Training Ground No. 2.
Shiraishi Yoshijo and Tsunade stood facing each other, ten meters apart.
Orochimaru stood in the center of the training ground, acting as referee.
Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi watched from outside the field.
Shiraishi Yoshijo began thinking about how to defeat Tsunade.
There was no doubt that Tsunade was a Taijutsu expert. Getting hit by her Strength Enhancement Fist would hurt.
It wouldn't be difficult for him to defeat her now. The only question was how.
Should he go head-to-head and take her out in one blow?
With only the strength he'd revealed so far, that would probably be difficult.
Besides, the sight of Tsunade's arrogant expression across from him made Shiraishi Yoshijo's blood boil.
He felt it was necessary to have a good "talk" with Tsunade about their "feelings."
After thinking it over, Shiraishi Yoshijo broke into a strange smile.
"Begin!"
As soon as Orochimaru called the start, he used the Body Flicker Technique to get out of the field.
He didn't want to get caught up in their fight.
Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't attack right away. Instead, he smiled and said, "Tsunade, I'll give you three moves first, so you can't accuse me of picking on you afterward."
Tsunade was instantly enraged.
"You bastard, what did you just say? Looks like you still don't know your place."
As she spoke, Tsunade clenched her fist and charged at him.
Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't even dodge. Since he'd said he'd let her have three moves, he'd let her have three.
Tsunade's fist struck Shiraishi Yoshijo, punching straight through his body. Hundreds of butterflies scattered, then gathered behind her.
Shiraishi Yoshijo appeared behind Tsunade and smiled. "That's one."
Without even looking back, Tsunade swung a kick at Shiraishi Yoshijo, unleashing her immense strength!
The ground of the training field instantly split apart.
Unfortunately, Shiraishi Yoshijo turned into butterflies again and flew in front of her, smiling as he said, "That's two."
This time, Tsunade didn't attack as soon as Shiraishi Yoshijo appeared in front of her.
"Butterfly Clone? Don't tell me you think you can beat me with just that."
Shiraishi Yoshijo blinked. "I said I'd give you three moves."
Tsunade was furious and punched the Butterfly Clone, scattering it.
Hundreds of butterflies flew toward the center of the training field and gradually came together. Shiraishi Yoshijo appeared once more.
"Your three moves are up. My turn."
Shiraishi Yoshijo began forming Hand Seals.
"Ninpō: Shadow Clone Technique!"
He'd learned the Shadow Clone Technique after joining the Anbu, but didn't use it often.
The Butterfly Clone was more convenient.
Using it now, though, served another purpose.
Four Shadow Clones appeared, then immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the four corners of the training field and began forming Hand Seals.
"Water Release: Water Clear Wave!"
Water Clear Wave was only a C-rank Ninjutsu. It summoned a large amount of water to attack the enemy.
The more Chakra one used, the more water it summoned.
Shiraishi Yoshijo wasn't using the Ninjutsu through his Shadow Clones to attack Tsunade. He only wanted them to make a lot of water.
In the center of the field, Shiraishi Yoshijo began forming Hand Seals. He was preparing to use Barrier Ninjutsu to enclose the entire training ground and create a sealed space.
That would keep the large volume of water inside the barrier instead of letting it flow out of the field.
At first, Tsunade couldn't figure out what Shiraishi Yoshijo was trying to do. She only understood once the water began creeping over her feet.
Her Strength Enhancement Fist wouldn't be able to generate much force underwater.
After all, water was soft.
Thinking this, Tsunade used the Body Flicker Technique to reach one of the Shadow Clones and punched it.
The Shadow Clone didn't vanish in a puff of smoke as she'd expected.
A few butterflies flew out of it.
Tsunade paused, then punched it again.
A few more butterflies fluttered away.
"Genjutsu?"
Tsunade suspected she'd fallen under a Genjutsu. It was common knowledge among Konoha Ninja that a Shadow Clone vanished as soon as it was hit.
She began forming Hand Seals and shouted, "Release!"
The scene before her didn't change at all. Unconvinced, Tsunade punched again, and once more, a few butterflies flew away.
"It's no use. My Shadow Clones are different from everyone else's. They have a core inside them. If you can find the butterfly that's the core, you can destroy the Shadow Clone."
Shiraishi Yoshijo's voice reached Tsunade's ears.
"A core? You combined the Butterfly Clone with the Shadow Clone. Impressive."
Finding the core among the hundreds of butterflies making up the Shadow Clone was no easy task.
And the water in the training ground was rising quickly. In just a few seconds, it had reached Tsunade's calves.
Chakra began flowing from the pressure points on her feet, allowing her to stand on the water's surface.
She charged toward Shiraishi Yoshijo in the center of the field.
Shiraishi Yoshijo still didn't dodge. He simply stood there and let her hit him.
The instant her fist struck, Shiraishi Yoshijo's whole body turned into a puddle of water and disappeared into the water around them.
Tsunade took a deep breath and calmed down, searching for the Ninjutsu's weakness.
She thought Shiraishi Yoshijo was using Water Release to restrict her Taijutsu.
But she wasn't some little kid who couldn't use Water Walking. Even if it affected her, it wouldn't make much difference.
The water in the training ground kept rising.
Tsunade frowned as a possibility occurred to her. Was that guy trying to drown her?
Impossible. How much Chakra would it take to make all this water?
Even if he had that much Chakra, she couldn't breathe underwater. Did he have a way to breathe underwater?
The more she thought about it, the darker her expression grew. Tsunade walked up to the barrier enclosing the training ground.
Chakra began to surge violently.
She bent her right leg, then straightened it sharply, putting all her force into the blow!
The barrier rippled violently, just like the water beneath her feet, but Tsunade still couldn't break it.
Shiraishi Yoshijo appeared behind her. "This barrier isn't so easy to break. Even if Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya joined forces outside, they wouldn't be able to break it without figuring out the right method."
Tsunade turned to look at him. "Why did you go to so much trouble to create an environment suited to Water Release?"
"And aren't you better at Lightning Release than Water Release?"
Shiraishi Yoshijo beckoned to her with a finger, taunting her. "You know I'm good at Lightning Release, so guess why I'm using Water Release."
"Are you using the water to conduct electricity, or trying to drown me with Water Release? Do you have a way to breathe underwater?"
Shiraishi Yoshijo shook his head. "Wrong. Don't worry, I won't use Lightning Release. I'm using Water Release because I want to have a good talk with you about all the resentment I've built up over the years."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You're going to beat me with Water Release?"
"Why not?"
"You really are an arrogant bastard!"
"Compared to you, I'm nowhere near as arrogant."
The three spectators outside couldn't hear Shiraishi Yoshijo and Tsunade's conversation, but even by watching, they could tell that Tsunade was badly countered by him.
Hiruzen sighed. "Tsunade's bound to lose. Why did you two go along with her?"
Orochimaru said, "The outcome isn't certain yet. Tsunade isn't an opponent you can defeat so easily."
Jiraiya said, "That's right. Tsunade may only know Taijutsu, but her battle sense is the best among us."
Hiruzen glanced at his two students and shook his head helplessly.
Shiraishi Yoshijo was no weaker than Tsunade, and now he had the home-field advantage. The difference was even clearer.
Hiruzen could already picture Tsunade being completely unable to fight back in the battle ahead.
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