"Sizzle… sizzle… sizzle…"
Under the night sky, bathed in moonlight, a glowing purple sealing mark shimmered on Tsunade's forehead, while her bloody abdomen smoked and wriggled—healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"That's it!!" Seeing Tsunade release her seal, white smoke rising from her abdomen, Shizune's expression turned to one of both relief and concern.
"She's using a massive amount of chakra to stimulate instantaneous cell regeneration! Rapid cell division to reconstruct and recover tissue—this is the strength of the Legendary Sannin," Kakashi said, his left eye widening. "But… although this technique quickly heals injuries and maintains combat power, its downside is obvious. Cells can only divide a finite number of times. Doing this consumes her own lifespan."
"You're right, Kakashi." Shizune nodded bitterly. "But there's no other choice right now. I believe Lady Tsunade made this decision knowing the risks."
Kakashi agreed. "Indeed. Compared to an uncertain lifespan, survival is more immediate. Even if it shortens her life, it's still a worthwhile trade."
While they spoke in awe, Nokizaru Leader and the other one were falling into despair…
"What the hell is this?! Impossible! How can someone recover so terrifyingly fast?"
"Run—run now! If we stay, we're dead!"
Trembling in panic, Nokizaru and the remaining two turned to flee, abandoning the mission.
But how could Tsunade—already furious and on the edge of erupting—let them escape? If not for them, how could she have been humiliated by a mere Genin?!
"Heavenly Foot of Pain…" With no warning, Tsunade raised her right leg high and brought it down with explosive force.
A deafening boom split the ground wide open, sending a crack racing through the earth that instantly swallowed the severely injured Nokizaru leader.
In the same instant, Tsunade vanished and reappeared beside another enemy. Before he could react, she struck with a punch that erupted like a landslide!
"Crack, crack, crack… ah~~!"
Everyone heard the sharp snap of bones shattering—then saw the enemy scream as he was launched into the forest, slamming into a tree trunk with immense force. Whether he lived or died was unclear.
"Gulp…" Watching the towering tree crack apart and the deep trench carved into the ground, Ishikawa swallowed hard, drenched in cold sweat.
Oh no! Is Tsunade going to do that to me, too? My little body can't survive that kind of torture…
Shivering at the thought of her monstrous strength, Ishikawa hurried to Kakashi's side. "Sensei, are you okay?"
"Now you're scared? Acting all innocent?" Kakashi looked at Ishikawa's pale face and forced a smile. "Don't even think about asking me to beg for mercy. I'm still waiting for Lady Tsunade to save me."
"Come on, Teacher Kakashi! I did it to save everyone. You can't let me die just like that."
"Pfft…" Shizune let out a quiet laugh, unable to hold back.
Serves you right. Acting all bold just a moment ago—and you had the nerve to take liberties with Lady Tsunade? Even if the outcome was good, that kind of behavior is unforgivable!
"Lady Tsunade, please operate on Lord Raikage immediately! The previous conditions stand—we will fulfill our promise!" On the side, Amai shouted the moment Tsunade ended the battle with overwhelming force.
The Raikage could explode at any moment—he had to be treated immediately.
"Tsunade, save Amai first," the Fourth Raikage quickly added. Although logic said he should be treated first for the sake of Kumogakure, he chose instead to prioritize his subordinates.
"Lady Tsunade, please treat Kakashi first. The situation here is also extremely dangerous!" Just as Tsunade was torn over what to do, Shizune's calm voice came from behind.
Suddenly, Tsunade looked at the three human bombs who could explode at any moment and helplessly held her forehead. "Looks like we have no choice but to act all at once!"
As she spoke, Tsunade wiped the bloodstains from her clothes and swiftly formed hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
With a loud bang, a massive blue-and-white slug, the size of a house, appeared at her feet. "Katsuyu, wrap their lower bodies and bring them to me."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The giant slug responded at once, its body quickly splitting into seven smaller clones that rushed toward everyone.
"Teacher Kakashi, what is this?" Ishikawa asked, feigning ignorance, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the slug clone heading his way.
His two younger brothers also looked on curiously, ears perked up to listen.
"It's Katsuyu-sama, Tsunade-sama's summoning beast. Katsuyu-sama was revered as one of the Three Great Sages..."
"Three Sages?" Ishikawa echoed in mock surprise but didn't press further.
By then, his lower body was already wrapped by one of Katsuyu's clones, rapidly ferrying him forward. The others were similarly enveloped, and soon all seven were brought into the main body and placed atop the slug's massive head.
"There's no time for pre-op prep, so I'll have to use special methods to extract the explosive bugs from you," Tsunade said as she looked at them one by one. She once again formed hand seals, igniting blue chakra scalpels in both hands. "Since none of you have the same regenerative power as I do, I'll let Katsuyu handle the healing. Don't resist."
Without wasting another word, Tsunade approached Kakashi and made two swift slashes with precision.
With a dull plop, Kakashi groaned as the insect was excised and fell from his body. At the moment of extraction, his body sank into Katsuyu's slime, leaving only his head exposed as the healing began.
"Whoa, what an incredible summoning beast. It even knows medical ninjutsu!" Ishikawa exclaimed theatrically, watching in amazement for the first time. His desire to obtain a slug summon surged to its peak.
In a world of flying blades and frequent wounds, a medical-type summon like this offered a priceless sense of security. Not only that, but the slug had communication-splitting capabilities, concentrated acid attacks, and near-complete immunity to physical strikes. Add to that the legacy of the Shikkotsu Forest—one of the Three Great Sage Lands—and it was a dream come true for Ishikawa.
"Hmph, you're the only one still chattering." Tsunade snorted at his commentary, then skillfully removed the explosive Bug from Amai and turned toward the Raikage.
"Huh? I almost forgot..." Just as the Raikage was expecting her treatment, Tsunade seemed to recall something. She dispelled the chakra scalpel on her right hand and pulled out a blank IOU slip.
"To make sure you don't go back on your word—sign this first. I don't trust Kumogakure's credit one bit."
"What?! Tsunade, this is outrageous!" The Raikage's face darkened in fury at the blatant insult.
Even if Kumo did have a shady reputation for backing out of deals, it was still infuriating to have it stated so openly!
"Say what you will. It's fair trade—no advance payment, no extortion!" Tsunade replied with a curl of her lip. In her eyes, not asking for payment up front was already magnanimous. What more did he want?
"Lady Tsunade, why not just extract the explosive worm without healing him? Keep the Raikage alive, and when payment is made, treat him then."
Just as the Raikage's anger flared, Ishikawa chimed in again—and the whole atmosphere shifted.
"You brat, how dare you—!"
"Great suggestion. Done." With that, Tsunade activated her chakra scalpel and removed the explosive Bug cleanly.