Tsunade's instincts as a veteran shinobi kicked in instantly. The moment that voice rang out behind them, she didn't hesitate.
Her body spun, muscles coiling in one swift motion as she swung a backhand punch, putting her full weight behind it. The strike carried a gale of wind pressure as it tore through the air straight toward Obito.
But instead of dodging or phasing away with Kamui, Obito grinned beneath the mask.
Finally… some real fists, he thought, excitement flashing in his Eyes.
He raised his arm, fist clenched, and met her strike head-on.
BOOM!
The collision echoed like thunder, sending a shockwave ripping through the street.
Shizune stumbled back, clutching Tonton tightly, her sandals skidding across the stone as she adjusted her stance against the blast of air.
When she steadied herself and looked up, her eyes widened in shock.
"N-no way… how could it be? Someone actually matched Lady Tsunade in pure strength!?"
The ground beneath Obito and Tsunade cracked and collapsed, stone splintering under the pressure of their clash. Their fists remained locked, neither giving an inch.
Even Tsunade's amber eyes widened slightly. For the first time in years, someone had met her strength equally.
But her surprise turned to alarm almost instantly. She felt it...an overwhelming, monstrous force pressing against her fist, surging up her arm.
Her expression changed.
And then...
BANG!
The terrifying pressure overwhelmed her, blasting her backward. Her body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through a massive wooden house and tearing into the forest beyond.
"Lady Tsunade!!" Shizune screamed, panic flaring as she sprinted after her mentor without hesitation.
Obito lowered his hand slowly, flexing his fingers.
She wasn't even going all out just now, he thought with amusement. But still… my physical force has really gone through the roof.
With all the things he had absorbed, the power of his Sage body, and his monstrous chakra, his raw strength was terrifying even to him.
He turned his masked gaze toward the forest where Tsunade had crashed, lips curling into a smile.
Then his figure blurred and vanished.
Next was the kind of fight he hadn't enjoyed in a long time—pure fists, like the brawls of anime characters who threw hands until the world broke around them.
--
Deep inside the forest
"Lady Tsunade, are you okay?!" Shizune cried out as she rushed forward. Tsunade stood tall among the broken trees, scratches on her skin and her clothes slightly torn, but otherwise unharmed.
"I'm okay, Shizune… Next, you take Tonton and get some distance and—" She stopped mid-sentence. Her sharp amber eyes narrowed toward the treeline.
From the shadows, a figure stepped out calmly, each footfall deliberate.
"I'm sorry to interrupt such a touching moment," Obito's voice came, low and steady. "But none of you can escape from here today. You violated the gambling rules… and the punishment is due."
As soon as the words left his lips, the ground pulsed with a glow. Crimson lines spread across the earth, flaring up into a massive red formation that rose around them, enclosing the forest space like a cage.
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly, her brow furrowing. A barrier formation? Does he have other companions?
Shizune clutched Tonton tighter, her knuckles white. She wanted to stand beside Tsunade, but she knew she'd only get in the way.
Biting her lip, she forced herself to retreat, running to a further distance within the barrier. No matter how she tried, she couldn't break through it.
--
Outside the forest, a very different scene played out.
On top of a sun-warmed boulder, Tobi lay sprawled out, happily munching on sweet cakes one after another.
"Mmm, now this is life," he said in a sing-song, delighted voice as he glanced toward the glowing forest in the distance. "Here it comes… Captain is about to throw hands! I want to witness Captain's mighty appearance!"
"Mighty appearance? He's bullying a woman, Tobi," White Zetsu muttered beside him, unimpressed. "Not to mention he has no pickup lines, so he just beats them up. Crazy… After so many years he still sucks at romance."
"What do you know, fraud!!" Tobi leapt down from the rock dramatically, pointing at White Zetsu. "Captain has a harem! That alone is worthy of respect!"
"…"
White Zetsu fell silent. He thought about it carefully. Annoyingly… Tobi wasn't wrong.
So all the romance books I read were fakes? he wondered. What Captain is doing… is the real romance?
--
Obito, of course, had no idea that White Zetsu and Tobi were currently debating his so-called "rizz skills."
If he did know, he would have immediately denied every accusation. After all, in his mind, he had always been sincere in his relationships.
That was the secret. That was why he could keep a harem.
Sincerity is the key.
--
Tsunade gathered chakra into her fists. This time she had no intention of holding back even slightly.
"Did you target us from the very beginning?" she asked.
She felt things couldn't be such a coincidence. More likely it was a trap to ambush her from the start.
"You are not wrong… I did intend to ambush you." Obito actually told the truth without hiding it, taking Tsunade by surprise.
What's he planning at…? Tsunade didn't expect him to suddenly accept it so openly.
"Why—"
She vanished mid-sentence and punched toward Obito's masked face.
But Obito also punched forward. Even though Tsunade had been holding nothing back besides her Strength of a Hundred Seal, she was still sent flying once again.
Her body smashed through trees before she dug her heels in, sliding across the dirt. She wiped the dust from her face, her eyes narrowing.
"Tch… don't think a little trick like that will keep me down."
Obito raised his hand slightly, stopping Tsunade just as she was about to charge again.
"The you right now doesn't excite me," he said calmly. "Use your famous jutsu...the Strength of a Hundred Seals."
Tsunade froze, her eyes narrowing dangerously. He knows… this guy really knows a lot about me.
Her mind raced. She had been saving that technique, waiting for the perfect chance to catch him off guard. Now, not only did he expect it...he even asked for it.
After those last two exchanges, Tsunade already knew this wouldn't be an easy fight. Worse, she might actually lose.
She looked at the masked figure standing so calmly and took a deep breath. Then the markings began to spread across her face and body, the unmistakable sign of her trump card: the Strength of a Hundred.
Her lips curved into a cold smile. "You'll regret trapping yourself here with me."
With that, she vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing right in front of Obito.
Obito's Sharingan carefully studied her movements. The moment Tsunade lunged, he countered effortlessly. His hand shot out, catching her by the leg mid-motion, and with a brutal swing he smashed her down into the ground.
The earth split and cracked beneath the impact, dust flying. Tsunade coughed harshly, saliva spraying as the shock ran through her body.
Before she could recover, Obito's hand clamped around her neck. He lifted her with ease, then slammed a fist into her stomach.
"Ghhhnk!" Tsunade gagged, coughing again as her body folded from the blow.
Obito didn't let up. He hurled her upward into the air, then disappeared. In the blink of an eye he reappeared behind her, his heel driving forward in a merciless kick.
Smack!
His boot connected with her butt, sending her plummeting down like a meteor.
"What a soft ass," Obito commented casually, watching her crash back into the broken ground.
Tsunade grunted as she pushed herself up from the shattered ground. Her body showed no lasting damage, the wounds healed almost instantly under the power of her seal.
But inside, she was nervous. She hadn't expected this masked man to be this strong.
Her mind flashed to summoning Katsuyu to take Shizune away, but she hesitated.
Judging by his speed… no, judging by that strange technique, he might have mastered some kind of space-time ninjutsu. Or maybe he was just that fast. Either way, escape wouldn't be simple.
Things are beyond my expectations. When I woke up this morning, I never imagined I'd be this helpless.
"Hahh…" Tsunade exhaled, then smiled faintly, shaking her head. Really, what am I thinking? When did I become so timid?
If it came down to it… if it really meant dying here today—then at least…
Her eyes shifted toward Shizune, resolve hardening. Veins bulged across her forehead and arms as she clenched her fists, the earth around her splintering under the pressure.
She lunged forward, unleashing a heavy punch that split the air.
But in the next instant, her eyes widened.
"Wood Style: Flowery Thorns," Obito said calmly, raising his hand as sharp wooden thorns erupted around her.
Tsunade was momentarily shocked, Wood Style!? but twisted her body, barely dodging.
Still, one thorn shot forward, piercing her chest straight through her clothing...skewering her nipple.
Tsunade gasped sharply, staggering back.
Obito's mouth twitched slightly beneath the mask. "…I really didn't mean to do that."
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