In Konoha: Three Choices at the Start

Kushina pulled a Kunai from her leg pouch and charged at Tsunade, her little face set with determination!

Tsunade neither dodged nor flinched. Just as the Kunai reached her, she caught it between two fair fingers!

Those fingers clamped down like an iron vise!

No matter how hard Kushina pushed, she could not move it an inch!

"Too slow, Kushina! And not strong enough, either!" Tsunade said with a smile.

She tightened her grip, snapping the Kunai in two.

"Darn it! Don't underestimate me, Tsunade!"

Tsunade's taunt sent Kushina into a rage. Chakra surged around her, and her red hair flew wildly!

Her other persona, the Red-Hot Habanero, had arrived!

Too furious to care who her opponent was, Kushina charged straight in with her fists!

Tsunade casually raised a hand to block.

Thud!

A muffled impact rang out between them.

Surprise flickered in Tsunade's eyes. That raw strength... Not bad!

She had known Kushina for so long, yet this was the first time she had seen that kind of strength from her.

Kushina would be a fine successor to her Strength of a Hundred Fist. But then Tsunade remembered who she was, and fell silent.

After all, Kushina was meant to learn the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu.

Wait. Sealing Jutsu requires exceptional Chakra control. It doesn't conflict with my Strength of a Hundred Fist at all. If anything, they're similar.

Kushina could learn both at once!

Tsunade blocked Kushina's attacks as she thought it over, her eyes growing brighter by the moment.

When Kushina began to pant, Tsunade swiftly threw two punches at her eyes!

And so the Shinobi World gained its first giant panda.

With that, Tsunade declared the match over.

She would never admit she was getting even for that shameless display of affection earlier.

"Tsunade! Couldn't you have hit me somewhere else? Why my eyes?"

Kushina covered her eyes and complained bitterly.

"Mikoto! You're up!" Tsunade turned away, ignoring Kushina's resentful stare.

Don't worry. You won't be the last.

"Teacher Tsunade! Forgive me!"

Mikoto stepped before Tsunade and took a stance, her expression serious.

"Mm. Begin!" Tsunade waved a hand dismissively.

Mikoto immediately sprinted toward her.

With a practiced flick of her hands, she sent eight Shuriken flying at Tsunade.

She pushed off hard and leaped into the air.

Her hands moved in a blur. Shuriken rained down, giving Tsunade no chance to counterattack!

Silver glinted behind the Shuriken: each trailed a fine, silvery thread!

"Oh?" Approval entered Tsunade's eyes as she watched from below.

She looks so mild-mannered, but this is far better than Kushina's charge.

Tsunade weaved through the barrage, curious to see what else her new student had planned.

"So that's your plan!" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

The Shuriken embedded themselves in the ground. Their threads linked together, forming a gridlike net that enclosed her completely.

Then Mikoto's clear voice rang out from above.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Her small hands flew through Hand Seals. As Chakra surged, flower-bud-shaped flames fell from the sky.

The flames struck the threads below, and in an instant, a sea of fire erupted.

Fire raced along the threads. Just as it was about to reach Tsunade, she finally moved. Her cool voice carried through the flames.

"Let me teach you something, girl. Against overwhelming strength, all those fancy tricks are useless!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tsunade gave a sharp cry. She raised her left hand, clenched her fist, and drove it into the ground as Chakra surged!

Boom!

A deafening roar rang out!

The earth caved in like paper, and cracks spread outward in a spiderweb.

Dirt and broken stone flew everywhere!

A powerful blast of air swept sand and gravel in every direction.

The towering trees nearby bent under its force.

Mikoto's flames rose with the blast, then went out in an instant.

Mikoto herself was blown backward.

Liuyun hurriedly caught her and brought her over to Kushina.

A moment later, the air cleared.

Tsunade looked at the three of them smugly. "Well? Your teacher's pretty strong, isn't she?"

"Wow, Tsunade! What Jutsu was that? It was amazing!"

Kushina's face lit up as she asked.

"It's a special move of mine called Strength of a Hundred Fist! Don't worry, I'll teach it to you!" Tsunade held her head high as she walked over to Mikoto.

"Not bad, girl! You thought it through, and you've even learned a Jutsu! You really are my student!"

"Thank you for the praise, Teacher Tsunade," Mikoto replied politely.

"But..." Tsunade's tone changed, and her fair fist darted out to strike Mikoto twice around the eyes.

A second panda was born.

"Now you match Kushina! A teacher must treat her students equally!" Tsunade admired her handiwork.

She turned to Liuyun, her tone far less friendly than it had been with the girls.

"Come here, brat! Let's see how strong your Genjutsu is. Maybe you can even beat me with it!"

Liuyun was speechless. You want to see my Genjutsu?

If I really use it, you might never get over the experience.

Then his eyes shifted, and an idea came to him.

Ding! Your wife has been detected plotting against you. Reassert your authority as her husband.

1. Fight Tsunade head-on and crush her. Reward: Mental Energy increased by 10%.

2. Fight her head-on and use Genjutsu to show her the fury of an old lecher. Reward: Mental Energy increased by 20%!

3. Fight her head-on, using both Genjutsu and Ice Release to make Tsunade see you in a new light. Reward: Chakra increased by 10%!

"I choose the second option, system!"

Now that he had the Mangekyo, he was short on Mental Energy.

After all, summoning that giant form required not just Chakra, but powerful ocular techniques.

And what fueled ocular techniques? Mental Energy, of course.

"Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?" Tsunade urged impatiently.

"Coming!" Liuyun stepped forward.

"You can do it, Liuyun!" Kushina and Mikoto called together.

"Come on, kid! Show me what you can really do!"

Tsunade looked almost fierce as she flexed her fists, itching to begin.

"As you wish!" Liuyun closed his eyes, then snapped them open!

Three Tomoe revolved within his scarlet eyes.

"Holy shit! A Three-Tomoe Sharingan?" Tsunade blurted out.

The scene before her eyes shifted like a mirage. In the blink of an eye, a sea of pink flowers filled her vision.

"Brat, this is your Genjutsu?"

Tsunade recovered from her shock almost instantly and surveyed her surroundings.

She smelled the flowers and touched a few petals. "It does feel remarkably real!"

"But you don't think this is enough to trap me, do you?"

"Today I'll show you that your precious Genjutsu isn't invincible!"

"No Genjutsu can withstand a single punch from me!"

As she spoke, vast amounts of Chakra gathered in Tsunade's hand. She swung her fist down at the flower field!

Boom!

A tremendous roar swept across the sea of flowers.

Spiderweb cracks appeared in the level ground and spread outward like a plague.

The earth split slightly. The blast hurled pink petals skyward, forming a curtain overhead.

Tsunade froze. Her fist had actually hurt when it struck the ground.

The scenery around her had not changed at all, either. Embarrassment washed over her.

So much for all that boasting. That backfired fast!

Nearby, Liuyun watched her with a smile. She wanted to crawl into a hole.

"That punch didn't count. This time I'm going all out!"

The Genjutsu World: Tsunade in a Sailor Uniform ### Liuyun floated in midair like a god ascending to heaven.

He swept his hand outward. The sea of flowers vanished, the ground healed, and everything returned to normal in an instant.

Then he extended an arm in invitation.

"Hmph! Don't look down on me!" Tsunade snorted.

She raised her right arm. Chakra streamed visibly toward it, gathering and compressing. The terrifying energy made the pink flowers at her feet sway.

She really is a madwoman. Even from midair, Liuyun could feel the fearsome power building in her right arm.

"Phew!"