Princess Kushina Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan might have been too young to learn sealing techniques, but her taijutsu was another story, honed to a fine edge through relentless training.
Sealing jutsu was far too advanced, requiring a vast and intricate knowledge base. Even now, Kushina could only manage a rudimentary understanding.
But even without sealing, her taijutsu alone was enough to keep an opponent at bay.
People like her, with massive stamina, insane regeneration, and deep chakra reserves, had a nickname: tanks.
And when you're a tank, sometimes brute force is all you need.
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Meanwhile, just as Minato prepared to charge in, several scorching shuriken hidden within a Grand Fireball came spinning toward him from multiple angles.
Taking a deep breath, Minato rapidly formed hand seals.
A moment later, a massive fireball erupted from his mouth, roaring toward Seisui Seisui.
Uchiha Haru's shuriken was deftly dodged by Minato thanks to his exceptional reflexes and agile body.
Seisui laughed loudly upon seeing Minato use the Fireball Jutsu.
"Minato, you have no secrets from me!"
Without the slightest intention of dodging, he drew his long blade, violent wind-natured chakra swirling along its edge.
"Iaijutsu: Water Severing Strike!"
With a single swing, Seisui sliced clean through the fireball, wind pressure scattering the flames.
This was one of his recent creations: by imbuing his blade with concentrated wind chakra and slashing outward, he could unleash devastating ranged strikes.
It looked like a flashy move, but it was the katana itself, crafted from chakra-conducting metal, that made it possible.
Somewhat like Minato's twin kunai, but where Minato focused on precision slashes, Seisui's move resembled a wind-style ninjutsu in disguise.
They looked similar, but the underlying principles were entirely different.
As Seisui split the fireball, he shot forward like a hunting panther, charging toward Minato with incredible speed.
"You never make things easy!" Minato steadied himself for the clash. "But this time, I'm not going to lose!"
"Seisui! I will beat you one day!"
"Minato, quit clinging to your hopeless fantasy!"
"Iaijutsu: Water Severing Strike!"
"Super Cyclone Invincible Reactive Countercutting Style – Namikaze Type One!"
Minato shouted an absurdly long attack name as he dashed toward Seisui.
"Here we go again..." Uchiha Haru muttered under her breath, dodging Kushina's relentless assault. Her eyes flicked toward Minato and Seisui's chaotic duel, and she sighed helplessly. How was she even supposed to react to that?
"Eyes forward!" Kushina caught Haru's lapse in attention and drove a punishing fist into her chest.
Thud!
The blow was powerful enough to make Haru's chest cave inward slightly. She spat blood on impact.
But Kushina didn't let up.
"This is the strength of Kushina Uzumaki!"
"KUSHINA STRIKE!"
But the hit wasn't a clean knockout. Haru rolled aside, flipping back to her feet just in time.
"Eight Gates: First Gate – Open!"
A surge of chakra exploded from within. Haru's body instantly felt heavy, muscles aching, but her mind snapped into focus. Her physical capabilities skyrocketed. Exhaustion crept in rapidly, but she ignored it.
She hadn't trained much in the Eight Gates. As an Uchiha, her focus was on unlocking and mastering the Sharingan. The Gates were just a backup.
Still, months of arena duels had allowed her to open the first gate reliably.
"Not enough!" she growled, refusing to stop there. With reckless abandon, she charged again, eyes wild. Kushina's movements now looked like they were in slow motion.
"Second Gate – Rest Gate: Open!"
Another burst of chakra. Her strength surged again. The fatigue vanished, overridden by sheer force. Her body now burned through energy faster than it could regenerate.
From a distance, Seisui's pupils contracted in alarm.
He knew Haru's limits, after all, they trained together every day.
She could barely handle the first gate. Opening the second was suicidal.
Remember how Rock Lee opening five gates got him hospitalized for hundreds of episodes? This was that moment.
Kushina, sensing the sudden danger, instinctively backed off. She knew they were practicing something close to forbidden taijutsu.
But she hadn't studied it herself.
And she had never seen anyone use it, until now.
"In front of these eyes," Haru said coldly, "you can't hide!"
Her body, which once struggled to keep up with her Sharingan's dynamic vision, now moved in perfect sync.
100% synchronization.
Haru raised her blade and vanished, her speed beyond the reach of normal eyes.
"What—?!" Kushina's expression shifted. Haru had disappeared. Only her innate sensory ability could barely detect her presence.
Before she could react, Haru appeared in front of her, swinging her blade at Kushina's neck.
Too fast. No time to block or dodge.
Thanks to her clan's sensory talent, Kushina barely managed to twist away, avoiding a fatal strike.
But Haru still landed a vicious slash across her shoulder and chest, deep enough to reveal bone.
"Kushina!"
Minato shouted in alarm and tried to rush over, but Seisui blocked his path.
"Our fight's not over yet."
Seisui smirked.
It was time to bring out the panda shock factor.
Forming rapid hand signs, he summoned his signature creature.
BAMF! A puff of smoke cleared, revealing a massive panda, over four meters tall, casually munching on a bamboo stalk.
"Another mess already, Seisui?" the panda muttered between bites.
Minato's eyes widened at the sight. No wonder Jiraiya-sensei had only allowed him to sign a contract with the Toads of Mount Myoboku.
He'd known about Seisui's panda summon, but hadn't expected this.
Determined, Minato focused his chakra. The next moment, a giant armored toad, equally over four meters tall, appeared at his feet.
"…A toad?" Panda Ming blinked. "This guy?"
He gave the toad a disdainful look.
Every time Seisui summoned Panda Ming, he couldn't help but wonder, was the friendly panda from the first encounter just an act?
Last time Ming had looked savage. Now, he looked smug and full of attitude.
Do you just… have a new personality every time?
"Damn panda!" the ironclad toad snarled, sensing the disrespect. Minato leapt from its head and sprinted toward Kushina.
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