Manda's Retreat

"After all these years, your hemophobia still hasn't been cured, has it?" Orochimaru said as he withdrew the Kusanagi sword that had pierced through Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade!" Furen turned around and attacked Orochimaru, engaging him in battle.

Tsunade stared at the blood on her chest, her expression filled with agony as she covered her face with her hands. Painful memories surged over her like a tidal wave, the red blood, the red memories…

"Dan… Nawaki…" Tsunade murmured. All these years, she had never escaped the shadow of her past. The people she loved the most, and those closest to her, had all died in her arms. As a medical ninja, she had no way to prevent the departure of life.

"Lady Tsunade, pull yourself together!"

After clashing with Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword, Furen retreated to her side and took her hands away from her face. His eyes were firm as he looked at Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, you may have a painful past, but Konoha needs you now. This is not the time for despair… Before the Third Hokage died, he told me something…"

"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die."

Furen smiled, but his expression quickly turned serious as he shielded Tsunade. Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword slashed across his back, leaving a long gash, and blood splattered onto Tsunade's face. Furen had used his body to block the attack for her.

Tsunade's pupils dilated as she felt the heat of Furen's blood, and she murmured, "Teacher Sarutobi…" Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die. These words were from the Third Hokage, a phrase that had been used to inspire countless generations of Konoha shinobi. Tsunade was no exception.

Looking at Furen, who was gravely injured but still smiling, she couldn't help but think of Nawaki, who always had a smile on his face and dedicated his life to the village.

"I am… the Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade cradled the injured Furen in her arms. The blue diamond-shaped Yin Seal on her forehead began to spread, and her gaze became more determined. Tsunade's hands no longer trembled, and she was no longer afraid of blood.

"Oh? So, you've finally overcome your hemophobia?" Orochimaru remarked.

"Yin Seal: Release!" The blue Yin Seal transformed into intricate marks that spread across her face as Tsunade formed hand signs and called out, "Ninjutsu: Creation Rebirth!"

The wounds on her body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, far faster than the technique Kabuto had used earlier. After all her wounds were fully healed, the Yin Seal on Tsunade's forehead faded away.

Ninjutsu: Creation Rebirth—a technique that uses the vast amounts of chakra stored in the Yin Seal to stimulate protein production and dramatically accelerate cell division, allowing the regeneration of all tissues and organs. This is not just recovery—it is regeneration.

In other words… under the effects of Creation Rebirth, Tsunade possesses the body of an immortal!

Fully healed, Tsunade bit her thumb, drawing blood, and performed a summoning technique.

A massive creature, as large as the three toads and Manda, appeared… The slug from the Shikkotsu Forest!

Tsunade patted the slug. "Heal this injured boy."

"Understood," the slug responded in its usual sticky-sounding voice. Then, from its body, a much smaller slug detached and moved onto Furen's back, starting the healing process.

Furen, now witnessing Tsunade overcome her fear and regain her confidence, managed a smile. Tsunade, who had previously worn a cold expression, also smiled for the first time.

Tsunade's favorability has increased by +2%.

Hearing the system's notification in his mind, Furen finally sighed in relief, thinking, Tsunade's favorability is really hard to increase…

"Let's go, Slug!" Tsunade shouted as she punched her fists together. Riding atop the slug, she rushed toward the battlefield where the three toads and Manda were still engaged.

Seeing the slug appear, Manda, who was already at a disadvantage, narrowed his eyes in alarm.

"You idiots! If you don't want me to turn you all into wallets, back off!" Manda hissed at the three toads.

Gamaken and Gamabunta grabbed hold of Manda's massive body, while Gamabunta raised his knife and thrust it toward Manda's head.

"I've been wanting a snakeskin wallet myself!" Gamabunta retorted.

The blade pierced Manda's head, and as Gamabunta pressed harder, intending to completely drive the knife through, the ground suddenly trembled. The firm grip Gamaken and Gamabunta had on Manda loosened, leaving them holding only a sloughed-off snakeskin.

Manda had shed his skin to avoid Gamabunta's attack.

A few hundred meters away, Manda re-emerged from underground. But just as he appeared, the slug, who had just arrived, opened its mouth.

"Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!"

A green, corrosive fluid shot from the slug's mouth, landing on Manda and causing clouds of acidic mist to rise.

Manda let out a screech of pain before collapsing to the ground, shedding another layer of skin. But two consecutive sheds had taken their toll on him. Staring at Orochimaru with a menacing gaze, Manda spat out angrily, "I demand 500 live human sacrifices as compensation for this!"

With that, Manda disappeared with a loud "bang," leaving only two discarded snakeskins behind.

The three toads and the slug turned their attention to Orochimaru and the remaining members of the Sound Four.

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T/N:

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