---
"Is there anyone else?" Natsume scanned the valley below, his gaze sharp and wary. "Something feels off—like we're walking into a trap."
Kabuto Yakushi shook his head. "Nothing within my range, but they could be just outside of it."
"Let me check," Tsunade offered, her hands coming together for the Sensing Technique. After a moment, she frowned. "Still nothing. But stay sharp. They may be using jutsu to block detection."
"Understood," Natsume and the others replied in unison.
Tsunade took the lead, guiding them toward the northern side of the valley with purposeful strides. Her skills and raw strength were her best weapons, but she knew her team was ready. Shizune discreetly primed the poison needle mechanism on her arm, Kabuto had kunai at hand, and Natsume, skilled in Water Release, was prepared to support from a distance.
Kabuto's gaze sharpened as they approached. "There are clear signs of battle here."
Deep footprints and torn-up terrain marked the ground ahead, unmistakable traces of a powerful skirmish.
"This is from the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique," Tsunade noted, observing the massive footprints embedded in the dirt. "There's been a fight here. We're here to rescue, not retreat over suspicion."
Ahead, bodies littered the ground—mostly Kumo-nin, though a few Konoha shinobi lay among them. In the largest crater, Akimichi Shitō was sprawled out, his body covered in fresh wounds. When he saw Tsunade, a flicker of fear passed through his eyes. He shook his head frantically.
"There are traps everywhere," Kabuto warned, his senses keenly alert.
The desperation in Shitō's eyes made it clear: he wanted them to turn back.
"This is more than just traps," Shizune murmured, scanning the area. "They're likely lying in wait to ambush us."
The bait was straightforward—lure in rescuers, then trap them. But Natsume knew Tsunade would never abandon an injured comrade, even at great risk. That unyielding will was part of who she was.
"I'll save him. The rest of you, stay vigilant," Tsunade instructed, her tone resolute as she stepped forward.
Though famous as a medical ninja, Tsunade had no shortage of combat experience. Disabling traps was standard training, and while Natsume, Kabuto, and Shizune were skilled, Tsunade's expertise set her apart.
---
On a ridge overlooking the valley, twelve Kumo-nin waited, concealed behind a faint barrier that masked their presence.
"Just a woman and three brats? What's Konoha thinking, sending such a team for a rescue?" one of the Kumo jōnin scoffed.
Troy, their leader, grinned. "You don't recognize her? That's Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin."
Ryousuke's eyes widened. "That Tsunade?"
The other Kumo-nin exchanged uneasy glances. Tales of the Legendary Sannin were well-known, and Tsunade's reputation was formidable.
"Can we even handle her?" Ryousuke muttered, excitement tinged with doubt.
Troy smirked. "She may be famous, but she's known for her medical skills, not for taking on entire squads alone. Besides, we have four jōnin here, and I'm a master of Magnet Release. You think she'll get away?"
Ryousuke nodded, rallying his confidence. "With your Magnet Release, Troy, we've got this. Even Tsunade can't handle a Kekkei Genkai like yours."
Troy hefted two massive, square shuriken, his grin widening. "Remember, she's wanted alive. The Raikage will reward us handsomely for her capture."
---
Back in the valley, a high-pitched whistling sound cut through the air. Natsume glanced up, spotting a massive, square shuriken spinning toward him.
Without hesitation, he launched several kunai, striking the shuriken and deflecting it slightly off-course.
"Watch out! There's something strange about it!" Kabuto shouted as he threw more kunai at the shuriken. The projectiles bounced off, vibrating as they shot back toward them.
"This is Magnet Release," Kabuto confirmed grimly.
Tsunade continued healing Akimichi Shitō, her hands glowing with medical chakra. "That's Troy—the Magnet Release user from Kumogakure. Stay ready."
Natsume quickly formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A thick wall of water surged up to block the shuriken, but the weapon cut through with ease. Natsume was prepared for the follow-up.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A solid stone barrier rose behind the water, halting the shuriken's advance.
"The Sannin's apprentices are no joke," Troy remarked, his voice echoing as he and his team moved into the valley, encircling Tsunade's group.
With a wave of his hand, Troy recalled the shuriken to his side using Magnet Release. "You're surrounded. Surrender peacefully, and you won't suffer needlessly."
Natsume glanced toward Tsunade, who was still focused on healing Shitō, then made a quick decision. He bit his thumb, pressing his bloodied hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A thick cloud of smoke erupted, and when it cleared, Katsuyu, the giant slug, towered above them.
The Kumo-nin faltered, all but Troy, whose confidence remained unshaken.
"A slug summon?" Troy sneered. "Slugs are nothing compared to toads or snakes. I'll handle it. The rest of you—Tsunade is ours."
With a nod, Ryousuke and the others charged forward, each determined to bring down the Legendary Sannin.
---
The Sannin are legends.
When they appear together, most shinobi would rather flee than fight. But when they stand alone, Tsunade's reputation seems the weakest.
There are two main reasons for this.
First, she's a medical-nin. In the shinobi world, medical-nin are often seen as support on the battlefield—protected by others rather than leading the charge. Second, Tsunade has been inactive for years. Ever since she developed hemophobia during the Second Great Ninja War, she distanced herself from Konoha and the life of a ninja.
It's been over a decade since then, and the younger generation of shinobi hardly remember her.
Her most notable achievements—the legendary Sannin's battle against Hanzo the Salamander and her solo fight against Chiyo—highlight her brilliance as a medical-nin, but these feats don't instill the same fear as Orochimaru's monstrous experiments or Jiraiya's raw power.
That's why, when Troy saw Tsunade, he felt relieved rather than threatened. Had it been Orochimaru or Jiraiya, he might have reconsidered his approach. Their legacies cast longer shadows on the battlefield.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!" Ryosuke shouted, forming hand seals and launching a blazing dragon from his mouth.
Though Kumo shinobi are known for their Taijutsu and Lightning Release skills, their training in other elements is formidable. Every shinobi's chakra affinity is unique, and Ryosuke had mastered Fire Release.
The other Kumo-nin were not idle. They unleashed a barrage of kunai and shuriken, aiming to overwhelm their opponents.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" Natsume called out, his hands moving in rapid seals as he summoned a towering wall of water.
The fire and water clashed with a roar, sending steam rolling across the battlefield.
Within the mist, Kabuto moved like a shadow. His right hand glowed green with chakra, forming a deadly scalpel.
A sharp scream echoed. One of the Kumo-nin looked down in horror to see Kabuto's hand piercing through his chest, slick with blood.
"Damn it!" another Kumo-nin shouted, charging forward with his blade drawn.
Kabuto's expression remained unreadable as the sword neared.
"Die!" the Kumo-nin snarled, certain of his victory.
But before he could strike, a volley of shuriken flew out of the mist, hitting him in vital points. He dropped to the ground, lifeless.
Kabuto cut the chakra threads guiding the shuriken and dashed toward his next target. Shizune provided support from the rear, her eyes sharp and focused.
"Water Style: Water Trumpet!" Natsume called, launching a torrent at three approaching Jounin. Despite the pressure, he stood his ground, positioning himself protectively in front of Tsunade.
The water attack surged forward, clearing the last of the mist.
Natsume's expression grew serious. His next jutsu would take a toll, but it was necessary to reduce the enemy's numbers.
"This kid's a Jounin?" Ryosuke muttered, surprised. It wasn't uncommon to see young prodigies, but one this young, in a battle of this scale, was remarkable.
"I love killing geniuses," one of Ryosuke's fellow Jounin sneered. "They're strong in theory, but on the battlefield, they shatter."
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" the Jounin shouted, slamming his hands into the ground as a massive wall of earth rose up, neutralizing Natsume's water attack.
Droplets sprayed everywhere as the technique was countered.
Ryosuke relaxed slightly. "Just a kid, after all. Nothing to worry about."
Natsume inhaled deeply, forming another series of hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!"
A thin, high-pressure stream of water shot from Natsume's mouth, sharp as a blade.
The Jounin scoffed. "Pathetic."
But even as he mocked, he quickly formed his own seals. "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!" A massive dragon of mud erupted from the ground, spewing globs of mud toward Natsume.
In a blur, Natsume vanished, reappearing before the third Jounin, who had been aiming to attack Tsunade.
"You don't know when to quit," Natsume muttered, deflecting the attack with precision.
Before the Jounin could react, a scream tore through the battlefield. The Water Severing Wave had sliced through both the Earth Dragon and its caster in one clean stroke. Blood sprayed through the air before falling to the ground.
Two of the three Jounin were down.
Natsume shifted his gaze to Troy. He was the linchpin of the enemy formation.
Troy was holding his own against Tsunade, manipulating kunai and other metal weapons with Magnet Release. Katsuyu, the slug summon, stood by Tsunade's side, spitting corrosive acid at Troy's weapons and healing allies with its powerful chakra.
"You're dead!" the remaining Jounin shouted, lightning crackling around him as he lunged at Natsume with all his strength.
But Natsume remained calm. He wasn't the same frightened child Ryosuke had assumed he was.
"Wood Style: Wood Spindle Wall!" Natsume called, thrusting his hands forward. A thick barrier of wooden planks erupted from the ground, intercepting the Jounin's lightning attack.
"Wood Style…?" Ryosuke's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible…"
Ryosuke's instincts screamed at him to flee, to report this discovery to the Fourth Raikage. But Natsume wasn't about to give him that chance.
"Wood Style: Violent Spear Tree!" Vines burst from the ground, coiling into a massive tree that grew with astonishing speed, its branches binding Ryosuke and locking him in place.
Ryosuke struggled in vain against the constricting vines.
With his Wood Release revealed, Natsume knew he couldn't let any enemy survive. He glanced at the remaining Chūnin—locked in a hopeless struggle against Shizune and Kabuto.
Turning his gaze to Troy, Natsume noted that, in the original timeline, this man held some significance. He had to be worth a considerable amount of destiny points, and Natsume intended to claim that prize—not Tsunade.
Grasping the First Hokage's Necklace, Natsume felt a powerful rush of chakra surging within him, filling his body with overwhelming strength.
"Tsunade-sensei!" he called out.
Both Troy and Tsunade paused.
Troy, shaken by Ryosuke's death, felt his carefully laid plans falling apart. In a matter of minutes, he was the last survivor of what had been a perfectly executed ambush.
A glance from Natsume told her what he intended to do.
She stepped back, giving him the battlefield.
Natsume immediately took her place, moving toward Troy.
Troy's face contorted with rage. "What do you take me for—a toy to be passed between master and student?!"
Furious, he flung his massive shuriken toward Natsume.
"No direct contact!" Tsunade warned. "His shuriken magnetizes whatever it touches!"
Troy's Magnet Release was formidable—maybe not as advanced as the Third Kazekage's Iron Sand or the Fourth Kazekage's Gold Dust, but it was still deadly.
"Wood Style: Wood Spindle Wall!" Natsume summoned a wall of planks, effortlessly blocking Troy's shuriken mid-air.
"Wood Release?!" Troy's shock was evident.
He'd only heard of Wood Release in stories, but seeing it in action was terrifying.
A single thought filled his mind: Escape.
He had to survive and report this discovery to Lord Fourth Raikage. This was more valuable than capturing Tsunade herself.
But Natsume wouldn't allow him to escape.
"Wood Style: Violent Spear Tree!" Natsume called out.
Vines shot from his hands, merging to form a towering tree, its branches reaching toward Troy with ruthless precision. Troy tried to evade, but the vines wrapped around him, restraining him completely.
Against Wood Release, Troy's Magnet Release—his most prized weapon—was utterly ineffective.
[Due to your actions, Troy's fate has changed, and you have gained 49 Destiny Points.]
[Due to your actions, Hiruko's fate has changed, and you have gained 8 Destiny Points.]
[Due to your actions, Akimichi Shidō's fate has changed, and you have gained 9 Destiny Points.]
---