The rain fell steadily, like a curtain descending, creating a gentle mist that hung in the air.
"Don't let anything happen to you, kid!"
Tsunade carried the unconscious Hikari on her back. Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her well-toned frame and revealing subtle, graceful contours.
The scenery blurred as she sped by, wind whipping at her ears.
"Hanzo, you better pray that he's okay, or I swear I'll kill you!"
Her voice was filled with anger and regret, chiding herself for falling into such a blatant trap. She was usually more cautious, but this time she'd let her guard down.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, she'd found Hikari abandoned in the forest, realizing that it was a setup by the enemy to lure her away from Uchiha Sogetsu.
Though she didn't fully understand why Hanzo would do this, she knew one thing for sure—Uchiha Sogetsu was in danger.
With Tsunade running at full speed, it took her about fifteen minutes to get back to the area.
"This is..."
She stopped abruptly, her beautiful eyes widening in shock.
The entire valley was in ruins, bearing signs of a brutal battle. Scorched ground, uprooted trees, and craters from powerful ninjutsu like Fire Release and Wind Release spread across the scene.
He has to be okay.
Tsunade bit her lower lip, trying to calm herself.
Taking a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, she pressed on.
The ground was slick with mud and rain, with faint traces of blood stains being washed away.
Tsunade followed the trail of blood, eventually finding the boy lying behind a broken boulder, unconscious from his severe injuries. A large pool of blood surrounded him.
"Kid?!"
Tsunade was startled as she rushed over to the injured boy, crouching down to assess his wounds.
"Luckily, no vital organs were hit. There's a lot of blood loss, though." She frowned, clenched her teeth, and her usually bright eyes burned with fury. "The poison from Ibuse... it must be Hanzo!"
But it seemed that someone had managed to bandage the boy's injuries, allowing him to survive until she arrived. The tension in her heart began to ease, and her worst fears had not come true.
Tsunade's taut nerves finally relaxed, and the nightmare that had haunted her mind seemed to dissipate. The boy would live, for now.
"Don't worry, kid," she whispered, her eyes softening as she brushed a hand across his pale face. "I won't let you die here."
In that moment, the past and present blurred together in Tsunade's mind. The unconscious boy before her looked eerily like a young Nawaki. The resemblance brought back painful memories, and she struggled to keep her composure.
"Stay calm, Tsunade," she muttered to herself, taking deep breaths. Although she still felt the grip of her hemophobia, she managed to keep it under control.
Suddenly, the tense atmosphere was shattered by a commotion nearby.
"Hanzo-sama is here!"
"Someone's killed Hanzo-sama! Who did it?!"
"Look, it's Tsunade!"
"She must have done it!"
Elites from the Hidden Rain Village burst onto the battlefield, finding Hanzo's body mummified and lifeless.
The elite Jonin, already hostile toward the Konoha forces, turned their suspicion immediately toward Tsunade, believing she was responsible for Hanzo's death.
In an instant, Tsunade found herself in the center of the storm, surrounded by enemies ready to strike.
"Tsunade! How dare you kill our leader!"
"Capture her! Make sure she's buried with Lord Hanzo!"
A dozen elite Rain Ninjas launched their attack without hesitation, surging toward Tsunade.
However, Tsunade remained calm. She bit her thumb and pressed it to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Katsuyu!"
With a puff of smoke, two large slugs materialized, each the size of a human.
"Protect them," she ordered the slugs.
"Understood, Tsunade-sama," they replied before enveloping two of her companions, ensuring their safety.
As the slugs secured the area, Tsunade stepped forward to face the advancing Rain Ninjas. Her usual playful demeanor was replaced with a cold, resolute expression.
The sound of her knuckles cracking echoed as she clenched her fists tightly. "Since Hanzo is gone, you owe me a debt," she said in a low voice. "And I'm here to collect."
"What's there to fear? She's just one woman!" The Rain Ninja leader tried to rally his men. "There are over a dozen of us. Are you telling me she can take us all down?"
"Yeah, exactly!" the others chimed in, brandishing their kunai. "We're trained by Hanzo-sama himself! There's no way she can defeat us!"
They lunged toward Tsunade, confident in their numbers and skill. But amidst the chaos, one Rain Ninja chose a different path. Instead of charging at Tsunade, he turned and fled, not daring to look back.
"Kill Tsunade? That's insane!" he muttered to himself while sprinting away. "We're just low-level soldiers. Who are we to challenge Konoha's Sannin?"
Having survived the Second Great Ninja War under Hanzo's command, he understood the significance of the "Konoha Sannin" title. Taking on one of them alone was a fool's errand, and he had no intention of being the next casualty.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!!!"
Angry Tsunade leaped high into the air, and her right leg came down like a battle axe.
Boom! ! !
The earth seemed to tremble, shaking with a cacophony of noise. Tsunade, who once struck fear into the entire ninja world, unleashed her full destructive power.
Her foot slammed into the hard stone ground with the force of a meteorite, creating a shockwave that surged tens of meters into the air, sweeping out with devastating force.
In an instant, a dozen elite Rain Ninjas were decimated, crushed into unrecognizable pieces by the overwhelming force. The Rain Ninja who was fleeing felt his vision blur and his throat tighten as if gripped by an iron vise.
When his vision cleared, he saw a face that was both beautiful and mature, yet ice-cold.
"You've got one chance," Tsunade said, her fingers tightening as she lifted him off the ground. Her eyes were as sharp and cold as blades. "Who ordered Hanzo to attack him?"
"Yes, yes... It was people from Konoha," the Rain Ninja stammered, struggling to breathe as he spoke.
His face turned red as he fought to get the words out, knowing he couldn't hide anything. He continued, "Danzo sent someone here. He told Hanzo to kill that man and take his Sharingan."
"It's Danzo again!"
Tsunade's eyes flared with rage, her cold gaze flashing with a hint of murderous intent. "I'll deal with you when I get back!" she said, her voice low and furious.
Overcome with emotion, she lost control of her strength.
Click!
The Rain ninja's eyes widened, his neck snapped, and life drained from his pupils.
He hadn't expected to meet such an unjust end. Despite having spilled valuable information, he couldn't escape his fate.
Tsunade, her expression impassive, seemed to sense the question in the Rain ninja's dying gaze. She felt no guilt, simply shrugging and saying, "Oops, guess I lost control for a second. You shouldn't have had such a breakable neck. A little squeeze and... snap!"
She discarded the body without a second thought, her anger simmering as she spat out, "Danzo, right? Just you wait!"
Storming away, Tsunade's frustration grew.
"Did he really think there's no one backing me up? If I don't make him cough up blood, he won't understand just how strong the Senju clan is!"
She was Tsunade, descendant of the Senju clan, apprentice to the Third Hokage, founder of Konoha's medical system, and interim director of Konoha Hospital!
Today, she was going to test just how capable Danzo's ROOT is.
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