Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 548: One-on-One Clashes

Chapter 548 - 548: One-on-One Clashes

"Yes."

Orochimaru's face bore a flawlessly controlled smile—cold and lifeless, like a venomous snake locking onto its prey.

"Unfortunately, I have nothing of value to give you."

"So I'll just send you to die again."

His voice was low and raspy, like a whisper rising from the depths of hell.

Before the words had even fully left his mouth, Orochimaru lunged forward like lightning, charging straight at Hanzō.

In an instant, Senjutsu chakra surged violently through his upper body, coalescing into lifelike serpent-like shadows.

The snakes twisted and coiled around him, radiating an ominous, deadly aura.

One of them, larger than the rest, extended its head from Orochimaru's shoulder, baring its fangs in a sinister grin.

"Arrogant!"

Hanzō's eyes narrowed as a smirk of disdain tugged at the corners of his lips.

Back then, even when facing all three of them at once, he had never been overpowered.

And now, Orochimaru thought he could take him on alone? What a joke.

With a sharp flick of his arm, Hanzō sent his chained scythe whistling through the air, aiming straight for Orochimaru's face.

"Still relying on the same old tricks, I see."

Orochimaru sneered.

The eerie green glow of the cursed seal pulsed across his skin, and the single horn protruding from his forehead made him look even more monstrous.

He shifted his stance slightly, his body twisting with unnatural agility as he effortlessly evaded the scythe's deadly arc.

Before Hanzō could react, Orochimaru vanished and reappeared behind him like a phantom.

With Sage Mode amplifying his abilities, he didn't even need to use Wood Release—subduing Hanzō was effortless.

"Sage Art: Eight-Headed Serpent."

With a quiet chant, the spectral snakes around Orochimaru solidified into massive, towering beasts, exuding an oppressive aura.

One of them lunged forward in a flash, swallowing Hanzō whole in a single gulp.

Orochimaru knew how troublesome Impure World Reincarnation bodies could be. The only sure way to deal with them was to seal them away completely.

"Almost got taken out in a single move."

"Without your salamander, you're truly pathetic."

Chiyo's voice rang out as Hanzō's form slowly reappeared from a nearby puddle.

"Water Body Flicker?"

Orochimaru murmured, but there was no trace of disappointment in his expression.

The once-feared Hanzō of the Salamander, who had completely outclassed him in the past, was now nothing more than an afterthought.

"Shut up!"

Hanzō's face darkened, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes as he stared at Orochimaru.

When had this brat become so terrifying?

"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep this up," Chiyo scoffed, though there was a glint of amusement in her gaze.

"You should worry about yourself first."

Tsunade stepped forward, crushing the shattered remains of Chiyo's puppets beneath her feet.

"I was just about to settle the score with you."

"Konoha doesn't have a single decent person."

Chiyo glared at Tsunade, her eyes burning with hatred.

She would never forget the pain Konoha had inflicted on her.

Her fingers moved like lightning, manipulating her puppets with precision.

From all directions, the puppets lunged at Tsunade, like a horde of demons baring their fangs.

"What use are these toys?"

Tsunade let out a furious shout, her crimson Tailed Beast chakra flaring like an inferno around her.

Clenching her fists, she stood unshaken.

Crash!

The sound of shattering puppets filled the air. With each punch, Tsunade reduced them to scraps, her movements swift and decisive.

In her hands, the puppets were as fragile as paper, completely powerless.

"Damn it!"

Chiyo cursed, eyes flashing with rage as she swiftly pulled out another scroll.

More puppets emerged, swarming toward Tsunade in waves.

Their battle raged fiercely, the very air around them heating up from the sheer intensity of their clash.

But unknowingly, the tide of battle was already shifting in Tsunade's favor.

"These two look like a real problem."

Jiraiya frowned, his gaze fixed on Kinkaku and Ginkaku. He spoke in a low voice to Fugaku.

"Doesn't matter, we still have to fight!"

"You take the blonde one."

The moment he finished speaking, Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan activated, and a burst of Amaterasu black flames shot toward Kinkaku.

If it hit, even an Impure World Reincarnation body wouldn't come out unscathed.

"Those eyes... Uchiha?"

Kinkaku's pupils shrank slightly.

Without hesitation, he spat out the Shichiseiken and Bashōsen, catching the Bashōsen in his right hand while Ginkaku swiftly wrapped the Kōkinjō around his left arm.

Then, gripping the Shichiseiken, Kinkaku swung forward with immense force.

The Amaterasu flames split in two.

The severed black fire streaked past them, igniting a raging blaze in the distance.

"Well, that didn't work."

Jiraiya couldn't help but comment before charging straight at Kinkaku.

He knew all too well how synchronized the brothers were in combat.

If they worked together, he and Fugaku would be at a severe disadvantage. Splitting them up was the best option.

"Not much I can do against the Sage of Six Paths' treasures."

Fugaku rolled his eyes, clearly unwilling to take the blame for that failure.

With a flick of his wrist, he released the seals on his forearm, summoning the Gunbai Uchiwa and his scythe.

Gripping both weapons tightly, he vanished in a blur, reappearing in front of Ginkaku in an instant.

Their weapons clashed, sparks flying in all directions as the Shichiseiken met the scythe.

"That gourd must be a hassle to hold, huh?"

Fugaku smirked at Ginkaku, but there was a cunning glint in his eyes.

With a sudden swing, he slammed the Gunbai Uchiwa toward Ginkaku's side.

"Big brother, switch!"

Ginkaku reacted instantly, tossing the Benihisago to Kinkaku.

At the same time, he gripped his sword with both hands and used the rebound from Fugaku's attack to narrowly evade the strike.

As soon as he steadied himself, Kinkaku tossed him the Bashōsen, which Ginkaku caught effortlessly.

"Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu!"

After a few exchanges, Jiraiya suddenly activated a technique.

His hair grew wildly, lashing out and knocking the Benihisago far away.

Without it, the synergy of the Sage of Six Paths' treasures was broken, significantly weakening their power.

"So, you know about our weapons."

After exchanging blows with Jiraiya, Kinkaku stepped back, looking irritated.

"Not much, just the basics."

Jiraiya retracted his hair and flashed a smug grin.

It seemed all of Kawakaze's intel was accurate.

That mysterious guy even knew the lost relics of the Hidden Cloud Village and their functions.

"You think this is enough to defeat us?"

"Naïve!!!"

Kinkaku suddenly propelled himself forward, launching toward Jiraiya like a cannonball.

Across the battlefield, each fighter was locked in a fierce one-on-one duel.

Kokuō, watching from the sidelines, felt a chill run down its spine.

It was stuck in an impossible situation—either side could destroy it in an instant.

It wanted to run, but its legs felt as heavy as lead, frozen in place by sheer dread.

In the end, it could only resign itself to its fate, lying down as its role shifted from a key player to a mere spectator.