Chapter 142: Tsunade, Physically and Mentally Traumatized
Pfft!
Tobirama and Hiruzen, like a pair of water cannons, unleashed a torrent of water attacks on Tsunade.
But Tsunade stood firm, not letting out a single scream.
Any sound would have been drowned instantly by the rushing water, making it impossible to speak.
Even though Impure World Reincarnation bodies naturally have "unlimited chakra" they still need recovery time.
With two of them working together, the Second and Third Hokage coordinated perfectly: while one waited for recovery, the other continued the assault.
Finally, Hashirama could no longer watch.
"Tobirama, monkey, that's enough. Little Tsunade has surely woken up by now."
"No… maybe Tsunade-sama fainted from it," Shizune whispered, shivering nearby.
Hashirama, true to his reputation as the one who spoiled Tsunade, causing her gambling addiction, didn't even wait for the attack to end. He clasped his hands together, activating the 'Wood Expulsion Technique', closing the door.
The structure was so solid that even Uchiha Madara's Susanoo armor couldn't break it, not to mention mere Water Dragon Bullets.
The two attackers had no choice but to stop.
"Monkey, take care of Little Tsunade. She's soaked from head to toe, she can't show up as Hokage looking like that."
Hashirama patted Hiruzen's shoulder.
Ah, there was a follow-up.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
The only Hokage skilled in Fire Release began roasting the wooden cradle from the outside.
A roast chicken segment? Really?
The fire dragon heated the interior, drying Tsunade's clothes. Whether the cradle was insulated or not, no one knew. Perhaps Hashirama had deliberately left a small opening.
After a while of being "baked" Hiruzen stopped.
To an outsider, it would have looked like leaving a stove on to simmer food.
The Wood Expulsion Technique slowly opened.
Tsunade, holding onto the door for support, emerged exhausted and sorrowful.
She was, of course, fully awake, had to be.
Not waking up now would feel like she'd never wake up again.
Black veins crawled across her forehead and spread over her body.
Clearly, she had activated the 'Strength of a Hundred Seal' technique.
Whether she also used Creation Rebirth to heal was unknown, but even if she hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered.
In the original series, even a giant barrage from 'Heavenly Transfer Technique' could be shrugged off by her regeneration.
Basically, unless she was one-shot or drained completely, killing her was near impossible.
'Heavenly Transfer Technique' deals -10/-10/-10 per strike. Raikage's defense is 10, exactly canceling it out.
Creation Rebirth regenerates +10/+10/+10 per second. Damage instantly heals.
From the outside, this looked no different from Shiromo's Crazy Diamond.
Well, there was one difference: cellular division has a limit, this is where that concept comes from.
No one knew if Hashirama cells had a limit, but Tsunade knew her own.
So that entire onslaught? It might have just burned a slice of her natural lifespan.
"I can't believe that bastard Orochimaru dared to control you to attack Konoha… even the Third Hokage…"
Tsunade wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, clenching her fists, her face heavy with thought.
Good thing Impure World Reincarnation bodies don't bleed…
Wait…
What did she just wipe off?
Instinctively, she looked down at her fist, and immediately her legs gave out, collapsing to the ground.
Strength of a Hundred Seal deactivated automatically.
Hashirama: '…'
Tobirama: '…'
Hiruzen: '…'
The three were speechless.
They had been preparing explanations for their fierce attitude towards Tsunade to calm her down.
They needed to be restrained even if they fought because this was Konoha.
But they didn't expect Tsunade to collapse first.
"Tsunade, we're not enemies. We're not under Orochimaru's control."
"And… he isn't an enemy right now either."
After Shizune helped her inside, Hiruzen spoke first.
"I didn't expect Orochimaru could even manipulate your will…"
"Tsunade! How long are you going to persist in your delusions? Are you going to wait until everyone in Konoha is dead?!"
Tobirama slammed his hand on the floor, standing upright.
He'd been furious when he heard Tsunade suspected Shiromo, leading to Hiruzen's death.
And now she was doing this again.
"Tobirama, calm down," Hashirama said, pulling him down and sighing. "Monkey, you need to explain things clearly to Little Tsunade. If you don't, she'll keep stubbornly refusing to think properly."
Hashirama saw that Tsunade wasn't truly suspicious of Orochimaru's control.
She had simply given up thinking because of past events, adopting a 'damn it, nothing matters' attitude.
Sometimes, a strong shock is the only way to break such illusions.
"Alright," Hiruzen sighed. "Tsunade, do you know who killed me?"
"Oh? Who?"
Feigning indifference, Tsunade picked up the hot tea Shizune had poured and took a sip.
But her tightly gripped hand betrayed her anxiety.
"Boruto."
"Impossible!"
Tsunade's eyes widened: "Boruto's just a child. How could he have the strength and courage to kill a Hokage?"
"The Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki possessed Boruto. Using the power of the Ōtsutsuki, he struck from behind, killing me instantly."
Hiruzen closed his eyes: "Based on Asuma's death, even without a sneak attack, I wouldn't have survived, maybe a few rounds at most."
"So it was the Ōtsutsuki… no wonder. Wait… Asuma was killed by Boruto too?! Then Jiraiya…"
Tsunade realized something.
Jiraiya had taken Naruto and Boruto out of the village to find Asuma on that mission.
At the time, she had been in her drunken stupor, not thinking.
When the news of Asuma's death came, she merely drank a bit more, Shizune handled everything.
Could it be…
"Jiraiya got lucky. The future Uchiha Sasuke appeared in time, helping stop Boruto's continued assassination…"
"Wait, wasn't it the Ōtsutsuki's doing? Why are you crediting Boruto?"
Tsunade frowned.
"Didn't I make myself clear?"
"The plan to kill me and Asuma was Boruto's."
"He wasn't controlled by the Ōtsutsuki, he was cooperating with them!"
"W-What!?"
Tsunade felt struck by lightning. Who had she doubted? Who had she trusted?
"Not only me and Asuma, but if Sasuke hadn't intervened, countless others would have died by his hand."
"At least the likes of Shikaku and the others were doomed to die."
Hiruzen continued, inflicting additional mental blows on Tsunade.
(End of this chapter)