Even though Garp's voice signaled the start, neither woman moved for a long moment, each aware of the other's reputation. Both were trying to get a picture of the mindset that the other possessed, with them each being acutely aware of how dangerous the other was.
'If Uncle Hanzo is here, then that means that this is more than just a normal spar. Looks like I need to go all out.' Konan thought to herself.
Konan made the first move, her body dispersing into a thousand sheets of paper that scattered across the training ground nearly instantaneously. The papers swirled and danced, some transforming into razor-sharp projectiles while others began sprouting wooden growths from their surfaces.
"Dance of the Thousand Blades!!"
Konan's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere as the paper weapons launched toward Tsunade.
Tsunade's response was immediate. Her chakra-enhanced fist struck the ground with devastating force while Earth Nature Chakra began seeping into the earth through her feet with a single one-handed seal.
"Earth Style: Tectonic Upheaval!"
The training ground split and buckled, creating a defensive wall of earth that intercepted the majority of the paper projectiles.
"Not bad." Tsunade called out, "But paper won't be enough against me!"
Konan reformed several meters away, her expression calm. "Who said anything about just paper?"
Spiked wooden tendrils burst from the scattered papers behind Tsunade, attempting to ensnare her.
"Wood Style: Binding Forest."
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected attack vector, but her years of combat experience showed as she gracefully backflipped away from the grasping tendrils while maneuvering through the remaining ones.
While in the air, her hands flew through seals mid-flip.
"Water Style: Raging Rapids!"
A torrent of water erupted from her mouth, targeting the paper constructs with immense pressure that soaked them.
Konan's paper shuriken began to dampen, but the wooden elements provided unexpected structural support as the paper turned a bit brown. The papers didn't become completely drenched as they typically would, instead transforming into a hybrid material – a paper-wood fusion that maintained both flexibility and durability while being able to absorb water without it affecting it's usability.
"Did you think I wouldn't be able to handle my biggest weaknesses?" Konan spoke with a smirk.
"Don't get cocky, brat!" Tsunade spat, landing in a ready stance. "But let's see how it handles this." Immense Chakra visibly gathered both around her fistand inside of it as she charged forward.
Konan reformed partially, her lower body remaining in paper form while her torso and head solidified.
"Wood Style: Forest Wall!"
She slammed her hands together, and massive wooden barriers erupted from the ground in Tsunade's path.
The Slug Princess didn't slow down. Her chakra-enhanced fist connected with the first barrier, and the sound of splintering wood echoed across the training ground. The wall shattered, but behind it waited more barriers, each one reinforced with layers of paper that added flexibility to the wood's natural strength.
Tsunade broke through three more walls before being forced to dodge as paper shuriken, their edges reinforced with wood, once again sliced through the air where she had been standing. She used the momentum of her dodge to flip backward, with her using her absurd Chakra Control to manipulate all of her Chakra into her feet.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
Tsunade launched herself skyward, her leg trailing chakra as she aimed to bring it down on Konan's position.
Konan responded by dissolving into papers once more, but this time the papers began arranging themselves into a massive structure.
"Wood Style: Paper Forest Guardian!"
The papers formed a colossal humanoid shape, its surface a mesmerizing blend of flowing paper and growing wood, standing nearly as tall as the training ground's walls.
[Image]
Tsunade's kick connected with the guardian's raised arm, and the resulting impact sent shockwaves through the training ground. The guardian's arm cracked but didn't break, the paper components absorbing and dispersing the force while the wood provided structural integrity.
Landing on the guardian's arm, Tsunade immediately had to defend against a barrage of wooden spears that burst from its surface. She danced between each of them, her movements precise and efficient, before launching herself toward the construct's head where she sensed Konan's chakra signature.
"You won't find me there," Konan's voice echoed as the guardian's chest burst open, revealing a swirling vortex of paper and wooden shards.
"Wood Style: Flowering Paper Storm!"
The vortex exploded outward, filling the air with a deadly mixture of razor-sharp paper and wooden splinters. Tsunade crossed her arms in front of her face, her Creation Rebirth technique activating automatically as the storm lacerated her skin. She used the momentum of the blast to put distance between herself and the guardian.
Landing on the ground, Tsunade's wounds healed almost instantly, steam rising from her skin. "Not bad." she said, wiping a trace of blood from her cheek. "But you'll need more than that to overcome my regeneration."
Konan reformed at the guardian's shoulder, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps. But how long can you maintain that technique?" Her hands pressed together again.
"Wood Style: Death Forest Bloom!"
The training ground trembled as massive trees burst from the earth, their branches immediately sprouting paper flowers that began releasing a fine pollen into the air. Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she recognized the danger – the pollen would drain her chakra if inhaled.
Without hesitation, Tsunade bit her thumb and slammed her hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
In a massive puff of smoke, Katsuyu appeared, her enormous form filling nearly a quarter of the training ground.
"Lady Tsunade." the slug's gentle voice acknowledged her summoner.
"Katsuyu, clear the air!" Tsunade commanded, leaping onto the slug's head.
The giant slug inhaled deeply before releasing a spray of acid that cut through the pollen-filled air, dissolving both the paper flowers and their dangerous spores. The acid continued toward Konan's position, forcing her to abandon her perch as the guardian's shoulder began to dissolve.
Konan dispersed again, this time reforming in multiple locations simultaneously – three wood clones, each partially paper in structure, surrounded Tsunade and Katsuyu. "Wood Style: Paper Forest Entanglement!"
Trees erupted around Katsuyu, their branches wrapped in paper that began constricting like serpents. At the same time, the three Konans launched synchronized attacks, each using a different combination of paper and wood techniques.
The first clone unleashed a barrage of wooden stakes wrapped in explosive tags, the second created a cage of interwoven paper and branches that attempted to trap Katsuyu, while the third launched herself directly at Tsunade with paper wings enhanced by wooden frames.
Tsunade's response was magnificent in its efficiency. "Katsuyu, divide!" The giant slug split into hundreds of smaller versions, each one beginning to dissolve the wooden restraints with acid. Meanwhile, Tsunade herself charged chakra into her fist and struck the ground with earth-shattering force.
"Heavenly Spear Kick!"
She followed up with a kick that sent a shockwave through the air, disrupting the approaching explosive stakes and forcing them to detonate prematurely. The explosion created a momentary smokescreen, which Tsunade used to her advantage.
Bursting through the smoke, she engaged the winged Konan clone in close combat. Her chakra-enhanced strikes were precisely targeted, aiming for the points where paper and wood merged in an attempt to destroy its structure. The clone proved surprisingly resilient, its hybrid construction allowing it to bend rather than break, but Tsunade's relentless assault eventually found its mark with destructive force.
A devastating uppercut caught the clone under its chin, sending it spiraling upward. Tsunade followed, using the clone's own body as a springboard to launch herself toward one of the remaining clones.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
The training ground shook as Tsunade's kick connected, creating a crater that destabilized the entire area. The second clone dissolved under the impact, its paper and wooden components scattering. But even as it fell, the third clone had completed a complex series of hand seals.
"Wood Style: Shining Sea of Growing Life!!"
The scattered papers and wooden debris from the destroyed clones suddenly came to life, swirling together to form a dense forest of paper-wood hybrid trees. The trees grew at an impossible rate, their branches interweaving to create a complex three-dimensional maze.
Tsunade found herself surrounded by the strange forest, its paper leaves rustling with an almost metallic sound. From within the forest's depths, Konan's voice echoed:
"This is my domain now. These trees are extensions of myself, able to attack and defend at my will. Your strength is fearsome, but how will you use it when you can't find your target? Everything in here is under my command!"
As if to emphasize her point, the forest came alive with movement. Branches twisted and struck like snakes, paper leaves hardened into razor-sharp projectiles, and the very ground beneath Tsunade's feet began to shift as roots emerged and retracted.
Tsunade smiled, cracking her knuckles. "You're not the only one who can change the battlefield." Her hands flew through seals.
'It seems to have tried to implement Fuinjutsu to create a unique barrier to enclose the area, but it's not quite complete yet. Enough force should let me break it.' Tsunade thought to herself.
"World Shaking Fist!"
She struck the ground with both fists, channeling her chakra deep into the earth. The entire training ground began to tremor, the vibrations disrupting the root system of Konan's paper-wood forest. As the trees began to sway and buckle, Tsunade launched herself upward, her fist trembling with concentrated chakra as she unleashed the full totality of it.
"Cherry Blossom Clash!"
The impact of her strike sent a shockwave through the entire forest. Trees shattered, their paper and wooden components separating under the tremendous force. The destruction created a clearing in the dense canopy, revealing Konan hovering above with her paper wings extended.
Both women were showing signs of fatigue now. Tsunade's Creation Rebirth technique had healed her injuries, but the continuous chakra drain and forced cellular division were taking their toll. Konan's paper forms showed slight fraying at the edges, and maintaining the wood integration clearly required significant concentration.
They faced each other across the devastated training ground, each recognizing the other's skill. The remaining Katsuyu clones had gathered around Tsunade, while the fragments of Konan's paper-wood forest swirled around their creator like a protective cloud.
"Shall we end this?" Konan asked, her paper beginning to glow with chakra.
Tsunade's response was to channel her remaining chakra into her fists, causing them to glow with an intense blue light as she coated them in Lightning Chakra. "Let's."
The two kunoichi launched themselves at each other for one final exchange. Konan's paper and wood alongside her actual arm swirled together into a massive spear, while Tsunade's fist carried enough force to shatter mountains. As they met in the middle of the training ground, the resulting clash created a blinding flash of light and a thunderous explosion that forced even the observing Katsuyu clones to take cover.
When the dust settled, Konan lay on the ground, while Tsunade breathed heavily, looking at the young girl.
"You brats are terrifying." Tsunade said as she looked at the other two fights.
[Author's Note: I think I'm going to use other platforms. This chapter was supposed to be uploaded weeks ago but I've been arguing with Webnovel alot lately. I guess alot changed in the time in which I wasn't writing. But yeah, I'll do another chapter tomorrow to make up for it.