In the afternoon.
The brilliant sunlight fell on the river surface, sparkling and reflecting a golden glow.
In the small grove beside, Haruki and Tsunade looked at each other.
The atmosphere was extremely quiet, and neither of them spoke.
"Are you ready?"
After a few minutes, Haruki stepped back and asked.
"I'm ready."
Tsunade's face tightened, and her eyes became sharp. But when facing Haruki, she immediately showed a sweet smile.
In the moment when Haruki was slightly stunned, she quickly formed hand seals.
Wood Release jutsu!
A huge rectangular tree emerged from the soil in front of Tsunade. Like a flexible snake, it instantly wrapped around Haruki's waist, climbed up, passed over his neck, and its top was about to stuff into his mouth.
"???"
You're not following the rules. You're pulling a sneaky surprise attack! You're even seducing an old veteran!
Haruki widened his eyes, but there was no time to speak as the tree trunk blocked his mouth.
The next moment, with a bang, his body disappeared.
Tsunade wasn't surprised at all. Since she knew that Haruki had Wood Release, she understood that his strength far exceeded her imagination.
She suddenly turned around and punched down.
Haruki, who was quietly trying to hug her from behind, instantly froze his smile.
The huge force shook the air and, centered on Tsunade's fist, directly blew Haruki apart.
A tree stump fell.
It was the Substitution Jutsu.
Tsunade remained silent and lifted her long leg high.
When her foot landed, the ground seemed to have suffered a magnitude-nine earthquake, and clumps of soil flew up involuntarily.
Suddenly, a half-meter-deep pit appeared where Tsunade stood.
Haruki patted the soil off his body and looked at Tsunade with lingering fear.
And Tsunade stood there, smiling brightly, apparently in a very good mood.
Losing face in private, she had to regain her confidence in public.
"A Saint Seiya (Warriors of Saints) won't be knocked down by the same move twice."
Seeing Tsunade using seduction again, Haruki couldn't help but snort and say.
"What's a Saint Seiya?"
Tsunade blinked her eyes like a cat, with curiosity and a beautiful, glistening look in her eyes.
"Ah, it's from my novel..."
Haruki suddenly stopped, and Tsunade instantly disappeared from his sight.
Damn it! She tricked me again!
Tsunade knew Haruki very well, both his personality and his strengths and weaknesses.
But Haruki was the same, understanding Tsunade's strength and limitations.
He clenched his fist and struck with the same Chakra Enhanced Strength towards his back.
Fist met fist.
It was like the sound of glass shattering.
The strong wind blew Tsunade's golden long hair.
She showed a faint smile again.
Suddenly, her right arm changed.
Several tree trunks intertwined and flew out from her shoulder, replacing her arm. Then, like a blooming flower, it opened a wooden net towards Haruki, seemingly about to capture him.
Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!
Haruki recognized the ninjutsu she was using.
It had to be said that although Tsunade was a Medical Ninja, her combat experience was by no means inferior to other ninjas.
Tsunade's proud smile lasted only two seconds before she quickly stepped back.
Suddenly, Haruki transformed into wooden branches and attacked her tree trunks, entangling with them.
"Wood Clone?"
Tsunade immediately recalled the various Wood Release Ninjutsu that Haruki had explained to her in the morning. He had mentioned that after the Wood Clone was dispelled, it could turn into wooden branches to attack the enemy.
She frowned. She had no idea when he had used the Wood Clone.
But there was no time to think about it.
Suddenly, the sky above her head turned as red as a sunset.
An enormous fireball, accompanied by a howling wind, rushed towards her.
Tsunade remained in place. Several tree trunks sprang out from her right arm again, instantly expanding and growing into a century - old tree. It was like a huge umbrella, covering her head and shielding her from the attack.
Wood Release: Explosive Spear Tree.
A Wood Release jutsu that combined both offense and defense.
After blocking Haruki's fireball, Tsunade used her Chakra to make the tree continue to grow.
But then she was a bit surprised.
Her tree caught fire and showed no sign of going out. Instead, the flames rushed towards her along the branches.
Tsunade made a prompt decision. She withdrew her Chakra and jumped backward.
Watching the tree trunk being burned to charcoal, she couldn't quite understand. If Fire Release could break Wood Release, her grandfather wouldn't have been able to defeat Madara Uchiha.
But after all, she was Tsunade, and she quickly understood the reason.
Chakra.
Haruki's Chakra was far deeper than hers.
The Great Fireball Technique he had just used was no longer a simple C - rank jutsu.
Tsunade always felt something was off.
Who on earth was from the Senju clan?
Both her Wood Release and physical constitution were inferior to Haruki's.
"What are you thinking about?"
Haruki appeared in front of her. Seeing her in a daze, he didn't continue to attack.
But being able to learn and use three Wood Release techniques in just one morning was already a pretty good result.
In fact, aside from teaching Wood Release Ninjutsu, there was nothing else he needed to worry about.
However, Haruki had decided that they could train together more often from then on.
Because Tsunade would meet far more powerful ninjas in the future.
Haruki planned to let her get used to it ahead of time and, preferably, simulate the opponents' Ninjutsu.
For example, the strange abilities of The Akatsuki Organization.
If she could figure them out, even if she couldn't win, her chances of escaping would be much higher.
"I suspect you're from the Senju clan."
Tsunade came back to her senses, looking skeptical.
Haruki was taken aback. With his Wood Release and Sage Body, he did seem like a member of the Senju clan.
"I'm not."
He smiled and reached out to pinch her cheek, asking, "What? Can't take a loss?"
"It's still uncertain who will win or lose," Tsunade pouted. "Once I learn all the Wood Release techniques, you... mmm..."
This chapter isn't over yet!
"Your mouth isn't so tough after all," Haruki was pushed away angrily by her, but he wasn't angry. He said with a smile, "So soft."
Tsunade's angry words were cut off by a kiss, but... it's so infuriating!
She rolled her eyes: "Can you be serious?"
"I'm very serious," Haruki replied with a sincere look on his face.
Tsunade felt a bit helpless.
She had no way to deal with Haruki.
After all, she couldn't get the better of him.
But she couldn't stand Haruki's proud look, so she directly raised her hand and gave him a chop.
Haruki quickly put away his joking expression and stopped teasing her. "Let's keep training in the grove from now on," he said.
"Sure."
Tsunade nodded. She finally had a general understanding of Haruki's strength.
But then she felt a twinge of unwillingness. She had always been stronger than him before. If things went on like this, she'd always be pushed around. So she had to get stronger.
"There's a little guy spying. Aren't you going to deal with him?"
Tsunade glanced at a tree on the right. She'd noticed someone approaching when they were fighting.
"Kakashi, don't you say hello to your teacher?"
Haruki hooked his finger at Kakashi.
"Hello, Teacher."
Kakashi stepped out from behind the big tree.
He was just passing by on his way to practice Ninjutsu. When he heard a huge commotion, driven by curiosity, he witnessed an amazing scene.
A battle of Wood Release between two Medical Ninjas.
It turned out that Teacher Haruki, who usually kept a low - key profile, was so powerful that even Tsunade, one of the Sannin, was no match for him.
As a genius at the Ninja Academy and often tutored by his father, the Legend of the White Fang, his strength and judgment far exceeded those of ordinary Genin.
That's why he could feel Teacher Haruki's strength.
Moreover, he used the lost Wood Release jutsu.