Welcome: Senju Slaughter

The room fell silent for a moment. Tsunade seemed to have composed herself, her voice low and steady:

"Are you returning to the Land of Fire or not?"

"No."

Ye Ning gritted his teeth and replied, bracing himself.

He had begged his cheapskate father for two and a half years just to finally reach Konoha; was he really supposed to go back with nothing but a fake Scroll of Seals?

He wasn't about to settle for that!

So, even though Tsunade's expression was now completely blank, Ye Ning stood his ground and retorted.

"Fine."

Tsunade nodded, and Ye Ning finally let out a long sigh of relief.

It looked like she had finally seen reason, right?

However, in the next second, Tsunade erupted. She stomped her feet, and her entire body shot forward like a cannonball.

BOOM—

A thunderous roar echoed, as if lightning had struck the flat ground.

Tsunade's figure vanished from her spot in the blink of an eye, carving a striking arc through the air as she slammed toward Ye Ning's right side with the force of a thunderbolt.

Holy crap!

Are you insane?

Ye Ning was so startled by this inexplicable move that he shuddered, his mind going blank.

What is this!

Attacking without a word?

Tsunade hadn't charged up or even channeled chakra before striking, yet the momentum was as swift as thunder.

Fortunately, even though Ye Ning was stunned, his reflexes were sharp. He hunched his body and rolled out of the attack range in a rather pathetic posture.

He owed this to the two and a half years he had spent sparring with the head monk of the Fire Temple.

That old monk, despite his advanced age, possessed formidable strength and always forced Ye Ning into desperate situations, which had forged his superior reaction time.

Otherwise, that single punch would have been enough to land him in Konoha Hospital for a good while.

While dodging, Ye Ning didn't forget to question Tsunade:

"Wait! Tsunade, wait!"

"Are you crazy? Why are you hitting me!"

Tsunade remained expressionless, her aura steadily rising. Though she was surprised that Ye Ning had dodged her punch, she didn't show it, saying coldly:

"If you are determined to be a ninja, then I will beat you until you abandon such an unrealistic notion!"

"Don't worry, I'm a medical ninja. If you get hurt, I'll heal you."

As she spoke, Tsunade stomped her feet again. The expensive tatami mats and the floor beneath her instantly shattered into debris, creating a sizable crater.

You're serious?

Ye Ning's eyes narrowed, his heart filled with misery.

If Tsunade kept going crazy like this, she would probably tear the whole house down!

With a firm resolve, Ye Ning leaped out the window and landed in the courtyard.

Tsunade was relentless; her toned legs tensed as she launched herself forward, turning into a blur as she gave chase.

Crazy, she's crazy!

This woman has absolutely lost it!

Can't we talk things over like reasonable people?

What kind of habit is it to start fighting without a word?

Having dodged several of Tsunade's punches in a row, Ye Ning was starting to lose his cool.

Seeking advice: how do I get an unhinged Tsunade to stop? Waiting online, it's urgent!

There's not a soul in these Senju Clan Grounds; if only someone would hear the commotion and come stop her!

Ye Ning did have an idea to make Tsunade stop, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He could pull out a kunai and stab himself; Tsunade would definitely stop immediately if he did that.

But Ye Ning didn't want to force Tsunade to relive those painful memories, nor did he want to resort to self-harm.

More than that, perhaps it was the series of punches from Tsunade that had ignited a spark of anger in Ye Ning's own heart.

You crazy woman, do you think I'm a pushover just because I'm not fighting back?

Ye Ning took a deep breath, stopped dodging, and stood his ground.

Tsunade, meanwhile, felt a flicker of confusion.

For the first few punches, she truly hadn't used any chakra, thinking it would be enough to deal with a brat like Ye Ning. To her surprise, the kid was as slippery as an eel; though he dodged in a rather disheveled manner, he managed to evade every single strike.

And the subsequent punches—even after she channeled chakra, she still hadn't landed a hit?

Seeing Ye Ning come to a stop, Tsunade assumed he had run out of energy from dodging and was giving up. Just as she prepared to lecture him, she saw Ye Ning begin to weave hand signs!

???

Hand signs?

Tsunade's eyes widened in utter astonishment; she never expected Ye Ning to have mastered ninjutsu.

Most importantly, this sign...

"Welcome: Senju Slaughter!"

A golden statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin instantly manifested behind Ye Ning, forming a massive golden chakra fist in front of him that surged forward!

The technique carried such immense momentum and surging power that even Tsunade straightened her expression, forced to handle it with caution.

"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"

Tsunade didn't retreat in the slightest, lashing out with a kick.

BOOM!

Another thunderous roar erupted, and the courtyard was instantly engulfed in a whirlwind of dust kicked up by the frenzied currents of air.

As the dust gradually settled, the figures of the two were revealed once more.

At this moment, Tsunade seemed to have finally calmed down, standing in place with a slightly complex expression, lost in her own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ye Ning sighed inwardly.

The Welcome: Senju Slaughter he currently wielded was a technique even the old head monk wouldn't dare take head-on, yet he hadn't expected Tsunade to block it completely with just one kick...

A humanoid female tyrannosaurus—truly terrifying!

Ye Ning watched Tsunade's changing expression with vigilance, fearing she might go berserk again.

But Tsunade seemed to have lost all desire to continue the fight, merely looking around at the craters in the courtyard, lost in thought:

"Why didn't you tell me you knew ninjutsu?"

"You didn't ask! Did you ever ask me? Didn't you just start trying to pound me the moment you arrived? I should be the one asking you!"

Tsunade frowned. "I only wanted you to see the gap between yourself and a ninja, to persuade you to give up the idea of becoming one."

"You still haven't answered me—why do you know ninjutsu?"

Let me see the gap between myself and a ninja?

How can you even say that with a straight face!

Are you even a normal ninja?

Huh?

Ye Ning retorted irritably, "I learned it at the Fire Temple. I stayed at the Fire Temple for two and a half years! I spent two and a half years thinking it over, and I told you, I decided to become a ninja only after careful consideration."

At this moment, the frost on Tsunade's face finally melted, replaced by a look of sorrow:

"I just... don't want to experience the taste of loss ever again."

Nawaki... Dan...

Who would be next?

Ye Ning was like a younger brother to her, and Tsunade dared not imagine what would happen if he, too, were to leave after becoming a ninja.

She simply couldn't bear to think about it.

If that were to happen, she feared she would truly collapse.

She had no way of enduring another loss now...