The sun beat down on the deserted training ground. Tatsumi sighed; negotiations had clearly failed. His fledgling Face Fruit abilities were no match for a Jonin like Tsunade. He'd have to rely on his hidden strengths – whatever those might be. Don't persuade, just do it, he thought grimly. He knew he couldn't win, not yet, not before graduation. Tsunade was notoriously stingy, savage, and domineering. But that wasn't why he was afraid.
Tatsumi's eyes darted around, assessing the terrain. A ninja's environment was crucial. But the training ground offered little in the way of cover or obstacles. He was outmatched in every conceivable way. Taijutsu? Tsunade was a Taijutsu specialist, a Jonin at that. Chakra? She was a Senju. Genjutsu? She'd see through it in a heartbeat. His only potential advantages were his wits… and, perhaps, his charm. Tsunade wouldn't go all out on him, surely. That was his only hope.
Tsunade stretched her shoulders, a predatory glint in her eyes. She beckoned Tatsumi forward. "Come on, little demon," she taunted, her voice dripping with disdain.
Tatsumi could take no more. He swiftly drew his shuriken and kunai from his ninja pouch. His right hand launched a shuriken, followed immediately by a kunai from his left. The kunai collided with the shuriken mid-air, altering its trajectory as they both hurtled towards Tsunade. At the same time, Tatsumi charged forward.
"Oh, the Uchiha throwing technique," Tsunade drawled, unimpressed. Instead of evading, she casually punched the ground, sending a slab of earth flying upwards to form a makeshift shield. The projectiles slammed harmlessly into the dirt.
Tatsumi's eye twitched. She hadn't even bothered with a Body Replacement Jutsu! Brute force, how crude, he thought.
Tsunade casually tossed the large slab of earth. It flew through the air like a cannonball, forcing Tatsumi to halt his charge and dodge. This is ridiculous! he thought. If that hits me, I'll be paste!
Tsunade closed the distance with surprising speed and launched a punch. Chakra crackled around her fist. Tatsumi knew his small frame couldn't withstand a direct hit. As the fist hurtled towards him, he backhanded a kunai, aiming for her arm.
Tsunade twisted her left leg, tripping Tatsumi. He stumbled, losing his balance. She easily deflected the kunai and then, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, swung him through the air like a rag doll.
Tatsumi, disoriented, found himself flying through the air. That speed, that strength… she's holding back, he realised. Way back.
While airborne, he quickly flung another volley of shuriken. If normal shuriken won't work…
"Spread, shuriken!" he yelled, putting a little extra chakra into the throw, causing the shuriken to separate in mid-air.
"That trick again?" Tsunade said dismissively, arms crossed.
Tatsumi remained focused. His fingers brushed against the bandages wrapped around his wrist. Concealed beneath them were special summoning tags from Granny Cat, similar to the space scrolls he used daily. His hands moved in a swift, practiced motion, and two black shuriken materialized at his fingertips.
Shua! Shua! Shua! He launched them without hesitation. Landing gracefully, Tatsumi's arms became a blur, sending a veritable storm of black shuriken towards Tsunade. The number had multiplied from a handful to dozens.
Tatsumi unleashed a flurry of shuriken, each one aimed with deadly precision. Tsunade, anticipating a straightforward attack, prepared to dodge. But then, Tatsumi's movements became a blur, his speed increasing exponentially. The initial scattering of shuriken multiplied, becoming a dense, whirling cloud of steel.
"Witness my Torrential Rain Pear Blossom Shurikenjutsu!" Tatsumi cried, the air thick with the whizzing projectiles. Hundreds of shuriken rained down, forming an impenetrable net. Tsunade, caught off guard by the sheer density of the attack, realised she couldn't evade them all with speed alone.
Her eyes narrowed. He's good, she thought. It takes serious dedication to master a shuriken technique like this. She knew the Uchiha were renowned for their skill with shuriken, but this was on another level. If I don't watch it, I could actually get hurt.
The black afterimages of the shuriken filled the air, a dark, metallic storm blocking every possible escape route.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Tsunade yelled, finally resorting to Ninjutsu. She hadn't wanted to use it, but she had no choice.
The shuriken slammed into the earthen wall like a hail of bullets. As the projectiles embedded themselves into the earth, Tsunade, still behind the wall, gathered chakra in her leg.
"Heaven Defending Kick!" she roared, unleashing a powerful kick that sent a massive fissure ripping through the ground towards Tatsumi.
He swiftly halted his shuriken barrage and leapt away, narrowly avoiding the earth-shattering attack. Shuriken are useless against her, he thought. My Ninjutsu is too weak. Chakra expenditure is a waste. Genjutsu is a gamble. What can I do?
Tsunade, sensing an opening, closed the distance rapidly, determined not to give Tatsumi another chance to attack from afar. He immediately performed a series of hand seals, and several shadow clones appeared on the training ground. His strongest Taijutsu option.
"Oh, Uchiha Kagami's signature Body Flicker Jutsu," Tsunade remarked, recognising the technique from her childhood. "But that trick won't work on me. You're too slow. I can tell which one is the real you in an instant."
Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground, the earth around her cracking and splintering. She focused, sensing the subtle shifts in the air, trying to pinpoint Tatsumi's true location.
"Found you!" she exclaimed, lunging forward with incredible speed, far faster than Tatsumi could react. She lashed out with a kick, aiming for what she believed was the real Tatsumi. But her foot passed harmlessly through his body.
"What?! A Genjutsu?" Tsunade's eyes widened, and she immediately disrupted her chakra flow to break the illusion. As her senses cleared, Tatsumi's fist connected with her chin! He'd used the brief moment of disorientation to close the gap.
Before Tsunade could recover, Tatsumi's right knee slammed into her jaw, sending her reeling. He landed gracefully and then, with explosive power, launched himself into the air again, his leg connecting with her abdomen.
Tatsumi had channelled a significant amount of chakra into his legs, generating immense force. He propelled himself even higher than Tsunade, achieving a superior position in the air. From above, his right leg slashed down with devastating power.
"Uchiha Lion's Pounce!" he cried.
Boom! The kicked Tsunade vanished in a puff of smoke!
"En?!" Tatsumi exclaimed, surprised. "A Shadow Clone?"