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Chapter 182: Nara Keisuke VS Princess Tsunade!
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 12:40:53 +0000 UTCChapter 182: Nara Keisuke VS Princess Tsunade!
"Are you talking about... Shimura Danzō?"
"How long are you going to deceive yourself?"
"...Sarutobi-sensei."
Keisuke nodded slightly. The person he was referring to was, of course, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Danzō was a master of taking the fall, the most notorious scapegoat in the ninja world, but you couldn't just blame him for the entire boiler room. His establishment of Root, his kidnapping of village shinobi, his sanctioning of human experiments... these were just the crimes he had already committed, and the list was long. But to say that all of Danzō's actions were born of his own will, and that Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting in the Hokage's seat, knew nothing about it... others might believe it, but Keisuke certainly didn't.
As the "sunlit" face of Konoha, Hiruzen might not have personally stepped into the darkness. But to say he had no knowledge of the actions of the "Root" that grew in that darkness... while believing in the Will of Fire was a village tradition, Keisuke still advised anyone who blindly believed the Third Hokage was a pure and innocent man to go see a doctor.
CRACK!
The truth she had been most unwilling to face was laid bare. Tsunade lost control, slamming her palm down and shattering the office desk, sending splinters of wood flying.
For her, Hiruzen Sarutobi was more than just a teacher. Though she often addressed him with a casual, almost dismissive tone, in her heart, she trusted and revered him. He was her sensei, and the Hokage who had led Konoha through war. And the title of Hokage itself was of immeasurable importance to her.
But now... that most respected Hokage was implicated in the most vile of human experiments, even extending his profane reach to the body of his predecessor.
Tsunade stood up in silence, walked past Keisuke, and headed for the door.
"What are you going to do?" he asked her retreating back.
"Drink!" she whirled around, all three of the "Ninja Prohibitions" thrown to the wind. "Nara, if you're a man, you'll come with me!"
"If you just want to vent..." Keisuke raised an eyebrow, ignoring her goading and offering another option. "I have a better suggestion."
Tsunade stopped in her tracks, her beautiful face a mask of frost as she waited for him to continue. He stared at her, and a shadow tentacle shot out from his own shadow, connecting to hers. A lifelike Shadow Creature emerged from the darkness and carried her out of the office.
A few moments later, they were outside Kikyo Castle, speeding towards the famous landmark on the outskirts of Konoha: the Valley of the End. At Keisuke's command, the creature set them down on the surface of the river before melting back into his shadow.
"Well? You wanted to vent, didn't you?" Keisuke beckoned to her with a finger. "I'll be your partner."
Tsunade looked at him coldly, instantly understanding his intent. Compared to drinking her sorrows away, a fight was an equally valid way to blow off steam.
"Nara, you asked for this!"
She stomped hard on the water, sending up a great splash as she shot towards him like an arrow. With her masterful experience, she instantly molded a massive amount of chakra and focused it all into her small, fair fist.
"Monstrous Strength!"
She leaped high into the air, drew back her right arm, and after a brief moment of charging power, threw a devastating punch at him. Keisuke watched her, and with a mere thought, the shadow beneath his feet surged upwards, forming a perfect, hexagonal shield in front of him.
Shadow Armor Technique!
BOOM!
Tsunade's fist slammed into the shield. A deafening roar erupted, and a rolling shockwave blasted outwards, whipping the river's surface into a violent frenzy. Under the force of her punch, the shield trembled, and fine cracks spread across its smooth, dark surface.
[A-Rank Ninja Battle Mission has been detected!]
[A-Rank Mission: Princess Tsunade]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill Tsunade]
[Mission Reward: One A-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll]
Crack— With a sharp sound, the shield shattered, dissipating into the air. A cruel smile touched Tsunade's lips. She quickly gathered chakra in her left fist and aimed another powerful blow at his chest. Keisuke instantly created another shield, blocking the punch just in time.
BOOM!
The second shield also shattered, but he used the force of the impact to propel himself backward. Tsunade relentlessly pursued, her arms a whirlwind of powerful, sweeping blows. Her fists rained down on him like a storm, the sheer force of them whipping the air into a gale.
But Keisuke was already familiar with her fighting style. Each time she attacked, he would create a new shield of shadow at the precise point of impact, just far enough away to let her unleash her power and vent her frustrations.
BOOM—BOOM—
The Valley of the End echoed with the continuous roar of their clash. After the storm of blows had passed, Tsunade, her body dripping with sweat and much of her frustration dispelled, stomped on the water again, launching herself high into the air. Her dark ninja sandal passed over her head as she raised her left leg into a perfect split, gathering chakra in her foot before bringing it down with immense force.
In that moment, her leg was like a giant battle-axe, the sheer force of its descent tearing through the air and creating a sharp, whistling sound.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
Faced with the devastating blow, Keisuke showed no carelessness. He instantly erected two layered shadow shields in front of him, leaving a small gap between them to buffer the force.
BOOM—CRACK!
Tsunade's kick landed, and its shocking power instantly shattered the first shield. But having been weakened by the first impact, when her leg struck the second shield, it only managed to cover it in a dense web of cracks, failing to break it completely.
"Hah..." Tsunade rested her leg on the fractured shield, letting out a long breath. The anger and frustration in her heart had been mostly vented with that one kick.
"Sounds like you've had your fun," Keisuke's calm voice came from behind the shield. "In that case, it's my turn to get serious..."
His right hand shot through the shattered remains of the shield and grabbed her ankle. Without the shield between them, Tsunade suddenly realized how strange their position was. If not for his hand, her leg would be resting almost directly on his shoulder. A wave of panic washed over her as she felt his tight grip.
"Hey..."
Before she could finish, Keisuke swung his arm, throwing her and her ankle to the side.
'Did he just... throw me?'
The wind howled in Tsunade's ears as she tumbled across the water several times before finally managing to regain her footing. By that time, Keisuke was already upon her. He leaped into the air, just as she had, and drew back his right fist. The Boil Release chakra within his Shadow Clone's body was brought to a full boil, and he focused all of his power and chakra into that one punch, mercilessly slamming it down on the spot where she had been standing.
Sensing the extreme danger, Tsunade's pupils contracted. She chose not to meet the attack head-on, instead leaping backward.
BOOM!
Keisuke's fist struck the water's surface. The boiling, monstrous strength surged into the river, and a massive geyser of water erupted into the sky.
'That kid's power... when did it become this terrifying?!'
Tsunade was stunned by the incredible destructive force he had just displayed. In her mind, he had always been a "squishy" shadow-user. This display had completely shattered her impression of him. But it was that very same overwhelming power that ignited her own competitive spirit.
'Let's see it then, Nara... just how strong is the Shadow of Darkness?!'
Tsunade took a breath, and instead of retreating, charged forward. Keisuke seemed to be waiting for his "fat sheep" to attack. He stood his ground, continuously accumulating Boil Release chakra from his Chakra Crystals.
Tsunade raised her right fist and, like a ramming goat, thrust it at him. Keisuke, having finished accumulating his own power and clearly seeing her attack's trajectory, met her blow with his own.
"Monstrous Strength!"
'Peerless Monstrous Strength!'
THUD!
The two fists collided head-on. The impact produced a sickening, dull sound, and the air around them exploded into a violent shockwave. For the first time in her life, in a contest of pure strength, Tsunade felt herself being pushed back. The realization filled her with utter shock.
Keisuke, however, was not surprised. His own Monstrous Strength was "learned" from her, but it had since been enhanced with the special techniques from Han's Boil Release, using the Kekkei Genkai's unique properties to make it even more destructive. Add to that his own near-A-rank Strength stat... if he hadn't surpassed her in pure power, that would have been surprising.
But... that didn't stop him from using this moment to provoke his fat sheep.
"Tsunade," he said, staring at her from point-blank range, his voice low. "Your fists, just like your will, have grown soft."
"Nara! You bastard!" Tsunade nearly bit through her teeth. She knew he was just trying to provoke her, but she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
"Don't you underestimate me!"
