Seeing that Tsunade didn't continue insisting on borrowing White Fang, Hatake Sayoun couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Among their generation, Tsunade's behavior was by far the most erratic. She never followed any set standard—doing whatever came to mind on a whim. Just like that time not too long ago, when she got who-knows-what kind of idea in her head and, instead of training seriously, led a group of troublemakers under the banner of something called the "Funeral Society."
That period was utter chaos in Konoha—like chickens and dogs were all flying and barking.
Sayoun felt Tsunade was corrupting the whole village's atmosphere, but with the Senju clan and the Third Hokage backing her up, no one dared say a word. Everyone just shut their eyes and pretended nothing was happening.
And honestly, that wasn't far from the truth. Tsunade's antics were usually just short-lived obsessions. She'd go crazy for a bit and then quiet down—mainly because her goal had already been achieved, so there was no need to keep embarrassing herself.
Of course, Tsunade never bothered to explain anything, so she didn't care how others saw her.
That's why, when Tsunade said she wanted to borrow White Fang from him, Sayoun had gotten very nervous—he had no idea if she'd just take it by force if he said no.
But in the end, his fears were unfounded. Tsunade, at least in this case, was quite reasonable. After he explained why he refused, she dropped the idea of using the short sword to show off and started thinking of other ways instead.
How could she win this battle in a cool, elegant way?
That was the real question.
"Hmm…"
Tsunade furrowed her brows and made a troubled noise from her throat.
Truthfully, she didn't know many ninjutsu techniques, and none were particularly flashy. The Fireball Jutsu she used earlier was already her most impressive move—but its main effect was fear, judging from the "what the hell is that monster?" looks she was getting from everyone.
She had to admit, a level-six Fireball Jutsu was a bit excessive. The explosion might not have been the most powerful, but under those extreme temperatures, nothing alive would survive. If it ever reached level seven, maybe she really could summon a dragon...
Sayoun noticed Tsunade zoning out and opened his mouth like he was going to say something but stopped himself. He wanted to remind her they were still in the middle of a battlefield, but he was afraid she'd snap out of it and try to snatch his White Fang again.
Luckily, the shock of that Fireball still lingered. Everyone had paused what they were doing and was staring in their direction.
Yes—Tsunade and Sayoun were now the center of attention and could be attacked at any moment.
Looking around, Konoha had maybe ten ninja left. If the others decided to gang up on them, things could get ugly fast.
The situation wasn't great.
But what was Tsunade planning?
The next moment, Sayoun figured it out.
Tsunade suddenly reached into her kimono. The motion tugged open the front of her robe, revealing a patch of pristine, pale skin.
Caught completely off guard, Sayoun's face flushed. He instinctively looked away—then couldn't help sneaking another glance.
Most ninja were pretty mature for their age, but they were still just hitting puberty. A vague curiosity about the opposite sex had begun to stir—where they once couldn't care less, now they couldn't help but sneak peeks.
Sayoun was no exception. With the First Great Ninja War over and a time of peace settling in, he'd begun to notice the appeal of girls—especially ones like Tsunade, who were both beautiful and powerful. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd been paying more attention to her lately.
Unfortunately, Tsunade's kimono was very secure. Besides a glimpse of her delicate collarbone, Sayoun didn't get to see much and felt a bit disappointed.
"The moment to witness a miracle has arrived!"
Tsunade suddenly declared with great confidence.
Sayoun's attention sharpened—not because he was staring at her chest!
But then Tsunade's expression turned strange. Whatever she was holding didn't feel right. She must have grabbed the wrong scroll—the one with that special item must've been misplaced or left behind.
Still, since she'd already unsealed the ninja tool scroll, she had to take it out before she could reseal anything.
So, Tsunade carefully drew the object out.
Sayoun's eyes instinctively widened.
First came a blue sword hilt—no unnecessary decorations, just something clearly designed for a firm grip. Then came the blade, its polished surface reflecting her skin and kimono like a mirror.
A fine sword!
Even from that limited glimpse, Sayoun could tell it was exceptional.
Just as Sayoun was holding his breath to see what kind of sword Tsunade was pulling from her bosom, she suddenly stopped.
"Why'd you stop?!" Sayoun called out impatiently. "Keep going!"
"…..."
Tsunade suddenly felt like she was being ogled by some pervert again.
Actually, the reason she stopped was because... the sword was too long.
This was a unique item she had won in a high-stakes gamble—a legendary blade supposedly wielded by the fabled swordsman Sasaki Kojirō: the Monohoshizao, inscribed with the name Bizen Osafune Nagamitsu. It was over five feet long—an absurdly long katana that was practically unusable for most people.
And in the world of Naruto, the Monohoshizao couldn't channel chakra, couldn't Bankai, and was essentially useless except for dramatic flair. In Tsunade's hands, it was just for wild slashing—a waste of a fine weapon.
Anyway, despite how ridiculously hard it was to draw the sword from her chest, Tsunade finally managed to pull it out.
Then she tossed it aside.
Sayoun's heart shattered into pieces.
"Why'd you throw it away?!"
"What do I need it for?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him. She had initially fantasized about slicing through enemies with this stylish sword, but after hearing Sayoun's reaction, she realized that even if she was holding a Zanpakutō, she'd still just end up swinging it around like an amateur.
So, might as well forget it.
"Big Sis, we won!"
At that moment, Erha came bouncing over, tail wagging.
"Huh?"
Tsunade, still thinking about how to stylishly annihilate everyone, was momentarily caught off guard. She glanced around and realized—there were only twelve candidates left standing.
Which meant… according to the proctor's rules… they'd won.
After thinking it through, she understood. The battle was already wrapping up. Since passing the second exam required a team to survive, many who'd lost members or were too exhausted had chosen to forfeit—especially after seeing the terrifying Fireball Tsunade had unleashed upon entering the fray.
After all, this was just the Chūnin Exams. No need to die just to prove a point.
"Tsunade, did you see that? I bet they all ran off because I scared them!"
Jiraiya strutted over smugly. And to be fair, he wasn't entirely wrong. His arrival with the giant toad had turned the tide, especially since the enemy forces were already exhausted. Most Genin had no real way of handling a massive summoned beast.
In truth, Tsunade's flashy Fireball had done little actual damage. It was Jiraiya—who'd joined the fight earlier—who had the real impact. Tsunade just delivered the final bluff that broke everyone's will.
Jiraiya came up beside her, laughing heartily, and clapped her on the shoulder. Then he leaned in close and whispered:
"If you've fallen for me, you better confess now. Once I become a Chūnin, girls will be lining up."
"…..."
Tsunade clenched her fist.
A moment later, Jiraiya was lying flat on the ground.
"You're such a violent girl, Tsunade!"
"Can you two cut it out? The exam's not over yet."
Just then, Orochimaru's voice rang out, stopping Tsunade mid-step as she was about to stomp on Jiraiya's butt.
"Didn't you just say we already won?" Jiraiya asked, confused. In truth, he didn't even know what counted as passing the second exam—he just took Orochimaru's word for it. Tsunade wasn't about to admit that she'd gotten too caught up rehearsing her dramatic entrance and forgot to explain the rules to him.
"I miscounted. There's still one left," Orochimaru said with a curious gleam in his eyes, like something interesting had just happened.
"I'm not a person!" Erha barked defensively.
Tsunade also found it odd. There were only twelve candidates standing, and her shadow clones' memories had clearly reported that number.
Then she spotted someone.
Standing silently in the center of the field—the proctor.
That man… was the thirteenth!
(End of Chapter)
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