Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

Ibuse's head caved under Tsunade's devastating kick, interrupting the gathering of the poisonous mist. Writhing in pain, Ibuse didn't need Hanzō's command; he instinctively twisted his body and swung his massive tail at Tsunade.

"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya spat a torrent of oil, which ignited with Gamabunta's flames, creating a fiery inferno that engulfed Ibuse and Hanzō. Forced to abandon his attack on Tsunade, Ibuse sprang away from the burning spot, narrowly avoiding being incinerated.

The flames roared fiercely where he had stood, leaving scorch marks on the battlefield.

Orochimaru and Manda pressed the attack. As Ibuse landed unsteadily, Manda's tail lashed out, striking him with immense force. Meanwhile, Orochimaru clashed with Hanzō again, their weapons sparking in the air before both retreated a few meters.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had gained the upper hand in the opening exchange. The three of them formed a triangle, trapping Ibuse in the center.

"Excellent teamwork," Hanzō remarked sincerely, his tone tinged with admiration. "Hiruzen Sarutobi is lucky to have such capable disciples. I'd be overjoyed to have even one like you."

"We don't need your compliments!" Tsunade snapped, her irritation boiling over.

With a growl, she slammed her fist into the ground, creating fissures that tore toward Ibuse.

"You can't beat me with brute strength alone," Hanzō retorted, leaping off Ibuse and charging directly at Tsunade.

"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

Jiraiya vaulted off Gamabunta to intercept Hanzō, aiming to stall his advance. Orochimaru seized the opening, drawing a blade seemingly out of nowhere, and lunged at Hanzō.

Tsunade, however, refused to back down. With a shout, she surged forward, her fist aiming straight for Hanzō's face.

Hanzō evaded Jiraiya and Orochimaru's attacks with the Water Body Flicker Technique. His Kusarigama lashed out, the blade slicing toward Tsunade with lethal precision.

"Kenjutsu: Iaidō!" Hanzō's voice was icy and detached, his intent clear—he was targeting Tsunade to eliminate her first.

Tsunade swung her fist but didn't retreat, barely avoiding a fatal blow. The kusarigama tore a deep gash across her waist, but her punch connected with Hanzō's shoulder, sending him flying.

Meanwhile, the three summoned beasts were locked in a chaotic melee.

Gamabunta's short sword carved into Ibuse, leaving shallow gashes, but the damage wasn't enough to slow the salamander. Manda struggled to match Ibuse's sheer size and power, suffering injuries from the salamander's brutal headbutts in their head-on clashes.

"Gamabunta, you need to slash harder!"

Manda, despite his arrogance, couldn't help but demand more effort from Gamabunta as he was steadily losing ground.

"Cut the crap, I am slashing!" Gamabunta retorted, leaping high into the air. He brought his short knife down in a powerful slash aimed at Ibuse's head.

But Ibuse didn't resist. The giant salamander burrowed into the ground, vanishing momentarily before reemerging to send Manda flying with a sudden strike.

It was the same outcome as their last encounter.

"I'll be back," Manda hissed before vanishing in a cloud of smoke, leaving Gamabunta to face Ibuse alone.

Hanzō flexed his shoulders, showing no sign of concern despite his minor injuries.

"Impressive strength," he said. "If I'm not mistaken, you're from the Senju Clan."

"Unfortunately, the legendary Wood Release of Hashirama Senju has been lost."

"Do I really need my grandfather's Wood Release to deal with you?" Tsunade shot back, her irritation flaring. The slow progress in researching her grandfather's cells weighed heavily on her mind, compounding her frustration.

Why hasn't Kawakaze arrived yet?

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Both Orochimaru and Jiraiya summoned shadow clones, doubling their numbers to overwhelm Hanzō. Eight figures charged forward, encircling him with the original bodies hidden among them.

Hanzō momentarily lost track of the real ones as Tsunade leapt high into the air.

"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"

Hanzō didn't flinch. Standing firm, he formed a hand seal, showing no fear even when outnumbered nine to one.

"Water Release: Rain Mist Technique."

Thick fog rapidly condensed around Hanzō, spreading outward and blanketing the battlefield in dense mist.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru suddenly lost sight of their target. When Tsunade landed her devastating kick, the ground crumbled beneath her, but her attack struck only shadow clones.

Four distinct "pang" sounds echoed as Jiraiya and Orochimaru's clones were destroyed in the impact.

"Now it's my turn," Hanzō's voice echoed ominously from all directions, sending chills through his opponents.

They were unable to pinpoint his location.

Moments later, the sound of rushing air broke the tension.

Bang!

Another shadow clone was eliminated.

"Not the real one," Jiraiya muttered grimly.

"Then I'll kill you one by one," Hanzō's voice whispered, cold and menacing, as though spoken by death itself.

"Use Wind Release!" Orochimaru barked, his voice sharp with urgency. In the dense fog, they were like blind men, utterly exposed.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Orochimaru and Jiraiya, along with one of their clones, exhaled powerful gusts of wind, pushing back the thick mist. Slowly, the fog began to dissipate, revealing blurred silhouettes in the distance.

But Hanzō wasn't going to wait idly for his enemies to regain their footing. His kusarigama gleamed in the haze, poised to strike.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya rolled away to avoid it, and the final clone fell to Hanzō's sword.

When their vision cleared, the three realized that Gamabunta had vanished, while Hanzō now stood atop Ibuse. His true intent had been to help Ibuse deal with Gamabunta.

The situation was becoming increasingly dire for them. Most of their chakra was depleted, and fatigue was evident on their faces. In stark contrast, Hanzō, apart from a minor injury on his shoulder, showed no signs of exhaustion.

"You're persistent, but this ends now."

"Poison Mist."

Hanzō assessed their weakened state, confident the poisonous mist would end the battle. Ibuse had gathered enough poison, and with a single exhalation, a thick purple mist surged toward Tsunade and the others.

The mist covered such a large area that escaping without spatial Ninjutsu seemed nearly impossible. Moreover, Tsunade and her companions weren't ninjas known for their speed.

"Hold your breath and run."

Tsunade handed each of them an advanced antidote pill before sprinting away. Holding their breath and using antidotes were only temporary measures. Remaining in the mist meant certain death.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya quickly swallowed the pills and followed Tsunade, racing to escape the poisonous cloud.

But Hanzō wasn't about to let them go so easily. A faint smile crossed his face.

During the time he performed the fog concealment, he had set a trap.

"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation."

Tsunade suddenly felt something latch onto her right foot. Glancing down, her face turned pale as she saw multiple Explosive Tags. Her mind went blank, and a single image surfaced—Kawakaze.

He had once told her, "If you're ever in danger, stay behind me."

But Kawakaze, where are you now? Why haven't you come yet?

"Tsunade!"

Jiraiya noticed the Explosive Tags and immediately shouted, forming hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"

His long white hair extended, aiming to wrap around Tsunade and shield her from the blast.

Orochimaru also hurled a kunai, attempting to stop Hanzō from detonating the tags, but such a basic tactic was beneath him.

"Tsunade, I'm here!"

Kawakaze rushed toward them, following the path Tsunade and the others had taken. Sensing the Flying Thunder God Technique mark, he appeared beside Tsunade just as the Explosive Tags came into view.

It was just like in the original story, and though Kawakaze knew Jiraiya's defense would keep Tsunade from serious harm, he couldn't stop himself. Activating his Space-Time Jutsu, he intercepted the blast just as Hanzō uttered Explode.

The massive detonation shook the area, and Jiraiya's white hair hadn't yet wrapped around Tsunade.

"Kawakaze!" Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru called out together, their voices tinged with relief. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

"You rest now—I'll take it from here."

Kawakaze stood with his sword in hand, his back to Tsunade and the others, finally facing the real Hanzō of the Salamander.