Chapter 39: Danzō, You Just Wait!
Tsunade's Desperate Return
A light drizzle fell like a curtain, creating a misty haze across the landscape.
"Please, kid... please be okay!"
Tsunade carried the unconscious Hikari on her back, her clothes completely soaked by the rain and clinging to her curvaceous figure.
The scenery rushed past her in a blur as wind whistled in her ears.
"Hanzō... you'd better pray he's alright, or I swear... I'll kill you with my own hands!"
She was consumed by regret, furious at herself for being so careless and falling for such an obvious trap.
Just fifteen minutes ago, she'd found Hikari abandoned in the forest and immediately realized the truth—this had been a deliberate ploy by the enemy to separate her from Uchiha Kazuki.
Although she couldn't fathom Hanzō's motives, one thing was absolutely certain: Kazuki was in grave danger.
After sprinting at full speed without pause, Tsunade finally returned to the original area.
"This is..."
She stopped abruptly, shock filling her amber eyes.
The entire valley had been devastated—marked by the evidence of an intense battle. The destructive power of Fire Release and Wind Release techniques had left scars across the entire landscape.
No... he has to be alright...
Tsunade bit her lower lip, forcing herself to stay calm.
Taking several deep breaths to suppress her rising emotions, she mustered the courage to venture deeper into the battleground.
On the muddy, rain-soaked earth, traces of blood formed a trail. Following these crimson drops, Tsunade finally found the boy behind a shattered boulder—unconscious from his injuries and surrounded by a pool of his own blood.
"Kid?!"
Tsunade cried out in alarm, rushing over and dropping to her knees to assess his condition.
"Thank god... no vital organs were hit, just severe blood loss." Her brow furrowed as she clenched her teeth, fury blazing in her eyes. "Salamander venom... it really was Hanzō!"
Fortunately, someone had already bandaged his wounds, allowing him to survive until her arrival.
The suffocating anxiety that had gripped her heart finally began to ease.
Tsunade's tense nerves relaxed slightly. The nightmare that had haunted her mind—the one where she lost everyone she cared about—hadn't come true this time.
"Don't worry, kid."
A gentle light appeared in her eyes as she stroked his blood-stained face tenderly. "I won't let you die here. I promise."
In that instant, past and present seemed to overlap in her vision.
The unconscious boy before her—his eyes closed peacefully—reminded her painfully of Dan and Nawaki. Their figures gradually merged with his in her mind's eye.
"Calm down, Tsunade. You can do this!"
She took several deep breaths, managing to push past her mild hemophobia through sheer force of will.
Just as she prepared to begin healing him, an unwelcome interruption shattered the moment.
False Accusations
"Quick! Lord Hanzō is over there!"
"Wait—someone killed Lord Hanzō! Who could have done this?!"
"Look, it's Tsunade of Konoha!"
"She must be the one who murdered Lord Hanzō!"
The elite shinobi of Amegakure rushed onto the battlefield and discovered Hanzō's corpse lying there like a withered, dried-out husk.
In an instant, the already hostile Ame-nin immediately turned their attention to Tsunade, convinced beyond doubt that she was their leader's killer.
"Tsunade! How dare you assassinate our leader!"
"Capture her! Make her pay with her life for Lord Hanzō!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More than a dozen elite Amegakure shinobi charged forward without hesitation.
Tsunade remained outwardly calm. She bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood and pressed her hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Katsuyu!"
POOF!
With an explosion of smoke, two slugs the size of adult humans materialized beside her.
"Lady Katsuyu, please protect them."
After giving her order, Tsunade resolutely turned around and stepped forward, placing herself between the advancing Rain shinobi and her two unconscious charges.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Katsuyu responded dutifully, then slowly climbed onto both Kazuki and Hikari, enveloping them in protective mucus.
"Since Hanzō is dead, then this debt..."
Tsunade—who was normally so cheerful and carefree—now radiated an aura as cold as winter frost. She cracked her knuckles with deliberate menace, the sharp sounds echoing ominously. "...will be collected from all of you instead!"
The Wrath of a Sannin
"What are we afraid of? She's just one person!"
The leader of the Rain shinobi swallowed nervously but shouted to rally his troops. "There are more than a dozen of us here! Does she really think she can kill us all?!"
"That's right!" The remaining Ame-nin agreed with forced bravado. "We're the elite forces personally trained by Lord Hanzō! Together, we might even be able to kill one of the Legendary Sannin!"
As they spoke, the dozen or so Rain shinobi gripped their weapons tightly and launched their assault.
However, one shinobi was different.
Instead of charging toward Tsunade, he immediately turned and fled without looking back.
"Kill Tsunade? You delusional idiots!"
The fleeing Rain shinobi gritted his teeth as he ran, cursing his comrades internally. "Do you morons really think small fry like us are worthy of fighting a Legendary Sannin of Konoha?!"
Having survived the Second Shinobi World War fighting alongside Hanzō, he understood perfectly well the true terror behind that title.
"HEAVENLY FOOT OF PAIN!!!"
The enraged Sannin leaped high into the air, her right leg descending like a divine battle axe.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The earth itself seemed to scream in agony, trembling violently under the devastating impact.
Fueled by overwhelming rage, Tsunade—who had once struck fear into the hearts of shinobi across all nations—finally unleashed her legendary destructive power. Her heel slammed into the rocky ground like a meteor strike from the heavens. The incomparable force instantly created a massive shockwave that spread outward with earth-shattering intensity.
In a single devastating moment, more than a dozen elite Rain shinobi were utterly obliterated—their bodies crushed without the slightest resistance.
The fleeing shinobi suddenly felt the world blur around him, and his throat constricted as if caught in an iron vice.
Before him stood a beautiful, mature woman's face—yet it was as cold and merciless as winter ice.
"You have one chance."
Tsunade clenched her fist tightly, lifting him clear off the ground by his throat. Her eyes were devoid of warmth. "Who ordered Hanzō to attack him? Speak now."
"It was... it was... people from Konoha..."
The Rain shinobi gasped desperately for air, struggling futilely as his face turned crimson. He didn't dare conceal anything, stammering out: "Danzō sent someone... to order Lord Hanzō to kill that boy and steal his Sharingan!"
A Promise of Vengeance
"DANZŌ AGAIN!"
Tsunade's rage exploded instantly, murderous intent flashing in her icy gaze. "That old bastard! I'll settle this score with him the moment I get back to Konoha!"
In her emotional fury, she momentarily lost control of her monstrous strength.
CRACK!
The Rain shinobi's eyes widened in shock as his neck snapped cleanly. Life drained from his pupils almost instantly.
He never expected to die so unjustly. He'd already revealed everything he knew, yet still couldn't escape death.
As if noticing the questioning look frozen in the dead shinobi's eyes, Tsunade remained expressionless and felt no remorse whatsoever. She simply said flatly:
"Oops. Sorry about that. Lost control for a moment. Who told you to have such a fragile neck? I barely squeezed and it snapped."
She dropped the corpse dismissively.
"Danzō, is it? You just wait!"
Leaving the body behind, Tsunade snorted coldly. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her beautiful face filled with barely contained killing intent.
Did you really think this kid had no one protecting him? If I don't make you cough up blood, you'll never understand the power of the Senju clan!
She was Tsunade-hime.
The last living member of the legendary Senju clan, direct disciple of the Third Hokage, founder of Konoha's modern medical system, and acting director of Konoha Hospital!
Today, I'll show you just how powerless your precious Root organization really is against me!
[End of Chapter 39]
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