Seeing that the others were unharmed, Tōshirō felt slightly relieved and softly called out, "Tsunade…"
"Your eyes are bleeding a lot," Tsunade said as she crouched down and began using her Mystical Palm Technique.
As her hand, glowing with a green light, approached his eyes, the pain in Tōshirō's eyes noticeably subsided.
"My injuries are nothing; what matters are Jiraiya and Orochimaru," Tōshirō said, grabbing Tsunade's wrist to stop her treatment. His gaze fell on his two companions lying unconscious nearby, his face full of concern.
Tsunade followed his gaze, biting her lower lip. The two were gravely injured; if they didn't receive immediate treatment, it wouldn't just be a matter of their lives being in danger—there could be severe long-term consequences even after recovery.
Tsunade understood this perfectly well, but the enemy wouldn't kindly let her treat them.
From the rubble, Dokai crawled out, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a ferocious expression. "That hurt…"
Tsunade's face turned pale. Landing a hit earlier had been pure luck, but this time, she doubted it would be so easy—especially against that seemingly invincible ninjutsu.
This overwhelming sense of powerlessness left even the fearless Tsunade feeling despair. Her shoulders slumped, and her spirit faltered.
Tōshirō noticed everything.
To defeat someone, you must first instill fear in their heart. If they succumb to fear, they'll defeat themselves before you even make a move!
Tsunade's current state mirrored what Tōshirō had just experienced.
As the paralyzing fear spread through Tsunade's body like an incurable plague, what came first was not the sound of a crisp slap but the sting of pain on her cheek.
Tsunade widened her eyes in shock. "What are you doing!?"
She had just been slapped for no apparent reason.
Tōshirō said calmly, "Good. At least you haven't been scared senseless."
Tsunade stared at him, dumbfounded, but quickly understood what was happening. "You... you're absolutely taking advantage of the situation!"
Tōshirō smiled. "You're really wronging me here…"
Tsunade reignited her fighting spirit. "Hmph, I'll deal with you after this!"
Tōshirō sighed. "If we survive."
The two of them stood side by side, adopting fighting stances.
Tsunade asked, "Do you have a plan to deal with him?"
Tōshirō replied, "No."
"Then why were you acting cool earlier?"
"If conditions aren't favorable, create them."
"So what's the plan?"
"Remember Tactical Plan B from our training?"
"Will it work?"
"Guess we'll find out."
"Fine. I'm counting on you…"
They exchanged a quick glance and immediately put their plan into action.
The first step was to evacuate the area to prevent the unconscious Jiraiya and Orochimaru from getting caught in the battle's aftermath.
When Dokai saw the two attempting to escape, he immediately gave chase.
He was fast, and it didn't take long for him to catch up.
By this point, however, they had already created a safe distance, allowing Tōshirō and Tsunade to fight without restraint.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Technique!"
Tōshirō spat out several fireballs that scattered in all directions like the seeds of a phoenix flower. They moved swiftly, controlled by chakra, making them incredibly difficult to evade.
"Hmph, a petty trick," Dokai scoffed, dodging toward the weakest point of the fireball formation.
But Tsunade had anticipated his move. Leaping into the air, she raised her right leg and brought it down with incredible force.
Heavenly Kick!
Dokai realized too late that the Phoenix Sage Flower Technique had been a decoy to lure him in.
With his Sharingan, he saw the massive chakra gathering in Tsunade's leg. Knowing her brutally strong fighting style, he dared not confront it head-on. He quickly retreated, avoiding her strike. Her kick missed him and struck the ground instead, causing significant destruction.
Tsunade, undeterred by her missed attack, pressed forward with relentless moves. She leaped, aiming a front kick, then twisted mid-air for a 180-degree spinning back kick.
Unfortunately, Dokai evaded her again. Refusing to give up, Tsunade landed smoothly and transitioned into a sweeping kick.
Dokai backed away, using his right foot to pivot into a quick lunging kick aimed at closing the distance.
By the time Tsunade realized the threat, her body couldn't react fast enough. Fortunately, Tōshirō intervened in time. With the enhanced perception of his three-tomoe Sharingan, he predicted Dokai's attack trajectory and blocked it with his arms.
But Dokai's strength was overwhelming. Even though Tōshirō managed to block, the sheer force sent both him and Tsunade flying.
As they lay on the ground, barely opening their eyes, they saw a figure descending from above. Lightning crackled around his legs as he stomped down with terrifying force.
The two quickly rolled to the sides, narrowly dodging the attack.
Dokai gave them no time to recover, targeting Tōshirō , the physically weaker one. He delivered a powerful soccer-style kick to Tōshirō's ribs, sending him flying several meters and spitting blood as he crashed heavily onto the ground.
Tōshirō landed awkwardly on his side, his legs crossed, resembling the classic defeated pose of Yamcha.
Seeing her ally in such a dire state, Tsunade's anger surged. Her brows furrowed tightly, and rage overtook her expression. She slammed her hands together, summoning a whirlwind of water that rose like a raging tide.
"Water Style: Water Collision Wave!"
Faced with the massive wave, Dokai pressed his hands to the ground, infusing it with chakra.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
A Tall Wall rose abruptly from the ground, forcing back the rushing waves.
At the same time, a fist suddenly burst out from behind him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and avoided taking a punch to the back.
Tōshirō, having missed his strike, retreated step by step to the water surface created by the Water Collision Wave, infusing his feet with chakra to avoid sinking and being at a disadvantage.
During the fight between Tōshirō and Dokai, Tōshirō gradually fell into a losing position. Seeing things turn dire, he had a sudden idea. He dispelled the chakra attached to his right foot, letting it sink into the water, and then delivered an upward kick.
Youth can lack integrity—Dokai's vision was obscured by the water. Seizing the opportunity, Tōshirō punched him in the abdomen.
At the same time, the water behind Dokai began bubbling and churning. Suddenly, Tsunade burst out from the depths, having been waiting for her chance, and aimed a powerful punch at Dokai's back.
Caught in a pincer attack, with threats both in front and behind, Dokai spread his legs in a split kick, sending both attackers flying. Midair, he quickly formed hand signs, channeling lightning through his hands and pressing them onto the water's surface. Using the conductivity of water, he electrocuted both Tōshirō and Tsunade.
The two writhed in pain, paralyzed on the water's surface, their expressions filled with frustration and unwillingness.
Dokai, both strong and cunning, looked at them with a tone of mockery, as though teaching a lesson. "As a ninja, you must learn to use the terrain to your advantage. Kid, you're too young and think too simply."
With that, he charged toward Tōshirō , aiming a punch at his chest.
But as his fist struck, Dokai froze—it didn't feel like he had hit flesh.
"Heh."
A voice, mocking and playful, came from Tōshirō as he smirked. In the next moment, his body turned to ice, trapping Dokai's hand. A chilling cold spread from the broken spot, releasing freezing air.
Frost began creeping over Dokai's arm, spreading to his body and even his face.
"As a ninja, you must anticipate your opponent's anticipations. It seems your mind has grown rigid with age."
Not far away, the unscathed Tōshirō spoke while forming hand signs in sync with a young woman beside him.
Moments later, the water around them, drawn by their chakra, began to surge, rising and forming a giant water dragon.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
Tōshirō followed up with more hand signs, focusing his chakra, and shouted as he infused the water dragon with his ice-element chakra.
"Crackle… crackle…"
The water dragon began freezing section by section, from head to tail. Its scarlet eyes glowed with fury as it roared and circled through the air, freezing everything in its path.
This was a combination ninjutsu:
Ice Style: Ice Wheel Dragon!
Dokai's pupils dilated in shock.
When did he...?
His gaze swept back to the spot where Tōshirō had initially been. A hole was visible there, and realization dawned—during his fight with Tsunade, Tōshirō had summoned a shadow clone, while his real body had been lying in wait.
Facing the massive, ferocious dragon charging toward him, Dokai smiled faintly.
He couldn't help but admire it—beautifully executed.
But against absolute power, all schemes and tricks were meaningless.
Closing his eyes and opening them again, the tomoe in his eyes transformed.
Originally reluctant to use the last gift Lord Madara had bestowed on him, he now had no choice.
The ice dragon struck, unleashing a thick white mist that obscured all vision.
"Did it work?"
Tsunade, breathing heavily, asked uncertainly.
If this attack failed to defeat the enemy, they were truly finished. She had almost no chakra left.
The answer came swiftly.
"This is…"
Tsunade's eyes widened as a massive figure emerged from the mist, its gaze piercing through the fog.
It was Susanoo.
"Tsunade, prepare yourself," Tōshirō said.
"What!?" Tsunade exclaimed, stunned. She glanced at Tōshirō, who was rapidly forming hand signs before pressing his palms onto the ice.
"It's over…"
Dokai, controlling Susanoo, shattered the ice encasing its exterior and was just about to move when something unexpected happened—his body froze in place.
Looking down, he realized with horror that icy hands had emerged from the ground, gripping his feet and immobilizing him.
"W-What is this!?"
Dokai was momentarily flustered. He never expected the attack to bypass Susanoo's defense and directly target his body.
In his moment of distraction, a massive ice hand emerged behind him, gripping him entirely, just as he had once done to Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Ice Style: Hell Demon's Hand.
With a low growl, Tōshirō commanded the ice hand to squeeze tightly. A pained scream erupted from within Susanoo as its user was attacked.
The assault on Dokai's body caused Susanoo to collapse instantly.
To execute this technique, there needed to be ice nearby. Tōshirō's Ice Wheel Dragon hadn't been aimed at defeating the enemy directly but at freezing the surrounding water to create the necessary conditions for this attack.
Of course, hitting the target with this move still required some luck.
The main reason it worked was that Dokai had too much confidence in Susanoo's defense, leaving him unprepared for an attack that bypassed it.
"Damn it…"
Dokai, gritting his teeth through the pain, poured chakra into his body. Though he managed to break free from the ice hand, he was gravely injured.
Before he could catch his breath, Tsunade charged at him, using the last of her chakra to power one final punch.
With a loud impact, Dokai was sent flying several meters.
Tōshirō walked toward him slowly. "Your abilities… I've seen through them entirely with these eyes."
Coughing up blood, Dokai chuckled bitterly. "Heh… looks like the truly naive one… was me."
(End of Chapter)
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