Tsunade's arm had gone numb, so she formed hand seals with one hand.
"Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique."
The Mystical Palm Technique used chakra to heal injuries, immediately restoring feeling to her numb arm.
Uzumaki Shori saw Tsunade use Medical Ninjutsu.
He knew his earlier attack had worked, so he pressed his advantage.
He immediately charged forward.
Uzumaki Shori formed hand seals.
"Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains."
Five chains shot up from his back and lunged at Tsunade.
Tsunade's expression changed. She shook her arm, which had recovered from the numbness. Uzumaki Shori's strength was incredible, but she wasn't easy to beat either.
"Ninjutsu: Chakra Scalpel."
By gathering chakra in the hand and shaping it into a blade, one could cut a target's insides without leaving any external wounds. It could also be used as a weapon.
She aimed the Chakra Blade in her hand at the Adamantine Chains. Every strike hit its target, knocking the chains aside.
Uzumaki Shori ran circles around Tsunade, making his chains attack her from all directions.
Fending off the Adamantine Chains, Tsunade swung her Chakra Scalpel with effort and quickly closed the distance.
Strength of a Hundred wasn't enough to beat him. Let's see how he handles my other trump card.
With a sudden leap, she gathered chakra throughout her body and focused it in her leg, attacking from above.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
The Heavenly Foot of Pain was a Strength of a Hundred attack powerful enough to split mountains and rend the earth.
As Tsunade's Heavenly Foot of Pain came crashing down, Uzumaki Shori unleashed a powerful surge of chakra, sending a rumbling boom through the air.
The more they fought, the more excited he became. The Adamantine Chains retracted into his body, and he stopped using the chakra around his skin to protect himself, instead gathering it in his arms.
He controlled his muscles, completely releasing them and abandoning their natural protection.
The next moment,
Tsunade and Uzumaki Shori collided again.
The two crashed into each other like meteorites, and the resulting boom
rang out in every direction.
"Crack!"
The shockwaves from their battle made the ground fracture inch by inch, kicking up a storm of sand and stones.
The onlookers raised their hands to shield themselves from the sand. They squinted but kept their eyes open, unwilling to miss such an incredible duel.
This time, when Uzumaki Shori tested his strength against Tsunade's, he didn't enjoy the overwhelming advantage he'd had before.
They were both struck by the other's force.
Uzumaki Shori was dragged two meters across the ground while standing upright.
Tsunade flipped twice in midair to absorb the impact, landed safely, and was dragged three meters.
So this was the strength of the new Uzukage? The Senju Clan was supposed to be stronger than the Uzumaki Clan.
The Uzukage was clearly far stronger than she was. Tsunade shook her numb leg, her face twisting with bitterness. She really had been like a frog in a well.
She had come to fulfill Grandma Mito's wish and drive back the powerful enemy invading their land. How could she stay back with the support staff?
Uzumaki Shori kept his expression unchanged as he secretly clenched his fist, feeling the discomfort in it.
He hadn't expected Tsunade to unleash such incredible strength at such a young age.
Uzumaki Shori had fought twice that day and had already used up a lot of energy. He took stock of his condition; his breathing was still steady.
He watched Tsunade closely. They had only clashed three times, but maintaining such enormous power had taken its toll on her too. She was panting heavily.
"It looks like I've won by a narrow margin today. There's no need to keep fighting. Let's save our strength for the battle three days from now!"
Tsunade stood silently to one side, making no attempt to argue with Uzumaki Shori.
As far as she was concerned, she had indeed lost this fight. She had used her full strength and still been driven back by Uzumaki Shori.
Back in Konoha, she had never found anyone her age who could match her. She hadn't expected to lose here.
Uzumaki Shori walked over to Tsunade and looked at her.
Tsunade pressed her lips together and met his gaze.
The crowd was still exclaiming over the duel. They looked at the two of them. Hadn't the fight already ended? Why were they still going to fight?
After Tsunade had stared at him for a while, Uzumaki Shori sheepishly scratched his head.
"Tsunade, I'm sorry. You're Lady Mito's granddaughter, and you're young, so I needed to test your abilities. Otherwise, something tragic could happen on the battlefield."
"Your strength has been thoroughly proven. I'll be counting on you in the battles to come." They formed the Seal of Reconciliation.
Tsunade's expression softened. Her strength had been acknowledged, after all.
Joining the front lines was why she had come to the Land of Whirlpools. Now she was simply making that goal a reality.
"You've earned my respect too, Uzumaki Shori." They formed the Seal of Reconciliation.
The two clasped hands as they formed the Seal of Reconciliation.
The onlookers burst into applause, proud of the Second Uzukage's strength and filled with confidence about the coming war with Kirigakure.
Uzumaki Shori heard everyone cheering for him. The duel had been meant to show off his strength in the first place.
He had only just become the Second Uzukage. To quickly strengthen the Uzumaki Clan's confidence in him, he needed to display exceptional strength. Then people's opinion of him would improve.
He felt strangely heavyhearted about resorting to this tactic. Whether they could bring the war to a successful conclusion would depend on everyone present doing their part.
"Tsunade, there's one more thing I need to ask of you. My father fought the leader of the Hozuki Clan from Kirigakure and overused his chakra. Please treat him."
Tsunade was taken aback. No wonder the Uzukage Hall had looked so battered when she arrived, and Uzumaki Shori was so young.
The First Uzukage had already fallen in the battle against Kirigakure.
She drew a deep breath. It seemed the Land of Whirlpools had reached a life-or-death moment.
"Uzumaki Shori, I may not be your match, though the gap is only slight. But when it comes to medical skill, you'll have a hard time surpassing me. Leave the First Uzukage's treatment to me."
Uzumaki Shori smiled. The better Tsunade was at healing, the happier he felt.
Someone in the crowd pushed their way forward.
"Not bad, Tsunade. You showed off about half your skill."
When Tsunade heard someone call her, she turned to look. It was her teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
She was a little surprised. What were they doing in the Land of Whirlpools?
Orochimaru's skin was pale, and his golden eyes were narrow and long as he looked at Tsunade.
"After you left Konoha, Lady Mito worried about your safety and asked the Third to send people to support you. It was also a way to keep you safe."
"Our teacher, the Third, transferred us here from the front lines against the Suna Ninjas."
"I didn't expect to see such an incredible duel. But the difference in numbers between the ninja forces is enormous. I still recommend that we withdraw from the Land of Whirlpools."
Tsunade fell silent for a moment and looked toward Uzumaki Shori, wanting to know what he planned to do.
Uzumaki Shori let out a long breath and spoke with a grave expression.
"We have twenty-eight thousand people in the Land of Whirlpools and more than three hundred ships. In three days, only seven thousand of them can escape. Are the rest supposed to wait here to die?"
"And where could we even flee to? The greed for the Uzumaki Clan would just mean fighting somewhere else."
Before you continue