I Didn't Mean to, Do You Believe Me?

"That kick of yours was really merciless. If I'd been hit, I'd be dead by now!" Tsunade wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, genuinely shaken.

If she hadn't sensed the danger and instinctively used the Substitution Technique ahead of time, she'd definitely have been done for.

Hyuga Shin smiled but said nothing. Even if Tsunade hadn't been able to dodge just now, he could have pulled his kick at the last moment. His control over his body was no joke.

"When you were in danger just now, didn't you instinctively awaken Observation Haki?"

At Hyuga Shin's words, Tsunade realized he was right. Her perception of her surroundings had become incredibly sharp.

Tsunade was now confident that within thirty meters, she would notice any disturbance or disguise.

Chapter 44: I Didn't Mean to, Do You Believe Me?

"Do you want to keep going?"

"Of course. I still have a score to settle for that kick!" Flames burned in Tsunade's eyes.

Though that kick hadn't hit her, it had been the most perilous moment she'd faced since becoming a ninja—and she'd been caught off guard by a five-and-a-half-year-old kid.

But Tsunade no longer dared to underestimate Hyuga Shin. After their fight, she regarded him as an equal, or even a stronger opponent.

"As expected of you, Sister Tsunade. You've got guts. But guts don't equal strength." Hyuga Shin floated in midair, looking down at her.

"You think you're the only one who can stand in the air? Geppo!" Tsunade stepped on the air with Geppo and soared into the sky, much to Kushina's surprise.

As Tsunade swung her fist at him, Hyuga Shin swayed from side to side in midair as casually as if he were strolling through a courtyard, never letting her so much as touch his clothes.

Geppo let her fly, but it was nowhere near as nimble as the Glint-Glint Fruit. She could only exhaust herself chasing after Hyuga Shin.

"Shin, if you've got the guts, stop running!" Tsunade landed and shouted angrily.

Tsunade had no long-range jutsu and usually relied on her Strength of a Hundred Technique. Now that she couldn't match Hyuga Shin's speed, all she could do was glare as he darted around in front of her.

Hyuga Shin easily dodged Tsunade's Rankyaku and landed on the ground.

"I know that if I beat you this way, you won't be satisfied. So let's settle it head-on!"

Hyuga Shin raised his fist. Black Armament Haki covered it, gleaming like metal, and chakra surged as he used the Strength of a Hundred Technique.

Tsunade did the same, releasing chakra and using Armament Haki. They both used Shave and charged at each other.

Boom!

The collision of their fists—one large, one small—created a blast cloud that destroyed everything around them. A hundred-meter-wide crater formed where they struck.

Mikoto and Kushina, watching from a distance, were knocked to the ground by the gale from the impact.

A figure flew backward through the dust. It was Tsunade. She sailed hundreds of meters before finally stopping, a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.

The dust cleared, revealing Hyuga Shin hovering steadily above the crater. Clearly, he'd won the clash.

That wasn't surprising. Hyuga Shin had a stronger body and better Armament Haki than Tsunade. She only had a slight edge in chakra quality and her mastery of the Strength of a Hundred Technique.

Since Hyuga Shin had beaten her head-on, his strength was obvious.

"You're really something, little Shin. Even an ordinary quasi-Kage wouldn't be a match for you." Tsunade spoke gravely, looking at him as if he were a monster.

Tsunade was now an elite jonin. Before, she could fight an ordinary quasi-Kage to a draw.

After learning the Six Powers and Haki from Hyuga Shin, she could defeat an ordinary quasi-Kage and match those with Kekkei Genkai.

And Hyuga Shin had beaten her head-on, so it was easy to see how strong he was.

That was why Tsunade thought Hyuga Shin was a monster. He was absurdly strong. When she was a little over five, she could barely manage a C-rank jutsu.

Compared to Hyuga Shin, she was pathetic. And she was a genius. If she was a genius, what did that make him? A prodigy?

"Are you giving up?"

"Giving up? As if!" Tsunade kicked off the ground and used Shave to charge at Hyuga Shin again.

"Actually, the gap between us is huge." Hyuga Shin said something incredibly smug, making Tsunade a little angry.

"Don't believe me? See for yourself! Yata Mirror!" Light gathered in his hand like a mirror, then reflected off nearby surfaces to form a passage of light.

Hyuga Shin turned into a flash of light and Teleported through the passage. Before Tsunade could react, he appeared at her side and punched.

Only then did Tsunade, who had awakened Observation Haki, catch sight of Hyuga Shin. But it didn't help.

Her mind registered his presence, but her body couldn't keep up. She could only take his punch.

Tsunade wasn't hurt, though. Hyuga Shin had pulled his strength back as he struck, so the punch had no force behind it.

But Tsunade was furious, because Hyuga Shin had punched her in a rather unfortunate place—right on her enormous breasts.

"Sister Tsunade, I'm telling you, I didn't mean to. Do you believe me?" Hyuga Shin gave an awkward smile.

Even he didn't believe what he'd just said. He'd done it on purpose. With his control, how could he have made that kind of mistake?

Tsunade glanced at the two little girls in the distance, then breathed a sigh of relief. They were far enough away, and she'd blocked their view, so they hadn't seen.

"You little rascal, you little pervert! And you still say you didn't mean to? I'm going to teach you a proper lesson today!" Tsunade reached for Hyuga Shin's ear.

Hyuga Shin hurriedly dodged, then looked at Tsunade pitifully.

"I really didn't mean to. Can't you let me off?"

"No way. You're already such a pervert at this age. When you grow up, you'll be another Jiraiya."

Jiraiya was an innocent bystander.

Tsunade wouldn't let it go. Partly, she wanted to hide how embarrassed she felt; partly, she wanted to get back at him. This spar had left her thoroughly humiliated.

Hyuga Shin naturally didn't want Tsunade to catch him, and the two began a game of cat and mouse.

Hyuga Shin was far faster than Tsunade. She was soon panting with exhaustion, yet still couldn't touch the hem of his clothes.

Tsunade felt thoroughly discouraged. If Hyuga Shin had attacked her at that speed during their fight, she would've been defeated long ago.

Seeing that Tsunade refused to give up, Hyuga Shin finally let her catch him on purpose and endured her scolding.

With Tsunade's personality, who knew how long she'd keep chasing him? He might as well let her vent.

Seeing Hyuga Shin's glum expression, Tsunade burst out laughing.

"That's what you get for acting so smug earlier—and for not holding back at all."

"I was confident I wouldn't hurt you. Otherwise, how would you have awakened Observation Haki?"

"Brat, does Princess Tsunade need you to hold back?"