She looked at Hikaru, who was already flanked by Nonō Yakushi and Chiri, unsure what to do for a moment.
But Tsunade was a smart girl, after all.
After a brief pause, she suddenly came up with an idea.
Without hesitation, she threw herself into Hikaru's arms, hugging him tightly.
The four of them clung together as if trying to melt into each other's bodies.
Only after a long while did they slowly pull apart.
And only then did the three girls realize what they had just done. Their faces flushed red as they lowered their heads, too embarrassed to meet Hikaru's eyes.
Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, but he wisely chose not to say anything.
Otherwise, if they got embarrassed and angry, he'd be the one to suffer.
So the group fell into a strange silence—until the awkwardness got to the girls, and they each raised their heads to look at him.
Seeing the lingering blush on their faces, Hikaru smiled gently and said:
"I remember we were in the middle of introductions just now. How did things go so off track?"
At those words, all three girls instinctively turned to look at Tsunade.
Feeling a bit guilty under their gaze, Tsunade stiffened her neck and said defiantly:
"What're you looking at me for? It's not like I told you to copy me."
Though her words were bold, a sheepish and playful smile crept onto her face.
The others couldn't help but giggle softly at the sight.
At that moment, Hikaru suddenly spoke:
"Now that introductions are over, how about testing your strength?"
"Come to think of it, I've never sparred with any of you."
The moment Tsunade and Nonō heard that, they shook their heads like rattles.
Tsunade waved her hands frantically and said:
"No need, no need! Why don't the three of us spar with each other? You can just watch from the side, Hikaru!"
Nonō nodded repeatedly. "Yes, exactly! That's the better option."
Chiri looked at them, puzzled by their reactions.
She asked curiously, "What's wrong with you two? Why don't you want to spar with Hikaru?"
Tsunade and Nonō exchanged a glance, both revealing a bitter smile.
They knew that Chiri hadn't seen the battle yesterday—when Hikaru completely overwhelmed Hashirama.
That match had made them truly realize the vast gap between their strength and Hikaru's.
Even though it was just a spar, the feeling of not being able to touch him at all… wasn't easy to accept.
And to think they had spent the past six years training hard, all just to stand beside Hikaru.
Six years had passed, and instead of closing the distance, the gap had only widened to the point they couldn't even see the end of it.
But to avoid worrying Hikaru, they buried that sense of disappointment deep within their hearts, never speaking of it.
Hikaru couldn't read minds—so he had no idea what they were hiding inside.
To him, it just felt like confessing his feelings and then immediately challenging them to a fight was probably a bit... tactless.
So, inspiration struck, and he offered a compromise.
"If you don't want to spar with me, how about the three of you spar with each other? It'll help you get a sense of each other's abilities too."
This time, Tsunade and Nonō didn't object.
But Tsunade suddenly seemed to remember something. With a sly look, she pulled Nonō and Chiri aside to whisper something in private.
Before leaving, she warned Hikaru not to eavesdrop.
Hikaru shrugged and smiled. "Relax, I won't listen in."
Only after hearing that did Tsunade confidently pull the other two aside.
She got straight to the point:
"You've both seen how Hikaru is. He's never going to choose just one of us."
"And I'm not going to give up on him either. I bet you two aren't planning to back off, are you?"
Although a bit shy, Nonō and Chiri nodded firmly. They weren't willing to give up on Hikaru either.
Seeing that, Tsunade nodded in understanding and continued:
"In that case, we'll have to do it like those noble families—marry him together."
"But even then, someone has to take the lead. If we go by age, you two won't like that, right?"
Nonō and Chiri nodded again.
They were both proud and confident women—no way they'd accept age as the deciding factor.
Tsunade looked at them, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, and added:
"So let's decide it through this spar. Whoever wins takes the lead. We'll do the same thing every year, okay?"
The suggestion surprised both Nonō and Chiri, but they quickly realized it was a fair approach.
After all, they had confidence in their own strength.
So they both nodded in agreement.
Then Tsunade added with a grin:
"Make sure not to tell Hikaru~ This is our little secret."
Hearing that, Nonō and Chiri couldn't help but laugh, both nodding again.
With the plan settled, the three girls returned to Hikaru's side—each wearing a confident smile.
They didn't reveal anything about their conversation.
Hikaru glanced at them, their faces full of secrets, but chose not to ask.
He trusted they'd tell him when the time was right.
"All set?"
Tsunade, Nonō, and Chiri exchanged glances and nodded.
With that, they each stepped apart and began preparing for battle.
"Begin!"
Tsunade shouted, and the match officially started.
With a sudden movement, she dashed toward Nonō, swinging her fist hard.
The force of the punch was intense—enough to compress the very air.
But just as her fist was about to land, Nonō's form blurred, turning into a phantom-like image.
Tsunade's punch passed clean through, slamming into the ground.
Boom!
A thunderous impact shook the area, sending up a cloud of smoke and carving a massive crater into the ground.
Watching from the side, Chiri's eyes turned serious.
She recalled Tsunade's earlier introduction and warned herself: 'I must avoid close combat with her.'
Meanwhile, Tsunade activated her Kagura's Mind Eye—an invisible field of perception radiated out.
In the next instant, Nonō and Chiri's positions appeared clearly in her mind.
Sensing the distance between them, Tsunade raised her eyebrows and brought her hands together.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
As her shout rang out, the ground trembled violently.
Thick tree trunks burst forth from the earth, engulfing the entire battlefield in a vast green forest.
The trees grew wildly, as if alive, quickly forming a giant maze.
Caught in the midst of this forest, Nonō and Chiri scrambled in confusion.