You wouldn't want...

"Lord Tsunade."

Seeing that escape was no longer possible, Namikaze Yoru put on what he thought was his friendliest smile and greeted her.

Tsunade released Nawaki, whose face was once again swollen black and blue from her beating, and waved at Namikaze Yoru. The expression on her face was somewhat unreadable.

"Um... Lord Tsunade, tomorrow Nawaki and I are heading to the front lines, so I might not be available for sparring." Namikaze Yoru replied with a straight face, hoping to dissuade her from beating him up.

He had calculated that they were leaving tomorrow, and it was almost afternoon—surely Tsunade wouldn't still be hanging around the training ground. That was the only reason he dared to come practice his swordsmanship.

"No matter!" Tsunade waved dismissively, patting her chest without a care, the curves beneath her casual clothes even more pronounced. "It won't affect your condition tomorrow. I'll go easy on you."

Namikaze Yoru was momentarily distracted by the sight and, against his better judgment, nodded. Then he quickly tried to backtrack: "I came today to practice my sword techniques."

Tsunade kicked Nawaki, who was standing beside her. The latter, taking the hint, obediently pulled a kunai from his ninja tool bag and respectfully offered it up.

"???" Namikaze Yoru stared at Nawaki in shock, his eyes seeming to say, You, with those honest brows and big eyes, how could you betray the cause?

To this, Nawaki, who had been beaten all morning, could only offer an apologetic look. After all, as the old saying goes, "Better you than me." He turned his head away, pretending not to see.

But he had underestimated Tsunade's determination to beat Namikaze Yoru. Before he could react, she kicked him square in the rear, sending him rolling to the edge of the training ground in a cloud of dust.

Seeing no way out, Namikaze Yoru steeled himself and decided to strike first. He drew the short sword he had just bought, Chakra erupting from his feet as he slashed at Tsunade with the speed of the wind!

A master's move reveals their skill at a glance. Even though Tsunade only held a kunai, a casual strike from her numbed Namikaze Yoru's arm, nearly knocking the short sword from his grip.

Realizing he couldn't afford to be careless, Namikaze Yoru activated the sword technique he had learned from Kushimaru Kuriarare, and his entire aura shifted abruptly.

Tsunade had initially been dismissive, thinking that since he was new to swordsmanship, she should be careful not to hurt him with a live blade.

But the more they fought, the more alarmed she became. His swordsmanship seemed to be growing at a visible rate. What had been full of openings was now rapidly improving, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

Namikaze Yoru was also rapidly absorbing combat experience through the spar. Swordsmanship was different from ninjutsu—it wasn't something you could just form hand seals and unleash. It demanded timing and control.

He slashed at Tsunade from another tricky angle. Forced to retreat because her kunai was too short, she lost the calm, composed demeanor she had maintained.

By now, Tsunade was completely serious. After all, she wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship herself—only slightly better than the average ninja.

Her stance shifted from defense to offense in an instant. The force behind the kunai was entirely different as she slashed fiercely at Namikaze Yoru.

He reversed his grip on the sword and blocked, looking for an opening to counterattack.

But then came a crack—the kunai in Tsunade's hand, after repeated clashes, suddenly snapped! And on her face appeared a sly smile, as if her scheme had succeeded.

The arm holding the kunai pulled back sharply, creating an opening. Her other hand shot forward in a flash, aiming straight for the gap in Namikaze Yoru's defense at his waist.

Unable to dodge in time, the punch landed hard on his side. Namikaze Yoru felt his ribs crack on impact, the flesh instantly swelling as a searing pain shot through him.

Tsunade pressed her advantage, throwing another hook punch. Namikaze Yoru gritted his teeth against the pain, drew his sword, and slashed. Tsunade didn't press the attack, pulling her fist back.

At the same time, she lashed out with a "Painful Sky Kick" from the side. If that kick landed solidly, Namikaze Yoru figured he'd be dead on the spot.

He quickly retreated, clutching his side with one hand and gasping in pain, waving the other to signal he couldn't continue.

Tsunade also felt that last punch had been a bit too heavy. Based on her experience, at the very least, he had a fracture. So she stopped.

Seeing her halt, Namikaze Yoru finally noticed that even the new sword he had bought that morning had its edge chipped and mangled from her "Monstrous Strength Slash."

He gave a wry smile as he looked at his own condition, unsure if he'd recover by tomorrow.

But then Nawaki came trotting over, completely at ease, and stood beside Namikaze Yoru, nimbly lifting his shirt.

Tsunade walked over slowly, her palm glowing with a soft green Chakra. Unlike the violent energy of Namikaze Yoru's Eight Gates, this Chakra was gentle as spring water.

"Damn, fist dipped in iodine—beat you up, then disinfect?"

Namikaze Yoru finally understood why Tsunade was so sure it wouldn't affect their trip to the front lines tomorrow. So this was her plan? Watching Nawaki's practiced movements, he must have been beaten plenty this morning.

Under the healing effects of Medical Ninjutsu, Nawaki quickly bounced back to full energy, and even his swollen face was fixed by Tsunade.

She shooed Nawaki aside, then turned to Namikaze Yoru, gesturing for him to lift his clothes.

Following Nawaki's example, he lifted the fabric at his waist. Unlike Nawaki's boyish frame, Namikaze Yoru's body, honed by long training, was not only shooting up in height but also showed clearly defined muscles beneath his clothes.

Tsunade's hands, glowing with medical Chakra, pressed gently onto his skin. In an instant, the swelling faded, and the hairline fracture beneath healed at an astonishing speed.

"Good physique," Tsunade commented flatly.

Unsure what she meant, Namikaze Yoru could only offer an awkward smile.

"Tomorrow, when you go to the front lines... take care of Nawaki for me. He's my only brother."

Tsunade said this suddenly, her words filled with worry for Nawaki. Combined with her slightly disheveled clothes from the fight, the pale skin at her chest was faintly visible.

Looking at Tsunade, whose demeanor had completely shifted from before, Namikaze Yoru inexplicably heard a voice in his head:

"Oh, Jojo~ You wouldn't want anything to happen to your little brother on the battlefield, would you? Hehehe~"

Of course, he only dared to think it. If he actually said it out loud, Namikaze Yoru felt he might as well defect right then—there was no way Konoha would ever be a safe place for him again.

He simply nodded and said to Tsunade seriously, "Nawaki is my friend too. Don't worry, Tsunade-sis."

She gave him a long look, said nothing more, and after confirming his injuries were fine, nodded.

Then she turned and walked back toward Nawaki, who had already recovered and was stretching his limbs.

Soon, the training ground echoed once more with Nawaki's screams.

Namikaze Yoru couldn't help but shake his head. That kid Nawaki was really lucky. Though that kind of luck was probably not something he himself could enjoy, watching someone so blessed get beaten up still brought him no small amount of satisfaction.

Before long, Nawaki was once again sprawled on the ground.

And Tsunade's gaze turned back to Namikaze Yoru.

His hair stood on end. It seemed that, to ensure her little brother's safety, Tsunade was determined to be a "demon sparring partner" for the entire day.