Tsunade had deliberately put considerable force into that slap, but Uya had simply taken it head-on. His body had barely even swayed.
That physique filled her with admiration.
Physical toughness was entirely different from the power of ninjutsu and the like. To build a truly strong body, one had to endure all kinds of genuinely grueling training.
Taijutsu was just that arduous.
For Uya to possess such a physique, and at this age, no less.
Tsunade could well imagine just how much effort Uya had put in to achieve all this.
She could not help sighing inwardly once more.
Just then, Uya looked timidly at Tsunade and suddenly ventured a timid remark.
It shattered the mood outright.
"Big Sister Tsunade, are you planning to study my body...?"
Pfft!
Tsunade's expression instantly turned exceedingly strange, and she nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
What kind of thing was that to say?!
He made it sound as though she had improper designs on him.
"Behave yourself! Keep talking nonsense, and I'll pull your tongue out!"
Tsunade glared at Uya with feigned anger.
Uya immediately stood obediently at attention.
Fine, study me if you want.
Having Tsunade examine his whole body was no big deal anyway, as long as it wasn't Orochimaru studying him...
Tsunade was indeed rather curious about Uya's body. In the end, she could not resist. She rested a hand on his shoulder and sent a portion of chakra into his body.
As a medical-nin, she was naturally well practiced at this sort of thing.
With ease, she examined everything inside Uya's body.
Then Tsunade's expression froze in astonishment.
"This is..."
Sensing everything inside Uya's body left Tsunade utterly shaken with disbelief.
Although the Eight Gates Released Formation was a forbidden technique, she had learned about it.
In fact, many elite jonin came into contact with the Eight Gates Released Formation, though they did not deliberately train in it.
Kakashi Hatake, for instance, could also open the initial gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation.
The first two gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation could even be considered support techniques.
Only from the third gate onward did the power unleashed reveal its true essence.
Sensing the two burning flames at Uya's heart and lower abdomen, Tsunade was shaken beyond measure.
This was clearly the state of having opened the Eight Gates Released Formation!
What was more, they seemed to be permanently open!
Even more unbelievable was why the gates he had opened were the Eighth Gate and Seventh Gate!
She could sense that all six preceding gates were closed!
"You... have you trained in the Eight Gates Released Formation?!"
Only after a long while did Tsunade ask Uya, disbelief written across her face.
Uya first nodded, then shook his head.
"What I practice is the Eight Gates Released Formation, but it's also somewhat different... it's another forbidden technique that works in tandem with my Quake Release Kekkei Genkai. I call it the True Eight Gates Released Formation."
Uya briefly explained the principles of the True Eight Gates Released Formation to Tsunade.
Only he, with his Quake Release Kekkei Genkai, could open this True Eight Gates Released Formation. Anyone else, even Tsunade, would probably be unable to master it.
Besides, even if Tsunade could master it, Uya would not mind telling her.
No matter what, Tsunade had helped him today.
Uya remembered those who treated him well. If someone gave him an inch of respect, he would return a foot. That was his guiding principle.
Not to mention that Tsunade had now rather dramatically become his big sister.
Whether it was a joke or she was serious.
Uya felt both respect and gratitude toward Tsunade.
Even after listening to Uya's explanation, it took Tsunade a long while to recover.
An extraordinarily strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes. She stared at Uya for a long time before finally taking a deep breath and giving a rueful smile.
"You brat, you really are a monster!"
"Then you're a monster's big sister."
Uya looked at Tsunade and chuckled.
Tsunade snorted. "Did you really think it would be that easy to become a little brother I acknowledge?!"
"Weren't you the one who agreed?" Uya looked at Tsunade rather helplessly.
A playful smile appeared on Tsunade's face. "I agreed, but that's not enough to earn my acknowledgment!"
"Then what would be enough?"
"I haven't decided."
Tsunade answered with a perfectly straight face.
Pfft!
Uya nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. So Tsunade had been teasing him this whole time.
Fine.
As expected of a woman who could become Hokage in the original story. Not only was she powerful, but her intelligence also had absolutely nothing in common with the phrase "big breasts, no brains"!
"In any case, keep working hard from now on. Give it everything you've got to earn my acknowledgment!"
Tsunade raised her chin slightly at Uya, then turned and walked gracefully away.
Did that count as being a tsundere?!
The corner of Uya's mouth twitched.
Just then, with her back still to Uya as she left, Tsunade suddenly flicked her wrist.
Tap!
The next moment, a scroll dropped lightly in front of Uya, and he instinctively reached out to catch it.
"This is..."
Looking at the scroll in his hand, Uya was briefly taken aback. He glanced toward Tsunade, who had already vanished into the darkness. Rather than chase after her, he opened the scroll and took a look.
"Just as I thought!"
Seeing the contents of the scroll, Uya's face lit up with pleasant surprise.
The training method for Monstrous Strength!
Tsunade had simply given it to him, just like that!
Tightening his grip on the scroll, Uya looked toward where Tsunade had vanished completely into the darkness, leaving no trace.
The corners of his mouth curved upward into a somewhat inscrutable smile.
Konoha, deep in the gloomy underground.
A masked figure abruptly flickered into a dark room.
The markings on his mask were somewhat more intricate than those of the Anbu.
He was a Root ninja.
"Lord Danzo, the mission failed."
"Hmm?"
In the darkness, Danzo opened his eyes and frowned slightly.
"Did someone from the Uchiha Clan stop you from rescuing that brat Uya...? Never mind. If you couldn't save him, so be it. The Uchiha Clan paid a sufficient price this time, and Uya's death served a purpose."
"It's just a pity that such a perfect tool was destroyed like this."
Just as Danzo was feeling somewhat regretful.
The Root ninja suddenly shook his head.
"Lord Danzo, the situation was different from what we anticipated. Uya's strength surpassed everyone's expectations. Not only was he completely immune to genjutsu, but his Quake Release Kekkei Genkai was also much more powerful."
"He killed Uchiha Kan."
Root ninja were utterly cold-blooded killers whom Danzo had deliberately trained to have no emotional fluctuations.
Even while delivering such shocking news, his tone remained calm.
But while he was calm, Danzo could no longer remain so.
"What did you say?!"
His eyes widened in an instant.
Even with Danzo's composure, he lost his poise somewhat at that moment.
What kind of joke was this?!
Such an almost inconceivable outcome had actually occurred!