After upgrading his Observation Haki, Leo opened a Silver Treasure Chest.
As he eEXPected, the chest contained a skill card: "Two-Sword Style: Seventy-Two Calamities!"
This was an enhanced version of the One-Sword Style: Thirty-Six Calamities!
If the Thirty-Six Calamities allowed the user to unleash thirty-six compressed blades of energy with a single strike, forming a whirlwind of sword aura—then the Two-Sword Style doubled the speed, precision, and power by combining two blades into one devastating assault!
Leo immediately used the skill card and mastered Two-Sword Style: Seventy-Two Calamities on the spot.
The night passed swiftly. By morning, Yahiko and Konan had already gotten up early and prepared breakfast.
Seeing this, Leo felt a faint warmth in his heart, though he didn't say anything.
Before setting out, he gave them a few last instructions.
Konan's calm and sensible nature reassured him.
But Yahiko's impulsive personality worried him more. "Remember," Leo said seriously, "don't eEXPose the fact that you're already a ninja. Don't use ninjutsu to show off. If you can keep that in mind, you'll be fine."
"This kind of thing definitely won't happen, sensei! Don't you know my personality by now?" Yahiko said with an awkward grin.
Leo could see, though, that the boy still harbored a trace of pride. He was still young—learning ninjutsu and becoming a ninja naturally stirred a bit of vanity.
Leo didn't press further. He donned his Rakshasa Mask, turned, and vanished swiftly into the distance.
He had no time to waste. Tsunade was in danger, and he didn't know what her condition was. Hopefully, he wouldn't arrive too late.
Even though, in the original timeline, Tsunade survived until the end of the story—meaning she would overcome this crisis—there was always the risk of the butterfly effect. His mere presence in this world might have already changed someone's fate.
That thought made him tense. He dared not relax.
Behind him, Konan watched Leo's retreating back disappear into the rain. A trace of melancholy crossed her delicate face as she let out a soft sigh.
Seeing this, Yahiko tried to comfort her. "Konan, don't worry. Teacher Leo is really strong. Nothing will happen to him. He'll finish what he has to do and come back for us."
"Mm."
Konan nodded lightly. Thinking of Leo's immense power, she felt a bit more at ease.
Indeed, even if she and Yahiko were to die, Leo probably wouldn't. What she truly needed to worry about was keeping herself alive until he returned.
Until Teacher Leo came back, they had to protect themselves—so they could see him again.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, heavy and oppressive.
In the depths of a dense forest, a large group of Iwagakure shinobi were combing through the area, headbands glinting faintly under the dim light.
But the forest was vast—more like an endless woodland than a grove. Even with several sensory-type ninja among them, locating a single target was no easy task.
"Don't let that woman escape," barked the squad leader, a brawny, dark-skinned man named Iwado, a veteran jōnin and commander of one of Iwagakure's elite pursuit teams. "Kill her, and Konoha will suffer a heavy blow!"
This elite squad consisted of Iwado, two other jōnin, one special jōnin, twelve chūnin, and the rest genin—thirty-two in total. The operation was massive.
Their sensory-type ninja spread out, scanning for the faintest trace of chakra.
One of the jōnin beside Iwado, named Ishiki, scowled in frustration. "We're an elite Iwa unit, yet we still can't take down a single Konoha jōnin. That damned blonde woman fought her way through our formation, killing and maiming as she went. Even after retreating into this forest, she's still dragging this battle out!"
The "damned blonde woman" he spoke of was, of course, Tsunade.
Originally, the Iwa-nin had temporarily allied with the Sand-nin to ambush the three disciples of the Third Hokage—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
Ordinarily, the three of them, each an elite jōnin, wouldn't have feared even the combined might of the Iwa and Suna forces.
But Hanzō of the Salamander interfered midway. Jiraiya was poisoned by Hanzō's deadly toxin, teetering on the brink of death.
With one of the trio incapacitated, their strength plummeted. Against the allied Iwa and Suna forces, they were forced to retreat.
(Of course, at this point in time, they had yet to earn the title of "Legendary Sannin." That would come only after their fateful battle with Hanzō.)
To buy time for her two comrades to escape and find an antidote for the poison, Tsunade stayed behind alone to divert the enemy's attention.
She had been on the run ever since—pursued relentlessly by Iwagakure forces.
Iwado's eyes darkened. "We'll find her. She's headed toward the border—close to Amegakure territory. If she runs that way, she's done for. Once we catch her, we'll avenge our fallen brothers!"
One of their jōnin had been killed outright by Tsunade's monstrous strength, reduced to pulp by a single punch.
Now, only three jōnin remained among their ranks, along with the rest of their forces.
Elsewhere, on the opposite edge of the forest—
Behind a thick web of vines, Tsunade crouched, panting lightly as she tried to recover her strength.
Her senses remained alert despite her fatigue. She relaxed her body, but not her mind.
Even for someone of her caliber, her appearance was in rough shape—her flak jacket was torn, and she bore multiple minor wounds. She refused to waste chakra healing them; at a time like this, every drop of energy mattered.
In this state, conserving chakra and stamina meant the difference between life and death.
Tsunade's mind raced for a way out, but her options looked grim.
Beyond the forest lay Amegakure's territory—full of Hidden Rain shinobi. Running there would be suicide.
Yet the other three directions were blocked by Iwa and Suna forces.
As for Konoha's reinforcements, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were tied down, unable to assist. Sakumo Hatake, the commander, couldn't possibly abandon his post to help her.
And the Uchiha Clan on the front lines? They'd probably be thrilled if she died.
At this point, the only ones who might still come to her rescue would be the Hyūga Clan.
She leaned back against the vines, taking a long, slow breath. In truth, she no longer held much hope. A strange calm settled over her.
What Tsunade didn't know, however, was that at the very edge of the forest, Leo was already racing toward her at full speed.
The scroll the Third Hokage had given him marked her approximate location—right here, in this forest.
If only he had a Hyūga with him, someone with the Byakugan, he could have pinpointed her exact position in an instant.
But he was on his own—and every second counted.
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