Setsuna adjusted his robes and slowly walked off the field.
A group of medical ninja rushed forward to treat his wounds.
Fanma let out a long breath.
The combination of Tsunade and the Clan Head was truly troublesome; both possessed the capability for both lethality and error-correction, making them the most difficult type of ninja to face.
But now, everything was settled.
Against Tsunade alone, Fanma was absolutely certain he could prevail.
Checking his chakra, which was more than half depleted, and feeling the fractures and bruising throughout his body, Fanma grinned.
This was the kind of combat that fostered growth; his trait experience had seen a long-overdue, massive surge.
In the distance, Tsunade bit her lip, knowing that with Setsuna’s withdrawal, the outcome of this duel was sealed.
Feeling the power of the Mangekyo—which she had been granted for this bout—gradually fading from her body, she refused to hesitate.
If she had to return to her normal state, she’d rather just surrender now.
Stamping the earth hard, she charged toward Fanma with lightning speed once more.
Even if she was going to lose, she would walk off the field with her dignity intact in front of this man!
Fanma dismissed his lightning armor and met Tsunade halfway.
For a while, they stood neck-and-neck, trading blows back and forth.
After a mutual clash of fists sent them both reeling back several steps, Tsunade demanded indignantly, “You bastard!
What about that lightning armor you stole from the Cloud Village brutes?
Why aren’t you using it anymore?” Fanma felt deeply relieved.
Truth be told, he was also a little embarrassed.
At the beginning of the fight, he had nearly lost control of his excitement and almost split Tsunade in half, potentially enacting a grim scene two decades ahead of schedule.
But then again, he mused, Tsunade is the undisputed Queen of Medicine.
She survived being bisected by Madara Uchiha and managed to get stitched back together—she’s practically on par with Kakuzu.
As his mind wandered, Fanma pondered how to end this bout against Tsunade.
He truly liked her—she was perfect in form, powerful in strength, came from a prestigious lineage, and they had grown up together.
Most importantly, her physique was robust enough to endure his power; she was effectively Fanma’s only standard for a partner in the ninja world.
Fanma put on a cheeky, grinning face, clutched his chest, and said with feigned pain, “It’s because your Strength of a Hundred punch hit me so hard.
You were so cruel to me—doesn’t your heart hurt at all?” Tsunade was absolutely livid.
This jerk was a pure, unadulterated villain playing the victim—he’d stolen the very lines she wanted to say!
“Enough talk!
You cold-hearted bastard, go to hell!” A flurry of punches and kicks rained down like a storm.
Fanma skillfully employed various footwork techniques—strolling steps, lateral shifts, and shuffles—refusing to strike back, swaying like a light boat upon the wind.
While Tsunade had ample power, her technical mastery was mediocre; she fought purely based on superior physique and chakra.
Compared to the White Fang, her understanding of taijutsu concepts and grappling nuance was severely lacking.
Tsunade grew angrier the longer it lasted.
Her power output increased, but she couldn’t land a single hit.
The whistling roar of her missed strikes only emphasized her growing frustration.
Fanma, meanwhile, wore a smile on his face, seemingly enjoying the moment.
The surrounding Jonin watched this display, listening to the explosive cracks of air, and collectively went silent.
Truly, they thought, when your love interest is that strong, flirting requires a high degree of combat power as well.
Fanma steadied his gaze and said earnestly, “I’ll come to see you in a few days.
Your taijutsu technique still has a lot of room for improvement.” “My bone-setting technique has also made new progress.
I’ll help you with a check-up, and afterward, we can document the findings in your medical texts.” Tsunade’s anger hit the ceiling.
What a dense block of wood!
Who wanted to hear about improving taijutsu technique right now?
Fanma watched her cute, furious expression and became transfixed.
He stared at her blankly and said softly, “I learned a few new dishes two days ago.
They’re all ingredients you’ve loved since childhood.
You should enjoy them.
Come to my place for dinner tonight.” Tsunade was stunned by this miraculous pivot.
Is this the man I love?
Saying whatever came to his mind, regardless of the situation—it really did match his combat style.
She waved a hand dismissively, glaring at him fiercely.
“Forget about eating or not eating!
You say my technique is poor?
Well, I’ll just have to see how much ‘better’ you really are!” Fanma stepped with nimble, short footwork, dodging her punches time and again.
Without a single wasted movement—the sway of his shoulders, the force generated by his spine, the suppleness of his joints, and his perfectly timed advances and retreats—it showcased his astonishing foundation and mastery of taijutsu.
Most shocking of all, under Fanma’s guidance, Tsunade’s punches became increasingly fluid, her footwork evolving from chaotic to disciplined—it was exactly like a taijutsu instructor teaching a child in the academy.
The witnessing Jonin watched this, elevating their estimation of Fanma’s teaching ability by a significant margin.
They began to wonder how they might invite him to give a lecture to their own clansmen on the essence of taijutsu.
Seeing Tsunade finally finding her flow but looking increasingly embarrassed and infuriated, Fanma knew he had to bring the day to a dignified close.
Another strike arrived at his ribs; Fanma sidestepped and flicked the nerve-cluster in her arm.
Taking advantage of her disrupted flow, he grabbed her hand, pulled it behind her back, and closed in for a clinch, locking one arm around her neck and the other behind her head.
The “Uchiha Rear-Naked Choke” was complete.
Fanma applied slight pressure, lifting Tsunade off the ground.
In the air, there was no leverage; once this hold was secured, unless there was a massive discrepancy in raw power or the enemy wasn’t humanoid, it was unbreakable.
Tsunade struggled to breathe, her elbows striking Fanma’s stomach with diminishing force until she went limp.
Fanma maintained the hold, breathing in the faint scent of sweat and the delicate orchid-like fragrance of her body, and whispered, “A great war is coming.
If I survive…
please, go out with me.” Fanma had lived two lives.
Though he had killed countless people in this world and carried a system, his cautious nature had always kept him guarded.
Even now, the Raikage’s Hell Stab, Onoki’s Particle Style, and strange sealing arts remained risks that could claim his life.
He maintained a sense of reverence toward the ninja world.
Yet, facing Tsunade’s burning emotions, he chose to stop running.
Every added responsibility was a new source of motivation; it gave him, a traveler in a foreign world, a sense of belonging.
Tsunade, hearing this simple confession, looked at Fanma’s arm—which had already relaxed its pressure—and bit down hard on it, leaving a row of teeth marks before breaking free.
She kicked him hard in the shin.
“You bastard…
you finally said something like a human.” With that, she turned and ran off, her face flaming red.
Fanma stood there helplessly.
It might be hard for people to believe, but in two lifetimes, this was likely his first attempt at a real relationship.
(?.?) Minato, who had been watching in shock, smacked his lips and glanced at Kushina.
In this regard, he thought to himself, Master Fanma seems to be worse than me.
Little did Minato know, Master Fanma had been the one constantly manufacturing opportunities for him—forcing him to protect Kushina from “Iron Men,” generously giving him money to take her out for food and drink…
otherwise, how could it have gone so smoothly?
Earn Them Together!