Ran, these treacherous turncoats… it's time they got a lesson! They're stabbing us in the back for their selfish gain, trying to ruin the village Grandfather built with such effort, the village he dreamed would unite us all as one family in Konoha! They can never be forgiven!"
After temporarily settling Uzumaki Asuhina in the Takamagahara space, Tsunade turned to Uchiha Ran, her face blazing with anger, venting her fury at Kusagakure.
Ran twitched the corner of his mouth, trying not to laugh. He hadn't expected Tsunade's audacity—the same woman who had once gambled away her entire fortune now scolding traitorous ninjas with righteous indignation.
"Ran-nee, since Kusagakure is this detestable, why don't we go and give them a proper lesson?" he said, hands on his hips, a spark of impatience in his eyes. The thought of taking down those idiots made his blood race.
"Yes! That's an excellent idea! Ran—what technique should we use?"
Tsunade clapped her hands with excitement, practically vibrating with anticipation at the thought of punishing the hypocrites who had deceived Asuhina.
"Uh… Ran-nee, let's just… wipe them out. Anyone who's sided with Iwagakure—gone. If this world is to know true peace, there only needs to be one voice. And now… this is the beginning of that path."
"Very well! Then we'll follow your lead."
Tsunade nodded, her current demeanor more like a young woman listening to Ran's ideas than the legendary Sannin herself.
"Then we strike first, my little Ran," she said, a look of absolute confidence in her eyes.
At Kusagakure's Seventh Training Ground, the village leader had already assembled the main forces. Some of the remaining shinobi—hands and feet bound, chakra sealed—were left on the sidelines as powerless captives.
"Wuwei, are you truly so loyal to Konoha? Why not join us and side with Iwagakure?" the leader asked, looming over the kneeling Wuwei.
"Justice is born between heaven and earth. How can one change sides just because of strength or weakness? Besides, with Konoha's power, Iwagakure doesn't stand a chance. How could I betray a true ally for the fleeting benefit of Iwagakure?" Wuwei replied calmly, unflinching.
The leader scowled at his idealistic subordinate. "Take him away."
After Wuwei and his supporters were led off, the leader turned to his aide. "Forget him. Send Wuwei and his companions to Hōzuki City. He has no sense of the bigger picture… no foresight at all."
In the leader's view, Konoha was already a dying corpse, surrounded by the forces of Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure, with Kirigakure potentially joining at any moment. Interfering now would be the most opportunistic way to secure future gains. A rational person would think: who could believe Konoha could survive the assault of three—or even four—great nations?
"No… I think he's right. Why do you assume Konoha will lose?"
A voice sounded beside him.
The leader reacted instantly, drawing his blade—but before it could strike, Ran had already spoken.
"Naïve," he said, not even dodging. The leader's sword passed through him as if through smoke, striking nothing.
"What…?" the leader shouted, confused. Suddenly, black chakra surged across Ran's body, chilling the air with its foreboding presence.
"This should be enough power to deal with you," Ran said.
His black chakra solidified into a skeletal structure, muscles forming over it. In an instant, a towering black giant—Susanoo—stood before the Kusagakure forces.
"Susanoo!"
"This… this chakra… it's terrifying! How… how can his chakra reach this level?!" a senior ninja yelled, stunned. Such immense chakra signaled unparalleled strength—was his power already beyond the Five Kage?
"Let the entertainment begin. Let's see if I can enjoy myself a little," Ran said with a cruel smile. He had no illusions about the corruption of the shinobi world; but now, with the system's hypocrisy laid bare, he only wanted to savor the thrill of punishing these pawns.
For the Kusagakure leader, it was the ultimate despair. Their techniques couldn't pierce Ran's black chakra, and the giant's casual swings—fists and swords alike—obliterated countless shinobi in a single strike.
No miracles, no prolonged suffering. The leader and his supporters didn't survive even fifteen minutes under Susanoo's power. Pitiful, yet mercifully, the devastation was swift—death delivered efficiently by Ran's overwhelming force.
Returning to Takamagahara, Ran found a scene that made his heart race in a completely different way.
Tsunade lay sprawled across the grand bed of the castle, dressed in black silk from head to toe.
"Ran, you're back. I knew you wouldn't let me go to protect myself, but you also can't rely entirely on your Mangekyō Sharingan and its space-time ability," she said, a teasing lilt to her voice.
"Ts-Tsunade-nee… what's with this outfit?" Ran asked, despite knowing exactly what the answer might be.
"I wanted to reward you for punishing those turncoats of Iwagakure," she replied lazily, propping herself up and curling a finger toward him in a playful beckon.
Ran, a man who always claimed "I won't do it" but whose body refused to lie, leaned in, already anticipating what was to come.
"Ran-nee… are you… going all in?" he teased.
The two laughed, and for a moment, it was just them—talking, laughing, lingering in the serenity of the Takamagahara. Outside, mountain springs and geothermal pools shimmered under the moonlight, the legendary beauty of the place unmatched.
Tsunade leaned against him, content, finally relaxing. After a while, she seemed to remember something:
"R-Ran… um… the soundproofing in this castle… is it… good?"
Her cheeks flushed. Between the excitement and their previous exertions, she realized she had shouted more than once, and Asuhina was still in the next room. Had she disturbed the girl?
"Ah… well…" Ran hesitated, realizing the soundproofing wasn't perfect. He hoped Asuhina's ears weren't sharp enough to notice…
Yet in the next room, Asuhina sat frozen, wide-eyed. "Teacher? Student?"