Outside Konoha, deep in the forest, dusk had already fallen. Leaves swirled in the wind, rustling through the trees.
A panicked figure was still sprinting through the forest.
"Faster!"
"Move faster!"
He was a middle-aged man with an unsteady gait and sweat pouring down his forehead. His face was pale, his eyes filled with fear. He was clearly at his limit, yet he still didn't dare stop for even a moment.
He was the former attending physician at Konoha Hospital.
Tōdō Xiao Dong.
A few days ago, a medical malpractice case had plunged him into an abyss.
Afterward, he'd used money to cover up his mistake. Fortunately, some of the higher-ups had turned a blind eye, and he'd only been stripped of his Medical Ninja status.
But Xiao Dong knew that he'd lost his place in Konoha for good.
"Without money or status, I don't belong in this village anymore."
He was a ninja who had once studied in the Land of Wind. In fact, he had also colluded with the Land of Wind Intelligence Department.
If Konoha didn't want him, he would go to the Land of Wind. The fortune he'd amassed in Konoha over the years had vanished completely, so he could sell Konoha's intelligence and make a new one.
A ninja's greatest loyalty was to his own country, but a man like Tōdō Xiao Dong had long since lost all sense of decency.
"As long as I make it to the border, I can start over."
"Faster!"
"Move faster!"
But just then, the wind turned cold, and the air around him seemed to freeze solid.
He jolted. His limbs suddenly stiffened, and it felt as if his chakra had been drained away. He couldn't even control his own body. In terror, he looked up and saw a figure slowly emerge from the shadows of the trees ahead.
The ninja wore an Akatsuki cloak and a mask that covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. They were cold with murderous intent. Those eyes seemed to see right through him, filling him with instinctive fear.
"Who... are... you...?"
He opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't control his tongue or even make a sound. He could only stare at the newcomer, eyes wide and face stricken with terror.
Xiao Dong felt like one of his patients under general anesthesia—conscious but unable to move, helpless and desperate.
Soon, another figure emerged from the darkness. He, too, wore Red Cloud Black Robes, with a huge blade strapped to his back. The two belonged to the same organization.
"Just one person," Biwa Juzo said indifferently.
"Don't kill him yet," Umino Fuga said. "We're after Konoha's intelligence."
He formed Hand Seals, and his chakra invaded Tōdō Xiao Dong's Mental World. Compared to Fuga, Xiao Dong was like a child. Fuga read his memories with ease.
A moment later, Fuga withdrew his chakra, his expression calm.
"Nothing of value. He's useless. Kill him."
The information Xiao Dong had thought so important was worthless to them.
The verdict fell like a whisper from the Shinigami, utterly cold.
Utter despair appeared in Tōdō Xiao Dong's eyes. It was just like when he'd told his patients "There's no cure" countless times. Now that he was the one facing the sentence, he finally knew what it felt like to be condemned to death.
However—
"Stop!"
"Stop!"
A sharp voice tore through the forest like thunder splitting the night.
Almost as soon as the voice rang out, a figure leaped in front of Tōdō Xiao Dong, swift as lightning. A fierce surge of chakra erupted as she landed, shaking the ground. The powerful gust swept outward, forcing Fuga and Biwa Juzo to stagger back several steps before they could barely withstand the impact.
Dust and smoke billowed through the forest. As the gray haze cleared, a towering figure came into view.
Her green battle robe fluttered, and power surged through her. She was Tsunade, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin!
To make sure Shizune could see her junior as soon as possible, Tsunade had set out with Shizune in the middle of the night. They'd traveled without stopping.
When they were several miles from Konoha, Tonton suddenly let out an alert cry, sensing something amiss. Tsunade immediately followed the sound and rushed to the scene.
Two ninjas in black robes with red clouds were trying to execute a Konoha medical ninja who had lost the ability to move.
Every ninja in the village was a valuable asset. Without hesitation, Tsunade charged in.
Impulsive, bold, and possessing Monster Strength—that was Princess Tsunade.
"You two," Tsunade said coldly, "dare to hunt down a Konoha Medical Ninja in the Land of Fire?"
Tsunade's gaze was as sharp as a blade as she stared at the two enemies in Red Cloud Black Robes.
Fuga's eyes turned utterly serious. He formed Hand Seals at lightning speed, and the air around them shuddered. A wisp of wind began to circle his feet. The next moment, his figure blurred into the wind and vanished.
"I'd like to see for myself just how much of the legendary Tsunade's strength is real," Biwa Juzo sneered, unafraid. He wasn't an ordinary ninja. He was the man who could block a Tailed Beast Ball with Kubikiribōchō. Battle ran in his blood.
He quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Boom!
The entire forest seemed to be swallowed by a waterfall crashing down from the sky. Its immense pressure poured down, carrying trees and earth with it as it surged toward Tsunade.
But Tsunade stood firm. She pushed off the ground and soared into the air like a shooting star cutting through the night. She leaped high.
"Painful Sky Leg!"
She plunged down, her right foot slamming toward the heart of the rushing torrent with the force of a thunderbolt!
A deafening boom rang out. A sonic boom split the silent forest as a terrifying shockwave exploded through the column of water, shaking the air around them. For a brief moment, even sound seemed to vanish. The raging waterfall shattered beneath that single kick, dissolving into a fine mist that drifted through the forest.
Tsunade landed from above, and the hard ground burst into a massive crater beneath her feet. Stones flew as a violent blast of air howled outward.
Biwa Juzo's expression changed drastically. A chill ran through him as he stared at Tsunade.
He roared and charged at her with the enormous Kubikiribōchō. The blade cleaved through the air, unstoppable, aimed straight at Tsunade's face.
"Shizune, get him out of here," Tsunade said calmly, her voice chillingly cold.
Once Shizune had led him away,
Tsunade's right fist shot out like a sledgehammer, striking at her opponent.
Monster Strength!
The instant her fist swung forward, the air seemed to be sucked away. Then a deafening boom rang out.
Boom!!!
Trees were ripped out by their roots, the earth split apart, and rocks flew everywhere. Biwa Juzo staggered back three steps. His flak jacket had torn across his chest, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Her Monster Strength... is even greater than the legends say!" Juzo gritted his teeth, his eyes cold.
"Umino, stop holding back," he shouted, raising his blade warily. "Use that move."
A voice came from the still air.
"Got it!"
The next moment, Juzo quickly retreated, forming Hand Seals at lightning speed. At the same time, Fuga emerged from the air in the forest, his hands moving just as swiftly.
"Water Release: Mist Lock Formation!"
"Wind Release: Spiraling Prison Wind Wall!"
Boom!
A jet of high-pressure mist burst from the ground and merged with the Wind Blades, forming a strange, constantly rotating chakra storm. Dense fog blocked the view, and Wind Blades crisscrossed like a net. The entire battlefield was instantly engulfed by Water Release and Wind Release.
Tsunade frowned slightly and stopped. Her senses were hindered, and the enemies seemed to have vanished completely.
"Wind Release combined with Water Release can create a technique like this..." Shizune whispered in alarm.
"You can't stop me," Tsunade replied coldly.
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, blocking out all visual distractions. Then she stamped her right foot hard against the ground. Stones flew as Tsunade focused her mind and sensed the flow of chakra around her.
A faint tremor!
"Behind me, to the left!"
Tsunade spun around and drove her right fist forward. Her fist broke through the mist, piercing straight through everything in its path!
"Thud!"
A muffled impact rang out as Biwa Juzo's figure flew backward, struck by the punch. Then the water scattered.
Water Clone Technique!
"Behind you!" Shizune cried.
Fuga had silently appeared behind Tsunade. He moved close and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. Chakra Threads slid along her muscles, aiming to sever her tendons!
But in that instant, chakra erupted from Tsunade's body, violently shaking off the invading Chakra Threads!
With a furious shout, she swung her left elbow back and slammed a Thunderous Strike into Fuga's jaw!
"Crack!"
The sound of breaking bone rang out, sharp and clear. Fuga flew backward as if struck by lightning, crashing through two thick trees before finally coming to a halt, blood spraying from his mouth!
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