Chapter 110: I've Been Waiting for This Punch for a Long Time
On the other side of Konohagakure, Deidara stood facing off against Tsunade.
"C2: Enhanced Model – Ant Hercules!" Deidara bit into two pieces of clay, molding them quickly before sending the creatures charging toward Tsunade from both sides.
"This again?! That won't work on me this time!" Tsunade showed no fear, dashing toward the ant on her left.
"Ha!" With a sharp cry, her pale fist, imbued with monstrous strength, clashed against the Ant Hercules, sending it stumbling backward. The sheer force shattered the ground beneath them, scattering debris in all directions.
With another punch, she repelled the second Ant Hercules, effortlessly holding her ground against both at once.
Deidara's eyes flickered with surprise. The last time, Tsunade had to release her Yin Seal to defeat the Ant Hercules. But now, even in her normal state, she was overpowering them.
If that's the case, then he had only one way to win—through the art of explosions.
"Hah!"
One of the Ant Hercules suddenly detonated. The explosion engulfed Tsunade in flames, swallowing her whole.
But within moments, she burst out of the fire. Though her skin bore extensive burns, they healed rapidly without her needing to use medical ninjutsu.
"If that's all you've got, you're dead today!" Tsunade shouted up at Deidara.
"Tsunade-chan, talking tough is easy. But I'm up here, and you can't even touch me," Deidara taunted, smirking as he pulled out another large chunk of clay and began chewing.
"Tch!" Tsunade trembled with rage. "This damn brat!"
She had no patience for this game anymore. With a sharp exhale, she released her Yin Seal. Stored chakra surged through her body, greatly enhancing her strength.
She ignored the remaining white ant below and channeled an enormous amount of chakra into her foot. Then, with a single stomp, she obliterated the second Ant Hercules, smashing both it and the ground beneath it into pulp.
With the enemy on the ground dealt with, Tsunade bit her thumb, formed hand seals, and slammed her palm onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
A massive cloud of smoke billowed outward. When it cleared, a gigantic slug was revealed.
The slug looked up at Tsunade with gentle yet surprised eyes.
"Tsunade-sama, you've managed to summon a tenth of my full form."
Though it might sound unimpressive, even a tenth of Katsuyu's full body was enormous—comparable in size to Deidara's clay behemoth.
If one were to compare purely by mass, the slugs from Shikkotsu Forest were likely the largest creatures in the ninja world. Even the Ten-Tails paled in comparison.
"Katsuyu, this isn't the time for that. Our target is the one in the sky," Tsunade said, dismissing any discussion about her newfound strength.
"That man?" Katsuyu turned its gaze toward Deidara. "For you to summon me for this battle, he must be quite formidable."
At that moment, Deidara stopped chewing and raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Tsunade, looks like you brought a slug to a slug fight."
"Let's see whose is stronger."
"C3: Enhanced Model – Slug!"
Boom! A massive clay slug crashed onto the ground, shaking the earth with its weight. This wasn't the same as the previous C2-level clay slugs—it had been upgraded to a C3.
[Tsunade's shock value +3000]
[Katsuyu's shock value +3000]
"Tsunade-sama, what is that?" Katsuyu's tentacles wavered in confusion.
"Be careful. Anything he creates can explode, and the larger they are, the more destructive the blast," Tsunade warned. "The only way to prevent him from using a large-scale explosion is to ensure he's caught in the blast radius himself. He won't risk detonating it if it means blowing himself up."
"Understood. Leave it to me," Katsuyu replied. It opened its mouth and fired a large stream of acid into the air.
"Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!"
While primarily a support-type summon known for its healing abilities, Katsuyu was still one of the legendary sages alongside the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage. It had its own means of attack, and this acid was one of them. Though it seemed like a simple attack, its corrosiveness far exceeded Mei Terumī's Lava Release.
Sizzle!
Deidara had underestimated the attack. He created a clay shield, thinking it would be enough, but the acid melted through it instantly, splattering onto him.
Though he managed to transform part of his body into clay to mitigate the damage, the sensation of being corroded was far from pleasant.
He quickly retreated into the body of his clay slug, consuming more clay to patch himself up.
But Tsunade wouldn't let such an opportunity slip away.
"Ha!" With a mighty leap, she delivered a chakra-enhanced punch straight to the head of the clay slug.
The impact radiated outward from her fist, breaking apart large chunks of clay. To avoid further damage, the clay slug had no choice but to split into smaller parts, scattering in all directions.
"Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!" Katsuyu spewed another round of acid, trying to destroy as many fragments as possible.
But Deidara wasn't about to let that happen.
"C2: Special Model – Clay Thousand Serpent Hands!"
Deidara extended his right hand, and the mouth in his palm opened wide, releasing dozens of clay serpents. Each of those serpents then opened their own mouths, spewing even more clay snakes. In mere moments, the sky was filled with a thousand explosive serpents.
"Hah!"
A deafening explosion erupted. The shockwave and intense heat intercepted Katsuyu's acid attack while also obscuring Tsunade's vision.
Yet, as the flames and smoke cleared, a silhouette emerged.
Tsunade had charged straight through the explosions, undeterred. Under the effects of Creation Rebirth, her injuries healed almost instantly. By the time her fist reached Deidara, the horrifying burns she had sustained had already vanished without a trace.
That, perhaps, was Deidara's only solace.
After all, getting punched by a soft, unblemished fist was far preferable to being struck by a grotesquely burned one.
"Brat!"
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS PUNCH FOR A LONG TIME!" Tsunade roared, her teeth clenched as she sent Deidara crashing to the ground with a devastating punch.
"Impressive," Deidara's voice echoed from below. "But ordinary physical attacks don't work on me."
Despite his head being completely flattened by Tsunade's punch, he remained alive—his timely use of clay transformation saving him from real harm.
"Damn it! Just die already!" Enraged, Tsunade unleashed a barrage of blows, each one capable of leveling mountains.
Within seconds, Deidara's body was pounded into an unrecognizable heap of clay.
But then, the clay heap slowly dissolved and disappeared into thin air.
He was gone.
Tsunade stood still, her expression dark with confusion.
Where did he go?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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