"Tsunade-sama!"

As Tsunade's figure appeared at the tunnel entrance, the Konoha shinobi erupted in unified cheers, their faces lit with joy.

Until now, they had only known Tsunade as one of the Fifth Hokage's wives, but today, her appearance gave them a completely new understanding of this blonde kunoichi.

Tsunade smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, but her gaze quickly turned cold as she looked beyond the tunnel. Her voice thundered:

"You filthy Suna scum! How dare you attack Konoha shinobi—today will be your last!"

At the same moment, the battlefield outside the tunnel came into view.

Thousands of Suna troops had already surrounded the area in a tight formation, their eyes locked on Tsunade.

"Tsunade, wife of the Fifth Hokage? What are you doing here?"

Kurosuna, the frontrunner for the next Kazekage, was leading this Suna unit.

He furrowed his brow upon seeing Tsunade, clearly confused.

But in the next instant, as if something clicked, his face darkened. He spoke urgently, "What did you do to Lord Shamon?!"

Tsunade's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You'll be joining your Kazekage soon enough."

As the words left her mouth, an overwhelming surge of chakra burst from within her. The raw energy was visible to the naked eye, swirling and roaring around her.

Then, with blinding speed, she launched herself at Kurosuna, her leg snapping forward in a devastating kick.

Kurosuna reacted just as quickly, barely managing to evade with a well-timed Body Flicker.

But before relief could settle in his heart, the spot where Tsunade's foot struck the ground erupted as if the earth itself had shattered.

The terrain caved in violently, the ground crumbling in a radius of dozens of meters like it had been split by an earthquake.

The shockwave hurled Kurosuna backward like a leaf in a storm. Though he had dodged the direct hit, the aftermath still took its toll.

He flipped midair, landing hard but stable, his face now caked in dust. Yet his eyes remained sharp as ever, fixed on Tsunade.

"As expected of someone who once stood beside the Fifth... You're strong, Tsunade," he said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Tsunade stood tall, her golden hair gleaming under the sun.

"Your Kazekage dared to launch an assault on the Fifth—today marks the end for you all!"

The surrounding Suna shinobi grew visibly restless at the sight of Kurosuna's injury.

They exchanged uncertain glances, clearly weighing the risk of charging such a powerful opponent.

But Tsunade's sheer strength made them hesitate. None dared act rashly.

Kurosuna took a deep breath, calming the chaos in his chakra.

He met her gaze, eyes full of steel.

"You may be strong, Tsunade. But Suna is no lamb for slaughter. And you're alone. The outcome of this battle is far from decided!"

With that, he waved his arm, and the Suna forces surged forward like a tidal wave.

They unleashed their jutsu—fire, water, wind—colliding in a deadly storm as it roared toward Tsunade.

But Tsunade showed no fear in the face of this overwhelming onslaught.

Her body blurred, flashing across the battlefield like golden lightning.

Each punch, kick, and elbow strike radiated with brutal chakra force. Every blow left tremors in the earth.

Each hit silenced dozens of Suna shinobi. Her momentum never faltered.

Genjutsu failed to affect her. No one could match her speed. No one could slow her down. Her body moved like it was immune to fatigue.

This version of Tsunade was overwhelming—and it plunged the Suna troops into a despair they had never known.

If they hadn't been so spread out, she might have wiped them out already.

Kurosuna's expression darkened as he watched the carnage.

He realized that if this continued, Sunagakure would suffer losses too great to recover from.

He tried to counter her with his own Iron Sand techniques, but like the others, his jutsu crumbled before her—fragile as toys.

All he could hope for now was that this terrifying state of Tsunade's wouldn't last.

But what he didn't know… was that Tsunade was just getting warmed up.

At that moment, her mysterious gambler's luck began to shift fate itself.

Kurosuna's gaze flickered toward the tunnel, where Konoha shinobi had begun to emerge and were now watching Tsunade with awestruck admiration.

An idea struck him like lightning. He shouted, "Attack the shinobi in the tunnel!"

The Suna troops, fueled by this new command, redirected their attacks. A rain of jutsu and kunai poured toward the Konoha shinobi.

Tsunade's eyes flared with fury. She roared, "Cowards!"

In a blur, she appeared in front of the tunnel, shielding the Konoha shinobi.

Clapping her hands together, she summoned an enormous surge of chakra:

"Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!"

A massive wooden avatar rose from the earth, standing at the tunnel's mouth like a mountainous guardian, blocking the incoming assault.

Kurosuna stared up at the towering wooden figure, and a hopeless dread welled up in his chest.

He knew the legends of Hashirama Senju, the man who quelled the chaos of an era, whose Wood Style was peerless.

And now, his granddaughter stood before him—wielding that very same power.

The battles before this were nothing in comparison. A horrifying realization crept over him:

She hasn't even been fighting seriously.

That thought slithered through his mind like a cold serpent, biting deep.

Had Tsunade unleashed this level of power from the beginning, the cost for Sunagakure would've been unimaginably high.

And with the mysterious disappearance of the Second Kazekage, Shamon, Kurosuna's face turned grim.

He gave his final order:

"Puppet squad, stay and buy time. Everyone else—retreat. Scatter and flee!"

He knew this was the only way. Preserve what strength they had left. Sow seeds for Suna's future.

Even if it meant retreat… they had to ensure some would survive.

But hope is fragile. Reality, brutal.

Tsunade had been pushed past the point of restraint.

Suna's attack on Konoha's shinobi had ignited something in her—and now, she unleashed a power the world hadn't seen in generations.

Above the battlefield, green specks of light shimmered like stardust. Beautiful. Ethereal.

But to those caught in the glow, it was a nightmare.

Their chakra drained the moment they touched the lights, until their strength failed and they collapsed.

"Wood Style: Verdant Dance!"