The white Wind Spear howled through the valley, echoing ominously across the rocky cliffs.
Orochimaru, standing on one side of the valley wall, slightly narrowed his eyes before forming hand seals.
[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!]
A massive fireball appeared—at least as powerful as those previously unleashed by Yan Uchiha—its terrifying dragon head roaring as it surged directly toward the incoming Wind Spear.
Fire Release normally has an advantage over Wind Release… under normal circumstances, that is.
Chiyo lifted her hand slightly, and the Wind Spear shot forward with sharp intensity.
"Boom!"
Upon impact, the two techniques lasted only a moment before the Wind Spear pierced straight through the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet in a brutally dominant fashion. The shattered flames were swept up by the wind and absorbed into the Wind Spear itself.
Now enhanced with fire, the Wind Spear looked even more menacing as it charged toward Orochimaru.
Seeing this, Orochimaru quickly dodged, but this time the flames spread rapidly, igniting his sleeve.
He swiftly drew a kunai and sliced off the entire sleeve, yet his arm still bore burns.
"What terrifying power!"
Earlier, Orochimaru had only wanted to test the strength of the Wind Spear, but he never expected it could completely reverse the elemental rule of fire overpowering wind—and even absorb the flame for its own use.
Judging from its ninjutsu level, this Wind Spear must be at least an S-rank Ultimate Art…
Moreover, it wasn't just a single-use technique—it seemed to last for a while.
At the moment, Tsunade couldn't tell how much chakra it was costing Chiyo, since the old woman showed no signs of strain.
This puppet technique was unlike anything they had ever seen or heard before—truly terrifying!
Before either of them could share their observations, the Wind Spear launched another attack—this time targeting Tsunade.
"Swoosh!"
Tsunade shot upward instantly, but the Wind Spear pursued relentlessly, giving her no chance to find an escape route.
[Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!]
Tsunade performed the jutsu, spitting out a stream of water shaped like a shark that crashed directly into the Wind Spear.
As expected, the collision lasted only a second before Tsunade suddenly stomped hard on the rock wall behind her, shattering that section of the cliff.
"Bang!"
Tsunade flew like a cannonball, shooting across the valley and landing on the opposite wall like a gecko clinging tightly with all four limbs, once again cracking the surface beneath her.
Orochimaru immediately moved toward her, and Tsunade stood up as well, both balancing precariously on the sheer cliff face.
They locked eyes—both silently sharing the same deep frustration.
Clearly, this Wind Spear was a serious problem for either of them.
"You run faster than a mouse hiding in a hole," Chiyo sneered wickedly, clearly enjoying the sight of Orochimaru and Tsunade scrambling to survive.
Fury burned in Tsunade's eyes as she shot Chiyo a cold glare.
Her white teeth clenched tightly against her lip, her expression brimming with defiance.
Since Nawaki had been poisoned, Tsunade's dissatisfaction toward the Suna ninjas and Chiyo had reached its peak.
She had endured many frustrations from continuous battles, but as a ninja, she kept her emotions tightly under control.
Yet as the fight dragged on, her true nature slowly began to surface.
At her core, there was no doubt—she was a born violent!
Tsunade's eyes flared with raw emotion. Then, as though steeling herself, she locked eyes with Chiyo and said to Orochimaru at her side, "Buy me some time with that old hag. I want to settle this once and for all."
"You..." Orochimaru smirked faintly, fully aware of her temper, his lips curling at the edge. He could clearly detect a stubborn defiance in her voice.
Still, after a brief hesitation, he nodded.
Orochimaru trusted Tsunade wasn't being reckless—she always had a plan.
"Fine!"
He responded and immediately formed hand seals with both hands.
"Dominating arrogance!" Chiyo also became furious and unleashed Wind Spears to attack them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two darted in opposite directions like shadows. At that moment, Orochimaru finished forming his hand seals.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart!]
Before him, two towering earth walls shot up from the ground.
"Boom!"
The Wind Spears struck head-on, tearing away a third of the thick wall instantly.
Among chakra natures, Earth Release had the strongest defensive capability. Even a Wind Spear powerful enough to rival an S-rank Ultimate Art couldn't completely destroy this earthen barrier created by Orochimaru in one blow.
Meanwhile behind the earthen wall, Orochimaru stepped back slightly, then dashed toward the cliffside in the valley, forming another set of hand seals.
[Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!]
At the same time, a short distance away, Tsunade completed her own hand seal sequence.
She leapt into midair and slammed her hands downward in a sealing motion.
[Summoning Jutsu!]
"Come forth, Katsuyu!"
The valley quaked slightly as Tsunade steadily landed atop the head of a giant creature. It loomed just as large as Gamabunta, the toad Minato had summoned earlier.
This was Tsunade's Summoning Beast—Katsuyu!
"What is that?"
Other shinobi stared at the massive, slimy slug-like creature, their faces filled with horror.
No sooner had Katsuyu appeared than Tsunade barked out orders, "Katsuyu, use Splitting on me."
...
Just then, both of Orochimaru's towering earth walls were impaled by the Wind Spears, although their piercing force had finally waned.
A colossal fireball surged forward. In that final moment, Orochimaru—who was already pale from chakra exhaustion—lowered his eyelids slightly.
Performing high-level techniques continuously had drained his reserves significantly.
Still, this next move wouldn't be something Chiyo could easily counter.
[Wind Release: Pressure Damage!]
Orochimaru exhaled a massive sphere of wind chakra from his mouth, which violently entwined with the fire dragon bullet.
"Boom!"
The two jutsu clashed violently, erupting into a thunderous explosion. The resulting burst of fierce winds shattered rocks into pieces.
A massive vortex of wind and fire rose up before Orochimaru and Tsunade, completely cutting off Chiyo and filling the entire valley road.
Chiyo gave a sharp snort, then seized control of the Wind Spear again, driving it violently into the raging storm of wind and fire.
With the howling winds, the blazing fire shot skyward, raining down onto the forest on the slopes above the valley.
This scene was truly magnificent—visible to the naked eye for miles around.
...
"But this jutsu will drain years from your life..."
Katsuyu clearly hesitated, reluctant to lend her power to such a dangerous technique.
"Unless I find another way, this is the only option—I'm begging you," Tsunade pleaded with Katsuyu.
After a brief pause, Katsuyu replied, "Alright..."
She knew Tsunade well—once she made a decision, nothing could stand in her way.
Now, Tsunade was clearly ready to die fighting Chiyo.
...
...
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