Tsunade gripped the base of the leg holding the electric gun tightly with both hands, using all her strength to try and pull it off completely. However, the Mi-Go's bio-armor was far stronger than she had expected. Even after unlocking the Reserve Seal, she couldn't tear it off immediately.
Whenever the Mi-Go endured external attacks, it would emerge on the surface of its body. Under Tsunade's power, the green mucus on the net-like armor gradually thinned out, indicating that it was only a matter of time before she could break it.
At that moment, the Mi-Go once again activated the technique from earlier, using the weapon in its hand to envelop its entire body in electricity, hoping to force Tsunade to release her grip. But this time, she didn't let go and instead faced the attack head-on.
The powerful electricity surged through her body, causing her skin to quickly turn charred. However, within seconds, her skin returned to its original state. This was her unique jutsu, the Hundred Healings, achieved by releasing the entire Reverse Seal.
After fully unlocking the seal, she could access the chakra she had accumulated over the years. This chakra would automatically heal any damage she sustained until it ran out. Whether the injuries were small or severe, her body would regenerate at an incredible speed, and the regeneration wouldn't disrupt her attack rhythm.
After activating this technique, she could transform from a rear-line medical ninja into a front-line tank.
"You want more chakra?" Tsunade growled.
"I'll give it to you!"
With a roar that shook the walls of the cave, she pulled the green mucus threads that made up the bio-armor to their breaking point. In an instant, they snapped under her monstrous strength, the sound like a thousand rubber bands giving way at once. Finally! Let's see how tough you are without your shell.
With the armor broken, the leg holding the electric gun offered little resistance as she angrily tore it off, spraying green fluid into the air. The sensation of ripping the limb from the alien body sent a shudder through Tsunade.
"Buzz."
The Mi-Go, when not mimicking human voices, could only emit a buzzing sound. This time, the frequency of the buzz was much higher than before, suggesting an emotional reaction to having part of its body ripped away.
Tsunade tossed the severed leg holding the electric gun aside, and the electric current coursing through her body came to an abrupt stop. Without the electricity, she no longer needed to expend chakra to regenerate her body and could now focus all her energy on defeating the Mi-Go itself.
She leaped onto its back, spreading her legs wide to stand firmly. Then, she hammered like a pile driver, pounding relentlessly on the its back.
The Mi-Go had no choice but to shake its body wildly, attempting to throw her off.
Chaos erupted in the cave as it thrashed around like a lobster, overturning surgical tables and workbenches. Despite the wild movements, Tsunade clung tightly to Mi-Go's back, unaffected thanks to her chakra's adhesive ability. All she needed to do was break through the bio-armor.
Meanwhile, Shizune quietly observed from a corner, watching another Mi-Go that had been hiding in the shadows. After Tsunade had torn off the Mi-Go's leg, this second Mi-Go was slowly making its way toward the tunnel, seemingly trying to escape.
She noticed that this Mi-Go was carrying two metallic cylinders with its midsection limbs. Between the cylinders, she could faintly make out an elliptical shape. Those must be... Oh no, we can't let it get away!
Having heard the general situation from Tsunade earlier, she could guess what was inside—Heiji's and Anko's brains, perhaps? She was ready to shout a warning, but held back for a moment. Come on, Tsunade-sama. Finish it quickly!
Back with Tsunade, she had already lost track of how many punches she had thrown. The Mi-Go's bio-armor was thinning under her attacks. The successive strikes created a large dent on its back, with the green mucus threads now as thin as spider silk.
Seeing that it was almost over, she clasped her fists together, combining her strength, and delivered one final blow.
"This ends now!" she roared as her fists descended. The punch didn't just break the bio-armor—it blasted a massive hole through the Mi-Go's body, and the terrifying force of the punch even cracked the ground beneath.
The impact reverberated through the cave, small rocks falling from the ceiling.
Without its bio-armor, the Mi-Go was extremely fragile, unable to withstand even a single finger from Tsunade. With a large wound on its body, it struggled a few more times before collapsing, its body shaking as it hit the ground.
Just as Tsunade was about to relax, her shoulders slumping slightly as the tension began to leave her body, Shizune's voice rang out from behind.
"Tsunade-sama, there's another one trying to escape!"
"Heiji's and Anko's brains are with it!"
"What? Damn it, we can't let it get away!" She spun around, quickly spotting the fleeing Mi-Go. Without a moment's rest, she charged after it.
The Mi-Go's full-speed escape was not slow, and even with Tsunade at her fastest, she couldn't catch up instantly. And the narrow, dark tunnel made the chase even more challenging. However, the distance between them was gradually closing.
Just as she was about to grab the Mi-Go's tail, it suddenly turned around, one of its limbs holding a bundle of metal tubes, aiming them at her. A burst of blue mist shot out from the tubes, and in the narrow tunnel, Tsunade had no time to dodge. The mist hit her directly.
"Damn!" she screamed as she felt the effects taking hold.
A chilling sensation spread across her skin, and in less than a second, her skin lost all feeling. This was the kind of numbness only extreme cold could cause, temporarily paralyzing the surface tissues of her body.
It seemed that the metal tubes had sprayed some sort of freezing mist.
But this didn't pose much of a threat to her. With the Hundred Healings still active, the effects of the freezing mist would wear off in just a few seconds, allowing her to resume the chase.
However, in those few seconds, the Mi-Go had gained significant distance and was almost at the tunnel's exit. Upon reaching the outside, Mi-Go let out a loud buzz toward the sky and unfurled its large, fleshy wings that had been curled up on its back.
With a few flaps, its pink body lifted off the ground, rising to about waist height. But after a few more flaps, instead of gaining altitude, it began to descend.
Just as it was about to get away, Tsunade had grabbed its leg.
"Going somewhere without me?"
With a shout, she yanked Mi-Go down with brute strength, spinning it around like a top. As she released her grip, Mi-Go's body flew like a kunai, crashing into a distant tree.
This Mi-Go also had biological armor, providing it with considerable resistance to physical attacks. And this made Tsunade cautious, as she quickly jumped toward a tree to check on the Mi-Go's condition.
The Mi-Go, which Tsunade had thrown, was curled up like an injured caterpillar, its body limp. Green fluid oozed from the tentacles on its ellipsoid upper body. Although the biological armor hadn't been damaged by the violent collision with the tree, it had no shock-absorbing capacity, leaving it seriously injured.
It was like putting a person in a metal box and then throwing it from a great height. In theory, the person wouldn't die from the fall due to the protection of the metal box, but they could still be killed by the impact inside. The Mi-Go was in a similar situation; while its exterior appeared mostly intact, its internal organs had been severely shaken.
Although it wouldn't die, it was incapacitated for the time being. Despite possessing various advanced technologies, Mi-Go bodies were inherently fragile, similar to the strength of ordinary biological creatures.
Attached to its feet were two metal cylinders, hooked to structures resembling crab claws. She retrieved the cylinders and examined their contents. Her hands trembled slightly as she handled the containers, acutely aware of their precious cargo.
Despite the bumpy ride, the brains inside hadn't been damaged due to the protective liquid surrounding them.
Though these bodies were lost, the brains retained their consciousness, meaning that, in a sense, they were still human. Perhaps.
Looking at the weakened Mi-Go and then at the two cylinders containing brains, Tsunade knew she had to begin cleaning up the situation. She dragged the Mi-Go back into the cave, and Shizune quickly approached, asking, "Tsunade-sama, is everything resolved?"
"Yes," Tsunade nodded, but then added, "Maybe."
Her response was ambiguous because, while she had dealt with two Mi-Gos, she didn't know how many more were out there.
As Shizune stared in shock at the Mi-Go lying on the ground, emitting a faint buzzing sound, Tsunade suddenly ordered, "Shizune, go to the Abe family and bring me Ishitaro's brain and the other three devices from the small cabinet."
"Oh, uh... yes!" Shizune quickly turned and left the cave.
While she was gone, Tsunade used the time to deactivate her Reverse Seal technique. Before long, her skin visibly aged, turning from youthful to wrinkled in just a few seconds—a side effect of the technique.
Using this ability made her body appear extremely old, but after resting for a short while, she could return to her normal appearance. Tsunade, after all, was still a woman and didn't want Shizune to see her in such a state.
Moreover, she truly needed the devices that connected the brains in the cylinders.
By the time Shizune returned, Tsunade had recovered, and Shizune brought along Ishitaro's brain as well as three other devices.
"I've brought everything, Tsunade-sama," she reported, setting the items down carefully.
"Good work, Shizune."
Tsunade didn't feel the need to say much about Ishitaro's brain, which had already lost all rationality. However, she believed it was still worthwhile to try speaking with the brains of Anko and Heiji.
The Mi-Go had brainwashed them using a process similar to inducing dreams through hypnotic influence on their brains in the cylinders. This was a lengthy process that required time. However, the brains of Heiji and Anko had only been removed that night, so the Mi-Go likely hadn't had enough time to complete the brainwashing.
She connected one of the devices to a metal cylinder. A projection of Heiji's face appeared, expressionless as usual, and he immediately asked, "Tsunade-sama, what are you doing here?"
"No, where am I?"
"Where have you taken me?"
Before he could ask more questions, Tsunade unplugged the device. She felt there was no need to speak with him further. His brain was still in the state it had been before falling asleep, untouched by brainwashing. It's better this way.
As for why she didn't explain the situation to Heiji, it was because she believed it would do him no good to understand what had happened. It was like a nightmare—there was no need for someone to remind you of the details of the dream. Some nightmares are better left forgotten, her hand hovered over the next cylinder.
If Heiji hadn't been brainwashed, then Anko should be—
Her trembling hand reconnected the device, and Anko's face appeared in the projection.
"Tsunade-sama?"
"Is that you, Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade deliberately kept her face hidden in the darkness to observe Anko's reaction. She also felt too ashamed to face Anko. After all, Anko was in this state because she had taken her out of the village and failed to protect her.
What did it mean for a ninja to be left with only a brain, no body? No, what did it mean for a human? This was worse than death. It was unbearably cruel for a young girl.
She just couldn't stand thinking about it anymore. The more she dwelled on it, the more guilty she felt.
Meanwhile, Anko seemed unaware of Tsunade's distress and spoke instead: "I had a long, long, and terrifying dream."
"In the dream, I was learning and doing missions with Orochimaru-sama. That time was so joyful."
"And then I was abandoned by Orochimaru-sama."
Anko's voice from the cylinder didn't hide her reverence for Orochimaru, as the device conveyed her brain's true thoughts, similar to telepathy, which couldn't lie. This meant that Anko truly recalled memories she should have forgotten, indicating that the Mi-Go had accessed her memories.
"Then, I dreamed of a huge pink fly."
"I was so scared. I wanted to run away."
"But for some reason, I couldn't move."
"My clothes were violently torn off, and I lay quietly on an operating table. That fly monster looked at my body and then used its tentacles to cut open my scalp..."
Anko described the surgery in detail. Tsunade remained silent, while Shizune quietly covered her face with her hands. In the end, Anko recounted everything from the dream and then asked, "Tsunade-sama, was my dream real?"
Tsunade struggled to answer, choking on her words. Whether she revealed the truth or not, it would be too cruel for Anko. How do I tell her? How can I possibly explain this? She desperately searched for the right words.
After a long silence, Tsunade finally whispered, "It's all my fault."
"It's my fault for taking you out of the village and causing you to have such a terrible nightmare."
Anko, however, gave a mechanical smile and said, "It's not Tsunade-sama's fault. You only fulfilled my wish."
"I wanted to follow you and learn about the past of Orochimaru-sama by staying close to you."
"My wish has now been fulfilled."
"So none of this is your fault, Tsunade-sama."
Anko seemed to understand her situation, yet she showed no shock. Instead, she comforted Tsunade, making her feel even more ashamed. How can she...? I've failed her completely...
Suddenly, Tsunade stood up and said, "Anko! No matter what it takes, I'll make sure this is all just a bad dream."
"I swear on the name of the Senju Clan!"