Chapter 82 The Tsunade Who Is Looked Down Upon

Time flies, and a year has passed.

During this time, Simu's life had been as pleasant as ever.

Aside from his daily Sage Mode training in the Shikkotsu Forest, the rest of his time revolved around two things—

Kissing Kushina behind Ling Yi's back.

Or kissing Ling Yi behind Kushina's back.

Although the two of them got along well and acknowledged each other's existence, there was still no way for them to fully accept sharing Simu...

In short, whenever Simu was with Ling Yi, the atmosphere was harmonious.

Whenever he was alone with Kushina, things were equally harmonious.

The two of them lived together daily, eating, bathing, and enjoying each other's company.

But whenever the three of them appeared together... things became incredibly awkward.

For now, Simu hadn't broken the delicate balance between them.

But he felt that it was only a matter of time.

On this particular day, Simu was practicing in the Shikkotsu Forest as usual.

Six Katsuyu clones were attached to his muscular body, steadily supplying him with natural energy.

Over the past year, he had gradually increased the speed of his natural energy absorption sixfold.

At the same time, his chakra reserves had also expanded sixfold.

Now, even with six Katsuyu clones absorbing natural energy at once, he could maintain complete stability.

Of course, even without Katsuyu, he could still absorb natural energy independently.

It would just be a bit slower.

Another thing he had been working on was integrating natural energy into his combat system.

After months of testing and refining—

Simu had confirmed one crucial fact.

Natural energy didn't just enhance ninjutsu; it could also strengthen taijutsu and even amplify his Devil Fruit abilities.

By fusing natural energy with his Devil Fruit powers, the strength of his techniques had skyrocketed.

If he were to face Matatabi (the Two-Tails) now, he was confident he could fight it head-on instead of relying solely on hit-and-run tactics.

In short, Simu's strength had reached a whole new level.

Ling Yi and Kushina weren't idle either.

After confirming that they lacked the talent for ninjutsu, Simu had instead taught them the Marine Six Styles.

And personally guided them through the training.

Among them, Hyuga Ling Yi's talent for the Six Styles had far exceeded Simu's expectations.

In just six months, she had completely mastered all six techniques.

Kushina, on the other hand, was still more suited for sealing techniques.

After all, she was born with the blood of the Uzumaki clan.

Simu, bare-chested, slowly stood up and faced a massive boulder in front of him.

He clapped his hands, and black-red markings instantly appeared on his face.

Sage Mode—activated!

Covering his arm with Armament Haki, he infused it with Senjutsu chakra.

A pale blue aura wrapped around his arm like roaring flames.

Then—

Without hesitation, he swung his fist.

BOOM!

A devastating shockwave erupted.

A second later, the entire hill behind the boulder exploded!

A massive explosion turned the area into a disaster zone.

This was the sheer power Simu could now unleash with a single punch.

As the Sage Chakra slowly dissipated, his face returned to normal.

Katsuyu Rishi, resting on his shoulder, spoke up:

"Mr. Kizaru, your Sage Mode proficiency has improved tremendously."

Simu adjusted his sunglasses.

"Oh no, I'm still far from Hashirama."

"I'm very sure of that."

A female voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Do you really think a womanizer like you could surpass my grandfather?"

Simu turned around—

Sure enough, it was Tsunade.

"Senior Tsunade," he greeted with a stiff smile.

To be honest, Simu was still somewhat nervous around her.

Because of his relationships with Kushina and Ling Yi, Tsunade—being a woman herself—had always been somewhat dissatisfied with him.

But she was also the one who had helped free Ling Yi from the Caged Bird Seal.

Simu couldn't possibly hate her over such trivial matters.

On the contrary, he had always held respect for her.

Tsunade crossed her arms and looked at him curiously.

"I didn't expect you to be able to learn Sage Mode."

Simu scratched his head.

"It was just luck... pure luck."

"Hmph. Strength is strength," Tsunade scoffed. "I won't deny your abilities just because of your personality."

Casually, she found a spot and sat down.

Simu eyed her warily.

"Senior Tsunade, why are you here all of a sudden?"

Tsunade smirked.

"As Katsuyu's contractor, isn't it natural for me to visit Shikkotsu Forest and chat with Katsuyu?"

"You agree, don't you, Katsuyu?"

A Katsuyu clone crawled out from the woods and replied slowly:

"Yes, Lady Tsunade does enjoy chatting with me for long periods whenever she visits."

Simu clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath:

"She's probably here to avoid her debts again..."

Hearing that, Tsunade's face flushed slightly.

Then—

WHAM!

She smacked Simu on the shoulder hard.

"Brat! What did you just say?!"

Simu chuckled.

"Oh, nothing. I just think your gambling skills are absolutely incredible."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"You've gotten cocky since mastering Sage Mode, haven't you?"

Suddenly, she grinned mischievously.

"Hey, Simu... how about we discuss something?"

Simu's eyebrow twitched.

This was bad.

Tsunade never 'discussed' things with people.

If she was suggesting a discussion, it usually meant she was scheming something.

"...What is it?" he asked cautiously.

Tsunade gave a sheepish smile.

"Well... can you lend me some money?"

Simu deadpanned.

"Didn't you just say you came here to chat with Katsuyu?"

Tsunade coughed awkwardly.

Then—BAM!

She slapped Simu's shoulder again.

"Just say yes or no!"

Simu sighed.

"Honestly, I don't have much left."

Still, considering that Tsunade had helped lift Ling Yi's Caged Bird Seal, he supposed he could lend her some.

In the end, the 300,000 ryo Simu had left in his hands was taken by Tsunade.

The woman happily counted the cash before turning back to him.

"For the sake of your generosity, I'll give you some guidance," she declared. "Think of this as my payment for the loan."

Simu twitched.

Yeah, right.

There was absolutely no way he was getting that money back.

But Konoha's legendary Sannin offering to personally train him?

That was definitely worth considering.

While Jiraiya was his official teacher, they hadn't had many chances to spar properly due to various missions.

Now, the opportunity to fight Tsunade instead wasn't so bad.

With a smirk, Simu shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Training from one of the Sannin, huh? That's a rare offer."

Tsunade, however, frowned at his smug look.

"You're really irritating, Simu!"

Simu grinned wider.

"Is Tsunade-senpai angry? That's scary~"

That was the last straw.

"TAKE THIS, BRAT!"

With an earth-shattering roar, Tsunade launched a monstrous kick.

The sheer force cracked the ground beneath her as she came crashing down like a meteor.

Simu's Observation Haki flared—

He barely dodged in time.

BOOM!

The impact sent tremors across the entire Shikkotsu Forest.

Simu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"...And she calls me scary?"

Tsunade slammed into the ground with enough force to split mountains.

The entire area collapsed in an instant.

Seeing that her attack didn't land, Tsunade charged at Simu again.

"Show me what kind of great student that pervert Jiraiya has trained!"

Her blonde hair fluttered in the air, and every punch she threw looked like it could kill.

Simu's mouth twitched slightly.

Dodging a sharp hand chop, he sighed helplessly.

"Senior Tsunade, are you really training me, or just settling personal grudges?"

"Of course, I'm training you!"

Tsunade launched a powerful kick, snapping the thick tree Simu had been standing on like a twig.

Before the tree could fall, she grabbed its trunk with both hands and hurled it at Simu like a javelin.

Simu hurriedly dodged, and the massive trunk crashed into the ground, shattering into countless splinters.

"Real training happens in live combat!" Tsunade declared confidently.

As she moved, the sea in the distance began to churn.

Simu stole a quick glance at it.

Tsunade caught this and smirked.

Her previous kindness, after borrowing money, seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Oh? You really are Jiraiya's apprentice."

"Let's see how I teach you a lesson for Kushina and Rei today!"

Simu turned into a streak of light, narrowly evading her next attack.

Tsunade's fist struck the earth, and the ground instantly fractured into countless pieces.

The entire forest trembled violently.

A small Katsuyu hiding among the trees poked its head out to take a look—then quickly withdrew.

Simu let out a long sigh.

"Turning your back on someone right after taking their money… what a vile woman."

The moment he said this, Tsunade's expression darkened.

"What did you just say, brat?!"

She leaped high into the air, fists clenched.

The terrifying force of her impending strike surged like a tsunami.

Seeing this, Simu stopped dodging.

He clapped his hands together.

Sage Mode—Activate!

Dark red streaks appeared on his face as he absorbed a massive amount of natural energy.

The energy fused with the chakra in his body, transforming into Sage Chakra that flowed through his meridians.

This time, instead of dodging, Simu chose to take her on directly.

He wanted to experience firsthand just how heavy the punch of the so-called strongest woman in the ninja world really was.

Clad in both Armament Haki and Sage Chakra, Simu met Tsunade's fist head-on.

Tsunade's eyes widened.

She hadn't expected Simu to actually take her punch.

After all, he was known for his speed, not raw strength.

But by the time she realized this, it was too late to stop.

Her chakra surged, transforming into a raging force.

Their fists clashed like two mountains colliding.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward.

For a brief moment, they were at a stalemate.

A look of disbelief crossed Tsunade's face.

She was renowned throughout the ninja world for her monstrous strength.

Yet Simu—a so-called speed-type fighter—was able to match her blow for blow?

"Brat, I didn't expect you to be hiding this much strength!"

Tsunade was genuinely surprised.

She had assumed Simu's only advantage was speed. But now, she was realizing that his physical power was also terrifying.

Simu grinned.

"Oh my, as expected of Tsunade-senpai, one of the legendary Sannin. That punch just now was practically on the level of a Tailed Beast!"

Tsunade smirked and swung her fist again.

"Don't get cocky!"

But Simu wasn't backing down either.

With Sage Mode and Armament Haki reinforcing him, he was able to stand toe-to-toe with her.

The two exchanged dozens of blows in rapid succession, their fists colliding like thunderbolts.

Sparks and faint lightning flickered between them.

The ground beneath Simu's feet cracked.

Realizing the terrain was about to collapse, he transformed into a flash of light and retreated into the woods.

Tsunade, however, was not about to let him escape.

Her black high-heeled sandals crushed the broken earth beneath her as she exploded forward at an incredible speed.

Most people underestimated her agility, assuming her power was her only strength.

But in reality, her speed was far beyond that of an ordinary Jōnin.

Now that she had found someone who could actually match her in raw power, there was no way she was letting Simu off the hook.

And more importantly—she was genuinely curious.

Just how strong was this brat?

Simu smirked as he sensed her chasing after him.

Tsunade was fast—faster than most expected.

Since she had come knocking on his door, he figured he might as well use her to test the results of his year-long training.

Simu kicked off a thick branch and spun mid-air, turning to face his pursuer.

Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he positioned them together in a precise formation.

His palms opened slightly, forming a square.

A dazzling golden light flickered between them.

"Yata Mirror—Mirror Slash!"

A thin, golden beam shot out like a lightning-fast blade.

Tsunade's pupils shrank.

The golden light weaved rapidly between the trees like a serpentine predator, finally turning into a sharp, radiant sword that shot toward her.

Tsunade reacted instantly.

The chakra within her surged.

Her green coat fluttered as she shaped her chakra into a razor-sharp scalpel.

With precise timing, she swung it toward the incoming golden light.

BANG!

The two attacks collided like the tip of a needle against a razor's edge.

Both shattered into a shower of golden and blue sparks.

"Trying to scare me with a little trick like that, Simu?" Tsunade taunted.

Simu tilted his head, smiling.

"Oh my, Master Tsunade, you're truly terrifying."

"But…" His smirk deepened. "Let's see how you handle this next one."

He once again positioned his hands in a square.

The golden light condensed between his palms once more.

But this time, it was different.

This time, he infused it with the Sage Chakra absorbed from nature.

This was the culmination of his year-long training.

The perfect fusion of Sage Chakra and Devil Fruit powers.

A completely new level of mastery.

"Sage Art—Yata Mirror: Mirror Slash!"

It was the same technique—but the pressure it emitted was completely different.

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock.

This time, it wasn't something she could just brush off.

If she didn't deal with it seriously, she could actually get hurt.

Her initial surprise quickly turned into anger.

"Are you mocking me, brat?!"

"Using the same technique twice? What, do you think I need a demonstration first?!"

Furious, Tsunade roared.

"Damn brat, stop looking down on me!"

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