Chapter 26: The Clash
"You're the one who told me to attack!" Tsunade roared as she was quickly surrounded by Arashi and the attendants.
"I—! #%... Ugh, never mind! Just focus on the fight!" Orochimaru cursed under his breath as he engaged Kyohei Kawanishi.
The only good news was that Tsunade's surprise attack had been a success. Her monstrous strength was a rare fighting style in the ninja world, and without prior intelligence, it was easy to fall victim to a sneak attack. Orochimaru knew better than anyone how devastating her punches were. Taking a full-power blow from Tsunade at point-blank range meant that the Jonin was definitely seriously injured.
The advantage in combat strength was now on their side.
The sudden attack had left Dana completely stunned.
Was the ninja world really this messed up? Was there no basic trust between people? He had kindly offered them a medical consultation, and they just attacked?
Kyohei was tied up with the other intruder, and it didn't look like their fight would end anytime soon. Mamoru Anzai had been sent flying and was likely out of commission. That left Arashi and the attendants to deal with Tsunade. Even Ume had produced a dagger from somewhere, though she didn't join the fray, instead staying by Dana's side.
Dana noticed that her hand was trembling slightly. He knew she wasn't a ninja, just an ordinary person.
After her successful sneak attack, Tsunade didn't lose focus. A powerful figure, crackling with blue light, instantly appeared before her. A fist shot towards her stomach. It was Arashi, and his punch was merciless, aimed at the same spot she had struck Mamoru.
But just before it made contact, a pair of slender, pale hands blocked the blow. The ground beneath Tsunade's feet cracked again. The attack was powerful, but it had failed to connect.
"That was a strong punch," Tsunade said with a grin, a vein throbbing on her forehead. "Though still a bit weaker than mine."
Arashi quickly disengaged. "Don't get cocky, old woman!"
Tsunade froze. This kid can't be much older than me. Why is he calling me an old woman?! I'm only twenty! What kind of weird verbal tic is that?
"Heavy Stream of Violence!" The blue light around Arashi intensified as he pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limit. He had felt it in their brief exchange: this "old woman's" strength was greater than his own. Her taijutsu was likely superior.
But he was a Cloud ninja, the son of the Raikage. Retreat was not an option! Whoever they were, they had struck first, and the Cloud would make them pay!
Tsunade sidestepped Arashi's elbow strike and countered with a punch to his chest. But the Arashi in front of her dissipated into a cloud of smoke and crackling lightning, leaving Tsunade momentarily paralyzed.
"A Lightning Clone? When did he—!"
"Too slow! Righteous Thunder Axe of Sinking Fury!"
Arashi suddenly appeared above Tsunade and, taking advantage of her brief paralysis, brought his leg down in a powerful axe kick.
Tsunade raised her arms to block. The massive impact sent cracks spreading across the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust and rock.
"I told you, you're a little bit weaker. And a little bit is all it takes," Tsunade sneered.
Meanwhile, the fight between Orochimaru and Kyohei Kawanishi was much less spectacular. They weren't trading blows like Tsunade and Arashi, but were fighting in a more conventional ninja style. Kyohei had intentionally drawn the fight away from Dana to avoid any collateral damage.
As the bodyguard assigned to this mission, Kyohei was no weakling, but he was feeling the pressure. His opponent's jutsu were completely unknown to him, and he was at a severe intelligence disadvantage. Most importantly, he couldn't focus all his attention on the fight. Unsure if his opponent had any backup, he had to keep a part of his mind on Dana, ready to defend him at a moment's notice.
"Ninja Art: Striking Shadow Snakes!" Several thick, venomous snakes shot out from Orochimaru's sleeves, their strength and intelligence far exceeding that of normal animals.
Kyohei didn't retreat. These weren't ordinary summons; they were intelligent. Dodging would only allow his opponent to summon more, which would be a problem if they hid in the surrounding forest.
"Lightning Release: Thundering Dance!" An indiscriminate burst of electricity shot out from Kyohei's body, electrocuting all the snakes around him.
"Is summoning jutsu all you've got?" Kyohei taunted, cracking his neck. "Fighting you like this is making me look bad."
Orochimaru watched him with cold, silent eyes. Unseen by his opponent, a small, palm-sized slug had crawled onto his shoulder and was secretly relaying a message.
"Orochimaru! What's the plan?" Tsunade's voice echoed in his mind.
Orochimaru gritted his teeth. "Why didn't you think about that before you attacked?!" he mentally screamed back. "A ninja thinks before they act!"
"Alright, alright! We can talk about that later! What do we do now?"
Forcing down his anger, Orochimaru replied, "Since we're already fighting, we have no choice. This must be the migrating bloodline clan. But these ninja are strong. I've already sent a summons to Jiraiya. The kid who was talking earlier seems to be important. Create an opening. We'll grab him!"
"Got it!"
Their silent exchange concluded, and their battle plan was set. Tsunade, relying on her superior strength, began to feign being overwhelmed, leading Arashi and the Chunin to believe they had her on the ropes. Meanwhile, Orochimaru subtly began to steer his fight closer to where Dana was standing.
Dana, completely unaware that he had become their target, was busy trying to calm the nervous Ume.
He took her trembling hand. "Ume-neechan," he said gently, "you can't help them by joining the fight."
Feeling the warmth of his small hand, Ume's anxiety eased slightly. "Young Master," she said hesitantly, "before we left, Lord Raikage gave me an emergency summoning scroll to contact the village. Should I use it?"
Dana hesitated. Lacking experience, he couldn't accurately read the flow of the battle. It seemed like both sides were evenly matched, and they had the advantage in numbers. It looked like they were fine. If he used the scroll, it would blow the situation out of proportion. If something like this happened on his very first trip outside the village, he'd probably be grounded for life. Besides, by the time reinforcements arrived, it would be too late.
He considered joining the fight himself. He wasn't a ninja, but putting his weaknesses aside, he believed he could fight at a Chunin level—stronger, even. He could probably help.
Seeing the look in his eyes, Ume began to plead with him. "Young Master, please don't be reckless! Leave the fighting to Young Master Arashi and the others!"
Dana sighed in frustration and looked back at the battle. Arashi's Lightning Release Chakra Mode was pushed to its absolute limit, and he was moving at incredible speeds. But with Dana's enhanced vision, he could follow every movement clearly.
He noticed that the male ninja had drawn Kyohei far away, so he couldn't see his fighting style. But the female ninja had been using pure hand-to-hand combat from the very beginning, her blows powerful enough to shatter stone.
That fighting style... it sparked a memory.
Wait a minute, he thought. Could that woman be Tsunade? And if so, is the pale-faced man Orochimaru?
He had finally broken through the dimensional wall and recognized them.
Why are two of the Legendary Sannin attacking us? Does that mean Jiraiya is nearby too?!
Dammit! If it's the Sannin, then we're in deep trouble.
The reputation of the Legendary Sannin in the original story was immense; Dana knew better than to underestimate them. And Tsunade looked to be in her early twenties, while the future Fourth Raikage was only thirteen.
"Ume-neechan!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "That scroll! Use it! Contact the village! NOW!"
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