Ōnoki's reaction was swift.
He formed hand seals, and his body dropped to the ground.
Sharp, blade-like grass and branches pursued him as he descended.
Earth Release: Rock Arm!
The ground in front of him rose abruptly, forming a massive arm.
Five enormous fingers spread out, shielding him firmly.
"It's you!"
Through the gaps in the fingers, Ōnoki saw Tsunade attacking him and was taken aback.
The existence of Wood Release user in Konoha was known to the other four great ninja villages, as there was intelligence on the matter.
After all, Yamato often revealed his abilities during missions.
However, compared to the invincible Senju Hashirama, Yamato's Wood Release was much weaker, merely an average kekkei genkai.
But Tsunade's identity was extraordinary.
She was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama himself.
Could it be that she had inherited that terrifying Wood Release?
Ōnoki subconsciously took a deep breath.
He had lived through the era of Senju Hashirama, so the thought filled him with unease.
"Sorry, Tsuchikage, but this path is blocked."
Tsunade clenched her fists, her aura fully unleashed.
Two leaves sprouted from her golden hair, slightly swaying with her movements.
This was the mark of using the Thousand-Year Wood Charm Gu.
"Hokage, these snakes alone won't be enough to defeat Iwagakure!"
Ōnoki snorted coldly as he said.
The four massive serpents from Ryūchi Cave, though enormous, were not tailed beasts and thus had limited power.
As long as they paid a certain price, Iwagakure could handle them.
Not to mention, they had two Jinchūriki on their side.
The only uncertainty was the location of Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Was he with Shinho Aburame, Tsunade, or Jiraiya?
"Of course, I know that," Tsunade said with a faint smile. "This is only the first step."
Ōnoki's eyes narrowed.
The first step?
What was next?
"Then, I'll deal with you first!"
Ōnoki's tone turned icy.
Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!
He slammed his hand onto the ground.
The earth beneath Tsunade's feet rose, forming a square platform that quickly ascended five or six meters.
Caught off guard, Tsunade stumbled slightly and crouched to stabilize herself. Looking down, she realized Ōnoki had vanished.
Tsunade's smile faded.
Suddenly, she sensed an intense surge of chakra behind her.
Turning her head, she saw Ōnoki floating in midair.
His hands were clasped together, and a transparent cube-shaped barrier was forming in his palms.
It was none other than Ōnoki's infamous Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique.
Without hesitation, Tsunade extended her right arm.
Vine Claw Gu!
Her flesh and blood transformed instantly, with her five fingers morphing into intertwined vines resembling five venomous serpents, darting out with incredible speed.
Ōnoki frowned.
No hand seals?
He lamented the missed opportunity.
He had intended to settle the battle with his Dust Release, but Tsunade acted first.
Left with no choice, he hurled the transparent cube barrier in his hands.
As it collided with the vines, the barrier exploded instantly.
Tsunade leaped backward without hesitation, jumping off the stone pillar.
With the Thousand-Year Wood Charm, the forest was the best place for her to fight.
Ōnoki was about to pursue her when a deafening roar shook the battlefield.
He instinctively turned his head.
To the north, a massive, crimson ape was howling at the sky.
It was the Four-Tails, Son Gokū.
Ōnoki's heart skipped a beat.
What was happening?
How had Roshi already resorted to full tailed-beast transformation in just a few minutes?
It was just a single Manda!
In the next moment, an ominous chakra filled the air.
Opposite the Four-Tails, a skeletal half-body rose into the sky.
It was Sasuke's Susanoo.
Susano'o extended both hands, engaging the Four-Tails in a fierce clash.
"That is...?"
Ōnoki's pupils contracted.
But he had no time to dwell on it.
The forest below him suddenly surged wildly, like a green tidal wave threatening to swallow him whole.
Earth Release: Golem Technique!
Ōnoki formed hand seals.
A massive rock golem emerged from the ground.
Swinging its colossal arms, it ripped apart the surrounding trees.
Ōnoki breathed a sigh of relief.
The sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.
"Take this punch!"
Propelled by a tree, Tsunade shot toward him at an incredible speed, delivering a devastating punch.
Ōnoki's expression changed dramatically.
Everyone knew Tsunade was unparalleled in both medical ninjutsu and taijutsu, especially her super strength.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
The rock golem couldn't defend in time due to its massive size.
Ōnoki quickly formed a seal with his left hand, while his right hand threw a rock-covered punch.
The two fists collided.
The rock covering Ōnoki's fist shattered instantly.
The immense recoil sent Ōnoki flying backward.
His face was filled with disbelief.
Tsunade's power… how is it this terrifying?
Ōnoki staggered backward, his face pale with shock.
Tsunade's super strength had always been formidable, but it had never reached such levels before.
While retreating, he manipulated the massive rock golem to grab at her.
Seeing this, Tsunade chose to abandon her pursuit.
The trees around her instantly retracted to their original state, causing the rock golem's attack to miss entirely.
"What was that ninjutsu you just used?" Ōnoki asked, his face visibly pale.
That single punch had left his right arm numb and throbbing in pain.
Fortunately, the rock armor had absorbed most of the impact; otherwise, his arm might have been broken.
If he couldn't form hand seals, he would be forced to admit defeat on the spot.
"Just my super strength," Tsunade replied with a grin.
"Impossible!" Ōnoki refused to believe her.
He wasn't unfamiliar with super strength, but this was something else entirely.
Tsunade's smile only grew brighter.
Indeed, it was her super strength, but it was enhanced by three Gu provided by Shinho: the Djinn Mind Gu, Djinn Heart Gu , and Djinn Body Gu, all of the fourth rank.
The reasons were threefold:
First, Shinho now had an even more powerful fifth-rank killer move: Six-Armed Heavenly Zombie King, so he no longer needed these Gu.
Second, the enhancement from the fourth-rank Djinn Gu's were negligible for a fifth-rank Gu Master like Shinho.
Third, it was to protect Tsunade in the ongoing battle.
Ōnoki hesitated, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.
At that moment, the ground trembled violently.
To the south, a colossal figure appeared out of thin air, a strange beast resembling a cross between a horse and a dolphin.
It was the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
Han had fully transformed into the tailed beast.
But to Ōnoki's relief, Kokuō was not facing the same opponent as the Four-Tails, Son Gokū.
Instead, it was utterly overpowering Garaga, the massive crimson snake.
The once-ferocious serpent was being stomped into the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
"As expected of the Five-Tails," Tsunade remarked casually, her tone unhurried.
She showed no signs of panic.
To her, all they needed was time to secure victory.
Ōnoki frowned. Tsunade's unnerving calmness filled him with foreboding.
Where was her confidence coming from?
His eyes darted toward the Four-Tails, who was locked in an evenly matched battle with Sasuke's Susanoo.
Feeling slightly reassured, he turned his gaze to the three-headed snake.
What was going on?
Hadn't Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi gone to stop it?
Perplexed, Ōnoki scanned Iwagakure's camp.
Thanks to the collective effort of the Iwa-nin, most of the venomous snakes had been eliminated, and the situation seemed under control.
"What's your next step?" Ōnoki exhaled deeply and asked.
Once the snake swarm was dealt with, the eight thousand Iwa-nin would be free to act.
At that point, they could use sheer numbers to overwhelm Tsunade, Sasuke, and the others.
"Is it the three thousand hidden ninjas?" he suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Not just that," Tsunade shook her head with a mysterious smile. "You'll see soon enough."
"Stop with the theatrics!" Ōnoki snorted coldly.
The rock golem moved, raising its massive leg to stomp down on Tsunade.
Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!
Ōnoki wasn't idle either, forming hand seals with both hands.
As Tsunade tried to escape the golem's range, she suddenly felt her body grow heavy.
The ground beneath her feet rose, starting to petrify her legs.
Djinn Transformation
Without hesitation, Tsunade activated the three Gu given to her by Shinho.
Primeval essence surged, merging with her chakra, causing her body to grow proportionally larger.
In an instant, she became a five-meter-tall giantess.
Though still smaller than the rock golem, the difference wasn't much.
"What?!"
Ōnoki was utterly stunned by the sudden transformation.
Tsunade easily shattered the petrification on her legs.
She gazed at the rock golem, clenched her massive fists, and swung.
With an earth-shaking roar, her unparalleled strength struck the golem.
Cracks spread from the point of impact, rapidly expanding into massive fissures that tore the golem apart.
Its body collapsed into rubble, scattering across the ground.
Tsunade stepped forward, her fist like a mountain, aimed directly at Ōnoki.
Earth Release: Ultra-Lightweight Rock Technique!
Ōnoki, terrified, shot upward into the air.
But before he could relax, he saw a pair of lightning wings sprout from Tsunade's back.
Lightning Wings Gu.
Knowing that Ōnoki could fly, Shinho had already prepared a countermeasure.
His Six-Armed Heavenly Zombie King could draw power from the heavens and naturally fly, rendering the Lightning Wings Gu redundant for himself but perfect for Tsunade.
Tsunade became a violent streak of lightning, a storm raging in her wake as she closed the distance.
Ōnoki's face turned even paler.
Today's Tsunade had completely shattered his expectations.
More precisely, the shinobi world's understanding of her was outdated.
Now, with her Wood Release and Djinn Transformation, her strength had skyrocketed.
Dust Release: Limitless Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
Ōnoki maintained his flight speed, clasping his hands together.
This was an upgraded version of his Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, boasting even greater range and power.
In the original series, Ōnoki had used this technique to obliterate twenty-five Susanoo-clad Wood Release clones of Uchiha Madara.
The cubic barrier expanded rapidly.
Tsunade immediately sensed danger and came to an abrupt stop.
Looking at the massive barrier in the sky, she extended her hands.
Djinn Transformation, in essence, tripled her overall strength.
Now, combined with the Thousand-Year Wood Charm Gu, her technique felt like the legendary Wood Release: Nativity of the World of Trees.
Beneath her, countless trees sprouted and grew, their branches reaching toward the heavens.
"That's… Wood Release!"
Kakashi looked up, his pupils contracting in shock.
The sight was utterly breathtaking.
Branches and vines surged skyward, forming a dense canopy.
From a distance, it looked as if a towering tree had erupted from the earth.
And at its crown stood Tsunade.
"How can Tsunade use Wood Release?!"
Not far away, Kurotsuchi froze momentarily.
But there was no time for her to dwell on it as she rejoined the battle.
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