Chapter 68: Battle with Tsunade

"Come out, you who's been following me since the casino..."

Indeed, silently tailing a Kage-level powerhouse who had been through several Great Ninja Wars was never going to be easy. After all, once one reached a certain level of strength, both their five senses and their sixth sense became incredibly sharp. Unless... one learned the Transparent World, which allowed integration with nature itself.

Uchiha Nagi slowly walked out, no longer concealing himself. He had already secured the money in a storage scroll. Thanks to Tsunade, whenever he bet against her, he always managed to win some. Even when the casino owner cheated, it couldn't overcome Tsunade's infamous luck. Nagi had made a fortune, and without cheating himself. She truly was the legendary "Sucker"; no wonder so many gamblers' eyes lit up when they knew Tsunade had arrived.

"Oh, it's you. If I'm not mistaken, you're a ninja, right? Why are you following me? Are you perhaps planning to take my head to the black market for money?" Tsunade chuckled, but there wasn't a trace of amusement in her eyes; instead, they were icy cold. Having participated in Great Ninja Wars, how could she not have blood on her hands? Although it was peacetime now, it was normal for a few enemies to seek revenge.

"Too many people in the city. Let's go to the outskirts," Uchiha Nagi said. His previously closed eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing crimson irises.

Seeing this, Tsunade's pupils couldn't help but constrict sharply. "Sharingan? An Uchiha?"

Uchiha Nagi remained silent, tacitly confirming Tsunade's words, then leaped ahead several times, leading the way.

"Hostile intent. Looks like there's going to be a fight today. Perfect, I've lost so much money and I'm furious. You can be my punching bag," Tsunade sneered, forcefully cracking her knuckles.

Shizune, on the other hand, looked worried. "But Lady Tsunade, what if..." "Shouldn't we call for backup—"

Tsunade waved her hand. "You and Tonton wait here for me. I'll teach that guy a lesson and be right back." With that, she flickered and followed, but Shizune, unwilling to wait, definitely chased after them.

Uchiha Nagi was already waiting for Tsunade outside the city. He had chosen to fight outside because the ensuing battle would undoubtedly cause significant collateral damage. Tsunade's Monstrous Strength Fist was no joke; it could shatter mountains and cleave the earth...

"Hey, Uchiha! What do you want with me? Which Uchiha are you?" Tsunade hadn't been back to the village for many years, so of course, she didn't recognize Uchiha Itachi (let alone Nagi). She only knew that over a year ago, the Uchiha clan had been annihilated. The official story was that the culprits were Uchiha Nagi and Uchiha Itachi. But Tsunade had long since "left that life behind" and naturally wouldn't concern herself with Konoha's affairs, though she felt an indescribable desolation in her heart.

Two of Konoha's great founding clans: one had faded into history, the other exterminated. Regarding the Senju, many said that the First Hokage believed Konoha should be treated as one's home and thus voluntarily disbanded the Senju clan, allowing them to integrate into Konoha. From then on, any Senju born could only take their mother's surname. After two generations, the Senju clan had completely disappeared.

"My reason for finding you is simple. Let's fight." As he spoke, Uchiha Nagi's Sharingan began to spin rapidly, then settled, forming a plum blossom pattern. Mangekyo Sharingan—

"Mangekyo Sharingan? Was it really you who annihilated the Uchiha clan?" Tsunade was shocked. She had been away from Konoha for so many years that she didn't know the Mangekyo Sharingan had become relatively common. There was Shisui, Itachi, Uchiha Nagi, and even Uchiha Fugaku, who had possessed it without anyone discovering until his death...

"Heh, is that what your dear teacher told you?" Uchiha Nagi released his Transformation Jutsu, his face a mask of sarcasm.

"I hate it when you people speak in riddles, hiding things. Forget it, I can't be bothered with those matters anyway. I cut ties with Konoha many years ago," Tsunade said dismissively.

"I know. But today, I'm looking for you for no other reason than to have a fight—"

With that, Uchiha Nagi drew his Nichirin Blade. His Chakra was now close to seven units, and his recovery rate was very fast. Compared to Tsunade, he definitely had less raw Chakra; she was a Senju, after all. However, a large portion of Tsunade's Chakra was stored in the seal on her forehead—the Creation Rebirth technique—used to maintain her youth and act as a battery. A battle wasn't decided by whose Chakra lasted longer anyway...

"If you're looking to die, then come on. Don't say I didn't warn you; I won't hold back." Tsunade smiled, but her eyes were ice-cold. For those who defected from Konoha, regardless of their past, they were rogue ninjas, enemies. And one of the ninja precepts was not to show mercy to rogue ninjas from one's own village in battle. So once the fight began, she would truly fight to kill, regardless of whether Uchiha Nagi was framed or not.

Uchiha Nagi took a deep breath. Hooo— "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—"

BOOM!

After a loud clap of thunder, Uchiha Nagi transformed into a streak of lightning, flickered, and appeared beside Tsunade, about to decapitate her with a single slash.

So fast—

Although his speed was immense, Tsunade was also a taijutsu expert. She had once fought the demigod Hanzo, whose swordsmanship combined with Body Flicker was also incredibly fast. However, she primarily combined ninjutsu and taijutsu, unlike pure taijutsu masters like Guy.

Tsunade stomped heavily. [Taijutsu - Heavenly Foot!] The earth cracked and split, and the aftershocks precisely covered the area around Uchiha Nagi, simultaneously disrupting his footwork and momentum, causing him to lose balance and stability.

"Monstrous Strength Fist—!"

Uchiha Nagi narrowed his eyes. If that Monstrous Strength Fist landed, it would probably punch a hole straight through his body. There was no way to block that fist.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance."

[The highest good is like water; the most rigid is easily broken, while the most yielding suffers no damage.]

The Third Form: Flowing Dance, was a technique that combined evasion and attack with footwork as fluid as flowing water.

Tsunade's blow landed heavily on the Water Breathing's Third Form: Flowing Dance.

Another loud bang. Uchiha Nagi was sent flying backward, crashing through several large trees, which were all used to absorb the force of Tsunade's monstrous strength and were shattered into pieces.

Uchiha Nagi stood on the ground, completely unharmed, though he looked a bit disheveled from the dust.

Shizune, who had followed Tsunade, was so astonished her jaw dropped. "Unbelievable! He actually took Lady Tsunade's Monstrous Strength Fist? Even Lord Jiraiya wouldn't dare to meet that fist head-on..."

"No, it didn't hit him directly. It was like hitting water; the force dispersed in all directions. He redirected the force."

The gamble paid off! Uchiha Nagi was ecstatic. Using the extremely versatile Water Breathing, leveraging its yielding nature to directly confront Tsunade's monstrous strength, was the right move. Softness might not always overcome hardness, but it could certainly dissipate force.

However, just in case, Uchiha Nagi had also prepared another technique: Susanoo. If anything unexpected happened, he would immediately use Susanoo to block.