Chapter 44: Do You Even Know How to Fight?
The Sannin's legend was huge.
Especially when all three were together—most ninja would flee on sight.
But individually, Tsunade's fame was the weakest.
For two reasons:
She was a medical ninja—seen as someone to protect, not a fighter, in the ninja world's mindset.
She'd been out of action. After developing hemophobia in the Second Ninja War, she'd left Konoha and the ninja life behind.
It had been over a decade. The new generation barely remembered her.
Her two big achievements were fighting Hanzo with the Sannin, and her solo battle with Chiyo.
But both highlighted her medical skills above all.
That's why Toroi was happy to see her.
If it was Orochimaru or Jiraiya, he'd likely have retreated.
Their records were far more intimidating.
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!
Ryousuke spat out a fire dragon.
Cloud ninja specialized in taijutsu and lightning style, but that didn't mean they couldn't use other elements.
People had different chakra affinities. If you were born with a fire affinity, it was easier to develop it than to force yourself into lightning.
After Ryousuke attacked, the others joined in, hurling ninja tools everywhere.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Natsume formed hand signs.
The fire dragon and water wall collided, vapor exploding into thick mist.
Kabuto's eyes flickered, his body vanished, and his right hand glowed green—turning into a chakra scalpel.
A scream rang out.
One Cloud chunin, glancing down, saw a bloody hand burst from his chest.
"Bastard!"
A nearby Cloud ninja saw Kabuto had used the mist to stab his teammate from behind.
A cold flash—Cloud ninja drew his sword and swung at Kabuto.
Danger loomed.
Kabuto didn't react.
"Die!" The Cloud ninja grinned, thinking Kabuto was frozen in fear.
Next second—
Several shuriken flew from behind, weaving through the air and striking his vital points from odd angles.
His grin froze as he collapsed.
Kabuto severed his chakra thread and lunged for the next enemy.
Meanwhile, Shizune provided support nearby.
Water Style: Water Trumpet Technique!
Natsume faced even greater pressure—with three jonin opponents.
He stood in front of Tsunade, hands together, and a giant flower of water burst through the mist.
He quickly formed signs, face turning grim.
His next jutsu was risky—he could only use it once.
But it could heavily thin the enemy ranks.
"This kid's a jonin!" Ryousuke was shocked.
Jonin weren't rare.
But a jonin under ten years old—that was absurd.
"My favorite thing is killing prodigies. All that talent, but they can't use it," one of Ryousuke's jonin comrades sneered.
He'd seen plenty of prodigies fall apart on the battlefield.
And under ten years old—how strong could he be?
Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!
His eyes went cold as he gathered chakra.
An earth wall rose to block the water flower.
The water shattered.
Ryousuke nodded. Just a jonin—nothing to fear.
Natsume paused, then spat out a thin jet of water.
Water Style: Severing Wave!
Developed by the Second Mizukage—no, actually by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
A highly compressed blade of water chakra—capable of slicing through the God Tree's roots in the original story.
Natsume wasn't on that level.
But Ryousuke and his team weren't the God Tree.
This jutsu looked ordinary—easy to underestimate.
"So small? Is our prodigy out of chakra?" The earth-style jonin mocked.
But as he taunted, he wasn't slow.
Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!
A mud dragon head emerged, spitting mud bullets.
Natsume caught his breath.
He didn't bother with the soon-to-be corpse.
Body Flicker!
He intercepted the third jonin's shuriken.
A massive force hit him—taijutsu.
Natsume slid back.
"You're dead—"
The middle-aged man had been about to sneak-attack Tsunade, but Natsume blocked him.
He only managed three words before a teammate's scream startled him.
The slim water jet suddenly accelerated, slicing both the earth dragon and its caster in one go—smooth as silk.
The blood took two seconds to spurt out.
From three jonin, only two remained.
Natsume glanced at Toroi—the real threat.
By now, Toroi had the upper hand against Katsuyu with Magnet Release and ninja tools.
Katsuyu was a support summon.
Her attack was spraying corrosive acid—otherwise, she was like a medic's mobile platform for group healing.
"You'll pay for this!"
Lightning crackled around the middle-aged man as he appeared in front of Natsume.
No fancy jutsu—just a straight punch.
Ryousuke took the chance to spew a barrage of fireballs at Tsunade.
Natsume clenched his fist and met the punch.
Monster Strength!
The man looked confident, but as Natsume's overwhelming power flooded his arm, his expression changed.
"Ahhhh!"
His entire arm exploded.
Natsume took the chance to slash his kunai across the man's throat.
As blood spurted out, he used Body Flicker to dash to Tsunade.
Most ninja had high attack but low defense.
At that moment, Tsunade stood up, her body a blur as she dodged Ryousuke's attack.
Healing was finished.
"Natsume, he's yours. I'll take the Magnet Release one," Tsunade said.
She sent a clone to drag Shitō Akimichi to safety and leapt onto Katsuyu's head.
Toroi knew things had gone wrong.
His plan was to suppress Katsuyu, then team up with the others to take down Tsunade.
Either way—capture or kill—would be a huge accomplishment.
As for Natsume, Kabuto, and Shizune? He hadn't even considered them.
Three brats, no vests—probably genin, maybe chunin at best.
Ryousuke and the others should have finished them in ten seconds—any longer would be an embarrassment for jonin.
But things turned out very differently.
Eight chunin couldn't beat Kabuto and Shizune.
Three jonin, three-on-one, and two got killed. Do they even know how to fight?
Toroi wondered if they'd bribed their way to jonin.
How else could you explain it?
Ryousuke, now without a target, turned to Natsume.
His face was grim.
Losing two teammates—he wasn't about to underestimate Natsume.
Fortunately, after all those jutsu, the prodigy's face was pale.
Classic chakra exhaustion.
Fire Style: Fire Whirlwind!
Ryousuke's chakra turned red and burst out, forming a fire tornado.
"I've avenged you all," he muttered, already seeing Natsume screaming in the flames.
Rip!
The sound of flesh tearing.
Natsume's body turned into vines, burning to ash in the fire.
"A clone?" Ryousuke was stunned.
He'd seen water, lightning, and earth clones—but never a wood clone.
A gust behind him.
Ryousuke's hair stood on end as he spun around.
He saw Natsume's right arm, grown with sharp wooden spikes.
That was his last sight.
The spikes impaled him and branched out, turning him into a bloody porcupine.
Natsume wouldn't reveal Wood Release unless he was sure he could wipe them out.
He glanced at the remaining chunin.
With Shizune and Kabuto working together, only three remained, still struggling.
They were as good as dead.
Natsume finally looked at Toroi.
This character had some screen time in the original.
In other words, defeating him could earn Fate Points—and dying to Tsunade or to Natsume would be very different. So Natsume wanted to land the finishing blow.
He gripped the First Hokage's necklace. Chakra surged, making him feel like he might burst.
"Sensei!" he shouted.
Toroi and Tsunade both froze.
Toroi was shocked by Ryousuke's death.
What happened?
In less than a minute, he was the last one standing.
Toroi had been too focused on Katsuyu and Tsunade to notice the others. Now he was stunned.
Tsunade understood what happened.
It had to be Wood Release.
Otherwise, things wouldn't have ended so quickly.
As for Natsume calling her, he clearly wanted to take part in the fight.
After all these years, Tsunade understood Natsume well. One look, and she knew what he wanted.
Tsunade stepped back.
Natsume took her place.
Toroi snapped out of it, furious.
What are you doing—tag-teaming me?
You're underestimating me!
Toroi hurled his blocky shuriken.
"Don't touch them directly," Tsunade warned. "With enough contact, you'll be magnetized."
Magnet Release.
A pretty good bloodline.
The famous users were the Third and Fourth Kazekage.
Toroi's Magnet Release was pretty basic—just magnetizing things.
He couldn't control iron or gold sand.
Wood Style: Wood Pillar Wall!
Wooden planks rose up, blocking the shuriken.
"Wood Release?!" Toroi's eyes went wide in shock.
He'd never seen it, but he'd heard of it.
In that instant, one thought filled his mind:
Run! Run and tell the Fourth Raikage!
That news would be as valuable as capturing Tsunade.
Most importantly, he couldn't win against both of them.
Wood Style: Piercing Tree!
Natsume wasn't about to let him escape.
He'd been waiting for this.
Thanks to Hashirama's legend, most ninja's first reaction to Wood Release was panic.
Wooden vines snaked out from Natsume, rapidly combining into a towering tree.
Toroi tried to run but couldn't.
The branches moved like living things, wrapping him up.
His prized Magnet Release was useless now—he couldn't magnetize wood.
[Because of your actions, Toroi's fate has changed. You gain 49 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Hiruko's fate has changed. You gain 8 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Shitō Akimichi's fate has changed. You gain 9 Fate Points.]