"The Kubikiribōchō? Is he one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist Village?"
Tsunade stared at the man for a moment, immediately recognized his identity, then withdrew her gaze and went straight to Naruto's side.
Looking at the four chakra tails dancing behind him, her expression turned unpleasant. "So you were holding back when you fought me!"
When Naruto fought her earlier, he had always maintained a three-tailed state. She thought that was his limit, but she didn't expect four tails to appear now. It was obvious that this kid had been holding back.
That made Tsunade feel as if she had been looked down upon by a child, which greatly displeased her.
"Hehe!"
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, about to speak, when Tsunade continued, "Since that's the case, the guy over there is yours. I don't feel like getting involved."
With that, she walked over to Karin, who was being protected behind Naruto, sat down cross-legged, crossed her arms, and said, "That man with the big sword is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the former Hidden Mist Village. I think his name was Strawberry Jūzō, or maybe Watermelon Jūzō—well, I don't remember.
The sword in his hand is called the Kubikiribōchō. He's a tough opponent. Be careful."
Although she was displeased with Naruto, Tsunade still shared what she knew about Biwa Jūzō.
As for why she didn't act, besides Jiraiya's request, she also had her own reasons.
On the other side, Biwa Jūzō heard Tsunade butcher his name and wanted to correct her, but he restrained himself. Tsunade clearly had no intention of fighting him now, and there was no need to provoke her. Her attitude also made him, who had originally wanted to retreat, see an opportunity to capture the Jinchūriki.
"Hmph. She wants to use herself as a sparring partner for the Jinchūriki brat? Perfect."
Biwa Jūzō sneered inwardly. "If I snatch the Jinchūriki right under the nose of the 'Three Ninja,' my reputation will skyrocket!"
"Understood!"
Naruto thanked Tsunade sincerely. "Thank you, Granny Tsunade. I'll leave Karin to your care!"
"Granny—"
Tsunade's face darkened instantly. She nearly rushed over to help Biwa Jūzō beat Naruto up.
Given Naruto's age, calling her "Granny" was perfectly reasonable—but for some reason, it always infuriated her.
"Rasengan!"
Naruto formed a spinning sphere with both hands. The Nine-Tails' chakra boiled around him as another tail slowly grew out. He charged at Biwa Jūzō.
Before, he had been forced into defense to protect Karin. Now, he could finally fight freely.
"Five tails… and that ninjutsu—wasn't that the Rasengan developed by Minato?"
Seeing another chakra tail emerge, Tsunade's eyelids twitched.
So when this brat fought her earlier, he hadn't just been holding back a little—he had been holding back a lot. Not only had he concealed two tails, but he hadn't even used any ninjutsu.
"Damn it… was I underestimated?"
Tsunade clenched her teeth, secretly deciding to give Jiraiya a proper beating later.
"Heh, I'm being underestimated too!"
Biwa Jūzō scoffed when he saw Naruto take the initiative. He raised the Momochi Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō and brought it down vertically toward Naruto.
Buzz!
The Rasengan collided with the blade, emitting a sharp buzzing sound. The Rasengan was split apart by the Momochi Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō.
"Hahaha! Brat, there's nothing my Kubikiribōchō can't cut—not even chakra!"
Laughing wildly, Biwa Jūzō continued his downward strike toward Naruto's head.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. The two tails behind him transformed into claws, catching the blade barehanded. At the same time, he kicked Biwa Jūzō squarely in the chest.
Bang!
Biwa Jūzō was sent flying dozens of meters before smashing into a boulder.
"Cough, cough!~"
He staggered to his feet, spat out blood, and said grimly, "Brat, as expected of a Jinchūriki. This strength is monstrous!"
He believed Naruto had used Tailed Beast power—but in truth, that kick was purely Naruto's own strength.
Whoosh!~
Naruto appeared above Biwa Jūzō. His hands and the five tails behind him, all transformed into claws, each held an orange Rasengan several times larger than normal.
They smashed down simultaneously.
Tailed Beast: Great Rasengan Barrage!
Biwa Jūzō's eyelids twitched violently. If he took that head-on, he knew he would be finished.
With no time to dodge, he raised the Momochi Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō to block.
Boom!~
Seven Great Rasengan Barrages slammed into the blade, shattering more than half of it. Shards of the broken sword pierced into Biwa Jūzō's body.
"Pfft!~"
Biwa Jūzō vomited blood. He hurled the broken sword toward Naruto, then quickly formed hand seals. His chest swelled before he spat out an enormous torrent of water.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!~"
Whoosh!
The surging water was like a towering wave, pushing Naruto back dozens of meters. A massive body of water gathered beneath his feet, resembling a small lake.
"So powerful!"
Naruto stared at the water beneath him. It was his first time seeing such an exaggerated Water Release, and the entire body of water was filled with the opponent's chakra, making it impossible to sense his location.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The water coiled upward, forming a massive dragon head that tried to swallow Naruto whole.
Naruto's tails turned into claws, bracing the dragon's jaws. He was lifted into the air, spun around, then slammed back into the water.
Tailed Beast: Blade!
Naruto's eyes sharpened. The remaining three tails transformed into blades, slicing rapidly through the water dragon, cutting it into more than a dozen segments. The dragon lost its form and collapsed back into water.
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
Before Naruto could land, countless water bullets shot up toward him.
Tailed Beast: Raging Current!
Naruto swept his tails forward, generating gusts of wind that blew the water bullets away.
At that moment, a massive water sphere surged up from below—it was Biwa Jūzō, hidden underwater, using Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!
Naruto didn't counterattack. He let the water sphere strike him, using the force to retreat quickly and escape the water-covered area.
"So this kid isn't good at ninjutsu battles."
From afar, Tsunade immediately saw Naruto's weakness.
His fighting style excelled in close combat, but against large-scale terrain manipulation, he fell into a disadvantage.
Biwa Jūzō realized this as well and controlled the water to chase him.
"Heh!~"
Naruto grinned. He bent down, pressed both hands to the ground, and the Tailed Beast cloak transformed into a massive fox head that opened its mouth toward the water.
If you won't come out, I'll blow up all the water!
Roar!
Black and orange chakra gathered, forming a massive chakra sphere that shot out like a cannonball.
Tailed Beast Ball—fire!
Boom!~
The Tailed Beast Ball plunged into the water. Before detonating, it diverted the flow, revealing Biwa Jūzō's position.
"This thing—"
Biwa Jūzō's eyes trembled. He clenched the broken sword in his hand, retreat flashing through his mind.
This wasn't something a human could block.
But then he saw Naruto chasing after the Tailed Beast Ball, already prepared to pursue.
"Hahahahaha!"
Biwa Jūzō laughed loudly. Gripping the Kubikiribōchō's remaining third, he leapt upward.
"Don't underestimate me! I am Biwa Jūzō, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!~"
He swung his blade.
Boom!
The Kubikiribōchō struck the Tailed Beast Ball, detonating it prematurely.
A blinding flash erupted, followed by a deafening roar and a rising mushroom cloud. The water vanished entirely, leaving behind a massive crater hundreds of meters wide.
Biwa Jūzō was gone.
Only the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō remained.
"This kid…"
From kilometers away, Tsunade stared in shock.
She had thought five tails were Naruto's limit—but he had even mastered the Tailed Beast Ball.
His talent was even more terrifying than his father's.
"Tsunade!~"
Jiraiya rushed over. "How is it? What happened?"
"It's over."
Tsunade replied quietly, then asked after a pause, "Jiraiya… did you always know how strong that kid was?"
"Th-this… ha, haha!~"
Jiraiya scratched his head. "Honestly, I'm not sure either. All of this is Minato's doing."
"Minato? Didn't he die?"
Tsunade asked, then let it go. She looked at what Jiraiya was holding. "What's that?"
"Oh, this?"
Jiraiya raised a damaged mask. "Something left by the guy who blocked us earlier. He's strange—complex abilities, maybe even some form of immortality. Destroying this mask seems to be the key."
"Immortality… masks?"
Tsunade frowned thoughtfully.
"Jiraiya-sensei! Granny Tsunade!"
Naruto descended from the sky holding the Kubikiribōchō's hilt. "I dealt with that Strawberry—or Watermelon—guy. Only this much is left."
"Biwa Jūzō," Jiraiya corrected.
"Huh? Biwa?"
Naruto blinked and looked at Tsunade. He clearly remembered her calling him Strawberry or Watermelon.
"Cough. That doesn't matter."
Tsunade waved it off. "Strawberry, Watermelon, Biwa—they're all fruits. He's dealt with."
Naruto nodded.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
He turned sharply toward a shadow and shouted, "Who's there? Come out!"
From the darkness, two figures emerged—
Orochimaru.
And Uchiha Sasuke.
---
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