Tsunade snorted, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Boy, don't spout nonsense. I'll make sure you lose miserably!"
Ryoma chuckled lightly.
"Alright. But what if I win?"
Tsunade scoffed, lips curling into a confident grin.
"You? Win? Fine then—if you manage to beat me, I'll promise you anything!"
With that bold declaration, she waved a hand.
"Come on, let's go to the training ground!"
Uzumaki Mito only shook her head, her tone soft but firm.
"You two go ahead. I'm going to rest. It's late—try not to disturb the neighbors."
"Got it, Grandma!" Tsunade replied, already brimming with anticipation.
She couldn't wait to put Ryoma in his place. Just imagining his defeat brought a smile to her lips.
Not long after, Ryoma and Tsunade arrived at the training ground.
The field was deserted, moonlight gleaming across its wide expanse. Tsunade strode over to a massive boulder and shattered it with a single punch. The fragments scattered, leaving behind a solid stone platform—perfect for their contest of strength.
"Scared yet, boy?" she asked, flexing her fist.
She had intended to intimidate Ryoma, but the calm, unbothered look on his face only deepened her irritation.
"Hmph, you'll see how strong I really am soon enough!"
They stepped up to opposite ends of the stone platform, locking hands in preparation for a test of raw strength.
Tsunade turned her head toward Kushina.
"Kushina, step back. I don't want you caught up in this."
"Okay!" Kushina nodded, retreating about ten meters before shouting, "Three, two, one—start!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Tsunade roared, golden chakra erupting from her body like a torrent the moment the match began.
Ryoma only smiled faintly, his grip tightening as his strength steadily surged.
[10%... 20%... 30%... 40%... 50%...]
Purple chakra flared around him, its aura deep and powerful.
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. That chakra—it was identical to her grandfather's! And the power pressing against her hand was monstrous.
"Tch!"
She immediately bit down on her frustration and released the Yin Seal on her forehead.
Strength of a Hundred Technique!
Her chakra erupted, overflowing with vitality as she tried to overwhelm Ryoma's power.
This kid… his strength is unbelievable. And he's not even breaking a sweat?!
With a low growl, Tsunade's entire body gleamed with golden light.
"I don't believe it! There's no way you're stronger than me!"
The clash of their auras exploded outward, purple and gold chakra twisting together into a raging vortex.
Boom!
The stone platform split apart beneath their feet. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, spreading outward in all directions.
Meanwhile, at the Sarutobi household—
Hiruzen Sarutobi had just sat down when a member of the Anbu rushed in with urgent news.
"Tsunade and Ryoma… again?!"
His wife, Biwako, sighed. She had just been scolding him for working late so often. Their eldest son was preparing to graduate soon, their youngest—Asuma—had just entered the Academy, and yet Hiruzen barely had time for either of them.
Before she could say more, Hiruzen was already out the door.
Biwa-ko only shook her head helplessly. Maybe working overtime is simply the fate of a Hokage.
Elsewhere, Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, and the young Minato Namikaze were returning from an errand with Danzo when they noticed the spiraling tornado of purple and gold energy rising in the distance.
"What is that?!" Minato exclaimed.
"Let's go. We need to check it out," Sakumo replied, his eyes narrowing.
Back at the training ground, Kushina had retreated even further, her crimson hair whipping in the violent wind.
Jiraiya couldn't see what was happening between Ryoma and Tsunade inside the raging vortex of chakra.
Kushina, standing at a distance, suddenly felt a pang of regret. Why did I ever suggest an arm-wrestling contest? This is no different from an all-out battle!
Purple chakra surged wildly from Ryoma's body, boiling up into the sky like a storm.
At the same time, branches and vines erupted from the ground beneath Kushina's feet, weaving together into a protective wall in front of her.
Even while locked in a direct clash with Tsunade, Ryoma was still mindful enough to protect Kushina.
"Hmph! At least you have the sense to guard Kushina!" Tsunade roared, her fighting spirit—dormant for two years—instantly reigniting under Ryoma's pressure.
Golden chakra flared from her body, shooting into the sky as the air trembled. The clouds themselves seemed to churn from the power she unleashed.
Boom!
The enormous chakra collided in midair, and the pressure alone caused the ground beneath them to collapse.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One crater after another split open around the battlefield, the earth fracturing under their overwhelming strength.
"Kushina!"
She turned at the sound of her name and saw Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake rushing toward her.
"What's going on here?" Minato demanded, frowning as his sharp eyes fell on the two figures locked in a test of strength—one cloaked in golden light, the other shrouded in purple chakra.
"That boy… Ryoma? And that woman is…"
Sakumo's expression hardened. "It's Tsunade."
"Tsunade-sama?!" Minato's eyes widened in disbelief. She was one of the Legendary Sannin, equal in fame to his own master.
But what shocked him even more was the sight before him.
"And Ryoma… he's holding the advantage?"
Sakumo frowned, unable to hide his unease. He had always prided himself on his skill with assassination techniques—fast, precise, and deadly. In terms of sheer strength, though, he knew he was no match for Tsunade.
Yet here was Ryoma, not only matching her in raw power but steadily forcing her back.
Is this the strength of his awakened Kekkei Genkai? The Senju truly are terrifying…
"Ryoma is actually arm-wrestling Tsunade—and not losing ground?!"
Minato's chest tightened. He had thought he was closing the gap between himself and Ryoma, but seeing this, he realized the distance between them was only growing wider.
...
TN:
Hope you Enjoy~😊