Yin Seal Technique

Tsunade looked coldly at Orochimaru.

"Now it's my turn."

As soon as she finished speaking, she bit her finger and rapidly formed hand seals.

Smack!

Her palm struck the ground.

"Summoning Technique!"

Boom!

White smoke burst forth, and a massive Katsuyu appeared in the middle of the wasteland, her gentle voice following.

"Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade did not turn around.

"Katsuyu, take care of them."

"Yes."

Several small Katsuyu split off from the main body and landed beside Chiya and Shizune.

The half-formed Susanoo around Chiya swayed. The black-red chakra flickered twice like a dying flame before slowly dispersing.

He dropped to one knee, his right eye aching too badly to open while his left throbbed in waves.

A small Katsuyu crawled onto his shoulder, her voice soft.

"Please do not move for now."

Chiya took a breath and did not force himself.

He truly could not move right now.

Manda's enormous body lay coiled across the wasteland, its crimson eyes fixed on Katsuyu, its tone full of impatience.

"Orochimaru, you summoned me just to deal with these people?"

Orochimaru stood atop Manda's head, his expression grim.

He did not answer Manda. He only stared at Tsunade.

The woman who had been too terrified of blood to move moments ago was now standing before him.

Tsunade's hands were still stained with blood.

But this time, she did not lower her head.

The next instant, she stomped her foot.

Boom!

The ground exploded beneath her.

Tsunade shot forward like a cannonball.

Manda's head slammed downward, its huge shadow instantly swallowing her.

The next moment, Tsunade drove a fist into the ground.

The wasteland split apart with a roar, and cracks rapidly tore beneath Manda's body.

Manda's body tilted, its head missing its target and crashing into a nearby earthen slope with a thunderous boom.

Dust surged into the air.

Tsunade did not stop.

She charged over the rubble, flashed forward, and leaped directly toward Manda's head.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted.

"Tsunade..."

Bang!

Tsunade's fist came down.

Manda's head was smashed downward by the punch, and a huge section of ground instantly collapsed.

Manda roared in fury.

"You little brat!"

Its enormous tail swept across, whipping up a violent gale.

Tsunade landed, bent her legs, and shot forward again the next instant.

At the same time, Katsuyu opened her mouth and sprayed acid.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The acid splashed down before Manda, sending sheets of white smoke rising.

Forced to raise its head, Manda's tail swept through empty air and shattered distant rocks with a bang.

Orochimaru's expression grew uglier by the second.

His hands were still crippled, leaving many ninjutsu unusable.

Kabuto stood some distance away, watching Tsunade drive Manda back with punch after punch. His gaze behind his glasses darkened as well.

The current Tsunade was no longer the woman trapped by fear of blood.

There was no point in continuing this fight.

Orochimaru clearly understood that as well.

But Tsunade gave him no chance to speak.

She shattered the ground with one step, using the recoil to launch herself before Orochimaru.

Orochimaru slid backward like a snake, spitting the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth. Its cold gleam stabbed toward Tsunade.

Tsunade twisted aside, then reached out and seized his collar.

Orochimaru's expression changed.

Bang!

Tsunade smashed her fist into his face.

Orochimaru flew backward, rolled across the ground several times, and finally slammed hard into a pile of rubble.

Before he could get up, Tsunade was already standing before him.

She said nothing. She simply raised her foot and stomped down.

Boom!

The spot where Orochimaru had been lying was crushed into a deep crater.

His body slid out from the side. That cold, sinister smile still hung on his face, but it had faded considerably.

Tsunade raised her head.

"Orochimaru, are you still going to continue?"

Orochimaru fell silent for a moment.

He glanced at Tsunade, then at Chiya in the distance.

Chiya was kneeling on the ground, his right eye shut and his face pale, but the threat brought by those Mangekyō Sharingan had not yet faded.

Orochimaru did not want to take Heavenly Dominion a second time.

He gave a low laugh.

"Tsunade, you haven't changed at all."

Tsunade stepped forward.

Orochimaru did not linger any longer.

"Kabuto, let's go."

Kabuto immediately came to his side.

Bang!

White smoke burst forth, and Manda's massive body vanished from the wasteland.

Orochimaru and Kabuto swiftly retreated through the dust as well.

Tsunade remained where she was. Only after confirming they had left did she slowly lower her hand.

Then,

Shizune ran over.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade came back to herself, then turned and walked over to Chiya.

Chiya was still sitting on the ground, the small Katsuyu on his shoulder feeding chakra into him.

He looked up at Tsunade, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and forced out a smile uglier than crying.

"Did we win?"

Tsunade said nothing. She crouched down and pressed her palm against his chest.

Green chakra slowly flowed into him.

After a while, she frowned.

"Your chakra has been severely overdrawn."

Chiya spoke quietly. "I know."

Tsunade looked toward his eyes again.

Chiya instinctively tried to avoid her gaze, only for her to grab his head and hold it still.

"Don't move."

She examined him for a while, and her expression darkened.

"Use the Sharingan less from now on. Especially those two ocular techniques of yours. Keep using them recklessly, and your eyes will eventually develop problems."

Chiya was silent for a moment.

"There are too many problems. I don't have a choice."

Tsunade looked at him without speaking immediately.

That was true enough.

After a while, she rose to her feet.

"We'll talk after we get back."

After they returned to the inn, Tsunade directly pressed Chiya onto the bed.

Chiya had wanted to sit back up, but Tsunade glared him back down with a single look.

He could only lie there obediently.

The sky gradually darkened.

Tsunade sat at the table with a scroll spread before her, writing for a long time.

Chiya could not make out what she was writing. He could only hear the soft scratch of her brush across the paper.

After quite a while, Tsunade rolled up the scroll and tossed it into his arms.

"Keep it safe."

Chiya felt the scroll and froze for a moment.

"What is this?"

"The basic formula for the Yin Seal Technique."

Chiya's hand shook, and he nearly sat upright.

The Yin Seal? It was a technique that stored chakra within the body. Combined with Tsunade's Creation Rebirth Technique, it became the famed Strength of a Hundred Technique.

Tsunade leaned against the back of her chair, her voice flat.

"It's a technique for storing chakra in your body during ordinary times. Store more in the future, so you don't drain yourself dry every time you fight."

Chiya gave an awkward smile.

Tsunade continued, "Also, you're not suited to keep relying on the Sharingan. The stronger the ocular techniques, the greater the cost. You should know that better than anyone."

Chiya nodded.

"Then what should I do?"

Tsunade looked at the small Katsuyu resting on his shoulder.

"Go to Shikkotsu Forest."

Tsunade continued, "You can learn Sage Art there. If you can master Sage Chakra, your path will open up considerably."

The small Katsuyu spoke gently.

"If Lord Chiya is willing, I can guide you there."

Chiya held the scroll and slowly smiled.

"Okay."

Tsunade rose and headed outside.

When she reached the door, she paused.

"Recover first."

Chiya gave a quiet hum.

Tsunade pushed open the door and left.

The room fell silent.

Chiya lay on the bed, staring at the blurred ceiling beams, still clutching the scroll in his hand.