Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

"Uchiha kid, do you think I'm too old to beat you?"

Tsunade, who was already holding back her anger, felt her bad mood intensify as she faced Yagami. Her thoughts were racing, and she clenched her fists, assuming Yagami was about to make a move.

Damn it! This woman must be mentally ill! She takes action whenever she disagrees—what the hell...

Sensing the power in her punch, Yagami didn't dare be careless. In the ninja world, taijutsu is crucial, and the damage it causes is tangible. To a certain extent, taijutsu can be even more powerful than ninjutsu and genjutsu, which are difficult to handle.

Amid Shizune's exclamation, the complex pattern in Yagami's eyes flashed briefly, and his right fist instantly met Tsunade's in a fierce clash.

For a moment, strong winds whipped around them as the two forces collided. The power they unleashed tore the ground apart, and nearby trees were uprooted by the wind pressure.

"Damn it! Here we go—this woman isn't mentally ill... Susanoo!"

Both were thrown back by the collision's recoil. After all, Yagami relied on the amplification from his Mangekyō and Yang power, but his control of raw strength was far inferior to Tsunade's, who fought with her strange strength and the Creation Rebirth Technique.

While he was still stabilizing himself, Tsunade had already shattered the ground beneath her and charged again, fist raised.

Compared to her previous punch, Tsunade's strength this time was clearly greater. Yagami did not dare to be careless and immediately activated Susanoo, which was known as an absolute defence.

He manifested only a rib cage for defence, surrounding himself.

"Crack!"

Tsunade's punch struck Susanoo, and after a crisp sound, cracks appeared. Against Tsunade's monstrous strength, Susanoo, at this stage, could barely hold up.

"I'll fight back again!"

Yagami's mouth twitched, and as the strong wind blew, Tsunade's clothes fluttered. Although the sight before him was intriguing, Yagami had no intention of getting another punch from Tsunade.

With a surge of Mangekyō Sharingan's power, Susanoo's rib cage grew more substantial, lines forming as if blood had fleshed out the bones.

"Susanoo—is this your Uchiha's divine power?"

As if her anger had dissipated, Tsunade relaxed, examining Susanoo with interest.

The Senju clan and the Uchiha clan had clashed for generations, and naturally, Tsunade knew of Susanoo. But by the time she was born, Konoha had been founded, and the two clans had made peace, so she had never seen it firsthand.

"I don't think you're suited to be our Uchiha's medical consultant. I'm worried my clan members might get punched to death by you."

Dismissing Susanoo, Yagami spoke calmly. Tsunade's medical expertise was among the best in the ninja world, but with her temper, it wasn't impossible she might knock out a few Uchiha!

"Ahahaha... You're just kidding! I was just in a bad mood earlier... I was wrong; there won't be a next time..."

Feeling embarrassed, Tsunade tried to excuse herself. But seeing Yagami's expression unchanged, she quickly looked down.

Uchiha was now her big boss, and she had to lower her head under the roof!

"In light of your actions just now, I've decided to add a one-month probation period. Whether you stay will depend on your performance."

Yagami couldn't count the times he'd been left speechless since meeting Tsunade. He always felt this woman was a bit reckless.

"Tsk! This brat is a handful! No wonder Danzo couldn't handle him... Oops! Am I digging my own grave here? An extra probation period isn't so bad. By the way, will I still get paid during this probation?" 

Watching Yagami walk away, Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly, muttering to herself. Then, realizing what Yagami said about the probation period, she almost lost her cool on the spot.

"Lady Tsunade, please take it easy from now on! Yagami-kun is not as easily manipulated as others."

Shizune came over, looking worn out. On the other side, Jiraiya clutched his bruised face, stunned at the sight of the ruined ground.

After listening to Shizune's account, Jiraiya was speechless, finding it unbelievable.

"That guy Yagami... he really traded punches with you? And he didn't get knocked back?"

"Hmph! Do you think everyone is as weak as you? Look at me—I'm still underage! Come on, go find the old man yourself. I'm heading to the Uchiha compound. Honestly, why am I doing a probation period? It's time-consuming..."

Tsunade spoke irritably, though she felt unsettled inside.

While she hadn't used her full strength in that first punch, she hadn't held back much either. Yagami blocking that punch was no small feat.

Especially since she hadn't sensed any chakra in Yagami's strike, meaning it wasn't the special nature of ninjutsu that gave Yagamisuch power.

Uchiha Yagami—this kid is becoming more and more intriguing!

"Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama have returned!"

Such a fierce battle just outside the village naturally attracted the attention of Konoha shinobi. They refrained from stepping in, recognizing the group.

An Anbu shinobi quickly reported the news to the Hokage.

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage stood up excitedly in his office.

Though he'd told Jiraiya to search for Tsunade, he wasn't entirely sure she'd agree to return.

After all, the events from the past had hurt Tsunade deeply; otherwise, she wouldn't have avoided the village and its people for so many years with no word sent back.

"It's good she's back... it's good to have her back... Inform them to come to the Hokage's office immediately!"

The Third Hokage thought it best to speak with Tsunade as soon as possible regarding the daimyo's affairs.

"Don't get too excited, old man. I didn't bring Tsunade back. She came to work for Uchiha..."

Before the Anbu left, Jiraiya appeared at the window of the Hokage's office, his face bruised and swollen.

By the way, why was he provoking her again? He'd only mentioned the village and then brought up the old man—was that really a reason for Tsunade to beat him?

"Jiraiya? Weren't you with Tsunade? What did you mean by what you just said?"

The Third Hokage was momentarily stunned. Tsunade hadn't been found by Jiraiya—could it be that the Uchiha had recruited her?

The thought of Tsunade possibly aligning herself with the Uchiha clan immediately made the Third Hokage feel uneasy as if he'd tasted something foul (not that he wanted to recall what that felt like from a past mission).

"Exactly what I said. I found Tsunade, but as soon as I mentioned Konoha, she punched me and then went off to wreck the Uchiha casino... Later, just outside the village, I tried to convince Tsunade to see you, old man, and got punched again for my trouble..."

Recalling the day's events, Jiraiya couldn't help but wince; had he come along just to serve as Tsunade's punching bag?

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