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Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Trap

"Boom... Boom... Boom..."

The puppets barely managed to slow Tsunade down. Instead, under her monstrous strength, they shattered with a single punch.

No matter how many puppets stood in her way, Tsunade's eyes remained locked on Chiyo.

If she could take her out, there was a chance to end this war—or at the very least, delay Sunagakure's offensive.

One after another, the puppets were reduced to wreckage, and Tsunade was getting closer and closer to Chiyo.

As she reached a certain distance, an intense burst of chakra erupted from Tsunade's body, doubling her speed in an instant.

To the naked eye, she was nothing but a blur, streaking straight toward Chiyo.

The two puppets in her path didn't even get close before the sheer force of her chakra tore them apart.

Less than ten meters away…

Suddenly, a golden sand wall surged from the ground, rising between the two.

Boom! Tsunade's fist struck the wall, sending golden sand scattering in all directions.

"If you don't step in, I won't last much longer," Chiyo exhaled in relief.

Tsunade's gaze sharpened as she looked at the young man emerging with the sand.

She knew exactly what that golden sand meant.

"I didn't expect the Fourth Kazekage to sneak onto the battlefield… Is Sunagakure ready to change leaders so soon?"

"Hmph, sharp tongue… I'd love to invite Konoha's Princess to Sunagakure as our honored guest."

Masses of golden sand began surging from the ground, moving as if alive, attempting to swallow Tsunade whole.

Only an idiot wouldn't realize this was a trap. Tsunade immediately retreated.

"You think you can just leave?" The Fourth Kazekage's voice rang out as he shouted:

"Magnet Release!"

A massive amount of golden sand, long buried underground, erupted in front of Tsunade, cutting off her escape.

Within the flowing sands, puppets lurked like fish in water, swiftly closing in on her.

"Damn it." Tsunade's expression grew heavier.

Since escaping was no longer an option, there was only one choice…

With a sudden burst of chakra from her feet, she launched herself toward the Fourth Kazekage.

"Stop struggling. This gift has been prepared just for you. Magnet Release: Sand Shield." Rasa taunted her even as his hands continued forming seals.

Boom! Tsunade's punch shattered the shield, blasting a hole right through it as she charged forward.

Rasa's eye twitched at the sight, immediately abandoning the idea of direct combat.

"Enjoy playing with the sand." With that, he sank into the golden sands beneath him.

Tsunade leaped into the air and stomped down at the spot where Rasa had disappeared. The sheer force of the impact sent sand spraying in all directions.

But there was nothing underneath.

Instead, the surrounding sand began surging toward her like a tidal wave.

From within the flowing sand, puppets lurked, ready to strike at any moment.

...

After over ten minutes of intense battle, Tsunade's clothes were torn in places, making her look a little worse for wear.

At first, her abilities gave her an overwhelming advantage over Chiyo's puppets. But now, the Fourth Kazekage's Bloodline Limit completely countered her taijutsu.

With Chiyo's expertise in puppetry added to the mix, Tsunade was facing suppression on all fronts. If not for her Yin Seal accelerating her healing, she would have fallen already.

The battlefield, filled with golden sand and shaped by the Fourth Kazekage's abilities, was an absolute nightmare for a taijutsu user.

Every time she attempted to break free, she encountered massive resistance. Worse, the sand seemed to follow her movements, making escape nearly impossible.

"Magnet Release: Sand Binding Coffin!"

A massive wave of sand converged into a serpent-like form, lunging at Tsunade from above.

She backflipped to dodge, but the missed strike shattered against the ground, forming countless tendrils that lashed out in all directions.

One of them wrapped around her leg midair.

"Got you." The Fourth Kazekage smirked from the shadows.

Within the exploding sand cloud, two insect-shaped puppets gleamed with razor-sharp blades, racing up the sand tendril to impale Tsunade.

At that critical moment—

"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"

A transparent blast of compressed air, sharp as a blade, sliced through the puppets and sand tendril from above.

Tsunade landed safely, breathing heavily. If those blades had struck her, even with her healing, she wouldn't have escaped unscathed.

"Are you alright?" Danzo appeared in front of her, scanning the battlefield with wary eyes.

When he arrived, Tsunade was nowhere to be seen, forcing him to search for her.

He knew all too well about her fatal weakness.

Tsunade steadied her breath and glanced at Danzo.

"I'm fine. We need to get out of here—fast."

The Fourth Kazekage's Bloodline Limit had an overwhelming advantage in a battlefield covered in golden sand.

Danzo surveyed the terrain. "I'll clear the way. Cover me."

"Konoha's Elder, huh? Since you've come all this way, you might as well stay." The Fourth Kazekage's voice echoed from the shadows.

"Magnet Release: Prison Sand Burial!"

All around them, sand dunes rose like a whirlpool, spinning as they attempted to devour the two.

"Big Ball Rasengan!"

Danzo thrust his Rasengan forward, charging straight through the spiraling sands.

The jutsu, like a massive drill, carved a tunnel through layer after layer of sand dunes.

Puppets hidden within tried to stop them, only to be ground to dust by the sheer force of the spiraling chakra.

Realizing frontal attacks were futile, puppets suddenly emerged from the sand behind them, opening compartments on their chests and launching a barrage of senbon.

Tsunade skidded across the sandy ground, generating immense force.

Clang!Swish!

A sharp, piercing sound filled the air as the force of her kick sent sand bullets flying, intercepting the rain of senbon.

Two puppets, riddled with holes, collapsed lifelessly into the shifting sands.

Breaking through the final sand wall, the terrain ahead was finally free of golden sand.

"Finally out…" Tsunade gasped, her chakra reserves nearing depletion.

In the distance, more than a dozen figures sprinted toward them.

"That's the Kazekage's personal guard. We need to move!" Danzo recognized their attire instantly.

Raising his Big Ball Rasengan, he aimed at the pursuers.

"Rasengan Burst!"

The massive sphere shrank visibly, compressing its power before detonating in an explosive shockwave.

The pursuing guards and even Chiyo were forced to halt and evade.

From above, the battlefield now bore a massive, crater-like indentation—like a scoop taken out of a cake.

"Move!" Danzo called out, and the two of them swiftly withdrew from the battlefield.

This technique was something Danzo had developed after obtaining Orochimaru's research. By disrupting the Rasengan's chakra flow at a distance, he created a controlled detonation, sending shockwaves forward to obliterate his enemies.

Though its power was slightly reduced, it required extreme chakra control to execute properly.

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