Almost Started Over

Tsunade was a little confused. She followed Nawaki's finger and looked over.

She saw a crumpled square of white paper stuck to the calf he'd just been hugging. She reached down and peeled it off. Crookedly written on it were three large characters: "Explosive Tag." The paper was tinged pale yellow with dirt.

It was the fake Explosive Tag Namikaze Yoru had casually written earlier to use as a trap. Who would've thought Nawaki had kept it on him all this time—and that it would come in handy now?

Seeing this, a trace of approval flickered in Tsunade's eyes. She was just about to nod in recognition when she saw Nawaki already looking across at her with a smug grin, like a magician who'd just revealed his ultimate trick.

Namikaze Yoru could barely stand to watch. He wished he could rush over and cover that smug, self-satisfied face.

Sure enough, Tsunade's expression darkened the next moment. Mimicking Nawaki, she pointed at the Yin Seal on her forehead. When he still looked completely bewildered, she had no choice but to explain:

"Did you forget that I can use the Hundred Healings Jutsu?"

At those words, Nawaki's smug expression froze on his face, as if an invisible hand had seized him by the throat.

As Nawaki watched in horror, Tsunade stepped forward again and gave him another thorough beating.

Even though Tsunade deliberately held back, Nawaki was still left bruised and battered, looking miserable.

Tsunade, still not quite satisfied, turned to see Namikaze Yoru watching from the sidelines. She pointed at him, signaling for him to come forward.

Namikaze Yoru wasn't annoyed that he'd become part of the show. He'd already wanted a chance to test how far he could go without using his trump cards. Having Princess Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, as his sparring partner was a rare opportunity indeed.

Nawaki was about to stop his friend from getting beaten up when Namikaze Yoru spoke.

"Lord Tsunade, please instruct me."

He took his stance and fixed his eyes on Tsunade.

"Not bad," Tsunade said with a slight nod. "I didn't believe it at first when I heard a Genin had completed one S-rank mission and one A-rank mission through 'luck'... Now I'm even more certain of my judgment."

Namikaze Yoru showed little reaction, but Nawaki, bruised and battered at his side, stared wide-eyed, disbelief written all over his face.

After all, Namikaze Yoru had never gone out of his way to tell him about those accomplishments. Nawaki, on the other hand, had once proudly bragged to him about that assassination attempt that never came to pass.

In the arena, Tsunade fought Namikaze Yoru the same way she'd fought Nawaki earlier, relying on her physical strength rather than deliberately channeling her Strength of a Hundred fist.

Normally, Taijutsu was undoubtedly Namikaze Yoru's weak point. But after this period of training with Might Duy and learning the Eight Gates, he'd completely made up for that weakness.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The two figures darted back and forth, the sounds of fists and feet colliding ringing out without pause. Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred fist was renowned for its sheer power, while the Steel Fist Namikaze Yoru had learned from Might Duy seemed comparatively swift and nimble.

After their fists clashed again, Tsunade saw that Namikaze Yoru still seemed at ease. She immediately increased her force, and the power of her Strength of a Hundred fist began to show.

Caught off guard, Namikaze Yoru was sent flying by a single punch. He twisted in midair to steady himself, then landed safely with a backflip.

Seeing Tsunade get serious, Namikaze Yoru decided not to hold back any longer. What did it matter if he revealed a few trump cards?

Besides, with the system's help, he was confident that as long as he didn't "open himself to death" on the spot, he didn't need to worry about ending up like Rock Lee—"cheating for ten minutes, then getting banned for six hundred episodes."

"Eight Gates: First Gate, Gate of Opening—Open!"

"Second Gate, Gate of Healing—Open!"

"Third Gate, Gate of Life—Open!"

Green chakra surged forth in an instant, enveloping him like flames! Tsunade's expression grew intent as she got completely serious.

"Kid, don't push yourself!"

"Eight Inner Gates Formation! Lord Tsunade, please instruct me."

Namikaze Yoru didn't hesitate any longer. He shot forward like lightning, charging straight at Tsunade.

Faced with such speed, Tsunade found herself in a difficult position. If she let loose, she might hurt him. But if she didn't give it her all, this kid might actually overpower her—and that would be utterly humiliating.

Namikaze Yoru became a streak of green light, his attacks surging toward Tsunade in an unending tide.

Drawing on her wealth of combat experience, Tsunade blocked and countered with precision again and again. The two exchanged moves, neither gaining a clear advantage.

Nawaki, watching from the sidelines, was already dumbfounded. He'd never imagined that his usually low-key friend had been hiding so much strength.

At that moment, Nawaki wished he could travel back to before he'd left home that morning and give himself a good slap. Not only had Tsunade beaten him up, but now he also had to endure the "devastating blow" of watching his friend shine.

A classic case of "afraid your brother might struggle, but also afraid he might drive a luxury car."

The longer Namikaze Yoru fought, the more his confidence grew. The power brought by the Eight Gates surged through him, and every punch cut through the air with a sharp whoosh.

Tsunade, too, went from cautious to excited. It had been a long time since she'd encountered a young ninja who could face her head-on in Taijutsu.

Their figures crossed again. Namikaze Yoru swiftly swept his leg low, trying to throw Tsunade off balance, but she leapt lightly to avoid it.

"Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain—Open!"

Namikaze Yoru decided to stop holding back and opened as many of the Eight Gates as he could for now. His speed suddenly increased even further.

Seizing the moment while Tsunade was airborne, Namikaze Yoru struck with a powerful right straight aimed at her exposed chest.

Unable to brace herself in midair, Tsunade simply abandoned defense and chose to meet force with force, throwing a punch of her own.

But she underestimated how much faster Namikaze Yoru had become. Their fists crossed in midair without colliding, each carrying its force straight toward the other's chest!

Namikaze Yoru was at a disadvantage because his body hadn't fully grown. His arms were too short, and his punch didn't land with full force before he was sent flying.

But in that split-second contact, he felt something soft yet astonishingly springy against his fist.

As Namikaze Yoru flew backward, the green chakra around him abruptly faded, as if someone had doused it with cold water. His eyes widened as his mind raced for a way out. One wrong move and he might have to start over.

Tsunade landed lightly. She glanced almost imperceptibly down at her chest, lowered her right hand, which was still held in a straight punch, and then slowly looked toward him.

There was no way to tell what she was feeling from her expression. It was as if nothing had happened.

Nawaki, who hadn't seen exactly what had happened, chose that inopportune moment to speak. "Sis, do you think you hit him a little too hard?"

Namikaze Yoru silently praised his "good buddy" and pretended to be completely exhausted, collapsing onto the ground.

Tsunade had meant to teach the bold little brat a proper lesson, but seeing that he looked unable to keep fighting, she had no choice but to let it go.

She picked up Nawaki and turned toward the Senju Clan Compound. Only the faint flush at the tips of her ears betrayed that something unusual had happened.