Branches twisted and writhed like snakes, wriggling around them like living creatures, constantly causing trouble.
But Nonō Yakushi and Uchiha Chiri weren't ones to be taken down so easily. Years of rigorous training had taught them how to face all kinds of adversity.
Tsunade's overwhelming strength made them both feel a sense of crisis, and without needing to speak, they began to search for one another, seeking to cooperate.
Before long, Chiri and Nonō Yakushi found each other amid the sea of trees. Their gazes met, and they instantly understood what the other was thinking.
Chiri took a deep breath, her hands moving quickly as she formed hand seals and shouted:
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
As soon as her voice fell, a massive fireball descended from the sky and slammed into the ground with a roar.
Flames erupted everywhere, instantly forming a sea of fire that devoured the surrounding branches.
At the same time, Nonō Yakushi wasn't to be outdone. She released her own jutsu:
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust howled forth, intertwining with Chiri's fire and making the blaze even fiercer.
Tsunade's expression changed slightly—she could clearly tell that these two jutsu were aimed directly at her.
Just as the flames burned a path toward her, both Nonō Yakushi and Chiri simultaneously launched genjutsu.
Chiri's Three-Tomoe Sharingan clashed with Tsunade's eyes, causing a brief moment of stiffness in Tsunade's movements.
Seizing the chance, Nonō Yakushi activated her sensory manipulation technique, stripping Tsunade of her sight and hearing.
Tsunade only faltered for a second before quickly recovering.
A faint, barely noticeable smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Kagura's Mind Eye didn't rely on the five senses, which meant Nonō Yakushi's sensory control was completely useless against her.
This was something Tsunade had never mentioned to Nonō Yakushi before.
Unaware of this fact, Nonō Yakushi believed her sensory jutsu had worked, thinking she had locked Tsunade down.
Without hesitation, she charged forward to eliminate her.
However, just as her chakra scalpel formed, Tsunade struck her down with a single punch.
The punch didn't carry much force, yet Nonō Yakushi instantly understood—she was out.
If Tsunade had used Monster Strength, she would've been paralyzed at best, or killed at worst.
But Tsunade had held back—hence, she was unharmed.
Nonō Yakushi slowly stood up, a trace of disappointment and regret in her eyes.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, she silently left the battlefield. According to the rules, she had been eliminated.
Chiri kept her eyes on Tsunade, her expression serious.
She had never imagined that Tsunade had already left them both behind in strength.
Nonō Yakushi's failure was partly due to a lack of intel, but the sheer power Tsunade displayed had already put Chiri on high alert.
Taking a deep breath, Chiri silently reminded herself: 'For Hikaru's sake, I absolutely can't lose this time.'
Sparks of lightning suddenly crackled across her body, as if her entire form was wrapped in electricity.
In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished, leaving only the buzzing sound of static in the air.
Tsunade's pupils shrank. She clearly sensed that Chiri's movement wasn't genjutsu—it was pure speed.
And that speed genuinely surprised her.
As Tsunade tried to think of a countermeasure, Chiri was already in front of her.
Their eyes locked in midair, as if igniting a burst of sparks.
"Uchiha Style: Thunderclap Blade!"
The sword in Chiri's hand crackled with electricity, like a lightning serpent slithering through the air, rumbling like thunder.
The next instant, a massive lightning slash tore through the sky, bringing with it the might to destroy everything as it struck toward Tsunade.
Tsunade's pupils shrank again, and she quickly leapt backward while her hands rapidly formed seals.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!"
With a sharp cry, a massive wooden dragon emerged from thin air and placed itself between Tsunade and the incoming lightning blade.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rang out as the lightning blade slammed into the wooden dragon.
The dragon let out a fierce roar, its bark scorched by the electricity, smoke billowing from its body.
Yet the wooden dragon didn't collapse—instead, it charged at Chiri even faster.
Chiri frowned slightly at the sight.
But she didn't back down. She continued to unleash more lightning slashes, trying to cleave the wooden dragon apart.
What she failed to notice, however, was that although the Sea of Trees Tsunade had summoned earlier had been mostly burned away by her and Nonō Yakushi's combined jutsu, some branches had survived.
Those remaining branches were now creeping toward Chiri, as if they were alive.
And Tsunade, who was controlling them, curved her lips into a subtle smile, channeling more chakra to accelerate the wooden dragon's regeneration.
The battle between Chiri and Tsunade entered a stalemate.
One attacked relentlessly. The other defended with all her might.
But then, Chiri suddenly cried out in alarm.
She looked down to find herself tightly bound by the tree branches.
The wood coiled tighter and tighter, completely immobilizing her.
Chiri struggled to break free—but it was too late.
Tsunade had already appeared before her, fist slowly rising toward her head.
Chiri shut her eyes, bracing for the impact.
But after a long moment, the pain never came.
Opening her eyes again, she saw that Tsunade had already withdrawn her fist and was now smiling gently from a short distance away.
Chiri's face flushed slightly, then dimmed again.
Tsunade released the branches binding her, then whispered softly in her ear:
"This year, I won. But you'll have another chance, won't you?"
Hearing this, a flicker of resolve sparked in Chiri's eyes. It was as if she had regained her confidence.
She could feel a formless power burning inside her, reigniting her fighting spirit in an instant.
Chiri took a deep breath. The tightly clenched fists at her side conveyed her determination.
She nodded at Tsunade, indicating she was fine now.
At that moment, Hikaru walked over, a smile of approval on his face.
He glanced at the three of them and praised:
"You three are truly outstanding. With your current strength, there are very few opponents in the shinobi world who can defeat you."
His gaze lingered on Tsunade, satisfaction clearly written across his face.
"Especially you, Tsunade. Your strength has reached a truly impressive level. Even Kage-tier elites from other villages would have a hard time beating you."
This power, far beyond what she originally had in her timeline, was entirely something he had cultivated.
Besides the Wood Style scrolls, most of the Bloodline Pills refined through his alchemy had gone to her.
That's why she had pulled so far ahead of Nonō Yakushi and Chiri.
Turning to Chiri and Nonō Yakushi next, he spoke gently:
"Chiri, Nonō Yakushi—don't be discouraged. You've already stood out among your peers, far surpassing the majority."
Although these two hadn't received nearly as many resources as Tsunade, their strength had long since exceeded that of ordinary Jōnin.
Even if they couldn't take on a Kage, they could still retreat safely.