Chapter 13 : Fight

What made Uchiha Mikoto stop in her tracks was Uchiha Shin, who appeared out of nowhere behind Tsunade.

Tsunade was stunned for a brief moment after being pierced through by Shin. She had expected him to dodge or at least put up some resistance.

After all, given the level of physical prowess he had demonstrated, there was no way he should've been taken down so easily.

But just as that thought crossed her mind, Shin—who had been impaled through the abdomen—disappeared in a puff of white smoke with a resounding "bang."

"A shadow clone? When?!"

Tsunade barely had time to react before she felt the wind shift behind her.

"Rasengan!"

Shin formed a Rasengan with one hand and drove it viciously into Tsunade's back.

Tear!!!

The spiraling sphere's immense force instantly shredded the fabric on Tsunade's back. But in the very next instant, her body exploded into a chunk of wood.

A substitution.

The leftover Rasengan energy slammed into the wooden block, instantly reducing it to flying sawdust.

Several meters away, Tsunade reappeared, beads of sweat trailing down her forehead as she looked at Shin in shock.

If this were a battle against an opponent of equal strength, this kid could've actually killed me.

"Damn brat, you really go for the kill. I'm done for," Tsunade muttered, finally accepting the reality that a true monster had emerged from the Uchiha Clan.

From the few techniques Shin had shown so far, she wasn't even sure what else she could possibly teach him.

Shin, however, wasn't listening.

His gaze was locked onto Tsunade.

Because her back had been torn open by his Rasengan and she had used the Body Replacement Technique to escape, she had yet to register the full extent of her situation.

The tattered remnants of her shirt clung desperately to the front of her body, barely concealing the breathtaking view of her "snowy peaks."

The rise and fall of her chest with each breath was mesmerizing, forcing Shin to hold his breath instinctively, unwilling to miss a single moment of this spectacle.

"Hmm? Are you even listening, kid?"

Tsunade frowned, noticing his distracted gaze before following it downward.

"Aiya!!!"

She let out a startled cry, her cheeks instantly turning as red as the setting sun.

Panicking, she tried to cover herself with her arms, but in doing so, she shifted too much, causing the tattered fabric to slip further. A second later, the remaining shreds fell uselessly to the ground.

"Damn it! Why don't I have a camera right now?! Fuck!"

Shin instinctively reached for his pocket, only to realize—devastatingly—that he didn't have a phone in this world.

By the time he looked up again, his moment of frustration was cut short.

Because standing right there was Uchiha Mikoto.

Smiling.

But the ominous glint in her eyes, coupled with the blood-red glow of her three-tomoe Sharingan, sent a shiver down his spine.

"Shin-kun," she said sweetly, though her voice held a terrifying weight, "could you please turn around?"

Rather than a request, it was more of a demand.

Shin glanced at Tsunade—who was now squatting down in an attempt to shield her exposed body—and knew there was only one right answer.

"Y-Yeah. Of course."

Like a proper gentleman (and a man who valued his life), Shin swiftly turned his back.

Only then did Tsunade breathe a sigh of relief.

If this had been before, she might not have been so self-conscious.

But after spending the last couple of days with Shin, she had subconsciously started seeing him as her peer.

Mikoto immediately stepped in, her anger momentarily set aside due to the situation. Without hesitation, she removed her outer coat and draped it over Tsunade's shoulders.

"Here, Tsunade-sama. Quickly, put this on."

"Thank you, Mikoto."

Tsunade exhaled, standing up with a lingering flush on her cheeks. Her embarrassment still hadn't fully faded.

Mikoto, despite being a woman herself, couldn't help but admire the legendary Sannin's beauty. But as her gaze drifted downward, she subconsciously glanced at her own chest.

When the hell will mine grow to that level? she thought bitterly. The sheer scale of it...

Her brief moment of comparison was cut short when she noticed Shin glancing in their direction, chin in hand as if analyzing something important.

Mikoto's coat only barely covered the front, forcing Tsunade to hold onto it awkwardly.

Realizing Shin's gaze was still lingering, Tsunade immediately ducked her head, trying to shield herself as much as possible.

A mix of mature womanly charm and shy girl-like innocence combined in that moment, making the scene even more dangerous.

Shin swallowed.

This wasn't something he could handle so early in the morning.

"Damn brat!" Tsunade finally snapped. "Stop—Stop looking at me!"

Her voice wavered, as if she wasn't entirely sure whether she wanted to be seen or not.

"Shin-kun~~"

Mikoto's voice came from beside him, her tone sending alarm bells ringing in his head.

"Ahem." Shin cleared his throat and waved a hand dismissively. "I just thought I could help, you know. I've got an extra set of clothes here."

Reaching into his space-sealing scroll, he retrieved a loose coat and offered it forward, successfully diverting attention away from himself.

Tsunade momentarily forgot her embarrassment, instead focusing on why Shin conveniently had a coat that was a perfect fit for her.

But she wasn't about to complain.

Just as she grabbed it, however, Shin suddenly caught her wrist, halting her movement.

"I'll heal your wounds first. Then you can put on your clothes."

His tone was unusually firm, leaving Tsunade momentarily stunned.

"…Fine."

A soft green glow enveloped Shin's hands as he placed them gently against Tsunade's bare back.

The sensation of his hands—firm, warm, and unexpectedly gentle—sent a shiver up her spine.

Tsunade's ears burned red.

Her heart pounded wildly, her mind turning blank. She felt utterly frozen, unable to move.

The medical ninjutsu didn't take long. After all, Mikoto was watching, and Shin wasn't about to push his luck.

Once he finished healing the cuts on her back and wrists, he immediately withdrew his hands and turned away like a proper gentleman.

Tsunade remained frozen in place, staring blankly ahead, her entire body feeling hot.

"Tsunade-sama," Mikoto said softly. "Shin-kun is done."

"Ah? Oh. Oh!"

Jolted back to reality, Tsunade quickly grabbed the coat and slipped it on.

She frowned. The fit was oddly perfect.

But now wasn't the time to ask.

Instead, she exhaled deeply and faced Shin.

"You passed," she said, gritting her teeth. "Obviously."

It was no longer an assessment. It had turned into a one-sided beatdown.

And to top it all off, she had been "humiliated" in a way she would never live down.

In the future, in front of Shin and Mikoto, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to hold her head up high again.

"How the hell do you have so much combat experience?" she demanded. "And what the fuck are those weird techniques?!"

Tsunade reached out and viciously ruffled Shin's hair, venting her frustration.

Unfortunately for her, Shin didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

If anything—he looked like he was enjoying it.