Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 359: Clash

"It looks like both of their ninjas have Kekkei Genkai."

"Kekkei Genkai? No, those are secret techniques."

"Come on, are we still standing here chatting?"

"Wait, if Lady Tsunade moves, this whole place might collapse."

Some of the onlookers began to grasp the danger. Realizing the precariousness of the situation, they started fleeing the Dream Pavilion. Those who remained exchanged nervous glances before following suit, leaving only the two battling sides inside.

After another flurry of exchanges, the once-crowded pavilion was completely emptied except for Yahiko, Kakuzu, Konan, Minato, and Nawaki.

"You've got some skills. Looks like I'll have to take you seriously," Minato said as he sized up Kakuzu. Reaching into his ninja gear pouch, he pulled out a special kunai.

He knew he'd have to use his strongest technique. Otherwise, his hesitation might raise suspicion. Even though the onlookers had evacuated, they hadn't gone far. Eyes still lingered, watching from a distance.

"Go ahead and attack," Kakuzu said flatly. He had no desire to fight, but Nagato had left him no choice. Knowing he couldn't win against Minato, there was no point in holding back.

"The ultimate teleportation technique—Flying Thunder God—is in play!"

Minato disappeared in an instant, reappearing with blinding speed.

"He's so fast! I couldn't even see a shadow," someone muttered among the crowd of distant onlookers.

The Flying Thunder God Technique, used often by Kawakaze and Sakumo during the Second Shinobi World War, had become well-known throughout the Ninja World.

However, it didn't make a major impact. Knowing about an opponent's techniques and being able to counter them were entirely different matters.

Minato held back slightly—this wasn't a life-or-death battle, after all—while Kakuzu engaged him in a back-and-forth struggle. Kakuzu, wary of destroying the building, refrained from using large-scale ninjutsu and found himself at a disadvantage.

On the other side, Nawaki relied purely on Taijutsu, using significant strength to keep Konan occupied. With the assistance of the Light-Weight Rock Technique, Konan couldn't shake him off. The confined space made it impossible for her to prepare larger-scale ninjutsu, forcing her into a Taijutsu exchange.

"Nawaki is being quite considerate," remarked one of the onlookers.

To them, this seemed like little more than a way for Nawaki to blow off some steam, though they understood his restraint. After all, Konan wasn't bad-looking, with the charm of a girl-next-door blossoming into a young woman.

"Let's see if you've been slacking over the past year," Nawaki said silently with a grin, his hands forming words in sign language.

"I haven't," Konan mouthed in response, though no sound escaped her lips. She was entirely on the defensive, struggling to keep up with Nawaki's relentless attacks.

"Your two subordinates are quite strong," Tsunade remarked, her calm voice carrying authority. "But they're no match for me."

Tsunade advanced slowly. Even though this was all for show, her sheer presence bore down heavily on Yahiko.

"We'll see if they're a match for you when this fight is over," Yahiko replied, maintaining composure. He knew full well that if Minato and Nawaki hadn't held back, Kakuzu and Konan wouldn't have lasted long. For now, though, he had no choice but to act as though unaware.

"The decorations here are quite nice," Tsunade commented, glancing around the Dream Pavilion. "It would be a shame to destroy them."

She gave a small smirk. "Tell you what—if you lose, I won't kill you. Instead, I'll generously accept this gambling house as your life insurance. What do you think?"

The crowd murmured.

"The Hokage is really greedy."

"This is just banditry."

"Konoha is too strong—what can they even do?"

Yahiko snorted, his expression unwavering. "You can talk when you're strong enough to win." Despite the tension, he found solace in the fact that Sensei's wife had no intention of actually wrecking the place.

"Then I'll take that as a yes," Tsunade said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Turning to Minato and Nawaki, she instructed, "Fight from a distance. Don't damage my property."

Acknowledging her command, Minato and Nawaki ramped up their attacks. Their combined efforts forced Kakuzu and Konan out of the pavilion.

"They're coming out, they're coming out!"

The onlookers shouted in surprise as Minato and Nawaki, along with Kakuzu and Konan, emerged from the Dream Fulfillment Pavilion.

This Hokage really has no shame. Lord Akatsukikage hadn't agreed to anything, yet Tsunade was already acting like the pavilion was her own property.

What they didn't realize was that, for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been hers. If Tsunade truly wanted it, would Yahiko and the others even hesitate to hand it over?

Once outside, Kakuzu and Konan began retreating as they fought, gradually drawing the battle towards a more remote area of the Land of Rain. Konan, finally free of the pavilion's confined space, spread her wings and soared high into the air, attempting to distance herself from Nawaki.

But Nawaki wasn't about to let her go so easily. In full view of the crowd, he also took to the skies, closely pursuing her.

"Is that the Tsuchikage's technique from Iwagakure?" an onlooker asked one of the Iwa ninjas nearby.

The Iwa ninja scowled. "It was misappropriated by Kawakaze Hatake."

His tone was sour—this was a secret technique of Iwagakure, one that only their Tsuchikage was supposed to wield. Yet somehow, Konoha had managed to acquire it as well.

"Konoha is really used to being a bandit," someone else muttered, a mix of frustration and envy in their voice. Even the Dream Pavilion was a prize beyond reach for them, its ownership practically untouchable.

As some onlookers trailed after Minato and Nawaki to watch the airborne battle, others remained behind, eager for what was shaping up to be the main event.

"Lord Yahiko, I humbly request the chance to fight," Nagato said, stepping forward. "If I am no match for her, you can intervene."

He understood that for Yahiko to achieve anything resembling a credible victory over Tsunade, she would need to hold back significantly. Even then, the ruse would be obvious to anyone with enough insight.

"Are you sure? I can take care of it instead," Yahiko replied, feigning hesitation.

"The little guy doesn't know his place, and you think you can take me on?" Tsunade's expression turned cold, her disdain unmistakable. To an outsider, her reaction seemed completely justified.

"Who's that Akatsuki ninja daring to challenge the Hokage?" an onlooker asked.

"Looks like an elder of Akatsukigakure," someone else guessed.

"He doesn't look like much," another chimed in, unimpressed by Nagato's unassuming appearance. His lack of notoriety and unremarkable stature led many to dismiss him as insignificant.

"Lady Hokage, are you afraid?" Nagato asked, his voice calm but taunting as he walked forward.

"Hahaha, afraid? Me?" Tsunade laughed. "Taking you down will be the same as taking him down," she declared, pointing first at Nagato and then at Yahiko.

"Then, Lady Hokage, let's take this fight outside," Nagato replied. He tapped his toes lightly against the ground and began to rise, his body seemingly weightless as he floated backwards toward the door.

"Banshō Ten'in."

As Nagato flew backwards, he extended his right hand toward Tsunade, unleashing a powerful gravitational pull. The force dragged both him and Tsunade out of the building together.