Chapter 89
A strike similar to an inch punch sent force into the ground, accumulating energy beneath the surface until it reached a breaking point and erupted. It was incredible—Tsunade had not used any other ninjutsu, accomplishing everything solely with her monstrous strength and her near-superhuman chakra control. Her mastery in this area was unparalleled in all of Konoha.
The earth pillar shot up tens of meters before breaking apart and scattering in all directions. The massive rock that had been launched into the air turned and plummeted back to the ground, dragging with it large tree roots and other debris.
Perched atop a tree, Jiraiya suddenly sprang into action. With a quick burst of movement, he soared into the air, his hands forming seals in an instant.
"Wind Release: Rolling Dragon Technique!"
Jiraiya exhaled a terrifying spiral storm, sweeping up all the airborne soil and the massive rock. The rock was ground to dust, and the debris was carried away in a lateral tornado, raining dirt over the forest like a bizarre earthy downpour.
His only intention was to prevent the stone and dirt from falling back and potentially injuring someone.
"That guy is seriously strong with Wind Release too," Haruto Saito muttered, watching Jiraiya return. Jiraiya was proficient in four elements—Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth—only lacking Lightning Release. However, his strongest affinity was with Fire Release.
"Brat, you lost!" Tsunade turned to Haruto with a smirk.
"How did I lose?" Haruto asked as he walked toward her.
"I blew up ten meters of earth, and there was nothing there!" Tsunade folded her arms, lifting her chin smugly. "We're even now!"
"Ten meters? Then I must have miscalculated," Haruto replied as he approached the crater in front of the tree. He peered down into the nearly circular hole, which had a diameter of about three meters and was pitch black inside.