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You really can't underestimate the Uzumaki Clan—they're close relatives of the Senju, and their physical endurance is just as terrifying.
Right now, Uzumaki Kushina isn't even 20 yet. She's still in a phase where her strength is growing rapidly.
Even putting aside the Uzumaki Clan's expertise in sealing jutsu, her taijutsu is top-notch.
She managed to close in on Tsunade and engage her head-on, holding her off for the time being.
And she even had the energy to try persuading Tsunade—urging her to turn around and fight Ron instead.
Tsunade's face remained cold. "Kushina, this matter—"
Her grandfather and granduncle's bodies had disappeared, and only a few people who had arrived early at the scene knew the truth.
She was one of them. So were Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and a few ANBU ninjas.
By the time Ron had gathered up the remains, more people had arrived.
But back then, Kushina was definitely not among them. In fact, from start to finish, she had never even shown up.
This wasn't a matter of protecting the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—it was a restriction.
If a powerful enemy had attacked and the Nine-Tails had been unleashed, Konoha wouldn't have been able to handle the consequences.
"It was Minato," Kushina insisted. "Tsunade-nee, Minato wouldn't lie to me! You're the one being tricked by that guy—he's using you!"
"Namikaze Minato?" Tsunade repeated the name under her breath.
The strongest contender.
The Yellow Flash who shone brilliantly in the Third Great Ninja War.
Would the next Hokage be Namikaze Minato? No, would it be Jiraiya? Or that old man, Sarutobi?
Tsunade frowned, her mind racing as she tried to determine the mastermind behind all this.
And yet, not once did she suspect Ron.
After returning to Konoha, all of the village's top brass had gathered in the Hokage's office.
The conclusion was clear: there was no one named Ron Stark in Konoha—not even a single person who had heard of him.
Even when they later saw Ron at the cemetery, not a single person recognized him.
That proved that Ron hadn't grown up in Konoha, nor had he ever lived there.
Someone researching her grandfather's Wood Release… How could that be Ron?
And yet, Kushina had mentioned a child who could use Wood Release.
Which only confirmed that someone in the village really was studying her grandfather's body.
Damn bastards!
If I ever find out who it is, I'll make sure they pay!
Tsunade's fury burned even hotter, and her attacks grew more relentless.
Her high heels cracked the ground beneath her feet, the sharp heels becoming weapons in her
hands.
Kushina's attacks were completely disrupted by Tsunade's fierce offensive. For a moment, she was left on the defensive, unsure how to counter.
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-nee... but I have to defeat you first!"
With no other choice, Kushina unleashed her Adamantine Sealing Chains.
She had initially intended to use them against Ron, never expecting that Tsunade would get in the way.
She had held back her strength at first, releasing only five chains.
But this time, she clasped her hands together in a seal.
Twelve blood-red chains erupted from thin air, striking toward Tsunade.
The chains carried sealing inscriptions at their tips. Unlike when she fought Ron, she wasn't aimingto pierce through her target recklessly.
Instead, her goal was to restrain Tsunade using the Adamantine Sealing Chains—only then couldshe deal with Ron.
Seeing the chains weaving a deadly web in the air, Tsunade gathered blue chakra into her right fist and smashed it into the ground.
BOOM!
The ground shattered like an explosion, sending debris flying like shrapnel, intercepting the approaching chains.
Sparks flew as metal clashed against stone, creating a relentless cacophony.
The chains wavered, leaving an opening. Kushina didn't hesitate—she performed a Body Flicker, reappearing near the river.
Standing atop the water, she quickly formed hand seals while a sealing array spread beneath her feet. "Ice Release: Fivefold Death Seal!"
She knew that Water Release alone couldn't stop Tsunade.
But if she concealed the Adamantine Sealing Chains within a Water Release attack, she might be able to take her by surprise.
Tsunade remained unfazed, chakra surging beneath her feet as she launched a devastating kick at the incoming water dragon.
The water dragon shattered, revealing the hidden chains within.
Tsunade smirked. "Not bad, Kushina. You've improved."
Despite her words, her actions didn't slow. She bit her thumb and slammed her hand onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Katsuyu!"
A massive slug emerged from a billowing cloud of smoke, shielding Tsunade from the sealing chains.
The moment the chains touched Katsuyu, they began to sizzle, releasing a thick, acrid smoke—the slug's corrosive acid had already begun to dissolve them.
"I'm not done yet, Kushina!"
Katsuyu split apart, scattering smaller slugs that immediately latched onto every chain, immobilizing them completely.
Tsunade leapt high into the air, diving straight for Kushina.
At that moment, a violent blood-red chakra erupted from Kushina's body, forming a shroud around her.
Three fox tails swayed behind her, their reflections rippling on the water's surface.
Tsunade's pupils shrank. "A Tailed Beast Cloak?!"
She suddenly caught sight of Kushina's eyes—those eerie vertical slits stared back at her with raw intensity.
"Damn it! How did the seal break?! Mito-sama's sealing technique—who tampered with it?!"
Faced with a jinchūriki cloaked in the Nine-Tails' chakra, Tsunade no longer dared to hold back. The
Strength of a Hundred Seal markings spread across her body like flowing ink.
Ron watched, not even blinking. "So this is the legendary 'Succubus Mark'?"
He clicked his tongue in amusement.
"Gotta admit, it has a strange allure… Too bad she's still wearing clothes. I wonder how it looks when things get heated?"
At this point, even Tsunade could tell—Kushina's seal had been damaged, but not completely.
That meant the Tailed Beast's chakra was only leaking through a small opening.
If they acted quickly, they could still repair the seal before it got worse.
Tsunade moved to reinforce it—but just then, four blazing crimson barriers suddenly erupted around the battlefield, enclosing Ron at the edges as well.
"Four Violet Flames Formation?" Tsunade immediately recognized the jutsu.
She halted her movements and turned toward the four corners of the barrier, analyzing her next move.
"This outfit… Anbu? No, wait—it's Root! Damn you, Danzo!"
"Danzo, get out here!" Tsunade roared. "Did you sabotage the seal inside Kushina!?"
Blinded by rage, Tsunade didn't notice the thin wisps of smoke rising slowly from the ground, carrying a strange scent as it spread through the air.
She had just finished an intense battle—her breathing was rapid, her chest rising and falling.
Without realizing it, she inhaled the smoke.
Kushina, on the other hand, was even more vulnerable. Struggling against the influence of the
Nine-Tails, she had no control over her body.
With every breath, she took in more and more of the smoke.
The next moment, the clarity in Kushina's eyes suddenly vanished, turning completely hazy.
Her consciousness spiraled into chaos, and the Nine-Tails' chakra erupted violently from her body.
The three fox tails behind her instantly became six, and a seventh was slowly forming. At this rate, she was moments away from losing herself entirely to the Nine-Tails.
"Hold your breath! The air is poisoned!" Ron's voice snapped Tsunade out of her daze. It was only then that she realized something was wrong.
Her mind was foggy, anger surged uncontrollably, her blood felt like it was boiling, and her body was heating up.
As someone well-versed in medicinal herbs, she instinctively recognized the poison affecting her.
Part of it was a neurotoxin used by the Sand Village puppet masters—but the other part?
Tsunade's expression darkened. Aphrodisiac!?
Her rage exploded. "Danzo, you shameless old bastard! You drugged me! And with this kind of poison!?"
"There's a Jinchuriki here! Are you trying to start a damn rebellion!?"
"Tsunade, you're not my target," Danzo's voice came from outside the Four Purple Flame Formation.
Poison alone wouldn't be enough to take Ron down—Danzo was certain of that.
But an aphrodisiac? Even if it wasn't lethal, it would weaken Ron's combat abilities.
Yet, somehow, Ron had noticed right away and wasn't affected at all.
Not that it mattered. Ron was only strong because of the Iron Man suit. Without it, he'd be easy to handle.
Ron's gaze landed on Danzo's arm.
The arm he had severed before—somehow, Danzo had managed to reattach it.
Ron had used a laser to cut it off, completely destroying the surrounding tissue.
There's no way that should've been possible.
"Tch, no wonder. A world with bug-level scientists… Nothing's impossible here."
Ron shook his head with a smirk but couldn't help feeling even more excited about working with Orochimaru.
With the knowledge of three different worlds combined, who knew what kind of surprises Orochimaru could bring?
Danzo's cold, single eye swept over Ron before shifting to Tsunade.
"This outsider… He stole the First Hokage's power with sacrilegious means. He's your real enemy."
"Bullshit!" Tsunade growled, barely suppressing the poison in her system.
"Ron never even lived in Konoha—how the hell—"
"No, Tsunade, you're wrong!" Danzo cut her off. "He was just hiding his identity before."
"Otherwise, how do you explain how he entered Konoha without setting off the alarms? How did he find the bodies of the two Lords so easily?"
"It's because he used to live here. He knows everything about Konoha—every detail. That's how he managed to sneak in without anyone noticing."
Tsunade's mind was spinning. With the poisons affecting her, her thoughts were a mess.
"Cut the crap and give me the antidote first! Then we can talk!"
Danzo smirked. "Sorry, Tsunade. Once we capture Ron and Stark, you'll get your antidote."
"For now… let the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki take care of Konoha's real enemy."
"....."