Hearing that, Tsunade declared that only an idiot would believe him. She certainly didn't.
Still, she decided to give Nobuhiko a way out. "Stop wailing and get up. I'll give you a chance."
Nobuhiko immediately stopped wailing, returning to full health in an instant. He sprang up from the ground and excitedly asked what kind of chance.
Tsunade curled her lip, looking even more disdainful.
"Since I've already decided to help you get stronger, I need to understand your abilities first. Nothing's faster than fighting you. As long as your strength satisfies me, I'll consider it."
"How about you consider just punching me to death instead, Sister Tsunade?" Nobuhiko said, looking as though he had nothing left to live for.
"That's an option too. Want to try it?" With that, Tsunade raised her fist and made as if to swing at him.
That gave Nobuhiko quite a fright. Even though he knew she was faking it, the pressure from that oncoming fist was very real.
Nobuhiko promptly chose to back down again. Before her fist could reach him, he generously accepted the invitation to a fight that was called a test of his strength but was really an excuse to settle a personal score.
Once they had taken their positions, Nobuhiko shouted at Tsunade, "Bring it on, Sister Tsunade! I'm ready!"
Hearing Nobuhiko's shameless boast, Tsunade, who had intended to go easy on him during their fight, decided to get a little more serious and let this little pervert fully experience her might as Princess Tsunade of the Konoha Sannin.
With a bang, Tsunade pushed off the ground and charged straight at Nobuhiko, frightening him into hastily forming hand seals.
There was another bang, and stone fragments flew everywhere. Tsunade smashed the rock Nobuhiko had switched with using the Substitution Technique into rubble with a single punch.
Standing some distance away, Nobuhiko was panting heavily, his face pale. It wasn't from exhaustion, but fear.
Even knowing this was just a test, seeing Tsunade charge at him so fiercely was still quite frightening.
If he had dodged a little too slowly, that rock would have been a preview of his fate.
"Pretty quick reactions, kid," Tsunade said with a smile.
"Your turn to bring it on. Don't tell me you're all talk! Hahahahaha!" This time, Tsunade planted both hands on her hips and threw her head back, laughing smugly.
Seeing how badly she had frightened Nobuhiko improved Tsunade's mood considerably.
"Then you'd better be careful, Sister Tsunade." Nobuhiko took a deep breath, preparing to counterattack.
"You little brat. You just can't go a moment without boasting, can you?" Tsunade said with a hint of disdain.
Argh! This is infuriating!
For the first time, Nobuhiko hated being so young. If he were just a few years older, or a dozen or so, he guaranteed he would teach Tsunade a lesson she wouldn't forget!
Taking another deep breath and readying his hands to form seals, Nobuhiko resolved that this time, he would absolutely not humiliate himself with any more tough talk.
His hands shifted through the seals: dog, horse, sheep. Three seals in one second, swiftly completed.
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
A powerful current of air roared from Nobuhiko's mouth toward Tsunade, spreading over an ever-widening area.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Tsunade formed hand seals and slapped her hands against the ground. A three-meter-tall earthen wall rose up, blocking the violent current of air.
Listening to the wind howling past her ears, Tsunade gained a preliminary understanding of Nobuhiko's strength.
Being able to expand the power of Wind Release: Breakthrough to this scale with a five-year-old's chakra reserves was already excellent.
When Nobuhiko saw Tsunade use the Earth-Style Wall, he noticed that it blocked both of them from each other's view. He immediately formed the tiger seal and used the Shadow Clone Technique.
Poof!
Two shadow clones appeared.
Then his original body formed the sheep seal and used the Transformation Technique.
Poof!
Nobuhiko transformed into a large shuriken, which one of his shadow clones held.
The two shadow clones split up, one in front and one behind. The first went around the Earth-Style Wall, while the second stood in front of it holding the "original-body shuriken," seemingly waiting for something.
Upon spotting Tsunade, the shadow clone without the shuriken immediately formed the dragon, ox, and rabbit seals.
"Water Release: Water Trumpet!"
A violent stream of water gushed from his mouth, forming a waterfall-like jet that rushed toward Tsunade.
Seeing this, Tsunade used the Body Flicker Technique to leap onto the Earth-Style Wall.
Now! Nobuhiko's shadow clone hurled the "original-body shuriken" at Tsunade with all his strength.
Seeing Nobuhiko use this tactic, Tsunade smiled and turned sideways, dodging the shuriken.
She was just about to mock Nobuhiko when she heard a poof behind her.
Tsunade turned to look and discovered that the shuriken had turned into Nobuhiko, who was forming hand seals.
She was a little surprised, but not much.
Airborne, Nobuhiko formed the dog and dragon seals, then pressed his palms together before extending his right hand toward Tsunade.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Compressed into a violent gale, the wind roared from Nobuhiko's right hand, blowing a log straight out of the training ground.
"Not bad, kid. You even forced me to use the Substitution Technique."
Tsunade stood beneath a tree at the edge of the training ground, teasing him.
"Hehehe, you're still better, Sister Tsunade. I've used every ninjutsu I can. Are you satisfied with my strength?"
Nobuhiko scratched his head sheepishly, his expression ingratiating.
"It's passable. We'll call this matter settled. If there's a next time..."
Before she finished speaking, Tsunade suddenly raised her foot and stamped down. Dust flew everywhere as the ground cracked outward from beneath her foot and sank.
Then Tsunade raised an eyebrow, shot Nobuhiko a challenging look, and jutted her chin toward the ground she had just cracked.
Silence spoke louder than words!
Nobuhiko understood it all.
Tsunade means that if there's a next time, she'll step on me with those little feet of hers.
It might hurt a bit, though.
But that doesn't matter. As long as she takes off those high-heeled sandals, how much could it hurt?
It's nothing but a little wind and frost!
Seeing Nobuhiko's thoughtful expression, Tsunade assumed he understood her meaning. She waved her hand and called out to him.
"Let's go. It's lunchtime. You bought breakfast, so lunch is on me."
A barbecue restaurant in Konoha.
Nobuhiko and Tsunade had already switched into binge-eating mode.
All kinds of grilled meat arrived in an endless stream, and they ate everything served.
After eating for a while, Tsunade noticed something was wrong.
"Hey, kid, there's something wrong with that appetite of yours!"
"Mmph, whash wrong with it? I alwaysh eat a lot."
Nobuhiko's mouth was stuffed with grilled meat, grease coating his lips. Between eating and talking, his mouth was thoroughly occupied.
Watching him, Tsunade felt she might have been tricked. She stopped talking and went back to wolfing down her food.
After the meal, Tsunade looked at her wallet, now more than half depleted, then gave Nobuhiko a resentful look, as though saying he could eat more than a pig. Although she, Princess Tsunade, wasn't short of money, she still couldn't waste it like this.
That much money would have been enough for her to lose several rounds at a gambling house.
Pah, pah, pah! Don't jinx it! I could clearly have won even more money with it, but now it's all gone in one meal. Sigh. That's one less bit of fun.
Seeing the resentment in Tsunade's eyes, Nobuhiko instantly felt refreshed. After all, she had had him under her thumb all morning, and now he had finally vented some of his frustration.
But while he could think that, he couldn't say it.
Nobuhiko said sheepishly, "I'm really sorry, Sister Tsunade, for making you spend so much. You know I'm still growing, so I might eat a little more than most. Once I graduate from the Ninja Academy and become an excellent genin, can I give you a share of all the money I earn from missions?"
Hearing that, Tsunade felt a little less distressed. But to preserve her dignity as an adult, she still painfully refused. After all, she had been the one to offer to treat him.