Tsunade's taunt didn't draw much of a response from Fūen. That was simply how the world worked: if you wanted to do something, you needed a reason.
Wasn't it the same when Tobirama Senju had wanted to sideline the Uchiha, using Konoha's need for a police force as his excuse?
Fūen looked around. "Where's the other one?"
"What?" Tsunade asked, startled.
"I mean the person you rescued." Fūen repeated himself, then shook his head. "Forget it. He doesn't matter. You do."
The moment he saw Tsunade, he'd understood that whoever had fought Kakuzu was most likely gravely wounded and unable to fight. Otherwise, Tsunade wouldn't have taken the initiative to ambush them.
But that no longer mattered. Tsunade did. Her life was far more precious than some unknown person's.
As he spoke, he stepped forward. His sharp Kunai reflected his cold, impassive face.
"Let me guess—you're at your limit, aren't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't waste your breath talking to me."
Tsunade sneered. "You can find out for yourself."
But inwardly, she sighed. Fūen was right. She'd said so much because that first attack had been the most she could manage. Now that she'd aggravated her wounds, she could feel her body tearing with every breath.
Would Fūen dare attack? Of course not. If he'd been sure of Tsunade's condition, he would've attacked already. He was always extremely cautious around shinobi who'd earned great renown.
Just think of the Konoha shinobi with titles:
God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.
Professor of Shinobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Graveyard of Shinobi, Shimura Danzō.
White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo.
Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.
Every Konoha shinobi with a title was renowned throughout the Shinobi World. The title "Konoha Sannin" might not have been as famous as the ones above, but that didn't mean he'd underestimate Tsunade.
"You. Go test her."
Fūen suddenly spoke to his last subordinate.
The man turned pale, cursing Fūen in his heart. The bastard was afraid to die himself, so he was sending him to test the waters.
But when he looked up and met Fūen's deep, unyielding gaze, fear crept into his heart. Defy Fūen? He wouldn't dare. After all, anyone who became a Jonin was no ordinary person, not only in strength but also in their methods.
"Yes," he said, lowering his head. He drew his Kunai, while Fūen quietly edged a little farther away behind him.
The Chunin swallowed and cautiously approached Tsunade. He slowly raised his Kunai, intending to test her with a throw.
Tsunade kept her face expressionless and sighed inwardly. The brief delay had bought her a little time. In her current condition, she had one more attack left.
She'd originally planned to go all out against Fūen, taking the Jonin down with her. She hadn't expected him to be such a coward. He knew she was badly wounded, yet still sent a subordinate to test her.
There was no choice. She'd have to use her last killing move on this Chunin.
Chakra slowly gathered in her palm. If she had the Byakugan, she would've seen the Chakra coursing through her entire body converge in her right hand, forming a truly terrifying mass of energy.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, something cut through the air. A Senbon pierced the arm of the Takigakure Chunin just as he was about to throw his Kunai.
"Ah!" he screamed. The Kunai slipped from his hand, and he clutched his bleeding arm with the other.
In the next instant, a figure appeared before him. Faced with the tiger mask, he was overcome with terror.
"Water Release: Water Prison!"
Like a butterfly flitting through flowers, the tiger's hands formed Seals at lightning speed. In an instant, a two-meter-tall Water Prison Technique trapped the Chunin. He craned his neck, unable to breathe, and frantically pounded the prison with his fists, trying to smash it. But that wouldn't free him.
Still, he wasn't stupid. When ordinary means failed, he tried to break free with a Ninjutsu. Trembling, he formed Seals with his injured hand.
Crash—
Several cracks suddenly spread across the Water Prison's surface. More than ten sharp earthen spikes shot up from the ground, piercing the water like swords. The prison shattered, sending droplets spraying everywhere.
Clever. He'd known Earth Release countered Water Release. But that was all he managed. The instant the Chunin broke out of the prison and gasped for air, a Kunai quietly sliced across his throat.
His eyes widened. Clutching his neck in desperation, he caught sight of Fūen standing nearby, watching coldly without having lifted a finger. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He was dead.
Anbu members were accustomed to killing, so the expression beneath the tiger mask didn't change in the slightest. He looked like a doll.
He stepped forward and stood in front of Tsunade, silently watching Fūen in the distance.
"Clap, clap."
"Very clean work," Fūen remarked. "No wonder you're Anbu from Konoha. You're certainly a lot better than the shinobi from Takigakure." Then he changed tack. "Konoha's Anbu are just mission machines—killing without feeling. Your reputation is well deserved."
"Likewise." A hoarse voice, impossible to identify as male or female, came from beneath the tiger mask. "You didn't lift a finger to help your subordinate. If we're talking about someone without feelings, you're worse than me, Fūen."
Fūen chuckled. "Subordinates? I can get as many as I want."
Tsunade gave Fūen a long, searching look. She'd just realized that this shinobi in front of her was a terrifying person in his own right. People like him often fared better in times of chaos.
"I heard that a shinobi from Takigakure drank the Hero Water and became much stronger, quickly rising to Jonin in the village," the tiger said calmly.
"Mm... That did happen. Ever since, a lot of shinobi have had their eyes on the Hero Water. Why do you ask?" Fūen nodded.
"That shinobi was you, wasn't it?" the tiger said.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Fūen asked, feigning surprise.
"Wasn't it?"
"Heh. It really was me." Fūen admitted it without hesitation.
The tiger nodded and spoke as if to himself. "I heard that drinking Hero Water could increase a person's Chakra reserves more than tenfold. I was wondering... could someone who'd already drunk it take it again? Would another dose have any effect?"
Fūen narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"
The tiger pulled another Kunai from his pocket and rubbed the two blades together. Their scraping rang through the empty cave.
"We investigated. The Hero Water really was stolen from Takigakure. But we also learned something interesting: the last person seen with it was you." The tiger stared steadily at Fūen. Though he was only a Chunin, he didn't seem at all intimidated by the Jonin.
"Hahaha! You think I stole it while I was supposed to be guarding it?" Fūen laughed uproariously.
"Who knows?" The tiger shrugged.
"Kid." Fūen's laughter stopped abruptly. "You've got courage, but in this world, your strength has to match it."
At his words, the tiger's pupils contracted, and his body shuddered.
The Fūen in front of him turned into a puddle of water.
At the same time, cheerful laughter came from behind him. "I knew you were buying time. As it happens, I needed a little time too."
A Kunai plunged into the tiger's back. Fūen released his grip and said coolly, "The gap between a Chunin and a Jonin can't be overcome by courage alone."
Before you continue