Chapter 105: Oh, So That’s How You Want to Play, Granny?

Swoosh—

"Wind Style!" the blond-haired brat yelled. Immediately, Tsunade heard the sharp sound of wind slicing through flesh.

But to her surprise, not a single scratch appeared on his body.

What is this kid doing now!?

Before she could make sense of it, an icy sensation spread across her cheek. Tsunade froze.

As a medical ninja, the metallic tang wafting up her nose was all too familiar.

"B-Blood...?"

Tsunade, who was moments ago radiating fury, now shivered like a frightened quail. Her arms wrapped tightly around her body as she trembled, her rage giving way to sheer terror.

But Naruto wasn't done.

Activating his Blood Rage Technique, he layered on the Tailed Beast Cloak. In a raspy voice that eerily mimicked Madara Uchiha, he hollered at the fifty-something woman behind the door.

"Tsunade, you old hag!"

"Have you ever seen me in my prime!?"

From a distance, Jiraiya noticed something off about Tsunade's state and rushed forward.

Suddenly, it hit him—Tsunade still suffered from hemophobia.

And Naruto's self-harming technique? It was practically tailor-made to incapacitate her.

Jiraiya shifted his gaze to Naruto, who was now cloaked in the ominous crimson chakra of the Nine-Tails. A chill ran down his spine.

When did this brat learn to control Tailed Beast Chakra?

Why didn't he say anything!?

And that hand gesture—Jiraiya could see it clearly. The kid was preparing a Rasengan.

"Oi, you little menace! Stop right there!" Jiraiya yelled, panicking.

"Don't you dare use Rasengan!"

He had no idea how destructive a Tailed Beast Chakra-enhanced Rasengan could be, but judging from the explosions Naruto had caused in the past, it was likely far more devastating than anything he or Minato could ever manage.

Naruto, however, was on an adrenaline high. His confidence was through the roof.

Gripping the door panel with one hand, he swung it with full force at Tsunade's face.

Bang!

Caught completely off guard, Tsunade was sent flying through the air.

"L-Lady Tsunade... just got launched!?"

Shizune stood there, dumbfounded. Her mind struggled to process the scene unfolding before her.

This was Tsunade, the woman known for sending opponents flying with a single punch. And now? She had been flung into the air by a teenage boy!

"This isn't good!"

Jiraiya vanished in an instant, his body a blur.

The village had already lost the Third Hokage. If the Fifth Hokage were to fall here as well...

Jiraiya could already feel the elders pointing accusatory fingers at his back.

Meanwhile, Naruto wasn't done. His other hand formed his next move.

"Bijuu Bomb: Turtle Kamehameha!"

A black sphere began condensing in his palm, radiating a menacing energy. Naruto thrust it forward with a grin.

The beam of dark energy shot past Tsunade, narrowly missing her.

Naruto had deliberately aimed wide, estimating that if she didn't activate her Yin Seal, a direct hit might cripple her—or worse.

Jiraiya caught Tsunade mid-air, his instincts screaming as the black beam brushed past them.

One misstep, and that attack could have obliterated both of them.

"This brat..."

"That... That's a Rasengan!?"

Jiraiya landed, his hands trembling as he held Tsunade. His mind struggled to comprehend how Naruto had turned the Rasengan into something so... monstrous.

His gaze shifted to the area where the beam had struck.

The explosion had torn up layers of the earth, leaving a deep crater in its wake. Jiraiya's confidence wavered for the first time in years.

---

As fate would have it, the explosion's shockwave reached Orochimaru and Kabuto, who were closing in on Tsunade.

"Orochimaru-sama! We need to retreat!"

"Damn it! Jiraiya!"

Orochimaru's face twisted in fury as he saw the white-haired sage in the distance.

He couldn't fathom how Jiraiya had unleashed such a devastating attack.

Realizing their disadvantage, Orochimaru grit his teeth and abandoned the original plan. With a reluctant snarl, he ordered Kabuto to retreat.

---

Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Shizune focused on helping the trembling Tsunade.

Naruto stood before them, his head held high, looking every bit the smug troublemaker.

Jiraiya took one look at the blond brat's cocky grin, and his blood pressure spiked.

"You little punk!"

"Don't tell me that thing was supposed to be a Rasengan!"

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. After a moment's thought, he raised his hand and flashed a sheepish thumbs-up.

"Uh, there might've been... a teeny-tiny accident."

"But honestly, I think it's way better than the original!"

"You—!"

Jiraiya's eye twitched as he rubbed his temples, struggling to suppress his anger.

Taking a deep breath, he finally sighed.

"Forget it. Let's just find a place for Tsunade to recover."

Before he could finish, Tsunade suddenly pointed at Naruto, her voice trembling.

"B-Blood!"

Her face turned ashen, and her body trembled even harder.

Jiraiya groaned, his headache worsening.

If this phobia wasn't addressed soon, it could lead to serious problems down the road. After all, a Hokage terrified of blood would become a laughingstock among the other villages—and an easy target.

Naruto frowned, clearly wanting to point out that the best way to overcome fear was to face it.

But he decided against it. Knowing Jiraiya, the old man would probably throttle him if he said it out loud.

Shrugging, Naruto wandered to a corner to wash the blood off himself. Refreshed, he rejoined the group with a bright grin.

Jiraiya sighed, leading the group to find lodging.

As they walked, Naruto stayed close to Tsunade, murmuring non-stop.

"C'mon, old lady. That means I win, right?"

Tsunade had wagered he wouldn't last a hundred moves against her. But from the moment he activated the Blood Rage Technique, she had frozen up.

By all counts, the fight was over, and he was the winner.

Tsunade's face was grim, her mind elsewhere.

She had only been joking earlier—she never imagined it would end like this.

One thing was certain: she wasn't going back to the village to be Hokage.

She scoffed lightly, her silence speaking volumes about her disdain for the loudmouth brat.

Naruto scowled. "Don't tell me you're backing out of the deal!"

The shamelessness of this old ninja floored him.

He kept ranting, but Tsunade ignored him, staring straight ahead with an air of indifference.

Realization dawned on Naruto—he'd been played.

"Fine! You wanna play like that, huh, Granny?"

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Naruto pulled out a kunai and, in one swift motion, sliced his wrist.

Blood spurted everywhere, splashing directly onto Tsunade's face.

Tsunade, who had only just calmed down, let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Ahhh! Blood! Blood!"

Jiraiya finally snapped.

Lifting his leg, he sent Naruto flying with a single kick, roaring in frustration.

"You little brat!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Didn't you see what just happened to her!?"