The sun shone brightly over the training ground, casting long shadows. At this time of day, the place was almost eerily quiet.
Uchiha Tatsuno sighed. Clearly, negotiations had failed.
His facial charm wasn't developed enough to sway Tsunade, a full-fledged Jōnin. So now, he had no choice but to rely on his hidden strength to win her over.
No hesitation—just action.
He couldn't beat her, obviously. Not now. Not before graduation. But Tsunade was domineering, prideful, and explosively temperamental.
Still, none of that was enough to make Uchiha Tatsuno back down.
He quickly surveyed the environment. Terrain could make or break a battle, but this training ground was wide open—no obstacles, no cover.
In Taijutsu? He'd be utterly overwhelmed. She was a close-range monster with monstrous strength.
In Chakra reserves? Tsunade was a Senju—descendant of the Sage of Six Paths through Asura. Her reserves would dwarf his.
In Genjutsu? She'd likely dispel it instantly with precise chakra control.
He was outclassed on all fronts—except for maybe tactics and... aesthetic charm. But the latter wasn't working here.
His only real chance was that Tsunade wouldn't go all out against a six-year-old. That small mercy was his opening.
Tsunade cracked her shoulder lazily and beckoned him with a curled finger, her tone mocking.
"Come on, brat. Let's see what you've got."
Uchiha Tatsuno couldn't let that slide. He quickly drew a shuriken and kunai from his pouch.
With practiced motion, he threw the shuriken from his right hand, then followed up immediately with the kunai from his left. The kunai clipped the shuriken mid-air, altering its path slightly—classic Uchiha throwing technique.
Tsunade didn't even flinch. She smashed the ground with her fist, ripped a nearby training tile from the ground, and used it as a shield. The weapons thunked harmlessly into the slab.
Tatsuno's eyebrow twitched. She hadn't even bothered to use the Body Flicker Technique or a Substitution. That was just insulting.
Then Tsunade casually hurled the entire stone slab at him like a catapult. The air whooshed as it flew toward him like a cannonball.
Tatsuno had to stop mid-charge and leap aside.
What the hell?! If that had hit, he would've turned into mochi!
Before he could reorient, Tsunade was on him. Her fist glowed faintly with chakra—an indication of her superhuman strength.
Tatsuno attempted a counterstrike, slashing upward with a kunai, but she deftly blocked it, twisted his leg, and yanked his collar. With a flick of her arm, she flung him across the training field like a rag doll.
As he spun through the air, Tatsuno's mind raced. She's sixteen?! This feels like fighting the First Hokage!
Mid-flight, he quickly flung several shuriken. If normal ones didn't work, maybe this technique would.
"Scatter—Shuriken!"
Tsunade looked unimpressed, standing casually with arms folded.
Tatsuno smirked. His fingers brushed the bands around his wrists, revealing black sealing lines—summoning bands, like those used with scrolls.
With a flash, two large black shuriken appeared between his fingers.
He landed in a crouch and immediately launched them. Then, his hands became a blur as he hurled more and more with rapid precision. Dozens became hundreds, all flying at Tsunade in an overwhelming wave.
"Let's see you dodge this! Torrential Rain—Rikka Shuriken Jutsu!"
The sky darkened with black iron. The sheer number of projectiles created a wall of spinning death. Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected such control, such volume.
Even for someone like her, dodging this would be difficult.
She grimaced. "Tch. Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)
A thick earth wall shot up just in time. Shuriken clanged against it like hailstones.
But Tsunade wasn't done. She raised one foot and slammed it down—Hard! Cracks split the ground as a shockwave barreled toward Tatsuno.
"Upward Kick—Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
He had to abandon the shuriken assault and leap away to avoid being swallowed by the fractured earth.
That didn't work either?! My ninjutsu's too weak to damage her... genjutsu only gives me a brief opening... then—what's left?!
Tsunade dashed forward again, closing the distance fast.
Tatsuno quickly formed hand seals. Shadow Clone Jutsu! Multiple clones appeared around the field.
"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Uchiha Kagami's body flicker style?"
She recognized it. After all, she'd seen that style growing up.
"But your speed's not even close to his. I can pick out the real you in a second."
With a fist, she shattered the ground again, sending shockwaves through the terrain. The clones scattered, revealing movement patterns.
"There you are." She launched forward again, faster than Tatsuno could track.
She struck—right through his body.
Poof!
Tsunade's eyes widened. "An illusion?"
She immediately disrupted her chakra, snapping out of the genjutsu.
But when her vision cleared—Tatsuno was right there.
His fist smashed upward into her chin. Before she could respond, his knee rocketed into her gut.
Her body arched backward from the combo—and then he jumped, spinning into the air with chakra-enhanced force, landing a fierce kick into her stomach and launching her higher.
He twisted midair, getting above her.
"Uchiha Ryūdan: Shishi Rendan! (Lion Combo!)"
His final axe-kick smashed down from above—
Only for Tsunade to vanish in a puff of smoke.
"Wait—Shadow Clone?!"