"So everyone's here."
Night Maple broke the silence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said coolly, "Jiraiya, Tsunade—what are you doing here?"
Tsunade's eyes flicked; she pointed at Night Maple. "Sensei, this shameless guy tried to cop a feel while Kushina was drunk!"
"Good thing I caught him in time. Otherwise Kushina would've been in trouble."
Night Maple was speechless. Thick roots and vines burst from the ground again; if Tsunade kept mouthing off, he'd just tie her up.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked to Night Maple. "Night Maple, what's going on here?"
"Kushina's drunk. If I don't support her home, am I supposed to drag her along the ground?"
"Tsunade, did you even bother to ask what happened?"
Tsunade shrugged at once. "Do I need to? I saw it with my own eyes—wasn't that enough?"
[Ding. Based on the host's current situation, three options are provided!]
[Option One: Choose to forgive Tsunade and accept her criticism. Reward: one battered shuriken.]
[Option Two: Choose to forgive Tsunade and let the matter slide, standing down. Reward: C-rank Ninjutsu—Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.]
[Option Three: Choose to clap back hard at Tsunade and give her a proper lesson. Reward: S-rank Ninjutsu—Strength of a Hundred Technique.]
Night Maple had already been itching to snap back.
Now the system was even teeing up a clap-back option—the timing couldn't be better.
Night Maple curled his lip. "You really are all chest and no brains."
Tsunade's eyes went wide as she stared at Night Maple.
Everyone else was just as shocked.
"Y-you—what did you say?!"
Tsunade truly hadn't expected Night Maple to insult her.
"Not enough capacity upstairs? I said you've got a big chest and no brains!"
'Seeing is believing?' If I don't support her, should I drag her along the ground back home? Are your eyes the problem, or is it your brain?"
"If you've got a low IQ, quit making a fuss, got it?"
"All brawn, no brains."
With that rapid-fire barrage, everyone was dumbstruck.
Tsunade exploded on the spot.
"You're dead!"
As she burst forward, Night Maple's figure flickered—and reappeared a hundred meters away.
He'd already set a Flying Thunder God mark there, and in an instant he warped to it.
This time it was Orochimaru and Sarutobi Hiruzen whose eyes went wide.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Jiraiya frowned. "Sensei, didn't you teach him?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.
A gleam lit Orochimaru's eyes. "If you didn't teach him, Sensei, then this one is very suspicious."
Sarutobi snorted. "Orochimaru, drop it. What's suspicious about knowing the Flying Thunder God?"
"It certainly wasn't taught by another village."
"Don't set your sights on him. It's pointless. Get some rest—you're heading out on a mission too."
Orochimaru yawned. "Understood, Sensei."
But he thought to himself, Hmph. What mission could be more interesting than Night Maple?
There will be a chance.
Night Maple set Kushina down.
"Heh."
A voice suddenly sounded behind him; a chill ran up Night Maple's back and his hairs stood on end!
"Watch out!" Jiraiya cried.
The Yin Seal on Tsunade's forehead unraveled; marks spread across her face, crisscrossed over her brow, ran vertically past her eyes, and met along her chin.
Strength of a Hundred Technique!
All the chakra released from the Yin Seal surged, her whole body blazing with golden light.
After Night Maple's string of taunts, Tsunade was truly enraged.
She suddenly appeared behind Night Maple and Kushina and snatched for Night Maple's head.
Crack!
Night Maple's head split open on the spot.
Too weak, this guy…
Just as Tsunade was about to pull back—
The next second she realized she was only gripping a block of wood.
And the Kushina at her feet went poof and turned into a log as well.
Night Maple, holding Kushina, appeared ten meters away—and beneath Tsunade's feet, a thick Wood Dragon burst skyward.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "The Wood Dragon Technique… It's been a long time. Didn't expect to see it here."
His impression of the Wood Dragon Technique ran deep.
Back during the Nine-Tails turmoil, the First Hokage had used this very jutsu: the constricting force of those great trees was immense, making even the bound Nine-Tails scream, and once ensnared, your chakra would be absorbed.
The First used it to suppress the Nine-Tails' movements. That technique had clearly left a powerful mark on Sarutobi.
Of course, this wood dragon was much smaller now.
"Die!"
Tsunade slammed a fist into the Wood Dragon's head—only to discover in shock that her chakra was being absorbed by it.
The dragon coiled and bound her up.
"Hmph. You think something like this can hold me?!"
Brimming with confidence, Tsunade erupted with even more chakra!
The Wood Dragon Technique was her grandfather Senju Hashirama's signature move.
Naturally, Tsunade knew the simplest, most brutal way to break it—overwhelm the opponent by flooding it with chakra.
You want to drain my chakra? I'll let you drink your fill!