Chapter 33: The All-Rounder
Tsunade had assumed Takahashi would refuse. No matter how strong he was, he was just a teenager. She was a Legendary Sannin, a name known across the nations for decades. She had a reputation to uphold.
But Takahashi's reaction disappointed her.
"Alright," he said calmly. "As long as I win, you'll stop bothering me, right?"
She hadn't expected him to agree so readily. There wasn't a flicker of emotion in his voice, as if victory was a foregone conclusion. This attitude only stoked the competitive fire in Tsunade's heart.
I'll show you, she thought. The title of Sannin wasn't given for nothing.
They found a vacant lot among the ruins left by Orochimaru's attack. The damaged buildings had been cleared away, but reconstruction hadn't begun.
Once there, Tsunade got straight to the point. "Alright, out with it. How do you want to do this?"
If Takahashi suggested a speed contest, she'd probably walk away on the spot. He shook his head, resigned. "Fine. You decide."
Tsunade grinned. "Heh. Be a gentleman, then. Let's compare strength."
Takahashi felt a pang of regret. He'd guessed it would come to a test of brute force, but hearing it confirmed made him sigh at the woman's sheer barbarity.
Of course it was strength. What else could she compare? In speed, she wouldn't even see his dust. In healing, his "Please Don't Die" technique had already shattered her understanding of medical ninjutsu. So, after eliminating everything else, only raw power remained. But that didn't mean Takahashi would definitely lose. It all depended on the rules.
Tsunade dragged a heavy, solid wooden stump to the center of the lot, a sly smile on her face. "We'll arm wrestle. Simple, clear, and fast."
He had thought she might be shameless, but not this shameless. He recalled the legendary tale of the Fourth Raikage's arm-wrestling match with her, which had nearly ended in the destruction of the venue. While he was strong now, most of that came from his Devil Fruit abilities. His raw physical power, aside from the Super-Soldier Serum, hadn't evolved that much. He wasn't sure he could win.
But then he remembered the so-called "plot armor" of Captain America—the ability to force any fight into a 50/50 stalemate, no matter the opponent. He wondered if the serum had granted him a similar, subtle effect.
They took their positions. Takahashi gripped her hand. It was surprisingly delicate and soft, making it hard to believe such a hand could unleash such violent power.
Tsunade's eyes burned with fighting spirit. She had to get that mysterious jutsu.
Takahashi pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it into the air. As it flipped and fell to the ground, both of them erupted with chakra.
From the very start, Takahashi was forced down by Tsunade's monstrous strength. A look of triumph flashed in her eyes. When it came to pure power, she would always have the upper hand.
She could already taste victory. But within seconds, she realized something was wrong. Though Takahashi was being overpowered, his resistance was tenacious. Every time she pressed him down to a certain point, his arm would push back up.
Worse, with each rebound, his resistance felt stronger. Alarmed, Tsunade stopped holding back and poured on her full strength. Instantly, Takahashi's hand was pressed to within a centimeter of the stump.
"Stop struggling," she grunted. "Victory is mine."
"That's not certain," he replied, his voice strained. "What if...?"
And his "what if" became a reality. His arm, defying all logic, began to rise again, slowly and steadily pushing hers back. Tsunade stared as if she'd seen a ghost.
His hand was right there, so close to defeat, yet she couldn't press it down the final, decisive inch.
"Dammit! What is going on?!" she exclaimed.
Takahashi maintained his precarious position, neither winning nor losing. The stalemate continued for a full five minutes.
Finally, Tsunade broke the silence. "Enough! I quit! This is ridiculous! You're so... weird! You say you have no strength, but you can't be pinned. You say you're strong, but you can't finish it. You're a strange one, through and through. Fine! I won't study it anymore!"
She snatched up her bottle of sake and stormed off in a huff. But after walking two blocks, she suddenly stopped, a sly smirk spreading across her face.
"Hey... even if he won't teach me, I can still observe, can't I? I don't believe there's a ninjutsu I can't figure out. If I watch him use it a few more times, I'm sure I'll grasp the trick."
The next day, Takahashi was summoned to the Hokage's office. Again? He'd been walking this path so often lately it was becoming a routine.
And at the door, he ran into Tsunade again. A bad feeling settled in his stomach. This woman was clearly up to no good.
"Lord Third," Takahashi said, bowing slightly. "You asked for me?"
The Third Hokage glanced at Tsunade. "It's not me this time. It's her. Konoha is establishing a new medical corps, and Tsunade will be leading it. She has requested you by name to join her class."
He hadn't seen this coming. Takahashi's face clearly said, I already have a team! You can't do this!
The Third Hokage's expression was equally pained, as if to say, She's the First Hokage's granddaughter. What can I do? Nepotism wins.
A silent battle of wills played out between them with their eyes. In the end, Takahashi lost to the power of family connections. But it wasn't a total defeat.
He had lost, but not completely. It was a classic case of a partial victory.
After much back-and-forth, a compromise was reached. Takahashi would take on multiple roles. He would be a student in the new medical class while remaining in Team Guy, and would also be on call as a temporary helper for Team 7 when needed.
It was the definition of an overworked, multi-tasking ninja. The Third Hokage could only sigh. They were all capable shinobi under his command, and they all had their powerful backers. It was impossible to please everyone.
Besides Takahashi, there was one other person joining Tsunade's medical team. He had assumed it would be Sakura, but the name on the roster was Hinata Hyuga. Seeing the figure he longed for day and night, his mood suddenly brightened. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
This had been Kurenai Yuhi's recommendation. While Hinata possessed the Byakugan and wasn't weak, her gentle personality made her better suited for medical work.
This development filled Takahashi with a new sense of energy. After all, you had to give the horse some incentive to run.
The Third Hokage watched them, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips.