Tōshirō found a large rock to serve as the arena for their arm-wrestling match.
Tōshirō and Tsunade stood on opposite sides of the rock, one on the left, one on the right. They each bent over, placing their elbows on the stone surface and locking hands.
Feeling the soft, boneless touch of her fingers, he couldn't help but give a gentle squeeze.
Before the match began, Jiraiya asked Orochimaru, who was standing nearby, "Who do you think will win?"
Orochimaru didn't hesitate much before answering, "Tōshirō."
Jiraiya frowned. "Aren't you trusting Tōshirō a little too blindly?"
When it came to raw strength, Jiraiya had never seen anyone able to beat Tsunade head-on. Plus, Tōshirō's kekkei genkai had only just been developed—how could he possibly outmatch Tsunade's strength?
"No," Orochimaru replied, "what I trust is Tsunade."
"???"
"Tsunade never wins bets. I think that iron rule applies even when she is the bet."
Tsunade overheard and instantly became annoyed. "Hey!" she shouted.
Tōshirō held back a laugh.
Tsunade shot him a fierce glare.
Tōshirō zipped his mouth shut and said nothing.
Tsunade snorted to herself, determined to win this time and wash away the shame of her past defeats.
Once the atmosphere was properly charged, Jiraiya asked if they were both ready.
In unison, Tōshirō and Tsunade replied that they were.
Jiraiya raised his arm theatrically, mimicking a referee's dramatic cadence: "On your marks~ Get set~"
Both Tsunade and Tōshirō focused, channeling their chakra.
Jiraiya dropped his hand and shouted enthusiastically, "Go!"
Tōshirō and Tsunade both exploded with powerful chakra that clashed violently. The rock supporting their elbows began to crack under the strain.
Tōshirō, surrounded by steaming vapor, poured on the pressure—his explosive power surged dramatically.
Yet even so, the woman across from him remained steady as a mountain, unmoved.
"Hmph, not bad at all. That kekkei genkai of yours," Tsunade said, her tone laced with sincere praise—not exaggerated, but genuine.
But the real meaning behind her words was the opposite.
One side was Tōshirō giving it his all, while the other was Tsunade handling things effortlessly—even with time to compliment him mid-match.
That alone made it abundantly clear: in terms of raw power, Tsunade completely overpowered Tōshirō.
So strong...
His arm was slowly being pushed down by Tsunade, and it was clear he was on the verge of losing.
Tōshirō realized that if things continued like this, defeat was inevitable.
In the midst of this intense standoff, a sudden idea sparked in his mind. Gritting his teeth, he forced out a sentence through clenched jaws:
"Tsunade."
"What? Trying to make me go easy on you? Hmph, even if you try that—"
"I love you."
The abrupt confession threw Tsunade off balance emotionally. A blush instantly spread across her cheeks, and her grip on Tōshirō's hand unconsciously loosened.
Now's the moment—Tōshirō's eyes locked onto the brief opening. He immediately launched his counterattack, his arm erupting with steam like a geyser.
Boil Release: Unmatched Monster Strength.
Without regard for sportsmanship, Tōshirō exploded with sudden force. Tsunade, caught off guard, was flung upward—both her hand and her body flying through the air. Her figure flipped upside down as the rock finally gave out under the stress, shattering into fragments and kicking up a cloud of dust and wind that completely obscured the scene.
As the dust settled, the two spectators saw a clear image: Tōshirō's arm had completely forced Tsunade's hand down—victory was his.
Jiraiya's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "No way—Tōshirō's kekkei genkai actually overpowered Tsunade's monstrous strength?!"
Orochimaru narrowed his golden eyes and disagreed. "No… Tōshirō didn't actually beat Tsunade in raw strength."
Jiraiya looked confused.
Orochimaru pointed it out. "Tōshirō said something… which distracted Tsunade and caused her to let her guard down."
A distraction?
Now that he thought about it, that did seem to be the case. Jiraiya reviewed the moment in his head—and his whole expression turned gloomy.
Show affection, my ass.
They're even turning arm wrestling into a public display of affection.
"You're just taking advantage of the fact that I like you, huh?" Tsunade glared at him slightly, pretending to scold him in a coy tone.
Jiraiya: ...
Seriously, how the hell is that something people say out loud?
Damn it—could these two at least act like normal humans? Spare a thought for his still-single, long-suffering self!
The more they hated each other back then, the more lovey-dovey they are now.
And the most direct change? Before, they'd argue whenever they had nothing to do. Now, they show off their relationship whenever there's a free moment.
Every time he had to listen to these two lovebirds flirt, it was worse than being stabbed in the heart.
He was so done with their sugar-coated nonsense—his metaphorical teeth were already rotting from it.
Just thinking about it made Jiraiya clutch his chest in despair, eyes misting over dramatically like he was about to off himself.
He couldn't take it anymore—he'd been betrayed by Tōshirō and Tsunade, those shameless lovebirds.
Damn it! Making bad friends was the biggest mistake of his life!
Just as he was about to let loose with a full-on rant, he caught sight of Orochimaru out of the corner of his eye—and his mood instantly brightened.
Orochimaru, though he liked to act cool and lecture people, at least was still single. Compared to that traitor Tōshirō, Orochimaru now looked like a shining beacon of humanity—noble and dignified.
He hadn't made a mistake in befriending this one! Orochimaru didn't act aloof because he wanted to—he was just bad with words!
The more Jiraiya thought about it, the more adorable Orochimaru seemed. He walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said with heartfelt sincerity, "Orochimaru, you're still the best."
Orochimaru: ???
Tōshirō, knowing he was at fault, scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry. Tsunade, your strength is just too much. If I didn't use that trick, there's no way I could've beaten you."
He apologized while flattering her at the same time.
"Hmph, just because you said that doesn't mean I'll forgive you so easily." Tsunade pouted, clearly already mostly over it.
Tōshirō put his hands together in a pleading gesture, all apologies. "Then how about a rematch?"
Tsunade blinked. "A rematch?"
Tōshirō grinned. "Yeah. You can use the same tactic I did. That way, we'll be even."
Tsunade thought for a moment, her pale cheeks tinged with pink. She gave him a playful glare. "In your dreams."
"..." Jiraiya's arms hung limp at his sides, eyes hollow, as he shuffled away like a ghost.
Orochimaru noticed something off. "What's wrong with you?"
Jiraiya didn't respond. He drifted over to a patch of ground where a branch lay, squatted down, picked it up, and started drawing something in the dirt while muttering bitterly: "I'm drawing a circle to curse you both."
During the banquet…
Tsunade picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, her voice gentle and bubbly: "Here, say aaah~~"
Tōshirō opened his mouth wide like a baby bird in a nest, eagerly swallowing the translucent piece of fish. "Ahh, mm… thanks… omnom."
"Is it good?"
"It's delicious. Anything you give me tastes amazing."
"Hehe, then eat lots more."
Tsunade smiled sweetly, the very picture of a gentle, big-sisterly housewife.
Crack.
The crisp sound of chopsticks snapping in half.
"Hey! Can you two please just eat like normal people?!"
Jiraiya's expression was dark, like he'd just eaten a pound of arsenic. Apparently, the little "curse circle" he drew earlier was utterly useless—if anything, it backfired.
(End of Chapter)
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