A Match with Tsunade

"You said you had other conditions, didn't you? Why've you gone quiet?"

Shin looked at Tsunade in confusion.

"I haven't thought of any yet. I'll tell you later." Tsunade looked at Shin, still unable to think of a condition to ask for.

"There might not be another chance later."

Shin gave Tsunade a meaningful look. His strength was improving quickly, and it wouldn't be long before he surpassed her.

He was confident of that.

With the Perfect Sage Body and the system as his cheat,

even Shin himself couldn't predict how quickly his strength would grow.

"By the way, I want to see how strong you are. Come with me to the training ground."

Tsunade stood up and led Shin to her private training ground, behind the courtyard. It was quite spacious.

Kushina followed behind them, cheeks puffed out like a little bun. She was still mad.

"Come on, Shin, let's spar."

"What? Did I hear that right?"

Shin stared at Tsunade in shock. She actually wanted to spar with him? What kind of joke was this?

How could Shin possibly be a match for Tsunade right now?

He wasn't about to volunteer to get beaten up.

"Don't worry. I'll hold back." Tsunade gave Shin a reassuring look.

"Go on, Shin. Teach that woman a lesson." Kushina stood beside him, making a little fist as she urged him on.

"Kushina, why are you egging her on? If I could beat her, then sure, no problem. But I'm no match for her. Do you want to see me get beaten to a pulp?"

Shin leaned close to Kushina's ear and whispered.

"Beaten to a pulp? Is it that bad? Then never mind."

Kushina recalled Tsunade's violent side after they'd been attacked earlier and quickly shook her head.

One punch could leave an enemy unrecognizable. Fighting her really was dangerous.

"Um, peace and prosperity are what matter. I've never been one for fighting." Shin spread his hands toward Tsunade.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly. She chuckled, then said, "If you don't want to fight, that's fine. Then you can just take a beating."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tsunade punched toward Shin. Feeling the gust of wind from her fist, Shin's expression shifted.

Was she actually serious?

Shin didn't think Tsunade would seriously hurt him, but when he saw the fist coming, he instinctively dodged.

"Pretty quick reactions."

Tsunade drew back her fist and looked at Shin. Even a Chunin wouldn't have been able to dodge that punch just now.

"Wait."

Seeing Tsunade ready to go again, Shin quickly called for a time-out.

"There's nothing in it for me, so I'll have to decline."

"What would you want in return?" Tsunade asked after lowering her hand.

"Well, if you teach me an A-rank ninjutsu, I wouldn't mind fighting you." Shin's eyes flickered as he looked at Tsunade.

If Tsunade refused, Shin wouldn't lose anything. He'd even avoid having to fight her.

If she agreed, that was good too. He'd get an A-rank ninjutsu. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't lose this deal.

"Kid, you've certainly got a clever little scheme. Fine, I agree. I can teach you an A-rank ninjutsu."

Tsunade said it as if it were nothing. As the princess of the Senju Clan, she might have hesitated if he'd asked for an S-rank ninjutsu.

But an A-rank ninjutsu was nothing to the wealthy Tsunade. What she really wanted was to uncover the secrets of this kid, Shin.

"Then I'll take you up on that, Lady Tsunade. Please go easy on me."

Shin backed up a few steps to create some distance, his gaze fixed on Tsunade. This could also be a chance to test his strength.

Of course, there were some things he wouldn't use, like the Rasengan and the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

The Adamantine Sealing Chains were one thing, but if he used the Rasengan, he really wouldn't know how to explain it.

The commotion caused by using the Rasengan would be considerable, after all. It was a jutsu that required no Hand Seals.

The Rasengan's most surprising feature wasn't its power. Plenty of A-rank jutsu were stronger, but the Rasengan didn't require Hand Seals, and no other jutsu could match that.

Not needing Hand Seals meant the Rasengan could be used instantly. In a fight to the death, even a tenth of a second could be crucial. Skipping Hand Seals gave him a huge advantage.

Besides, Shin had no intention of going all out. He always needed to keep enough trump cards in reserve.

Shin knew that, given Tsunade's personality, if she'd promised not to tell anyone about his strength, she wouldn't. But he was still in the habit of keeping some things hidden.

"You can make the first move," Tsunade told Shin.

"Then I won't hold back."

Shin wasn't going to be polite to Tsunade. He was already at a disadvantage.

Holding back half his strength, Shin charged at Tsunade. When he was three meters away, he leaped into the air and punched down at her.

And he was aiming straight for Tsunade's face.

"Come on, Shin! You've got this!" Kushina watched him anxiously.

"You little brat!"

Seeing Shin swing at her face, Tsunade couldn't help getting annoyed. You didn't hit people in the face—especially not a woman's face.

His fist was small, but it stirred up a sharp gust of wind. Tsunade had no choice but to dodge. She couldn't exactly take it with her face.

"Don't jump so carelessly, brat. You can't brace yourself in midair. Let me teach you a lesson."

After dodging Shin's punch, Tsunade struck out like lightning, aiming at his stomach.

Thud!

Wood chips flew everywhere. She hadn't hit Shin at all, only a log. Clearly, he'd used the Substitution Technique.

Tsunade's gaze sharpened. She immediately turned and threw a punch.

A large fist and a small one collided. Shin's body flew backward. Just before he crashed into the ground, he turned a somersault in midair and landed safely.

Tsunade shook her arm. Several cracks had appeared in the ground beneath her feet.

"What strength."

Tsunade felt her arm go numb. She hadn't used the Strength of a Hundred Technique, but even without it, she was still very strong.

She had no idea what kind of monster this kid was. He was so young, yet already so strong.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tsunade asked Shin.

After using the Substitution Technique, Shin had appeared directly behind her and launched a sneak attack. Tsunade had countered in a hurry and hadn't controlled her strength well. She didn't know whether she'd hurt him.

"Ow, that hurts! I think I can't move my arm. Let's call it here."

Shin cried out dramatically, his expression exaggerated.

"Shin, you're hurt!" Kushina hurried over to him and anxiously checked his arm. She also shot Tsunade an unhappy glare.

Tsunade hurried over to check on him too. That blow had been powerful; even an ordinary Jonin wouldn't have walked away unscathed. She couldn't help worrying.

"Ahem, Kushina, I'm actually fine." Shin secretly winked at her.

When Kushina saw him wink, she relaxed. She understood that he was only pretending to be hurt.