I Didn't Mean To, Do You Believe Me?

"Still want to keep fighting?"

"Cut the crap. I still haven't paid you back for that hit you gave me!" Tsunade clenched her fists.

Even though that attack had not landed, it was the first time she had ever been so bedraggled since becoming a ninja—and her opponent was just a snot-nosed little brat.

But Tsunade no longer saw Hyuga Matsuba as a child. After several exchanges, she clearly understood just how formidable he was. This sparring match was a challenge even for her.

"Big sis, your courage is commendable, but I hope you can be a little more confident in your moves too." Hyuga Matsuba leaped into the air and spoke slowly.

"I can get into the air too. Watch this—Geppo!" Tsunade activated her Ninjutsu and flew into the air under the envious gazes of the onlookers.

Tsunade's punches were swift and fierce, but Hyuga Matsuba merely tilted his head left and shifted right, dodging every strike with barely any effort.

Although Geppo allowed Tsunade to fly, the Glint-Glint Fruit's power was far greater. Her movement speed in the air was nowhere near as fast as Hyuga Matsuba's.

"If you're a man, then stop moving." Tsunade returned to the ground, growing somewhat exasperated.

Tsunade had not mastered any long-range techniques. She had always relied on Monstrous Strength, but in midair, she could not even touch the corner of Hyuga Matsuba's clothes and could only watch him dart nimbly around her.

Having not been hit even once, Hyuga Matsuba leisurely descended from the air.

"If I stayed in the sky, I probably wouldn't be able to hit you either. Let's have another round on the ground."

Hyuga Matsuba gathered his strength and activated Armament Haki. A glossy black sheen immediately surfaced over his fists, while his Chakra condensed and erupted in an instant, unleashing Monstrous Strength.

Tsunade also prepared herself. Using the same move as Hyuga Matsuba, she launched an attack at the same time, their fists striking each other.

"Bang!"

Their fists collided and compressed against each other. The surrounding air warped and burst, and the shockwave tore through the nearby flowers, grass, and trees, leaving a massive crater in the ground.

The two onlooking sisters, standing far away, were also struck by the shockwave and sent sprawling onto the lawn.

The attack kicked up a cloud of dust. Tsunade was blasted out of it and sent flying a great distance before she barely managed to stop herself, having suffered internal injuries.

As the sky gradually cleared, Hyuga Matsuba stood in midair as though he were on level ground. The result was obvious: Hyuga Matsuba had won.

The outcome was only natural. As a boy, Hyuga Matsuba's physical abilities far surpassed Tsunade's. As a mature ninja, Tsunade was only slightly superior in Chakra purity and control over certain Ninjutsu.

"Matsuba, with your current strength, you're definitely among the very best. Even some powerful experts might not be able to beat you." Tsunade swallowed, speaking as though she had conceded defeat.

Tsunade was an Elite Jonin, but she was fully capable of matching an ordinary Quasi-Kage.

After mastering the contents of the notebook Hyuga Matsuba had given her, Tsunade had surpassed ordinary Quasi-Kage. Her strength was roughly on par with a Quasi-Kage who possessed a Bloodline Limit.

Yet Hyuga Matsuba had defeated her so easily. His level of strength was self-evident.

That was exactly why Tsunade found it so unbelievable. He was far too powerful. At his age, she had only just learned a few basic Ninjutsu.

Hyuga Matsuba was clearly a ruthless prodigy. She had been highly talented since childhood; if she could be called a genius, then Hyuga Matsuba was practically a monster.

"You lost to me."

"In your dreams! I can't possibly lose to you!" After a brief rest, Tsunade immediately gathered her strength again and launched a new round of attacks at Hyuga Matsuba.

"You need to understand, the gap between our levels is enormous." Hyuga Matsuba looked rather pleased with himself, completely infuriating Tsunade.

"I'd better show you with facts. Mirror Prism!" Hyuga Matsuba stretched out his hand, gathering light into something like a mirror that reflected the surrounding rays and expanded into a passage.

Then Hyuga Matsuba transformed into a beam of light and raced through the passage. Catching Tsunade off guard, he suddenly appeared behind her and gave her a kick.

In that instant, Tsunade, who had just readied her Observation Haki, finally sensed Hyuga Matsuba's movements. Unfortunately, she could not track his entire path.

Simply sensing him without being able to counterattack in time left Tsunade with no choice but to take the hits.

But Tsunade did not feel much pain. The instant his foot touched her, Hyuga Matsuba had already held back his strength. Even though he hit her, it did not hurt much.

Yet Tsunade was both embarrassed and furious, because that kick had not struck anywhere else—it had hit her chest.

"Big sis, I swear I didn't mean to. Do you believe me?" Hyuga Matsuba tilted his head.

The moment he said it, even Hyuga Matsuba felt unsure of himself. In truth, he had done it deliberately. With his strength, how could he possibly make such a low-level mistake otherwise?

Tsunade got up and looked toward the two onlookers, then finally relaxed. Luckily, they were far away, and the fight had been so fast that they definitely had not seen it.

"You're getting more and more out of line. You're even lying and saying it was an accident. I really need to teach you a lesson!" Tsunade raised her hand, about to flick Hyuga Matsuba on the forehead.

Hyuga Matsuba immediately crouched down, pouting pitifully.

"I said it was an accident. Big sis, please spare me."

"In your dreams! You're so young, yet you're already thinking such filthy thoughts. What will become of you when you grow up?"

Tsunade did not let him off. First, she was embarrassed; second, she wanted to take the chance to get revenge. Their earlier spar had made the difference in strength painfully clear, and that was humiliating for an older sister like her.

Hyuga Matsuba was clearly asking for a beating, and the two began chasing each other.

But the difference in their speed was simply too obvious. Tsunade could not catch up at all. Even after exhausting herself, she failed to grab that little brat.

It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over Tsunade. If this had been a real battle, she would have died long ago.

Seeing that Tsunade was becoming frustrated, Hyuga Matsuba acted gentlemanly for once. He slowed down and let Tsunade land a solid hit on him.

Otherwise, who knew how long the two of them would have kept running around? It was better to end things sooner.

When Tsunade caught Hyuga Matsuba's helpless expression, she finally burst out laughing.

"This is what you get for not knowing how to treat a lady!"

"I knew exactly what I was doing! I definitely wouldn't let you get hurt. If it weren't for me, how would you have learned Observation Haki?"

"You little brat, I've been a prodigy since I was young. Do you think I need your help?"

"Yes, yes, you're amazing. You beat me in one hit. I willingly admit defeat at the hands of Boss Tsunade!"

"Big sis, Tsunade, are you two all right?" The two onlookers ran over to the sparring ground at that moment, anxiously looking at them both.

"He's perfectly fine, but I got hit." Tsunade said angrily, her body still aching somewhat from the enormous shockwave their clash had produced.