"She looks just like the First Hokage," a Konoha ninja murmured with nostalgia.
On the field, a short figure with blonde hair stood proudly, a massive scroll strapped to her back. Despite her small stature, her presence was imposing.
"Not just similar—identical," another ninja remarked. "That scroll... it has to be the one the First carried."
Though the scroll was larger than her body, she carried it with ease.
"As expected of someone rumored to possess monstrous strength," one ninja sighed in awe.
"Who's the princess up against? That kid looks like a pretty skilled swordsman."
Her opponent was just as short, dressed in a wide, pure-white hooded robe. A long sword hung at her waist, one hand resting calmly on the hilt. Her face was hidden behind a white fox-like mask engraved with a simple family crest.
"Didn't they say she's from the Aburame clan? You know, the ones who control bugs."
"Since when do Aburame use swords?"
"If she's fighting the princess, she must be strong."
"You been gone on missions too long," one ninja chuckled. "That's the infamous Aburame prodigy—six years old and already at jounin level."
"Back in the Warring States era, a kid like that could've earned bounties with ease."
"Anyway, I'd rather not meet an Aburame on the battlefield."
"Why's that?"
A veteran answered with a cryptic smile.
"You'll know if they recognize your corpse by the bugs crawling over it. Be grateful for that."
"Huh? Why's that?"
The answer came after a pause.
"Because bugs eat people."
---
"Begin!"
With that single word, the battle erupted.
Tsunade launched forward with explosive speed. Her chakra control and powerful leg muscles gave her devastating momentum. The ground shattered beneath her, earth heaving as huge rocks burst from the impact. Gravel shot out in all directions.
"What power!" someone in the crowd gasped.
As the crowd stirred, Tsunade leapt high into the air—soaring far beyond what most trained shinobi could reach. She looked like a human cannonball streaking across the sky.
Maki squinted up at the incoming figure.
Too fast. Too heavy.
Her insects couldn't intercept an object falling with such speed and force. The swarm's defensive perimeter would be broken.
"What a brute," the Third Hokage chuckled, watching the scene through his crystal ball as he exhaled a puff of smoke.
Tsunade would be fine from the fall. Her body could handle it.
The question was: Could Maki withstand the attack when Tsunade closed the gap?
A thick black cloud burst from Maki's body—swarms of insects rising to meet Tsunade mid-air. It was her best chance to shield herself.
The match now hinged on whether Tsunade could break through that swarm and land a direct hit.
Maki began to retreat, ready to leap away from the impact zone.
But then, she stopped.
And crouched.
She's not dodging?
The spectators exchanged confused glances.
But their confusion was soon answered.
From above, hidden in the black mist of the insect swarm, came a storm of kunai and shuriken—raining down with deadly precision. Every escape route around Maki was sealed.
"Brilliant move, Princess!" one ninja shouted, slapping his thigh.
"That girl's got insane combat instincts," another added.
Weapons stabbed into the ground around Maki one after another in a continuous clatter.
And then came Tsunade—descending like a thunderbolt.
The air pressure around her howled violently.
But the insects obscured both sides' vision.
Before impact, Maki quickly formed a hand seal.
And sank into the earth.
"She got away!" someone shouted.
"Wait—maybe not!" another responded with tension in their voice.
Tsunade crashed through the swarm of insects in the air like a meteor.
But on the ground, Maki was nowhere to be seen.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tsunade—now completely covered in writhing parasites—stomped the earth with a force that cracked stone. Her raised foot slammed down like judgment.
She didn't care about the bugs crawling into her mouth or skittering under her clothes.
With a grin on her face, she shouted joyfully:
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
And then—boom.
The hardened earth split apart like tofu under a hammer.
Thunder roared. The ground shook like a storm-tossed sea. Even spectators standing far back struggled to stay on their feet.
Rocks, smoke, dust, and scattered weapons exploded into the air in every direction.
When the chaos finally settled, the training grounds were barely recognizable.
At the center of the destruction, Tsunade stood hunched over, hands on her knees, catching her breath. Some insects had been blown away by the blast, but others still clung to her, crawling stubbornly across her bruised body.
Her cute face peeked through the mess—but no one was thinking "cute" anymore.
Instead, the entire crowd stood in stunned silence.
Is this really Konoha's princess?
No. She wasn't a princess.
She was a walking natural disaster.
Some younger boys who had once secretly admired her felt their hearts shatter. Any fleeting romantic dreams vanished. Marrying Tsunade? That would be suicide.
But then the question hit everyone at once:
Where did Maki go?
Uchiha Chisato scanned the area nervously. He trusted Maki's abilities, but even so—he couldn't help worrying.
Hinata, eyes glowing with her activated Byakugan, glanced at Tsunade and scoffed softly, arms folded.
Hmph. This fight isn't over yet.
And she was right.
The next moment, Maki's figure rose slowly from the distant edge of the crater.
She was covered in dust. Her cracked mask hung loosely on her face, and her once-white robes were now gray with dirt. She looked beaten, but very much alive.
There hadn't been enough time to escape completely underground. She'd used Earth Release to sink as deep as she could and softened the soil around her—but for a terrifying moment, she genuinely thought she'd be crushed into paste.
The swarm of insects around her buzzed in agitation, their mood matching hers.
But she didn't rush to counterattack.
There was no point.
Why?
Because—
"Your bugs don't work on me anymore, bug girl!" Tsunade shouted across the field, straightening up with a grin. "Come here! I'm gonna crush you!"
Maki stared at her and asked flatly, "How did you do it, slug-brain?"
Tsunade smirked. "What, you want me to tell you? If you beg, maybe I'll consider it—HAHAHA!"
Hands on her hips, she was full of herself.
But Maki's voice cut coldly through the air.
"No. I just know it wasn't your idea. You're not smart enough for tactics like that."
Tsunade's grin twitched. A vein popped on her forehead.
The laughter stopped.
"Let me guess…" Maki continued, her tone clinical.
"It's slime, right?"
"A mucus coating. Protective layering across the body."
Tsunade's face darkened instantly.
"So, it's a slug technique," Maki said.
She recalled an interesting observation from nature: army ants, powerful in swarms, still couldn't overcome slugs. Why?
Because their mucus neutralized everything. It stuck to mandibles and limbs. Swarming tactics became useless.
This mucus even dulled chakra absorption. She could still drain a little—but not nearly enough.
"Fitting," Maki said. "You're a slug through and through."
In the distance, two ANBU on duty watched from a rooftop.
"Looks like Princess Tsunade wins. That Aburame kid can't do anything now," one of them commented.
"Maybe," his partner replied. "But the body of that devil-child is strange."
Byakugan eyes flashed again.
"I don't fully understand it either," she said. "But she's still dangerous."
At that moment, Maki moved.
She slowly unsheathed her sword and tossed the scabbard aside.
A close-combat round?
Against Tsunade?
Everyone leaned in, watching with bated breath.
Tsunade, meanwhile, bent down and casually picked up a giant iron mace from the rubble. She slung it over her small shoulder, looking absurdly proud of herself.
"You looked cooler before," Maki said dryly. "Now you just look dumb, picking up garbage."
Tsunade opened her mouth—then closed it.
She had no comeback.
______________
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