Chapter 196: The Sannin Skirmish (9)

Chapter 196: The Sannin Skirmish (9)

Basic Genjutsu theory amongst true professionals informs that a Genjutsu la

sts longer when two criteria are fulfilled. First, the weaver of Genjutsu must have better chakra control compared to the target. Second, the weaver of Genjutsu must have mental fortitude greater than the target.

Again, a mentally weak individual can pull a Genjutsu for a moment, no doubt. But the above-mentioned criteria are for the Genjutsu to last LONGER.

Being a Genjutsu specialist means that a Shinobi must excel in these two traits Chakra Control and Mental Fortitude. So, even something as 'passive' as a Genjutsu is not a coward's game. Not for a specialist, at least.

Ironically, however, Sanma found himself forming seals against the most well-known Chakra controller of the Five Nations Tsunade. As one might expect, after Iryo-Nin's accomplishment in the second war, all the other nations scrambled to instill this new layer of specialized Jutsu into their arms and with how intrusive the spies of each nation are, it did not take more than a few months for all the remaining countries to understand the ins and outs of Iryo-Nin.

And that is exactly why Tsunade is dubbed the Kunoichi with the sleekest Chakra Control. Simply put, Iryo-Ninjutsu is too hard to be trained if practiced as a secondary tool unless you are a genius, of course.

And knowing all that about his opponent, Sanma does not hope to catch Tsunade into a long-winded Genjutsu. His pride as a Shinobi will not dissolve the simple fact that Iryo-Nin demands greater control of chakra than Genjutsu. Not to mention the fact that the previous display of strength places Tsunade above the Jonin in terms of Taijutsu, too.

'Spider's Demonic Eyes!' Sanma completes the hand seals and laces Tsunade's being with his chakra before she can reach him. With the Genjutsu targeting Tsunade's vision and needing darkness as a sensory tool, she find herself facing six crimson eyes of a spider that would have paralyzed her being if not for a quick and well-timed jerk of her chakra that tears away the flimsy chakra for her opponent.

Still, she scowls and focuses harder on Sanma. There is a reason why she chose the well-known Genjutsu specialist. It is due to interrupting moments like these that can prove fatal against skilled... Kages. And Tsunade did not want to face Utsu or Kakuzu with Sanma lying around.

'Genjutsu Specialist, also known to be elite around here but compared to solid elites of Konoha, he is more of a Genjutsu Elite-only,' Tsunade recalls the information on Sanma, and the moment she lands on the ground, she craters it with another well-timed chakra impact that throttles her toward the decisively fleeing Sanma.

Seeing her speed, Sanma chews his lips ponderously but as decisive as his retreat, he uncorks the tiny flask in his vest and downs the strange greenish liquid like a diluted sap of a tree.

*Voom*

A formless surge of chakra emboldens his reserves and boosts his physical prowess to the point Tsunade's eyes widened briefly at the sensation of it.

Stopping mid-point, Sanma turns around and grasps his kunai. But showing his sheer talent in Genjutsu, he forms seals with one hand alone as chakra visibly pulsates around him in a flicker of thin blue glow!

'Demonic Release: Whimsical Charge!'

Even if Tsunade could anticipate the Genjutsu, she forms a simple seal just in time that might prove the major reason for her survival

*Poof*

A shadow clone erupts forth in front of Tsunade and accurately parries Sanma's kunai. But attacked so suddenly and with a rivaling force of a mountainous chakra bull that Sanma shouldn't possess, he cleaves through the sword and the clone as they explode in a plume of smoke.

"Hmpfgh!" He snorts, pulling back and dodging Tsunade's slash as she broke out of Genjutsu in a moment.

'His Genjutsu... is unaffected by the increase in chakra. Same intensity as before. So, whatever drug he drank increases his physical prowess and boosts his chakra reserves... hopefully temporarily!' Tsunade licks her dry lips and once again uses the same trick with chakra enhanced strike launched from her feet. She flickers away like a ghost, leaving craters in her wake.

Instead of charging straight at Sanma, something he can predict, and laying a trap of Genjutsu, she starts to volley around him as branches and trees shatter alike!

'Shit!' Sanma curses his bad luck. While strength fills his veins, he knows his limits intimately and with Tsunade surrounding him at a speed he cannot easily make out, he has fallen into a passive position.

'But she still needs a moment of respite to attack. This kind of speed must hamper her accuracy,' Sanma's eyes glow in realization, and he tosses the kunai in the air before forming a few seals. An Earth-Release Jutsu and a rare one at that, something he 'liberated' from the Iwa Slave 'Professionals' in the last war.

'Earth Release: Disruption Wave!'

A massive load of chakra alongside his palms slams into the ground before he catches his kunai. From Sanma as the center, the ground visibly rises like a giant, volatile tide that uproots the trees around him and then dips only to rise like a raging wave once again!

The wave of destruction is limited to a few meters but it should clear all the spots where Tsunade can keep flying around

*Tchck*

Sanma's breath hitches as he feels an... impact. He can see Tsunade landing far from him but her sword is already sheathed and her hands are pressed together into a completed seal.

The trio knows that things have escalated too much to back off peacefully. Tsunade DID have a chance to back off, but she would rather try and hold these two off if not outright kill them to get their bounties. The main structure of their mission is to weaken Takigakure. Nothing suggests weakness as much as the passing of a Kage.

And while a more sensible counterpart of hers would argue that this may quicken the arrival of war... Tsunade's 'short-lived' experience digresses that passive thinking. The death of a Kage is a real turning point for any village. Instead of feeling demoralized, a village is lit with a sense of responsibility! After all... the other option would likely mean death at the hands of invaders.

'Su isn't here... and Hisen, too. Two of Taki's elite guards are dead. Utsu willingly came here and something tells me he does not intend to... return. So, either Su is sent to target Jiraiya and Orochimaru or Hisen has joined on that task, too. But if Utsu is the least bit competent, one of his guards must be stationed in the village, and if Hisen is sent to intercept Orochi and Jiraiya, he would be long dead already...'

'Meaning, that Orochimaru and Jiraiya are intercepted by Su and Hisen is in Taki. If Utsu dies here... even if we don't injure the Jinchuriki, our mission will be considered altered but successful nonetheless, and killing a Kage... will give me enough credit to finally have a similar standing to Sensei when it comes to 'accomplishments.' Sensei is a Kage and I killed one same thing. And then... I can gamble all around without having any issues from the administration,' Tsunade's amber eyes flicker balefully.

Her reasons for targetting Su may be less than exemplary but she would do so nonetheless.

She still remembers her date with Kai. She still recollects their rest upon the Kage Mountain... and she still feels butterflies in her stomach remembering his other 'dream' aside from his quest for a harem. A side-quest, to be precise. And what a dream that really is...

'But... even him pulling THAT off is... questionable. Grandfather should have never distributed Bijuus for chump change. He... shouldn't have ever bet on the future. Hoping that the future will turn out to be better...'

Tsunade eyes Utsu and keeps a check on Kakuzu, too, as her grip around her tanto tightens, 'It's the same as betting on my luck which only seems to work whenever I have Kai.'

After all, this mission of Sannin is only taken up by all three because... she bet on her student's team and lost. And that is also why she isn't really keen on seeing Kai give his other dream a serious try.

Since Kai, too, is one of her students and his team lost. But now is not the time to fall into the abyss of doubts and a Shinobi's 'usual' paranoia. The threat of death always lingers around them. But that fails to stop any of them.

Kakuzu lurches both of his hands out and targets Tsunade and Utsu while the latter two fall into motion.

Tsunade forms two clones Earth And Water, while Utsu's summon spits out multiple highly dense and pressurized water bullets at Tsunade! On the other hand, Utsu downs contents from a familiar flask that causes his short greying hair to vibrate with formless but visible chakra as he slaps his palm together to create a pure burst of chakra around his summon and deflect Kakuzu's attack.

The three shinobi tackle each other.

And in the wake of this battle, a pair of yellow eyes silently observe their match.

'Tsunade Senju... known to be 'close' to an elite like the rest of the Sannin but like them, she, too, is Kage level. And... Mokuton, huh? As if that wasn't enough to be Hashirama's granddaughter, she also possesses Senjutsu... like the other two. I can understand why that Old Coot did not want any of us snooping on Senju Compound after sensing those seals... Sages can sense us. But that's never the reason to not snoop. I merely need to time my escape and return appropriately and unlike my brothers, I am 'created' for this very task itself.'

The pair of eyes then shift toward Utsu and Kakuzu.

'Utsu is a weak host. He relies on this Hero Water but in contrast, the Summons bred in Takigakure is more interesting. They can emulate Kekkei Genkai of sorts. But that Kakuzu... HE will be interested in this man. First Sakumo then that dreg from Kaguya Clan and even those FREAKS of nature...' the memory of the 'freaks' still makes the mysterious being vibrate in his being with fear and discomfort, 'As the five nations continue to find conflict with each other... we will thrive soon enough...'

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Alternate Title: Always Bet on Kai; The Mysteries of the World; Freaks?; Mistakes of Past Overshadows the Future; Biju Sale! Others: Best I can do is Chump-Change! Hashirama: Sold!

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A/N: I may be clowning on Hashirama but he is still one of the Fictional characters I respect the most. My man had the heart to kill Madara who threatened the peace and if Hashirama lived, there would have been no war. So, from others' perspectives, sharing biju is a mistake. But from Hashirama, it may just be delegation to not hear the beasts curse him day and night.

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