Tsunade was confused and followed Nawaki's pointing finger.
There, stuck to her calf where Nawaki had just been hugging her, was a crumpled square of white paper. She peeled it off. Scrawled on it in messy handwriting were the words "EXPLOSIVE TAG," slightly stained with yellow dirt.
It was the same fake explosive tag Night had used as a trap earlier. Nawaki had actually kept it on him all this time, waiting for the perfect moment to use it.
Seeing this, a flicker of pride crossed Tsunade's eyes. She was about to nod in approval of his cleverness.
But then she saw Nawaki looking at her with a smug, triumphant expression, like a magician revealing his final trick.
Night couldn't even look. He wanted to rush over and cover Nawaki's "asking for it" face.
Sure enough, Tsunade's expression darkened instantly. Mimicking Nawaki, she pointed a finger at the diamond-shaped Yin Seal on her forehead.
Seeing Nawaki still looking clueless, she sighed and said:
"Did you forget that I know the Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth (Mitotic Regeneration)?"
The smug look froze on Nawaki's face. It was like an invisible hand had choked him.
Under Nawaki's terrified gaze, Tsunade stepped forward and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of him. Again.
Even though Tsunade held back, Nawaki ended up bruised, swollen, and looking pathetic.
Still feeling unsatisfied, Tsunade turned her gaze to Night, who was watching the show. She curled her finger, signaling him to come over.
Night wasn't annoyed that the spotlight had shifted to him. He had been wanting to test his limits without using his trump cards. Having Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, as a sparring partner was a golden opportunity.
Before Nawaki could try to stop his friend from getting beaten up, Night spoke.
"Lady Tsunade, please instruct me."
He assumed a fighting stance, his eyes burning with focus.
"Not bad." Tsunade nodded slightly. "Before, I didn't believe a Genin could complete an S-rank and an A-rank mission on 'luck' alone... Now, I'm more convinced of my judgment."
Night didn't react, but Nawaki, nursing his swollen face, widened his eyes in shock and betrayal.
Night had never mentioned these achievements to him. Meanwhile, Nawaki had been bragging about his "failed assassination attempt" to Night like it was a big deal.
In the center of the field, Tsunade fought Night just as she had Nawaki—pure physical strength, no chakra-enhanced super punches yet.
Normally, taijutsu would be Night's weakness. But after training with Might Duy and learning the Eight Gates, that weakness had been completely patched.
BAM—BAM—BAM—
Their figures blurred as fists and feet clashed repeatedly. Tsunade's style was known for raw power, while Night's style—learned from Duy's Strong Fist—was surprisingly agile and fast.
After another exchange, seeing Night still looking comfortable, Tsunade ramped up the intensity. The true terrifying power of her punches began to show.
Caught off guard by the sudden increase in force, Night was sent flying. He twisted in mid-air and landed firmly with a backflip.
Seeing Tsunade getting serious, Night decided to stop hiding. Exposing some of his cards wouldn't hurt.
Besides, with the system backing him up, he was confident. As long as he didn't literally die on the spot, he wouldn't end up like Rock Lee—"ten minutes of god mode, 600 episodes of nerfing."
"Eight Gates Released Formation! First Gate: Gate of Opening — OPEN!"
"Second Gate: Gate of Healing — OPEN!"
"Third Gate: Gate of Life — OPEN!"
Green chakra erupted from his body like flames! Tsunade's expression sharpened. She was completely serious now.
"Kid, don't push yourself too hard!"
"Eight Gates Released Formation! Lady Tsunade, here I come!"
Night didn't hesitate. He turned into a green blur, charging straight at Tsunade.
Facing this speed, Tsunade was in a tough spot. If she went all out, she might seriously hurt him. But if she held back, this kid might actually suppress her—and that would be embarrassing.
Night attacked like a relentless tide, a continuous stream of green light.
Tsunade used her vast experience to parry and counter with precision. They traded blows back and forth, evenly matched.
Nawaki watched with his jaw on the floor. He had no idea his low-key friend was hiding such depth.
He wished he could go back in time to this morning and slap himself. Not only did he get beaten by his sister, but now he was taking emotional damage from his friend's unexpected power level.
It was the classic dilemma: Afraid your bro is suffering, but also afraid your bro is driving a Range Rover.
Night fought harder and harder. The power of the Eight Gates surged through him, every punch breaking the sound barrier.
Tsunade went from cautious to excited. It had been a long time since she met a young ninja who could go toe-to-toe with her in taijutsu.
They crossed paths again. Night attempted a swift leg sweep to break her balance, but she leaped lightly to avoid it.
"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain — OPEN!"
Night decided to stop holding back. He opened the highest gate he could currently manage. His speed skyrocketed.
Catching Tsunade in mid-air where she couldn't dodge, Night seized the opportunity. He threw a ferocious straight right punch aimed directly at her exposed chest.
Unable to leverage herself in the air, Tsunade abandoned defense. She countered with a punch of her own, choosing to clash head-on.
But she underestimated Night's sudden speed boost. Their fists missed each other in the air. Instead of colliding, each fist carried its momentum forward... smashing straight into the other's chest!
Night suffered from his smaller, undeveloped frame. His reach was shorter. Before his fist could fully connect and compress, he was already blasted away by Tsunade's punch.
But in that split second of contact... a soft, incredibly elastic sensation transmitted through his fist.
As he flew backward, the green chakra around Night vanished like a candle blown out. His eyes went wide. His brain spun frantically, calculating the odds of survival. One wrong move and I'm going to have to respawn in a new isekai.
Tsunade landed gracefully. She glanced down almost imperceptibly at her chest, retracted her right hand, and slowly looked at Night.
Her face was unreadable. It was as if nothing had happened.
Nawaki, who hadn't seen the specific details clearly, spoke up at the worst possible moment: "Sis, don't you think that was a bit too hard?"
Night mentally screamed, Best wingman ever! He immediately feigned total exhaustion and collapsed on the ground, playing dead.
Although Tsunade wanted to teach this audacious brat a lesson, seeing him looking "unable to fight," she let it slide.
She grabbed Nawaki and turned to walk back to the Senju compound. Only her slightly red ears betrayed that something unusual had happened.