On the outskirts of the muddy swamp, a shadow streaked past like lightning—so fast that not even a single footprint was left in the muck.
For ordinary people, the speed was unimaginable.
Even seasoned shinobi would only be able to catch a fleeting afterimage at best.
After pushing himself through a relentless, all-out sprint, Hoshiyomi Gekkō finally reached the perimeter of the swamp.
Once he confirmed he was in the right place, Hoshiyomi slowed down.
Charging in blindly at full speed wasn't an option now—there were likely large numbers of enemy shinobi ahead. Moving too fast risked exposing himself.
He pressed his hands together and summoned Lobo, his trusted wolf companion.
When Lobo appeared, he glanced around at the swamp with obvious distaste.
"Tch. What now? I was watching the pups."
That's right—Lobo had long since become a father.
And not just any father—he had three wives and four concubines.
It wasn't because Lobo got lonely.
It was because the Inuzuka Clan Head had come to Hoshiyomi directly after learning of Lobo's strength, graciously offering:
"Any ninja hound in the clan—let Lobo pick whichever he likes."
That was how Lobo ended up enjoying a lifestyle befitting a canine emperor.
He kept several of his mates close to him, establishing the beginnings of a personal wolf-dog clan.
As part of the arrangement, some of Lobo's pups were sent to the Inuzuka Clan as elite candidates for future training.
Of course, the most gifted pups were kept by Lobo himself, reserved as future summon beasts for Hoshiyomi, his disciples, or his descendants.
Given Lobo's bloodline and the talents of his mates, these pups were bound to become top-tier summoning beasts—absolutely first-class.
But now wasn't the time to discuss parenting.
Hoshiyomi spoke urgently:
"Tsunade is trapped in there.
I need your help."
Lobo immediately dropped his playful attitude, his eyes sharpening.
"Understood."
With that, Lobo led Hoshiyomi through the swamp, carefully avoiding the Iwagakure shinobi while methodically beginning the search.
...
Deep within the swamp, Tsunade gently opened her palm, cautiously peeking at the result of her gamble.
She was so careful it was as if she feared a single wrong glance would somehow change the outcome.
When she saw the charm land face-up, a soft sigh of relief escaped her lips.
In truth, when people hesitate and flip a coin, they're often not doing it to let the coin decide for them.
It's because the moment the coin is in the air, they hear the voice of their true desire from the depths of their heart.
Tsunade was no exception.
The second she tossed the charm skyward, she already knew her real wish:
She wanted to break through the encirclement, not hide.
Yes, she could've slipped deeper into Amegakure's borders and bought herself some time.
But that would have only led to something far worse than her current predicament.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Tsunade's lips.
She whispered to herself:
"Well, I'm all in now.
Time to put on a show."
Without further hesitation, she picked a direction and quietly darted forward.
...
Meanwhile, Kinoshita Nagatoshi was leading his sensory team, racing against time to track Tsunade down.
One of the Iwagakure shinobi hurried over to report:
"Captain! We found some of our men's bodies up ahead.
Still warm—must've died just moments ago."
At those words, Nagatoshi's face finally changed.
The bitter scowl vanished, replaced by an excited grin.
He couldn't help but burst out laughing:
"She's panicking!
That damn woman finally lost her nerve."
Nagatoshi's eyes gleamed red with excitement.
"She's close!
Sensory team! Expand your range!
Split into two squads, surround her from both sides—
We are not leaving here without her!"
...
Deep in the swamp, Tsunade moved with care, every step deliberate. Along the way, she crossed paths with several Iwa shinobi—but none of them lasted long. Before they could react, she had already slipped behind them, silencing each one with a swift kunai strike.
Her chakra control was terrifyingly precise. When she fully suppressed her chakra, even the best sensory-nin couldn't detect her—not unless she came within 500 meters. And at that distance, most wouldn't even realize she was there until it was far too late.
But the farther she went, the more she sensed that something was wrong.
There were too many enemies up ahead.
Did I seriously just walk right into the main force? she thought, scowling inwardly. What kind of luck is this…?
Still, she wasn't out of options.
If she doubled back in the opposite direction now, she might still be able to slip away.
The enemy was scattered, and with careful movement, she could probably circle around them.
At least, that's what she thought—
Until she turned a corner and came face-to-face with Kinoshita Nagatoshi.
Seeing Tsunade appear in front of him, Nagatoshi laughed maniacally.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto her as he ground his teeth:
"Go ahead! Run!
Let's see how far you think you can get this time."
It wasn't just Nagatoshi.
Every Iwa shinobi there had rage burning in their eyes.
They had started with over sixty men; now there were barely forty left.
Almost a third of them were dead.
Their frustration, the deaths of their comrades, Nagatoshi's constant barking orders—it all boiled down to this woman.
All of them seethed with fury, teetering on the edge of madness.
Nagatoshi, regaining a shred of composure, spoke again:
"You've got two choices."
"Hand over the antidote formula."
"Or you can come back to Iwagakure with us, where you'll cough it up after you've learned what it means to wish you were dead."
"Choose."
Tsunade frowned.
Figures.
I lost the damn bet again.
Her luck had always been like this.
She quietly checked her chakra reserves.
Taking a deep breath, she reached into her inner pocket.
Her head lowered slightly, and her voice trembled, as if she was about to surrender:
"I choose the fir—"
Seeing her motion, Nagatoshi's heart raced.
Is she really about to hand over the antidote?
The moment he got it, he planned to kill her on the spot.
Such a treasure should belong to Iwagakure alone.
As he fantasized about how he'd dispose of her,
Tsunade suddenly shouted:
"I choose option three, you bastards!"
Her fist smashed into the ground with a thunderous roar—
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
Even with the swamp's muck absorbing some of the force, the sheer chakra packed into the blow was overwhelming.
The swamp split apart as if Moses himself had parted it, and Tsunade's fist slammed directly onto the solid ground beneath.
BOOM!
The ground caved in, collapsing with a deafening crash.
Mud exploded like waves, crashing over Nagatoshi's squad, turning them all into walking mud sculptures.
The quake beneath their feet sent Iwagakure shinobi tumbling in every direction.
Tsunade seized the moment to bolt in a different direction.
But just as she sprinted forward—
Another Iwa squad appeared right in front of her, cutting off her escape route.
Behind her, the mud-covered Nagatoshi and his men had already regrouped and were closing in fast.
This time, it really looked like Tsunade was completely trapped.