"Auntie, what's this? It's only been two years, and you don't even recognize your own nephew?"
Kenya took the pipe out of his mouth and tapped the ash off against the edge of the gambling table.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Senju Kenya."
"Former Konoha Genin, current owner of the Iron Fist Chamber of Commerce in the Land of Waves."
At that name.
Tsunade's eyes instantly widened.
Senju Kenya?
The clan orphan who, according to the intelligence reports, had shattered Hokage Rock with a single punch and infuriated Konoha High Command until they spat blood?
The S-rank missing-nin whom Danzo was hunting everywhere, with a ridiculously high bounty on his head?
Although she wandered far from home, she had still heard about the major events in Konoha.
She had simply always assumed those rumors were too exaggerated, surely excuses Konoha High Command had fabricated to cover up their incompetence.
A fifteen-year-old boy who had been under surveillance for years and didn't even know any decent ninjutsu.
How could he possibly possess the strength to shatter Hokage Rock?
But now, looking at the young man before her, nearly six feet three tall, his muscles like cast black iron and his presence even more overbearing than the old man's.
Tsunade's worldview wavered a little.
"Are you really... Kenya?"
Tsunade's gaze was full of scrutiny, and even a trace of wariness.
"Why do you have the old man's pipe?"
"I stole it, obviously." Kenya shrugged indifferently. "Grabbed it on my way out. Works pretty well."
At those words.
Not only Tsunade, but even the gamblers and dealers watching nearby sucked in a breath.
Stealing the Hokage's pipe?
How much nerve did that take?!
Was this kid insane?
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. Rather than fading, her wariness only deepened.
The Senju Clan had fallen so far.
How could a descendant with such outrageous wealth and presence suddenly appear?
In this deceitful Shinobi World.
Transformation Techniques and disguise techniques were endless.
An enemy nation could have sent a spy to impersonate a descendant of the Senju Clan, trying to exploit her identity for some unspeakable scheme.
To Tsunade, that possibility was far more likely than Kenya actually being her nephew.
"Hmph. A brat spouting nothing but nonsense."
Tsunade sneered and slowly clenched her fists.
"No matter who sent you, you'll pay for daring to pull this crap in front of me!"
Before she finished speaking.
Tsunade suddenly moved.
She formed no hand seals and used no ninjutsu.
Instead, she raised her right leg, compressing chakra into her heel to the utmost.
A terrifying aura instantly erupted from her body.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
With a fierce shout.
Tsunade's fair right leg came cleaving down toward Kenya's head with thunderous force, carrying terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone!
Not only was the kick extremely fast, it also contained the overwhelming monstrous strength that had made Tsunade famous throughout the Shinobi World.
If it struck the ground squarely, never mind a person-even a small hill would have been split in half instantly!
"Lady Tsunade! Don't!"
Shizune went pale with fright and screamed, clutching Tonton.
She had never imagined that Lady Tsunade would launch a lethal attack on a complete stranger in a crowded place like a casino, with so many eyes watching.
The surrounding gamblers scattered in terror.
They feared being caught in that terrifying monstrous strength and ending up smashed to pieces.
Yet.
Facing this strike of Heavenly Foot of Pain, renowned throughout the Shinobi World.
Kenya merely raised an eyebrow.
He neither dodged nor drew any weapon.
He simply raised his right hand at a leisurely pace.
That large hand, gleaming like black gold, reached straight out to meet Tsunade's descending heel.
"You're asking to die!"
Anger flashed in Tsunade's eyes, and she added still more force to her foot.
Since this brat wanted to catch her Heavenly Foot of Pain with one hand, she would oblige him!
She would cripple his hand and see if he still dared to talk tough!
Bang-!!!
An incredibly dull, thunderous crash echoed through the casino.
There was no spray of flesh and blood as imagined.
Nor was there the terrifying sight of the ground cracking and the entire casino collapsing.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Tsunade's heel, containing terrifying monstrous strength, came to a steady stop in Kenya's palm.
It was as though an indestructible iron anvil were holding it firmly in place.
It could not descend another fraction of an inch!
Even the wooden floor beneath Kenya's feet had not developed a single crack!
"This... how is this possible?!"
Tsunade's beautiful eyes were now filled with incredulous shock.
She knew her own strength better than anyone.
Although she had not used her full strength in that kick, it was absolutely not something an ordinary ninja could take head-on!
Even that idiot Jiraiya would have broken his arm on the spot if he dared to catch this move with one hand!
Yet this young man before her.
Had not only caught it one-handed.
But also.
He had actually absorbed and neutralized that immense destructive force completely!
Not a single escaping shock wave damaged their surroundings.
What terrifying bodily control and extraordinary muscle strength was this?!
"Pretty good strength, Auntie."
Kenya grinned, his handsome face full of composure and confidence.
"But compared to my special training, it's still a little light."
Kenya suddenly tightened his hand.
Five fingers like steel rebar locked firmly around Tsunade's ankle.
Tsunade's expression changed.
She felt as though her ankle had been caught in iron pincers, and there was even a faint sting of pain.
She instinctively tried to pull her right leg back.
But what filled her with despair was.
No matter how hard she strained or how she mobilized the chakra inside her.
Her ankle did not budge in Kenya's grip!
Absolute suppression through strength!
An utterly unreasonable crushing through pure physical power!
Tsunade sucked in a breath.
Looking at the smiling, relaxed young man before her.
Her heart churned with towering waves.
This kid really hasn't used any ninjutsu or chakra!
With nothing but that unbelievable physical strength, he took my monstrous strength head-on and even overpowered me in return!
How is this possible?
When did the Senju Clan produce a monster this absurd at pure taijutsu?!
This toughness, this strength.
Even Grandfather (Hashirama Senju) in his day probably wasn't any better at pure hand-to-hand combat, was he?
"Brat..."
Tsunade stopped struggling. She knew she had already lost this contest of strength.
And lost utterly.
"Who exactly are you?"
She spoke again, her voice no longer carrying its earlier hostility, replaced by deep curiosity and a barely perceptible trace of anticipation.
Kenya gently released Tsunade's ankle and stepped back half a pace.
He pointed at the chest of gold coins on the table, then at his own face.
"Didn't I just tell you? I'm Senju Kenya."
"A genuine orphan of the Senju Clan."
"As for why I turned out like this..."
Kenya rubbed his chin and gave it some very serious thought.
"Maybe I've been doing more push-ups lately."
Those words, with their obvious teasing tone.
Had he said them a minute earlier, Tsunade would absolutely have punched him without hesitation.
But now.
Looking at Kenya's black-gold muscles, which could easily neutralize even her monstrous strength.
Tsunade actually believed him a little.
She rubbed her slightly reddened ankle, studying Kenya with a complicated gaze.
The contours of his face, the resolve faintly visible in his features, did indeed bear some resemblance to the frail little boy in her memory.
Most importantly.
That overbearing yet not unpleasant air about him.
That easygoing, bold, unrestrained personality.
Was exactly like the wildness ingrained in the Senju Clan's bones.
In fact, he surpassed it.
"You little bastard..."
Tsunade looked at the smiling young man before her, a complicated yet gratified look flashing in her eyes.