Under the clear sky, Tsunade and Hatake Saku stood facing each other, the atmosphere tense.
Today marked thirty days since the first and second rounds of the exams had ended, and it was the last day before the third elimination match officially began.
It was also Tsunade's day to set out.
After more than half a month of training, Tsunade's skin had been tanned by the sun, yet she appeared even more radiant and full of vigor. Her attire, consisting of a dark, tight-fitting outfit, fluttered slightly in the wind, revealing the Konoha forehead protector tied to her thigh. Her smooth back was exposed, giving off a hint of sensuality.
At this moment, Tsunade tightly pursed her lips, her gaze carefully fixed on Hatake Saku.
She held deep respect for this genius young man, who was as renowned as herself and Orochimaru. Her respect was so great that, during the second exam, she had even ensured that Hatake Saku faced a setback — an event that indicated a level of threat she perceived from him.
Hatake Saku was incredibly strong. So strong that, just by facing him now, Tsunade felt as though she was already trapped, unable to escape. Of course, as someone with a weak soul, Tsunade never fully trusted her feelings. She preferred to rely on the system.
She believed in the system as her savior, her God.
Although this may seem like the mindset and behavior of a weaker person, it was also the reason Tsunade had managed to survive until now.
In fact, Tsunade's confidence was entirely built on the foundation of the system.
Hatake Saku, too, had keenly noticed that Tsunade's "confidence" seemed unconvincing. It was a feeling he couldn't fully explain, but it made him instinctively want to guide Tsunade, to help her develop the heart of a true warrior. However, despite his efforts over the past half month, it seemed to have fallen short.
Over the past few weeks, Tsunade had truly worked hard in her training. In a short amount of time, she had grasped the "Sword Drawing Technique" that Hatake Saku had taught her. Yet, Saku could tell something was missing, though he couldn't quite place what it was. This left him feeling confused.
But now, with the training over, even if they were to sit together again in the future, it would likely be as friends.
And at the end of the training, Hatake Saku finally chose to speak the words he had been keeping inside.
"You don't have the heart of a true warrior."
Hatake Saku discarded his hesitation and spoke directly to Tsunade, who was gulping from her water bottle.
"Huh?"
The sudden topic made Tsunade pause, and she felt a bit confused. While she admitted that the techniques Hatake Saku taught her were impressive, after spending half a month with him, Tsunade felt that his thinking was somewhat flawed. He kept pushing her towards decisions about strength and killing intent — Tsunade believed she was already decisive enough. During the First Ninja World War, she had made countless decisions, almost numbing her to the act of fighting.
"I'm very strong. If you don't believe me, let's make a bet."
To prove she was indeed a "warrior," Tsunade proposed a bet. She knew Hatake Saku had never seen her true strength, and therefore, he didn't understand the concept of "unreasonable strength."
"How do we bet?"
Hatake Saku was unsure about Tsunade's strange confidence.
"You make a move. If you can touch me, you win." Thinking about her invincible Super Clone Jutsu, Tsunade's lips curled into a confident smile. "If I lose, I'll call you 'Big Brother' whenever I see you. But if you can't touch me, you'll be my underling. What do you say?"
And so, this proposal led to the current standoff.
Now, Tsunade stood as Hatake Saku's target, feeling far more pressure than during the second exam. As she watched his sharp, sword-like gaze, she felt completely locked in, as if she was about to face a guaranteed strike. This feeling gradually made her feel short of breath.
A guaranteed hit?
That didn't make sense. Even techniques capable of reversing the "causality" of events sometimes miss. Just like when she was in what everyone thought was a certain-death situation, she had managed to escape with a superior technique obtained from the system.
She could do this!
Her Clone Jutsu, enhanced by multiple layers of effects, would allow her to dodge it.
Hatake Saku was merely faster!
With that thought, Tsunade felt her breath steady. She took a deep breath and instinctively loosened her stiff fingers, which had been tense with nervousness.
At that moment, Hatake Saku raised his hand and grabbed the White Fang sword on his back, gently drawing it. The faint white glow of the blade was almost unnoticeable in the sunlight.
Here it comes!
The thought barely flashed through Tsunade's mind before Hatake Saku launched forward, his legs propelling him with remarkable speed, leaving clear footprints on the ground.
So fast!
With her dynamic vision, Tsunade couldn't even keep up with his movement. Perhaps only the Uchiha clan's Sharingan or the Hyuga clan's Byakugan could follow his speed. In that instant, Tsunade began to understand why Hatake Saku was always talking about "instinct" — probably even Saku's own vision couldn't fully keep up with his own speed!
Only through relentless sharpening of his killing instincts could he hit an enemy at such high speeds.
It was like a streak of light, a white streak, cutting through the air beside Tsunade before Saku stopped, standing tall and sheathing his White Fang sword.
"Boom!"
The Tsunade who had been standing still turned into a piece of wood and fell to the ground. A clear scratch was visible on the side of the wood.
It was then that Hatake Saku noticed, just a little further ahead, on a solid rock, Tsunade was standing tall.
In truth, Tsunade was somewhat shaken. Just moments ago, she had genuinely felt as though she might die. It felt as if Hatake Saku was truly aiming to kill her with that strike. Her heart seemed to stop in that instant. However, in the end, she had made the right bet. The system's technique was reliable, and with the awareness she had gained from the battlefield, she successfully dodged his attack.
After several deep breaths, Tsunade finally calmed her racing heart and declared her victory.
"I won!"
As she spoke, the back of her outfit suddenly came undone, and her top slipped off, revealing her upper body wrapped in white cloth.
"..."
Tsunade's expression immediately stiffened.
Hatake Saku looked somewhat regretful. Tsunade's swordsmanship talent was quite impressive; within just a month, she had learned the Sword Drawing technique he had envisioned. But looking at her growth, it seemed she would inevitably face the same balance issues that Karen had encountered. Such wasted talent.
(End of Chapter)