Ambush!

In the darkness, a squad of four Elite Ninja, cloaked in black, swiftly moved through the Forest.

The four-person team formed a diamond shape, with one person in front, one behind, one on the left, and one on the right, protecting a blonde woman with golden eyes in the middle.

This person is none other than Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. She inherited her grandfather, the First Hokage's, hobby of gambling, and is dressed in green with a large "gambling" character on the back.

The woman standing next to her, Shizune, who has a very pure and youthful appearance that belies her actual age, is Tsunade's apprentice.

The group of Six People included Tsunade and Shizune, who had just received news of the Third Hokage's death. Jiraiya's elite Anbu members brought the two back to Konoha.

The moonlight was pale, and suddenly a dark cloud drifted in from the sky.

The moonlight grew even dimmer...

Whoosh whoosh!!

Beneath the same Forest, several dark figures darted swiftly through the Tree Shadow, stirring up a gust of wind that rustled the leaves.

"Stop!" The leader suddenly raised his arm, signaling everyone to stop.

Without hesitation, the four stopped abruptly and slipped into the Tree Shadow of the trees, where the darkness completely concealed them.

"If Tsunade goes to Konoha, she will definitely pass through this Forest," the ninja wearing a blue Oni Mask said in a deep voice.

This Forest is the only way to reach Konoha from Tanzaku Town.

If Tsunade and the others chose to take a detour, they would have to cross two mountains, which would delay their journey by at least two days.

The other three remained silent, carefully concealing their presence.

The Cold Wind blew in the dead of night, like sharp knives scraping through the Forest. The Tree Shadow swayed and were reflected on the ground like the menacing fangs of demons.

The four men held their breath and stealthily crept into the shadows, silently waiting for their prey to fall into their trap.

Two hours passed by unnoticed, the night grew deeper and the darkness thicker, and the hazy vision appeared strangely mysterious and eerie under the dim moonlight.

Suddenly!

A series of light footsteps came from the distance in the woods. The four people who were lying in ambush were startled for a moment, and then immediately became alert.

Their prey has arrived!

"Lady Tsunade, after we pass through the woods ahead, we'll be back in the village in about two hours," an Anbu whispered.

Two hours later it was one o'clock in the morning. After returning to the village, everyone washed up and went to sleep.

This is why Tsunade decided to travel through the night; if she rested outside for the night, she wouldn't return to the village until noon the next day.

"Etc!"

Suddenly, a member of the eagle-faced Anbu shouted at the group from the side. In an instant, everyone's first reaction was to dart into the nearby haystacks and tree canopy.

Tsunade, however, didn't seem to care and stood casually in a wide-open space where her subordinates were.

Shizune wanted to hide with Tsunade, but she knew Tsunade's personality; even if they were ambushed, Tsunade wouldn't hide.

Shizune and vigilantly stood beside Tsunade, constantly watching for any movement behind and above.

"There?" Tsunade eyes narrowed slightly, her sharp gaze shooting towards the distance like an eagle's eye. Suddenly, a figure flashed past in a Grass Pile.

Buzz!

Chakra gathered in her fist, Tsunade clenched her fist, shattered the ground beneath her feet, and leaped high into the air.

"Take this punch!"

Boom!

A loud bang shook the entire Forest.

Monster Strength Punch: A ninja with precise chakra control techniques concentrates chakra in any part of the body, rapidly ignites it, and then unleashes it.

When a foot or hand falls to the ground, it creates countless cracks, leaving a deep crater.

Don't underestimate Tsunade's small fist; a single blow can shatter a huge Rock, let alone a body of flesh and blood.

No need for fancy moves, just a simple, heavy punch can shatter a person to pieces.

Even Orochimaru, a master of flexible Taijutsu, wouldn't dare to directly counter Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength punch.

As a top-tier Medical Ninja, Tsunade's control over chakra is so precise that few can match it. With this Tsunade, a dark crack spread outwards from her fist.

It was as if countless black dragons emerged from the earth and burst forth, causing the ground to tremble, Rock to float in the air, and large Big Tree to be uprooted.

The Mask-faced Ninja hidden in the Tree Shadow of the trees suddenly narrowed his eyes and leaped high into the air, using the flying pebbles as leverage to escape.

"Trying to run? Do you think you can escape?" Tsunade cursed under her breath, all the sadness she had been suppressing turning into rage.

He stomped his foot on the ground and immediately sank into a large pit.

Tsunade leaped into the air, wielding her delicate yet chilling fists in pursuit.

Upon seeing this, everyone snapped out of their shock.

"Protect Lady Tsunade!" At the command, four elite Anbu Ninja immediately followed, with Shizune joining the four-person team.

However, just as the four of them set off, a cold voice suddenly rang out.

Lightning Release: Four Pillars of Light Prison!

A thunderous roar ripped through the night sky, and a bright arc of lightning illuminated the horizon, dispelling all the darkness and leaving only the daylight that was as bright as day.

Immediately afterwards, four bolts of lightning as thick as waists descended from the sky, instantly forming a thunderous Lightning Prison.

"Oh no, it's Lightning Release barrier!" An Anbu Ninja's expression changed, and he quickly stopped in his tracks. This technique was not lethal, but it could trap people.

Four bolts of lightning descended from the sky, their flashes connecting to form a single, continuous beam, sealing off all escape routes.

Shizune, worried about Tsunade's safety, flipped her hand to reveal three poisoned Senbon, and with a flick of her wrist, Shizune launched Senbon out.

The Senbon shot through the air and plunged fiercely into the curtain of Lightning.

Sizzle...

In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and streaks of Lightning brought the Senbon to a halt.

A wisp of green smoke rose one after another, and the three floating Senbon suddenly paused, then fell limply to the ground!

Ding-dong...

It made a crisp sound.

Upon seeing this, everyone's expression changed slightly.

"It seems that forcing our way in is impossible," the bear-faced Anbu calmly analyzed.

The opponent's goal was simple: to lure Tsunade away and then use Lightning Release barrier to trap them, thus separating Tsunade from them.

Tsunade has a fiery temper and a very aggressive fighting style, which makes her vulnerable to being taken advantage of if she encounters a ninja with unusual abilities.

Two cold, eerie gazes fell upon Tsunade as she sped forward, chasing after the Mask-faced Ninja Tsunade.

"Tōka, this is a great opportunity to take down Tsunade." Black Zetsu's lower body was hidden in the tree trunk, maintaining his Mayfly Technique ability.

"Kill Tsunade? Why kill Tsunade?" Tōka decided to kill the Third Hokage for two reasons: first, the Third Hokage was too shrewd, and second, the Third Hokage knew too much.

As for Tsunade? Although she is incredibly strong and has superb medical skills, Tōka doesn't take her seriously.

When it comes to cunning and scheming, Tsunade is no Danzo for Danzo, let alone that Fox, the Third Hokage... oh no, that dead Fox.

Just as Tōka spared Danzo's life to hinder Konoha, Tōka spared Tsunade so that she could cause trouble for Danzo.

It takes two to tango; two people working together can check and balance each other.

"If we're not going to kill her, then what are we here for tonight?" Black Zetsu glanced at Tōka in confusion, then his gaze returned to Tsunade, who was relentlessly pursuing him.

"Of course we're here to save her!" Tōka Danzo's life, but he knew that the old man wouldn't let Tsunade return to the village so easily.

In the time that followed, Tōka decided to move forward with the Tailed Beast capture plan.

During this period, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water suffered heavy losses to varying degrees over the past few years, while Konoha remained peaceful and tranquil.

As for Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, it is the weakest in terms of national strength and follows the path of Elite Ninja, so the death of even one is a huge loss.

Of the Five Great Nations, only Konoha has the energy and resources to engage in such activities.

Tōka's idea was simple: let Tsunade and Danzo play and not cause him any trouble, while they waited until they captured the first eight Tailed Beasts...

The Tree Shadow swayed, and suddenly a gust of cold wind blew by.

The two figures standing on the tree trunk had vanished without a trace, leaving only faint traces of their presence in the air, which also disappeared with the wind in an instant.

A deafening roar shattered the deathly silence of the Forest.

Under the ink-black night sky, three dark figures suddenly darted out and formed a Tsunade formation, surrounding Tsunade in the middle.

"These masks with this pattern, these Anbu uniforms..." As the three Mask-faced Ninja surrounded Tsunade and sized them up.

Clearly, the visitor made no attempt to conceal their identity.

Aside from removing the Forehead Protector of the Konoha Ninja, Tsunade could almost immediately tell where this group came from.

The Root of Konoha, Danzo's subordinates!

"Did that old man send you?" Tsunade was shocked; she hadn't expected to encounter an assassination attempt by Konoha Ninja outside the village.

Has that old man Danzo gone to such lengths to Hokage Position?

The three Mask-faced Ninja remained silent, but their chilling killing intent steadily increased; they knew Tsunade's power.

Even with Secret Technique powerful enough to kill Tsunade, the three dared not be careless, especially with their fists clenched in front of their chests.

It looks completely harmless, just a pair of fancy moves.

The horrific sight of the Forest behind Tsunade was enough to tell the three of them just how powerful those punches were...

"Not going to talk?" Tsunade's patience was limited, or rather, almost nonexistent, especially with enemies. Not going to talk? Then I'll beat you until you do!

Bang!

With a leap, her slender feet in high heels pushed off the ground, and then she raised one leg high above her shoulder.

"Heavenly Guard Kick!"

A sharp cry echoed through the night sky, followed by a heavy stomp on the ground!

Instantly, the earth collapsed and the mountains split open, the sky shook and the earth trembled, and huge Rock buried in the strata were blasted into the sky.

The earth collapsed, and the cracks made a loud popping sound.

The three Mask-faced Ninja surrounding Tsunade exchanged a glance and had no choice but to dodge the shaking ground.

In an instant, Tsunade disrupted the enemy's formation and Body Flicker Technique into the arms of a Mask-faced Ninja, clenching her fists and gathering chakra in her elbows.

Bang!

A muffled thud, faintly mixed with the sound of bones cracking.

Ghost Face, the Anbu, was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Blood seeped out from under his mask, staining his clothes red.

However, a smug, cold smile flashed in the Anbu of Ghost Face's eyes.

"Poison?"

Tsunade's expression changed slightly as she noticed a patch of greenish-black on her elbow. She quickly gathered chakra in her other hand and pressed it lightly against her shoulder.

The toxin spread extremely quickly, and in just a short time, it had completely eroded Tsunade's right arm.

With precise chakra control, Tsunade suppressed the Poison Techniques below her arm and shoulder. Her expression was somewhat grim; this had prevented the poison from spreading further and barely saved her arm.

But her chakra isn't limitless, and she can't possibly fight without using both hands, right?

The wisest choice she could make was to sever her right arm, which was infected with Poison Techniques, so that the battle could continue.

But...

"She's already been poisoned by my insects, what are you waiting for?"

The demon -Anbu was struck head-on by Tsunade's Monster Strength Punch, breaking five of his ribs. His voice was so weak it sounded like the wind was blowing.

However, those present were Danzo's most elite ninjas, with extremely keen ears, able to clearly hear even the slightest noise.

The two exchanged a glance and immediately devised an offensive strategy.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Technique!"

Two simple C-rank Ninjutsu can be transformed into B-rank Ninjutsu techniques in the hands of a skilled practitioner. With the wind fueling the fire, the combined wind and fire Ninjutsu becomes even more powerful.

Clusters of dazzling Kakkō scattered in all directions. Tsunade with a fierce expression, her five fingers joined together in a palm, and chakra gathered in her palm.

With his arm raised high, he was about to chop off his right hand...

Sudden!

A gust of Cold Wind swept by, suddenly blowing towards the phoenix fire dancing in the sky!

Call!!

As easily as blowing out a candle, the huge Kakkō was extinguished in an instant, and the open space was once again plunged into deathly darkness.

After everyone snapped out of their shock, they noticed that a handsome young man had appeared beside Tsunade at some point.

"Lady Tsunade," Tōka greeted respectfully, his gaze then falling on Tsunade's right arm, "This is Secret Technique of the Aburame Clan, Nano-sized Venomous Insects."

"If this isn't treated quickly, not only will you lose your arm, but your life will also be in danger!"

Tōka wasn't exaggerating when he said this; it's also thanks to Tsunade's mastery of Medical Ninjutsu and her incredibly precise control over chakra.

If it were someone else, they wouldn't even be able to save their arm; they would probably have lost their life.

Tsunade frowned and glanced at her right arm, a look of seriousness settling in her eyes. She had initially thought it was a highly contagious Poison Techniques, but it turned out to be a poisonous insect from the Aburame Clan.

So, wouldn't that person be...?

Feeling Tsunade's gaze drift to the distance, Tōka thought speechlessly to Aburame Torune, who was half-lying and half-leaning on the broken Tree Stump. "This woman really has a big heart."

At a time like this, you're still thinking about confirming the other person's identity?

Hey, hey, hey, Princess Tsunade is about to lose her life!!

"Let me try?" Tōka raised his right hand, Senjutsu Chakra gathered in his palm, a ball of emerald light shimmering and captivating the eye.

Tsunade lit up; this life-giving energy seemed to resemble her grandfather's Wood Release aura!

However, it differs somewhat from the life force of Wood Release; within the green sphere brimming with life force, something else is vaguely hidden...