In an instant, five or six Water Release: Water Dragon Bullets burst upward from the sea.
They surged straight toward Tsunade.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Tsunade leapt backward, narrowly evading them as the Water Dragon Bullets slammed into the ice behind her, erupting with explosive force.
The violent impact made Shikaku's eyes widen.
"Is this really the power Water Release can unleash?"
"It's barely weaker than Earth Release at full force!"
Tsunade continued retreating, but before she could launch a counterattack, Shigure was already forming hand seals again.
Water Release: Water Fang Bullet Technique!
Smaller torrents of water spiraled rapidly, condensing into razor-sharp Water Fang Bullets that shot toward Tsunade in rapid succession.
Water swept across the battlefield.
Tsunade weaved through the attacks with agile movements, dodging while steadily closing the distance between herself and Shigure.
She suddenly swung her fist.
A strange and intense chakra fluctuation erupted from her body.
[Great Sage: Threat detected. Host, exercise caution.]
Tsunade's Monstrous Strength was far from a simple physical strike.
As a medical ninja, her chakra control had reached an astonishing level of precision. Every strike condensed chakra into a single point, releasing it at the moment of impact.
This was a technique refined through countless years—one of the most terrifying close-combat abilities in the ninja world.
Shigure smiled faintly.
He raised a finger and tapped lightly.
In an instant, an ice wall surged upward from the ground.
The barrier formed almost instantly, blocking Tsunade's advance.
Tsunade didn't slow down.
Her fist slammed forward.
Boom!
Her Monstrous Strength struck the ice wall head-on.
The barrier shattered instantly, exploding into countless ice fragments that scattered in every direction.
Under that terrifying blow, the ice wall Shigure had created was completely useless.
Boom! Boom!
Bursting through the shattered ice, Tsunade charged forward without hesitation, delivering two consecutive punches straight toward Shigure's position.
The ice platform beneath them cracked violently.
Chakra rippled across the surface.
Shigure watched closely, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Such refined chakra control.
While Tsunade's chakra reserves weren't greater than his, her control was extraordinarily precise—far more refined at the micro level.
That precision was what allowed her to unleash such devastating power.
Tsunade continued pressing forward.
As she closed in, Shigure's gaze sharpened.
In the next instant, he launched a powerful kick.
It struck Tsunade squarely in the abdomen.
Her body was sent flying backward.
Before she could even land—
Lightning erupted from Shigure's palm.
Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!
A massive sphere of crackling lightning shot forward and slammed directly into Tsunade mid-air.
Tsunade frowned.
The destructive power of the lightning itself didn't worry her—but the intense paralysis spreading through her body did.
Then—
Shigure vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared at the point where Tsunade was about to land.
His body spun violently.
Using the rotation to amplify his force, Shigure drove his fist into Tsunade's back.
Crack! Bang!
Blood sprayed from Tsunade's mouth as her body was sent crashing downward.
Shikaku and Hiashi cried out almost simultaneously.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Their expressions turned pale.
If anything serious happened to the Hokage during this battle, neither of them would ever forgive themselves.
As her guards, they could only watch.
But Shigure showed no hesitation.
He knew Tsunade well enough.
An injury like this was nothing to her.
Tsunade, still airborne, was the perfect target.
Shigure calmly extended his right hand and hooked his fingers toward the sea below.
The next second—
Countless thin streams of water shot up from the sea's surface.
Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
The water threads sliced through the air and struck Tsunade mid-air, piercing straight through her body.
One wound after another burst open, blood spraying as her figure was riddled with holes.
Tsunade's face instantly turned pale.
She landed heavily on the ice, lowering her head to look at the injuries covering her body.
"…Damn it, Shigure. You actually…"
She wanted to say you're really going all out, but swallowing those words was the wiser choice.
Tsunade raised her head and glared at Shigure, fury blazing in her eyes.
Since he wasn't holding back—
Then neither would she.
Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth!
Strange violet markings spread from Tsunade's forehead, branching across her face and body.
Her aura exploded outward.
In the next instant, white steam billowed from her wounds as flesh regenerated at a terrifying speed. The blood vanished, muscles reknit, and her body returned to perfect condition almost instantly.
Shigure watched, then nodded approvingly.
"That's more like it," he said with a smile. "Now this is interesting."
He raised his hand.
Black matter gathered in his palm, condensing and reshaping until it formed a jet-black blade—Zangetsu.
Eyes wide open, Shigure gripped the sword in one hand and pointed the other toward the ground.
"ROOM."
A transparent spherical space expanded outward in an instant, enveloping the entire battlefield.
Tsunade froze for a split second.
Another jutsu?
She couldn't understand it.
Shigure's abilities were becoming more and more incomprehensible.
Yet the smile on his face made her instinctively uneasy.
The next moment, Shigure swung Zangetsu and charged straight at her.
Drawing his blade meant he was serious.
Tsunade had already witnessed his swordsmanship—she absolutely would not clash head-on unless forced.
But close combat was her domain.
Tsunade slammed both palms into the ice beneath her feet and poured all her strength into her arms.
Crack! Bang!
The ice shattered as she ripped a massive block straight out of the ground and hurled it toward Shigure.
The sheer power stunned everyone watching.
The airborne ice block was enormous—nearly one-third the size of the island platform itself.
How could a human lift something like that?
Just as everyone expected Shigure to dodge, he calmly raised his hand and flicked his fingers.
The ice block stopped mid-air.
Completely.
Frozen in place.
Tsunade's pupils shrank.
"What… what kind of jutsu is this?!"
Shigure waved his hand again.
The ice block reversed direction and shot straight back toward Tsunade.
She retreated rapidly, gathered chakra, and threw a full-powered punch.
Boom!
The ice exploded violently, white steam engulfing the battlefield.
Shigure's lips curved upward slightly.
"Transfer."
In the instant the steam spread, his figure vanished.
No one could clearly see what happened next.
They could only catch fleeting afterimages—Shigure flashing rapidly through the mist.
Suddenly, he appeared directly in front of Tsunade.
At the same time, Tsunade sensed the danger and swung her fist instinctively.
Zangetsu flashed.
Through the thinning steam, only two silhouettes could be seen colliding.
Then—
Tsunade's head flew upward.
Shigure caught it effortlessly with a backhand.
Silence fell.
Shikaku's vision went dark as his blood pressure spiked violently.
The Mizukage of the Hidden Mist…
Killed the Hokage?!
Killed Tsunade?!
This was supposed to be a spar!
Yet the Mizukage had taken the opportunity to strike—and directly executed the Hokage of the Leaf!
This wasn't just a battle anymore.
This was—
A declaration that could plunge the entire ninja world into war.
(End of Chapter)
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