"Damn it, what kind of power is this?"
Tsunade flew uncontrollably toward Nagato, thrashing her arms about and feigning terror.
This was her first time experiencing the power of Universal Pull, and she couldn't help but be awestruck internally.
No wonder Kawaki claimed Nagato's current power was immeasurable.
With just this one technique alone, being drawn in meant near-certain death.
To the onlookers, their eyes nearly bulged out in shock.
The Akatsuki Shadow hadn't even personally attacked yet.
Had the Hokage already fallen behind in their very first exchange?
"Do all members of the Akatsuki Village know how to fly?"
"What kind of jutsu is that? I've never even heard of it before."
"Is the Hokage actually under control?"
"The Akatsuki Village truly is home to hidden masters."
With just one use of Universal Pull, Nagato radiated immense intimidation.
A technique so powerful even Tsunade couldn't resist it sent chills down the spines of those present.
When facing the unknown, humans always generate fear and endless speculation.
"Hokage? Seems like nothing special."
A faint smirk appeared on Nagato's lips as his voice dripped with disdain, exuding an overwhelming aura of dominance.
Nagato from the Akatsuki Village finally shone with his own brilliance in the Ninja World.
"Don't get too confident," Tsunade roared loudly as a surge of crimson chakra erupted from her body. Suddenly, a pair of wings formed behind her back.
With sheer explosive force, she broke free from Universal Pull and ascended into the sky.
[Although we never actually saw it neutralized, Kakashi used chains to latch onto rocks in the anime, counteracting its suction. So I think if you have enough burst power, you can break free.]
"Is that the power of the Tailed Beast?"
"So sinister a chakra."
"Just looking at it feels terrifying."
The onlookers collectively took several steps backward, fearing Tsunade might be influenced by the Tailed Beast's will and unintentionally harm innocents.
"This is the strength of a Jinchūriki?"
Nagato floated midair with his right hand lowered, clearly asking this question half-knowingly.
"Brat, you've really pissed me off."
Gripping her fists until they cracked, Tsunade shot forward like a crimson lightning bolt aimed directly at Nagato.
"Don't hurry. Let's fight somewhere more spacious."
Nagato chose not to engage directly and spun away.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Tsunade seemed to lose herself, charging after him with reckless abandon.
Within moments, both vanished into the distance.
"Hurry, chase after them!"
The crowd surged forward without a second thought, sprinting to keep up.
A battle between Tsunade, the Hokage, and a top-tier Akatsuki ninja—one who might even be winning—was too sensational to miss. Missing it would be a regret for life.
Nagato stopped flying when he reached a secluded location, still able to hear faint sounds of battle nearby.
Looking down, flashes of light lit up the lake below as Konan and Nawaki exchanged fierce ninjutsu attacks.
Konan, who could completely resist physical attacks, indeed posed quite the problem.
She bombarded Nawaki with endless paper weapons, yet couldn't land a single hit.
Nawaki's wide-range water release techniques didn't bother her much, but unfortunately caused chaos among the onlookers.
There were even some who stood too close and got blasted into the lake for a swim.
Thankfully, there were no casualties… yet.
Meanwhile, Minato pressed the attack, having already seen Kakuzu unleash all five elemental jutsu — yet not a single hem of Minato's robe had been grazed.
The overwhelmingly powerful five elemental jutsu were rendered completely ineffective by the Flying Thunder God Technique.
This overwhelming sense of helplessness left Kakuzu seething with frustration.
He never wanted to fight in the first place, but Nagato forced his hand anyway. Dammit, Nagato.
To the watching crowd, the outcome between the two seemed already decided — it was just a matter of how long Kakuzu could keep his chakra up.
Once his reserves fell below what was required to maintain those strange black threads for defense, he'd be finished.
What they didn't realize, however, was that it wasn't because Minato couldn't break Kakuzu's defenses — it was about making this confrontation more entertaining.
A Kakuzu who got instantly crushed would only further lower the perceived strength of Akatsuki Village.
That went entirely against their original purpose for being here.
"You still got time to look around? You really don't take me seriously at all."
Before Nagato could fully withdraw his gaze, Tsunade's attack was already upon him.
A fist cloaked in crimson chakra loomed larger before his eyes.
"What could you possibly do to me?"
Nagato didn't show even a trace of panic — he didn't dodge, nor did he raise his hands defensively.
That actually startled Tsunade. Is this punk asking for a beatdown?
She tried to pull back, but it was too late. Remembering the Uzumaki Clan's incredible physical durability, she calmed herself slightly.
Taking a punch from her should be no big deal.
But the moment Tsunade expected never happened.
Her fist was seized by an arm and halted midair.
That face, once inches away, now felt as far as the heavens.
"Is he some kind of monster?"
"How is there another arm growing from his back?"
"He actually took her punch head-on!"
The faster onlookers caught sight of Nagato blocking Tsunade's punch with his Asura Path.
"Guess he's got more than one trick up his sleeve."
Tsunade frowned and launched a whip-like kick toward Nagato's waist.
If she let herself get pinned like this, she wouldn't deserve to be Hokage.
This time, Nagato didn't show off further; he knew Tsunade's legs were far more dangerous than her fists.
A direct hit would cost him at least half his blood supply.
The Asura Path's arm released Tsunade, and Nagato swiftly retreated backward.
The two once again created distance between them.
[Water Clone Jutsu]
Choosing not to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Nagato formed a series of seals. Six Nagatos instantly surrounded Tsunade.
This chapter isn't over yet — more action ahead!
If you enjoy Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade, please remember to bookmark us: (m.
"Just clones."
Tsunade carefully examined the circle with wary eyes, though her tone remained dismissive.
"They're more than enough."
All six Nagatos answered simultaneously before rushing forward as one.
"You want close combat with me? You really don't understand what 'strength' means."
Without hesitation, Tsunade charged ahead, confident in her Taijutsu.
Fighting six at once, she faced no disadvantage.
Each punch and kick packed immense force. The water clones, each possessing only a tenth of the original's strength, soon couldn't keep up.
One by one, they were blasted from the air, crashing into the earth and leaving deep craters behind.
Eventually dissolving into pools of clear water that seeped into the ground.
In less than fifteen minutes, only Nagato's original host remained, still engaged in combat with Tsunade.
This was also why water clones couldn't share sight—if they could, Tsunade wouldn't have had things so easy.
"Tsunade's chakra-enhanced strength is terrifying."
"The crater in the ground could swallow ten of me whole."
"Using clones for battle is too much of a stretch—it's just wasting chakra for nothing."
The onlookers were giving their commentary on the fight, watching with rapt attention.
Undeniably, this kid from Akatsuki Village possessed truly impressive taijutsu skill.
Tsunade's physical combat abilities and her chakra-enhanced strength ranked among the greatest in the ninja world.
Yet he not only stood toe-to-toe with Tsunade, but wasn't clearly at a disadvantage either.
"How is it, brat?"
"I told you your clone technique wouldn't hold up."
Tsunade sent Nagato flying with a powerful punch, a smirk playing on her face.
That kid Nagato has improved greatly in taijutsu—she should've trained him more thoroughly herself from the start, not just taught him Medical Ninjutsu.
Kawaki insisted he was better off focusing on ninjutsu, but she didn't believe that anymore.
"I just wanted to test how strong Hokage-sama's taijutsu really was."
"Now that I've seen it, it's nothing special."
Nagato casually shook out his hand as if unaffected, though inwardly he was screaming from the pain he endured.
Teacher's wife sure packs a punch!