After breakfast, Tsunade had originally intended to take her leave. Orochimaru and Jiraiya had recently completed a mission and were resting, providing a good opportunity to have a drink with them and vent some of her frustration. She didn't expect her grandmother to arrange a contest of strength between her younger brother and the new Uzumaki boy. This piqued her interest.
No one understood her younger brother better than she did. Although he wasn't exceptional in other areas, his physical talent was undeniable. At the same age, even she couldn't quite match him. She looked at Kyuushin with a probing gaze, this child who was clearly a few years younger than her brother. She knew her grandmother's wisdom; she wouldn't do something without reason. By having this child compete, she must have had strong confidence in him. But could he really defeat Nawaki in a test of pure strength?
Seeing that both had taken their positions, she assumed the role of referee.
"Begin!"
Almost as soon as her words fell, veins popped on both their necks simultaneously. Their hands, however, remained locked at the centerline. In that first instant, they had reached a stalemate.
Nawaki was stunned. He had already used eighty percent of his strength, a level that almost no one at school could match. He never expected to meet his match in an opponent several years his junior. Composing himself, he took a deep breath and unleashed his full power. His eyes bulged, and his expression grew fierce.
In contrast, Kyuushin appeared unfazed. Despite Nawaki's increased effort, he maintained the stalemate, his expression largely unchanged. His physique had been greatly enhanced by two activations of the genetic lock, fully developing his potential and making him several times stronger than before. Although Nawaki was two or three years older, he had not yet entered the rapid growth phase of development, so there was no insurmountable gap between them.
In reality, Kyuushin's strength was only on par with Nawaki's. In this situation, whoever attacked first would be at a disadvantage. Seeing Kyuushin's calm expression, Nawaki subconsciously assumed his opponent was not yet at his limit, compelling him to exert more and more power. But brute force cannot be sustained forever.
When Kyuushin noticed Nawaki's bursts of strength weakening, he knew his chance had come. With a loud shout, during a lull in Nawaki's effort, he used all his might and slammed Nawaki's hand down.
Nawaki noticed the shift, but it was too late to rally his strength.
With a loud "bang," Nawaki's hand hit the table. The victor was decided.
"Ah!" Nawaki exclaimed, annoyed. "I lost." Despite his frustration, he had to admit defeat.
"Good, good, good," Mito nodded with satisfaction. "You have always relied on your physique, being invincible among your peers. But you must know there are always stronger people, and those with greater talent than you exist. You can suppress others with your body now, but later, when others learn ninjutsu and have more techniques, your proud physical prowess will be nothing more than a target. To continue to dominate, you must learn more and faster than them while maintaining your physical advantage. Do you understand?"
Her grandson typically focused only on physical training, neglecting his other studies. She had told him this many times, but her words went in one ear and out the other. Losing to Kyuushin in a contest of pure strength would be a profound lesson.
She then looked at Kyuushin. "Well done. Here is the ninjutsu scroll I promised you." She took out a scroll and handed it to him, clearly having prepared it in advance.
Kyuushin took it and unrolled it curiously. It was the B-rank ninjutsu, the **Shadow Clone Technique** (*Kage Bunshin no Jutsu*). He was surprised; he had expected a D-rank or, at most, a C-rank jutsu. This was a pleasant surprise.[6]
"This jutsu is quite suitable for the Uzumaki clan, but it also has its taboos. Everything is written on the scroll, and I believe you can use it well," Mito said, seeing his confusion. This technique was known to be dangerous for those with low chakra reserves because it evenly divides the user's chakra among the clones.[2][5]
Kyuushin nodded. He understood the pros and cons of the jutsu and would use it cautiously. Kushina, standing nearby, looked at him enviously and asked Mito, "Can I learn it too?" Mito nodded in affirmation.
Tsunade, seeing the contest was over, intended to slip away.
"Prepare yourself. For the next few months, I will teach you a jutsu. You are not allowed to leave until you learn it," Mito said directly, her eyes fixed on Tsunade, who was about to sneak out the door.
Tsunade's steps paused. Though she didn't know what the jutsu was, being cooped up for several months would likely drive her crazy. "I still have a few missions accumulated. How about I complete them first?" she offered as an excuse.
"You can just tell the Third Hokage to push them back. Tell him I said so."
"Alright," Tsunade said weakly.
"Let's start tomorrow. Today, you can take them out for a stroll."
"Got it!" Her vigor suddenly returned.
***
**Hokage's Office**
Only the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the two advisors, Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane, were in the office. The atmosphere was heavy.
"Tell me, how should this matter be handled?" the Third Hokage asked, spreading a mission scroll on his desk.
After a long pause, Koharu was the first to speak. "We must act. The Uzumaki clan is not only a generational ally, but Lady Mito is aware of this situation. If we stand by, Konoha will not only lose an ally, but we also cannot bear Lady Mito's wrath."
Danzo, sitting nearby, suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her with a somewhat sinister gaze. "The problem is how to act. Hatake Sakumo's report stated that the situation in the Land of Whirlpools is complex, with all four other great nations involved. If not handled properly, it could lead to war with all four simultaneously."
"That's true," Homura said. "Relations between the nations are tense, and war could break out at any time. The enemy's objective is unclear, and we don't know if they truly intend to attack. With us in the open and them in the dark, Konoha cannot directly deploy troops."
"Cough, cough." The Third Hokage took a few puffs from his pipe. "Does Konoha still have troops that can be mobilized?" He looked at Danzo.
Danzo shook his head. "Although many ninja have graduated in the past decade, the Land of Fire's borders are long, and our forces are already stretched thin. If we withdraw troops from the border, the situation will become even more dangerous. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Koharu asked urgently.
Danzo glanced at her, then turned to the Third Hokage. "The power of the various ninja clans is not weak. If we can gather them, it would be a considerable force. I surmise that even if the other four nations want to deal with the Land of Whirlpools, they are unlikely to bring a large army. Large forces are inconvenient and easily detected. This will likely be a surprise attack. Therefore, if we also have an elite, mobile squad and strike suddenly during their attack, the crisis can be resolved."
"Hiruzen, what do you think?"