Chapter 76
The mist hung heavy on a small island on the outskirts of the Land of Waves.
“What a baffling healing ability…”
Hidden in the mist, Mei Terumi frowned as she watched Tsunade, who was healing herself while warily scanning her surroundings.
Both were in rough shape, especially Tsunade. Mei’s Lava Release and Boil Release had strong corrosive properties, so even though Tsunade could heal her wounds with her miraculous medical skills, her clothes remained irreparably damaged.
Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't one to be overly modest. Before the battle, they had chosen this uninhabited island to avoid involving innocent citizens of the Land of Waves.
The island was only inhabited by the two of them, so there were no concerns about modesty.
Despite being somewhat irritated by her exposed state, Tsunade focused on the battle. She knew that once she defeated Mei Terumi, she would have the luxury of addressing her wardrobe.
However, victory was still distant for Tsunade.
The dense fog provided Mei with significant cover unless she used ninjutsu or revealed herself, making it difficult for Tsunade to pinpoint her location.
Additionally, the island’s humidity greatly enhanced Mei's Water Release without much chakra expenditure, giving her a geographical advantage. Tsunade found herself on the defensive, unable to strike back effectively.Yet, this didn’t mean Mei had a guaranteed victory.
Glancing at the shattered landscape, Mei’s eyes flickered with apprehension.
The destruction, almost splitting the island in half, was the work of the shamelessly scantily clad blonde woman not far away.
Tsunade’s immense strength and devastating punches were terrifying. If those punches had hit Mei directly, the protracted battle, which seemed to be leaning in Mei’s favor, would instantly tilt towards Konoha’s victory.
Tsunade's sensory abilities were strong, and she was increasingly accurate in detecting the fluctuations when Mei used ninjutsu. Her punches were getting closer, making Mei more cautious. Their standoff had become a test of patience and timing.
For Tsunade, as long as she pinpointed Mei’s exact location, she could turn the tide despite her injuries.
For Mei, the longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would get. She needed to defeat Tsunade before being discovered, but Tsunade's exceptional medical skills made that difficult.
After a moment of thought, Mei formed several hand signs and created a few water clones.
She figured that attacking from multiple directions continuously, without giving Tsunade time to heal, would increase her chances of success.
However, the exchange of chakra inherent to ninjutsu immediately alerted Tsunade. Without hesitation, she abandoned her pretense of healing and used Body Flicker Technique to cross the mist, appearing above Mei and her clones. 𝐫å
“…Found you.”
In mid-air, Tsunade smiled as she extended her left leg.
Slender.
Fair.
From Mei’s perspective, there was an infinite spring view.
But no matter how graceful and alluring the posture, it didn’t hide Tsunade’s fierce madness.
Mei sensed the rapid gathering of chakra in Tsunade's left foot and felt the danger. She and her clones retreated swiftly.
But they were a bit too slow. Amid Tsunade’s wild laughter, her delicate left foot slammed into the ground.
Boom!
The impact shook the earth and raised waves.
Half of the small island shattered under Tsunade’s terrifying stomp. All of Mei’s water clones were destroyed, and Mei herself wasn’t spared. Though not directly hit, the shockwave dragged her into the sea.
Climbing back up, Mei was soaked. The island, originally about a hundred meters across, was now half submerged. Both women stood on the water’s surface.
Whoosh!
A kunai flew at Tsunade, who dodged it.
“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”
A water dragon surged up, roaring towards Tsunade.
Bang!
A punch dispersed the water dragon into a mist.
Tsunade didn't pursue it. Mei’s position was too deep. Tsunade had to stay close to the remaining land. She glared at Mei before retreating to the remaining part of the island.
Seeing Tsunade not falling for the bait, Mei sighed and followed.
Halfway, Tsunade stopped.
“You truly live up to the legendary Sannin. You’re really… impressive.”
Mei looked at her formidable opponent. Her chakra reserves were more than half depleted, but victory was still out of reach.
“You’re not bad either. But do you really have time to chat?” Tsunade sneered, noting that her earlier attack had thinned the mist, improving visibility.
Despite locating Mei, Tsunade didn’t attack. The island was too close to the Land of Waves. If the battle got too intense, keen-eyed villagers might see them.
More importantly, Tsunade was absolutely confident that her Konoha forces would defeat the Kirigakure. The longer this dragged on, the more certain the outcome on the other battlefield became.
“You win,” Mei shook her head, sounding defeated. “I plan to call off this action.”
“Oh? And the cost?” Tsunade asked, eyes narrowing.
So, you think you can just leave after failing to beat us?
No way!
“The cost is, you let us leave, and I guarantee Kirigakure won't kick Konoha while it's down,” Mei said calmly.
Judging by the Konoha ninjas' composition, Mei was certain Tsunade couldn’t afford to waste time. If Kumogakure attacked Konoha, Tsunade would have to retreat.
Is Tsunade trying to extort her? No chance!
“Who are you to represent Kirigakure?” Tsunade scoffed.
“And you? Can you represent yourself?” Mei retorted.
“Of course, I…” Tsunade frowned.
She could only not represent herself under one condition.
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