Comparing her current behavior to her earlier sharp tone felt almost like a tantrum — it sent shivers down Uchiha Ran's spine.
At seventeen, Tsunade was already a true beauty — like a lotus flower just blooming above still waters.
Her figure hadn't yet reached its final perfection, but even her clothes couldn't hide the enticing curves that stirred anything but chaste thoughts.
Ran wasn't blind — of course he saw all of it.
Noble lineage, breathtaking beauty, flawless body — no wonder Tsunade drove half of their peers insane.
You could line up her admirers in Konoha from the village gates all the way to the exit.
But not Uchiha Ran.
He never wanted to talk to her, never looked her in the face.
As far as Ran was concerned, Tsunade was a Senju — a member of that cursed clan, which meant she was evil incarnate.
"If it weren't for your damn grandfather, I wouldn't be in this mess!"
Who could stand it, when the enemy starts batting her lashes right in your face?
Of course, Tsunade didn't flirt on purpose. It just looked that way. And more importantly — she wasn't doing it intentionally.
After all, a ninja isn't allowed to just beat up a civilian inside the village — it goes against protocol.
And Ran never provoked her first — it was always Tsunade who started it.
Her behavior, frankly speaking, crossed all the lines.
Especially the way she'd grabbed his wrist — that went against her own principles. She wasn't the type to pick on the weak.
But then again, it was hard to blame her — no one could get under her skin quite like Ran.
He'd spent the whole way here cursing her out: name-calling, mocking, tossing out the most bizarre insults.
The name Uchiha Ran had been known around the village for five years now.
Since then, more and more people acknowledged his medical skills, praising him as the best medical ninja in Konoha.
Tsunade just couldn't stand it.
"If he's the best medic, then who the hell am I?.. Konoha can't afford to have someone better than me!"
Gifted in medical ninjutsu since childhood, she'd always dreamed of becoming the best medic in the ninja world.
So the appearance of someone with equal — or even greater — skill, and her own age to boot, felt like a personal insult.
Back then, at twelve, Tsunade had basically been a spoiled princess who had no idea what war even meant. In Konoha, she did whatever she pleased.
Of course, challenging Ran to a medical competition became a matter of pride.
Five years had passed since then — and she hadn't won a single time.
Score: 0–47.
After every loss, Ran would drop some stinging, sarcastic remark that made Tsunade explode with rage.
Each defeat left her with a promise — one day, she'd beat him. Fair and square.
Rubbing his wrist, still sore from her grip, Uchiha Ran looked at her with contempt and said coldly:
"So, you're really sure you want to compete again?"
That tone made Tsunade boil over.
"What do you think?! Why else would I show up?!"
"Heh… Who knows," Ran said coolly. "Maybe you came to mock a defenseless doctor? So terrifying, Tsunade-sama. Can't win, so you go for a brawl?"
"You bastard!" Tsunade's face flushed, her teeth clenched. "It's because you piss me off!"
"Me? Pfft, yeah right… A real man doesn't argue with a little girl. Not even worth explaining."
"You— You savage!" Tsunade was already clenching her fists when Ran suddenly changed tone, adopting a mock-serious expression.
"Hope you're ready to cry today — like last time?"
And, as if remembering something, he added:
"Just don't throw a tantrum in the hospital again, okay? Save your tears for home."
"AAARGH! BASTARD! When, exactly, do you think I cried?! Say it again, I dare you!"
Now Tsunade really was on the verge of tears.
Yes, she had lost all 47 times — but she'd never cried. She wasn't the type to cry over a loss.
But Ran, right in front of everyone, tossed it out like a fact, turning a rumor into "official history" — and it shook her with fury and humiliation.
"Yeah yeah yeah, no one cried, no one's saying that," Ran replied lazily. "Everyone hear that? Tsunade-sama never cried after losing to me. So when you leave here, make sure not to spread any rumors."
Yet his tone, his expression, his whole delivery — made it perfectly clear he wanted everyone to believe she had cried.
Tsunade was literally trembling with rage now — it really looked like she might break down any second.
And Ran, watching this, beamed with delight.
"Your grandfather keeps ruining my life even from the grave — well, at least I'll get some payback."
"And don't you dare say I start these things. You're the one crawling to me each time for another slapdown. Who's to blame? Of course — that damn Tobirama Senju."
As soon as he mentioned Tobirama, a completely insane thought flashed through his head.
"What if I married Tsunade… and then used Edo Tensei to resurrect Tobirama? Can you imagine his reaction? He'd fall apart from sheer rage — even in his undead form! Damn, just picturing that is pure joy…"
Of course, that stayed just a thought — Ran would never actually do something like that.
"Marry someone from the cursed Senju clan? Not a chance in hell!"
"And if I did, how would I keep having fun pissing Tsunade off? That's the only bright spot in this dreary life."
"All right, cry at home later. Now tell me — how are we doing this?"
Ran was eager to get back to his imaginary training session, so he decided to wrap this circus up as quickly as possible.
"Hmph!" Tsunade huffed, but there was hurt in her voice. "I'll treat the arm. You treat the leg. We'll see who gets better results!"
The patient wasn't chosen by chance: a Konoha construction worker who had fallen from a height and broken one arm and one leg. He'd been in the ward for three days already.
— Which only proved: Tsunade had planned this competition ahead of time — and picked her target carefully.
"Ladies first," Uchiha Ran said gallantly, stepping aside and gesturing. "Your battlefield awaits."
Naturally, it came with a mocking undertone, just to twist the knife.
Tsunade clenched her teeth, took a deep breath, and ignoring Ran, stepped forward sharply, pulling the bandage off the man's arm.
But… she didn't start the treatment right away.
Instead, she began untying the cloth on her forehead, revealing a blue rhombus-shaped seal.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
Uchiha Ran flinched internally.
"She's actually already mastered the Yin Seal from Uzumaki Mito? And ahead of schedule?!"
And she wasn't done yet — she summoned, using Kuchiyose… a slug about the size of a human head.
Once everything was ready, she took a deep breath, then opened her eyes.
Tsunade carefully hovered her hand over the man's arm, above the slug. Then — perfectly controlled streams of chakra flowed from the slug into the fracture.
At the same time, thick, concentrated chakra began pouring from the seal on her forehead into her palm, merging with the main flow.
Finally, she activated the Shōsen Jutsu, placing her right hand on the broken bone and covering it with her left to better control the chakra.
Ran, watching the scene, nearly rolled his eyes.
"Seriously? Going all in from the start? That's not even fair — I don't have a summoning contract or a slug! And even if I did — it sure as hell wouldn't be a slug!"
Yeah, the fact that Tsunade was pulling out all the stops added some pressure.
But it was also obvious — she was furious, and that's why she was going all-out.
About ten minutes passed.
Tsunade, now exhausted, withdrew her chakra, stepped back, and tensely asked the patient:
"Mister, how do you feel?"