With Kushina's current strength, facing two major clan heads like Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima, she didn't even need to use Kurama's Partial Transformation, let alone enter Kyuubi Chakra Mode (KCM).
However, Kushina also knew: no clan head in the Warring States era could be underestimated.
While dodging the gracefully flashing sword slashes, Kushina casually mused in her mind. 'If compared… perhaps their combination could defeat the Fourth Raikage with each of them sustaining moderate injuries... Not bad. Each has reached Kage level. But against Hiruzen in his prime... that's a different story.'
Kushina's eyes narrowed, reading her opponents' movements. Senju without Mokuton and Uchiha without Mangekyou... for Kushina at this moment, they weren't a serious threat. At the very least, an opponent who could make her feel pressured would need to possess at least an Eternal Mangekyou or strength of that caliber.
Seeing their sword attacks yielding no results, the two clan heads switched to their next plan.
"Useless," Tajima snarled, then in an instant began forming seals rapidly. His breath deepened, full of hot energy. "Katon! Gōka Ryū no Jutsu!"
A giant fire dragon launched from Tajima's mouth, roaring ferociously, devouring the air with a burning temperature that even blackened the surrounding grass.
At the same time, Butsuma also began to move. "Doton: Doryūheki!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sturdy rock walls rose, surrounding Kushina from all directions, leaving only one opening... right towards the fire dragon! A deadly combination trap.
From a distance, the four brats—Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna—held their breath tensely.
"Nee-chan...!" Hashirama exclaimed in panic.
But Kushina? She just clicked her tongue, not even moving a single step.
Since her identity as an Uzumaki was already known, Kushina no longer needed to play nice. "Hmph."
With a simple hand gesture, golden chakra chains shot out from her ten fingers, glinting like sacred lightning.
CRACK! CRASH!
In an instant, the chains slashed through the rock walls like a saw destroying a fragile log, then split the fire dragon into small fragments that disappeared into the hot air.
Everyone watching froze. Even Madara and Hashirama stared with a mixture of awe and embarrassment.
On one hand, they were proud because Kushina was their teacher.
But on the other hand, seeing both their fathers—figures they had always considered invincible—being completely "played with" without serious effort, felt a little... humiliating.
Hashirama muttered softly to Madara, "Should we... pretend we don't know them?"
Madara stared blankly and nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Tajima and Butsuma did not give up. They immediately performed another combination, using Katon and Suiton to create a thick fog that covered the entire area.
"Good, let her lower her guard!" Tajima muttered quickly.
However, Kushina's relaxed voice echoed from behind the fog: "Lord Butsuma, are you really serious... using ordinary fog against an Uzumaki?" Kushina's tone was full of mockery. "You yourself know, don't you, who here best understands... just how insane the Uzumaki clan's chakra perception is?"
Butsuma, who had just realized his carelessness, immediately broke into a cold sweat. "W-well... that is..." He scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.
Tajima snorted sharply from within the fog. "Idiot," he commented flatly, glancing at Butsuma.
"If you at least knew this basic fact, the Senju clan wouldn't have bothered forming an alliance with the Uzumaki clan," Tajima said.
Butsuma blushed in embarrassment, but faked a small cough to divert attention.
From a distance, the four brats—Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna—almost simultaneously thought:
'We don't know them…' They all desperately wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves right then.
—------------------------
The battle raged "fiercely", with various high-level ninjutsu dazzling the eye. Lightning, earth, water, fire, and wind took turns bombarding the field, creating explosions that shook the air and ground.
Kushina deftly dodged the attacks. Occasionally, she would raise a hand and summon chakra chains to nullify an enemy's attack, or move with a shadow-like speed to evade through a narrow gap between explosions.
Upon seeing Butsuma unleash a wind jutsu—a dense tornado capable of destroying trees within a fifty-meter radius—Kushina briefly thought, mocking him inwardly: 'Truly befitting the leader of the Senju clan. Besides Danzo, I don't know who else could use wind jutsu this impressively... Hahaha.'
However, of course, she didn't say it out loud. Instead, Kushina slightly raised her fighting level.
From an outsider's perspective, in the eyes of the four brats—Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna—Kushina now appeared "serious".
Yet in reality, both Butsuma and Tajima—as battle veterans—quickly realized the truth: Kushina was merely retaliating with comparable ninjutsu, to preserve their dignity. As if her actions were saying, "Alright, I'll pretend to try hard."
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!" Tajima shouted, launching a blazing sea of fire towards Kushina.
Almost simultaneously, Butsuma formed rapid seals. "Fūton: Atsugai!"
A sharp, swirling wind emerged from behind the flames, exponentially increasing its temperature and destructive power. A perfect combo!
The two clan heads exchanged glances, confident their combined attack would force Kushina to move at least a little more seriously.
However—
Kushina just stood still.
As the tsunami of fire and wind approached, Kushina casually raised one hand, forming a single, simple seal. Suiton: Suijinheki.
Bwoosh!
A wall of pure, shimmering water rose high, withstanding the blazing fire mixed with wind like a reef withstanding ocean waves.
Instantly, a hissing sound was heard as the fire evaporated into a thin mist, enveloping the entire area.
From behind the mist, Kushina's relaxed voice was heard: "I have seen your abilities."
"You are indeed worthy of being leaders of the Senju and Uchiha clans."
She walked slowly out of the mist, her red hair fluttering lightly in the hot wind from the battle. "So... the game ends here."
"I have no intention of becoming an enemy to either of you."
"Regarding my two disciples..." Kushina glanced at Hashirama and Madara, who were staring at her tensely.
"I will meet you again in the future... if we are fortunate enough."
Her tone was calm, yet full of authority.
Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima stood stiffly. Their expressions clearly showed dissatisfaction, but more than that—they weren't fools. In the battle just now, they had personally experienced: Kushina was capable of stopping their combined attacks without truly exerting her full power. If they forced the battle further, it would only humiliate themselves.
"Tch." Tajima clicked his tongue, sheathing his sword.
"Hmph." Butsuma snorted, wiping his sword to clean off dust, then sheathed it as well.
The two exchanged glances. No words were spoken, but a silent agreement was reached. Attacking further was futile.
"We will meet again," Tajima muttered coldly, before turning and leaping away.
"Don't be too confident, Uzumaki," Butsuma added, but his voice sounded more like an empty warning before he too departed.
Watching everyone disappear into the distance, Kushina just shook her head with a faint smile. "As stubborn as ever..."
At that moment, a familiar voice emerged in her mind. "Don't get too arrogant, Kushina." Kurama's voice rumbled heavily.
Kushina sighed and replied inwardly, "Of course I know, Kurama."
"With my current strength... I'm not even worthy of being called an equal opponent for Madara and Hashirama in the future."
Kurama snorted, not responding further.
Kushina smiled relaxed. "Alright..." she said, stretching her body, looking up at the boundless blue sky.
"Time to explore the shinobi world of this Warring States era."
"I've always been curious... what civilization was really like in this crazy age."