Tsunade Blushed: This Guy Is So Overbearing... I Like Him So Much!

Ever since Uchiha Xuan put on that green chunin flak jacket, Team 7's daily atmosphere had undergone a subtle change.

Orochimaru's obsession with him had reached the point where he no longer bothered to hide it. During every break in training, those snake-like eyes of his remained glued to Xuan, as if he were studying some priceless treasure.

But the one who had changed the most was Tsunade.

The First Hokage's granddaughter, who was usually proud and hot-tempered, still had a sharp tongue. She kept calling him "Uchiha brat" and "you show-off" at every turn. Yet during training and missions, the provocation and unwillingness to concede in her eyes had quietly faded away.

In its place was an irrepressible curiosity, along with... admiration that even she herself refused to acknowledge.

After all, in the ninja world, strength was king. The shock of Xuan blocking her full-power Monster Strength Fist with one finger, along with that overwhelming Majestic Destroyer Flame, had long since left an indelible mark on the heart of the young girl.

This delicate balance was completely shattered during a certain B-rank mission a month later.

It was in a dense forest along the border of the Land of Fire.

Team 7 had been assigned to wipe out a group of rogue ninjas who had long roamed the border, robbing merchant caravans.

Originally, it had merely been a routine combat training mission. In order to train them, Hiruzen Sarutobi had deliberately slowed their advance, allowing the three genin to serve as the main attackers. Although Xuan was already a chunin, he was still considered a student in the team's formation.

However, there had been a fatal error in the intelligence!

These rogue ninjas were no ragtag bunch at all. They were Hidden Mist defectors who had fled the Land of Water, skilled in assassination and Water Release! There were more than twenty of them!

The moment they entered the forest shrouded in thick mist, the trap was activated.

"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"

Four Hidden Mist defectors formed hand seals at the same time, and a massive sphere of water rose from the ground, trapping Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been guarding the rear, inside it.

"Sensei!" Tsunade cried out in alarm.

"Don't worry about me! Protect yourselves!" Hiruzen Sarutobi roared as he struggled to break free inside the Water Prison.

But the Hidden Mist defectors gave them no time to react. Kunai and shuriken coated in a dark blue poison shot out from the mist like a torrential downpour!

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Orochimaru reacted swiftly, slamming both hands against the ground and raising an earthen wall to block the frontal assault.

But the defectors coordinated flawlessly. Two enemies skilled in taijutsu had already circled around the wall from the flanks, raising coldly gleaming ninja blades and slashing viciously at Tsunade, who was in the middle of forming hand seals!

"Watch out!"

Orochimaru shouted, but it was already too late for him to help.

Tsunade was no pushover either. Facing the blade inches from her, she did not retreat. Instead, she gathered chakra in her fist, preparing to take the attack head-on!

However, just as she threw her punch, she caught sight of another defector hidden in the shadows. He held a poisoned blow dart aimed at Orochimaru, who was left momentarily rigid after using the Earth-Style Wall.

"Orochimaru! Dodge!"

Without a second thought, Tsunade forcibly twisted her body in midair, abandoning her defense against the enemy in front of her and shoving Orochimaru aside.

"Pfft!"

A soft sound rang out.

The poison-coated dart struck Tsunade squarely in her fair left arm!

"Ah!"

Tsunade cried out in pain, losing her balance and crashing heavily to the ground.

An unbearable numbness rapidly spread from the wound. The skin around it turned a horrifying purple-black at a visible rate.

Seeing this, the two taijutsu defectors grinned viciously and raised their ninja blades, slashing down at Tsunade, who lay on the ground unable to move!

"Die! Konoha brat!"

"Tsunade!"

Orochimaru's eyes nearly split with rage. Hiruzen Sarutobi, trapped in the Water Prison, had bloodshot eyes as he desperately tried to break free from his restraints.

Despair instantly shrouded all of Team 7.

However.

At the very instant those two ninja blades were about to split Tsunade in half!

"Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!"

A dazzling blue flash of lightning shot out of the thick mist like a bolt tearing through the darkness!

The lightning was so fast that it even surpassed the speed of sound.

"Shk! Shk!"

Two soft sounds of blades piercing flesh.

The cruel smiles on the faces of those two Hidden Mist defectors instantly froze.

They looked down to find that their chests had been pierced clean through by a blue lightning spear several meters long!

No blood spurted out, because the wounds had been carbonized by terrifying heat in an instant.

They did not even have time to scream before collapsing stiffly to the ground, their lives extinguished.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

From the thick mist, a lean figure slowly emerged.

He wore a green chunin flak jacket, with faint sparks of lightning still dancing in his hand.

Those deep black eyes burned with a chilling killing intent.

It was Uchiha Xuan.

"Xuan..." Tsunade lay on the ground, looking at the back of the figure standing before her like a god descending into the world. Her vision, blurred by the poison, suddenly became clear.

Xuan did not turn around. He looked at the Hidden Mist defectors around him, who had frozen in shock after seeing their comrades instantly killed, and spoke in a tone without the slightest ripple.

"I was originally going to leave them for you to practice on."

He raised his right hand slightly and lightly traced a line through the air with his finger.

"Since you're so eager to die, then... stay here forever."

The instant his words fell, Xuan moved.

No one saw his movements clearly.

All they saw was a golden afterimage weaving through the thick mist like a ghost.

Every flash was accompanied by a shrill scream.

Every pause saw a spray of blood bloom in midair.

Those Hidden Mist defectors, skilled in assassination, were like toddlers learning to walk before him, completely incapable of fighting back.

The terrifying physical abilities granted by the Sage Body, combined with his incomparably fierce taijutsu, turned this into a one-sided slaughter without the slightest suspense.

Less than ten seconds passed.

When Xuan returned to Tsunade's side.

The ground around them was already littered with the corpses of Hidden Mist defectors.

Not a single one had survived.

Even the Water Prison trapping Hiruzen Sarutobi collapsed with the death of its caster.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru stared at the scene, too shocked to say a word.

They knew Xuan was strong, but they had never imagined he was this strong!

Was this really a chunin? Even an elite ANBU jonin would be hard-pressed to match that killing efficiency!

Xuan ignored their shock and walked straight over to Tsunade before crouching down.

Looking at her left arm, which had completely turned purple-black, he frowned slightly.

"What a vicious poison."

"Xuan... am I... am I going to die..." Tsunade's breathing had become extremely weak. The poison had begun invading her nerves, and she felt her body growing colder and colder.

Xuan did not answer. He simply reached out and grabbed her left arm.

"Riiip!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled hard and tore open the sleeve around Tsunade's left arm!

Her snow-white skin was exposed to the air, forming a stark contrast with the horrifying purple-black wound.

"Y-you... what are you doing?!" Tsunade cried weakly, an unnatural flush instantly appearing on her cheeks.

"Shut up. Don't move if you don't want to die."

Xuan's voice was domineering and left no room for argument.

He pressed his palm tightly against Tsunade's purple-black wound.

"Xuan! Don't touch it! That poison kills the moment it enters the bloodstream!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just escaped, cried out in alarm and hurriedly tried to stop him.

But Xuan acted as if he had not heard him.

He closed his eyes, and with a thought.

The vast, pure Sage Body chakra within him flowed through his palm and continuously poured into Tsunade's body.

The Sage Body was an extraordinary physique possessing life force and recovery abilities as terrifying as Hashirama Senju's!

Although Xuan's was only at the beginner level, using it to force out the poison of a few insignificant enemies was complete overkill.

The warm chakra, overflowing with vigorous life force, entered Tsunade's body and immediately swept through the rampant poison, wrapping around it and devouring it with overwhelming force.

Tsunade only felt an indescribable current of warmth flowing continuously from Xuan's palm.

That warmth not only drove away the coldness and numbness in her body, but also brought her an unprecedented sense of safety and comfort.

She stared blankly at Uchiha Xuan, so close before her.

At his focused profile, at his lips slightly pursed in concentration.

At that moment, the thick mist, the corpses scattered all over the ground, and the cries of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru all seemed to vanish from her world.

All she could see was this boy who had domineeringly torn open her sleeve and forcibly dragged her back from the brink of death.

"Drip."

A drop of purple-black poisonous blood slid down Tsunade's finger and fell to the ground with a sizzling, corrosive sound.

As the final drop of poisoned blood was forced out, the purple-black color on Tsunade's left arm rapidly faded, restoring her fair skin.

"Done."

Xuan withdrew his hand and let out a long breath.

He stood up and dusted off his hands. Looking at Tsunade, who was still lying on the ground and staring blankly at him, he raised an eyebrow.

"What? Have you gotten addicted to lying there? The poison's gone. Do you want me to carry you up too?"

Hearing that, Tsunade suddenly came back to her senses.

She felt her left arm, which had completely regained feeling and was even more energetic than before, then looked at Xuan's teasing expression.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Her heart began racing wildly out of control, as though it were about to leap out of her chest.

An indescribable heat instantly spread from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears.

In less than a second, her cheeks turned as red as ripe apples.

This guy... how could he be so overbearing!

And... so strong... so handsome...

"W-who wants you to carry me?! You show-off!"

Like a startled rabbit, Tsunade sprang to her feet, clutching the torn sleeve around her arm as she stammered in rebuttal.

But her eyes, which had always been full of provocation, did not dare look at Xuan's face at all. They could only dart about in panic.

Watching Tsunade's flushed, flustered, shy yet annoyed girlish appearance.

Orochimaru, standing nearby, extended his long tongue and licked his lips.

"Hehe... it seems that aside from strength, Xuan-kun also possesses an irresistible charm in certain other respects."