke, Tsunade stood up.
"While I'm away at the Five Kage Summit these next few days, you'll be in charge."
"Huh?" Shizune froze. "Lady Tsunade, aren't you taking me with you?"
"No. I don't trust anyone else to handle government affairs. Besides, what would it look like if both of us pregnant women went? The other great nations would think Konoha had no one left!"
With that, Tsunade walked straight out the door.
Outside, Kakashi and Might Guy had already been waiting for quite some time.
Tsunade draped her coat over her shoulders and stepped forward, calling, "Let's go. Time to set off."
"Yes!" Might Guy bent over, sticking out his backside. "Lord Hokage, since you're pregnant, why don't I carry you on my back?"
"No need. It's just a pregnancy. Nothing major."
Two days later, at the border of the Land of Iron.
Snow fell thickly from the sky. Her face alight with excitement, Kurotsuchi called out with a laugh:
"This is my first time in the Land of Iron. It snows so heavily here! This is so much fun! Don't you think so, Akatsuchi?"
The stocky young man walking along the snowy road with Ōnoki on his back was named Akatsuchi.
Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were the attendants Ōnoki had personally chosen.
Though he was said to have chosen them personally, in truth, he simply couldn't stand Kurotsuchi's pestering anymore.
If Kurotsuchi hadn't kept wheedling and badgering him, Ōnoki would never have brought the girl along.
"Hehe, yeah! This place is really interesting," Akatsuchi replied with a good-natured chuckle.
"Hmph! There's nothing fun about this." Ōnoki folded his arms across his chest, tilted his head back, and lectured:
"See that mountain we're about to reach? It's called Three Wolves Mountain. The Land of Iron was established